Striking Lies

Chapter Twenty Three- Mornin' Glory

Chapter Twenty-three

I hate mornings, they just suck all together.

The sun beamed through my window, shining down on my wake crested eyes. I screeched out, covering my eyes with my piles of blankets and snuggling back down into my nook of warmth.

“Charlotte Marie Manson!” My mother yelled, making me cringe and sigh in tiresome. One by one, I throw my covers off of me, slipping on my slippers and staggering my way to my staircase out in the hall. I thump on down them and squeezing into the kitchen where my mom and dad stood with Andrew.

I sighed when I saw them, “What is he doing here?” I asked grimly.

My mother stood her ground, putting her hand on her hip and acting like she didn’t know a thing.

Then again she didn’t.

“Don’t act that way Charlotte.” She spoke with no emotion in her voice. Completely terrified me.

I shifted my weight on the balls of my feet, staring at the expressions these people were giving off. 

“Okay then what’s up?” I ask, almost feeling stupid for it.

“I need to talk to you Charlotte.” Andrew spoke up from behind my parents, sounding sincere and meaningful. My eyes narrowed, wondering what exactly there was to talk about.

“Shoot.” I spoke, moving to my kitchen island and opening the bag of bread. Andrew frowned, following me over there and taking a seat at the counter.

“It’s Holly.” He said, not making my eyes dart up from the different pastries I could feast on.

“Oh is it?” I asked in a moron type of way, edging to the toaster and sticking two pieces of bread in it.

“Yeah.” He said sternly, grabbing my wrist. I jerk my way out of it, just like Tanner had taught me to do and recoil back to the counter.

“Sorry,” He apologies, “I’m just worried about her and you.” He finished, bring my attention to him.

“And why must you be ‘worried’ about me?” Moron tone getting the best of me at this point.

“She’s been acting strange lately, mainly every since we saw you at Tomas River.”

“Strange how?” I ask.

“Skipping school, not eating, wears black all the time, rumors going around that she is cutting her wrists, ect.” He feeds to me, quickly and quietly, attempting to not let my parents hear.

“Hum. Seems like she has a extreme case of depression, that or she’s just taken a turn to become gothic.” I say, buttering my toast and lightly putting it down on the plate.

“Cute. But this is more serious. Tell me, have you ever seen Holly act like this? I mean come on! She’s like the queen of preppy-ness.”

Wrong-o. Ivy is.

I did have to agree though. Though Ivy was without a doubt the queen of the preps, Holly wasn’t that far off from it.

“Do you believe that she cuts herself?” I ask, murmuring so no one can hear.

“Vaguely. But you’d never know with her.” He says, stealing a piece of my toast like he always had.

“So what do you want me to do about this? I mean, she hates me and I hate her.”

Wrong-o again!

You know you don’t hate Holly. You could never. My mind says, causing me to go to the medicine cabinet and take two Advil’s.

“She doesn’t hate you Char. Y’all are just in a rough patch.” He mumbles.

“And for the fact of doing something, maybe you could just talk to her. Show that you actually care.” He finishes, acting as if in the last six months he actually knew what I had been up to or the fact that me and Tanner are together.

I debated this for a moment or two, “If I do go to talk with her, you’re going as well.”

He nods making his mouth hint at a smile.

“Well, is that it Andrew?” I ask, circling around the counter and heading into the doorjamb of the attic’s staircase.

“Actually no.” I sigh.

“Are we okay?” He asks, following me up the steps and into my room. He takes in the changes that I had made to it the day before; when you are grounded and suspended from school, you have a bunch of free time.

My bed was now across from where it was before, my white couch that Holly used to always claim was now where my bed used to be, and next to that was my vanity; that more or less served as my T.V stand. He noticed that I took down all my pictures of the three of us and replaced all but one with pictures of me, Ivy, Liam and Tanner.

I sat on my bed, contemplating his question before actually answering him.

“I’d never hate you Andrew.” I spoke, “I just couldn’t, but I don’t trust you after the whole poster scandal you and Holly pulled.” I answered honestly.

“But?” He asked, inching towards me.

“But, I’m still your friend.” I finish, allowing him to pull me up from my bed and bring me into a hug.

He held me tight; whispering in my ear how much he was sorry and how he missed me so much. And I just nodded along, taking him in like he was doing to me. I did need him, though people can debate that I replaced him with Tanner, but the truth is; I’m not, nor have, dated Andrew like I am with Tanner.

“I got you something.” He says, disappearing down stairs and letting me know he was walking-running- back up the stairs.

He handed me a yellow wrapped box, gazing at me as I unwrapped the paper to uncover…

Of course.  

A new blue, Alarm Clock.

Oh! With five different (loud) wake up tones, fm and am radio (sure to hold some type of rap there) and it was glow in the dark. Thoughtful though.

I laughed at the fact that he had gotten me one, and then realized again why mine was broken in the first place.

“Thanks Andrew.”  I say, though regarding any hatred to alarm clocks.

“I figure since you kind of threw you old one at me, I might as well get you a new one.”

I started to state the fact that I didn’t throw it at him and that he just so happened to be there at the exact time, in the right place.

“Thoughtful.” I say, plugging it in to the outlet nearest to my side table.

He smiles at the clock, watching as it began to come into color before our own eyes.