CHARLOTTE LEFT

     Faith sat there, listening to them and feeling she was the reason for their argument but Charlotte's last statement had got her thinking and she wondered who Charlotte was. She turned up the volume of her TV and pretended to be watching a program when she heard Charlotte talking leaving the room. 

  

 

   Ethan drew Charlotte back as she was about to go to the door. 

       "You want to walk away from me?" Ethan asked. 

   Charlotte was mute for a while, when she spoke, what she said had shocked Ethan. "I think I will have to leave for some time, maybe when you are over it all, I will come back." 

         "What?" 

     Charlotte went to the closet and started to remove her clothes from the hangers. Ethan stood there watching her, not knowing what to do nor say. 

       "Charlotte, can you tell me what went wrong? Tell me did I do anything you don't like? Did my roommate do anything to you?" he asked finally.

       Charlotte chuckled. "FYI, Faith and I are best friends now, so I can never leave because of her. She has been one of the reasons I had stayed back for a while now. Ethan, listen, you did nothing to me, you have done nothing wrong to me, you are the sweetest man I have come across and that is why I don't wanna hurt you... "

      "Hurt me! Hurt me! What is it all about? Why do you believe you would hurt me? Why not the other way round?" 

       "Because I'm not the one catching feelings!" Charlotte said. They remained silent for a while staring at each other, then Charlotte said, "I know, I know you think you are falling in love, but your feelings are not yet sorted out. I'm going to give you time and space to sort it out alright." 

      Ethan did not say anything, he went and sat on the bed, placed his elbows on his knees and supported his head with his hands. Charlotte didn't want to stay back, she stubbornly faced the closet, packed her clothes and started leaving. It was for everyone's good. 

     Faith turned up the volume of the TV again and lay down, pretending to be engrossed in the program. Ethan's room door clicked open and Charlotte came out with her travelling bag. She stopped when she saw Faith lying down there. Faith sat up on the chair, feigning surprise. 

       "Why are you leaving?" she asked. 

    Charlotte smiled. "I decided it's time to go see momma and bro." 

        "Oh, my, we are gonna miss you." 

        "I'll miss you guys too. Can you do me a favour?" 

        "Which is?" 

        "Take care of Ethan." 

        Faith wanted to say she didn't want things to occur between them and that they were minding their businesses, but Charlotte patted her shoulder, smiled at her and left. Faith stood there watching her until she left. 

         Something suddenly tugged in her heart. Another one leaving. She sat on her couch, still looking at the door where Charlotte left from. Why was she feeling that way?