In Charlotte's Eyes

ONE: [P] Develop a Pattern

Four days passed. Thoughts of Charlotte never went away. They lingered and clung to Parker’s mind, and no matter what he did, the anxiety of her absence loomed. Another Saturday came, and he found himself at the step of Charlotte’s house. It was a chilly day out, so he hurried himself inside to meet up with Audrey for the second time.

He passed her car as he jogged to the door. He opened the unlocked entrance. The house was quiet. Audrey was not present in the living room or kitchen. He paused, closing the door behind him. The cold breeze ceased, and the warm air of the house hugged him with comfort.

He cupped a hand to the side of his face. “Audrey?” He shouted.

“Yeah?” Her voice responded. She was somewhere deeper in the house. “I'm in Charlotte’s room.”

“Alright.” Parker quietly spoke to himself. He made the short trek to the girl’s room. When he stepped inside, it looked.. way different than he remembered it being. “..Oh.” He looked at the freshly cleaned walls, to the made bed, then to the desk, where Audrey stood. She was turned away from him, knelt on the ground. “Everything’s so.. organized.” He commented.

Audrey sighed briefly. “Yep.” She stood up, dusting her knees off. Her voice sounded slightly aggravated. “Her room was a complete mess.” She huffed. “It's a miracle I was able to salvage it.”

Parker felt that that was a bit harsh. Charlotte was never a neat freak, but her room was never trashed. He rubbed the back of his head. “Heh. You already finished cleaning everything in here?” He awkwardly smiled.

She took a big breath. “..Yeah.” She defiantly affirmed. For some reason, she sounded like she was on the verge of tears. She sniffled, forcing her way onto Charlotte’s bed. She put her balled fists stiffly onto each of her legs. Her crooked lips stuck out to Parker.

“What's wrong?” He asked. Charlotte was gone. Of course she'd be upset. What a terrible question.

Audrey took another deep breath in, closing her eyes and leaning away. When she released, it came out shaky. “I’ve looked through so many things of hers, yet there wasn't a single piece of family memorabilia.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “It upsets me how little she values us.” A small, delicate sob escaped her suddenly. She bowed her head in sadness.

Parker felt obligated to sit next to her on the bed. He let out a pensive breath through his nose. “I'm sorry.” Was all he could muster.

Audrey sat up straight, taking in an uneven breath. “She was always a problem child.” She swallowed a sob. “Got into fights with everyone constantly. I tried my best to teach her to be respectful.” She shook her head sadly. “For a time, I thought I was succeeding..” She whimpered.

Parker could see it. Charlotte got into a good amount of arguments with him and the others. Hell, the last time he saw her she was arguing with him.. The thought made him deeply upset. “Mm..” He had tried so hard for her.

“She wasn't always like this.” Her voice broke. It took her a moment to regain herself enough to continue. “Th-There was a time where she began improving herself. Her grades improved.. she became more respectful,” Audrey sniffled, breathless. She shook her head. “..She just.. seemed more happy. Then, one day she went back to being cold and snappy.”

“What happened?” Parker feared he already knew the answer.

The bun whimpered, stuffing her hands into her eyes. “..I don't know.” She whispered. “I-I d-don’t kn-kno-ow..” She cried. She continued to speak through her sobs. “O-One time sh-she came up to me, a-a-and told me she- l-loved me..” The girl crumbled on herself, leaning forward. “I-! I-I-I r-really thought I had-!” She continued to cry. “I really th-th-thought tha-t- I had fixed her..!”