Riverton High School

~33~

"There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others."

- Mandy Hale

Charlie sat in the back yard in the grass crisscross her hair up in a messy bun. One hand in meditation form, and the other clutching firmly to an off brand beer bottle taking a swig she closed her eyes and started to hum.

Her parents had left for a few hours so she decided to try to meditate, clear her mind any bad thoughts and remind herself that she was beautiful and a good person. She had been meditating almost everyday, sometimes with alcohol sometimes without. She didn't like the Dark Cloud that had surfaced over her since the rumors.
She heard her screen door open and she opened one eye to check who was coming.
"Charlie?" Dave said walking up to her. Charlie's parents gave Dave a key to the house. They loved him that much.

"What the hell?" Dave leaned down and quickly snatched the bottle from Charlie.

"Dave!"she shouted loudly.

"Why are you drinking? It's not a good habit to form." he sat down next to her.

"Give me my bottle back." She glared.

"He slowly and mockingly poured the beer out into the dewy green Grass. Then strongly chucked the bottle over her fence and into the street.

"Dave!" she shouted pushing him.

"what if it broke and then that's someone's tires!" She stood up.

"your safety is more important to me than someone's tires.." Dave said nudging her.

She sat quietly.

"What's been going on with you lately? You've been so short and snippy with me." Dave moved closer to her.

"what's going on?"

"Stress." Charlie shook her head. "No nevermind stress is an understatement." She put her face in her Palms.

"Talk to me."

"I'm fine."

"Obviously you're not you're drinking." Dave was a straightforward person, she liked it but at the same time got annoyed and overwhelmed.

"Don't worry about it." Charlie mumbled picking at pieces of grass.

"Charlie.."

"Dave don't." she put her hand up.

"I'm just being your friend."

"People." Charlie sighed.

"People doing what?"

"People at school they talk bad about me and they believe rumors and lies and they call me names." Charlie said Softly, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Charlie mama, come here." he said sweetly  pulling the little blonde into his strong bronze arms. Charlie huffed wiping her tears on his long sleeve shirt.

"What's the rumor?" He said not let it go.

"They say I'm lying about being raped."

"How did they even know that you were, have you been telling people?"
He turned to face her directly. 

"No Dave I didn't tell anyone before Ashton went to prison word is he told this girl named Amber I lied on him and she told everyone else they all think that I set out to ruin his life. But why on Earth would I do that?" She wiped her eyes.

David pressed her head onto his chest and she curled up into him like a baby kitten on its mother.

"And I'm willing to do anything to dismiss the pain." She looked up at him.

David sighed, "do you know what drinking will do to your life? You should know better than anyone as smart as you are should know better Charlie."

He lifted her chin, their eyes locked for moments. "You are better than that." She moved her face and sat up. "Just know that I'm here for you and I care about you and everyone is going to believe what they want, they weren't there they don't know a damn thing."
He playfully undid her bun and ran his hands through her Tangled blonde locks and lightly kissed her cheek her face melted into a goofy smirk.