Broken

Chapter 8

Charlie ran down the stairs passing everyone trying to get to me. "What's up buddy?" I asked as he sat down next to me since I was sitting with Justin.

"I don't wanna be here right now." He whispered I sat my drink down, and looked at him.

"What do you mean?" I questioned Justin was waiting for his reply as well.

"I don't want to be here, around all these people they are making me sad, and uncomfortable." Charlie replied I nodded my head I knew what he meant. I stood up to find Kate and Ray they were both going through old pictures when they looked at me.

"Do you remember this?" Ray asked showing me the picture of Tyler and I. Tyler was in a dress suit, and I was in a little pink dress we were blowing bubbles at the camera both of us smiling from ear to ear I nodded.

"Your wedding, who knew giving us those bubbles would end the way it did?" I laughed remembering Tyler, and I dumping bottles on the floor trying to make a slip in slide, but it didn't quite work the way we wanted it to. Kate laughed as well.

"That night should have been our warning about you two, and all the trouble you'd get yourselves into together." She chuckled.

"What can we do for you?" Ray finally asked breaking me from my trance to look at him. I was confused, but then I remembered the reason I came to find them.

"I wanted to know if I could take Charlie out and away from here for a little bit. He doesn't like all the attention, and he's uncomfortable?" I stated they nodded their heads.

"Of course, we figured all this would be too much for him, we were actually waiting for him to ask to leave." Kate replied, then turned to look at me. "Keep him safe for us." She stated.

"Always." I answered before walking back to the kitchen to find Charlie looking out the door to the backyard. "We can go, why don't you go change, and then we will leave." I instructed, and he ran out of sight.

"Want me to come with you?" Justin asked.

"I need you to come, I don't have my car here." I replied he shook his head.

"That's not what I asked, you know I will give you my keys if you want to go just you and Charlie." He stated I stood there shocked.

"I don't know if I can go without you, I mean I haven't been without you since all this has happened, I even tried to go to school, and we see how well that went..

"I think you need to be with Charlie, just try it that's all you have to do, and if you find you can't do it, then I'll find a way to get to you I promise you that, but I want you to at least try okay?" He replied dropping his keys in my hand. He gave me a hug.

"I'm ready!" Charlie announced grabbing my hand.

"Ok, let's go." I replied grabbing my phone, and wallet from the table I gave Justin one last look, then headed outside.

"Where's your car?" Charlie asked.

"It's not here, we're taking Justin's." I answered opening the door, and getting in the car. It was different without Justin, and I already felt lonely even though Charlie was here with me. Perhaps I'll always feel lonely now that Tyler is gone? "Alright you got any ideas what you want to do now that you're away from the house?" I questioned him. He thought about it for a little bit, then finally spoke up.

"Can we just go to the park?" He asked I nodded my head, and headed towards the park. Once we got there Charlie went with the other kids, and I sat on the swingset.

"Not too high." I squealed as Tyler gave me a push.

"Keep moving your legs, like that, and let me catch up." He said moving to sit on the swing  beside me. "Okay one two three!"  He yelled, and we both jumped at the same time. He landed on his feet, and I a couple of inches away from him, but not on my feet.

"Best friends forever?" I asked holding out my pinky he took it with the biggest smile on his face.

"Best friends forever." He replied we locked pinkies, and he kissed the top of them.

I was quickly brought back to reality when I heard a couple of little kids screaming as they ran away from each other. The flashback still fresh in my mind we couldn't have been more than five or six. Well Tyler would have been seven I would have been five the memory made me smile it was on this very swingset where we made that promise. I looked around for Charlie, and didn't see him I was about to call out for him when I saw him sitting on the edge of the pond I went and sat next to him.

"Hey buddy." I nudged him he gave me a small smile before looking at the pond again.

"I don't like the way everyone keeps looking at me, and saying they are sorry." He started I opened my mouth, but he continued before I could say anything. "I keep hearing I'm here for you, if you need anything just let us know, and my favorite one I know how you feel. How could they possibly know how I, how we feel?" He asked looking up at me again. Charlie amazes me everyday he is so strong, and wise for his age.

"They don't they just want you to know that they're here for you, they all care for you very much, and they are very sorry for your loss." I started, but he cut me off again.

"OUR loss you lost someone just as I did, you are apart of this family you are my sister, and you were his as well, please stop saying it's my loss when it's yours as well."

"You're right we lost a brother, and everyone just wants us to know that they're here for us okay? I know it sucks, because right now everyone is at your house, and you can't get away from it, but if it ever becomes too much to handle you come find me okay? And I will take you somewhere like I did today, it's going to be hard but I promise I will help you okay." I said taking him into my embrace I wish I could shelter him from the world, from everything he is about to go through but there's just no way possible I can. Tyler why did you have to go? You should have let me cancel my plans! Charlie and I stayed like that for a while until I noticed it was starting to get dark.

"Lets go get some ice cream then head back okay?" I said standing up, and extending my hand towards him he gladly took it. Once we got back into the car I noticed my phone was going off I quickly answered it.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Finally, do you know how long we have been trying to get ahold of you?" An exasperated Kate stated.

"I'm sorry we went to the park I left my phone in the car, and I didn't realize how late it was until just now, but we're on our way back." I stated.

"It's okay we were just worried nobody had heard from you in a while, and when Justin tried getting ahold of you, and you didn't answer we were a little worried." Kate explained.

"Not to worry everything is fine, and we will see you soon." I said hanging up, then heading to Dairy Queen. Charlie ordered his favorite Cookie Dough, and I just got a shake not really hungry.

"Alright buddy you ready to go back and deal with all the looks, and sorrys?" I asked as we pulled into the driveway, and turned the car off.

"Yes." He replied I nodded my head.

"Remember what I said if you need a break come find me." I said as we walked back inside holding hands.