"So how'd you get sick again?" Charlie asked Cinder as she sneezed
into the phone. She mouthed 'ew' as she wiped it off.
"I went surfing on my new board this weekend. And it was probably not my brightest idea," she answered.
"Well obviously. I was really hoping to spend tonite together," he whined.
"Charlie, it's Christmas Eve, don't you think I should be spending it with my family?" she asked.
"It's a nite to spend with the ones you love. And you love me, right?" he asked.
"Oh Charlie, that's not fair and you know it," she replied taking a sip of hot cocoa.
"I get the feeling you just don't want to be with me," he said softly.
"I'm so sick!" she exclaimed, her voice breaking a bit.
"Alright, fine. I'm sorry I couldn't be the man you want." She knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to trick her into going over there and have sex with him or at the very least a blow job. She took in a deep breath through her mouth and began to cough. Lizzie walked in her room and smiled at her sick cousin. Cinder looked up at her sadly and shook her head. Lizzie noticed she was missing something. The Copeland sparkle. Her eyes weren't the bright blue they normally were, but a cold steely gray. She thought for a second she could see tears in the corner of her eyes. Lizzie sat on the bed next to Cinder.
"Alright, Charlie. But one hour. No longer than that, okay?" Cinder replied giving in.
"I'll take it!" he laughed. "Hurry and get over here." She didn't even get the chance to say bye before he hung up. She set her phone down on the base and sighed.
"Cinder, you're not goin over there. You look like crap," Lizzie said truthfully.
"Thank you very much. That's so nice of you to say," Cinder replied sarcastically. "I'll only be gone an hour."
"You shouldn't be leavin at all!" Lizzie argued.
"I know and I don't want to go over there."
"Then don't. Why'd you give in?!"
"Because I hate listening to him whine. And it's just easier to give in. Cause then I don't have to hear about it forever." They laughed which caused Cinder to cough badly.
"That doesn't sound good Cin. You should just stay home and rest like Aunt Leeann and Adam advised you to do," Lizzie said rubbing Cinder's arm.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Cinder insisted.
"This is just a booty call isn't it?" Lizzie questioned already knowing the answer.
"Yes, it is."
"You've been there pretty much everyday for the past week. This is why you're so sick today!"
"No, I went surfing in 20 degree weather. That's why I'm sick today."
"That was Saturday. Almost a week ago. You started with like the sniffles and it's just gotten worse cause you've been with Charlie."
"Lizzie, just be my best friend and my cousin and tell Adam when he gets home from work that I went to Amy's to give her back her scarf. I don't know. Make up something?"
"Alright, but don't be any longer than an hour. And call me when you get there? Cause it's really crappy out," Lizzie worried.
"Alright, I will," Cinder smiled weakly at her.
"Ya know, I don't like Charlie. Hell, no one likes Charlie. I have a really bad feeling about him," Lizzie said.
"He's a good guy, ya'll just don't know him like I do," Cinder replied.
"I'm just worried and trying to look out for you. I love you cuz," Lizzie smiled.
"Love ya too!" Cinder responded, making faces at her. "Now what should I wear?"
"Why not just go in what you're wearing? Show him that you're truly sick?" Lizzie answered.
"Wear my sweatshirt and lounge pants?!" Cinder exclaimed standing up.
"Well, assuming it is a booty call, like we all know it is, then you won't be wearing them for long," Lizzie laughed. Cinder rolled her eyes but agreed.
"Thank you Lizzie. I owe you," Cinder said hugging her before grabbing her car keys.
"Yay, you owe me more!" she smiled watching Cinder leave.
As she drove to Charlie's, she started to really regret that she had said yes, just because of the road conditions. Once she got there she walked into the house and greeted his father and mother before walking slowly up to his room. She knocked and waited for him to answer. When he did, he smiled at first, but looked down at her and shook his head.
"You could have at least gotten dressed," he said angrily pulling her into his room.
"Does this prove to you how sick I am?!" she yelled.
"If you couldn't have been bothered to get dressed for me than you should have just stayed home," he glared at her.
"I would have loved to have stayed home but you whining at me to come over kinda got on my last nerve!" she argued.
"Don't raise your voice at me!" he yelled back.
"Whatever. If you don't want me here, then I'll leave."
"No, stay, maybe you being so weak will make you better in bed," he grinned.
"You know what? You're a bastard and I'm leaving!" she yelled storming towards his door. He grabbed right onto her arm tightly, so tight it brought tears to her eyes.
"What'd you just say to me?!" he growled in her face.
"Charlie, please just let me go," she begged.
"What'd you say to me?" he repeated.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, seriously," she cried.
"You called me a bastard?!" he yelled.
"Yes, but you know I didn't mean it!" she repeated. He threw her arm down and she rubbed it gently as it throbbed with pain.
"You better not have. Now leave, you sick bitch," he growled pushing her out of his room. He slammed the door shut behind her and she ran down the stairs.
"Is everything alright, Cinder?" Mrs. Haas asked.
"Um, yeah, everything's fine. I was just leaving," Cinder said forcing a smile.
"But you just got here," she said.
"I know, I wasn't planning on staying long anyways. I've got this horrible cold and it's Christmas Eve," Cinder replied moving towards the door.
"Well, have a Merry Christmas dear, and get better soon."
His mother was sweet, the complete opposite of himself. Cinder didn't quite understand how she could have spawned something that bad. But Cinder loved him, right, she loved him. She got back in her car and slowly made her way home. She threw her keys on the table by the door and trudged up the stairs to her room. She pulled her sweatshirt off and saw that a dark bruise in the shape of Charlie's hand had formed on her arm. She moved her hand over it gently, cringing with every touch.
"Well, you're back soon. Quicky?" Lizzie joked as she walked into the bedroom with Shannon by her side. Cinder jumped at her voice and tried to quickly cover the bruise.
"Um, yeah, something like that," Cinder answered.
"What's that on your arm?" Shannon asked moving closer to Cinder. She moved away, trying to pull her sweatshirt over her head.
"Nothing," Cinder said too quickly.
"No, that's something," Shannon argued grabbing her arm. For some reason she expected him to be rough, but he was as gentle as could be. He looked over the bruise and shook his head. Lizzie put her hand over her mouth as a growl was let loose.
"What the fuck?! Cinder, did he fuckin do that?!" Lizzie yelled.
"Lizzie, calm down," Shannon ordered. Calmly he asked, "Cinder, did he hurt you?"
"No, everything is fine, I just ran into a doorknob," Cinder answered with a smile.
"No, you're lying. That's a hand print. A bad one," Shannon said.
"I'm gonna kill him!" Lizzie yelled.
"NO!" Cinder screamed almost deafening them.
"Cinder, he has no right to do this to you!" Shannon said, his voice raising with anger.
"He didn't do it on purpose! He wouldn't intentionally hurt me!" she argued.
"He shouldn't be hurting you at all! Intentionally or otherwise!" Lizzie said.
"He loves me! He wouldn't hurt me! I know him!" Cinder said sitting down on her bed bringing her knees up to her chin.
"Oh and I suppose you're not gonna break up with him right? Cause you love him, right?" Lizzie questioned.
"Yes, I love him," Cinder said answering the question, although as she was answering she wasn't quite too sure herself.
"That's not love," Shannon said shaking his head and leaving the room. Lizzie just sighed and followed her boyfriend.
"I do love him. He loves me. He's not meaning to hurt me. I know he's not," Cinder spoke to herself as she crawled into her bed.
***************
"Mr. Hardy, dinner was great!" Adam said with a smile as he and Matt stood from the table in the Hardy house to put their plates in the kitchen.
"Good job at lying man," Matt whispered to him.
"What the hell was that stuff?!" Adam asked quietly.
"Well, he told us it was lasagna, but I don't truly believe it," Jeff laughed as he walked in fallowed by Cinder and Lizzie. They both laughed at his comment and placed the plates in the sink. "So, C, how's everything with Charlie?"
"Fuckin asshole," Adam muttered as he walked ahead of the others into the living room.
"Whoa, is he a little pissed or what?" Matt asked.
"He doesn't approve of me and Charlie. No biggie. He just will have to get over it," Cinder smiled sounding like she was almost totally over her cold.
"So, has um, has he done anything to you?" Jeff whispered to her, grabbing her bruised arm gently. She cringed at his touch and he tilted his head in concern. "Cinder, what happened?" The sneaked into his room and sat on his bed. She pulled her sweatshirt off and stuck out her arm. "What the hell is that?!"
"His hand," she replied putting the shirt back on. "Things got heated Christmas Eve."
"In a sexual way?" Jeff questioned. She shook her head in response. "Oh Cinder, it's only what? A week into the relationship and he's already hurting you?! Wait, you were sick that nite. Like really badly. You couldn't even talk to me on the phone. How'd you see him?"
"He was begging me to go over there and spend the nite with him. Tried making me feel bad and everything. So I gave in cause I knew in the long run I'd never hear the end of it. So I went over there and he got pissed at me for showing up in lounge pants and a sweatshirt. So I called him a bastard as I was leaving and he grabbed my arm and pulled me back. He yelled at me and told me to leave. So now I have this bruise to show for my troubles," she explained walking over to the window. She crossed her arms and looked out at the snow softly falling on the ground.
"You need to get out of this relationship," he stated.
"No, I don't need to do anything," she snapped turning to him. "Jeff, don't give me lectures. I just need you as a friend. A friend that won't mention any of this to anyone else."
"So, what are you gonna do? Wear long sleeves for the rest of your life?!" Jeff yelled.
"No, I know this won't happen again!" she insisted.
"Cinder, he's abusing you physically! And I know he's mentally abusive! You fuckin risked your life to go see him out in that snow storm for one thing, and he fuckin yells at you for the clothes you were wearing! That's not right!"
"Forget it Jeff! If you don't want to be the friend I need to lean on, then forget it all. You won't have to worry about another one of my problems!" she yelled storming towards the door.
"NO!" he yelled. She turned around to him, her face set in a scowl. "No, please. Tell me. I want to know. I don't want you to feel like you can't tell someone about this. So please, I'm there for you."
"Thank you," she said softly hugging him. She walked out the door, but Jeff didn't follow. He grabbed a pencil and his pad of paper and went to work.
****************
School had started up again the day after New Years. Cinder had gotten into more confrontations with Charlie. She had many bruises to show from it, but only Jeff knew about them, although she was almost certain that Lizzie suspected something. She wanted to tell Adam what was going on, but after that fight they had the nite of the formal, she knew he didn't want anything to do with her shit, he had after all told her not to come crying to him, so she pretty much stayed clear of him.
She walked into the school laughing with Amy, although she knew that the rest of the week would be nothing but studying for mid-terms the next week. She was worried. Geometry was going fine until the break up with Shane. Since then she'd been going down hill and feared she may fail for the semester. She had decided that Matt would have to come over and help her every nite until the mid-term.
"So, when tonite should I come over?" Matt asked meeting the two girls in the hall. He placed his arm around Amy's shoulders and smiled at Cinder.
"Oh whenever. It's totally up to you," she smiled back as arms wrapped around her waist. "Charlie."
"Hey baby," he grinned placing his lips roughly on hers. She pulled back placing her hands on his chest. He studied her, his eyes running up and down her body, almost making her feel dirty. She had on a long sleeved Amy Brown fairy shirt and black cargos. Her hair was pulled back into a clip, leaving a couple chunks free to form around her face. He reached up and grabbed a chunk. She took a deep breath in anticipation for what he might do, fearing he'd yank on her hair. He shook his head and put his hand in his back pocket. "When the hell is that shit gonna come out of your hair?"
"It's fading slowly. Should be gone sometime soon. I mean, my roots are totally visible. Shouldn't be much longer," she replied.
"Well, I don't want to ever see it like that again. Leave it blonde," he ordered.
"I think it looks good colored," Amy stuck up for her friend.
"And did I ask you?" he snapped.
"Charlie, shut your mouth and leave my girlfriend alone," Matt said sternly.
"Tell your little girlfriend to stay out of our business," Charlie replied.
"His girlfriend is best friends with yours. So I will be in her business as long as we're friends, got me?!" Amy growled as she threw her hands on her hips. She stared at Charlie with a death glare.
"Come on Cinder," Charlie said taking her hand and pulling her down the hall with him. "From this day forward you aren't to be friends with Miss Amy Dumas anymore."
"Are you ordering me to leave my friends?!" Cinder exclaimed.
"Just that bitch," he replied calmly.
"No," Cinder stated ripping her hand out of his grasp and walking down the hall ahead of him.
"Cinder, you okay?" Trish asked as Cinder stopped at her locker quickly.
"Not really, I'm just trying to get to my class as fast as possible right now. Before Charlie catches up with me," Cinder rushed. Trish stared at her and watched as she ran down the hall.
"Whoa, stop C," Lizzie said grabbing Cinder's hand as she started to run past her. "Where's the fire?"
"No where's. Just tryin to get to class before I'm late," Cinder replied.
"Class doesn't start for another 10 minutes," Shannon laughed.
"What's the matter?" Lizzie asked softly so that Shannon wouldn't hear.
"Nothing, Charlie just demanded that I stop bein friends with Amy. Everything's fine," Cinder smiled. "I gotta get to class. See you guys!" She took off again and ducked into her class ahead of Chris and Rob.
"Do you get the feeling that she's afraid of him?" Lizzie asked Shannon as they walked down the hall hand in hand.
"Just a slight one," Shannon smiled. "But I'm sure everything's fine."
"I don't know. There's definitely something not right about this," she said seeing Charlie stop to talk to Kurt Angle and Shelton Benjamin. "I'll be right back." She kissed Shannon's cheek and ran off to the group of guys.
"Well, if it isn't little miss Lizzie," Charlie laughed. "What can we do for you?"
"You can stop ordering my cousin around for one thing," Lizzie answered.
"Well, you must have missed something because I'm not ordering her around," he shook his head smiling at her. Kurt and Shelton left the two by themselves.
"Bull shit! You're a fuckin asshole, ya know that?! I saw what you did to her arm Christmas Eve. Where do you get off doing something like that?!" Lizzie yelled pushing him into an empty classroom.
"It's none of your business what I do," Charlie said.
"It is when it's affecting Cinder. She's like a sister to me and if you hurt her anymore, I'll kick your ass!" Lizzie threatened.
"Oh, like I'm going to let some little junior threaten me. Go to class little girl," he said trying to side step her. She grabbed a ruler off the blackboard and nailed the wall in front of him with it.
"Don't call me little girl," she snapped at him holding the ruler at him as if he were being held at gun point.
"You really don't want to mess with me, Lizzie," he said pushing her off to the side.
She gave a little laugh and whacked him in the back with the ruler. He turned at attention to her and rubbed his back gingerly. "Don't mess with who?" she questioned dropping the ruler and walking back into the hallway. "Oh Charlie, if I hear that you're hurting my cousin again, you'll get more than just a ruler to the back." She smirked at him and grabbed Shannon's arm as they walked off down the hall together happily.
"I went surfing on my new board this weekend. And it was probably not my brightest idea," she answered.
"Well obviously. I was really hoping to spend tonite together," he whined.
"Charlie, it's Christmas Eve, don't you think I should be spending it with my family?" she asked.
"It's a nite to spend with the ones you love. And you love me, right?" he asked.
"Oh Charlie, that's not fair and you know it," she replied taking a sip of hot cocoa.
"I get the feeling you just don't want to be with me," he said softly.
"I'm so sick!" she exclaimed, her voice breaking a bit.
"Alright, fine. I'm sorry I couldn't be the man you want." She knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to trick her into going over there and have sex with him or at the very least a blow job. She took in a deep breath through her mouth and began to cough. Lizzie walked in her room and smiled at her sick cousin. Cinder looked up at her sadly and shook her head. Lizzie noticed she was missing something. The Copeland sparkle. Her eyes weren't the bright blue they normally were, but a cold steely gray. She thought for a second she could see tears in the corner of her eyes. Lizzie sat on the bed next to Cinder.
"Alright, Charlie. But one hour. No longer than that, okay?" Cinder replied giving in.
"I'll take it!" he laughed. "Hurry and get over here." She didn't even get the chance to say bye before he hung up. She set her phone down on the base and sighed.
"Cinder, you're not goin over there. You look like crap," Lizzie said truthfully.
"Thank you very much. That's so nice of you to say," Cinder replied sarcastically. "I'll only be gone an hour."
"You shouldn't be leavin at all!" Lizzie argued.
"I know and I don't want to go over there."
"Then don't. Why'd you give in?!"
"Because I hate listening to him whine. And it's just easier to give in. Cause then I don't have to hear about it forever." They laughed which caused Cinder to cough badly.
"That doesn't sound good Cin. You should just stay home and rest like Aunt Leeann and Adam advised you to do," Lizzie said rubbing Cinder's arm.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Cinder insisted.
"This is just a booty call isn't it?" Lizzie questioned already knowing the answer.
"Yes, it is."
"You've been there pretty much everyday for the past week. This is why you're so sick today!"
"No, I went surfing in 20 degree weather. That's why I'm sick today."
"That was Saturday. Almost a week ago. You started with like the sniffles and it's just gotten worse cause you've been with Charlie."
"Lizzie, just be my best friend and my cousin and tell Adam when he gets home from work that I went to Amy's to give her back her scarf. I don't know. Make up something?"
"Alright, but don't be any longer than an hour. And call me when you get there? Cause it's really crappy out," Lizzie worried.
"Alright, I will," Cinder smiled weakly at her.
"Ya know, I don't like Charlie. Hell, no one likes Charlie. I have a really bad feeling about him," Lizzie said.
"He's a good guy, ya'll just don't know him like I do," Cinder replied.
"I'm just worried and trying to look out for you. I love you cuz," Lizzie smiled.
"Love ya too!" Cinder responded, making faces at her. "Now what should I wear?"
"Why not just go in what you're wearing? Show him that you're truly sick?" Lizzie answered.
"Wear my sweatshirt and lounge pants?!" Cinder exclaimed standing up.
"Well, assuming it is a booty call, like we all know it is, then you won't be wearing them for long," Lizzie laughed. Cinder rolled her eyes but agreed.
"Thank you Lizzie. I owe you," Cinder said hugging her before grabbing her car keys.
"Yay, you owe me more!" she smiled watching Cinder leave.
As she drove to Charlie's, she started to really regret that she had said yes, just because of the road conditions. Once she got there she walked into the house and greeted his father and mother before walking slowly up to his room. She knocked and waited for him to answer. When he did, he smiled at first, but looked down at her and shook his head.
"You could have at least gotten dressed," he said angrily pulling her into his room.
"Does this prove to you how sick I am?!" she yelled.
"If you couldn't have been bothered to get dressed for me than you should have just stayed home," he glared at her.
"I would have loved to have stayed home but you whining at me to come over kinda got on my last nerve!" she argued.
"Don't raise your voice at me!" he yelled back.
"Whatever. If you don't want me here, then I'll leave."
"No, stay, maybe you being so weak will make you better in bed," he grinned.
"You know what? You're a bastard and I'm leaving!" she yelled storming towards his door. He grabbed right onto her arm tightly, so tight it brought tears to her eyes.
"What'd you just say to me?!" he growled in her face.
"Charlie, please just let me go," she begged.
"What'd you say to me?" he repeated.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, seriously," she cried.
"You called me a bastard?!" he yelled.
"Yes, but you know I didn't mean it!" she repeated. He threw her arm down and she rubbed it gently as it throbbed with pain.
"You better not have. Now leave, you sick bitch," he growled pushing her out of his room. He slammed the door shut behind her and she ran down the stairs.
"Is everything alright, Cinder?" Mrs. Haas asked.
"Um, yeah, everything's fine. I was just leaving," Cinder said forcing a smile.
"But you just got here," she said.
"I know, I wasn't planning on staying long anyways. I've got this horrible cold and it's Christmas Eve," Cinder replied moving towards the door.
"Well, have a Merry Christmas dear, and get better soon."
His mother was sweet, the complete opposite of himself. Cinder didn't quite understand how she could have spawned something that bad. But Cinder loved him, right, she loved him. She got back in her car and slowly made her way home. She threw her keys on the table by the door and trudged up the stairs to her room. She pulled her sweatshirt off and saw that a dark bruise in the shape of Charlie's hand had formed on her arm. She moved her hand over it gently, cringing with every touch.
"Well, you're back soon. Quicky?" Lizzie joked as she walked into the bedroom with Shannon by her side. Cinder jumped at her voice and tried to quickly cover the bruise.
"Um, yeah, something like that," Cinder answered.
"What's that on your arm?" Shannon asked moving closer to Cinder. She moved away, trying to pull her sweatshirt over her head.
"Nothing," Cinder said too quickly.
"No, that's something," Shannon argued grabbing her arm. For some reason she expected him to be rough, but he was as gentle as could be. He looked over the bruise and shook his head. Lizzie put her hand over her mouth as a growl was let loose.
"What the fuck?! Cinder, did he fuckin do that?!" Lizzie yelled.
"Lizzie, calm down," Shannon ordered. Calmly he asked, "Cinder, did he hurt you?"
"No, everything is fine, I just ran into a doorknob," Cinder answered with a smile.
"No, you're lying. That's a hand print. A bad one," Shannon said.
"I'm gonna kill him!" Lizzie yelled.
"NO!" Cinder screamed almost deafening them.
"Cinder, he has no right to do this to you!" Shannon said, his voice raising with anger.
"He didn't do it on purpose! He wouldn't intentionally hurt me!" she argued.
"He shouldn't be hurting you at all! Intentionally or otherwise!" Lizzie said.
"He loves me! He wouldn't hurt me! I know him!" Cinder said sitting down on her bed bringing her knees up to her chin.
"Oh and I suppose you're not gonna break up with him right? Cause you love him, right?" Lizzie questioned.
"Yes, I love him," Cinder said answering the question, although as she was answering she wasn't quite too sure herself.
"That's not love," Shannon said shaking his head and leaving the room. Lizzie just sighed and followed her boyfriend.
"I do love him. He loves me. He's not meaning to hurt me. I know he's not," Cinder spoke to herself as she crawled into her bed.
***************
"Mr. Hardy, dinner was great!" Adam said with a smile as he and Matt stood from the table in the Hardy house to put their plates in the kitchen.
"Good job at lying man," Matt whispered to him.
"What the hell was that stuff?!" Adam asked quietly.
"Well, he told us it was lasagna, but I don't truly believe it," Jeff laughed as he walked in fallowed by Cinder and Lizzie. They both laughed at his comment and placed the plates in the sink. "So, C, how's everything with Charlie?"
"Fuckin asshole," Adam muttered as he walked ahead of the others into the living room.
"Whoa, is he a little pissed or what?" Matt asked.
"He doesn't approve of me and Charlie. No biggie. He just will have to get over it," Cinder smiled sounding like she was almost totally over her cold.
"So, has um, has he done anything to you?" Jeff whispered to her, grabbing her bruised arm gently. She cringed at his touch and he tilted his head in concern. "Cinder, what happened?" The sneaked into his room and sat on his bed. She pulled her sweatshirt off and stuck out her arm. "What the hell is that?!"
"His hand," she replied putting the shirt back on. "Things got heated Christmas Eve."
"In a sexual way?" Jeff questioned. She shook her head in response. "Oh Cinder, it's only what? A week into the relationship and he's already hurting you?! Wait, you were sick that nite. Like really badly. You couldn't even talk to me on the phone. How'd you see him?"
"He was begging me to go over there and spend the nite with him. Tried making me feel bad and everything. So I gave in cause I knew in the long run I'd never hear the end of it. So I went over there and he got pissed at me for showing up in lounge pants and a sweatshirt. So I called him a bastard as I was leaving and he grabbed my arm and pulled me back. He yelled at me and told me to leave. So now I have this bruise to show for my troubles," she explained walking over to the window. She crossed her arms and looked out at the snow softly falling on the ground.
"You need to get out of this relationship," he stated.
"No, I don't need to do anything," she snapped turning to him. "Jeff, don't give me lectures. I just need you as a friend. A friend that won't mention any of this to anyone else."
"So, what are you gonna do? Wear long sleeves for the rest of your life?!" Jeff yelled.
"No, I know this won't happen again!" she insisted.
"Cinder, he's abusing you physically! And I know he's mentally abusive! You fuckin risked your life to go see him out in that snow storm for one thing, and he fuckin yells at you for the clothes you were wearing! That's not right!"
"Forget it Jeff! If you don't want to be the friend I need to lean on, then forget it all. You won't have to worry about another one of my problems!" she yelled storming towards the door.
"NO!" he yelled. She turned around to him, her face set in a scowl. "No, please. Tell me. I want to know. I don't want you to feel like you can't tell someone about this. So please, I'm there for you."
"Thank you," she said softly hugging him. She walked out the door, but Jeff didn't follow. He grabbed a pencil and his pad of paper and went to work.
****************
School had started up again the day after New Years. Cinder had gotten into more confrontations with Charlie. She had many bruises to show from it, but only Jeff knew about them, although she was almost certain that Lizzie suspected something. She wanted to tell Adam what was going on, but after that fight they had the nite of the formal, she knew he didn't want anything to do with her shit, he had after all told her not to come crying to him, so she pretty much stayed clear of him.
She walked into the school laughing with Amy, although she knew that the rest of the week would be nothing but studying for mid-terms the next week. She was worried. Geometry was going fine until the break up with Shane. Since then she'd been going down hill and feared she may fail for the semester. She had decided that Matt would have to come over and help her every nite until the mid-term.
"So, when tonite should I come over?" Matt asked meeting the two girls in the hall. He placed his arm around Amy's shoulders and smiled at Cinder.
"Oh whenever. It's totally up to you," she smiled back as arms wrapped around her waist. "Charlie."
"Hey baby," he grinned placing his lips roughly on hers. She pulled back placing her hands on his chest. He studied her, his eyes running up and down her body, almost making her feel dirty. She had on a long sleeved Amy Brown fairy shirt and black cargos. Her hair was pulled back into a clip, leaving a couple chunks free to form around her face. He reached up and grabbed a chunk. She took a deep breath in anticipation for what he might do, fearing he'd yank on her hair. He shook his head and put his hand in his back pocket. "When the hell is that shit gonna come out of your hair?"
"It's fading slowly. Should be gone sometime soon. I mean, my roots are totally visible. Shouldn't be much longer," she replied.
"Well, I don't want to ever see it like that again. Leave it blonde," he ordered.
"I think it looks good colored," Amy stuck up for her friend.
"And did I ask you?" he snapped.
"Charlie, shut your mouth and leave my girlfriend alone," Matt said sternly.
"Tell your little girlfriend to stay out of our business," Charlie replied.
"His girlfriend is best friends with yours. So I will be in her business as long as we're friends, got me?!" Amy growled as she threw her hands on her hips. She stared at Charlie with a death glare.
"Come on Cinder," Charlie said taking her hand and pulling her down the hall with him. "From this day forward you aren't to be friends with Miss Amy Dumas anymore."
"Are you ordering me to leave my friends?!" Cinder exclaimed.
"Just that bitch," he replied calmly.
"No," Cinder stated ripping her hand out of his grasp and walking down the hall ahead of him.
"Cinder, you okay?" Trish asked as Cinder stopped at her locker quickly.
"Not really, I'm just trying to get to my class as fast as possible right now. Before Charlie catches up with me," Cinder rushed. Trish stared at her and watched as she ran down the hall.
"Whoa, stop C," Lizzie said grabbing Cinder's hand as she started to run past her. "Where's the fire?"
"No where's. Just tryin to get to class before I'm late," Cinder replied.
"Class doesn't start for another 10 minutes," Shannon laughed.
"What's the matter?" Lizzie asked softly so that Shannon wouldn't hear.
"Nothing, Charlie just demanded that I stop bein friends with Amy. Everything's fine," Cinder smiled. "I gotta get to class. See you guys!" She took off again and ducked into her class ahead of Chris and Rob.
"Do you get the feeling that she's afraid of him?" Lizzie asked Shannon as they walked down the hall hand in hand.
"Just a slight one," Shannon smiled. "But I'm sure everything's fine."
"I don't know. There's definitely something not right about this," she said seeing Charlie stop to talk to Kurt Angle and Shelton Benjamin. "I'll be right back." She kissed Shannon's cheek and ran off to the group of guys.
"Well, if it isn't little miss Lizzie," Charlie laughed. "What can we do for you?"
"You can stop ordering my cousin around for one thing," Lizzie answered.
"Well, you must have missed something because I'm not ordering her around," he shook his head smiling at her. Kurt and Shelton left the two by themselves.
"Bull shit! You're a fuckin asshole, ya know that?! I saw what you did to her arm Christmas Eve. Where do you get off doing something like that?!" Lizzie yelled pushing him into an empty classroom.
"It's none of your business what I do," Charlie said.
"It is when it's affecting Cinder. She's like a sister to me and if you hurt her anymore, I'll kick your ass!" Lizzie threatened.
"Oh, like I'm going to let some little junior threaten me. Go to class little girl," he said trying to side step her. She grabbed a ruler off the blackboard and nailed the wall in front of him with it.
"Don't call me little girl," she snapped at him holding the ruler at him as if he were being held at gun point.
"You really don't want to mess with me, Lizzie," he said pushing her off to the side.
She gave a little laugh and whacked him in the back with the ruler. He turned at attention to her and rubbed his back gingerly. "Don't mess with who?" she questioned dropping the ruler and walking back into the hallway. "Oh Charlie, if I hear that you're hurting my cousin again, you'll get more than just a ruler to the back." She smirked at him and grabbed Shannon's arm as they walked off down the hall together happily.