An Arrangement was Made

Chapter 20: He Scares Me

(Trigger Warning for Sexual Harassment)

Charlie was pacing circles in the lobby. She was stressing out in a major way. She was running on 3 hours of sleep, 4 cups of coffee, and a tic tac.. Adam had been silent since she woke up. She didn't know whether that was a good thing or not yet.

"He's probably just asleep. He's probably just asleep." She muttered to herself.

Vaggie was leaning against the wall watching her. She wished she knew what to say. She had no idea how to make this situation better. How do you comfort someone who's panicking about a bomb that no one knows how to defuse?

"Maybe it's time to tell your da-" Charlie cut her off.

"No! I'm not ready for that yet!" She started to cry. "He's going to be so mad at me, or he's going to think I'm stupid, or Adam will fight him, or Adam will get mad at me when he leaves, I can't tell him! I can't yet! Not yet!"

"Okay." Vaggie almost wished she hadn't suggested that. It seemed like it had only made her spiral faster.

"Bars on his windows Vaggie! Someone put bars on his windows!" She was near total hysterics. "Who would do that?!"

"Oh, I did." Alastor piped up from the corner of the room.

"What?! Why?!" Charlie turned her attention to him. She hadn't realized that he was even in the room until he said anything.

"Well you said you didn't like the idea of Adam going out on his own, so I thought I would take some preparatory measures to keep him from leaving without your knowing." Alastor tossed his cane from hand to hand as he spoke. Charlie regretted saying that where Alastor could hear. She took a breath to try and recenter herself so she wasn't as much of a mess.

"Alastor, I really appreciate that you're trying to help but uh.. Treating Adam like a prisoner isn't uh, helpful?" Alastor's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He wasn't very good at taking criticism.

"Hm." He shrugged. His nonchalant expression and behavior quickly returned. "Well at least it was entertaining."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Vaggie exploded. "WE COULD'VE DIED! LIKE REAL FOREVER DEATH! DO YOU EVEN CARE?!"

"Smile dear, you're never fully dressed without one." He tittered before leaving to go do whatever it is that Alastor does when he's not on screen. Vaggie seethed with rage, which she expressed once he was out the door.

"I hope Adam kills him first."

"Vaggie! That's not-" She sighed.

"Sorry."

A thought suddenly occurred to Charlie.

"Vaggie, you knew Adam before you fell right?"

"Well yeah?" Vaggie was a little caught off guard by the question. "We weren't super close or anything. I saw him at church sometimes and at social events. I think we talked once maybe? Sorry, I can't help much."

Charlie was disappointed by that. She thought she almost had a way to figure Adam out without having to physically get close to him. She would have to do things the old fashioned way. She would have to talk to him.

"He's probably starving." She looked towards the direction of his room.

"Yeah, poor fella has gone a full 24 hours without eating his body weight in cheese." Vaggie did that one catholic prayer cross sign thing, idk what it's called, I'm a Mormon.

That got a bit of a chuckle out of Charlie.

"Does he really like cheese that much?"

"Have you looked at him? Of course he does."