AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But she also seemed to be giving him more of a chance every single day. The dull look in her eye had faded, and Charlie finally thought she might be seeing him for who he was - not the comments Lauren had made under his name.
That chance had changed him.
About a week after their bowling night, Charlie and Violet were sitting at breakfast. She was telling him all about her plans for the Winter festival she had been planning.
Charlie was a little bummed he wasn’t going to be able to hang out with her that night. It made no sense because he should be used to lonely nights in his home, and yet, he could still feel his chest tighten as he thought about it.
Violet was interrupted by her phone going off. She grabbed it out of her back pocket and frowned.
“It’s a parent. I have to take this," she told him, before answering it. Charlie kept an ear on the conversation, hearing something about the Winter festival, and someone had cancelled.
As soon as Violet hung up, Charlie asked, “What happened?”
“Oh, nothing big," Violet answered, but the frown on her face said otherwise. “One of the parents who usually helps for the Winter Festival had to cancel. I’ll need to find a volunteer to replace them.”
“I can do it.”
Violet looked at him doubtfully. “I highly doubt you want to spend your evening surrounded by sixth graders.”
“I don’t mind," Charlie said. He didn’t mind kids and had wanted to hang out with Violet anyways. “Really. What do you need help with?”
“Charlie, I wouldn’t even ask Liv for this. It’s fine.”
“Violet,” he said, leaning forward. “I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t okay with helping.”
“But-“
“Come on. Please? Let me do something for once?”
“I’m staying in your house.”
“Yes, to see if we can get along. And part of that is letting me help you.”
Violet stared. “I would need someone to help with serving kids and families their food.”
“Perfect, I can do that.”
“Charlie, I know you feel like you need to make up for the past, but-“
“I’m offering because I like you and I want to help. Does it have to be anything more?”
Violet looked at him, exasperated. Then she must have seen he was being genuine because it faded.
“Okay, I can register you as a volunteer-“
“Yes!” Charlie said.
“You’re not going to feel this excited when you’re there.”
“I’ll feel how I want to. Honestly, I’m excited to see you in your element.”
Violet’s cheeks turned pink. “It’s not that cool.”
“I’ll decide that,” he said, smiling at her. And it was true. Violet had been working her ass off for this festival. He was excited to see what came out of it.
The festival was one day away. It only took Violet a few hours to sign him up as a volunteer, and once she did, it all felt real.
The night of the festival dawned a chilly and cloudy evening. Violet told him to meet her at her school at five, so he got off work early and arrived ten minutes before five. When he walked in, he was greeted by a receptionist who was signing in the other volunteers who had agreed to help.
