What Happened Before September Ended?, chapter 4
The next morning, Charlotte was up before dawn, and she also woke up everyone else in the house...even people not in her house. She picked up her phone and dialed the seven numbers to reach her brother's house.
"Uh- hello..." A very sleepy Pete said, scratching the side of his head, where his dark hair was matted against his head.
"Hey butthead, guess what?" She said excitedly into the phone.
"Charlie...don't you think it's a little early for guessing...or being awake for that matter?" "No. C'mon. Please?"
"Um...you bought something," He said sarcastically, knowing he'd never guess it with Charlie on the other end of the phone.
"I'm moving out!" she said excitedly.
It took Pete a while before it got to his brain.
"Wait. You're moving out of mom and dad's house? Why? Where? When? How..." he threw his feet over the side of the bed and walked into the kitchen, turning on his coffee machine.
"Hmm. Well. Because Jimmy asked me. Some small house out in the country. Today and with a vehicle."
"Jimmy asked you? Why'd Jimmy ask you? You're not getting married, are you?"
She giggled childishly. "No! Well...not yet anyways. I'm moving in with him."
Pete held his breath, lost for words.
"Why I oughtta..."
Charlie sighed at the other end of the phone. "Pete, I thought you might be happy for me. Mom and Dad are. It's okay..."
And Pete heard the line go dead. "Charlie?" he said, repeating her name a few times before hanging up.
Sarah came up behind him.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked, placing both hands on his shoulders.
"No... I'm just gonna go see my sister for a little while, I'll phone you after."
And as he passed by her, he kissed her cheek.
The whole gang was moving things from her room to the truck waiting in the driveway. While helping taking all the clothes out of her drawers, Jimmy came across a notebook, large in shape. He opened it up, taking a peak at what was inside. After thumbing through the pages of Charlie's drawings, he found one of himself. While observing it, he too noticed the look it had, and looked in the mirror to see if he really had that in him. The paper was like a mirror. They both showed the same thing. He gridded his teeth at himself. Jimmy thought of himself as disgusting.
"Hey hun...what's this?" he asked, holding up the picture to Charlie. She turned a light shade of pink.
"It's a picture I drew of you."
"When?" she took it from his open hand and put it in a box.
"The day we met."
He bit his bottom lip. "It looks good."
She smiled and kissed his cheek while she passed with the box in her hands.
He touched the spot where she kissed him and looked back in the mirror. There was definitely something missing in him, he thought. He sighed while picking up another box and heading down the stairs.
Charlie just glanced at Pete's car pulling in the driveway. She snorted and started to walk in the house.
"Charlie, wait!" Pete said, grabbing her shoulder, turning her around.
"I'm sorry, that just shocked me, I didn't mean for it to sound rude. I'm happy you ended up with Jimmy, he's a nice guy, okay? I don't know why it's so hard to just say that."
She smiled and hugged him tightly.
"You could just say you'll miss me."
He stroked his hand through her hair.
"You rat. I can see you whenever I want, remember, I don't live here no more."
She laughed. "Right."
Seconds later, the whole rest of the family exited the house carrying boxes.
"Hey Pete," Jimmy said, plopping the box in the trunk of the car.
"Hey lover boy, you guys need any help?" Pete asked, grabbing his cell phone from his pocket and speed dialing the number to his house.
"Hello?" Sarah said, yawning.
"Hey hun, listen. My sister's moving out and I'm gonna help them, okay?" he asked, turning his back to the crowd. Soon, he heard the familiar giggle, "Really? Well, um okay. can I come?" she asked, stepping into her room, and opening a drawer.
Pete sighed and smirked.
"I guess so, I'll come pick you up. Bye." And he hung up the phone, turning towards his car. "I'll be right back guys," he said before pulling out of the driveway.
Jimmy drove down the familiar road that led to his new house, two other vehicles behind him, Charlie sitting in the passenger seat. His parents were waiting in the driveway to help unload all of Charlie's belongings. He was happy they were back together again, but the past can't be completely erased.
flashback
"You can't just leave!" his mother yelled from the kitchen, holding her bruised and swollen cheek.
"You...listen to me! I'm gonna...go and come as I please...you don't have a say in what I do! You're nothing but a slave!"
And he heard his drunken father slam the door and a glass break. And his mother's sobbing.
"You can't just leave...we have a son..." he heard her repeat over and over again between sobs. He stayed still in his hiding spot behind the counter, quietly listening to her.
present
"Jimmy!" Charlie screamed as, flashing back to reality, Jimmy let go of the steering wheel and they were heading off the road.
"Jimmy, what is going on?" she screamed, grabbing the wheel and turning it back towards the road, before pulling the keys out of the ignition. Jimmy's eyes were wide, he was breathing heavily and he had small droplets of sweat dripping from his forehead. He didn't want to turn into his father. He hated his father, for the way he treated his mother, and him. He didn't want his son to fear him, not the way Jimmy feared his father. Charlie observed the way his hands tightly grasped the steering wheel, and how his eyes only focused forwards.
"You saw it again, didn't you?" she asked, concerned.
"Yea, I'm okay..." he trailed off.
She hugged him tightly before the two cars behind them, and four concerned people all stepped out to see what was wrong.
"What happened?" Pete said, jogging towards the truck.
"Nothing Pete, it's okay." She said and whispered in Jimmy's ear, "You want me to drive?"
He nodded and let her slip past him as he struggled to get into the passenger side. Charlie turned the key and continued on her way.
"You know, you should really go see a doctor about that."
"About what?" he asked, trying to get off the subject.
"Your flashbacks, it could be anxiety or something."
He laughed it off. "I'll be okay, I promise."
By the time their short argument was over, they appeared in their new driveway, where both the Huberts were waiting.
"Hey mom," Jimmy greeted his mother with a hug, bigger that the ones he usually gave her.
"Hi," she chuckled. All the family members, even Sarah, had something in their hands waiting to bring in. Charlie, Jimmy, and his parents all grabbed a box and headed for the house.
"Let's get moving..." Pete said, holding his box while trying to also support Sarah's box. "Yes, lets," Charlie said, waiting by the door for everyone.
It was almost eight by the time they were completely finished and they all plopped down on the couch beside each other.
"Finally, all done!" Sarah said, while getting up and heading for the kitchen.
"Hey Jimbo, where's all the food?" she asked, holding a frying pan in her hand.
Jimmy smirked geekishly at his peers and got up towards the kitchen.
"One sec, I'm coming..."
Soon they heard a clang and a loud racket... and Jimmy.
"Hi...can I get an order of..." and he went on to name a bunch of food that could only be Chinese. And as Charlie and Pete appeared in the doorway, they found Jimmy rummaging through a cupboard.
"Found it!" They heard him say, as he pulled out a bottle of blush coloured wine. "What's that for?" Pete asked, taking it from his hand.
"Special occasions," he shrugged and pulled out eight glasses and handed them out to everyone, except Sarah, who had refused to take one, because it would be bad for the baby.
Soon, a loud "ring" filled the house and Jimmy walked in the room with a large paper bag which filled the room with a rather fine aroma.
Hours later, you could find Sarah sleeping on Pete's shoulder, who was also sleeping, Jimmy's parents had left, and Mr. Walker had left to go to work for an emergency meeting. Slowly, Charlie began to doze off and Jimmy was the only one left awake.
"Uh- hello..." A very sleepy Pete said, scratching the side of his head, where his dark hair was matted against his head.
"Hey butthead, guess what?" She said excitedly into the phone.
"Charlie...don't you think it's a little early for guessing...or being awake for that matter?" "No. C'mon. Please?"
"Um...you bought something," He said sarcastically, knowing he'd never guess it with Charlie on the other end of the phone.
"I'm moving out!" she said excitedly.
It took Pete a while before it got to his brain.
"Wait. You're moving out of mom and dad's house? Why? Where? When? How..." he threw his feet over the side of the bed and walked into the kitchen, turning on his coffee machine.
"Hmm. Well. Because Jimmy asked me. Some small house out in the country. Today and with a vehicle."
"Jimmy asked you? Why'd Jimmy ask you? You're not getting married, are you?"
She giggled childishly. "No! Well...not yet anyways. I'm moving in with him."
Pete held his breath, lost for words.
"Why I oughtta..."
Charlie sighed at the other end of the phone. "Pete, I thought you might be happy for me. Mom and Dad are. It's okay..."
And Pete heard the line go dead. "Charlie?" he said, repeating her name a few times before hanging up.
Sarah came up behind him.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked, placing both hands on his shoulders.
"No... I'm just gonna go see my sister for a little while, I'll phone you after."
And as he passed by her, he kissed her cheek.
The whole gang was moving things from her room to the truck waiting in the driveway. While helping taking all the clothes out of her drawers, Jimmy came across a notebook, large in shape. He opened it up, taking a peak at what was inside. After thumbing through the pages of Charlie's drawings, he found one of himself. While observing it, he too noticed the look it had, and looked in the mirror to see if he really had that in him. The paper was like a mirror. They both showed the same thing. He gridded his teeth at himself. Jimmy thought of himself as disgusting.
"Hey hun...what's this?" he asked, holding up the picture to Charlie. She turned a light shade of pink.
"It's a picture I drew of you."
"When?" she took it from his open hand and put it in a box.
"The day we met."
He bit his bottom lip. "It looks good."
She smiled and kissed his cheek while she passed with the box in her hands.
He touched the spot where she kissed him and looked back in the mirror. There was definitely something missing in him, he thought. He sighed while picking up another box and heading down the stairs.
Charlie just glanced at Pete's car pulling in the driveway. She snorted and started to walk in the house.
"Charlie, wait!" Pete said, grabbing her shoulder, turning her around.
"I'm sorry, that just shocked me, I didn't mean for it to sound rude. I'm happy you ended up with Jimmy, he's a nice guy, okay? I don't know why it's so hard to just say that."
She smiled and hugged him tightly.
"You could just say you'll miss me."
He stroked his hand through her hair.
"You rat. I can see you whenever I want, remember, I don't live here no more."
She laughed. "Right."
Seconds later, the whole rest of the family exited the house carrying boxes.
"Hey Pete," Jimmy said, plopping the box in the trunk of the car.
"Hey lover boy, you guys need any help?" Pete asked, grabbing his cell phone from his pocket and speed dialing the number to his house.
"Hello?" Sarah said, yawning.
"Hey hun, listen. My sister's moving out and I'm gonna help them, okay?" he asked, turning his back to the crowd. Soon, he heard the familiar giggle, "Really? Well, um okay. can I come?" she asked, stepping into her room, and opening a drawer.
Pete sighed and smirked.
"I guess so, I'll come pick you up. Bye." And he hung up the phone, turning towards his car. "I'll be right back guys," he said before pulling out of the driveway.
Jimmy drove down the familiar road that led to his new house, two other vehicles behind him, Charlie sitting in the passenger seat. His parents were waiting in the driveway to help unload all of Charlie's belongings. He was happy they were back together again, but the past can't be completely erased.
flashback
"You can't just leave!" his mother yelled from the kitchen, holding her bruised and swollen cheek.
"You...listen to me! I'm gonna...go and come as I please...you don't have a say in what I do! You're nothing but a slave!"
And he heard his drunken father slam the door and a glass break. And his mother's sobbing.
"You can't just leave...we have a son..." he heard her repeat over and over again between sobs. He stayed still in his hiding spot behind the counter, quietly listening to her.
present
"Jimmy!" Charlie screamed as, flashing back to reality, Jimmy let go of the steering wheel and they were heading off the road.
"Jimmy, what is going on?" she screamed, grabbing the wheel and turning it back towards the road, before pulling the keys out of the ignition. Jimmy's eyes were wide, he was breathing heavily and he had small droplets of sweat dripping from his forehead. He didn't want to turn into his father. He hated his father, for the way he treated his mother, and him. He didn't want his son to fear him, not the way Jimmy feared his father. Charlie observed the way his hands tightly grasped the steering wheel, and how his eyes only focused forwards.
"You saw it again, didn't you?" she asked, concerned.
"Yea, I'm okay..." he trailed off.
She hugged him tightly before the two cars behind them, and four concerned people all stepped out to see what was wrong.
"What happened?" Pete said, jogging towards the truck.
"Nothing Pete, it's okay." She said and whispered in Jimmy's ear, "You want me to drive?"
He nodded and let her slip past him as he struggled to get into the passenger side. Charlie turned the key and continued on her way.
"You know, you should really go see a doctor about that."
"About what?" he asked, trying to get off the subject.
"Your flashbacks, it could be anxiety or something."
He laughed it off. "I'll be okay, I promise."
By the time their short argument was over, they appeared in their new driveway, where both the Huberts were waiting.
"Hey mom," Jimmy greeted his mother with a hug, bigger that the ones he usually gave her.
"Hi," she chuckled. All the family members, even Sarah, had something in their hands waiting to bring in. Charlie, Jimmy, and his parents all grabbed a box and headed for the house.
"Let's get moving..." Pete said, holding his box while trying to also support Sarah's box. "Yes, lets," Charlie said, waiting by the door for everyone.
It was almost eight by the time they were completely finished and they all plopped down on the couch beside each other.
"Finally, all done!" Sarah said, while getting up and heading for the kitchen.
"Hey Jimbo, where's all the food?" she asked, holding a frying pan in her hand.
Jimmy smirked geekishly at his peers and got up towards the kitchen.
"One sec, I'm coming..."
Soon they heard a clang and a loud racket... and Jimmy.
"Hi...can I get an order of..." and he went on to name a bunch of food that could only be Chinese. And as Charlie and Pete appeared in the doorway, they found Jimmy rummaging through a cupboard.
"Found it!" They heard him say, as he pulled out a bottle of blush coloured wine. "What's that for?" Pete asked, taking it from his hand.
"Special occasions," he shrugged and pulled out eight glasses and handed them out to everyone, except Sarah, who had refused to take one, because it would be bad for the baby.
Soon, a loud "ring" filled the house and Jimmy walked in the room with a large paper bag which filled the room with a rather fine aroma.
Hours later, you could find Sarah sleeping on Pete's shoulder, who was also sleeping, Jimmy's parents had left, and Mr. Walker had left to go to work for an emergency meeting. Slowly, Charlie began to doze off and Jimmy was the only one left awake.
