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What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?
Chapter 20

**November 18 2002**

Aaron stared out his hotel room window. He didn’t know what city he was in, and he didn’t care. Today was Charline’s birthday, he knew that she was turning 14 today. He also remembered promising her that he’d be there for her party and that they would go out somewhere special for dinner. So much for keeping promises. He envisioned himself walking up to her doorstep. When she answered he’d say “I promised, remember?” Then she would slam the door in his face.

He sighed. Nothing seemed to be going his way lately. Nick was right, all that partying was catching up to him and the tour was a drag. He kept reminding himself that even if he and Charline were still together, they would be separated right now anyway. But of course that didn’t comfort him.

Suddenly, he heard rapping on his hotel room door. “Aaron!” His mom barked, she had got stricter with him since he’d been going out and getting drunk every weekend. Imagine if she knew Charline was pregnant. She would probably lock Aaron up for the rest of his life.

“What?” He asked, not moving to answer the door and let her in.

“It’s time to get ready for you show! Hurry up!” She ordered, walking down the hall back to her room.

Aaron rolled his eye and reluctantly started getting dressed for his concert. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to perform – he did. It was just that he had lost all of his motivation.

**

“Charline!” Her dad called from the main floor. As usual, Charline was cooped up in her room, blasting music, sheltered from the rest of the world Shaking his head, he turned to Sophie. “Would you go get her?”

Sophie bounced up the stairs, glad she wasn’t in Charline’s position. Their parents had lost a great amount of trust and respect in her. At times, it seemed like they didn’t even like her anymore. For a second, before she knocked on her door, Sophie felt sorry for her. This was probably the reason that she hardly ever left her room anymore. Then she remembered, this sort of was Charline’s fault, she didn’t have to have sex with Aaron.

“Char?” Sophie said, gently knocking on the door. She heard Charline shut her music off, and soon her door opened.

“What do you want?” She asked coldly, hating the way everyone had been treating her lately.

“Dad wants you to come downstairs.” Sophie answered.

Charline scoffed. “Probably just to yell at me.” She started, speaking in a deep voice, obviously imitating her dad. “What in the hell possessed you to have sex at age thirteen? I hope you know you’ve ruined your life!!”

Sophie giggled at Charline’s impression. “You’re getting fat you know.” She observed.

“No kidding.” Charline retorted, getting ready to once again slam the door. She really wasn’t in the mood for her sister’s wisecracks, or her dad’s lectures for that matter. She had been feeling dizzy, sick and tired all day long.

Sophie ignored Charline’s sarcastic remark and continued with her initial reason for trotting upstairs and facing her. “I don’t know why Dad wants you to come downstairs, Char.” She sighed. “But I think it would be in your best interest to listen to him.”

Charline rolled her eyes and followed Sophie back down to the living room.

“Happy birthday, Charline.” Her mom smiled. She had taken the news better than her dad, and had somewhat forgiven Charline.

“Oh yeah, it’s my birthday today…” Charline trailed off.

“So, where do you want to go for dinner?” Her dad asked. Charline’s jaw dropped, just a few days ago he hadn’t let her go out with the family to a movie because he didn’t want people to know she was pregnant.

“You…you’re actually taking me out?” She stammered.

“Of course.” Her dad replied. “You’ll just wear a baggy shirt.”

“But I’ll look fat then!” She whined.

“Well, would you rather look fat or pregnant?” He asked sternly, taking out his coat. “Let’s go.”

**

“Alright, we’re gonna slow things down a bit.” Aaron announced. He was up on stage, obviously doing a concert. He winced as the music for the next song started, and of course the crowd went wild.

“I don’t know what to do, I can’t believe it’s true that you can make me feel this way…” He sang, and he felt his heart crack in half. He had performed this song in concert the day before, but the fact that today was Charline’s birthday made it that much worse.

He still thought about calling her back and begging her for forgiveness, but he knew there was no chance of her accepting it. She had moved on with her life, just like he should have. As he came to the chorus, a memory came back to him.

**Flashback – July 3 2002**

“Hey, Char.” Aaron smiled as he came into her bedroom. It was late afternoon, and the smell of Bob Carter’s cooking wafted throughout the house.

“Hi, Aaron.” She replied, closing her diary and spinner in her chair to face him. She grinned, and it lit up her face.

He sat cross legged on her bed and put his head in his hands.

Concern came over Charline’s face and replaced her innocent smile. “What’s wrong?” She asked, a little worried. The thought that he might be breaking up with her didn’t even cross her mind, she trusted him too much.

“Are you okay?” He asked her, Charline looked a little confused at that and came and sat beside him on the bed.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, about what happened the other night…” He trailed off, and she grinned.

“You’re a putz. That’s what this is about?” She laughed, he looked up and nodded. “Well you don’t need to worry, cause I love you and even if we don’t stay together forever, I’m glad you were my first.” She assured him.

“And you don’t need to worry because.” He took her hand and looked into her eyes. “Whatever happens, I’ll be there singing our song, right by yourside making sure everything’s alright.”

Their fingers intertwined, and Aaron leaned in to kiss her. They both wanted this moment to last forever.

**End Flashback**

Charline scoffed as she recalled Aaron’s pledge. He sure wasn’t here now, singing their song. She sighed, staring out the car window. Everything wasn’t okay either.

“Should we eat here?” Charline was pulled out her trance by her dad’s voice. They had just pulled into the McDonald’s parking lot.

“Sure.” Charline replied, not really caring. She wanted to go home and sleep. Her life had become a constant blur. Everyday, she woke up, went downstairs, ate breakfast, got the cold a shoulder from her dad, went back to her room and repeated the same routine before lunch and dinner. She rarely went out and Steph, Joce and Sophie had stopped asking her to join them whenever they did. It wasn’t so much that she was depressed, (though she was) it was just that she had been feeling really worn out lately.

Her family ate in silence, until her mom went out to their car and came back with a plastic bag.

Sophie smiled and started digging in the bag until she retrieved a small gift wrapped box with a card attached to it. “Open mine first.”

Charline snatched it away from her, wondering what she had up her sleeve. Opening the card she read: “Happy 14th Birthday, Char. Play it safe, love, Sophie ”.

Giving Sophie a strange look, she proceeded to unwrap her gift. “SOPHIE!!!” She yelled angrily when she was done. Sophie had given her a box of condoms.

Sophie laughed. “Well do you want something like this-“ She pointed to Charline’s stomach. “to happen again?”

Charline grumbled something in response, but no one heard it.

After she finished opening her gifts, she was relieved to get home and not have people staring at her. She climbed up the stairs to her room and hardly had enough engry to put her night shirt on and get into bed. She didn’t think she could take much more of this, but at least she wasn’t in school. As she fell asleep, she wished that she wouldn’t have to go through anything more.