Chasing Charlie

Chapter Ten | Rainy Days

Chase

I sat on my chair and looked at the pond in front of me. It was peaceful, the water was calm, birds were floating on top of it and the park had hardly anybody in it.

I was stupid though. I had yet again annoyed the only girl who actually wanted to befriend me.

Well, I think she wants to befriend me. I could be mistaken and she would just want to know what happened to me. I had seen it happen before. A new student coming into school and glancing at me curiously at first. When they found out they would just go on and make friends, never sparing me another glance.

I needed to push her away before she can get any closer. So she could make close friends and not have to mess around in my life. She had already talked to me a few times, a few too many.

I was sore all over and had no clue how I would get home. The punches from Jack were pretty hard and had given me huge bruises. My arms were sore from the rough shove. But I knew I shouldn’t have been complaining. This hadn’t been the worst I’ve gotten.

I sighed. I should be getting back, I thought.

I pushed myself to the pathway and stopped. If it was painful going that small amount, it would be torture going back to the orphanage.

I closed my eyes and breathed in. I reopened them and started my way back.

It took way more than ten minutes to get back, due to non-stop stopping. By the time I got home, it was late into the afternoon. I rolled up the ramp, slowly and tried to open the door. To my dismay, the door was locked and I was forced to face Miss Lancy.

I knocked on the door lightly and when it did finally open I didn’t look up.

“Hey, Chase. Why are you back so late?” Miss Lancy asked, concerned.

I tried to ignore her and push past her but I couldn’t, she was standing in my way.

“Chase, what’s wrong?”

I didn’t reply.

“Chase.”

I kept looking down.

“Chase look up at me!” Miss Lancy exclaimed.

I slowly looked up at her, my eyes meeting hers. I heard a gasp escape her mouth and I looked down straight away.

“Chase…” She said sadly.

“I’m fine.” I told her.

“Not again,” she sighed. “Come on, we need to put ice on that bruise.”

I nodded my head and followed her towards the kitchen.

“Was it that group of boys again?” She asked, getting out an ice-pack from the freezer.

I didn’t answer her which confirmed her answer.

“We could report them,” she said coming closer and applying the ice-pack gently to my bruised cheek.

“No, it’s fine. It’s not that bad,” I argued.

“I really don’t know why you stand up for them when they treat you like this,” she sighed.

I shrugged.

“Hold this, I need to go check up on dinner,” she said handing me the ice-pack and heading towards the sizzling pots and pans on the stove top.

I turned around to face Miss Lancy, still holding the ice-pack on my cheek, making it feel numb.

“Do you know what happened to Charlie? She came home looking sad,” Miss Lancy said.