When we got to the picnic, everything was quite buzzed with energy. So, that on top of the incredibly light feeling I had, just made me feel high as a kite. I skipped around, mingled with everyone and sang along with some of the songs that I knew. I talked with some of the cheerleaders and found quite shockingly that they were quite nice. The cheerleaders that used to be at my school were mean as fuck! These girls though were really nice and we all talked like we knew each other for years. Eventually I said goodbye and went and sat by David, Amy and her friends. At this point I was introduced to Janice and sat by her and across from David. I sat directly next to Amy's friend, Kristen who was pregnant. Kristen looked me over with a sweet smile.
"Well, don't you look as sweet as sugar. What's your name, suga'?" She asked. I chuckled at her compliment.
"Hi, I'm Rosabelle Sumner, David's niece." I said and stuck my hand out to her. She shook it firmly with a smile.
"Nice to meet you Rosabelle. I'm Kristen." She said. In an immediate respond to my full name, I said.
"Please, call me Rose." I said, and she nodded with a smile. I smiled at her pregnant belly.
"When are you due?" I asked nodded to her tummy. She absentmindedly stroked her stomach.
"Umm. The doctor said about a month or so from now." She said, I smiled a genuine smile.
"Congratulations." I said excitedly. I noticed out of the corner of my eye as Charlie walked towards us from his truck. I was going to wave to him when Kristen asked me a question as he walked under the tent.
"You plan on having kids?" She asked, snapping my attention to her. Excitement welled up inside me as I answered, nodding vigorously.
"Most definitely! I want at the most 3 kids, all boys. No girls, too high maintenance." I answered the last part with a wrinkle of my nose. Causing everyone to laugh, including Charlie who was now standing directly beside Kristen.
"3? That's an awful lot." Kristen said in shock. I grinned at her, my eyes sliding up to Charlie's involuntarily.
"Yea, but I absolutely adore children. The more the merrier." I said with a bright smile. Charlie's eyebrow was raised but his gaze was hazy, like he wasn't really here, more off into a dreamland. He was looking down at my flat tummy, almost longingly.
"Hey, Charlie." Kristen said as she saw him beside her. He snapped out of whatever he was in, and looked down at her.
"Hey, everybody. May I?" He asked, nodding towards her stomach. She nodded her head and he crouched down next to her. He rubbed a hand over her belly.
"Hey buddy. Not moving around today is he?" He said softly. Kristen shook her head.
"Nah, must be taking a nap today. Lord knows this is the only time he sleeps." She answered with a laugh. He smiled back and kept on rubbing her stomach. It was my turn to smile longingly. He seemed like he'd make an amazing father and he seemed to want a child quite badly. My mind went off into a little fantasy of me being pregnant with his baby. I wonder if he would carry me around like some husbands did that were paranoid that their pregnant wife would fall. Or, if he would rub my belly when we were laying in bed, and just talk to the baby.
I shook my head to dispel these thoughts. I didn't even know the true expense of his feelings. I watched as he stood up and walked to stand behind me. I tilted my head backwards and looked up at him. He smiled down at me as I grinned up at him with a sweet smile. I leaned back against his legs and he set his hands on my shoulders, one hand playing with my hair. I looked across from me and noticed two things. David's happy smile and Amy's disapproving frown. I simply raised an eyebrow at her and ignored her. I sat there, listening to everybody's conversations, saying my input when I felt like it, but mostly just leaned against Charlie and loved that he was playing with my hair. Then, Jeremy came towards our table.
"Hey, Amy." He said to her, fidgeting. She looked over to him.
"Hey, Jeremy. How are you?" She said sweetly. He didn't answer her though. He threw a glance at me before looking down at the ground.
"Hey, Rosabelle." He said softly. I felt Charlie's hands tighten on my shoulders.
"Hi, Jeremy." I said quietly with a gentle smile. I heard a grumble deep in Charlie's chest. I looked up at him curiously. He glared at Jeremy fiercely, rubbing his thumbs on my shoulders soothingly. I sighed happily, and melted into his touch.
"Hi, Janice." Jeremy said shyly.
"Jeremy, you need to get." Kristen said in warning as her husband behind her began to yell at him to leave. Suddenly Coach Heddon tackled Jeremy over top the table, and onto the ground. I gasped and jumped up, watching as Coach began to beat Jeremy. I tried to walk towards them, but Charlie wrapped a hand around my upper arm, making me look up to him. He shook his head and I whimpered out a protest. Charlie noticed my distress and yelled at the Coach.
"Coach! Come on. Knock it off." He yelled in his deep voice. I relaxed slightly against Charlie when Coach and Jeremy stood up. They shared a few words when I heard Jeremy's voice.
"Janice is my girlfriend." Jeremy said. In turn, Coach slapped him a few times. He kept on going and I just couldn't take it. I ran forward, breaking Charlie's grip and grabbed the Coach's wrist just as he was about to slap Jeremy again.
"You stop it Coach!" I yelled, struggling to push his arm away. He raised his other hand, as if to slap me when Charlie ran in, along with David. He brought his hand down, part of his hand catching my cheek before Charlie grabbed his wrist in a bruising grip.
"Hey! That's enough! What the fuck is wrong with you?! Hitting a woman!" Charlie's voice boomed around me. My cheek started to sting and get hot. I looked up at Charlie, and his face was almost unrecognizable as it was covered with rage. Coach looked at me and spit out.
"You had no right!" Coach spat. I glared at him.
"Neither did you! They were just talking!" I growled out.
"Come on, Rose." David said, trying to tug me away. I followed unwillingly, still attempting to yell at Coach.
"You little bitch!" Coach yelled at me as Charlie wrapped him up in an unbreakable grip.
"That's right, just walk away." Charlie said over Coach. His eyes trained on me, pleadingly but held fury underneath. I knew he was going to chew me out the next time he talked to me. At this I took a deep breath and yanked myself out of David's grip and stalked towards the car. Once I got there I flung myself into the back seat. David and Amy climbed in the front.
"What the fuck, Rose?" David grumbled angrily. I sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Not now, David. Just not now." I mumbled in warning. He looked at me and apparently noticed my inner struggle and went back to watching the road. I laid there, in my own turmoil. I had managed to piss Charlie off at me, wonderful. Not only did I disregard his blatant warning, but I also got hit because of it. I knew the next time he would be able to talk to me alone, I was going to get it. But, I didn't worry about him hurting me, I just subconsciously knew he would never strike me. I was more worried about him being so furious with me that he wouldn't want to talk to me anymore. That thought almost made me start crying. Ugh, being a girl was just way too emotional. All I wanted right now was a hot bath and some major relaxing music.