All is Well.

Charlie

The fourth of Feburary 1982. Elizabeth's point of view. The afton household. Elizabeth's room. 4:26pm.

Mike had been...quiet. All day, it was really weird. When Evan bumped into him in the hallway and made him drop the laundry he didn't even yell at him.
I think he was still sad about the fight with daddy. My teacher didn't mention anything about the drawings. Micheal didn't mention anything about the fight. I wanted to ask him about it. But I knew it would bring me to an early grave. I wanted to tell someone about the drawings about how I felt. But Micheal would sneer. Evan would understand but only to a certain extent. I admit sometimes I forget he's 7 and rant to him but I realise after that he probably only understood half of the words I said. And dad. The thought of talking to dad was enough to make me laugh. I love him. Of course I do. But having a heart to heart with him is enough to make me cringe. Just imagining how awkward it would be. Uhhh.
I sat in my room finishing my homework when the door opened. "Dyou want pizza for dinner?" Micheal asked. His cheek had a plaster over it. "Mhm, sure. Mike...your cheek." He slammed the door before I could finish. I sighed and threw down my pencil. I hated that I had no one to talk to. I just wanted to speak with someone without them judging me. Then I had it. Charlie.

Charlie Emily and I have been best friends since birth. Daddy and Henry met in collage and became best friends, they even own a business together. Charlie is my favourite person ever. I knew she'd understand. She would...wouldn't she?

I ran downstairs and pulled the phone off the wall. "I already ordered the pizza What're you doing?" Micheal called from the couch. I ignored him and dialed the Emily's number. "Hello?" "Hi Char! It's me, Lizzie!" "Hiya Liz! What's up?" "Dyou wanna come over for dinner, I've something I wanna talk to you bout." "Hold on I'll ask Dad." There was a long silence when I heard a noise like the phone dropping. "Oops! Yeah dad says I can come. See you soon!" "Bye Charlie!" I hung up and found myself face to face with my brother. "What're you doing inviting your stupid friends over? You didn't even ask me." I ignored him, and pushed past going upstairs. "I'm in charge!" I heard him yell before I slammed the door.

"Hey!" My bedroom door opened and Charlie walked in. Her hair was swept over her face and her green jacket (that she always wore) was falling off. "Sorry I took so long it was windy." "I called you less than five minutes ago." I laughed as she sat next to me. "So what did ya wanna talk to me about." She smiled. That's one of the things I love about Charlie. She can be funny and laughing but when you need her for something she's serious and the most caring person I know. "I- I don't really know. There's...alot." I had so much I wanted to say I didn't know what to start with. "It's heavy baggage stuff." My cheeks turned pink, suddenly embarrassed that she'd think my family and life was like insane. She took my hand in hers and smiled at me. "Liz, I'm your best friend. Crush me with your baggage I'm here." Those words ment so much to me she'll never know. So I began laying it down. I don't know when I started crying. Or when she placed her arms around me. But when I finished I was sobbing quietly with my head on her shoulder, and her arms around me. My hair was spilling out everywhere and I must've looked a mess. But Charlie didn't mind. She held me. I closed my eyes and listened to her breathing. "I'm always here Lizzie, always." I heard her whisper before I drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When I woke up it was around three in the morning. Charlie had pulled a sleeping bag out of my closet and was asleep next to my bed. I got up and tiptoed across her to the hallway. I went to the bathroom and on my way back I heard...running? It was coming from Evan's room. I went over and placed my hand on his doorknob and began opening it slowly so if he was asleep I wouldn't wake him. But as I pushed it open the door slammed in my face. "No! No, stop. Leave me alone." I heard him pant as he help the door shut. Our house is pretty weird we have two hallways upstairs and Ev's room has two doors so I went round to the other one. I opened slowly. It creak and I saw him collapse on his knees as he shon a flashlight in my eyes. "Go away go away go away!" He whispered hoarsely sounding desperate. "Evan?" He looked up teary eyed. "Lizzie?" He ran up hugged me but then pushed me out of the door. "Y-you need to get out of here." "Ev, what? Is this why you've been so tired? What are you doing running around?" "I-I can't explain. N-not now." He said panicked. I swear I heard a growl from inside his room. He gasped and turned to the closet shining his light on it. "Night Lizzie!" He slammed the door and I heard him go back to running.

The next morning me and Charlie headed into the kitchen. I felt alot better since talking to her. "And then
Cassidy got into an argument with the teacher they were yelling and-" Charlie stopped talking as we walked into the kitchen and saw Dad sitting at the table. "Daddy? What're you doing home." I asked rushing to hug him. "Do you have a day off?" "No sweetie I'm working from home today. Hello Charlotte nice of you to join us." "Hi Mr Afton." Charlie's dad let us call him uncle Henry. Calling daddy uncle William was out of the question. He shook out his newspaper and sighed, sipping his coffee. "Elizabeth do me a favor and call your brother down for breakfast." "Okay. Micheal or Evan?" "Evan. Micheal is staying at a friends house tonight. He left around an hour ago." I nodded and stepped towards the stairs. "Ev!" I called. "Breakfast!" I stepped back into the kitchen where two bowls of cereal lay on the table across from dad. Charlie beckoned for me to sit with her and pushed the bowl towards me. We began eating In silence. Only the occasional cough, the sound of the newspaper being rustled or the clanking of a spoon against a bowl. I wished we didn't have to sit at the table to eat. Charlie was allowed food in the living room. Even in her bedroom! Uncle Henry is the best. Sometimes I wish he was my daddy. We sat in awkward silence. I feel like I can't say anything to Charlie around daddy. If I'm honest someone and only sometimes. I get nervous talking to dad. I can kinda see why Evan is scared of him. And why he says more to uncle Henry than he does to dad.(Which is still very little). Around uncle Henry I feel like I can tell him anything. And I know the more I'm around him, no matter how much I want to deny it. I like him more than daddy.

We placed our dishes in the sink and left the room briskly. "Elizabeth will you go to your brother...your-your brothers room and send him down for breakfast, please." Dad called after me. "Yup!" I called back continuing upstairs. "Lizzie, did your dad just forget Evans name?" Charlie whispered in shock. "Yeah it happens sometimes since he spends all his time in his room. If it wasn't for me or Micheal reminding dad Evan probably wouldn't get dinner." I responded casually. "I-uh-thats. Not..uh- good." Charlie said surprised. I shrugged. Charlie's dad was the best father ever, so not getting dinner is like unfathomable to her. We both don't have mom's. Her mommy died when she was little and I don't know anything about my mom. Like anything. I don't even know her name. I tried asking dad once. I never got a good response. I usually just got sent to my room. The same when I ask to go see daddy's robots. Which is what I was going to do this morning. But I didn't get a chance to.
"Ev breakfast!" I called knocking on his door. "Evan?" He didn't answer so I knocked again. "He might still be asleep?" Charlie suggested. "He usually wouldn't be by this time." I said looking towards the grandfather clock at the end of the hallway. I knocked one last time before opening the door.

"Oh my, Evan?" I shook his shoulder. "Wake up!" He was slumped over. His head on his bed, his legs on the floor. His bear was clutched in one hand and a flashlight hung loosely in the other. "Ev!" I shook him again. He woke with a start. "Hm? What?" "What're doing? Did you even get into bed last night? Why do you have a flashlight?" He sat on his bed and shuffled uncomfortably. "You can talk to me. You know that right?" I sat next to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, I-i know." He said looking down at his bear in hands. "You can talk to me too Evan." Charlie said sitting on the other side of him. "If you want." "Thanks Charlie." He smiled shyly. Charlie was like another sister to him and he really liked her. Maybe becuase she was quiet like him. "Wanna talk about what happened?" I asked putting my arm around him. He looked up at me his, blue eyes glossy. They had dark circles under them. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. "I-it..." He rubbed his eyes and paused, staring down at the bear again. "It got me."