Charity's POV
Natalie continued to look at me as I cursed the world for letting me be an idiot again.
"Shit, shit, shit," I cursed myself repeatedly.
Why aren't I good at anything other than creating a mess?
Nat waved her arms in front of my face, pulling me out of my internal babble. "Charity, what the hell am I supposed to say to him? Dude, he's looking for you."
"Send him away," I improvised. "Tell him I'm not here."
"Considering I already told him I'd go get you, and it's quite obvious that you are here since you spilled food all over him, I'd say you're shit out of luck," she replied, giving me her most incredulous look.
Today is just not my day. So, I did the only thing I know how to do.
I ran.
"Charity!" I heard Nat call after me as I sprinted out the back of the tent toward the treeline.
Being on a huge private estate does have its perks.
I hid behind a tree and sat down, resting my head against its cool bark, letting the summer breeze blow across my flushed cheeks.
What happened? When did I become such a coward? Scratch that. I've always been a coward.
I remember in middle school when the other kids would push me around, I'd do nothing - say nothing. There was no one there to fight for me when I couldn't.
No one.
The one time I tried to speak up turned out to be the last day I ever spoke out.
"Why did your parents name you Charity, huh?" The older girl laughed as she shoved me against the wall, her friends joining in. "Could it be because you're just their charity case? 'Cause that's what I think. You're nothing but an ugly piece of crap."
I'd had just about enough.
"Soes your mom know you talk like that? Oh wait, she's too busy sleeping with your neighbors," I shot back.
Her fist connected with my cheek and my head slammed back into the wall.
I looked back up at her. I could feel the blood coming out of my nose and the split in my lip. She smirked. "At least I have a mom, Charity. Can you say the same?"
No. I can't, because my parents are dead.
"Thought not." She laughed as she let go of the support she was giving my frail body and I fell onto my knees. Each of her friends followed right after her as she stepped over my body and chuckled. "See ya on the flip side, Charity case."
I never spoke out again...
It was for the best. I just kept myself on the down low for the remainder of my school years and I recently graduated.
I have no interest in confronting people anyway. The world will always be cruel, but I don't have to be.
And that's how I ended up here, behind a tree, hiding.
Just peachy.
If I stay here a while, he'll probably just give up looking and leave. It was only logical considering I'm pretty unimportant to his kind.
Did I really just refer to him as a species?
I am exhausted, I thought sleepily.
A nap couldn't do any harm, but I'd rather sleep closer to the sky and away from the ground.
Before finishing my thought, I popped up and began to climb the gargantuan tree. The crevices in the trunk allowing me to maneuver myself to a high branch with a direct view of the pale blue sky, my feet dangling off of each side.
With one last glance at the sky above me, I fell into the darkness.
No dreams.
None.
It was like I was just resting in a dark abyss. It was creepy.
It made me shiver.
Shivering probaby wasn't too wise of a thing to do, I thought as I hit the grassy ground.
I let out a huff and a grown as I collided with the dirt.
My poor butt.
"She's not out here, sir!" I heard Nat nervously speak to someone I assumed was him. They were extremely close to the tree where I was stationed at. Luckily, I had just enough room to look around the side.
It turns out that looking wasn't such a good idea after all. The first thing I saw were shoes. Very nice shoes, I thought to myself. As I looked up, I cringed at the blue eyes I had stared up into.
"Is there any particular reason why you are hiding behind a tree?" he questioned, smirking slightly.
***
Edited by thewandering
