Not what I thought

Home

Xavier's POV

Charlotte is quiet. She's simple, smart and not like any other teenager I've ever met.

If she isn't staring at the sky and the roads as we drive, she's directing me. She knows how to get form one place to another, finding shortcuts and avoiding traffic.

I haven't been to this side of the city many times. These suburbs are different. Small houses that all look the same; red brick.

She guides me through a couple of narrow streets before pointing to a house that looks like all the others.

"This one."

I park the car and follow her up her driveway and into her house.

She looks nervous, uneasy, like she doesn't want to be here.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I'm..ahh.. I'm good."

Her house is simultaneously tidy but cluttered. Neat piles of papers, books and other things are stacked around the house.

"Charlotte?"

She doesn't answer. I look into the room she is focus my gaze in the same direction as hers. A white outline is traced on the floor; an outline of a body. The floor boards are a darker colour around the outline.

I rest my hand on her back again, barely touching her. She doesn't move. She's totally entranced by this outline.

"What happened here, Charlotte?"

She didn't say anything at first.

"Someone was dead. In my house. In my room. In front of me."

The corridor is bright. I can see her face as a single tear drop leaves her eyes and rushes down her cheek before settling in her jawline.

I reached my arm around her back, holding lightly onto her arm and giving it a squeeze. She doesn't move.

"I just need to get some stuff. Make yourself at home."

And just like that she snaps out of it. She wipes the tear off her jaw and begins to grab bags and clothes.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No. Not really. Can I get you anything?"

She gestures for me to take a seat. Her chair at her desk is comfy. Her walls are plastered with posters and bright artworks of anything and everything. Her bed is big and messy, clothes sprawled all at the foot of her bed and her desk is messily stacked with papers, books and folder.

I didn't realise I was watching her. She has 2 backpacks, 2 suitcases and a duffle bag open in her bed. I was beginning to wonder what she needed 5 bags for and how all this would fit in the car.

She stuffs as much as she can in each of the bags; clothes, books, folders and then begins to take down her posters, string of coloured lights and then she starts to tidy the remaining things away.

Time sped past. Either that or she packs fast. She begins unplugging things all around the house and locking all the doors, windows and pulling all the blinds down.

She drags everything out into the kitchen and sits on the bench, swinging her legs off the edge.

I'm looking at her in new a light. She's tall, her hair, golden, eyes as blue as dad's are and her skin is pale and almost translucent.

She sits staring off into the backyard, gently biting her bottom lip, letting it escape her bite before repeating it over and over.

"Anything else you need?"

"I feel like I'm forgetting something."

She stares at me with a puzzled look on her face.

"Ah."

Her face brightens and she returns from her room carrying a large pink unicorn.

"Really?"

"Oh wait."

Taking the emptiest suitcase, she runs back to her room with it. I follow her as she fills it with a pillow, a dark blue blanket and another unicorn.

She's weird. I kinda like it thought. She acts all tough and then can't leave home without a unicorn. It's hilarious.

"Ok I think I have everything now."

"Want a hand with anything?"

She hands me two bags and locks the doors behind me as we leave her place. We shove everything into the car and sit in silence for a second.

"You ok?"

"Yeah I'm good. This just feels weird."

There is something about this girl. She's weird but a good weird. She's different but a good different.