The Reincarnated (Book 2A of Wolfcreek Series)

Chapter 83

I bit back an annoyed sigh when I checked my messages to see that no one had messaged me or called me back like I prayed they would, especially since I hadn't talked to them in a long time and was slowly starting to lose hope that they were ever going to talk to me ever again.

Charlie looked at me from the corner of his eye while he drove me home from training at the warehouse, his grip on the steering wheel grew tighter while he looked at the road. "Are you ok?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "That was a very annoyed sigh, Cass."

I pressed my lips into a thin line and shrugged, grimacing. I didn't say a word and bit back a small sigh, feeling very tired and all I wanted to do was sleep and ignore the whole entire world for a little while.

"Cass?" he asked, pressing gently, and I had a feeling that he wanted me to talk to him about what was going through my mind, especially since he had seen me slowly sinking into a deeper depression that he had seen before when Xavier and I were apart.

I pressed my lips into a thinner line before I shrugged and grimaced, shaking my head. "Ummm..." I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "I am just tired, Charlie," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I cleared my throat again and moved a hand through my hair. "I am just tired of everything and don't know what to do anymore."

Charlie glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and raised an eyebrow in question. "Oh?" he asked, and I hesitated before I slowly nodded. He started to tap against the steering wheel while he looked at the road. "What do you mean? What happened?" he asked, making sure to keep his voice calm and levelled.

I licked my lips and bit back a small sigh before I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance. "I am just missing my friends, is all," I admitted before I moved a hand through my hair and bit back another sigh. "I mean, I haven't talked to them at all for a while, and they aren't answering my phone calls or texts."

"Hmmmm," Charlie slowly nodded and pressed his lips into a thin line. He didn't say an actual word while he stared at the road, and I could tell that he was worried and also a little nervous but also worried about my sanity.

I bit back an annoyed sigh and rolled my eyes before I closed them and leaned my head against the back of my seat. "I'm not going to do anything stupid, if that is what you are worried about, Charlie," I said coldly.

"I didn't say that you were," Charlie said and looked at me again before he looked at the road. He cleared his throat and continued to tap\ his steering wheel, and I could tell that he was getting more worried. "Now, do you want me to get involved?" he asked and raised an eyebrow while he looked at me before he looked at the road again.

I bit back a small scoff while I rolled my eyes and scowled. "Very funny, Charlie," I grumbled. I raised my hand when he opened his mouth to defend himself, and he closed his mouth and pursed his lips in annoyance, waiting for me to finish my thought. "I don't even know what you will be able to do if you do get involved."

Charlie shrugged and grimaced before he cleared his throat. "Eh, I know a few people," he replied. "I can talk to these people if you would like and see what the deal is."

I sighed and shook my head no, pressing my lips into a thin line. "No," I replied, verbally, with my voice barely above a whisper and my heart breaking. "As much as I want to have you do something so that my friends will talk to me again, I don't want to be much of a bother."

Charlie scoffed a laugh and rolled his eyes, pursing his lips in annoyance. "I don't think it would be much of a bother, Cass," he said and gave me a pointed look, and I couldn't help but shrug and grimace, not knowing what he said was true. He cleared his throat and looked at the road again, the tapping on the steering wheel continuing. "Just say the words, and I will do something."

"I know," I said and bit the inside of my lip and started to chew. "And I do appreciate it a lot; I really do, Charlie, but I don't think that it is the best thing for me to do something like that and get them to talk to me when they are busy with something else."

"Hmph." He continued to tap his finger against the steering wheel and stayed silent, setting his jaw.

I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, and he glanced at me from the corner of my eye. "So, one of my dance teachers asked if I wanted to do a solo at a dance competition that they will be having," I said, changing the subject.

"Oh?" Charlie inquired, and I nodded in confirmation. "When?"

"In a couple of months," I said before I shrugged and grimaced, shifting in my seat. "She didn't give me an exact date, and I didnt ask."

"And why not?" Charlie asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he glanced at me before he looked at the road again. "Why didn't you ask?"

"Because I did not know if I wanted to do it or not, Charlie, because of everything that is going on," I replied with a small grimace on my face. I cleared my throat and shook my head, biting back another tired sigh. "She wanted me to do the whole thing."

"Like?" Charlie asked and glanced at me from the corner of his eye before he looked at the road to make sure that we stayed safe. "What did she want you to do?"

"She wanted me to do the costuming, get all of the pieces together, choreograph the music, choose the music, and all of that other bull shit that comes with dancing at a dance competition."

Charlie slowly nodded and stayed silent. He didn't say a word, and I could tell that he wanted me to continue.

I sighed and shook my head, pursing my lips in annoyance. "I am going to talk to Mom about it before I say anything to my dance teacher," I said, moving a hand across my face. "I don't know if she will allow me to do it."

"As long as your grades don't suffer, then I don't think she will have a problem with it on top of everything else you are doing," Charlie said with a small wink, "and they don't seem to be suffering, especially those in my class."

I chuckled coldly and closed my eyes, leaning my head against the side of the car. "That is because I have a teacher as a friend," I said while I folded my arms across my chest and scowled. "Why else would my grades not be suffering?"

Charlie shrugged and grimaced. "I mean, I am sure that there are other people that have friends as teachers," he replied. "Your parents are also knowledgeable about your grades and make sure that you do what you are supposed to do, as well."

I shrugged and grimaced. "True," I said before I sighed and moved a hand through my hair. "Do I have to go to school tomorrow?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I looked at him.

Charlie bit back a small sad chuckle and nodded. "Unfortunately so, Cass," he said and started to tap the steering wheel again. "Unfortunately so."

He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat while he glanced at me from the corner of his eyes, tucking his head closer to his chest. "But, you don't have to go to the warehouse tomorrow and train. Commander's orders."

I hesitated and closed my eyes again, praying that what he said was true and that Commander did order me not to go to the warehouse tomorrow evening and train.

Charlie didn't say a word and continued to tap on the steering wheel, which was slowly starting to get on my nerves, but I didn't tell him that because I knew that habit seemed to calm him down some.

I licked my lips and cleared my throat before I shook my head and looked at him, not hiding the tiredness and pain I felt. "Promise?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, and Charlie chuckled and nodded.

He looked at me with a soft smile on his face, his eyes mirroring my pain, and he stopped tapping on the steering wheel to place his hand on my leg, giving it a small squeeze in reassurance. "I promise."