Here is the next chapter. There will be one more after this. Like I said, short fic.
Smokeland Fredrick: I wouldn't say muses as much as procrastination. Lol. I hate summer session. But that's okay, it means I write more. Even when I shouldn't be.
Enjoy!
The next day at the Pie Hole, business was going about normally. Or at least as normally as a day at the Pie Hole could be. "Chuck, can you get that pie out of the oven, please?" Ned asked, hands loaded with dishes.
"Sure," Chuck answered, coldness dripping from her voice. "Chuck, why are you acting like this?" Ned asked as he set the plates on the counter.
"Like what? Like you won't allow me to tell my girlfriend that I didn't fake my death?"
"Chuck! Keep it down, anyone could hear you."
The brunette huffed over to a customer, practically throwing the pie at them. "I don't care anymore!" she said, her voice getting louder with each word, "I don't care who knows!" She got up on the counter, ignoring Ned's terrified look.
"Hey! Guess what everyone! I, Charlotte Cha-"
But before she could finish her confession, Olive leaped onto the counter, tackling Chuck onto the floor and out of sight. "Ow! Olive! Wha-"
Olive put a finger to Chuck's lips, quieting her, just as Aunt Vivian's voice floated through the air.
"Ned, we were wondering if we could order a Pie…"
Chuck could not here what else her aunt said, because her heart was pounding so hard in her ears. Not only was she about to confess her secret to a restaurant full of people, but her aunt almost saw her do it.
"Chuck," Olive whispered, "You're going to have to explain to me what's going on."
"What?"
"I can't keep tackling you and hiding you from your aunts when I don't even know why I'm doing it!" she said, her voice rising slightly.
"Olive," Chuck pleaded, "Please, not now."
"Not now? Not now!" Olive got off of Chuck and stood up, "Then when? That's all you ever say is 'not now'!"
"Olive," Vivian said, slightly confused, "Who on earth are you talking to?"
"To the single most infuriating woman I have ever met in my life!"
Emerson Cod put his arm around Vivian and turned her around toward the exit, "Your pie will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you go for a nice walk or something."
"Well, okay," she said, slightly unsure but still exiting without any further questions.
When her aunt was gone, Chuck got off the floor, brushing herself off, "Olive! I can't tell you! Especially here," she said out of the corner of her mouth. She walked into the kitchen, out of earshot of the patrons, Olive following her.
"That's all I ever here from you! I ask you about this and you don't say anything! You always avoid the subject! I need to know, Chuck!"
"You want to know! I didn't fake my death! I did die! And Ned brought me back to life!"
Olive looked at her for a few moments, stunned, "Are you kidding me? Now you're going to lie to me! What the hell, Chuck! I thought we were in an open relationship!"
"I'm not lying! I swear! Here," Chuck went into the back room, grabbing a rotten peach.
"Chuck, what are you doing?" Ned asked, looking slightly terrified.
"I'm proving to Olive that I'm not lying," Chuck said holding the peach out to Ned, "Now touch it."
"No."
"Yes!"
"Why are you doing this, Chuck?" Olive asked quietly, tears forming in her eyes, "Why are you lying to me like this?"
"I'm not, Olive," Chuck said grabbing her shoulders, "I swear! Here!"
Without warning, Chuck hit Ned's arm with the peach, and it sprung back to life. Olive stared at the peach, then back at Ned. Looking at Chuck, she held the peach in her hand.
"Chuck?" she croaked. She looked back at the peach once more before collapsing.
Chuck managed to catch her before she hit the floor, easily handling her tiny body. "Chuck!" Ned said touching the peach again so it went back to its previously wrinkled form, "What did you just do?"
"I told her the truth! Something that two people that love each other do! Something that I wanted to do a long time ago but you wouldn't let me! You selfish jerk!" she said angrily, picking up Olive wedding style. Ned's face fell at those words, but Chuck ignored it, letting Olive's head roll onto her shoulder. "I'm taking her to our apartment."
As Chuck exited with Olive, Ned sat on a bench at the counter and buried his head in his hands. "You know, Pie Boy," Emerson said sitting down next to him, "I never thought I'd say this. But I agree with Dead Girl."
Cod took a slice of and began eating. "What are you talking about?" Ned said into his hands. "You are being selfish," he said waving a fork at him.
"What?"
"You know damn well that Itty Bitty would have never done anything with that secret to hurt the girl! You was just trying to sabotage their relationship."
"No, I wasn't. I was worried about Chuck-"
"Yeah. You were worried that this thing between her and Olive was real. You're still holding a flame for Dead Girl, which is all fine and dandy, but she ain't holding no flame for you. She has Olive now. And you have to respect that. You didn't want Olive to know because it's always been you and Chuck's dirty lil' secret. You didn't want to share it with anyone else. Especially with the woman that's taking your place in Chuck's life. But what you need to realize, is that Chuck and Olive love each other. And they want, no they need to share everything about their lives. Especially something as big as 'Yeah, I was dead. But now I'm alive again!' That ain't somethin' you can just say. And Chuck asked for your help. But you didn't want to 'cause you're a selfish bitch."
Ned just stared at Emerson, mouth hanging open, "I didn't mean to-"
"Yeah, well you did."
"I should go apologize," Ned said standing up. Emerson took his arm and forced him back down, "Not now. Itty Bitty and Dead Girl have a lot to talk about right now. Without you."
Ned sat back down sighing. As much as he didn't want to believe it, Emerson was right. And he had to get used to it.