Stalking Charlie

The Right Name

Charlie Raven

"That will be the perfect school for you if you wish to be in the field of Psychiatry.."

I just listened to Devin suggesting universities to the Stones for college. It was surprising that he's suggesting to them, not to me.

I toyed with the juicy beef steak on my plate. I ordered it medium rare, and Devin tried to hide his revulsion.

I watched him as he converse very casually with the Stones. After the game, he and Marco decided that we eat at a nearby restaurant. Here we are now, sitting on the table. Alex is sitting on my left, on my right is Devin. Beside him is Nick.

Who, by the way, are staring at me intently.

I met his gaze, but immediately stared down at my plate. I don't know what's running inside his mind, but I know it's not good.

"What about you, Charlie? What do you want?"

I looked up to see Marco Stone smiling fondly at me.

"Charlie?" Devin said, surprise evident on his handsome face.

"Yeah, that's what we call her." Nick said.

Devin looked at me questioningly. I shrugged as if it wasn't important.

"Shorter than Cassandra. Besides, I haven't used that name for a long time before now, since my father stopped using it to call me." I said coolly.

Had I been a boy, that would be my name. My parents thought I was a boy when I was still unborn. My father said he wants to keep the name Charlie for me, so he added Charlotte to my name, to make it sound like a girl's name.

The whole table went silent, and I cursed myself mentally for being so bitchy.

"I call her Cassie." Alex said brightly to ease the tension. Nick snorted at that.

"Doesn't really suit her." he murmured. Devin just laughed, while Marco merely smiled.

"What name do you think suits her best, Nick?" the question came from Devin.

"Raven seems fine." Nick said, looking at me.

"She's called Raven by anyone who's attracted to her." Alex remarked casually, taking a bite from her pork barbecue. I bit back my laugh as Nick choke on his water.

"What?!" Nick spat at his sister.

Marco doesn't seem surprise with his son's outburst, he actually appears amused on Nick's flushed face.

While Devin, well.. he has that expressionless face on. Not good.

"I just noticed that, you know. No need to be mad at me." Alex said, mischief sparkling on her dark blue eyes.

Nick just glared at her, and avoided my stare. I didn't notice it til Alex said it. Yeah, Dustin also calls me Raven.

I highly doubt that that is the reason why Nick calls me that. Ever since I met him he had always called me Raven, if not Charlie.

I felt Devin's intense gaze on me so I looked up to meet his eyes. He's staring at me somberly.

"Were you hurt bad?" he whispered.

I know he's been dying to ask that when he saw my still bruised laden face. The last time this happened he rescued me with a team of policemen, and I was barely recognisable.

"Been through worse." I muttered, then dig back to my food.

We didn't speak again all through the meal after that. After we finished our food, the Stones went home. I was left with Devin. I didn't miss Nick's curious face when I didn't climb in with them in the car.