AFTER WE HAVE everything packed, I plop on the couch. It's been about a week. Charli, aka, blond boy, is nice. He let me use his lawn chair when we had a campfire last night. He's over at the house again helping Nickolis and Amilla pack. Natalie and I had to pack the whole day yesterday.
"Why ain't you helpn', spoiled?" Amilla says.
"Uh, because I packed and unpacked boxes all day yesterday, remember that, or were you up into your room all day."
She backs off, "spoiled."
I roll my eyes as I sit up on the couch to let Charli sit next to me.
"Hey," he says sitting down.
"Hey."
"When do you start school?"
"I don't know. Soon I hope."
"Oh, you like school," he sounds fascinated.
"Yeah, I like science and history (mostly science) and the other two I don't really like. English is okay."
"Yeah." His voice is dragged out as he leans in to whisper something, "I think you're cute."
I feel my insides twist and churn, "thanks," I say with a tiny voice feeling so uncomfortable. He scoots closer and holds my hand as I pull away, "Charli, I-I just wanna be friends. Please?"
"Oh," he sadly says. "I-I-I'll just go." He grabs his jacket and leaves. And just like that, my whole mood's ruined. I sigh a long long miserable sigh.
"Now I feel bad," I complain to Uncle Kimmy an hour after that Charli incident.
He says, "you're gonna be okay." He sounds distorted and tired.
"Just go to bed."
"No, no, no. I'll...I'll listen to you."
"No, we will talk later. Get some rest. I'll text Cass about it."
He kisses my forehead and leaves my room. My new room.