4 a.m.

one

        She slammed the door shut and threw her backpack onto the couch. She went into the kitchen and stared at the food her mother had left her, she sighed and sat down. She didn't touch her food, she wasn't hungry at all, she barely ate her sandwich at lunch. She saw her mothers note on the fridge and rolled her eyes.

        Went out, left food for you, see you soon xx Mom.

        She walked upstairs and looked through her closet, looking for a coat, she wanted to go get a coffee, coffee always calmed her nerves and at that moment she felt like screaming and bursting into tears. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and bury herself in it.

        When she found her favorite grey coat, she hugged herself and breathed deeply. She really needed that coffee and she was hoping not to run into anyone from school, people were talking non-stop about her and no matter what she did, she just couldn't turn away from it.

        Charlie was so upset with her dad for making her come back, why couldn't he just be a good dad for once and just give her the support that she needed. He kept on calling her and sending her texts saying that it was the right thing to do and that he loved her, she always read them, but she never replied to any of them.

        When she walked out the door, she felt the wind hit her face and it was in that moment that she smiled for the first time since she had gotten back. She loved the cold weather because the goosebumps that appeared on her skin, reminded her that she was human, her friends always thought that was weird about her, but they said it somewhat made sense.

        Her friends. She had no idea what she was supposed to tell them, there was no question in her mind that they probably hated her at that moment. She wanted to talk to them, she really did, but if she did she knew that they would ask her what happened and why she had left and she just didn't have the strength in her to tell them.

        She just decided that she shouldn't talk to them at all, that if they wanted to talk to her they would. She knew it was selfish, but her happiness was what mattered to her, and if that meant avoiding her friends because them asking her what happened would remind her of the events, then that's what she would have to do.

        Charlie's phone started vibrating and when she took it out, she saw it was her mom. She cleared her throat and answered the phone.

        "Charlie? You got my note didn't you honey?" her mom asked, "I just thought I'd call and see if you're okay, how was school?"

        "Fine," Charlie lied.

        Charlie's mom only told her that she would come home as soon as she could and for her to be safe. Charlie only said the occasional "mhm" or just one word answers. That was another thing that stopped her from talking to her friends, was the fact that she barely even talked at all.

        Her dad hadn't seen her in so long that he thought it was just how she was, he thought that she was just quiet in general, a shy person, but her mother knew that was not true, but her mom was so busy with work that she didn't even ask about it.

        When Charlie arrived to the coffee shop and she was glad to see that no one she knew was there. She walked to the counter and asked for a mocha, which she got very quickly and for that she was glad.

        She drank it slowly and as she did she walked back to her house. When she got there, she opened the door and her heart immediately sank at the sight of Tamina sitting in her living room.

        "And here I thought you would never come home," Tamina chuckled, "I thought maybe you knew I was here, but I see you went to get coffee and that's like a fifteen minute walk and back, so I guess it took you a while."