**COMFORT**
It hit her the next morning.
Tristan doesn't like her that way. The same way Mario didn't like her which caused him to play her like hockey.
It is around 2 am that Charlie wakes up from her sleepless night. A truckload of sadness washes over her as she replays last night's conversation.
'...I don't like you in that way. I just want us to be friends...'
The first dam breaks few minutes after brooding. She doesn't even try to stop it or tune it down, no. The sobs pour violently as she clutches her pillow tightly.
She is so deep in her weeping that she doesn't register her door open, or how the end of her bed sinks slowly.
When she starts hearing soft humming, she raises her head from her pillow.
Bulky is sitting at the end of her bed, his fingers on his lap and his hair falling against his face.
She waits for him to talk,
A BAD DAY... WEEKCharlie isn't sure she has anything to be grateful for.These past few months have been a rollercoaster that has managed to overwhelm Charlie gravely.The gingerhead has always looked forward to any Thanksgiving, especially with Deedah and Mama Freya present in the same room. Those two are like oil and water. Last year, Mama Freya kept dropping inappropriate jokes about Zeus's ass and Deedah almost punched her jaw.Charlie could swear she almost had a heart attack that day.Most times, Deedah even brings her cat, Sambi, for the *awe's* and the *coos*. But Charlie isn't sure she has it in her for Thanksgiving this year. Her friends and acquaintances can be a handful, most times, and she isn't ready for that—especially with the situation on ground.Her humiliating rejection. Her ex-boyfriend's stupid speech to his wife and keeping her feelings organized. Not to
LIKE AND DEATHCharlie cancelled Thanksgiving at her house; Theresa understood, Deedah shrugged and Mama Freya threw her medication bottle at her. The only person's reaction she didn't get was Blurin's. The mountain of a man made sure to avoid her through and through.There are a lot of things to recover from; Tristan, Mario and his stupid hot-soon-to-be heroic wife, and Blurin. The man no longer came downstairs to watch her cook or clean. It made Charlie sad. Very sad.It's been two weeks after Tristan's rejection and he has finally moved out of Charlie's apartment. It was enough to trigger her tear duct but she didn't cry. She couldn't. It was going to paint her as miserable and desperate as if she wasn't all those. Her best friend is spending Christmas with Zeus at his father's house and she's all alone for Christmas except Blurin who avoids her entirely.Charlie decides that toda
JUST A SIDE CHICK"Hey. Hey, baby, wake up." The 6'2" man shakes the sleeping dinosaur beside him. His head is foggy and messy and the events of last night were blurry but he knew it was long. Very long.Charlie moans as she rolls herself awake. Her eyes stay shut for some seconds but almost immediately, she opens them and grins sluggishly, "Hey, Marrie,"'Marrie' cringes and shoots Charlie a playful glare to which the latter giggles and leans upward to place a chaste kiss on his lips. Mario Denison moves his head so fast to avert the kiss."Morning breath." He simply states.Charlie nods and places a peck on his cheek instead. She jumps from the bed to the floor which was probably a bad idea because she came tumbling face-first to the floor."Ow. You definitely tore me a new one, Mario."A smirk appears on Mario's face at the power boost to his ego and... Down ther
BEST FRIEND LIKE DEEDAH"I'm not buying any sweets honey!" Deedah McKenna yells from her kitchen. Those kids are at it again. Deedah always warns them not to stop at her apartment door with a bucket of expired sweets and awfully packaged chocolates. It isn't a surprise that the kids make the chocolates themselves.The person knocks again and Deedah groans before stomping to the door and yanking it open."LOOK— Charlie? What are you-" She finally notices Charlie's swollen red eyes, "Oh, hell no!" She immediately pulls her best friend into her bachelorette apparent. It was actually ironic how Deedah owns a bachelorette apartment when she's two years into her marriage.Black women's independence can not be measured."I'm fine Dee," The thirteenth lie Charlie has muttered this month.If she is anything right now it's definitely not fine. Angry, yes. But not fine."Bitch
THE MAN OUTSIDE MY DOOR"Greta, dear? Is that you?" A frail voice queries as Charlie passes by an old looking bungalow.It's Mama Freya; the 72-year old Canadian woman who lived just beside Char's apartment. The old lady had a case of Alzheimer's disease and mild diabetes.Charlie smiles sadly, "No, Mama Freya. It's me, Charlie."Mama Freya pauses in her chair rocking and smiles brightly, "That's what I said!"Charlie shakes her head with a giggle. She walks over to the shaky woman and kisses her pasty forehead. Shue grins as Mama Freya coos sluggishly at Charlie."I think you look beautiful this morning!"Apart from chicken broth, the only thing that can hit home, for Mama Freya, is compliments. This'll make her gush like a teenager and reminisce on the good ol' days.Surely, Charlie does not want to sit around and l
CUTE PANDA BEAR"H...hello?"Charlie finally summons the courage to speak after staring at the man for two solid minutes. Charlie wonders how she hasn't pooped her pants from standing in the same presence with a mountain man.She mentally kicks herself for not grabbing the baseball bat behind her bedroom door or the bow and arrow underneath her kitchen cabinet... Or the pepper spray on her kitchen window sill."Um... What? What are you doing in my ba...backyard?" Stammers Charlie.The bulky man takes a step forward so that the tip of his leather boots is hitting the lintel of the patio door.Charlie takes two steps back; one isn't foolproof. She clutches, tightly, the hem of her pyjama shirt. Suddenly, she feels like crying.Is this it?Is this how she'll die?She hasn't even edited her 20th book!
AUTHOR'S NOTEI would have put this author's note at the end of the Chapter but to avoid unnecessary corrections and critics, I decided to put it here. PLEASE NOTE the male protagonist begins to speak in this chapter and his pattern of speaking is... Unique. This is deliberate. The reason for this will be disclosed in the next chapters.UNCONSCIOUSLY PROTECTIVEThe next day, first thing in the morning, Charlie runs to the living room to check if the panda bear is still here.An unconscious smile appears on her face. The man has his knees curled against his chest in a fetal position. His fingers are in fists and are tucked under his chin. A bouncing baby boy; that's what he looks like.Charlie runs back up to her room to do the needful. She puts her hair into a very loose bun. Her chest is covered with a blue long-sleeved shirt and black bottom shorts.As she runs down the stairs, she dials the
BLU AND FRIENDS"Skimpiness will take you no where, Greta!"That's the first thing Charlie hears when she walks out to her mini vegetable garden.Mama Freya has her frail walking stick poking around the exposed skin on Nora's body. Her butt is on the edge of her rocking chair and her eyes as wide as she yells words of wisdom at the uncomfortable girl."Stop pointing this thing at me, old lady!" Nora swats the walking stick, "and I'm not Greta!"Mama Freya gasps, "What are you doing on my lawn?!" She shrieks loudly, almost rocking herself off the chair. Charlie sees this as an invitation to save both women; one from having a broken neck."Wha— What?!" Nora throws her free hand in abandon, "Your box of peppers appeared on my doorstep! Again!" The college girl slams the cardboard box full of peppers on the patio table."Peppers?""Yes! Yes, pe— okay,"