Transaction

Charlie hides

TW: Mention of abuse
Devon's perspective!
There was a knock at the door. I stopped pacing and went to answer it. I prayed it was nothing. I just wanted to sit and wait for Aiden to call and say "Everything's fine, no need to worry."

I opened the door. Charlie pushed past me and sat on the couch. I closed the door behind him. Okay. I need to handle this with grace. How do I connect with a teenager? Teenagers hate me, they even hated me when I was one!

"Charlie? Are you okay?"

He looked at me. "I shouldn't be here. I should be helping Aiden."

I sat down next to him. "Are you okay?" I repeated.

His eyes flickered back and forth. "This shouldn't be my job. I shouldn't have to worry about this."

"No, you shouldn't. I'm sorry."

He slightly rocked back and forth as he mumbled about how he should be with the kids.

I got up and got him a glass of water. "Here. Drink."

Charlie took it and sipped. "Thanks."

"Look, Charlie. Aiden is tough, and resilient, and he loves you. He loves you enough to rather you be here than there. He can handle it."

"I sure as hell hope so."

I took the break in conversation as a sign to text Aiden that Charlie was at my house. I didn't get a response.

-

The week went by terribly slowly. Charlie often hid in my house, and I had little to no contact with Aiden. Charlie and I played board and video games, often chess. Over one game, the 6th day he was at my house, I asked him, "Can I ask you about your parents?"

He shrugged as he moved his bishop. "Sure."

"What is your mom like?"

He sighed. "Sweet. Always trying her best. Always aware that her best isn't good enough. Clearly doesn't believe in abortion. She shows up to tell us she got better and she's going to try. It lasts a week. We just hope she doesn't come back with a kid. She's 46, so we're pretty much in the clear. She's unreliable and stupid. She knows she can't bring heroin or meth in the house, so she's going through withdrawals constantly. What else do you want to know?"

"That's enough for me. I'm sorry you have a parent like that."

"Eh, not as bad as Dad."

"What is he like?"

"Aiden and I share a father. Ozzy thinks he does too, but we're lying to him. Ozzy was a mistake, along with the little kids. No one knows who their dads are, not even mom. But the man we all call Dad is... a bittersweet thing. Mostly bitter. He was mean. He was a drunk. He was angry. He only hit the oldest kid, for some reason. If... um... If Aiden was out, it was me. Then he decided he wanted to be a better man. But he knew he had lost us. So he pays our rent while living with his new wife and step kids. I heard he's really a good man nowadays."

I nodded. "You've been dealt a pretty bad hand, Charlie. I'm glad you have Aiden."

Charlie smiled a little. "Yeah."