Fan Fiction |
by Sensitivegal
The next day Charlene had drippy nose and the coughs. She felt awful and she looked awful. She didn’t know how she got the flu all of a sudden. The weather outside was sunny and hot.
She remembered what happened yesterday. On the way out of the law firm it had poured with rain. She must have got the flu from yesterday, she thought miserably. She sneezed. Great!
***** Flash Back *****
Charlene held on to Edison’s arm while she guided him back to the car. It was their luck that it was raining. Because of Edison’s limping it was taking time for them to get to the car.
‘Charlene,’ Edison whispered into her ears.
Charlene jerked back from the softness of his voice and the warmth of his breath. She stopped walking making him halt as well. ‘What is it?’ she quickly said trying to hide her feelings.
He stared at her. Then shook his head. ‘Nothing,’ he said.
Charlene frowned. ‘You know I still can’t believe that Selina gave you alcohol. And I can’t believe you drank all of it!’
‘It wasn’t much,’ he said. ‘It’s not like I'm drunk.’
Charlene’s frowned deepened. Her forehead creased. She could tell that he was a little tipsy but she didn’t mention it. ‘Why don’t we get in the car?’ She tried to move him forward but he stood there like a statue.
‘Can I ask you something?’ he said.
‘Yes. What is it?’
‘Don’t you love me?’
Charlene froze up. She didn’t know if she should answer that. She loved him but she was afraid to have a relationship with him knowing there was a secret she had that he wouldn’t like.
‘Is it hard to love me?’ he carried on, too impatient to wait for her to reply. ‘I fell in love with you. Why can’t you love me?’
Charlene’s heart cried out for him as tears slid down his cheek. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘No,’ he yelled. He yanked his arm from her grip then used the back of the hand to wipe the tears away. ‘Don’t say sorry!’
Charlene sobbed silently. ‘I’m only doing this for you. You won’t understand now but you will soon.’
‘What won’t I understand?’ he spat. ‘Why can’t we be like before? Why can’t things go back the way it was?’
Charlene covered her face with both her hands. ‘Please,’ she begged. ‘Don’t.’
Edison calmed down just looking at Charlene. Guilt washed over him all of a sudden. He grabbed her into a hug. None of them cared that the rain had went heavier.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said over and over again.
***** End of Flash Back *****
A tear rolled down her cheek. How could life be cruel to her?
On Monday Charlene was still ill. She called in sick. She was glad she was ill. She didn’t have to see Edison that day, she told herself. She has an excuse. Hanging around him only makes her regret her decision to be only friends.
Edison couldn’t concentrate. He was in a middle of a big meeting. But instead of thinking of business, the last step to get Velcois Enterprise, he was thinking if Charlene was alright. He should have been careful on Saturday night. She must have caught the cold in the rain. It was his entire fault.
‘Mr. Chen?’
Edison snapped out of his thoughts. ‘Yes?’
‘I was saying that the shares of Velcois Enterprise are on the market. If you want to buy Patrick out then you have to buy them now.’
Edison looked at the grey haired man as if he spoke in a different language.
‘Are you alright?’ another grey haired man asked worriedly.
Edison shook his head. ‘I’m fine.’
‘You don’t seem fine,’ another board member said.
‘Why don’t we wrap it up?’ they suggested. ‘I think all the things we wanted to say is said. All you have to do is try to buy the shares and get that appointment.’
Edison nodded not caring. He was back in his thoughts as they left slowly. Gillian frowned it was unlike him to be distracted.
‘Would you like to take the day off?’ she suggested.
‘Hmm?’
‘Mr. Chen!’
‘Huh? What’s wrong Gillian?’ Edison asked.
Gillian stared at him wondering what was wrong with him. ‘Nothing. The meetings over. Would you like me to type the notes down?’
‘Yes.’
He was once again lost in his thoughts. What does Charlene mean by him not understanding the reason she won’t let them be an item?
Daniel sneezed.
Mel jerked away from the bed taking the laptop with him. ‘Man, try sneezing into the tissue next time,’ he said in disgust. He settled down on the table opposite Leo.
Leo was eating his breakfast that takes half an hour while the others had finished twenty-five minutes ago having only a light breakfast. Leo didn’t believe in having a small breakfast. That is the only time he would stop complaining about everything which both Daniel and Mel were grateful.
‘Sor–’ Daniel couldn’t finish his apology as he sneezed again this time into the tissue.
‘What a time to get hay fever!’ Mel said. His eyes were glued to the computer looking up for the person Charlene was with.
‘Itch not my fau–’ Daniel sneezed.
‘Where’s your medication?’
‘I didn’tch brin’ it width me.’
‘Go buy it then!’ Mel told him off.
At last Leo was finished with his half an hour breakfast. ‘It’s all that Charlene’s fault we couldn’t bring anything with us. We didn’t even bring a single thing with us!’
Daniel and Mel groaned. Their half an hour piece was broken.
‘I’m goin’ to the phama–’ a sneeze escaped him. He didn’t bother to finish his sentence. He grabbed his jacket and left Mel to deal with Leo’s complaining.
Charlene was feeling bad as ever. She needed to have some medication. She didn’t want to go to the pharmacies. It would mean getting out of the bed. She needed someone to take care of her. But sad at it was she didn’t have anyone to take care of her when she was ill. She stopped herself from thinking of her father.
She forced herself out of the bed. She tidied herself up but she still looked awful. Her short hair looked like it wasn’t brushed for years. Her clothes were creased up making her look old. She didn’t care. The nearest pharmacist was just around the corner. She put on her coat even thought the weather outside was hot.
Daniel stepped inside the pharmacist. His journey there was awful for him. All the way he kept sneezing. His nose was bright red. His eyes were watery and red. And he had a pocket full of tissues. He looked awful.
Charlene walked in two seconds later after the man in front of her. She couldn’t see his face as he kept covering it with his tissues. But something about him was familiar. She went behind the man in the queue. Only one old lady was in front of him.
Her thoughts wondered to what her three bodyguards were up to. She felt sorry for them. They are still looking for her and she knew that they were close by. She could just feel it.
The old women brushed past her making her snap out of her thoughts. The man went forward and spoke with the pharmacist. ‘Hi.’ Sneeze.
Charlene was going to giggle but she ended up sneezing too. The pharmacist looked at her while she whipped her nose. The man in front glimpsed back then back in front.
‘Can I have,’ he sneezes, ‘medicine for,’ he sneezes, ‘my hay fever, please?’
The pharmacist asks couple of questions before going at the back for the medication.
But Charlene was frozen up. The man in front was Daniel! She couldn’t move. She wanted to turn and dash out. A squeak escaped her mouth.
Daniel heard her. He slowly turned.