The Anniversary

Carl stiffened. He knew his father had gone in to the school and told them about the assault against Carl’s wishes but Toby had wanted something for Carl, even if it was a suspension. To hear there was video of Jason swinging at him with a bat put it in a different perspective. There was no way Jason could wriggle out of that.

But he still froze.

“I can’t.”

“You have to, Carl. The school is taking it seriously. Something like this is going to get Jason into serious trouble.” Charlotte sat back. She looked like the bearer of bad news and, to Carl, she was. “Mr Robinson asked me to speak to you. He said he’ll give you until Monday to think about it. They’re going to the police anyway but they would like you to put forward your side.”

“If they’re going to the police anyway why would they need me?”

“Because it’ll make it easier to expel Jason and put him in jail for assault. He’s eighteen so he’s classed as an adult. Assault is hard time and the viciousness of the attack means years, not months and not probation.”

Unless he had a really good lawyer, Carl thought. Knowing his luck Jason would walk away with virtually no sentence. He could see it happening. And he knew that Jason would go after the one person who put him there: Carl.

“And what makes you think there won’t be reprisals?” He demanded. “That people aren’t going to be hurt by this?”

Charlotte sighed. Then she sat forward and hit him on the head. It nearly knocked Carl out of the booth. A few people looked around at the slap but then went back to what they were eating. They probably thought Charlotte was his girlfriend and he had said something she took offense to.

Carl straightened up and rubbed at his head. He was glad it wasn’t the side with his stitches Charlotte had hit. While the bandage had come off, his head where he had been hit was still delicate. He glared at her.

“What the hell was that for?”

“Carl, stop thinking about other people and how they’ll be affected and what they’ll do. Focus on yourself. You were attacked. You could have been put in a coma or even killed. Head injuries are not to be brushed under the rug. You can’t let him walk away from that.” Charlotte jabbed at the table with her finger, her eyes flaring angry fire. “Think about what’s right and not what other people feel about it.”

Carl realized she had more passion about what had happened than he did. And she was right; he was brushing it under the rug. He didn’t want to deal with it because the consequences would be Jason’s friends coming after him, people calling him a snitch and he would be beaten up even more.

But then he thought about Jason’s sneering face. If Jason got away with it he would still be in Carl’s face, taunting him and waiting for another time to pounce. Carl had been taught that all actions had consequences and severe actions needed to be dealt with regardless of anything else.

He looked down at his plate and sighed.

“Okay, I’ll think about it.”

Charlotte grunted.

“That’s the least I could expect.”

They ate in silence for a while, demolishing the rest of the pizza between them. They didn’t really need to speak; they had known each other since grade school and they were comfortable around each other. Carl knew everything about Charlotte and vice versa. He had never felt this comfortable around a girl before. Charlotte was his closest friend and he cherished what they had, even when she was being annoying and teasing him like crazy.

Charlotte snagged the last chicken wing and bit into it, smearing barbecue sauce all over her face.

“So, are you going to meet Louise tonight?”

Carl smiled. Ever since Louise had texted him details about their meet-up he had been feeling a slight spring in his step. For the first time in his love life it was going in the right direction.

“Yes. We’re going to meet at the park and hang out for a while. Then we might walk to the diner nearby and have something to eat.”

Charlotte sighed and placed a hand to her chest.

“So romantic.” She cooed, her eyes laughing. Carl rolled his eyes.

“We’re just chilling. It isn’t a date. As such.”

“Well, have fun with that. You deserve it after this week.” Charlotte glanced across the room. She stiffened, her chicken wing halfway to her mouth. “Carl, who’s that guy who keeps looking at us funny?”

Carl looked around. He saw the middle-aged man sitting at a nearby table, just within earshot. He was staring openly at Charlotte, a leering expression on his face. Carl groaned.

“Oh, great. That’s Mike, Dad’s brother.”

“Your uncle Mike?”

Carl growled.

“Anyone who treats people who aren’t white the way he does doesn’t deserve to be called uncle.”

Charlotte lowered her chicken wing and wiped her fingers on her napkin. Carl noticed that she was trembling.

“He’s giving me funny looks. I don’t like it.”

Carl glared at Mike, who kept staring at Charlotte. Charlotte always got looked at because she was a pretty girl and always drew a man’s eyes but she had never gotten uncomfortable when a man looked at her. If Carl didn’t know Mike he would have trusted Charlotte’s instincts.

He wiped his hands on his napkin and stood.

“Let me deal with him.”