Everything in Between

Chapter Eighteen

Guys are idiots, I hope you all understand this. Here's an imporant thing for you girls out there to rememeber: No matter what teenage boy you date, he's still a teenage boy. With teenage boy thoughts. Just keep that in mind.

Moving on.

Chapter Eighteen

"I said ooh girl, shock me like an electric eel -"

"And you aren't an international pop star? What is the world coming to?"

I turned around to find a grinning Charlie standing in my doorway.

"Why thanks, Charlie. Nice to know I'd have your support."

"Hey, I'm just saving everybody's ears from the pain they'd feel later."

"Ha-ha, very funny." I stuck my tongue out at him and then turned down the stereo.

"You redecorating?" He was pointing to the various paintings and picture frames I had lying about on the floor.

"Yeah, I finally decided I should liven this place up a little. I was getting sick of just seeing white everywhere I walked."

"I could definitely see why."

I had had my radio blasting and I was belting out the lyrics, the few that I actually knew, while I was changing the scenery around me. There was this art sale slash flea market thing going on a couple of blocks away and I used it to my advantage to get cheap items that I actually could use. I bought picture frames as well to put some of the photographs I had of me and the boys, and of Pat and I, into.

"Here, come in." I cleared a small path through the living room, big enough so he could make it to the kitchen and sit at the table if he wanted to.

"I wish I could, but I actually have to get going. Eileen's in the car and we have to leave soon if we're to make it back home before dark."

"Right, right. How is she doing?"

"Lively as ever," Charlie's eyes were bright with a smile to match, "the treatment's going rather well and hopefully, if things go along accordingly, she might end up in remission within the next few months."

"Charlie, that's amazing!" I gave him a hug, and he laughed over my shoulder as he held me tight.

"Thank you so much, Cass, for being there for everything."

"No problem! I'm always here if you ever need anything. Just give me a call sometime when you do."

"Actually," he rubbed the back of his next and awkwardly avoided eye contact, "that's why I'm here. I need you to dog sit."

At first I thought I had heard him wrong. "Wait, dog sit?"

"Yeah, dog sit. It'd just be until we find him a new home but until then, it's just too hard taking care of a dog when Eileen needs tons of the extra attention. We tried coping, we really did, but it's just not working. Please, Cassidy?" His big brown eyes widened as he tried to give me the puppy dog face and maybe if I wasn't so smitten with Louis it actually might've worked. But his eyes weren't blue and they certainly weren't Louis'.

"Charlie . . ." I groaned rubbing my hands across my face. Don't get me wrong, I loved dogs, but I hadn't actually ever taken care of one alone before. Jesse used to have a dog, and Pat looked after her a couple of times, but that was it. I wasn't the one that had walked her, I had fed her but that was as simple as pouring food into a bowl.

"Come on, Cass, pleeeaasee? I'll pay you!"

"No, you don't have to pay me." I took a deep breath. I was really hoping I wouldn't regret this. "Sure, why the hell not. I'll look after him."