The High Life
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Well another day, another chapter.
Hope you like it. Please review.
You know the drill, I don't own any characters you recognise
Chapter 9: The Sound of Life
It had been one long night for Charlie. She had been locked up in a white padded room at the local hospital for what seemed like a decade. She was being released today. She didn't know if that was good news or bad. She knew that when she got back to Horizon, everyone was going to be asking why? And although she could just yell and tell the others to mind there own business, she knew that Damien wouldn't be that easy.
"Hey". In a quick second her thoughts co-insided with her reality and she was back, staring at Damien in the doorway.
"Hey", she said cautiously as he came in and sat down in the chair next to her bed.
"How ya doin?", he asked her. "You doing ok?"
"eh, nothing a rooftop and an AK-47 wont fix", she joked. He just looked at her disappointedly. "Bad joke, sorry".
"Why do you do that?" he asked suddenly annoyed.
"Do what?"
"You just, you go out of your way to… avoid your feelings", Damien struggled to find the words he wanted to say. "You use jokes and sarcasm…"
"It works doesn't it?" Charlie tried to avoid telling him the truth.
"You wouldn't be here if it did", Damien said blandly. Charlie was quickly getting agitated. "Look, I don't know why you do what you do but its obviously not helping. I've had to deal with some crap to, but you don't see me acting like nothings..".
"Look, I'm not you ok?" Charlie interrupted him, "I know I've got problems, I know that how I act probably isn't the way to deal with it, but that's me, ok? I don't know what else to do."
Damien sits back in his chair with nothing more to say.
"Ok".
She looks at him as he watches life go by through the hospital window.
"So, where are the other schmucks", she changed the subject.
"Outside waiting. They were worried about you", he told her.
"Yeah right", she scoffed, "They've been waiting for some sort of entertainment for weeks. Guess they finally got it".
"Yeah, I guess", Damien said.
"Hey, um, I'm kinda tired, do you mind if I just…"
"Yeah, yeah, sure", Damien stood up ready to leave. "Peter's sending us back soon, so we'll probably be gone when you wake up".
"Oh, well I guess I'll see ya tomorrow when I get back then", Charlie said hopefully.
"Yeah, course", Damien said. He bent down and kissed her on her forehead. "See ya".
"Bye", she said as he walked out.
"She ok?" Peter asked as Damien stepped out into the waiting room.
"Yeah, yeah, she's tired, she wanted to sleep for a bit", Damien replied.
"Ok, I'll go in for a minute, then we're leaving, you ready?"
"Yep".
"Ok, go tell the others", Peter said.
"Knock, knock", Peter said a she walked in to Charlie's hospital room.
"Peter, didn't Damien tell you, I…"
"Yeah, this wont take long", Peter interrupted. "Charlie, This isn't easy for me to say. Peter hesitated a little longer then just decided to come out with it. "Charlie, I'm sending you to juvie".
"What!?" Charlie was surprised. "Peter, I don't belong in juvie, look at me do I look like I belong in juvie".
"You've breached to many rules here. This is a sanctuary for kids who want to recover and from what I've seen I don't think you do", Peter explained.
"But Peter, I…" Charlie panicked.
"No, Charlie, I'm sorry, I'm just, I'm at the end of my rope", Peter told her. With nothing left to say, Peter left while Charlie was left to cry. She had no one to blame but herself. Peter was right. He'd given her so many chances and still she did everything she was told not to.
The next morning the Cliffhangers got up early so they could welcome Charlie back. None of them knew that as soon as she came back, she would be leaving again. Binna and damien were in the cafeteria first and were already busy feeding their faces
"Can you keep a secret", Binna said to Damien.
"Only until I meet another person", Damien joked.
"Ok, good enough. I think I like Kat" Binna said without hesitation.
"Well, that's good, I'm glad for you, I like her too", Damien said. "No, I mean I really like her", Binna said.
"Oh, uh…well, ask her out", Damien wasn't helping much.
"To where, the five star restaurant that's secretly hidden right outside of our dorm?" Binna joked.
"I don't know, why are you telling me this?, Damien asked. "I'm not exactly Chachi".
"Well, if I tell Patrick, he'll probably laugh then point and tell me what a loser I am, Ryder's a moron and Ezra's…well, Ezra", Binna explained.
"So, what am I, your teenage shrink?
"No, but, you know, your…", Binna stopped and tried to level with him. "Look, girls love you ok, your like one of those sensitive new age guys there always talking about…"
"You think I'm a snag", Damien teased.
"Don't joke, I need help," Binna told him.
"I'm sorry, I'm just so… delighted that you think I'm a snag", Damien laughed.
"Forget it, I knew I should've talked to one of the girls", Binna left the table to get some food.
"Hey, how about telling Kat. That'd work", Damien yelled after him still enjoying Binna's embarrassment.
"Dillhole," Binna joked yelling back.
As Damien was still chuckling the rest of the boys walked in and sat down.
"Hey, what was that about," Patrick asked.
"Oh, Binna thinks you're insensitive", Damien laughed.
"Right he is, my friend", Patrick said.
"I feel like pizza", Ezra said.
"Well, too bad for you, you got moldy old eggs benedict", Damien told him.
"Oh, the joys of Horizon", Ezra mused.
"So, whats on the agenda for today lads", Ryder asked in his high and mighty tone.
"Well, Charlie's coming back, hopefully peter will give me some time with her before I have to do my chores", Damien replied.
"Oh my god, you guys, guess what I just heard?" a voice said over Binna's shoulder. Cristina grabbed a seat with a big grin on her face.
"Let's see, peter finally gave you money so you could by some more hair products", Patrick teased.
"No, why, did he say something to you?" Cristina asked hopefully.
"Sarcasm Peg, look it up", Patrick suggested.
"Anyway, its about Charlie", said cristina. This got damiens attention.
"What about Charlie?" Damien asked.
"She's leaving Horizon".
"What?" Damien was furious. Why didn't she tell him?
"Yeah, Peter's sending her to juvie. She kinda deserves it", she said loving every minute of it.
Before anyone could say another word Damien had got up and stormed out of the cafeteria.
"Well, I thought it was funny", Cristina said matter of factly.
"Peter?" Damien yelled angrily as he walked into the office.
"Yes, Damien, come in", Peter said sarcastically.
"Why are you sending her away?" Damien asked still yelling.
"She needs us, she…, you cant just send her away".
"She's broken too many rules, Damien, I cant help her anymore, she's been in fights, she argues, she's taken drugs, she's self destructive…"
"So you send her away? She just tried to kill herself, Peter. You know she's gonna try again if you send her there…"
"What else can I do, Damien. She doesn't want help. She wants to go around, Drinking, drug taking, breaking curfews, going out in the middle of the night with some guy…"
"What, now I know that's not true. She's…we…she wouldn't do that ok", Damien told him.
"Well, she did. Roger caught her the other night," Peter said.
"No, she would have told me if…", Damien realized what was going on. Here he was battling with peter to make her stay and she was going off with some other guy. He felt betrayed.
"Damien, is there something going on between you and Charlie, something that I should know about", Peter asked.
"No", he said quickly. "I've gotta go". And with that he walked out with only one thing on his mind.
Later, everybody was sitting in mess hall, impatiently waiting for Charlie's return. Damien was the worst. He was so angry at her. He wanted to give her a piece of his mind. Then Peter entered the room with Charlie following.
"Hey guys", Charlie greeted them, "I'm back".
"Not for long", Damien said bitterly. "You're leaving right?"
"I…, yeah I'm…"
"You've disobeyed peter too many times. And now he's sending you to juvie".
"Yeah, ok, that's true", Charlie said. This was not the way she thought she would be greeted. What was Damien getting at?
Why was he so angry at her?
"Screw this", he walked away outside. She followed him. She still had no idea that he knew about Brian. Or atleast he knew the simple version.
"Damien", she called after him, "What's your problem?"
"My problem is you", Damien yelled back, "Stop acting like you have no idea whats going on here".
"Well I don't, that why I'm asking you."
"Think hard, Charlie," Damien said.
"Is this about juvie? Cos I don't have any choice", Charlie told him.
"God, you can go to juvie, maybe then I can forget all about you", Damien said furiously.
"Alright Damien, help me out here, what are you talking about?"
"Late at night, you and some guy at the docks", Damien said. Charlie stood there in shock. How did he find out? She'd been so careful.
"You know, you talk about how bad it was when Cristina did the same thing. Your just like her."
Charlie stood there. What could she say. She couldn't tell the truth. If Damien found out about what really happened it would be weird between them. How was she supposed to look at him, knowing that he knew that she was raped. It was embarrassing.
She knew that was a terrible excuse but it was true.
So she stood there, with nothing more to say.
"I'm sorry".
In Toga, California, a game of football is being held by a group of kids. There is one girls on the team. She is obviously a tom boy, despite being very pretty. The kids are all no older than 10 or 11. The girl is obviously close to one boy in particular.
"I'm gonna beat you, you know that, right?" the girl said cockily.
"To beat me, your actually gonna have to get a goal", the boy laughed.
"Charlie, wake up", Charlie heard Kats voice. "Come on get in the shower, your running late for breakfast".
"Yeah, in a second", Charlie said groggily.
"What did I tell ya, I win", the girl said.
"I let you win", argued childishly.
"Don't give me that 'Only girl on the team pity' crap. You know I'm better than you", she laughed.
"Hey, what are you gonna do about your dad", the boy asked.
"Ugh, he's so annoying, he told me I couldn't play football again. He thinks just cos I'm a girl, that's it not appropriate, I don't even know what appropriate means".
"That sux", the boy said.
"I wanna run away", she told him.
"What?" the boy panicked. "But you cant leave you're my best friend. I'd never leave you, ever".
"Calm down, I'm 10 years old, I don't even know how to cook".
"Charlie, come on", Kat said. "Whats up with you?"
"I had a dream", Charlie said. Charlie got up and went into the bathroom.
It was 7:00 in the cafeteria. The boys were not in the mood to be awake.
"Ugh, it is way too early to be getting up", Damien complained.
"Tell me about it", Ezra agreed. "How do people expect us to work when its too early for our brains to function".
"Hello, hello", Shayne greeted them as the girls came in.
As she was equally greeted by the boys Charlie was greeted by an awkward stare from Damien.
"So, whats on the menu this morning", Charlie broke the silence.
"bacon and eggs", Binna replied enthusiastically. "I guess you could call it a good day".
"Excuse me", Damien got up and walked out angrily. Charlie followed.
"Hey", Charlie yelled to him.
"What do you want Christensen", Damien replied.
"I want you to talk to me", Charlie hadn't worked out what she was going to say. She just knew she had to say something.
"Well, I'm sorry, I don't talk to skanks", Damien fired back at her.
That cut her. She remembered the time when she had just found out about cristina and Michael, and how she had proclaimed 'I don't talk to skanks'.
"Fine, don't talk to me, listen", Charlie said catching up with him. "I know I did the wrong thing, but your gonna make this hell for yourself and everyone around you if you keep ignoring. Damien, they are my friends too, which means we are gonna be spending a lot of time together as usual…"
"Well, I guess that's your fault then", Damien stormed off. Again , she caught up with him.
"Whats your problem anyway, we were barely going out", she yelled. He turns to face her after this.
"If that's all it was to you, then why are you so upset", Damien walked off again. This time she stood there. Charlie was angry. Damien had called her skank, all because of brian. She wished she could tell the truth, but she didn't have the courage. So she decided to do something drastic.
"What are you doing here", Brian said as he looked through Charlie's furious eyes. "Baby, you know I cant be seen with you".
"Yeah, I really don't care," Charlie walks in, looking around, making sure they are alone. This is by far the most bravest thing she has ever done. "I just thought I'd tell ya, I'm leaving".
Brian chuckles. "No you're not".
"Oh yeah, I am. I got kicked out. I'm going to juvie. I guess that means you're little manipulations are over huh?" she said confidently. "You cant hurt me anymore, Brian, but I can hurt you so bad. And frankly, I just don't think its fair that I have to go to Juvie and you get to stay in Horizon. So this is the plan. I tell Peter just before I leave, he rings the cops, and guess what? you're going to jail. Isnt it funny how life works out".
"Oh you're hilarious", Brian scoffs.
"Oh, its quite easy to be hilarious these days. Especially now that I know that youre gonna be locked up somewhere far away from me", Charlie said before turning to leave. "Good bye Brian".
Peter is in his office doing some paper work when Charlie bursts in.
"Peter, I need to talk to you", Charlie said quickly. She wanted to get everything out before she changed her mind.
"If this is about juvie, I've made up my mind, Charlie"
"It's not about that", she reassured him. "Peter", she said nervously. "If… If I told you something, would you have to tell the school, um, If it was something personal about me?"
"Well, that depends what it is, if its something serious like, say assault, then I would have to put it on your records, maybe have to tell the authorities but the students don't find out", Peter said helpfully.
"Ok…um, I want to tell you whats going on…with me", she said.
"Ok, go ahead", Peter told her.
"Its about this guy… at the docks. He's name is Brian Atwell and I knew him on the streets."
"Ok"
"Its hard, out there…on the streets. I was out there for a while before I met Brian. I was 13 and he caught me steeling a car radio. He nearly threatened to dob me in to the cops but then he decided not to. Instead, he wanted something else from me. He wanted…" she couldn't get it out. She was so ashamed.
"He wanted sex", Peter helped her.
"At first I told him to go to hell, but then he threatened to kill me. I knew he didn't care about the car stereo, all he wanted was…
Anyway later I found out he was a dealer, I wanted some drugs so badly, I need to get away from the pain. And soon enough I was wasting all the money I was getting on getting high. So, one day, I met this girl, she was a prostitute. She told me it was easy. So I did it. A couple of months past and brian was back in town, and he found out what I was doing. Since he'd done it before, he thought he could take advantage of me, and not even pay me. So he didn't. I was just so scared. I knew he could kill me if he wanted to. When he turned up here, I didn't know what to do."
"Was he molesting you here, Charlie?"
Charlie nodded tearfully.
"That's it?"
"Yeah", Charlie said.
"You know what this means, right?" Peter asked unexpectantly.
"What?"
"Go unpack your bags", Peter told her. "You can stay".
"Thank you Peter", she smiled. "Um, wahts gonna happen to brian?"
"Well, I'll report him, you might have to make a statement and then hopefully we can get him out of her and in jail", peter said matter of factly. Again, she said thank you and left to unpack her things.
Hope you liked. Of couse I wasn't going to send her juvie. Then my story would be over. Please review.
Coming up, Cristina and Charlie head off on and adventure together.