Chapter 12:
Charlie was speechless. He did not know how to respond to her after what he just heard her say. So, he just sat there staring up at her from the ground. She was fighting back tears. He got the impression that she was not a sensitive person and has not cried very many times. She laid back on the iron bars and pulled the covers up over her head. Charlie moved to the bed and sat down beside her legs. She instinctively moved her legs up to her chest, they swayed and leaned against Charlie's side. She put her head in her lap face down.
"Oh, come on. Don't do that, you'll suffocate yourself. You do not have enough oxygen ...in there.." He put his hands on the side of her head and pulled upwards. She sat up and looked at him in the eyes. Her makeup had run. She had streaks of red tears falling down her cheeks. The black was smeared on her eyelids. Charlie moved his hand to her face, and wiped away a stray tear rolling off her cheek. He touched her cheek tenderly, as she had once done to him. She leaned her face into him, and closed her eyes.
Charlie's fingers had a mind of their own. They caressed her cheek without his knowledge, and when he realized what they were doing, he know that he did not want them to stop. Suddenly, Terra jumped up, as if his hands had burnt her. She looked over at her clock. "It is 5 a.m. We have school in the morning. You had better go. Charlie stood up. They were really close. Entirely too close thought Terra, but just right for Charlie. Charlie leaned in to kiss Terra, but at the last second she turned her head, so he kissed her cheek. When he came back up, he looked at her eyes and saw fear and pain.
"I will not hurt you, like those men did. I would never think of that. I like you. I would never hurt you." She turned her face away and would not meet his eyes. "Fine. See you tomorrow, at school. Bye." Charlie moved past her and slammed the door behind him.
Terra sank down to the floor and laid her head on the ground and beat the ground with her fists and started screaming with fury.
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Charlie heard screams from inside Terra's house, but they did not sound like terrified screams. He looked into the unlighted window. He did not know how long he stood there, staring at her window. Finally, the scrams stopped. He saw her walking out of her room, and flipped on the light switch tot he kitchen. She was wearing a tank-top and some drawstring pants that hung low on her waist. She had her long brown hair tied back in a bun and secured with two chopsticks. She had taken off her eye makeup and was sitting on the counter writing something. Charlie was mesmerized. He could not take his eyes off her. She was the most fascinating person he had ever met. He heard his watch beep. It was 6 o'clock. He walked home and opened the door to his apartment building. When he went into his apartment, his mom was up and about. She heard the front door opening and turned around. "Charlie! What are you doing up? I thought you were still in bed."
"I couldn't sleep. Went for a walk. Sorry." His mom looked worried, them nodded and hugged him. Charlie trudged back to his room and looked t it. There was the finished homework, which was a change, and the makeshift pallet. His covers were knotted and in a tangle, much like his own every morning. And then there was her coat and shoes. He had forgotten that he left them here. He should take them to school tomorrow and give them back to her. But, then people would talk and he was sure that she did not need that. He was a little tired, but most of all he was frustrated with himself for hurting Terra like that, especially after what had happened to her.