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Summary
Part Two, from “At the café...” to “...terrible mess now”
Content Warning: The below contains references to self-harm and abuse.
At the near-empty coffee shop, Charlie rings up a customer just as Julie walks in. Money has been going missing, and Julie insinuates that Charlie has been stealing from the register. Julie also sees Charlie’s arms for the first time and requires her to wear long-sleeved shirts because her scars could disturb the customers. Then Julie breaks down because the shop is empty, failing, and she doesn’t understand why. Riley comforts Julie, but he tells Charlie to wear long sleeves for a while and won’t answer any of her questions about the missing money. Later, Charlie and Riley go back to his apartment, where Riley passes out and Charlie finds his drug paraphernalia hidden under a floorboard. The next morning, Tiger Dean, one of Riley’s old bandmates, comes by to tell Riley that the band is holding a benefit concert for Luis Alvarez, a local musician who has cancer. Tiger reveals that Riley was married once, and he looks Charlie over, disapproving of her age, but not surprised to see her scars.
Soon after, Riley and Charlie get to True Grit early to have breakfast together, and he takes her to Julie’s office to have sex. Charlie resists at first but quickly gives in, and when they walk out after, it’s clear that Tanner and Julie have heard everything. After the breakfast and lunch rushes, Julie reprimands Riley, and Charlie runs home feeling humiliated. That night, Riley comes by to tell her that Julie plans to transfer her to the night shift to make it harder for him to spend time with her. When he finds her tender kit and seems shocked, she reminds him of his drug kit. They fight about this, and the fight gets physical. Riley leaves and Charlie spends the night curled up in the bathtub. The next day, Riley waits for her at work and tries to apologize, but they begin to argue again and Julie calls Charlie aside. Julie explains that her and Riley’s father beat them and that she will protect Riley forever. However, she also wants to try to help Charlie as best she can, so she moves Charlie to the night shift.
During her first night shift, Charlie is bombarded with questions and instructions from Linus and the night shift servers, Temple and Randy. True Grit has live music at night, which often draws a rowdy crowd that makes a mess and doesn’t tip well. Charlie finds the servers and their chatter overwhelming, but by the end of the night she feels lonely and wishes she could be part of their circle. Riley comes to collect her, and while she’s happy he’s there, she also knows he’s drunk. She swallows some whiskey herself and goes back home with him. She thinks about taking free art classes with Ariel, but she’s reluctant to do so because it would leave less time for Riley, even though she knows this is bad reasoning. She also worries about what Mikey will think when he finds out that she’s involved with Riley. The next day at work, Temple reveals that Mikey and Bunny got married while on tour in Seattle. Charlie begins to sweat and dry heave, and she runs to Riley’s house, where she collapses and vomits. For three days, Riley picks up her shifts and takes care of her in between. After Wendy stops by to look for Riley, Charlie sleeps with Riley and, seeking a replacement for cutting, incites him to be rough with her.
Analysis
Riley makes the disastrous decision to have sex with Charlie in his sister’s office for a variety of reasons, all calculated to benefit him. First is the obvious pleasure he will take from having sex. Second is the sense of power he gains over Julie, whose trust he is betraying. It also gives him leverage over Charlie by making her complicit in his bad behavior, just as he’s done by making her pick up his drugs and hide his drinking on the job. Finally, it is his way of letting Charlie know that he controls the time and place of their lovemaking. On an emotional level, Charlie’s relationship with Riley is one-sided. She is emotionally invested, hoping that he will change and see her as his equal, while he is attached to her because she makes his life easier and more pleasant. Their interaction in Julie’s office clarifies this dynamic and reminds Charlie that she is the only one who has anything to lose. Julie, and to some extent Riley, have control over her source of income and her schedule, limiting her independence and her ability to decide how she spends her time.
Charlie knows that by choosing Riley she is partially responsible for settling into an old routine, but the stakes are higher in this relationship than in the past, in part because Riley does not confide in Charlie. He conceals information that would be useful in her own decision-making, such as the fact that Julie lives above the coffee shop and is aware of their comings and goings. Riley’s power play is only revealed after Julie catches them having sex in her office. After this encounter, Charlie feels manipulated, but she soon recommits herself to Riley. In many ways, Charlie’s relationship with Riley is like her friendship with Ellis. She is manipulated by both of them and is willing to tamp down her own needs in order to get their time and attention. Riley lets Charlie take the heat for the missing money in a mirror-image of the moment when Ellis blamed Charlie for the wolf boy’s drugs. In the end, both Riley and Ellis act in their own self-interest, content to protect themselves and let Charlie face the consequences.
Charlie’s overblown reaction to the news of Mikey’s marriage is evidence that she has not gotten over the hope that Mikey might love her. His marriage to Bunny is a firm ending to the social dynamic that Charlie had with him and Ellis, and it feels like another loss in her life. The distance that exists between her and Mikey is evident in the fact that she finds out about his marriage thirdhand, from Temple, who sees it on Facebook. The closeness Charlie feels with Mikey is exposed as an illusion. The fact that she then goes straight to Riley shows that she has failed to develop healthy alternatives and lacks strong social bonds. While Riley steps up and takes care of her, he doesn’t talk to her about the sense of loss she expresses. He simply tries to keep her physically comfortable and ensures she can keep her job. Charlie recognizes this lack of closeness as a sign that Riley would leave her for anyone more convenient, available, or desirable. After Wendy’s visit three days later, Charlie’s insecurity drives her to try to use sex to strengthen their bond and bring her a comforting pain. Afterwards, Charlie understands that the relationship is toxic, but she is comforted by the fact that they are in it together.
