Picture Perfect

Chapter 9 Prince Charming

I throw my backpack onto my bed, then I hear a big "Umph!" Oh that's right, Charlie is in my backpack. She's been so quiet for so long I had totally forgotten about her. I zip open the backpack and Charlie lies on top of all my things, cris-crossing her arms. "About time you remembered me! I was stuck in that backpack for who-knows-how long!"
"Sorry, Charlie, I just got side-tracked." Charlie raises her animated eye-brows. "By, Jack? Oh, I totally ship you guys!" I rolled my eyes at Charlie, and put my hands on my hips with as much sass as I could condor up. "Mmm, don't be giving me sass. I'm supposed to be the sassy one! And, probably, the annoying one!" Charlie stomped her foot on the unseen ground.
"Ok, ok," I pleaded Charlie to stop with the unintended yelling.
"I was only trying to act like you would if someone shipped you with another person you didn't like." I pleaded.
"Fine," Charlie sighed. "I guess I sometimes over react."
"Sometimes?" I rolled my eyes. "Oh please, you scream everyday whenever I put you in my stinky backpack." I added. "Ok! I over react all the time! Enough with me, though, lets talk more about you." Charlie left the picture somehow where I couldn't see her, she then came back with popcorn and laid on mine\her bed.
"Ok, the entire time I felt like I was in a horror movie. That school hallway is dark!" I explained. "Yeah, while you're in the dark school hallway probably scared out of your socks, I'm in your trash filled backpack!"
"Again with the backpack. I told you, I washed it yesterday!" I exclaimed.
"Well, you didn't wash it well! I could still smell the gym socks!"
"I even put it into the washer!" I stomped my foot.
"I'm sorry, but there is no saving your backpack from its stench!" Charlie giggled. "What?" I asked. "Oh, oh nothing, just this entire conversation is down right hilarious!" Charlie started to laugh. I couldn't help but laugh too, it was pretty funny how we were arguing about a stinky backpack.
"Ok, ok," Charlie breathed through her laugh. "I guess it's better than having it mixed with rotting animal." Charlie began to cry from laughing. "Yeah, how could you survive in there?" I asked.
"No, no, what did you put in there?" She added. "I know right? I never gave it the thought to smell it either." Charlie and I had a laughing attack-as I like to call it-for at least 20 minutes.
Then Mom called me down to dinner, and Charlie was tired. Charlie just looked at me. "What?" I asked. "It's just, you've changed so much since I've met you. Before, you had no love interest. Now you just went on a sort-of date with Jack." I smiled. "Yeah well, I had a lot of help getting him to notice me."
I winked at Charlie, as if telling her silently that that help was her. Charlie smiled. "Go eat your dinner." She waved me to leave. I nodded and left my bedroom.
I flew down the stairs and into the dining room where Mom, Dad, and Alex were all eating dinner. "Ella, dinner is in the kitchen, its swiss steak." Mom pointed toward the kitchen doorway. I nodded to show Mom I had heard her. I head into the kitchen and grab a plate and put steak on my plate.
I go into the dining room and sit down. "So," Dad started. "I hear your article for the school newspaper is a big hit."
"Huh, oh, yeah, it is a big hit. At least to the small community of people who read the school newspaper." I answered. "Oh really, so, not a lot of people read the school newspaper?" Mom asked.
I nodded. Mom then shot a glance at Alex, who was silently eating at the other end of the table. "Alex, Dear, do you read the school newspaper?" Mom asked. Alex almost choked on his steak. "Um," Alex took a second before answering. "yeah, Mom, of coarse I read my younger sisters newspaper. I mean, she is my sister." Alex lied. And I could tell he knew I knew he lied. Mom didn't know, though, so she continued eating her salad. Mom is a vegitarian, although, I never understood how she can cope with ths fact of cooking up meat for her family, while she doesn't get a taste of it.
Dad also looked pleased with his son. Random fact about my family. My parents see Alex as a perfect son. They see him as that little boy that would never lie to his family, or get into any trouble. Newsflash, he's a 16 year old boy and has become imiture, and popular. The worst combination for a teenage boy if you ask me.
Soon after, Mom and I were cleaning up dinner when I finally told her about Jack. "Oh Honey, is he a good boy like your brother?" I kind of yelled at Mom in my head at how clueless she was. Alex hasn't gotten grounded in, like, forever! My parents see him as Prince Charming, always doing right and never wrong.
"Um, sure, you could say that." I answered. "Oh, I'm so excited how you're finally into someone! Now we can have girl talk, and I can give you love advice!" Mom rambled on and on about how I have a love interest, when really, I just saw Jack as a friend. A really cute friend, but a friend.
"Mom," I cut into Mom's rambling. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, and all, but I just see Jack as a friend." Mom smiled. "Ok, sorry I was falling off into dreamland. But seriously, you are always welcome to come and talk to me about boys." Mom continued cleaning up while I excused myself to finish homework.
But I had already finished homework. The reason why I lied was because I wanted out of the dining room, away from Mom. She makes me feel like I'm not good enough to be her daughter. Especially when she smiles her perfect smile. When I was walking up to my room, I remembered what Mom had said. She said that I was welcome to come to her for love advice. Well, too late Mom. I already have a friend to go to for that.
And her name is Charlie.