What Happened Before September Ended?, chapter 6
<p>It was September the sixth. 11.47 am. Five days left. Charlie was eating rice chrispies happily, when Jimmy, who seemed rather fidgety for a Saturday morning, approached her, with his hands in his pockets. After realizing the look in his eyes, Charlie said, "Jimmy, what's wrong? Did you have another flashback?" and took another bite of her rice crispies.<br /> "Charlie, don't you know what today is?" He said and bit his bottom lip. She shook her head is disagreement and smiled.<br /> "Charlie... I'm leaving next week." Charlie, who had turned pale, had dropped her rice crispies all over that floor.<br /> "Oh my god... I forgot." She started the cry and ran into the bathroom. Jimmy followed her there and patiently knocked on the door.<br /> "Charlie? Common... open the door, please?" Of all the things he heard her mumbling, he only got, "No... I can't. How could I be so stupid? Why?" He sighed.<br /> "Common Charlie, you can't stay in there all day, what's it gonna do you? Common, let's go do something. We'll waste the whole day doing whatever you want. Common, or I'll call everyone. Please?" It was quite for a while and Jimmy heard shufling at the other end of the door, then, slowly it opened. <br />Charlie hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go, afraid too, even. Then she started sobbing into his shirt.<br /> "It's okay... everything's gonna be fine." He saw her eyes and couldn't help but to fight the lump that grew in his throat. <br />"You can't prove that. I don't want this to be this way. It's not fair! Why did you guys do this to me? This war doesn't even have anything to do with you!" She screamed, and he only stood there, taking at all in.<br /> "I'm sorry," was all he managed to say.<br /> "Jimmy. Don't go, please..." He had to. In the last couple day's he had realized that he didn'y want to, but he had to.<br /> "I have to, Charlie." She shook her head.<br /> "No you don't. Why are you guys so god damn stuborn? You don't have to!"<br />
"I'm sorry." He ran his fingers through her hair and held her close, trying his best to comfort her. </p>
***
September eleventh: the day.
<p> It had been a year since this war started. They were all standing in a harbor. Sarah was the only one who wasn't there. Draining out her surroundings, Charlie listened to the parents carefully lecture each son. The cold wind carefully blew the small tear from her face as she looked distantly at the ship.<br /> "Charlie..." Pete managed to say, breaking her concentration. She wanted desperately not to look at them, when her brother hugged her tightly.<br /> "I'm gonna miss you." she said, wrapping her arm around his fresh, olive green uniform.<br /> "I'll miss you too. Take care of Sarah for me?" He asked, as Charlie nodded.<br /> "I will." Sarah's baby was due any day now, Charlie thought maybe of all things, that would have stopped Pete from going. Pete broke his eye contact from Charlie to look behind her, where he saw his car, and a very pregnant Sarah, step out of it.<br /> "Charlie, I'll be right back." and he let go of her to run to Sarah.<br />Jimmy hugged her tighter than ever and kissed the top of her head gently. She grabbed on his shirt, stubornly thinking in would keep him with her.<br /> "Don't forget me..." she said, kissing him lightly on the lips.<br /> "I wont, I won't." he said, running his hand down her hair. Eyeing her face ever so cautiously, trying to memorize her face. When Pete returned with Sarah at his side, they all decided it was time to go, as the ship blew the whistle for all passengers to get on the ship.<br /> Charlie still tightly grasped Jimmy's shirt. With trouble, Sarah managed to say goodbye to Pete and he said, "Common, Jimbo, it's time to go." <br />"Charlie... common, I gotta go." he managed to say, still hugging her tightly, feeling abandoned that all his father could say was goodbye. She still grasped on to his shirt, sobbing quietly.<br /> "Charlie, common, he has to go, now." Pete said, grabbing her hand from his back.<br /> "Charlie, let go of him!" Pete continued trying to pull her grasp from his shirt. Making a big commotion, even the parent's were trying to pull the two apart.<br /> "Charlie, sweetie, Jimmy has to leave." Her mother said, trying to pull her away. The situation made Sarah start to cry.<br />"No!" she yelled at them, while both parent's held her back from him. Finally she realized, she would have to let him go. And when Jimmy saw that she realized that, he hugged her once more, tightly and kissed her one last time.<br /> "I won't forget you." he whispered, letting go of her, only to doddle behind Pete. Sarah and Charlie were left standing there, alone, while the parent's could only lecture her.<br /> "You guys, stop it. Leave her alone," Sarah said, picking a suitcase off the ground and carrying it towards the car. Charlie picked up the other one and followed close behind. She would stay with Sarah until the boys returned, she didn't want to leave Sarah and the baby alone, not after she realized Sarah was the only one here who she could truly trust.</p>
"I'm sorry." He ran his fingers through her hair and held her close, trying his best to comfort her. </p>
***
September eleventh: the day.
<p> It had been a year since this war started. They were all standing in a harbor. Sarah was the only one who wasn't there. Draining out her surroundings, Charlie listened to the parents carefully lecture each son. The cold wind carefully blew the small tear from her face as she looked distantly at the ship.<br /> "Charlie..." Pete managed to say, breaking her concentration. She wanted desperately not to look at them, when her brother hugged her tightly.<br /> "I'm gonna miss you." she said, wrapping her arm around his fresh, olive green uniform.<br /> "I'll miss you too. Take care of Sarah for me?" He asked, as Charlie nodded.<br /> "I will." Sarah's baby was due any day now, Charlie thought maybe of all things, that would have stopped Pete from going. Pete broke his eye contact from Charlie to look behind her, where he saw his car, and a very pregnant Sarah, step out of it.<br /> "Charlie, I'll be right back." and he let go of her to run to Sarah.<br />Jimmy hugged her tighter than ever and kissed the top of her head gently. She grabbed on his shirt, stubornly thinking in would keep him with her.<br /> "Don't forget me..." she said, kissing him lightly on the lips.<br /> "I wont, I won't." he said, running his hand down her hair. Eyeing her face ever so cautiously, trying to memorize her face. When Pete returned with Sarah at his side, they all decided it was time to go, as the ship blew the whistle for all passengers to get on the ship.<br /> Charlie still tightly grasped Jimmy's shirt. With trouble, Sarah managed to say goodbye to Pete and he said, "Common, Jimbo, it's time to go." <br />"Charlie... common, I gotta go." he managed to say, still hugging her tightly, feeling abandoned that all his father could say was goodbye. She still grasped on to his shirt, sobbing quietly.<br /> "Charlie, common, he has to go, now." Pete said, grabbing her hand from his back.<br /> "Charlie, let go of him!" Pete continued trying to pull her grasp from his shirt. Making a big commotion, even the parent's were trying to pull the two apart.<br /> "Charlie, sweetie, Jimmy has to leave." Her mother said, trying to pull her away. The situation made Sarah start to cry.<br />"No!" she yelled at them, while both parent's held her back from him. Finally she realized, she would have to let him go. And when Jimmy saw that she realized that, he hugged her once more, tightly and kissed her one last time.<br /> "I won't forget you." he whispered, letting go of her, only to doddle behind Pete. Sarah and Charlie were left standing there, alone, while the parent's could only lecture her.<br /> "You guys, stop it. Leave her alone," Sarah said, picking a suitcase off the ground and carrying it towards the car. Charlie picked up the other one and followed close behind. She would stay with Sarah until the boys returned, she didn't want to leave Sarah and the baby alone, not after she realized Sarah was the only one here who she could truly trust.</p>
