2008-03-04: Nobody Is Everything

Starring:

Cam_icon.gif Charlotte_icon.gif

Summary: A lesson in growing up different.

Date It Happened: March 04, 2008

Nobody is Everything


Central Park

Cam has retreated into a remote area of the park, where he doesn't expect to run into anybody. He sits on the ground against a tree, coat off and beside him, playing on a Sony PSP. Most likely not his, given the name Jason is engraved on it, with a telephone number.

"Hey, it's still chilly out here." Truth be told, Charlotte was out here with a bag of hot chesnuts - they make her sick as anything sometimes, but there's just something so right about wandering through New York eating a bag of hot chestnuts from a street vendor. Something so very appropriate about the whole thing.

Cam jumps slightly, looking up to the voice. He relaxes a little as he sees who it is. "Hi. Sorry I didn't believe you last time." Then he answers, "It's not that cold."

Charlotte cocks her head to the side, curious as to his greeting. "You might get sick." She warns, but she's not his mother. Or…rather, you know. Guardian. So she won't force the issue much. "Didn't believe me?" She asks, stepping a bit closer, pulling her own coat a bit tigther. She really doesn't like the cold much.

Cam isn't showing the slightest sign that the cold is bothering him. Not a shiver. He shakes his head, "When you said Niki lost her memory? I didn't believe you. Then she came and told me herself. And Micah. Been wanting to say sorry since."

Charlotte smiles softly, dimples perking up in her cheeks. "Thanks." Hey, at least someone believes her now. "But she's better now, has she been to see you guys?" She asks, stepping closer to the boy and crouching down to be closer to his level. "She said she would be by."

Cam blinks at that, brightening, "She is? Awesome." Then he shakes his head, "I'm not staying there anymore. Saw her at the hospital right before they took me to another foster family, but she still didn't remember anything then." He puts his game down for the moment.

Charlotte frowns, hugging her knees as she remains crouched. Out of habbit, her doe-brown eyes search over the boy, looking for signs that he's hurt. "At the hospital? What were you doing there?" Because, you know, that isn't a place for healthy people.

Cam grins and says, "Stupid school furnace was on too high. I don't do too good in the hot, I kinda got sick from it." He frowns then and says, "Niki was away at work, couldn't get in touch with her, and Monica never really wanted me around anyway. So, they took me to a new family after I got out."

Charlotte nods, sitting down on her butt so that she's sitting beside him, cross legged. She offers a chestnut. "I'm sorry. How do you like the people you're with now, the new family? Are they treating you alright?"

Cam smiles and takes the offered chestnut, "Thanks." He eats it and then shrugs a little at the question, looking at the ground. "They're ok, I guess. They let me stay out as much as I want, as long as I'm home by curfew. But… they got tons of rules, and they make me go to church. And… they don't…" He has trouble finding words for what he was about to say, and just trails off.

Charlotte understands that living with Niki's family made him survive in a different lifestyle, probably a crazy one. Living in a mundane life might be strange. "Church, huh? My mom made me go to church for a few years, but she's a little….insane." Just a smidgen. "They don't what?" She smiles, those dimples are there again. A hand is offered, in it the bag with more chestnuts. Eat up, growing boy!

Cam accepts the nuts with another soft, "Thanks." He's quiet for a moment, eating them while trying to find the words. Finally, he says, "Niki understood me. They don't."

Charlotte pops another nut into her mouth, chewing on it thoughtfully as she watches the boy's expression. "I know it might sound crass, but living with people that don't understand you….that's life." She chuckles, smirking at the boy and winking playfully. "We all hated where we lived at some point, and we're all misunderstood in some way or another. Your way is just a little more….tangible than most kids who go through a black clothes and chains period." She's trying to be playful, to cheer him up.

Cam bites his lip, hugging his knees up to his chest as he looks back up to Charlotte again. "It is?" He glances to the ground and says, "It's just so hard, keeping things secret and following their rules and everything." Then he adds, with a bit of a grin, perhaps cheering up from Charlotte's playfulness after all, "At least I can fool them when I lie to them. Never could fool Niki."

Charlotte chuckles. "And that is the most important part about being able to survive with older folks. Parents, guardians, whatever. Just be smart about your lies, hmm?" She crumples up the empty bag and sticks it into her pocket. "It's always going to be hard, Cam. It's why you'll have friends like Micah, to talk to about other things you're going through, things you can't discuss with people not like you." Be it age group, or race.

Cam nods a little to that and smiles again, "I never thought of it like that. Thanks." That little bit of advice seems to have cheered him up some anyway.

Charlotte nods. She did a good thing! Insides are blooming. "You're welcome. Not that I'm trying to tell you to ignore your guardians or anything. Really, don't do that." Cause that would be irresponsible of her, to suggest that. "Just…no one is everything. Adults aren't always going to understand, kids aren't always going to agree or be able to make things work. Some people are going to understand, some aren't, and some are never going to know. That's just life, from my experience anyway."

Cam nods a little again and says, "Ok. I won't. Ignore them, I mean. I… I'll try to remember that. And I'll talk to Micah too," he adds. "Need to go visit him anyway."

Charlotte nods softly. "I need to do that as well." Poor Micah needs a visiting parade! "Listen, Cam…I'm going to give you my number." She hands him one of those Pinehearst cards with her cell phone number on the back of it. It's easier that way. "If you need anything, even just…someone who understands about this sort of life, just let me know, okay? Call me whenever you need. I work for a biotechnical company, it's not like I sleep anyway," she teases. Mostly teases.

Cam takes the card and looks it over. Then he nods quickly and smiles up to Charlotte again as well, "Thanks. I'll call if I need anything, promise. Say hi to Niki for me too."

Charlotte nods, pushing to her feet and dusting off her rear. "I will." If ever she sees the blonde…it's kind of strange that she hasn't seen her in almost a week and a half. "Take care of yourself, alright? Don't catch cold." She adds with a little wink before turning to walk away.

Cam grins up to Charlotte and says, "I won't." He waves, watching her a moment and then picking up the game system again and starts to play it once more.

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