I grip the bed post behind me, shock flooding my body. My hands shake and I drop the pocket watch and note. The note flutters to the floor, slipping under my bed. I leave it, sitting down at my vanity. I lean on the table top, putting my head in my hands. Only two people have called me love. One of them, I just saw today. It can't be Kaden though, and it can't be the other person, because the other person is dead. Charlie is dead. Charlie has been dead for over a month now. Charlie wouldn't let me think... My door icon beeps, opening swiftly. Crystal marches through and I just stare at her. Still in shock. I can barely process the signing she shoots my way through the haze of hurt and confusion.
"Hey Em, do you happen to have any- are you okay? What's wrong? Why is that thing on the floor over there? What is that?" She stops signing, strolling over to where I'd dropped the pocket watch. She gently picks it up, staring at it. She turns back to me, giving me a questioning look.
"It's... It's a pocket watch. It belonged to someone who was very close to me. Someone I loved." Her gaze grows soft, and she sits down on my bed, going over the details of the watch with her fingers.
"It's beautiful." I nod, going back to staring down at the desk top. I hear tapping, and look over to see Crystal hitting the bed post to get my attention. "Who was it?"
"I'd rather not talk about it." Crystal looks at the watch then back to me, thinking.
"I think you should. I won't force you to, but I think it'd be better to let it out than keep it all bottled up." I sigh, nodding again. Crystal gives me a small gentle smile. "We'll start small. Dip our toes in. If it starts to be too much just tell me. What was their name?"
"Charlie." I smile to myself, and Crystal giggles, excitedly signing back.
"How did you meet?"
"We lived in the same building. Since our parents were all gone all the time, we'd stay with Aunt Mary's Eldest daughter, Felicity. Before her assignment, that is. After Felicity's assignment, Aunt Mary had an accident, and she couldn't work anymore. We stayed with her after that, and when we got old enough to stay by ourselves, we still stayed to help her with the little ones. Charlie and I knew eachother for as far back as I can remember. We were inseperable. Char was really the only reason I stayed on to help Aunt Mary. I mean, don't get me wrong. I love her, but after I turned 15, I started to get a bug for adventure. I wanted to sail off and see if there was anything out there. Wanted to explore the underwater city of Shinrei. Charlie wanted to stay. That's what made us so good. Char was my anchor, and I was Char's float. We balanced eachother out like that." I ramble. I glance over at Crystal, and she's squinting at the floor. "You okay, Crys?" She nods, leaning down. I look closer and see the note peaking out from underneath my bed. My eyes widen and I lunge for it, grabbing it before she can. I cradle it, hidding it from her view.
"What is that, Em?" I stay silent, gaurding the note.
"We can bond more tomorrow. We have an entire lifetime for team building and feeling sessions. Go back to your room, Crys. Goodnight." I snap sharply. She sits there, shocked. "Get out. Go!" She scrambles off my bed and almost runs into the wall trying to open the icon. Once she gets through I lock it behind her. I head to my closet, grabbing a jolin, a small safe designed to only open when I want it to. I open it, imprinting my handprint and brainwaves into the programming of the device. I slide the note into it and close it, bringing the small round device in my pocket back into my room. I open a random empty drawer of my vanity, hiding the Jolin among the spair hair products. I close the drawer, locking it for good measure. I place the key in a compartment in the headboard of my bed, locking that too with voice command. I lay down, staring at the ceiling. I toss and turn for hours, but one thought keeps me awake until almost three in the morning. Is my Charlie still alive?
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