|°~ Crimson Covered Floors ~°|

ċɦaքtɛʀ ʄօʊʀtɛɛռ

You knew that Mike and William had left in a hurry to go somewhere, Probably the E.R. You made snacks and entertained the children until seven p.m, when the two arrived back. Lizzy and Evan were sleeping, sharing a blanket and cuddling. So you easily went down the stairs, thankful that was had looked so bad wasn't. Speaking in terms of the wounds that littered Mike's face and neck.

His nape area was covered completely in bandage but his face was fine save for a small burn on his nose and a slightly bigger one above his eyebrow. He looked at you without any real emotion and pushed his way upstairs. When you heard the click of his door, you turned to William, eyes locked on his downcast head.

He was sitting at the table, hunched over with his hands cradling his head from behind. He was breathing a bit laboriously, and when you approached, he didn't make a move. "You okay, man?" You asked, moving a chair to sit next to him. "No," he admitted in defeat.

You snickered lightly, running a hand through his hair. "Understandable. Is Mike okay?" He nodded in response, making you exhale in relief. "He'll need help applying some burn cream," he whispered, rubbing his hands through his hair.

Patting him on the back, you sighed. "I'll walk home or have a school friend come pick me up. Sound good?" He didn't answer, which you took as a green light. Most of your friends would be stressed over Charlie, so you decided to call up a person You usually only saw at school: Rye. Her real name was Riley but nicknames and such. She answered after three rings.

"Heyo, what's up?"

"I'm so sorry about this but could you pick me up and take me home from somewhere?"

Silence filled the line for a brief second.

"Uh, yeah, sure! As long as it's in town, y'know. Send me the coordinates, yeah?"

"Will do! Thanks so much, you're a fucking life saver!"

She quickly said a 'youre welcome' and hung up. You texted the address and smiled in relief once again when she sent a thumbs up.

You heard William making his way to the entry way, his eyes dim as he watched you sit down next to the door. "Don't bother being paranoid, I won't be by tomorrow." You nodded, watching the defeated man head upstairs and into his bedroom. Poor fellow. I mean, he did deserve whatever sadness came his way, but still.

Your heartbeat increased when the doorbell rang. Opening it, you saw your highschool friend. Her hair, still medium length, strawberry blonde, assorted with multi colored streaks. Her eyes were still just as blue, downcast to her red converse. "Hey, thanks so much!" You exclaimed, shutting the door as you made your way out.

She grinned and shrugged, "I planned on going to Papa Murphy's, so it wasn't a big deal. Mind if we stop and get something there before I take ya home!" You waved off the question and headed for her truck. It was relatively new and had a classic two tone blue and white paint job. If you knew any better, a 1984 Chevy Silverado.

Hopping in, you smiled as the redhead jumped in next to you ,roaring the engine to life. It'd Been a while since Rye and you had seen each other. Thankfully, she seemed no different. Sweater around her waist, skinny jeans, blue flannel with the sleeves rolled up. Turning on the heater, Rye turned down the road.

"How's it been lately? I haven't seen you since the last day of school."

"Oh, the same as always. Henry actually is giving me some freedom, so woohoo!" You did jazz hands, laughing when Rye rolled her eyes. "A little birdie told me that you and Charlie were hitting it up," you hummed in response. "Who told you?"

"Olivia. She's the central gossip spot for most everyone."

"Figures. Yeah, Charlie and I are together I guess. He got stabbed recently though, so uh... Yeah."

Your stomach cramped when Rye stopped at a stoplight, turning to face you. "Really? Man, that's horrible. I pray for him, mkay?" You smiled and nodded. You almost forgot why Rye was so generous; her home town Christian roots. Her whole family was kind, and her parents had that subtle southern accent that reminded you of Kentucky styled home cooking.

The light turned green, allowing you to surge forward. Papa Murphy's was only a few blocks away based off deduction. "Are you and Tyler still together?" You asked hesitantly, praying they were. "Uh, nah. I mean, we're friends, no worries. We just aren't that compatible, I guess." you perked a brow, but said nothing else.

As the parking lot came into view, you sighed. "Uhm... Do you still have Chow-Chow?" Chow Chow was the family's fat ass pomeranian. He was brown and fluffy, very playful. "Yeah, of course, dude. He's been sniffing your note book you left over. I think the little guy misses you. Might wanna come chill sometime."

"Yeah.... Maybe, sometime."