"Charlotte!" My father's voice resonated through the whole house.

I sighed and closed my math textbook. I wasn't getting much done anyways, I'm awful at math.

"Yes, father?" I yelled back, leaning in my chair.

I lost my balance for a split second, wobbling in my precarious lean. The chair fell forward with a loud noise. My hand flew to my chest out of instinct; I could feel my heart beating too quickly.

"Seriously, Char?" My father peeked around the doorway to my room, his eyebrow raised. "You're going to break your chair one day!"

"It was an accident." I replied dryly, "What do you want?"

He exhaled shortly and stepped into my room. "Dinner is burning. Do you know how much food costs these days? There's a war on our doorstep!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, sorry, I'll get it!" I replied quickly, racing out my door and through the hallway.

I held back a shriek when I saw the steaming pot in the kitchen, boiling over and splashing onto the stovetop.

I turned the heat down and gave the pasta a stir, hoping I didn't lose us a pot of food.

Dad's heavy footsteps followed behind me.

"I don't know how you're going to do in real life if you can't handle making supper." He mumbled behind me.

I rolled my eyes and turned to face him.

"I think I'll be fine." I grumbled back.

"A good young man wants a woman who can cook." He told me, "And a good young man may be the only thing that can keep our family afloat."

I stared back at my father plainly. "I think we'll be fine if I don't marry some rich boy."

He stared back at me. "Say I get drafted into the army, which is a very real possibility, and say I don't come back!"

I looked away. He always was thinking of the absolute worst possibility.

"Then what?" Father continued, "Orphanages for the both of you. Separated. How would you find Trevor again? How do you think he could survive on his own? The boy is tiny and sick!"

"I know! I know, father." I replied, tensely.

He sighed and patted my head.

"I don't mean to be so hard on you. It's just…after your mother-"

I cut in, "I get it! I'm not going to let our family down. Okay?"

He nodded, and went back into the family room to sit back down.

I checked the pasta again. A few pieces stuck to the pot, but nothing was burnt. I exhaled and got out the serving dishes, willing myself back to a calm composure.

"Trevor!" I shouted down the hallway, "Come help me set the table, please!"

He bumped around in his room before coming flying down the hall.

"Sure! Thanks Char!" He exclaimed, running up to the cabinets.

"Don't take too many plates!" I warned him, "One at a time please!"

He grimaced, "I'll be fine, sis." As he piled plates into his arms.

I stopped him with my arm, "You know you're not that strong, you just got out of the hospital." I told him quietly.

He visibly deflated. I felt horrible, but he'd broken so many dishes that way already.

"Okay…" He mumbled, putting some back.

Trevor walked slowly to the dining room, and back, grabbing cups and cutlery.

I sighed and picked up the serving dishes with the pasta and sauce, and carried them right behind him.

"Supper's ready, father!" I exclaimed.

He grunted from the family room and stood up from the couch, making his way to the dining room. I placed the food into the middle of the table and noticed Trev had already set up two places at the table. I turned to see him coming in with the last plate, face red and huffing air in and out.

He was struggling with a sickness that no doctor's had been able to diagnose yet. But he got tired quickly and would get really ill if he pushed himself too hard.

"Why are you making him do that?" Father asked as he came into the room, "You know he's just got out of the hospital."

"Sorry." I replied, sitting down.

Trevor put the plate down in front of me and beamed.

"I like to help!" He told father, "I can do it!"

Father only continued to look at me and stated, "I told you to take care of him."

I clenched my jaw and replied "I am!"

Father made a noise of indignation, but sat down anyways. Trevor smiled at me across the table.

"Thanks, sis." He whispered.

I smiled back at him silently and began to dish out food. This was a normal evening for us.

-x-

The next day, I went about business as usual, no idea what was in store.

Everything was fine until 6 o'clock. That's when I meet Trevor at the train station. I try to get there quickly and beat Mark Lakey, but I never can.

Mark Lakey is this 3rd year from St. Peter's high school who has made it his purpose to bully Trevor.

Trevor is too embarrassed to tell our Dad, so obviously I shouldn't do anything because it doesn't really help, but it makes me so angry I never can.

And thus, here I am. 6 o'clock sharp. Pemberley Station. I can see it in my head – Mark Lakey lumbers over to little Trevor. His cropped curly blond hair will be shining atop his plump face, which is sticky and red from chasing down other victims and eating their sweets. His eyes will be shockingly too close together as always, and Trevor will sit there on the bench, hunched over, trying not to draw any attention to himself.

Movement catches my eye. Trevor has sat down on the bench we always meet at. I looked around quickly. No Mark yet. Maybe I can get to Trev and sneak us into some far corner of the end of the train, somewhere we won't be noticed.

I walked briskly towards him, but before I could get there Mark and his three giant friends appeared.

"Dammit." I muttered to myself.

I know. Ladies don't swear. So improper. I've got bigger fish to fry.

"Hey look at this little baby! What are you doing, walking by here? You know this is my part of the station!" Mark circled Trevor's bench like a vulture.

Mark usually just picked on Trevor alone, and so I would just yell at him until he left. I didn't know what I would be able to do against four, but I wasn't thinking clearly. I just felt red hot anger flash through my veins, and I walked straight up to him.

"Come on Trevor, answer me!" Mark exclaimed, laughing. "Or are you too chicken?"

I reached them right then and stepped between Mark and Trevor.

"Speaking of chickens, I noticed you brought some friends just to talk to an 11 year old boy." I answered.

Mark scoffed. "If I was an animal, I'd be more like a lion." He replied.

"I'm pretty sure you'd just be a big fat pig." I countered.

Mark made an ugly face, though I should say uglier, and looked me up and down.

"Shouldn't you be off knitting?" He asked me.

I scowled at him, "Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing!" I replied.

Mark snorted unattractively.

"That's a job reserved for my mother, too bad you don't have one!" He shouted.

That one hurt, but I wasn't about to let him know. I narrowed my eyes.

"What happened? Did she get sick of you? Is that why she offed herself?" Mark continued.

I dropped my school bag, and almost lunged, but our argument was cut short when Mark abruptly knocked into some blond fellow walking by.

I winced when I saw. Mark is rather heavy.

"Don't just stand there! Apologize!" He demanded the boy.

The boy looked at Mark, and frowned.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

His voice was deep, but not like a man's. He sounded incredulous, but still strong. He had lovely deep blue eyes. I, embarrassingly, stared.

Mark shoved him, "You heard me, apologize."

The boy shoved Mark back.

"I don't think I should apologize to a repulsive boy who bullies girls. You're awfully cowardly, don't you think?" His voice was rather nice, actually.

I peeked around Mark's beefy shoulder.

"You get the porker, I'll get the sidekicks?" I asked.

He chuckled and wound his fist back, throwing the first punch of what would be an all-out-brawl.

I dove onto one of Mark's sidekicks, tackling him to the floor. The other boy was frozen in shock, so I punched him in the nose. It gave a satisfying crack, and blood gushed all over his shirt, but my hand flared with pain. I cried out, holding it closer to me. The one I tackled was recovering and started calling for back up down the corridor, so I kicked him in the groin, and elbowed him hard in the neck as he fell. He sank to the ground in pain. When I turned around to take care of the other boy, he tackled me into the floor.

I kneed him in the face, and stood up a little too quickly, my head swirling, while three more boys hopped into the fight. One seemed to be on our side, he tackled the boy I tried to knock out. I was too distracted by the new additions, as I turned to find the other three boys, one picked me up from behind. The other helped the boy with the broken nose (and black eye, I mind you) up. The boy with the black eye wound his fist back to punch me in the face, and I closed my eyes.

A shrill whistle rang out before anything could happen. I opened my eyes to find the armed soldiers running into the fray.

"What is wrong with you boys? Honestly, hitting a lady!" They tore the boys off of me.

"Act your age!" One yelled out.

Mark and his friends ran off towards the other end of the station.

A soldier held up my bruising hand and muttered "It'll be fine. Are you okay, miss?"

I nodded and looked for Trevor in the crowd I hadn't noticed had developed.

"I'm okay. They'll leave me alone now." I replied.

I noticed Trev standing on a bench at the very back of the dispersing crowd. I made my way to him.

"Are you okay?" He asked/yelled at me when I got there, still excited from the fight.

"Yes. I'm fine, just a few scratches really. I really wish you didn't have to see that." I replied.

Trevor laughed, "Are you joking? That was awesome!"

I smiled and replied, "Not really! My hand is killing me."

"Excuse me?" A voice cut me off. I turned to see the boy who had fought Mark, his face none the worse for wear.

His ocean blue eyes squinted a little, and he pursed his lips.

"I'm sorry you got caught in that." He told me. "I didn't think they would actually try to hit you!"

I shrugged. "It's fine. It was bound to happen anyways. He constantly insults my mother."

He smiled a little. "Anyways, sorry again, I should have made sure you weren't involved before throwing a punch."

I smiled back. "No, you can ask me to back you up anytime, I'm always itching to beat that Mark kid up."

The boy looked taken aback.

"You're really brave, most girls go faint at the mention of violence." He stared into my eyes.

I pressed my lips together and smiled, waving the idea off.

"I'll take any challenge." I replied. He smiled at me.

"I'd better go, my sisters look pretty cross." He muttered disappointingly, glancing at a bench a few meters away.

A girl from my year, Susan was sitting on it with her sister Lucy, like the boy said, looking cross.

"Can I catch your name before I go?" He asked, looking hopeful.

I smiled, "Only if I can catch yours." Trevor laughed. I elbowed him.

The boy looked amused, "I'm Peter Pevensie."

"Charlotte McKinley. This is my little brother, Trevor." Trevor smiled shyly at Peter.

Peter nodded, "Goodbye Trevor. Charlotte, I'll talk to you later hopefully." He smiled and turned to his sisters, walking back towards them.

Trevor turned back to me. "Maybe I should have warned Peter that you have a temper."

His face was completely serious.

I narrowed my eyes and replied, "I think he could tell from the fighting."

Trevor smiled a cheeky little smile.

"Oh, I forgot my bag after the fight!" I remembered, "Stay there, Trev!" I exclaimed, running back to the scene of the fight.

It took me a couple minutes to find my bag, it had gotten kicked under another bench in all the excitement. I picked it up, and sat on the bench trying to figure out if anything was missing, when I noticed the station had gone dead quiet. I looked up, and the station was suddenly empty. I dropped my bag on the bench and looked down the tracks.

"Hello?" I called out, "Trevor?"

The walls started to flicker, turning some weird blue shade. I reached out to feel a wall, but I couldn't find where the wall was, all of the walls were flickering blue.

Then I saw clouds in the blue. They were so realistic though, I couldn't believe it wasn't the actual sky.

I realized it was a sky, and the ground disappeared under me.

My shriek of surprise was cut short when I hit the ground.

My head cracked against what felt like a rock, and everything went black.