Soul not Included

Chapter 8

Edward isn't at school today. He left to hunt until Monday and won't be at school until Wednesday. I remembered this. I read it before i burned the pages over the stove top. I didn't know if i should have burned the other pages, those pertaining of my actually life, or if I could get away with just sticking them in a journal and forgetting about them for now. I felt ridiculous reading them. It felt like reading someone else's life even though the memories were still very real to me.

It was hard to spend a lot of time with Charlie. My day and night was not spent making sure Charlie knew he was amazing and deserving of family. Charlie leaves early and when he doesn't we don't have much time for a long breakfast. He doesn't talk much and between school and random facts i was running out of things i could talk about. I was naturally also very introverted after all. 

When Charlie gets home sometimes he's too tired to want to do anything. I sometimes cooked and ate with him and sometimes he has something to talk about. Other times i bug him with questions about himself and his work and sometimes he's willing to play with me but more often than not, he just wants to sit on the couch, drink his beer and watch TV until he falls asleep. All i could do is sit with him or go to work on my homework and packets. Since i had too much work to ever justify skipping a day to just sit with him. 

But i never failed to say, I love you. Be careful. And thank you for being my dad.

Charlie's face will go a little red and he will say all of this back. Thank you for being my daughter.

I had to wait for him to leave in the morning so that i can cry in peace.

I loved Charlie, the dad i wished i had. I will definitely. Definitely always be here for him.

Jessica told me during lunch Friday. "Whenever the weather turns out nice the Cullens go camping. I try to run that with my family. It didn't work."

"Maybe i should try with my dad." I said.

"Chief of police?" Jessica scoffed, "good luck."

I had turned in my packets in the morning. I was officially free of all of that. I didn't want to ask for the second set but i did. Mrs. Cope signed me up for it. I would be able to pick it up Monday morning.

"So you coming with the Valoz siblings right?" Angela wanted to confirm.

"Yeah, we should be at the beach around eleven thirty i think. The final day isn't anything really. I'm sure we're just signing in to notify that we did in fact arrive. Get the overall score in the class and then we can go or something."

"That's good. Congratulations. I knew  you could do it." Angela said.

"Thanks."

Angela suddenly grinned, "so Mike said Edward took you home?"

I sighed, "yeah."

"Did you invite him to the beach?" She asked. Jessica turned her attention to us.

"No i didn't. The hiking trip is apparently going to last the whole weekend so i didn't bother."

Saturday came and i sat in that final class being handed the document to confirm the completion of my struggle. I ran to turn it into the main office which a different staff member reluctantly was working away in. I, along with the other students that took the class and others Oliver included, turned in our work and ran out to the perfect sunny morning.

"So, when we get to the beach i want to take a long long looooong walk down the sea shore." Oliver said, "with Theo. So Grace is all yours."

"That's fine by me. Ill make sure to let her know you planned to abandon her this entire time."