Charlie
Dad still isnt home. My brother, Josh, is only eight, so when the new girl dropped him off, he vanished into his probably packed and refurbished room on the third floor. The babysitter was nice, she was called Rosie, about twenty three and clearly loved kids. Josh wasnt any trouble, she said. His Mum died recently, thats why. Only i didnt say that or i would get the pity look.
It was about half ten when Dad did return, with some leggy, blonde thirty year old woman. She looked kind of nice, and her accent wasnt as dramatic and squeaky as the kids at school, but that was as far as i would ever go towards liking her. When they came in the door, i was getting a drink in the immaculate kitchen, alone because i had got Josh dinner and sent him to bed long before half nine. They had business suits on, well my Dad did, and she wore a red dress, probably worth more than the suit. My Dad is kind of goodlooking, (ish) so he skipped over Mum the first chance he got and here he is.
" Hey Charlie, this is Joanna, my wife."
He looked uncomfortable, darting his eyes from me to Joanna like one of us was going to explode. It didnt, i felt coldish and a bit hard-hearted inside.
"Hey," i muttered, and Joanna squeezed my arm with her thin fingers.
"Im sorry about you Mom, and its Jo, we are family now after all." And she pecked my cheekbone and, still smiling, walked through to the lounge. Dad lingered slightly.
" Just give her a chance, Charlie, shes nice and we are both missing your Mum right now." He sighed, and followed Jo out the room.
I waited until i couldnt hear them anymore, and put my glass of water loudly down on the counter. It clanged and echoed around the white kitchen, lit up by whiter spotlights around the room. After a few minutes of waiting there, taking a few breaths, I walked up the three flights of stairs, dim and empty, to the attic trapdoor. When you pull it down, a set of wooden stairs unravel with it, and you have to yank a string to bring them back up when your upstairs. Once there, i lay on my huge, new, kingsize bed , watching the barely glimmering stars through one of the large skylight windows in the ceiling.
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Turns out the kid wasnt hard to find. Online at the school library, i found a newspaper article about the Carter family. The picture at the top was so bad, i almost couldnt read it.
"ANIMAL ATTACK IN RAWFORD"
It kept going, " Mother of two, Susie Carter was found dead last week, killed by an aparrent dog attack. She sustained fatal head injuries and..." Couldnt make myself read anymore than that. Poor kid, i thought. At least California was a new start, but maybe not the start he would ever have wanting. Sorry, Charlie Carter, but nothing happens perfectly for us.
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Charlie
I must have fallen asleep at some point, because when i awoke a shafts of bright sunhine were slicing though the windows and lighting up the room. Last night, it had been a bit cramped, even with all the space, but with earlt morning sun making everything glow and shine, the attic seemed open and high-ceilinged, but i hadnt really bothered to look up.
This morning was a Tuesday, except it was only about half six, and school didnt start until nine. I had time to take a look around. I showered and got dressed in a blue hoodie, old battered converses and black skinny jeans. Downstairs, everyone was still asleep, except a kid who cycled past on his paper round when i looked out the door.
