I was still lying on the couch by the time Lilo came back with Stitch. Caitlin had me wrapped in one of those big hugs. She was lying right next to me. I was looking right into her eyes and kissing her when they walked in. I wasn't embarrassed- it's not like they had never walked in on me with a girl before, but Caitlin's face had turned a brighter pink than I'd ever seen on her before. "Umm... hey." She muttered.
Lilo giggled. I could see that smile creep across Stitch's face. The one that said, "Oooh... so that's what was happening!" Geez... it was nothing like THAT.
Before Caitlin's face got any brighter, I changed the subject. "So, how'd the experiment catching go?"
"Oh, it was fine. He's cutting off trails for the tourists now." Lilo said.
"I see that things here went... heh heh, smoothly." Stitch grinned.
I rolled my eyes as Caitlin blushed even more.
They both left the room, but not without another embarrassing grin from Stitch.
I sighed and leaned back on the couch. "He hates me."
"Who?" Caitlin asked.
"Stitch. Ever since I came here it's like he's wanted me to leave!"
"No he doesn't." Caitlin put her hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah, he does." I said.
Caitlin smiled and laid her head on my shoulder. "Awww, Charles..."
I grinned. I lifted her off the couch, one of my arms under her knees and the other behind her back. She looked at me, both shocked and smiling. We gave each other another kiss and then I carried her up to our room.
I walked downstairs to the kitchen late that night. I just wanted a quick midnight snack before bed.
I was walking past Angel and Stitch's room when I heard voices. Normally, I don't eavesdrop, but my super hearing had been unused until now. I had to make use of it one of these days!
"That kid..." Stitch grumbled.
"Stitch," Angel said. "I know he's a pup, but-"
"But what? He's a lazy little kid. He just sits on his ass and watches TV or drags girls home."
Angel sighed. "He's a PUP. What's he supposed to do?"
"I don't know. Maybe try and make something out of himself."
"Stitch, give him time. He'll get older, wiser-"
"HA!" Stitch laughed, "By the time I was his age I was hunting down experiments every other day with Lilo."
Angel glared. "Well he didn't start his life off in a prison cell or a dog pound."
"Ehh..." Stitch grumbled. "I took him in, gave him everything. He wouldn't have a home or family without me."
I wanted to walk away, but I just had to hear where this was going. I inched closer to the door.
Angel said quietly, "Give him a chance-"
"No!" Stitch said. "I'm sick of giving him chances. That kid's never going to do anything.
I heard Angel take a few steps closer to Stitch. I could tell she was trying to comfort him by now.
"That kid..." Stitch sighed. "Sometimes I wish I had never brought him back here..."
I pulled my ear away and ran upstairs crying. I know he was probably speaking out of stress, but... I still felt useless and unwanted. I laid next to Caitlin on our bed. She was already asleep.
I didn't have the dream again that night- thank God! I could hardly stand the fact that my family here hated me. I didn't want to be reminded that my REAL family didn't even know me. There was some sort of emptiness in me. I could ignore it, but The Siren Song would point it out over and over again. It was mocking the hole in my heart.
Caitlin had left that morning with some of her girl friends. It's not like I WANTED to stay here, but it was either that or walk around the mall with five girls. What would any guy pick?
I spent another morning sitting on the couch watching TV. I was alone for a couple hours until Lilo walked in.
"Hi Charles." She said, trying to sound perky.
I grumbled. "Hey."
"What's up?"
"Nuttin'."
I knew Lilo was one of the few people in this house that didn't hate my guts, but I really didn't want to talk to anyone right now.
She scratched me behind the ears. Damn... she knew my one weakness. I purred.
"Is something wrong, Charlie?" She asked.
"No." I lied. Lilo was big-mouth. If I told her that I was missing my parents, she would tell everyone.
"You seem lonely..." She said.
I felt bad. Lilo would probably understand- she had lost her parents. But she knew who they were. She could give them names and faces in her memories. I couldn't do that.
"I'm fine, Lilo." I said, trying to make it sound like I meant it.
She frowned. She knew I was lying. "You don't sound happy..."
I sighed. Stitch hated me and wanted me to leave. How could I explain that to her? I just dug my head into the couch. So what if I was being childish? I didn't feel much like being an adult right now.
Lilo patted the back of my head and walked away. I don't know if she understood or not, but I didn't really care.
Lilo giggled. I could see that smile creep across Stitch's face. The one that said, "Oooh... so that's what was happening!" Geez... it was nothing like THAT.
Before Caitlin's face got any brighter, I changed the subject. "So, how'd the experiment catching go?"
"Oh, it was fine. He's cutting off trails for the tourists now." Lilo said.
"I see that things here went... heh heh, smoothly." Stitch grinned.
I rolled my eyes as Caitlin blushed even more.
They both left the room, but not without another embarrassing grin from Stitch.
I sighed and leaned back on the couch. "He hates me."
"Who?" Caitlin asked.
"Stitch. Ever since I came here it's like he's wanted me to leave!"
"No he doesn't." Caitlin put her hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah, he does." I said.
Caitlin smiled and laid her head on my shoulder. "Awww, Charles..."
I grinned. I lifted her off the couch, one of my arms under her knees and the other behind her back. She looked at me, both shocked and smiling. We gave each other another kiss and then I carried her up to our room.
I walked downstairs to the kitchen late that night. I just wanted a quick midnight snack before bed.
I was walking past Angel and Stitch's room when I heard voices. Normally, I don't eavesdrop, but my super hearing had been unused until now. I had to make use of it one of these days!
"That kid..." Stitch grumbled.
"Stitch," Angel said. "I know he's a pup, but-"
"But what? He's a lazy little kid. He just sits on his ass and watches TV or drags girls home."
Angel sighed. "He's a PUP. What's he supposed to do?"
"I don't know. Maybe try and make something out of himself."
"Stitch, give him time. He'll get older, wiser-"
"HA!" Stitch laughed, "By the time I was his age I was hunting down experiments every other day with Lilo."
Angel glared. "Well he didn't start his life off in a prison cell or a dog pound."
"Ehh..." Stitch grumbled. "I took him in, gave him everything. He wouldn't have a home or family without me."
I wanted to walk away, but I just had to hear where this was going. I inched closer to the door.
Angel said quietly, "Give him a chance-"
"No!" Stitch said. "I'm sick of giving him chances. That kid's never going to do anything.
I heard Angel take a few steps closer to Stitch. I could tell she was trying to comfort him by now.
"That kid..." Stitch sighed. "Sometimes I wish I had never brought him back here..."
I pulled my ear away and ran upstairs crying. I know he was probably speaking out of stress, but... I still felt useless and unwanted. I laid next to Caitlin on our bed. She was already asleep.
I didn't have the dream again that night- thank God! I could hardly stand the fact that my family here hated me. I didn't want to be reminded that my REAL family didn't even know me. There was some sort of emptiness in me. I could ignore it, but The Siren Song would point it out over and over again. It was mocking the hole in my heart.
Caitlin had left that morning with some of her girl friends. It's not like I WANTED to stay here, but it was either that or walk around the mall with five girls. What would any guy pick?
I spent another morning sitting on the couch watching TV. I was alone for a couple hours until Lilo walked in.
"Hi Charles." She said, trying to sound perky.
I grumbled. "Hey."
"What's up?"
"Nuttin'."
I knew Lilo was one of the few people in this house that didn't hate my guts, but I really didn't want to talk to anyone right now.
She scratched me behind the ears. Damn... she knew my one weakness. I purred.
"Is something wrong, Charlie?" She asked.
"No." I lied. Lilo was big-mouth. If I told her that I was missing my parents, she would tell everyone.
"You seem lonely..." She said.
I felt bad. Lilo would probably understand- she had lost her parents. But she knew who they were. She could give them names and faces in her memories. I couldn't do that.
"I'm fine, Lilo." I said, trying to make it sound like I meant it.
She frowned. She knew I was lying. "You don't sound happy..."
I sighed. Stitch hated me and wanted me to leave. How could I explain that to her? I just dug my head into the couch. So what if I was being childish? I didn't feel much like being an adult right now.
Lilo patted the back of my head and walked away. I don't know if she understood or not, but I didn't really care.