Out of My League

{10} Charlotte Black's Day Off

Charlotte's POV

"I'm open!" I exclaimed, waving my mitt vigorously as my dad cocked his arm, preparing to throw. My hair was in pigtails and I was wearing the yellow flower dress my mom had bought me for my 8th birthday. As I ran back and forth, I could feel the spring breeze hit my face. If I closed my eyes, for a moment it felt like I was flying.

"You're a funny girl Char!" my dad called back. "Who else would I throw to?" he asked as he gave me a soft, under-hand pass that landed directly into my mitt. Dad never threw the ball hard. He didn't want to risk hurting me. "Nice catch!" he shouted, causing me to smile with pride. When I was with my dad I felt mature, like an adult. Unlike my mother, he always treated me like one of his friends, an equal.

After a few more throws, my dad held the ball in his hands. "I think it's time for dinner Char," he suggested. "We don't want to make 'the Moms' angry," he added with a wink.

"Awww,"  I said sadly, finally caving-in to follow him towards our house.

We walked quietly down the gravel path that led from the park to our street. "I have a feeling great things are coming for you," my dad stated suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence between us. "You're a trooper, Char. And good things come for people who never give up." He began to playfully rub my head.

"Stop Dad," I protested, laughing as he proceeded to mess up the hair my mom had spent hours doing that morning.

Lemon's POV

I was awoken by a quiet sound next to me. I accepted that I wasn't going to get much sleep that night. The floor was not the most ideal location for resting, but there was no way I was going to sleep in my soft bed while Charlotte spent the night on my bedroom floor. 

The noise persisted. Listening, I realized Charlotte had begun talking in her sleep. I sat up, turning to see Charlotte huddled in my bed, clutching my pillow fiercely to her chest.

"Dad..." she whispered. At that moment, my heart broke a little for her.  I couldn't imagine what she was going through with her mom's surgery and her dad's sudden return home. Charlotte continued to toss and turn in her sleep.

Quietly, I got up and made my way to the bed, sitting on the edge beside her. I brushed a couple dark strands of hair from her face. As I did it, I realized her face was wet with tears.  Her expression was slightly contorted in a look of distress that I interpreted as heartache. 

What I was about to do next was a bit crazy, but it just seemed to feel right at the moment. Slowly, I got underneath the bed covers and curled up beside her. She immediately stopped squirming, and was soon sleeping peacefully. Charlotte had gotten used to sleeping next to Will. Despite how small my bed was and how close Charlotte and I were to each other, I was instantly overcome by fatigue, and drifted off next to the love of my life.

Charlotte's POV

I was immediately awoken by the sound of voices downstairs. I was surprised to see Lemon sleeping beside me. I smiled to myself. She looked so peaceful when she slept.

Suddenly to my horror, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Shit. I scanned Lemon's room, desperately searching for a means of escape. The window caught my eye. No way I'm doing that again.

"Lu Lu Lemon! Wake up, or I'm coming to wake you up myself!" Lemon's dad shouted from not far away, surprising me so much that I slipped of the bed and fell on my butt, waking Lemon up in the process. Her expression changed from disorientation to alarm.

"Oh my gosh! Charlotte hide!" Lemon exclaimed with a panicked whisper. I ran to the closet, closing it seconds before Lemon's father entered the bedroom.