Project: Sunshine

22- Charity

Warning: Sexual-ish bit at the end
~

"Cherri?"

"Woah. You could almost say you're in a bit of a pickle." Stella stepped onto Angel's foot, making the girl lean over. "Ow! You asshole."

"Who a-are you?" Stella stared at the girl in front of her, she bit her lip at the girl's stutter, there was no way it wasn't Cherri. The girl sat down a bag on the coffee table, not taking her eyes off Stella.

"You don't remember?" Stella took a step closer, her heart hurt. How could she not remember?

"I don't..." Cherri's eyes glanced down Stella's body, she took in a sharp breath. "Stella?" Cherri slowly moved forward before she quickly came to Stella, wrapping her arms tightly around the girl.

"Oh... Stella." Cherri pulled slightly away, hands on the side of Stella's face. "You look so different... I- I thought I'd nev-never see you again." She then pressed against Stella again.

Stella didn't say anything, she just held Cherri tight. Stella could feel her shirt get wet from the tears, Stella knew Cherri to be a crier.

At least that much stayed the same.

Cherri's hair wasn't braided. It was put up on both sides in the back, she looked good. She always did.

Cherri eventually pulled away, wiping her eyes. "When d-did you get out?"

"We got out today." Angel piped up, she used her fingers to wave to Cherri.

"You- you're... Angelica?"

"In the flesh." Angel smiled, she knew neither of the two would understand what she meant. Cherri blinked, glancing in between Stella and Angel.

"Oh, boy." Cherri shook her head, "Come b-back this way." She waved for them to follow as she pushed through the doorway and walked deeper into the house.

"Since when did you do caretaker stuff? And since when were you called Charity?" Stella asked, examining the walls, there were pictures of the old man with his granddaughter everywhere. "And why are you in this town?"

"I- I left Windsdale not t-too long ago." Cherri motioned for the other two to sit down on a bed, "I needed a job and I was friends with his gran-granddaughter before she... I wanted away from my family, they wanted me to m-marry some guy so I ran and ch-changed my name."

"Oh."

"Does this job pay a lot?" Angel asked, "You can trade spots with me. He's got pickles."

"I b-bought them. And not really, but I'm a clothing designer and maker. I make clothes for uh... A band." Cherri glanced at Stella for a second, she opted to stay quiet with what she wanted to say.

"What band?" Stella glanced around the room, it appeared to be the granddaughter's.

"That's..." Stella glanced at Cherri, she pulled herself off the bed and grabbed the leather bracelet on her wrist, turning the girl's arm to see it. The word Eden was on the metal part.