I WAS JUST

Charlie shakily pulled himself up into standing position. He blinked his eyes rapidly, not believing what he had just seen. The trophey wasn't broken. It couldn't be broken! Don would kill him! Then, he would ban him from doing anything with him and the older boys for the rest of Charlie's natural existence. Yet despite how much Charlie willed the trophey not to be broken, it lay there shattered across the floor. Charlie felt his stomach drop as a wave of nausea hit him like, well, like a sack of bricks.

" Anybody home?" Don called up the stairs.

Charlie's head snapped in the direction of the door. He could hear Don walk cautiously up the steps. Suddenly the walls seemed to close in. He couldn't get out, he was trapped! Don was going to catch him and his life would be over! As a last ditch effort Charlie stooped down and picked up everything that glimmered in the dimming sunlight. Turning up he saw the door handle begin to twist open.

Charlie froze. His eyes scanned the room to find something, anything that could explain why he was there. Then his luck changed. He caught the large pile which consisted of Don's dirty, make that very dirty, laundry. It was the only choice he had. If he could tuck himself in a little tighter he could hide in the pile. Leaping for it he dived fearlessly into the pile. Crouching down he burried the upper half of his body in the clothes and pulled in his legs. He clutched tightly to the trophey pieces ignoring how wet his hands felt. He held his breath as the door opened. Don poked his head in and looked around. Opening the door a little wider he stepped into the room. At that second Mrs. Eppes opened the door to her bedroom.

" Donnie," she called out, " How was practice?"

Charlie watched his brother step back out into the hallway. He heard Don sigh and say, " Mom, could you please STOP calling me that. It's embarrasing. And practice is practice is practice. It never changes."

Charlie heard their mom laugh at the comment.

" Then why do you let your father call you that?" she asked amused by her older son.

Don seemed to be at a lost for words. In Charlie's mind, he could see his big brother standing their glaring at their mom. It was one of those rare oddities about Don. He could take on any smart aleck his age, but get him in front of their mom and he would shut down. One of these days, Charlie thought to himself, I'm going to figure out why.

" Well, I'm going down to make dinner," Mrs. Eppes continued, " Do you want anything special."

Don shrugged, " I don't care."

Suddenly Charlie realized his luck, that is his probable chances for a good outcome were lowering. He was going to be trapped in the room with Don, and there was no way he could get out of it.

Think, he ordered himself, Calculate something. It's what you...I'm good at. SO come on. Yet no matter how much he racked his brains he couldn't figure it out. Well, he could, but the only answer was that he was in word, doomed. Then the closest thing to a miracle happened.

" Don, could you carry the laundry basket downstairs. It's in the bedroom," his mom said. To Charlie it seemed as if she had read his mind.

He heard Don sigh in annoyance, but the older boy closed the door. He heard Don trudge through the hallway and then back. He listened to both Don's and their mother's footstep go down the stairs. For a moment he waited. Don could be back at anytime. The situation wasn't any better.

Move, Charlie's mind screamed, Probable or not it's the only choice you have!

Charlie pushed himself up. Cradleing the broken trophy he pulled open Don's door a flew into his own room. Dropping the remnants on the bed he bolted back in the hallway and looked downstairs. He could see the figures of his mom and Don in the kitchen. Breathing a small sigh of relief Charlie closed Don's door and walked back to his own room. He needed to think.

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