THE APOLOGY

     Faith didn't leave her room until the evening when she got really hungry she went into the kitchen to prepare something to eat. She wanted to eat a heavy dinner because she had skipped breakfast and lunch. She was surprised to find that the kitchen was sparkling clean. She had gotten recipes for her homemade jambalaya, so she brought out the ingredients and laid them on the kitchen table. 

       The kitchen door flew open and Charlotte saw her in the kitchen. Her eyes still indicated that she just woke up from sleep. She hesitated at the door before she came in. Faith ignored her and continued what she was doing. Charlotte went into the kitchen. 

       "Hi," she greeted Faith. 

      "Hi," Faith greeted her back and went back to what she was doing. 

      Charlotte went over to Ethan's part of the cabinet and started to bring out ingredients for making food too.  Each sorted her ingredients, ignoring the other person. Faith threw occasional glances at her, but Charlotte focused on her ingredients. 

        Faith eyed the turkey she took out from the fridge and was dressing. Charlotte was not only younger than her but also looks smaller and more vulnerable. Her skin was pale and she had large blue eyes, which were adorable especially when she smiled, her lips were small for her round face but stretch backwards to reveal her pronounced dentition when she smiled. In all, she was adorable. 

      She even looked even more vulnerable now that she was so quiet but it didn't creep Faith out it was almost unbelievable to Faith that Charlotte could be so quiet. She didn't hate Charlotte at all, but she didn't want to get very close. Getting close to Charlotte would mean getting even closer to Ethan and she was scared of what that closeness was going to bring. 

       She was also scared of another person getting into her life and leaving again, leaving another wound and when that wound heals, it would become a scare.  But, she regretted the way she had talked to Charlotte earlier that day. 

      She heat the peanut oil and seasoned the sausage and chicken pieces. Charlotte was dressing the turkey now. She went over to the cabinet to get her uncooked rice. When she came back, Charlotte was with her kitchen knife. She stood there staring at her for a while. 

       "That would be my knife," she finally said. 

      Charlotte raised her head and looked at her in confusion before what she had said dawned on her. She quickly dropped the knife. 

        "Oh, I'm so sorry..." 

         "No, I'm sorry." 

     Charlotte looked at her, her expression blank. Faith continued. She was finding it hard to say something. She had not found herself in this type of situation before. Having to apologise for telling someone to stay out of her way. But, she guesses it wasn't the message that was the problem, it was the way she had said it. 

       "I'm sorry for the way I talked to you last night, I shouldn't have been that mean." 

       Charlotte smiled brightly while still looking at the turkey.  "It's no problem, it had been forgotten." 

        "But...really." She started to sauté the sausage.  "I don't wanna be friends." 

        "Why...?" Charlotte seem to hesitate before she continued.  "Why are you scared of people coming close to you?" 

       "I think we should stop discussing at this point. Thank you for accepting my apology." 

       The kitchen door flung open and Ethan came  in. They both turned to look at him.