Chapter 25
Gorgeous
Later that week, Charlie comes home and he is not alone. I am very surprised, but it is not Karen who walks up the front steps with him.
No, it is Ronaldo! I am surprised.
I suppose Ronaldo must have the day off from sailing. Sure enough, I never hear the yellow bus rolling into the parking lot across the street.
It’s funny, but to see Charlie and Ronaldo together makes me realize that all of Charlie’s friends are girls. Kevin has several male friends who come over from time to time, to play video games or watch TV or eat Mom’s spaghetti. But Charlie has never had a boy over that I remember.
“Kevin?” Charlie calls out, from the foot of the stairs. But Kevin is not here. Charlie lets out the breath he’s been holding, and then shows Ronaldo where to put his sneakers, on the mat.
On the mat! Charlie lines his sneakers up too, nice and straight. Well, well, well. I’ve never seen that before. I think Charlie is acting very grown-up.
Charlie and Ronaldo make themselves a snack and then settle onto the green couch in the living room at the front of the house. They look very cozy, with a bowl of corn chips and a plate of peanut butter sandwiches between them. I jump up to sit behind Charlie on the back of the couch. His hand absentmindedly reaches up to scratch between my ears, and I look down at the boys.
“What’s your cat’s name?” Ronaldo asks.
“Lily. Isn’t she gorgeous?”
“Very much so.”
Well! I like this Ronaldo already. He has good taste.
“She has pretty eyes, doesn’t she?” Charlie smiles up at me.
“Oh, sure.” Ronaldo picks a pillow up off the floor and sticks it in the corner of the couch so he can lean back and face Charlie. “Although her eyes aren’t as nice as yours, Charlie.”
Charlie’s eyes flicker to the side, but he doesn’t turn his head. He just shrugs, acting like it’s every day of the week that a boy sits next to him on this couch in the living room and compliments his looks.
He doesn’t respond at all. I think he is frozen with Not-Knowing-What-To-Say.
But honestly, it is true. Charlie’s eyes are clear and kind.
They might—might—be even more attractive than mine. I can’t really say one way or the other, because I’ve never seen my own eyes.
Minutes go by. The faces of the boys glow, and I don’t think either one of them is really watching the TV, although they study it intently, as if they are learning something important and must listen very carefully.
The noise from the TV is quiet at times, and blaringly loud at others. I start to drift off to sleep.
Eventually I am startled awake by the whoosh of the front door. I look up to see Victoria and Aidan entering the house and taking off their shoes on the front mat. They stop short at the entrance to the living room.
This is their couch, their spot. The kissing spot.
“Are you kidding me?” Aidan whispers, sounding both annoyed and surprised.
Victoria smacks his arm. “Hi, Ronaldo,” she calls out. “Did Charlie offer you a drink?”
“Oh, yes,” Ronaldo answers. “Thanks. I have some iced tea. I’m all set.”
Aidan scratches his chin and nods at Ronaldo. “Hey, buddy. I’m Aidan. I’ve seen you around. You’re new, huh?”
“Yes.”
“You moved here from Mexico, or something?”
Ronaldo glances at Charlie, and they both crack a smile. “Noooo. No. I’m from Uruguay. My dad got transferred here for work.”
“Oh.” Aidan frowns. He looks like he has no idea where Uruguay might be.
Honestly, I have no idea either. It must be somewhere across the river.
When Victoria and Aidan have left the room to get their own snacks from the kitchen, Charlie breaks out into a big smile. I can tell he is trying not to burst out laughing. He probably finds Aidan’s reaction funny. Aidan thought he would have the couch all to himself forever? He thought wrong. Charlie turns to bury his face in the couch cushion until he can control himself.
“Sorry,” Charlie finally says. He clears his throat and sits up straighter.
“Charlie.” Ronaldo sits up and leans over the bowl of chips to put his hand gently on Charlie’s elbow. “Are you going to the dance at school next week?”
Charlie stares down at his arm, where Ronaldo is touching him. I see the shock in his eyes, the sheer terror. He doesn’t move. I don’t think he even breathes.
“What?”
Why is Charlie so nervous?
And it is only then that my nose twitches, and I realize I detect pheromones coming off of Charlie in waves. That never happens when Karen is here. It is almost as if maybe he wants—
I look up at Charlie. He has frozen at Ronaldo’s touch, his cheeks reddening.
Oh! I realize that I have missed something all along.
And—how strange that it never occurred to me before! This just gets curiouser and curiouser. But, of course. I see now that Charlie is interested in Ronaldo as a potential mate. It explains why Charlie has not showed any interest in Karen, other than as a friend.
Finally, Charlie takes a quick glance back up at Ronaldo. “I guess so. I went to the dance in the fall, and it was okay. So I mean, maybe.” He shrugs, and tries to smile. But he’s overwhelmed, and looks pained. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”
Ronaldo quickly pulls his hand back. “I was just wondering. It might be fun.” He quickly turns his face back toward the TV and settles again into the corner of the couch.
Charlie looks like he’s going to pass out. His face has gone pale. He’s too nervous to even respond.
C’mon, Charlie, I plead to him. You can do a little better than that. Come on! I get up and nudge my wet nose into his ear. But he doesn’t react. He’s as stiff as a board.
However, he does keep checking. Glancing over at Ronaldo sitting on our couch. As if he might be dreaming it.
Victoria and Aidan come down the hallway with their hands full of sodas and small bags of chips. They stop before turning to go up the stairs. “Charlie would love to go to the dance, Ronaldo,” Victoria says in a singsong voice. She grins at the boys. “Aidan is driving. You should come. We could pick you up. But I have to warn you: My brother’s a terrible dancer.”
She hops up the stairs on light feet. Charlie watches his sister. His mouth hangs open, but no words come out.
Aidan shakes his head before following her. “I can’t believe you stole my couch, man.” He raises an eyebrow and gives Charlie a look.
Charlie finally smiles.
Well! This is surprising, but at the same time, the humans continually impress me. It is a beautiful thing about humans, how advanced and complex they are. It seems I learn something new about them all the time.
* * *
It isn’t long before the front door swings open one more time. Kevin enters and drops his backpack on the floor. He reaches down to unlace his sneakers.
When he lifts his head and sees Charlie and Ronaldo on the couch, he freezes. Charlie and Kevin stare at each other for a long moment. Charlie is the first to look away.
Kevin stands up straight. “Charlie. Why are you sitting there watching TV? What about your homework?” He glances down the hall toward the kitchen. “And please don’t tell me you forgot to take out Gretel. Where is she? You knew I was going to be late getting home—have you walked Gretel yet?” Kevin makes his voice louder than it needs to be. He puts his hands on his hips and grinds his teeth.
“No,” Charlie mutters, eyes searching the floor. “I haven’t taken her out. I was just—”
“THEN WHY ARE YOU SITTING THERE? You’re so irresponsible. Don’t you care about your own dog?” Kevin’s hands clench into fists.
“C’mon,” Charlie says to Ronaldo, his voice breaking, “let’s walk Gretel.”
Ronaldo’s eyebrow arches up. “Right now?” He gestures toward the TV. I suppose their show is not over.
“Yeah.” Charlie stands and reaches out a hand to pull Ronaldo to his feet.
Ronaldo looks over at Kevin, puzzled. But Kevin doesn’t move or introduce himself. He just shakes his head, as if sickened at Charlie’s behavior.
The two boys walk down the hall to the kitchen, not talking. I hear the rattling of Gretel’s leash clicking onto her harness. Then the back door creaks open and slams shut.
I feel my eyes widen as I glare accusingly at Kevin. Just when we finally have a truce with the clever fox, now it is Kevin who sends Charlie fleeing from his own home?
I imagine Kevin as a black bear. Quiet until provoked. But then: fierce and unforgiving, roaring out orders.
No. No, no, no, no, no.
I don’t even know what I’m doing until I’m in action, leaping toward Kevin, my claws drawn. He is wearing shorts in this warm weather, and I draw blood as I slash his leg.
“HEY,” he howls, reaching a hand forward to swat me.
He catches only my fur as I run for my life, nails scraping on the wood floor. I manage to sprint to the study and hide under the couch. I hear Kevin’s heavy footsteps as he tromps around looking for me, but I’m squeezed up against the wall behind the sagging couch springs, where I am not reachable.
I stay there for hours. Angry. Seething. I am sick and tired of Charlie being mistreated. I’m glad I scratched Kevin. I’ve had enough! I refuse to apologize.