Charlie's Gone

"Damon killed Luke's sister?!" Nessa asked with widened shocked eyes," Then why is he not in prison?! Why is he still walking about as a free man?! Because he has money and power doesn't mean he can escape justi-!"

"Seriously, keep your voice down," Aimee tore a page from the book in her hold instantly, stuffing Nessa's mouth with the paper.

"Ummm?" came her muffled protest.

This revelation made her blood boil. Why should rich people keep getting away with their crimes just because they had power? It was partial!

"I meant figuratively!" Aimee clarified, her eyes darting around the hallway carefully, "Don't get me into trouble" she hit the dumb Nessa on the back of her head.

"Ouch, I've heard you already," She pouted when Aimee hit her again. Was she a gangster or what? 

By the way, did she misunderstand the whole thing? Thank God she didn't say that to Damon's face else she'd have been roasted to death.

"Fine, I'm sorry" Aimee apologized to her. 

"It's not your fault," Nessa said, understanding that she had been so loud her friend had no choice but to do that.

"So what happened? How did Damon kill Luke's sister?" She briskly added with a knowing wink, "Literally"

"Well," Aimee started, "Luke's sister, Naomi, was in love with Damon, yet he didn't reciprocate her feelings. According to rumors, it's said that Damon played around with her emotions, giving her false hope until the truth dawned on her- He was never in love with her.

"Unfortunately, Naomi had fallen so madly in love with him she couldn't take the rejection. She attempted several suicides which were aborted by Luke's timely rescue. Naomi was so depressed she tried everything possible to end her life - she did drugs, you name it. News has it that she's currently in a rehabilitation center hence the reason Luke loathes Damon" 

By the time Aimee was done recounting the story, Nessa had stilled. How could Damon be so cruel? He not only broke Naomi's heart but Luke's as well! It was no wonder the boy hated him. If it was her, she would give Damon hell on earth - but thank God it wasn't her, 

"It must be hard for Luke to see Damon at school every day. How does he put up with him?"  Nessa felt for him. 

"Don't know," Aimee shrugged, "Both of them are rich and powerful. Also, their families are business partners so a rift cannot be afforded. So Damon and Luke have to be...at least civil to each other"

Nessa sighed," I hope karma visits Damon soon!" She said through gritted teeth yet her mood tired sour when she remembered Luke. Her heart melted instantly. Poor boy! No wonder he sleeps around with girls. It's his way of coping with all this shit; a means of escaping his unhappiness

Suddenly she glanced up, about to ask a question when she saw Aimee's face crinkle up in a smile which made Nessa uncomfortable

"Why are you grinning at me that way?" Nessa inquired when her friend's spooky grin became unbearable.

Aimee neared her, almost latching onto her side," You're falling for Luke, aren't you?"

"W-what?!" She choked," No way"

"Really" She raised her brow, "Then why do you get so worked up when it comes to him?"

"I'm just concerned about him, alright?" Nessa explained animatedly, "Besides, Luke is not my type of guy" She found her locker and worked on the combination while Aimee leaned against the next locker, facing her.

"Tell me something I don't know, what's your type of guy?" There was a teasing grin across her feature.

"A guy who doesn't fuck anyone that wears a skirt. "

"Congratulation Nessa, you're not from the planet earth," Aimee said in a whisper, "Guys are cheating scumbags -"

"Which is why you don't want to fall in love with one, isn't it?" Nessa shook her head and placed a hand on Aimee's shoulder with a sympathetic stare, "Who hurt you, Aimee?"

Her friend snorted, swatting her hand away, "I'm just giving you the easier route than a path filled with disappointment and heartbreak"

"I just need a faithful boyfriend who I would love with all my heart, is that too much to ask?" Nessa kicked the air, agitated.

"Unless you can find an Al robot designed to love or a guy cursed to love one mate forever like some damn werewolf, then yes, you're asking for too much," Aimee concluded.

"I might as well remain single," She shut her locker," Forever"

"Fine" Aimee acquiesced, "Both of us, single, forever," she pressed their head together dreamily, "It would be so great growing old with each other," 

"What a great imagination," Nessa rolled her eyes and the girls left for their next class together.

Classes went by slowly as if the time crawled, unlike when they were having fun. But the gossipers made it a bit livable for Nessa by not bullying her. Now, they were busied with the confrontation between Damon and Luke; the attention was shifted from her.

By the time Nessa returned home that day, the only thing she wanted to do was close her eyes and sleep till Saturday, but of course, the universe had other plans for her.

"Charlie! Charlie!" Adrian's shrill scream reverberating throughout the house kicked the sleep from her eyes.

Damn you, Adrian!

Nessa dragged her butt off her bed to go see the cause of the commotion but Adrian shoved her roughly to the side on her way down.

"Hey, watch it, man," she cautioned him but the person in question ignored her.

Instead, he crouched down and peered under the sofa, searching for God knows what.

"My God! Charlie's missing. Do something, Nessa!" He burdened her with a task without even acknowledging her presence. Was she Supergirl or what?

"Just search carefully, I'm sure he's hiding somewhere." She told him calmly.

Adrian raved, "It's been fifteen minutes since he went missing. I've turned the house inside out but still no Charlie!"

Nessa smirked, "if he's not here, then he must be out there somewhere." She tilted her forward, gesturing to the outside.

Adrain gasped, "No way, Rex would kill me! He might cut off my precious hair if I don't find charlie"

Thank God he knows that. 

Her brother suddenly grabbed her hands, "Nessa, you gotta help me. Save my life" he added dramatically, "And my hair" 

"Eww, no way," Nessa snorted in disgust, slapping his hands away, "Why am I the only one suitable to go around the city searching for Charlie while you remain at home doing what exactly?" 

"Awaiting his return," he said.

Nessa gave him a dirty look.

"Who knows? He might decide to return home and someone needs to be here to give him a warm welcome"

"You're hopeless," she muttered and turned to leave for her room but her brother grabbed onto her leg, "Please Nessa"

"Let go!" She shouted at him," If your fans were to see their Almighty Adrian on the floor, I wonder what they would think?"

But Adrian shamelessly pleaded as she dragged him with her since he refused to let go of her leg.

"Please, Nessa, just this once" he pleaded.

"No, that was what you said the last time. I'm not falling for that again" She grinned evilly.

"Nessa, Charlie is new here. He could be wandering about searching for the house and praying in dog language that we would come and find him" Adrian said.

As much as she wanted to torture him, her brother's words got to her. She tried to imagine Charlie hiding under a walkway bench in fear of people stamping him to death. He must be confused and afraid.

He continued, "What if while trying to find his way back home, a car hits him? You do know this is the city and there are cars everywhere" Adrian let go of Nessa's leg, now placing the hand on his chest dramatically, "He could be smashed into a paste by the car tiles"

Nessa winced, envisioning the scene.

"His last thought would be of us, 'why didn't we come to save him? He thought we loved him?' Then his sad eyes would close in dead. A lonely single tear would slip down from his -"

"Fine, end it! I'll go find him" Nessa was getting mentally tortured by Adrian's dramatic narration.

"I promise to be good and never call you names again for doing me this great favor" he pledged with his right hand raised.

Nessa said indifferently, "Don't get your hopes high, there's a probability I might not find him."

"Don't give up, Nessa. I know you can do it," Adrain motivated her to her surprise.

Well, her brother was a sly fox. He just said this because he wanted the dog back else Rex would kill him. They all knew how much the little boy liked the dog.

And that was how Nessa ended up searching through alleys, holes, and dump bins, in the name of looking for Charlie. 

She had almost given up hope when she saw a ball of golden fur carelessly strolling the main road while a truck was coming in his direction at a high speed.

The driver was probably distracted else he would have hooted his horn and chased Charlie off. This was the end! Nessa knew even if she tried to run, there was no way to get there in time.

Just when she decided to close her eyes, unable to view his painful death,  someone reached out and rescued the dog before the truck could hit it.

Nessa gasped, that was so close. Her heart slammed wildly against her chest and her palms were clammy. What would she have said to Rex? That she watched his dog die? 

"Thank you for rescuing my dog..." Nessa froze when Charlie's rescuer turned in her direction and her heart missed a beat.