We're Not Strangers Anymore

Chapter Nine - Charlie Falls In Love

The old radio alarm clock began to play She Loves You as seven o'clock swiftly became eight; Charlie Broomer kicked back the sheets and slowly began to sit up.
He didn't often speak aloud to himself, but on this particular and rather specific occasion, he thought, it could perhaps bring him a little sanity - and heaven knows he needed it.
'Fuck,' he mumbled, his voice croaky and deep, 'it's time to actually get up.'
The music playing gently in the background made last night's strange events slightly easier to come to terms with, or so Charlie felt, but nevertheless he was still lost. What did it all mean? What was all of that about?
Oh well. Time to brush my teeth.
'Charlie!' his mother called up, sounding more cheerful than usual (wonder what's gotten into her?), 'I've made you some breakfast sweetheart, come down and grab it when you're ready.'
He smiled to himself, messing with his long, dark hair in the mirror that stood at the end of his bed.
Charlie got up and ready exactly five minutes later, getting dressed in front of the mirror for a change. It took him ten more minutes to brush his teeth and comb his hair, and he knew this because he was counting.
He addressed the mirror out loud, thinking of himself as a president or a world leader.
'Today is a new day, a fresh day. And nothing, and I mean nothing, can get in the way of that. Got it? Good.'
Mrs Broomer called again, and this time he was ready. His laces were tied and his hair was styled almost perfectly into place; he was ready to take on the world.

Charlie flew into the locker at twenty miles per hour; not quite the fresh start he'd dreamt of. As he collided with the locker he heard his shoulder crunch, and this wasn't a good sign whatsoever.
'I warned you,' said Jack Hodges through gritted teeth. 'I fucking warned you, did I not? It was made crystal clear to you and you STILL fucked up!'
The bully grabbed Charlie by the shoulders yet again and flung him onto the hard floor under the stairs.
'Who do you think you are? Attacking me in the street like that, who do you think you are? You little delinquent. Mummy proud, is she? Self-defence, was it? You little piece of shit.'
Charlie begged and pleaded with his tormentor, begging him to let him go just this once, but Jack Hodges was having none of it.
He tried to stand up - big mistake. Hodges headbutted him twice, knocking him back down to the cold, hard ground; Charlie had never felt so low in his life.
Jack Hodges leaned in, crouched only an inch away from his victim's face, and whispered manically: 'If I ever see you with that fat little knobhead again, I will personally guarantee that the both of you die. Got it? Now scram.'
Hodges kicked him again, once in his left shin and twice in the stomach. Charlie groaned on all three strikes. He began to sit up, wiping the blood away from his cheeks.
This has got to be the worst day of my life. Nothing compares to see this. Nothing. I don't think anything could make this day worse.
Just as he was getting up from the floor, he heard the worst thing possible. Footsteps.
Oh no, how very naive of me.
They were incredibly light footsteps, he noticed, and possibly way too light to be one of the male students of the academy. A face revealed itself through one of the gaps in the stairs, and much to Charlie's surprise, it was a girl. Even better than that, a girl his own age.
'Erm, hello?' Charlie said dazedly, his head still throbbing at this point.
'Hello to you too.. are you okay?'
'Yeah, fine,' Charlie said, now rubbing his head. 'Just fell over, that's all. I'm alright.'
'Well, you don't look all right. Let me have a look at you. My father is a doctor, he shows me stuff sometimes.'
Charlie raised his eyebrow and the girl walked confidently over to him, throwing her blonde hair over her shoulders as she bent down to examine him.
'I'm Emily by the way,' she said as she rubbed her forefinger across his cheek.
'Oh, I'm Charlie. Ouch,' he replied, a twinge of sharp pain rushing through his face and stomach.
'Yeah, you're cut and bruised all over. How'd you end up this way? And don't tell me it was falling over again, because I think we both know that that's utter bullshit.'
Holy hell, she's incredible.
'Urm, just, y'know.. fighting with my brother and that.'
'What, and your brother is that seriously violent? That's messed up!'
'Yeah, he is,' Charlie said, itching his chin with his sore shoulder. 'That's my brother alright.'
'Do you want me to walk you over to the nurse's office? You need to be looked at properly.'
'The nurse? Don't be silly, I said I'm fine. Thank you, though.'
So beautiful. So, so beautiful.
'Well okay then, if you're sure. Hey, did I see you last week up Belgrave Town Centre, wearing a Beatles tee? You look really familiar.'
Charlie's eyes widened almost immediately.
'Yeah, yeah that was me! Do you like them too?'
'Oh fuck yeah! I've always wanted to see them live, sadly that's near impossible now, but still. I'd ask you the same, but-'
'But that would be silly of you, 'cause you already know?' Charlie interrupted.
There was silence for a couple of seconds, and the two stared into each other's eyes, completely lost in joy.
Attention Broomer, now is your chance. You won't get another one. Go on, my son.
Charlie felt as if this truly was his chance, and there wasn't a hope in hell that he was about to miss it.
'So.. what are you doing at lunch?'
'Me? Oh, you know, nothing major. V.I.P. banquet perhaps, bit of champagne. Sorry, Mum always says I'm too sarcastic - I'm really doing nothing, just gonna be sat with the girls, as bloody per. Why?'
'Well, do you fancy getting your lunch with me? We could talk about music, or whatever. You don't have to, it was just a thought.'
'No, no,' Emily said with a beaming smile, 'I'd like that. Meet me on the first floor of A-block, my art class might run over by a few minutes but if I end up coming out early I'll come and find you.'
'Yeah, sounds good,' said Charlie, an utterly gobsmacked version of his former self.
Jesus.. how the hell did that happen?