Appreciation

I walked her home that night.

Yeah, I saw what happened. I have her soul, remember? I know what she's up to no matter where she is. When I saw her bolt outta there like that I knew I'd better come looking for her, and a good thing too. If I knew her by now she'd have sat there all night long feeling sorry for herself.

Eh, I guess I couldn't really blame her. What was wrong with these people? You know, I'm starting to believe in her argument that money can make somebody's life worse, even though I'm not the pushover that she is. If I was rich I wouldn't let these know-it-all aristocrats tell me how to act. I'd be the one setting the trend.

But this delicate little doll couldn't stand up for herself and now here she was, broken into a million pieces, just laying on my chaise with her eyes closed and her face still messed up with spoiled makeup. I figured she was exhausted, and I wasn't talking about all the running. She'd been laying like that for that last hour and a half just sighing through her nose, not moving a muscle. She wasn't even sleeping or nothing, she was just lying there.

I looked over to my table when I heard her phone buzzing around. It wasn't the first time it'd done that since she got here. I didn't even need to glance at the screen anymore, I knew it could only be one person.

"Aren't cha gonna return ya momma's calls?" I knew her mom must have been worried sick about her, I mean she only went to the ladies room before disappearing from the whole party.

My doll sure took her time before giving me an answer. "No." To my disappointment that angelic voice of hers had been stolen away and replaced by this croaky sound whenever she opened her mouth. "Let her worry. Then maybe she'll appreciate what she has."

The phone stopped buzzing, but it wouldn't be the last time her mom would try to call that night. She'd already totalled eighteen missed calls and I knew her mom would stop at nothing until she found her little princess. She'd probably end up calling the cops out soon if my doll didn't say something back.

"C'mon, Charlie doll." I tried giving her a little smile, but her eyes were still closed. "You gotta let cha momma know you're alright." But my Charlie doll just kept on sighing. It seemed like nothing was gonna convince this angel to save her mama from a nervous breakdown.

I took one last look at that little gizmo of hers before I decided to try and take matters into my own hands. It couldn't be too hard to understand, right? I know I had trouble setting up my own gadget but this one was all worked out for me.

'Slide Screen to Unlock'. I'd seen Charlie doll unlock this thing at least a dozen times. Easy as pie. The next step was trying to find out what exactly her mom had been screaming down the phone.

'18 Messages from Mum'. Geeze! You know, for all that broad demands of her daughter she does get pretty panicky if she thinks she's in trouble. I'm an observant man and I'm smart enough to know that deep down that bossy loudmouth loves her daughter, she's just got a funny way of showing it.

8:26 'Charlotte, where are you? The program will air any minute.'

8:29 'Charlotte! It's starting! Come back here now!'

8:32 MISSED CALL

8:33 MISSED CALL

8:33 MISSED CALL

8:34 MISSED CALL

8:35 'Charlotte, what's happened? Are you alright?'

8:36 MISSED CALL

8:37 MISSED CALL

8:38 'Where have you gone? Please tell me you're alright!'

8:39 MISSED CALL

8:39 MISSED CALL

8:40 MISSED CALL

8:42 'Charlotte! Please say something! Myself and MRS Evans have searched all over the studio! Where are you?'

8:43 MISSED CALL

8:44 MISSED CALL

8:44 MISSED CALL

8:45 'Charlotte! Please call me!"

8:46 MISSED CALL

This is how it went on. By now it was nine-thirty and she'd already totalled nineteen missed calls and thirteen messages. As determined as that broad was at trying to get through to her daughter, that's how determined Charlie doll was not to reply. Well, I say 'determined', but it was more like 'depressed'. Like she wasn't going to return her mom's calls because she couldn't see the point. Well, if she wasn't going to budge an inch then I guess I had to do her dirty work for her.

I had to reply to one of these. I know I was still adjusting to these twenty-first century gizmo's but I wasn't that dumb, I could still read. I hit reply and it took me to a blank screen with her mom's message showing at the top and a set of letters at the bottom. Hey, I get it. It's just like a typewriter except without the ink.

Alright, now what do I put? I can't exactly tell this dame the truth, that her daughter's hiding out on the other side of town with one of these 'riff-raffs'. (I'll teach her to disrespect me with a name like that, just you wait). Nah, I had to tell a little lie. After all, I had to make sure I sounded just like Charlie and that's the kinda thing she'd do. She lies to her mom all the time.

'I'm alright, mother. I just needed some time to calm down. I'm staying at another hotel for the night. I'll see you in the morning.' That oughta do it.

I gotta say, I was impressed with myself. I managed to figure this thing out after all. Hey, I'm a crafty son-of-a-bitch, I gotta give myself a little credit here and there. But I didn't want to give myself all the credit, I wanted to give this doll a chance to come round a little.

I came over to the chaise and knelt down in front of her tired body. "Hey, Charlie doll?" I whispered. "Open your eyes a minute."

She sniffled before bringing her hands to her face and covering her eyes. And no, she wasn't trying to do the opposite of what I was asking, it looked to me like it was just another way of showing just how stressed out she was. She let loose another deep sigh before sliding her hands down just enough to reveal her sapphire eyes that sparkled with leftover tears.

Now that I had her attention I tried to talk some sense into her. "Now I know you don't feel like talkin' to ya momma right now. So I've done the talkin' for ya." I held up the screen and showed her my message, hopefully it wasn't too bright for her tired eyes. "But I kinda need your approval before I send this message on its way."

She nodded with her palms still planted on her face, covering up her nose and mouth. But I wasn't looking for just a simple nod here. "Your mom wants a message from you, Charlie doll. Not me."

I saw her start shaking her head as she took her hands away. "I can't." Her voice was so weak it didn't sound like her anymore.

"C'mon. I've taken you half way with this." I gave her a little extra encouragement. "All you gotta do now is push the button."

She closed her eyes again, I didn't know if she was thinking about it or just feeling tired still.

"C'mon, Charlie doll. If you don't push that button then this message ain't exactly from you." My persuasive methods don't usually fail me, but this time I wasn't sure if I'd get her to do it. "This way your momma can stop worryin' about cha and leave ya to sleep it off until tomorrow." Maybe telling her what was in it for her might change her mind, but those eyes were still shut tight. I played dumb. Maybe she'd co-operate if she thought that I wasn't smart enough to know how to send this thing. "C'mon. Y'all know I can't do this by myself. You ain't exactly taught me yet."

A few more seconds passed. I gave her a chance to let it all sink in and realise that this was her best option. Finally, after all my hard work, she reached out with her tiny hand and and tapped her finger on the screen.

"There. That wasn't so bad now, was it?" I flashed her a humorous smile after I put the phone back down on the table, but when I looked back I saw that her eyes were closed once again. Geez, this girl was pretty beat-up. I bet she'd lie there all night if she had her way. I guess I could let her have her way this time, it's not like anybody else would.

"Why don't cha bunk here tonight?" I was feeling generous, and what the heck, I liked having this doll around. Even if she wasn't exactly herself. And ya know what? The moment those words escaped my lips that sparkling blue made a swift return as my doll opened her eyes once more.

Now was a good time to show her my friendly smile. I'd only been trying to smile at her all night. "If you wanna turn in early then I'll follow on suite. That spell of yours is still alive and my bed is good enough for sleepin' in again." Everything got put back to a time before that leak, remember? Thanks to her magic my old bedroom and everything in it was dry as a bone.

Those eyes of hers, just a moment ago I thought I'd never get them to open, now they were staring at me.

"What's the matter, Charlie doll?" I stared right back.

"Why are you so kind to me?" She might have lost her angel voice, but her words were still sweet as sugar.

"You're my doll." I thought maybe I might earn a smile out of her this time, just a little one. But instead she just aimed her eyes away like she was disappointed or something. Maybe I oughta just let her rest. She'd be back to her old self again in the morning.

"I'll head on up." I took a step off the stage. "I got nothin' better to do down here. Not tonight, anyways." I started making my way down the hall. Gotta turn off the lights before turning in, and these lights ain't exactly the kind that rely on a switch. They're candles.

I looked back at the opposite wall and spotted a familiar silhouette. "Would y'all mind gettin' your ass down here and givin' me a hand?" I notice my Charlie doll lookin' all puzzled. "No, not you, sweetheart." I gestured over at the wall. "Him." I was of course referring to my shadowy sidekick.

I know embers don't have shadows, but that doesn't mean he can't blow them out. One by one, out they went and the hall was getting darker by the second. Pretty soon the only ones left would be the ones upstairs beyond the stage drapes. And of course the ones closest to the chaise, for obvious reasons I was leaving those until last.

I couldn't leave her sleeping down here without something to keep her warm, what kind of gentleman would I have been? I pulled out some disused drapes from behind the old dresser, disused because there were all torn up. I walked over to her and wrapped her up all nice and snug.

"You comfy, sweetheart?" I asked tenderly.

I would have prefered a smile, but I guess a nod would do. I knew she was trying to say thank you.

"Bonne nuit, Charlie doll." I whispered before blowing out the final candle and sneaking away in the darkness. "Sweet dreams."