Charlotte's World
Earth
2005/10/03
His body screamed as he sat up in his bedroom. His eyes were crusted shut from crying the previous night. His chest ached as he pulled his hoodie away from his chest seeing his black binder. He groaned as he laid back over in his bed rolling to face the wall, making a few bottles and cans fall off his bed onto the floor bouncing. His door creaked open, letting light into his dark room.
“Charlotte?” His stomach groaned as he stayed facing the wall. “Are you awake?” He groaned as he flipped over to the door to look at his mom, his eyes red. “Oh honey…” She walked over to the bed avoiding the dirty clothes and cans scattered all on the floor.
“Are you okay honey?” He shrugged, staring out into the lite hallway. She sighed, setting a hand on his side. “I know its your special day honey but you still have to go to school.” He groaned sitting up in his bed, she took her hand off his side and set it on his head. “That’s a GIRL.” He winced at the word. His stomach knotted up. His mom stood up walking to the door and stopped.
“Your dad’s not home if you want to come down stairs.” With that she flipped on the light showing how dirty and cluttered his room really was. He groaned as he threw the blanket over his head as his mother shut the door, faint creaking of stairs following as she descented.
A few minutes passed as he popped his head out of the blanket, slowly adjusting to the blinding light of his room. He sighed as he stood up and looked around his dirty floor, bottles, clothes and plates, his eyes landing on a sage green hoodie. Picking it up he brought it to his nose sniffing it then tossing it on over his beige t-shirt. He grabbed his phone from beside his pillow, putting it in his pocket before moving out of his room, flicking the light switch off behind him. The stairs creaked as he stepped on them, wincing at each step, being startled by each one.
A small tv sat against the wall with a dark red couch across from it. Family pictures scattered the wall behind the tv, some frames holding many, most holding a picture of three people, though one big photo sat in the middle with a little girl holding a baby wrapped up in a blanket. The girl smiled at the baby in her arms, dated at the bottom right corner wrote 1999/02/21.
He walked off the wooden stairs, past the couch and into the kitchen checkered floor. Cabinets hung from the walls with white doors, a wooden table sat in the centre, a plate of pancakes and fruit, apple juice sat in a cup in front of it. He made his way to the chair pulling it out and sitting down, he picked up the fork, poking the pancakes before setting the fork back down watching the syrup absorb into the pancakes. Rebecca turned around drying her hands on a towel.
“Are you not hungry?” She asked, looking at ‘Walter’. He nodded, staring at the pancakes, she walked over grabbing his plate and wrapping it up. “I’ll put it in the fridge for you.” She opened the fridge door, setting it beside his other packaged meals by the ones a week prior. He pulled his iPhone 3GS out of his pocket checking the time, it said 8:25. He put his phone back in his pocket and stood up making his way back to the living room. He sat on the rug by the door grabbing his torn apart converse and putting them on, footsteps came out of the kitchen as his mom walked out her apron in her hand.
“You ready?” She asked to walk over to the door putting on a pair of sandals by the door. Charlotte nodded, tucking his long hair into his hoodie then putting the hood on. His mom opened the front door to show the front pad, tulips grew in the flower beds surrounding the cracked sidewalk, and a red Jeep Wrangler sat on the pad. His mom unlocked the car as Charlotte opened the door, hopping in and shutting the door behind him. His mom hopped into the drivers as she started the car, making sure to buckle up as she sat down.
“Seat belt honey.” She started the car as ‘Walter’ buckled up. She pulled out of the pad and began driving. As they drove, two small kids walked on the sidewalk, both having backpacks. They held each other's hand as the older brother guided his sister down the sidewalk. The brother looked at the Jeep passing and smiled, cuts and bruises scattering his face.
“Those poor kids.” She waved at them as they passed. “They lost their mother a few years ago, poor kids.” She looked back to the road as Charlotte looked behind him to look at the kids, but they were so far ahead they were only dots behind them. He turned back to look ahead looking at the road ahead. They pulled up to the school and ‘Walter’ grabbed the door handle, but his mom quickly locked the car. He looked at her as she began to speak.
“Have a good rest of your day honey, and.” She leaned forward giving him a kiss on the forehead. “Have a happy birthday.” He smiled as he put the tips of his fingers together to make a heart. Rebecca unlocked the car as he stepped out of the car into the drop off lane. He shoved his hands in his pocket as he passed kids in the hall trading silly bands and Pokémon cards. Avoiding everyone he made his way to his classroom waiting for lunch.
His classes passed with him either sleeping through them or doodling robot after robot filling up lined paper after lined paper. On time as usual the lunch bell rang as he was the first to walk out of class. He walked down the hallway to his locker and sat down in front of it, pulling out his phone and opening Ice Age Village.
Time passed and the hallway cleared, in the empty hallway three laughing people rounded the corner, Walter looked up at them as they neared, their laughs getting louder. He put his phone in his pocket and stood up, beginning to walk the other way.
“There she is!” The student in the middle ran up to ‘Walter’ throwing an arm over his shoulder. “Where are you going? Why don't we take a detour to class huh?” The other boys behind him snickered as they began to lead him out of the locker hall.
“I’m good…” Charlotte whispered as the student, otherwise known as Hunter, led him to the school entrance.
“Nonsense Charlotte! Or should I say… Walter.” He showed a piece of paper addressed to the principal. ‘Walter’ went pale as they stopped walking around the school, stopping behind it. “You’re a transie. And transie’s like you aren't allowed here.” Hunter stood tall as he shoved ‘Walter’ making him smash into the wall of the school. A crack echoed as he fell down to his knees with a groan, blood staining the white pebbled wall. He looked at Hunter, his friends standing on either side of him as he laughed stepping forward.
“It all makes sense now… why you stopped talking in class, why you wear the same hoodie over and over again.” He grabbed Charlotte’s hood pulling it down showing his long hair. “You’re a faggot, a failure, and no matter how hard you try.” He leaned in closer to his face, his breath smelling of soap and rot. “You will ALWAYS be a girl.” A fist came flying through the air making Hunter stumble. His friends looked at where the punch had come from. A six foot tall kid stood there with a bit of blood on his knuckles. Hunter spun towards him, dropping Charlotte to the ground and groaning as he covered his red, bleeding nose.
“You know Hunter.” The kid said, his brown eyes shining in the shade behind the school. “I thought you were cool. Now.” He walked up to Hunter grabbing his shirt leaning up to his face. “You’re an idiot who makes other people feel shitty because you think you own the world.” He dropped Hunter to the ground, he scrambled back, quickly standing up and bolting away. His friends watched Hunter run then looked back at the kid who was staring at them.
“S-sorry man… w-we’ll leave…” With that they slowly backed away. The kid looked at Charlotte holding out a hand.
“I’m Ray Moore, and you are?” Charlotte took his hand standing up, there was a pause before he answered. “Walter” He glanced up at Ray. “Walter Rogers.”