Charlie Charlie

Why is your name Charlie?

"Why is your name Charlie?"

"Why is your name Charlie?"

"Because I'm a dude, duh."

"So?"

"So what? I'm a dude and my name is Charlie. Only dudes are called Charlie."

"Your so sexist."

"I'm just telling the truth."

"Bullshit! Who said only "dudes" are named Charlie, huh?"

"No one, but you never see a girl with the name Charlie, do ya?"

"We'll you're sitting next to one right now, dimwit." She scowled.

"Okay, Charlie why exactly do you have the name of a guy?" He asked. "And don't answer back with my question," he added.

She groaned, and removed her elbows and thumped on the grass. "I dunno."

He raised his eyebrows. She shaded her eyes with her right hand and looked him in the face.

"Okay...so my mum always wanted a boy named Charlie. So when she got pregnant, she was positive it would be a boy. Imagine her disappointment when the ultrasound technician says that her newborn won't be the boy she always hoped to have, but a unwanted girl." He tsked and she glared at him but the sunlight shot in her eyes making her clamp them shut immediately.

"So I guess, this is my punishment," she said. With her eyes still closed, she clasped her hands over her stomach. "For not being the expected boy. Being named Charlie." She lay there unmoving for a while, eyes still clasped shut.

Everything stayed still for a while.

And then, a breeze picked up. The leaves of the tree in the forest ruffled. A bird chirped somewhere in the background.

And then, some more ruffling in the grass and Charlie gently pried Charlie's left hand from her tight hold, and slipped his lanky fingers around her bony hand and squeezed softly. She peeked from under her long lashes, but didn't squeeze back.