Charlie needed to do well. He needed to prove himself. He had not had any film or TV work for almost a year. And Blumhouse was making great movies with twists on common themes. He was also doing another period piece. This time he was a decade earlier than his famous Julie and the Phantoms character. He knew he had to prove himself. All the other actors had worked on serious material that had gotten attention. He didn't want to be pigeonholed as the 'pretty boy musician' for all his roles after Julie and the Phantoms.
He had to maintain relevancy outside of the show's fandom. They were dedicated and loving (sometimes too much so) but that could not sustain him. He finished school early so he could strive for his dreams. He had thought that the show was his break. All it got him was followers, some fan awards, and some Emmys that no one wanted to take serious. He had to provide for himself. He had to take care of Koa. Without work, he had no right to think about another person. His foolish attempt to date blew up in his face. He couldn't live off of being a sponsor for a more indie outdoors clothing brand.
His knuckles burned as he struck the sandbag on the chain in front of him. He had to keep in top physical shape for the physical aspects of the movie. There was a lot of movement. And he had to keep his head on straight. A constant routine at the gym was important at this time. He couldn't let himself get distracted by everything else. His family and friends knew he was working. But he knew he couldn't trust himself. There was a temptation he had to block out to do his best.
The burn of bile tinged his tongue as he let out his frustrations on the sandbag over and over. He hated himself. He had to block her out. She was his weakness. He couldn't be worried about her more than himself. That was his downfall. Caring more about others than himself. He had let that drag him into weeks of drinking, concerts, and beach trips. He had to care less. Madison could do anything she put her mind to. She didn't need him stalking her every move online. He had to pull away. It was better that way. To keep the heat off.
She should have this time to flourish as her birthday neared. She had her EP which was sounding too perfect for being her first work outside the show. The snippets he had heard were entrancing. She was figuring out how she wanted to do things after birthday. She was spending time with her friends before they went off to schools or work. She deserved to not be held back or tied to him. She was coming into her complete womanhood. Getting her license, finding a place for herself, having the cliche moment of prom with her closest friends. Even having a friend take her to prom. A guy who was more fit for her than him. Someone who could understand her better than him. A guy she had more in common with. Someone her dad surely could trust without a second thought. A guy who was already winning at life with looks and height at 18. The kind of guy that every girl wanted.
Charlie huffed out as he saw the sand spill from the split he had left in the bag after his last hit. He just stared at it as it slowly pooled into a pile on the floor. His body was vibrating and his ears were ringing. "Charlie....are you okay," he heard someone say from far away.
He just stared off as he felt the telltale sign of the sting of tears. The self hatred was roaring to life again. He couldn't get the wrap off his hands fast enough. He threw them to the ground and rushed to get out of the gym. He knew that people must have been wondering what happened but he had to get out of there. He needed to do something, anything, to stop himself from losing composure.
Charlie sighed as he sat back on the couch in his trailer. His back felt like it had been beaten with a whole hockey team full of sticks. Every twitch caused pain to radiate down his spine. He had to say yes to doing all his own stunts. And now he was paying for it. His phone rang. He forced his arm to stretch out without really moving the rest of his body. It was difficult but he managed. When he saw who was calling he wasn't sure to be relieved or not. He answered anyway.
![](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/309443833-288-k431613.jpg)
YOU ARE READING
Charlison/Chadison One Shots
FanfictionBook cover is from audrey_charliegillespiefrance on Instagram. Various one shots of the best duetters we've ever seen. Copied from my AO3 account.