Chapter 8

"Charlie...Charlieeee..." The words rung in Charlie's head. He was mostly asleep.

"Charlie! Charlieeeeeee!"Slowly, the words became clearer.

"Charlie! CHARLIE!!"

The last shout woke him up completely. He shot up out of his lying position and heard a laugh come from an all to familiar certain wake-up-at-four-in-the-morning- boyfriend of his.

"What? What is it, Banskie?" He glanced out the window of the room. "It's still dark!" He said, leaning back and closing his eyes.

"I know it's still dark, but we have to get going! Our next game starts in two days!"

Again, Charlie shot, but for good this time. He was and out of bed in a millisecond, running around shouted about "What happened to all my clothes!!"

Adam, sensing that this could be a danger to both of them, restrained him by holding his arms away from anything breakable.

"Charlie! Charlie, it's okay, I've already packed each of our clothes, all we have to do is drive, so let's go."

Charlie's face reddened.

"Sorry."

"For what?" Adam said once they were outside. He was trying furiously to find the key to his car under the huge pile of all the other keys, key-chains, and knick-knacks. He was scowling in concentration; the corners of his mouth turned down ever so slightly. Charlie got lost in him for a second; just the idea of Adam made Charlie have an involuntary shiver.

Charlie got lost in him for a second; just the idea of Adam made Charlie have an involuntary shiver. He was so glad that he'd finally expressed his feeling towards Banksie before it was too late.

"Charlie! What is it, is something wrong? What were you sorry about?"

"Oh! For, um, flying off the handle when you said what you said. I'm sorry about that."

"Oh." He said. "That's okay. I kinda freaked out, too, knowing that we only had a limited amount of time to get back."

They were now in the car with Adam driving.

"So...we're on the road again. What do you want to talk about?" Adam said.

Charlie responded immediately to this.

"What happened between you and the rest of the jerks on Varsity?"

Adam gave him a look the mixed shock, fear, and disgust all in one, and pulled the car over.

"I...do not...want to talk...about Varsity."

"Oh. Well, it's just, when I watched you, through all the times when I saw you with their team, You looked really depressed, Adam. How did they treat you?"

"Charlie, when I said I didn't want to talk about it, I meant it."

"Oh, Adam, you know me. I won't drop a subject if I feel strongly about it. And I feel strongly about this. Frightened, even. Adam, what happened?"

"Nothing. Nothing happened whatsoever between any of the Varsity players and me."

It sounded a lot like he'd been practicing that same line over and over again.

"You got it? Let's talk about something else, okay?" Adam said, his voice cold.

They started driving again.

They weren't ten minutes down the road when Charlie gasped.

"Oh, my god, Adam!! What happened to you?! Your shoulder..." He trailed off, glaring at the purple-ish-blue spot.

"Pull over."

"No." He protested.

"Adam! We need to talk about this! You are hurt, now pull...over!"

"We have to keep driving, or we'll miss the—"

But Charlie cut him off.

"I DON"T CARE ABOUT THE STUPID GAME! I CARE ABOUT YOU! PULL OVER!!"

This got Adam to reason. He pulled over at the convenience store just a few seconds up.

"Let's go." Charlie demanded as he himself got out of the car.

But Adam stayed put, both hands on the wheel, looking straight ahead.

"God, you're so stubborn. I have to look at that bruise, come on, get out, please!"

Adam sighed, but obeyed. That was one thing about Charlie. He could pursue anybody to do anything.

So he got out, and followed Charlie into the bathroom in the store.

"Take off your shirt." Charlie said.

Adam obeyed, slowly, however.

As he did pull it off, Charlie clamped a hand over his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut at the site that he saw.