saved

by Claire C., 17

Bridget sighed as she hung up her landline phone. Her friend, Charlie, did not understand why she had to cancel the plans they had to go to dinner. Even after Bridget explained that the handle to her apartment door had fallen off and she was now locked in her apartment until her landlord could come and break her out. She reassured Charlie that she had food and water and that her landlord would have her out by 10 the next morning.

Charlie was still concerned and insisted he could help, but Bridget told him to not worry and that they would get together the next day.

However, 2 hours later, Bridget heard a soft yelling out of her window.

“Is that Charlie?”

It sounded like the familiar voice was calling her name. Bridget stood from her plush bed and walked to her window. Standing on the brick sidewalk below her window was Charlie.

“Bridg–oh, Hi.” He gave a goofy smile. “I came to save you!”

“Charlie! I don’t need you to save me! I’m totally fine! Besides, there is no way for you to get inside!”

Charlie adjusted his blazer and looked up at Bridget. His brown eyes looked golden as the sun started to set behind him, casting a halo around his head.

“Sure, there is!” His eyes scanned the outside of her building. “I can climb up this!” He said gripping the drainpipe. “It’s only two stories.”

“No Charlie, it isn’t strong enough to hold you!”

But it was too late. Charlie had already started climbing up towards her window.

“Hi.” He said with a smile and popped his head through the window. But now there was a new problem. Bridget’s window could only open halfway, not leaving enough room Charlie’s shoulders to fit through.

“Um,” Charlie’s eyes scanned Bridget’s bedroom. “Hand me that paperweight.”

Bridget passed him the cement rock-shaped paperweight from her desk. He pulled his head out of the window and proceed to smash it until there was a hole big enough for his body. Charlie squeezed through the window and stood on Bridget’s carpet.

“See, I fit.”

He set the paperweight back on her desk.

“My window!” Bridget said looking at the broken glass and crooked window frame in her room.

“This didn’t even help, Charlie! You just got yourself in! Now we’re both stuck!”

“I have a plan for that too.” He said smiling. “Do you have an axe?”

“Charlie, no! Just stay and let’s wait for my landlord to get here.”

“But that could take all night.” Charlie started walking around and searching the room for something to beat down the door with. He lifted a book up–“too little”–he set it back on the shelf. Then he examined a footstool–“too fragile.” He walked over to her bar stool.

“Do you think this could work?”

“I don’t know, Charlie.”

“Well, let’s see.”

He lifted the stool and aimed it at her thin, wooden door. Charlie let out a Viking-like yell and ran toward the door, using the barstool as a battery ram. The door started to crack a small bit in the center. Charlie backed up and hit the door again. It cracked even more.

“Charlie!”

He continued to hit the door until finally, it splintered in half.

“My door!”

“I told you I would get you out!” He gave the same goofy smile.

“I told you I didn’t need your help!”

“I don’t mind helping.”

He turned around and stepped through the hole in the door.

“Hello, sir.” Charlie started talking to someone on the other side of the door.

“Who are you talking to?” Bridget poked her head through the hole in the door. Her
landlord stood there, holding his toolbox in his hand.

“Oh. Hi.” She said awkwardly.

“We’re sorry about the mess, sir. We just wanted to go on our date.” Charlie smiled.

“I’ll fix this.” The landlord grumbled and walked back down the hallway.

“Her window is broken too!” Charlie yelled at his back.

“Yeah. Okay.” The landlord mumbled.

“I told you I could save you.”

Charlie grabbed her hand as they started to walk down the hallway. Bridget rolled her eyes.

“I told you I didn’t need saving.”
 
Downingtown, Pennsylvania