18

Chapter Two

*picture is Charlie*

I got out the car and slammed the door shut.

We were parked in a gravel driveway, next to a small, white house. It had trash scattered in the uncut yard. The walls were chipped, white paint coming off.

This was Charlie's house.

He stepped out onto the driveway and slammed the car door. We walked to the door and pushed it open.

Inside, a lady in her mid-thirties was laying against an old, dirty, torn up sofa. Glass was scattered all over the floor. Chairs were flipped over and pictures were smashed.

The lady just sat there, mumbling. Charlie sighed and walked over to the woman. He crouched down next to her,
"Mom? Mom it's Charlie." He shook her shoulder gently, trying to get her attention. She looked up slowly, her puffy, red, eyes full of confusion. She took one glance at him and burst into tears.

I ran over to her and helped Charlie carry her to her bedroom. She was sobbing and yelling random things that were hard to understand. I could barely make out the words "I'm sorry". We sat her down on her bed and she instantly curled up into a ball and started crying and mumbling to herself.

I looked at the broken woman with sympathy. Charlie sighed and walked into the bathroom. He came out with a plastic cup filled with water.

"Mom. Mom sit up." he spoke gently to the crying woman, trying to coax her into drinking the water.

He propped her up against the filthy pillows. He brought the glass to his mother's lips. She gulped it down and closed her eyes.

"Charlie...." she slurred. "D-don't let...." Charlie frowned. "What mom?"
"D-don't let him....hurt M-May."
She started sobbing again. Charlie seemed to be holding back tears.

"Mom. Mom dad is gone. H-he can't hurt you, or me, or May anymore."

He stroked her hair soothingly. I put my hand on his shoulder, giving him a solemn look.

He smiled at my touch. "Mom. Remember Al?"
I crouched down next to the bed and smiled. "Hey Connie."

She stared at me for a minute. Confused. "Do I...Am I b-babysitting you again?" she slurred.

I laughed. "No Connie. I'm eighteen years old."
She nodded, obviously confused.

"Hey, why don't you get some sleep?" I told her calmly.
"Where's May." she slurred out more of a statement than a question.

"She's fine mom. Don't worry. Get some rest." She nodded and turned on her side.

Charlie and I left the room. We cleaned up the broken glass and picked up the furniture.

"She wasn't as bad as usual." Charlie stated quietly as we were sitting under a tree in his back yard.

"She usually screams at me and throws stuff at me. Maybe it was you being there." he smiled at me.

I smiled back. "If you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask me to come. Your mom is like a second mother to me."
Charlie smiled and nodded. "Thanks Al. You're the best."
"Yeah I know."

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Okay Al." I giggled and playfully punched him in the arm.

"Ow." he "pouted", "That hurt."
I laughed.

"Let's go to the park. I wanna swing." I hopped up from my spot in the grass.

"Okay." he said, getting up.
"Let's go."