Chasing Charlie

Chapter Twenty-Three | Rejection and Birthday Starts

Charlie

School started on Tuesday and our principle announced the school Cross Country and Athletics carnival that were going to happen in a few weeks. I sighed in relief when I realised I'd be able to participate.

After school the next day, I went for my first session of physio, with Chase. He insisted on coming along, since he said he came here every month. Since he fractured his wrist he wouldn't be able to do any physio.

Still, he pushed himself there, since I was still on crutches, hissing and stopping a few times on the way there.

"Your wrist will never heal if you don't stop using it."

"I have no other choice," he said through gritted teeth.

"If you let someone help you it'll get better quicker."

"I don't like help," he muttered.

"Oh, how everyone knows that statement by now."

Physical therapy wasn't bad. I learnt that the bone was merely fractured and didn't take long to heal. Since it went well, I was told that in a few days I could try walking without crutches again. It was nice to be able to walk on my two feet again instead of having to rely on something and it was then that I realised how Chase felt.

His facial expression was jealously, yet he was trying to cover it up. I knew just how badly he wanted to be normal and walk again.

____

When we got back to the orphanage, Miss Lancy greeted us with a smile on her face.

"What's wrong? Why the sudden enthusiasm?" Chase asked.

"Guess whose half-yearly reports came in the mail today?"

My eyes widened and my expression fell.

"Chase, you did very well like usual," she said proudly.

I looked over at Chase, who just rolled his eyes with a frown on his face.

"Charlie, you could've done better, but they were still fantastic results." She gave us our reports and we both went to our rooms.

____

"Did you start the artwork yet?" I asked as I pushed Chase to school the following Monday. I wasn't on crutches anymore, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

He played with the bandage on his wrist, looking down. "Yeah, nearly finished actually. I'm handing it in next week. Hopefully this stupid wrist will heal before the presentation evening, I just don't want to be helped for too long."

"Hey, it's been nearly two months since that day, isn't your birthday coming up?"

"Yeah, it's exactly two months after," he sighed.

"You'll be 17, what's not to like?"

He turned around to look at me, "I hate my birthday. Nothing good ever happens on it and it's crap every time so I doubt it'll be any good this year. It's just a big reminder that my parents are dead."

"It'll be better this year, I'm here. You're not alone anymore so it will be better."

He gave me a sceptic look. "I hope so."

____

"God, I'm so happy about today," I said to Chase the following Thursday.

It was the day of the Cross Country carnival and I couldn't be more thrilled. After I had my cast taken off, I hadn't been able to do too much exercise so I wouldn't injure it again. The slight exercise I had was physio and a few soccer drills.