Charlie's Hero (#nanowrimo2015)

Chapter 9

The week drug by. It didn't seem like it would ever end. Monday came and went, Tuesday just the same, but the next three days seemed to take longer each time. Friday didn't mean much to Charlie, but it did give her a break form the whispers. The ones that clawed at here no matter how hard sh tried to ignore them. The ones that tore open her heart every time she took a breath. Charlie didn't show that they bothered her, but each one made her dig deeper inside herself, trying to bury her emotion, her memories, her life before the death took place.

The only two places she could do that were at home, locked away in some room by herself, or in the schools library. Charlie preferred home. But since it was Friday, the library would have to do.

As she walked down the hall and away from her homeroom, she heard shouting. She would have ignored it, but then she recognized some of the voices. Curiously got the best of her and she turned to look back. There, right in front of the door to the class, was Cameron and two of his friends. One she recognized as Drew, a guy form her brothers soccer team. One of the guys he told her to stay away from. And on the other side of him was Jeff, Carson told her the same about him.

Why would someone who hangs out with them try to constantly talk to her? Charlie didn't know the answer. But she was still curious.

"What happened to hanging with your fiends?" Drew asked hotly, his eyes narrowed at Cameron. "So what, us getting you a try out for the team meant nothing? Did you think you could make friends with us just to do that, and then ignore us?"

"What are you even talking about!" Camron said frustrated, and Charlie watched form a distance as he gestured with his arms. "Of course I would never do that. But I guess you wouldn't know that since all you guy's talk about is your next lay, and who had the greatest party last weekend. Is it really that horrible that I talk to someone else besides you guys? Give me a break, I still hang out with you, I still practice with you, heck, I sit with you at lunch."

"But you ignore us. You're always having your head up your butt, for what? for some girl? Always trying to get the attention of that mute who would rather ignore you?" Drew threw in his face.

"I told you not to call her that-"

"Why should you care?" Drew's voice to louder, drawing are attention to him.

Charlie looked around for a second, uncomfortable to know thatches shouting that was going on was somehow about her. The eyes of her fellow classmates were on the the trio, but they also kept glancing towards her, as if piecing it together that it was her they were talking about.

"Seriously, why should you care? She's not your fired, she's not your girlfriend. She won't talk to anyone, let alone you." He shoved his finger into Cameron's chest. Cameron didn't reply, just glared at the two in front of him. "She's a broken mess that used to be half of the school's sweetheart pair, now a mute that could care less about anyone but herself-"

Cameron's fist connected with Drew jaw, effectively cutting him off. He didn't even shake out his fast, just glared at the buy in front of him.

"I said don't call her that."

"What the hell? Seriously, man?" Jeff shouted, holding Drew's elbow to steady him on his feet. Then suddenly dow started laughing, a deep maniacal laugh, but it was hallow and meaningless.

"That's the way it's going to be? Fine then, but just know that she couldn't give two f***'s about you." Drew stood up and dusted his shoulder off, he glared at Cameron and shot a fleeting look toward Charlie as he turned the other way and stormed down the hall with Jeff.