Saving Charlie/summary

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Saving Charlie summary

Following is a chapter-by-chapter summary of Saving Charlie, a novel about Hiro Nakamura's quest to save Charlie Andrews.

Summary

Chapter 1

In the bathroom of the Burnt Toast Diner, Hiro Nakamura peacocks in front of the mirror, smitten with Charlie, despite having just met her and not knowing her last name.

Chapter 2

Hiro and his traveling companion Ando Masahashi, weary from their long journey from Las Vegas, stop at the Burnt Toast Diner for breakfast. Not yet caffeinated, Ando complains about the lack of food choices, while Hiro is just happy to be out of the car. Charlie is their server and asks to take their order. Hiro is immediately attracted to the waitress and kicks himself for not knowing enough English to talk to her. He tries to have Ando (who speaks English fairly well) talk for him, but Ando doesn't want any part in helping Hiro hit on "some poor defenseless girl". Charlie listens to them speaking Japanese and tries to use some words she learned from a Japanese phrase book she got for her birthday. She says that lately she has been able to remember everything she reads. They settle on their order, and Charlie leaves to continue working.

While she is gone, Hiro laments his bad luck in love, but feels that today is his lucky day. He debates asking Charlie out on a date, and Ando doesn't have any faith in Hiro's luck with women. When Hiro works up the courage to talk to Charlie, he gets scared and excuses himself to the men's room. There, he wrestles with his confidence, painfully remembering a bad experience he had with Miyoki Akayawa. Finally deciding that this time would be different, Hiro walks out of the bathroom full of confidence. However, the atmosphere in the diner is suddenly completely different. Ando approaches Hiro, says "It's Charlie", and motions to the diner's storeroom. In there, an officer is sobbing and giving orders, a waitress is on her knees, and everybody is whispering, crying, and scared. Charlie is dead.

Chapter 3

Hiro remembers that in his final year of high school, he met with the guidance counselor and told her that he believed his destiny was to follow in his father's footsteps, work at Yamagato Industries, and eventually take over the company. But when asked what he wanted to do, Hiro expressed his desire to become Bushido warrior.

Years later, he finds himself working at Yamagato. Bored and frustrated with his life's direction, Hiro manages to turn back time by about one second. He excitedly tells Ando, who doesn't believe him and teases him instead. That night on the subway home, Hiro successfully teleports to Times Square in the future. He sees a 9th Wonders! comic book with his picture on it, and decides to seek out the comic's writer-illustrator, Isaac Mendez. However, when Hiro gets to Isaac's loft, he sees a painting of an explosion in New York City, paintings of himself, and he finds Isaac murdered with his brain removed.

Chapter 4

In the present, Hiro connects Isaac's murder with Charlie's murder, calling the killer "Brain Man". As Sheriff Davidson mournfully interrogates suspects, Hiro resolves to go back in time one day and somehow save Charlie Andrews. Ando protests, and tries to encourage Hiro to stick to his original missing of saving the world. Hiro leaves anyway.

Chapter 5

When Hiro was four, Kaito explained the meaning behind the small plaque that was kept on the wall of his his office. The plaque read, "This is not a fairy tale". Kaito explains that there are no happy endings. Hiro agrees, but is more interested in the "happiness in the middle".

Chapter 6

Hiro opens his eyes believing he has successfully time traveled one day prior. He is relieved to see Charlie alive, but frustrated that she doesn't know him — or Japanese. But any conversation Charlie and Hiro have is interrupted by Charlie's birthday party. Hiro takes a picture of the partygoers, and then has his picture taken, too. He tries to tell Charlie not to go to work tomorrow, but she doesn't listen. Hiro watches the party and tries to tell Charlie about the "very bad man", but he is interrupted by Lloyd who has made reservations for the two to go to lunch. Hiro notices that it is raining outside, and realizes that it wasn't raining yesterday: Hiro has accidentally time traveled to April 24, 2006.

Chapter 7

Alone and frustrated in the Midland Motor Lodge, Hiro contemplates what to do next. He considers time traveling again, but is afraid he doesn't have control over his powers and might end up being eaten by a dinosaur. Instead he decides to stay where he is, take stock of what he has in his favor, and try to change Charlie's fate during the next six months. He decides he has a good motel room, his abilities, and six months to save Charlie. He calls Ando for advice on what to do next, but instead speaks with himself from six months ago. Hiro worries about creating some kind of rift, but realizes that maybe his past self didn't recognize his own voice on the phone. After hanging up, he is frustrated that he can't communicate with Charlie, but has a sudden realization that he should buy her a Japanese phrase book — the one that she received at her birthday party six months ago!

Chapter 8

After some language barriers, confusing public transportation, and one very helpful elderly woman, Hiro arrives at the Music City Mall in Odessa. He takes a cue from Kimiko's retail therapy and buys almost six hundred dollars' worth of new clothes. He loses his way in the mall a little and is thrilled to stumble upon a comic book store. Hiro peruses the titles, but the young sales clerk shows Hiro a storage drawer with Robogirl comics in them. Hiro feels a kinship with Robogirl, the robot who was "constantly searching for connection, a way to feel like she was part of things, like she belonged." Hiro determines that Robogirl wouldn't give up on her mission just because she was scared and alone, and so Hiro wouldn't give up either.

Chapter 9

Unable to sleep in his motel room, Hiro stays up worrying about how to save Charlie, and eating Cheetos and drinking Coke. The next morning, he goes to the Burnt Toast Diner and notices a "Help Wanted" sign. He applies for the job as a busboy, but worries about not being able to legally work in America. Waitress Lynette assures him that it'll be okay, that they will pay him in cash. Charlie insists that Hiro move out of his hotel room and rent an apartment.

Chapter 10

Hiro remembers his father using the Hasaii Personality Index test to keep tabs on Hiro. Kaito would always use Hiro's test results as a way to yell at him for not applying himself. He would always threaten, "If you don't straighten up and get busy, you're going to end up washing dishes for a living!"

Chapter 11

Hiro spends his time bussing tables at the Burnt Toast Diner. He is impressed with Charlie's enhanced memory and wants to talk to her about it, but worries about bringing up the topic too soon. Hiro and Charlie go apartment hunting and find an apartment that Charlie thinks is too small, but Hiro accepts. Mr. Roiz, the landlord, gives Hiro the keys.

Chapter 12

Charlie arrives at Hiro's apartment for the housewarming. Hiro freezes time and frets about making sure everything is perfect for his date with Charlie. He calms down, decides that he's done the best he can, and opens the door.

Chapter 13

Charlie arrives at Hiro's apartment for the housewarming. They talk about Robogirl, the seven principles the samurai lived by, and Takezo Kensei. Hiro is "profounfdly affected" by Charlie, and they talk about their relationships with their parents.

Chapter 14

Hiro and Charlie continue their housewarming, drinking wine and eating pizza. Charlie says that the first two stops she wants to take on her world travels are Munich, Germany, and Venice, Italy. Hiro agonizes over how to kiss Charlie goodnight, but when she puts her hand on his arm, his knees buckle. Charlie gives Hiro's cheek a gentle kiss, then leaves.

Chapter 15

Hiro enjoys his time bussing tables at the Burnt Toast Diner, counting it as some of the happiest moments of his life, growing closer to Charlie. Despite his happiness, he is at odds with Lloyd. Hiro recalls Lloyd telling somebody that Hiro can barely grow a mustache and "doesn't even have hair on his yin-yang". Charlie overhears the conversation and passively aggressively spills coffee on Lloyd's lap. Another time, Lloyd tries to ask Charlie on a date to a baseball game. When Hiro expresses interest in going to the game too, Charlie invites several friends to join the not-so-intimate date with Lloyd. This helps Hiro gain confidence in his growing relationship with Charlie.

Chapter 16

Hiro remembers the "birds and the bees" talk that he had with his father, which ended with Hiro receiving Kimiko's book, I Like Me: A Growing Guide for Girls. Hiro enjoys the book immensely, especially the photographs. However, his sister thinks the book is lame, and Hiro is even more confused about girls than ever.

One day after work, Hiro goes over to Charlie's apartment to watch the Japanese version of The Ring. They talk about all the exotic items from around the world that Charlie has in her apartment. Hiro looks through an old photo album and enjoys looking through pictures of Charlie's past, including seeing a picture from the diner's grand opening in 1976. Charlie tells Hiro all about the murder of Barbie Travis in the early days of the diner, and Hiro can't help but think that Barbie's murder and Charlie's murder are somehow connected.

Chapter 17

Hiro remembers that during spring before he started 9th grade, he went to Madrid with his father. A business associate bought them tickets to see a bullfight, but Hiro did not enjoy the show. He preferred to hide behind his video camera. Similarly, he had a hard time thinking about Isaac's murder, and preferred to turn his mind towards happier times. Hiro recalls when he teleported and time traveled to Times Square and used the 9th Wonders! comic he found to guide his next steps. He recalls the horror he felt at seeing Isaac's mutilated body, and the fate of New York City in one of Isaac's paintings. But that horror didn't feel real since it was in the future, especially in comparison to thinking about Charlie's murder, which felt very real. He decides that it's time to "get serious".

Chapter 18

At Music City Mall, Hiro runs into PJ, who gives him a new copy of Robogirl #215. PJ decides that the lesson of the comic is "You can't lie to women." After some pondering, Hiro decides he needs to tell Charlie about his superpower, and that would convince her to stay away from the diner on October 9.

Chapter 19

Hiro tries desperately to prove to Charlie that he can stop time, but Charlie consistently thinks Hiro is performing magic tricks. After literally performing magic tricks at Sammy's birthday party, Hiro is despondent that he he will never convince Charlie and never save her life.

Chapter 20

Hiro tries one last time to convince Charlie that he is telling the truth about being able to stop time. He decides to create 1,000 origami cranes, which also might grant him a wish. Hiro's wish comes true, and Charlie believes that Hiro. Charlie kisses Hiro, and Hiro is excited that a girl has kissed him for the first time. He kisses her back, but opens his eyes to find himself in his cubicle at Yamagato Industries.

Chapter 21

Hiro finds himself back at Yamagato Industries on the same day. Scared to teleport inaccurately, he buys a plane ticket back to Midland. Before leaving, he sees Ando and tells him he met and kissed a girl, but doesn't explain anything about Charlie or his ability. Ando insists that Hiro should bring his new girl a gift, much like he would do for Niki, his stripper from the internet.