Charlie Ch. 38-41

Chapter 38

At St. Matthew's Parish, they pulled into the gas station to fill up the tank for the remainder of the trip. Nathan took a moment to call the house, letting his mom know they were only 30 minutes from home. After the call and while Charlie packed up her computer, he sent that quick warning message to his sister. He could only hope his hard-headed sibling would actually listen for once in her life.

As they got closer and closer to his parents' house, Charlie began to fidget more and more in the car. She kept rolling the window up and down. She adjusted her seat belt on more than a dozen instances. Nathan placed his hand on her thigh in order to reassure her, but it was dismissed with a brush of her hand. She wasn't into the physical contact at the moment. Nathan just hoped she wouldn't go into full blown panic mode and not move from the jeep once they reached the house. Here's to hoping for a good weekend!

Pulling into the driveway, Charlie could tell Nathan was watching her every move. Granted, her heart was beating too quickly in her chest, and she had developed a case of dry mouth, but she didn't need him watching her like a mental patient.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. Well, actually, you look amazing. Fine? I don't think so."

Charlie let out a puff of air and nodded. If she looked on the outside like anything she was feeling inside, then she was definitely a mess. When Nathan shut off the jeep, Charlie steeled herself. It's now or never. She actually contemplated the idea of living in the jeep for the next five days. Nathan could bring her a plate of food periodically.

Charlie slowly opened the door and crawled out of the passenger seat. Leaning back into the jeep to begin grabbing bags, her nerves were frayed. What is his mom going to say? Is his dad going to pat him on the back for getting some? Would Sheila make some lewd comment about Nathan stuffing her like a turkey? Too many questions ran through Charlie's mind. Charlie looked up across the jeep at Nathan as he grabbed other items out of the back seat. He simply smiled at her. Was that a wink too? Oh fucking great! I'm going home to the Waltons, and they know I've screwed John Boy. Charlie tried to return the smile, but it came out strained and crooked.

The front door of the house busted open, and Charlie heard a squeal behind her. It was the sound of a happy mother waiting to see her son. Amanda bounded across the yard and snatched Nathan in a hug. Since his hands were still full of bags, he simply let him mom tackle him with her embrace. Charlie noticed Sheila was quick to follow out of the front door with a wicked smile on her face. Charlie took a deep breath and made her way up the steps to the front door. Sheila watched her like a lion about to pounce. As Charlie tried to pass the girl, Sheila reached out and snatched her into a hug.

"I'm glad my brother has you," she whispered. Nothing else. No lewd comments. No vulgar statements about fucking like bunnies. When they pulled out of the hug, Charlie must have had a surprised look on her face, but Sheila laugh and patted her on the arm. She then made her way down the steps to give her brother a hug too. Charlie stepped into the house. Dropping the bags in her hands by the door, she began to unravel her scarf and jacket. Before she could get out of her outer garments, she felt arms wrap around her from behind. Automatically, she tensed against the movement. Her mind thought it was Nathan. Now isn't the time for public displays of affection. Instead, Charlie realized it was Amanda hugging her with all of her might. Charlie let out a small cough and gasp, signaling the tightness of the embrace. Amanda pulled away and spun Charlie towards her.

"I have so many things for us to do this weekend. Now, where's my mushrooms?"

Charlie lifted up a small, brown bag from the floor and shook in front of Amanda's face. The woman actually beamed as she took the bag from Charlie's hand and made her way towards the kitchen in the back of the house. Nathan and Sheila came through the front door, chattering like two squirrels. Like normal sibling rivalry, their conversation turned to a tone of who could out do one another's stories. Charlie finished unwinding from her outer garments and then reached for her bag. She knew where the downstairs guest bedroom was. It was where she normally stayed when she came home with Nathan for the holidays.

She hadn't noticed Sheila's chatter had stopped as she moved down the hallway. Instead, Charlie was still too much in her own head to realize what was going on. As she opened the door to the small room, the sight inside made her gasp. The room was filled with blown up condoms. There were also small condom packages scattered all bed, night stand, and dresser. Charlie froze and couldn't bring herself to enter the room. Nathan could tell by her sudden stop that something was wrong. When Charlie turned her head to look at him, she had tears in her eyes.

"Sheila, what the hell did you do?" Nathan growled.

Sheila busted out giggling, holding her stomach and snorting in her laughter. Nathan rushed to Charlie's side and looked into the room. He felt the red flush of anger spread from his hair line down.

"Sheila!" he yelled.

Charlie dropped her bags and ran into the kitchen. Amanda stopped in her tracks. Her hands covered in pot holders as she was moving containers around in the stove.

"Charlie, are you okay?" she asked hesitantly.

Charlie ran past her and out the backdoor. She busted onto the back porch, looking wildly from side to side. She ran down the porch steps towards the small patch of woods to her right. She needed air. She needed to be away from his family. She didn't know if she was going to survive this weekend. This wholesome-family vibe just wasn't her. It had never been her or anything she ever knew in her life. "S" for slut. That's my scarlet letter.

Once she reached the edge of the wooded area, she started to run. It felt good to have the cold wind on her body. Small branches brushed her arms and face. She simply kept running and dodging them as she went. At one point, she thought she heard Nathan yelling her name. It only made her run faster and faster. Finally, when she was out of breath, she stopped and leaned against a tree. Panting, she tried to clear her head of the thought of condoms littering the guest bedroom. She really didn't want to go back and deal with anything or anyone in that house. The cool air sank into her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Charlie?"

She turned to find Nathan standing a few feet from her. His hands on his hips, he was panting from having to chase her down. Great! Now, I feel like an even bigger ass.

"Nathan, I can't go back in there." Charlie's legs gave out, and her body slumped against the tree. She glanced in Nathan's general direction. She couldn't really bring herself to look at him either. He would have the l-sick look on his face while she felt like crap.

"Charlie."

"What? I didn't do anything. I showed up like I was told to do. I even brought the stuffed mushrooms. The room I am to stay in looks like a poster for STD and pregnancy prevention. No, I don't think you have a disease. Do you have a disease? I forgot to ask the last time you were checked. My last blood work was three months ago during my well-woman exam. The only guy I've been with since then was Dwight, and we used a condom. As for the whole pregnancy, then, you know I don't want to have kids. I've even thought of having myself sterilized. Wouldn't that be a hoot? Everyone in there is laughing at me. I bet they can't wait to make sex noises outside the door when I go to sleep tonight. Should we choreograph the sex show? We can time it with the cutting of the turkey!" Charlie sputtered.

Nathan had moved closer to the tree while she went through her hissy fit/breakdown. He sat on the ground in front of her. When Nathan reached for her, Charlie pulled her legs out of the way. Quickly, Nathan grabbed her foot. Charlie tried to yank that away too, but Nathan wouldn't let go.

"Charlie."

"What?" she gritted through her teeth.

"What is really bothering you?" Nathan asked as he slipped the sneaker from her foot. He began rubbing the sole of her foot. Charlie tried to pull away yet again, and Nathan thwarted her effort.

"What is really bothering me? Years, Nathan. Years, and I am oblivious to the world. I wander around like a dolt, reading your thesis and writing porn. How did I not know you felt this way? If it was years, what about all of the chippies who wandered in and out of your house? Why didn't you say something sooner? Why now? Why does your sister know that you have been fucking me? Why am I here with your family when they think I am the uber-slut of the world? Can you explain what the name of the mental defect I have suddenly developed to think this was okay?" Charlie was panting by the time she spit all of the demonic thoughts out of her mouth. They had been floating in her head like busy bees, causing constant distraction for days.

Nathan kept rubbing her foot. Charlie knew exactly what the scheme was. He was diffusing her frustration and anxiety by being quiet and comforting. It was a variation of comfy Chinese movie night in the middle of the woods. Exasperated, Charlie yanked her foot from Nathan's grip.

"Stop that! You can't just rub my foot and make me feel better."

Nathan rested his hands in his lap. "Okay. What would make you feel better, Charlie?"

"Say something! Answer my questions!"

"Fair enough. Let's start at the beginning. Yes, I fell in love with you years ago. It was day we met in the hallway waiting for interviews. You aren't oblivious. At the time, it would not have been appropriate for me to announce my intentions. You were in the middle of the trial and your own healing process. I know I promised I would never mention that time in your life again, but you asked why I didn't say something. You were broken for a long time. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. The last thing you needed was me spouting my bullshit about how wonderful you are or how proud I was of you for standing up for yourself. It was bad enough that I felt so protective of you. The last thing I wanted to throw in the mix was an "I love you." It killed me to simply stand by, watch, and wait. But that was what you needed at the time. Would you have preferred I went all John Cusack on you and held up a cheesy boom box outside your front door?" He continued to monitor Charlie's reactions as he spoke. She started to open her mouth in response. Nathan held up his hand to indicate she should remain quiet.

"Don't answer that last question. You, above all people, should recognize a rhetorical question when it is offered. Now onto the women you refer to as chippies. Yes, I had friends and even some simple acquaintances to occupy my time. Honestly, masturbating doesn't always cut it. As much fun as it can be and has been to think about your body while I stroke myself and say your name while I was doing it, I sought out a warm body every so often. And before you try to say anything differently, let me remind you about the men that came and went from your bedroom from time to time. It would have been very easy for me to become a jackass about the sounds coming through my window; however, you had your life. You enjoyed the functionality of it. It wasn't my place to disturb it at the time."

Charlie let out a grumpy sigh and crossed her arms.

"As for now, I am going to disturb the hell out of you. Get ready for the grand-po-ba of disturbances. I love you. Yes, it took a while for me to finally fess up to my feelings. I'm sorry you don't find my timing as convenient as you would like, but I refuse to play second fiddle anymore. I've stepped up and fessed up. I love you. Deal with it."

Nathan continued to monitor Charlie's reactions. There was no "time to bolt" look on her face. Instead, it actually looked like she was listening to and absorbing what he had to say. Maybe, just maybe I stand a chance!

"Now, onto the subject of my family. Each and every person in my family already thought the world of you before five days ago, and none of them thinks you are an uber-slut. They love you too. And it was only natural that my mom figured out my feelings before I even knew what they were. She had the chance to watch us together on many occasions. Is it really that horrible that she wants things to work out between us? No, it is not. Get over that fact. Now, Sheila is going to be murdered sometime during the course of the weekend. I will need your help with the body and my alibi. Game?"

Chapter 39

Charlie wanted to walk slowly back to the house, but it was freezing outside. There was also the issue of food. Due to her temper tantrum, dinner would be late getting to the table. Inevitably, something would either be burned or taste awful. Just another way to fuck up the Walton family Thanksgiving. On their way back to the house, Nathan continued to make small talk about all of the ways to kill Sheila. Charlie caught herself chuckling periodically as Nathan mentioned new and interesting ways his sister would die for the condom prank. The subject of the l-word and feelings had been tabled for the time being.

By the time they reached the house, Charlie's nerves had gone from "Oh holy hell, I'm dying!" to "This is just fucking uncomfortable." Before opening the kitchen's back door, Nathan gave Charlie a quick peck on the lips. She rubbed her lips furiously as if the kiss would leave a permanent mark that everyone could see. Nathan smiled brightly, took her hand, and led her into the kitchen. After taking her coat, he guided her into the dining room. His mom, Amanda; his father, Collin; his sister, Sheila; and her boyfriend of no current name were already seated at the table. Food stuffs had been passed and each person was enjoying particular bites of food and conversation. Upon entering the room, both Amanda and Collin nodded to Nathan and Charlie. The conversation never stopped. No one pointed a finger and screamed, "Harlot!" There were no other condom party favors hidden in conspicuous places around the table. Charlie took a deep breath and took a seat.

The remainder of the dinner was casual and happy. The immediate family had embarrassing stories of one another to share. Shiela's boyfriend, now named John, and Charlie watched in amusement. Periodically, they would share glances of confusion or jump into the conversation to ask questions. This dinner still had the Devereaux mixture of humor and sarcasm. It was something Charlie truly had come to appreciate over the years she came home with Nathan. When dinner was finished, the men were sent into to clean dishes, but the females adjourned to the sanctuary of the den. They had "real" work to do. In the den was where the plan of attack for Christmas shopping on Black Friday came together. The stores were opening earlier and earlier each year. Amanda and Sheila brought out an actual copy of a map and began to track routes to the best sales based on location and time. Charlie watched in amazement as the two women planned what could be a siege any military man would admire.

Charlie stayed out of their way. She rarely bought presents. First of all, when she did, it was not done elbowing the masses through aisles of 90% off Christmas merchandise. Secondly, there were very few people in Charlie's life that actually deserved an exchange of gifts. Those people were Amanda, Collin, Sheila, and Nathan Devereaux. In fact, Charlie has already purchased Christmas presents for the family five months ago. She happened along a wonderful swap meet and found several inexpensive, but extremely personal, items for Amanda, Collin, Sheila, and Nathan. They had been sitting patiently, giftwrapped in the closet at home waiting for the appearance of Christmas.

She slipped out of the den and made her way towards the kitchen. Leave it to the Devereaux men to find unique and interesting ways to clean a kitchen. Charlie stood in the doorway watching Collin and John sword fight with leftover turkey legs. Nathan was playing hoops by shooting extra rolls into a plastic bag on the other side of the room. It was when Collin cornered John and began poking him incessantly with the drumstick that Charlie began to laugh. On cue, all of the men froze in place.

"So much for leftovers?" Charlie chuckled.

"Well, we, we just wanted . . ." stammered Collin as he hid the drumstick behind his back. John's sheepish look and Nathan's "cat ate the canary" smile gave Charlie even more reason to break out into a full laugh.

"Shhh! They will hear you!" Nathan hoarsely whispered.

Collin turned to John, "We don't interrupt the planning. The last time we interrupted was the Black Friday debacle of 2008. I still have a scar from it." Collin proceeded to show John a small scar on his knuckle. John gave a low whistle as to show his appreciation for physical wounds endured. He then began to show Collin small scars he had from family outings. It became one of those testosterone driven events typically only witnessed in the wild. It didn't take but a couple extra seconds for Nathan to dive into the mix in the hopes of demonstrating his manliness. Charlie shook her head and backed out of the room. After making a pit stop in the guest bedroom for her computer, Charlie found her way on the enclosed side porch off of the den. Time to put to put the porno pen to paper!

Chapter 40

Charlie's eyes kept darting over to the closed door of the guest bedroom she could see front the porch. At some point, she was going to need sleep, and the couch wasn't really an option. Okay, not an option that went without its own set of questions. Okay, one of us can sleep on the floor. The other one gets the bed. That's what we will do. Her attention was pulled back the kitchen where the sound of male bonding continued. It was then that Nathan's head popped beyond the corner.

"How you doing?" he inquired as he dried a mixing bowl with a kitchen towel.

"Not the right environment, if you know what I mean," she replied curtly while closing the lid to the laptop. "Holding out in the Walton family sun room just isn't getting it. No porn for me this weekend."

Nathan reached back into the kitchen, returning the bowl and towel to the counter. With a few short strides, he stepped behind her chair.

"Open the computer," he motioned with his hand.

"What? You going to write some more romantic dialogue for me?" Charlie half-chuckled. "Give it up! People don't really talk like that within romantic novels or in real life."

"Just open the computer, Miss Skeptic," Nathan replied.

Charlie flipped her laptop open. It took a moment for the computer to come out of its hibernating stasis. While waiting, Nathan began to rub her shoulders. She quickly swatted his hands away and then made sweeping motion to indicate his family was still in close proximity. Nathan shrugged his shoulders and went back to the massage was he was trying to administer. Charlie swatted his hands again, only to give him a deeper scowl. Nathan grabbed her hands and tried to pull them to his lips. Charlie yanked her hands away from his grip, but he was quick and caught a hold of them again. As they continued with the childish tug-pull-hit hand game, they didn't realize an audience had built behind them. Nathan's entire family, encased in their winter coats, was watching from the living room. It was when the group started clapping that Nathan and Charlie were truly caught off guard. Nathan, the comedian, decided to take his bow. Charlie noticed the weakness and punched him in the stomach. The bursts of laughter from his family gave Charlie the tension release from the situation.