#muse week

"Charlotte? What's wrong?" She looked up at her mother and she scowled. Nancy knew she hated being called Charlotte. She preferred Charlie. She didn't know how to answer her mother. "You don't seem yourself." The truth was she hadn't seemed herself since she was eight and here she was fifteen. That's a long time to not be yourself isn't it? She shook the thoughts from her head and just as she was about to speak her seventeen year old sister did. "Maybe she's just tired. If you stop harassing her then maybe she'd be back to herself." She saw Delilah shoot her a small smile which she returned. "That doesn't make any sense. Charlotte are you---" She never got to finish her sentence because Charlie got up from the dining room table and she ran to the nearest bathroom. Before she really realized what had happened she was throwing up. A few moments of being in the bathroom and she heard a knock.

"Just a minute!" She managed to get out. "It's me Char.." She heard her sister's voice and she cleaned herself up. She wasn't sure if her mother was there too and if she was she didn't want to give her anymore questions. She opened the door and she looked at her older sister. "I don't feel well. Can I sleep in your room?" She heard her mother come up. "That won't be necessary. You have your own room and your own bed." Before her mother could continue Delilah helped her get upstairs and she took her straight to her room. "Thank you." Charlie smiled lightly as she was put into the smaller bed mostly used for when Delilah had company or for times like this. "I got you." Was the last thing she remembered Delilah saying before she slowly drifted off to sleep not knowing exactly what was wrong with her. She hoped to find out the following day.

Waking up the following day she was back in her own room. She was confused as hell but she didn't have time to make sense of it. Before she could fully wake up she felt sick. She got up and made her way to the bathroom between her room and Delilah's and within moments she was getting sick. Luckily she'd shut and locked the door just before she fell to her knees in front of the toilet. At least she'd made it. That was something she'd cared for. The last thing she needed was to have to clean up a mess before school. Once she was sure she was done she started the shower and within a few moments she was standing underneath the water. She stood there for what felt like hours but in no time she could hear Delilah banging on the door. She scowled under the water but she finished up and shut the water off.

A few moments later she was wrapped in one towel with another around her head. Quickly she made her way out of the bathroom. "It's all yours." She headed back to her room and she got dressed as quickly as possible. Just as she was finishing with her boots he came in without even knocking. "You're dressed already?" he asked. Arching a brow she didn't even look up. "I have school." She moved to stand and he caught her arm. "No you don't. Your mom is gone to work and your sister can drive alone." She pulled her arm free and without looking at him she sighed. "I have two tests today and an exam to study for. I have to go." She grabbed her bag and she headed for Delilah's room almost knocking her over as she came out. "I was just about to come get you." Delilah looked up at their stepdad before looking at Charlie. "Are you ready?" Charlie nodded.

"I can take her to school." he answered. Charlotte grabbed Delilah's hand and she pulled her sister down the stairs. "That won't be necessary." She called back. The two of them went out and got into the car they shared. "Don't even worry about your seat belt. Let's go." Once they were away from the house she sighed. "Can you go into the drugstore for me? It's for class but I don't want mom thinking it's for something else but I need a pregnancy test." Delilah gave her a dirty look but she pulled into the parking lot and walked in. When she finally came out she had two different kinds. "You never specified so I got two kinds." she sighed. "Thank you." She took the tests and put them in her bag. "Coffee?" she asked. She knew she wouldn't have to ask her sister twice. Once they got there she didn't want one. She wasn't in the mood for one even though that was unusual.

Once at school she saw a few friends on her way to the bathroom. Once inside she locked herself into a stall where she took both tests. She waited the three minutes and she nearly fell over. They both came back positive. "Fucking hell..." She put them in her bag in a bag and she walked out of the bathroom like nothing happened. She went about her day like nothing happened and she asked her sister for some money. She would pay her back but it was enough to get a one way bus ticket to New York and some snacks for the trip. She knew that it wouldn't take long for her mother to figure out she was pregnant so she bought the ticket for the Friday evening. She'd get to spend a few more days with her sister and she'd have enough time to figure out what she wanted to take with her. She just wanted to tie up a few loose ends.

When Friday afternoon came Delilah wanted to break free to go with her friends Charlotte said no. Charlotte begged and convinced Delilah to stay. She told their mother they were going to dinner and a movie. A sister bonding experience. And then Charlotte was being dropped off at a friends. It took a little convincing but the girls were teenagers so eventually Nancy told them to have fun. Charlotte put her stuff in the trunk of the car that morning after their mom and stepdad had gone to work. She'd even saved her sister's phone number in a burner phone and put the info in Delilah's phone when she wasn't paying attention. She labeled herself as homework buddy #3. Once they left they did go get food but that's when she sprang it on her. "Hey Delilah. I have something major to tell you." She bit down on her lower lip while they sat in the car after eating.

"I'm going to New York. Tonight. I found our dad. He's alive and well and as far as he knew we didn't want him in our lives." She paused. "And I have to go. I can't wait." She bit down on her lower lip. "Why can't you wait?" She looked at Delilah. "Your niece or nephew." she admitted. Delilah arched a brow. "Look. I don't have a boyfriend or anything. The baby's father is someone you know." she added. "Who the hell is it?" She could tell Delilah thought it may be one of her friends. "It's not one of your friends if that's what you're thinking." She bit down on her lower lip. "He lives with us." It didn't take Delilah but a few moments before she was hugging her sister. "Don't tell them you know. Just. When they ask why I'm not coming home tomorrow say you don't know. I'll be in touch. Just say you dropped me off at Sami's house. I'll be fine." They hugged again.

They made it to the bus station and Delilah gave Charlotte some spending money. "Let me know when you make it. I love you." They hugged and Charlotte boarded her bus. She found a seat with her bags and she sat comfortably. Another thing Delilah got her on the way was a neck pillow. As the bus pulled away she waved to her sister and she put ear buds in with music. She left her old phone behind. She had the contacts she wanted in the burner. She also managed to get her sister's old iPod and she downloaded a ton of music and some games to play offline. While they were out she bought two chargers and she had two already so hopefully she'd be able to stay charged with the iPod and the burner phone. She managed to text her sister a good bit while on the way to New York and she found out that her mom and step dad were going crazy looking for her and Delilah was pretending to be distraught.