Chapter 11

Sunday Night

Charles was inside his bedroom, sat in front of his PC. He was online. He was surfing the net. Charles had spent the whole day helping his mom clean up the house. He was glad that she threw that party yesterday or else he wouldn't have met his old friends. He exchanged cell phone numbers with them. He still remembered Brady's story.

Charles looked at his computer's timer. It was 9:45PM. He turned around and looked towards his window. His window was open and the curtains drawn aside. The sun was going down. Charles didn't mind summer but he didn't want it to be too hot. Charles looked back to his PC screen again.

Charles was trying his best not to think about Ivy. Brady said she was bad news and Sam knew it from first-hand experience. Charles never asked his mom about the things he did and she probably forgave him for it, or else they wouldn't be living again in Constantinople's Lot.

A part of Charles still had feelings for Ivy. She was always so nice to him but would that all change if she found out whom he was? Would she then turn on him? He hoped that they could just kiss and make up. He thought he could still hang out with her and not tell her who he was.

He wasn't sure whether to text her or not. He didn't yesterday and thought maybe he should let her text him first. Right now all he was doing was chatting online with his school friends from Manchester. He told all his old mates Jim and Norman about Ivy and what he did to her when he was a little kid.

Norman: Just don't tell her who you are

Jim: Yeah but she is gonna find out sooner and later

Charles: Can't stop thinking about her. She looked like a witch then and looks like an angel now

Norman: I guess it's karma for the way you treated her

Jim: Norman? What are you saying?

Norman: Just joking man

Charles: Norman is right. I guess I get what I deserved. Maybe I can tell her that I am a different person from the boy I was 7 years ago :)

Jim: That is just wishful thinking mate. I know a best way. You have a PS3 right? Go buy yourself a new video game. That will keep your mind off her. I think your old mate Brady is right mate. Forget about her. Better yet. Hook up with some of the other chicks from your old school. That should help.

Five minutes later, Charles went offline. He went down to the lounge and set up his video game console. He played some video games. He wanted to stop thinking about Ivy. Even while playing Mortal Kombat for just an hour, he could only briefly stop thinking about Ivy. He hated it that his feelings for her were very strong.

For more than a week, Charles hadn't spoken to Ivy. He never text her. She never text him. He had also never seen that much of her in town. The town was small, but that was only in regards to its population. Land-wise, the town could fill in ten times the number of the people living in it now. He managed to get hold of some of the other town girls' numbers from Brady and Pete.

Charles had gone out on so many dates. His mom was glad for him. He often took the girls out to the diners or the movies. Unfortunately for him, there were no malls in Constantinople's Lot. But whether there were or weren't any malls in Constantinople's Lot, that never stopped him from making out with at least two girls whom he dated. There were always those empty beaches.

During the day Charles would diligently work in his mom's shop. He would stock up the shelves with all kinds of electronic items or household items. He would also soaked cloth to wipe out the dusts off the shelves so that dirt didn't build up.

The only guy who ever visited Charles in the shop during the day was Thomas. Brady, Pete and Alex also had day jobs. Charles often met the other guys when they were all going out for their breaks. They would hook up at a diner. Sometimes they ate at the first diner he ate at – The Crusaders. Brady introduced the waitress to Charles and told her that he was indeed from their hometown but left it when he was seven. The waitress's name was Marlene. Marlene was a lot nicer to Charles once they got better acquainted.

It was sometimes after work where Charles would meet up with Brady and the rest of the gang. They were just catching up to old times. If Charles and any of the guys didn't come to hang out at night, it was only because one of them had a date with a girl. When Charles hung out with Brady and the other guys, it was often at pubs where they would all play pool. Sometimes Charles spent the evenings in his house, either playing video games or being online and chatting with his other friends.

It was finally one night where he couldn't stand it anymore and started trying to ring her cell phone number. He really missed her and didn't care what Brady said. She didn't pick up the phone and so he left her a text message:

Haven't seen you in a long time. How are you?