He took a huge bite from the steaming red meat, chewed a little then spat it out - his nose scrunched, the food particles are formidable in a semi-liquid form on the floor. "I don't like it,"
"You're the first," I finally found a need to sit down. "Clean that up."
He drew back on his arms. "Don't you have anything else? Cookies, mint, clementine??" He furthermore pushed the foil away. "This feels as though I'm eating my own flesh."
I internally cringed at his words, but more because of his odd food choices. "What else do you eat apart from these you just mentioned?" Well, no wonder he was malnourished.
"Fruits, cat food, onions??" he listed. I leaned down from the bed and pushed the wrapped foil under it.
"Just that? No wonder you look thin."
He snorted, then eyed my hands which I retrieved. "And I suppose that's where you keep your refuse. Beneath your bed,"
"I don't want my Dad to find out I took food up here," I said quickly. "So when the maid comes in to clean, she'll take it out. I'm doing this for you, and I'm not dirty if you must know."
"Smooth, I must admit,"
I resolved to let this slide then flipped myself to the side, turning my back to him so I wouldn't be distracted - a lot of thoughts were racing through my mind at the moment and I was trying all I could to keep them at bay.
"Shall I put on some music?" Carter requests from behind.
"No,"
"Not surprised. You're a depressed soul."
I once again let this slide, wondering how much longer would I survive with him.
Reaching out, I snuck a hand below my pillow and dragged out a journal, running a finger on the surface on which Charlie's face was pasted, his slightly thinned lips curling at their corners, bringing a warm feeling down my stomach. The photograph had been taken over a month ago when I'd slyly hidden a camera behind the towering tulip plants on the edge of the front porch. In it, his face was straight, jaw firm as his eyes took in the main door as it did every time - the flecks of blue crinkling with a kind of expectancy that made my temples burn. That had been the best moment and I was glad I made good use out of it.
Wish I could say the same right now.
Now I can't help but blame myself for being hopeful. For thinking that the anticipation that lit his orbs whenever he came up the sidewalk was for me. It was painfully clear from the first day that I don't stand a chance. Scrawny, worthless,s and short, I was anything but his wildest dreams. Charlie Sivan, gay? Get out of town. Not with the petty pretties I've seen flaunting their bums and batting their lashes - reprehensible swine. Add to that I was way younger than him - four years apart at the very least and I wouldn't blame the fact that he saw me as a cute little brother or an employer he'd been obliged to satisfy. He did the very thing I hadn't thought of - ruefully getting involved with my sister.
Whoever said crushes couldn't hurt.
Carter's noisy movements were starting to drive me nuts. I expelled my upper back from the bed to see what he was up to. He was currently on his knees and forearms, writing away on some old crumpled paper. "What are you doing?"
"Estimating," he grunted, not wanting to be disturbed. "I'm roughly checking to see how many days I'll have here. I'd have to move up north sooner."
I felt a bit more relieved than sad due to his state.
He sighed and craned forward, gently wiping up the beads of sweat that gathered on his forehead. Flipping the paper once more, he skimmed through it.
"So for how long do we have there?"
"Eight - "
I blinked in disbelief, then brightened. "Eight days?!"
Mentally happy dancing right now. After eight suffocating days sharing my closet and privacy, I'll finally have it all back.
My solitude was what mattered most to me.
Selfish.
"Weeks," his face was smug but equally serious. My chest constricts. "Eight weeks?" I couldn't believe it.
"Don't worry. After that, I'll move up north and you'll never have to worry about sharing your belongings with me. The days will go by so fast that before you know it, I'm gone." he was struggling to keep his tone neutral but of course, I detected a sad undertone. It really made me feel bad. Everything about him made me feel bad.
We lapsed into silence as I watched him, his brown eyes focused behind dark thick lashes that bizarrely parted at the middle, his lips pursed in a straight line with a few bruises and scars adorning his upper arm. He looked delectable and untroubled and I decided not to distract him, rising to my feet and slowly phasing out the door.
I knocked softly, then turned the doorknob; letting myself in. Sidney looked up, flustered, and quickly tipped the protruding cabinet shut. "Don't you know how to knock?" She seethed, then walked across the blue prickly rug to me; her dainty large room aglow in a typical bright shade of pink.
Girly, per usual.
"I saw you both," I pointed out thickly, accusingly. Her face fell. "And I want to know what games you're up to. You called him names last month. Told me he wasn't your type and now you're miraculously kissing him?? Behind Jake too?? Is this a new scheme to get something out of him??"
She turned her back to me. "Well, I can't deny the fact that he grew on me, as you know I only date blonde guys. And I'm not scheming anything, stop picturing me as some kind of evil mastermind. Jake broke up with me last month, Charlie and I have been together for weeks now."
"How long?" I gaped at her, my head spinning from it all. How come I never noticed, I was always the one who met him at the door most mornings.
Most.
Great, I wear glasses but still can't see.
"Four weeks rainbow. And it's quite unfortunate to say that he's not of your species,"
My eyes narrowed at her. "You're not trying to insult me now, are you?"
She shrugged. "I'm only stating the obvious. Besides, why would you care if you weren't having eyes on him yourself?"
I did a mental check on myself. Was I really pushing this too far?
Perhaps.
"Stay away from him," She warned. "That I accept you doesn't mean I allow you to hit on my man."
My mouth goes dry at this and I reddened - embarrassed. "I saw him first you shameless piece of candy!"
"And just so you know," she paused and held up a hand. "You're going with us on a double date next week."
"We?" It was hard not to act surprised.
"Yeah. Me, Charlie, you and Anita. It's final. You're not in a position to complain since it's just for a night. You'd survive her."
Anita. The name didn't register for a few minutes but it eventually clicked. "Anita Ferris? That bitch that poured punch all over me during prom night last year?"
"Your memory seems promising. But trust me," she giggled. "You so don't want to recall that out loud. It's funny."
"Why her? What a weird choice you have. And for the noting, I'm proudly rainbow now so..."
"That makes it even safer. As I've found out, she has an aggressive crush on you which kinda irked me at first but I found it useful. At least to me."
"Damn you terrible sister,"
"The pleasure is mine," she smiled cheekily. "Now stop interrupting me. Look, there's something I did and now I have to make it up to her. And you SHALL help me."
"So you used me in some sort of exchange to aid your gain?"
Her brows furrowed. "Something like that,"
"I see no physical consent to this so no," I began retracing my steps.
"Oh no, you don't. Else I will post it on the school blog on how I caught you checking out Alan Puckett's junk size at the toilet during recess!"
I was intimidated. "But that was last year! You still can't have the picture."
"Unfortunately my cell says otherwise," she tapped on it and holds out the screen towards me. Damn, she also had a short video of it.
"Come on Sidney, we're all siblings here," I coaxed. Sisters were majorly a douche pain in the ass.
"Are you ready to do my bidding?" she dangled, how'd she get good at blackmailing people?
As they say, years of practice.
I caved in reluctantly. "I'll get you back for this."
"Pfft. Not a chance. The feeling is a mutual dear brother. Give or take."