1983 c.h. (au)

28: charlie

It should be illegal for anyone to cry on their birthday. Birthdays are always supposed to be happy and full of laughter and cheer and candles being blown out. Birthdays are another excuse to make wishes that definitely won't come true. Charlie didn't care if her wish would come true or not. She decided that her family clearly didn't want her around and Charlie would be damned before she stayed another year being abused by her psycho mother. Charlie smiled regardless of the wetness dripping down her cheeks, and whispered to herself, "I will be happy again, and I will love Calum for eternity." Her candle was blown out and then Charlie was left in the darkness of the night.

She had no plans for her birthday whatsoever and hadn't talked to Calum since her mental break down. Charlie not only wanted to see Calum but needed to see him before she exploded. It wasn't enough just watching after one of the puppies. Charlie was stupid and clearly couldn't pick up a phone long enough to call him or shoot a damn text anymore. She went practically MIA. She hadn't contacted anyone in the outside world for some time. It was totally normal for her to be apprehensive when wanting to hang out because Luke might be there and try to pull some sick twisted shit again.

Although she wanted to see Calum and was on the edge of losing all sanity that she had (which she never had much being abused and all) she also had a little bit of sense not to dare go out randomly and see Calum. You would've thought that Mrs. Carters would've been both relieved and terrified after finding out exactly what happened to her daughter. You would've thought that Mrs. Carters would have tried to do anything just to make her only daughter feel secure. That's just motherly instinct. But no, just crude words and insults and other remarks to blame the misfortunate affair on Charlie when she had been the victim. Mrs. Carters was always bat shit crazy but Charlie is seriously considering the idea that maybe- just maybe- her mother is on some type of drug that makes her act like she was conjured up from the very pit of hell. Although that idea would probably make the most sense, it isn't likely.

or is it?

Anyway, Charlie blew out her pathetic purple birthday candle and looked to her wall reading the clock. It was literally the dead middle of the night and she was bored out of her mind. She was cursed with nightmares after the incident and if not nightmares than insomnia. Calum was a normal person and any normal person would be asleep right now. But Charlie was tired of looking at her pink walls or out the window that presented the starless city as if it was a portrait. It was so still that it looked like you could reach out and touch it. Charlie looked to the puppy that was peacefully sleeping then pushed herself to her feet. There was no point in waiting for sleep to kick in if it never did. There was nothing that could possibly happen to Charlie because all human beings that lived in San Francisco was being serenaded by Mr. Sandman's dreams. Charlie twisted the doorknob to her bedroom slowly and pulled open the door before slipping out not making any sound. It didn't matter because both parents were away on a business trip but for all that Charlie knew they could've come home earlier that day (she wouldn't know because she was holed up in her room and both parents are as quiet as a mouse).

Anyway she finally got down the steps before having to cross her kitchen. Charlie couldn't see shit in the pure darkness and had to find her way around with both arms stretched out in front of her like she was a blind patient. Anyway her feet collided with another warm body and her arms touched their warm chest. Charlie almost screamed before a big ass hand clasped over her mouth. "Charlie chill." Calum half whispered- half chuckled in her ear. He kissed her cheek lightly before kissing her mouth urgently.

"You fucking dickhead." She hissed in the darkness. "What are you doing here?" Calum shushed her by kissing her again. "I mean it Cal. What is going on?" She pushed him back a little trying to get to the bottom of this unexpected visit.

He held a finger to her lips and smiled making sure she kept quiet. Then Calum took her tiny,limp hand in his and pulled her through the darkness out the front door of Carters estate. Which once again was illegal especially between the small family rules. But Charlie didn't care. If she died tonight then so be it. If death came for her, Charlie would greet Grim with a wide smile and open arms. Because she would be free of her mothers torment and wrath.

But this isn't about death or her mother. This is about both Calum and Charlie doing some stupid shit because of her 18th birthday (even though it was the next day so Charlie had completed her first day of being a legal adult).

Calum's finger was still pressed against her soft lips when he opened the door to his car for her. "Where the actual hell are we going at 2 am?"

"On an adventure."

(the next chapter is seriously going to fuck you up. sorry. xxx.)