Abandoned Letters

Chapter 1

Its been years since the incident. Charlie remembers the way his mother carried him out of the house and back into a new one. He remembers the way his father broke down into sobs in the next room from him. The two managed to travel from Old Alana Idaho, through the state of Nevada and ended up in Solaris, Northern California.

Charles didn't love his new home. It was halfway abandoned before they moved in and in the state of a trailer if it were to be stolen from a trailer park.

By the time Charles was twelve, he began to get used to the flickering lights and the water that only started to get hot after letting it run for a few minutes. It was a waste of a lot of water, sure. But nothing was worse than a cold shower to him. What mattered to Charlie was that he was far from his father. Although his memory of him is a blur, his mother always told him there was never a time he wasn't a handful. Sometimes she'd just call him a complete airhead.

"Char!" Charlie heard from behind him as he was walking outside the school building blaring out Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen on his walkman. He yelped at the sudden call of his name. A girl with long, blonde permed hair began running towards him with a wide grin on her face. It was Diana. Diana is one of the most beautiful girls in Solaris, but that's what Charles thinks. He sees much more in her than her chipped painted nails, bright blue eyes and healthy, soft hair everyone seems to know and love.

Charles pulled his headphones off and rested them on his neck, pausing his tape. "Di, for the love of god would you stop calling me that? It's so embarrassing. And in front of like- 20 people? Its a faggy name." He told her.

"A faggy name, hm?" She giggled. Charles always loved her laugh. He always thought her voice was way too angelic for the words that actually came out of her mouth. "And Charlie isn't?"

"Hey! You know I didn't come up with that one. My mom's been calling me it since I was a baby." Charles fought back with a sarcastic pout. Diana thought it was funny how he would always try and defend himself, even if the original comment was a joke.

"Shoulda' just named you that then." She smiled at him. "Come on, let's go."

The shorter girl wrapped an arm around Charlie as they started walking to the diner the two would always hang around after school hours. Since freshman year it's always been a sort of tradition for them.

Diana lived on a farm outside of Solaris. While Charlie lived in town only 5 minutes away from Solaris High School. Hes been to Di's farm plenty of times, its big and run by her father. She always talks about how someday the whole place will be hers to take care of, how "ecstatic" she is for that day to come. Not to be alone, of course. But to have all the animals and fields to herself.

The two walk into the diner and sit at the booth in the very corner. They dont always get food. Sometimes they will if the cafeteria food that day was shit. They only like to eavesdrop on conversations and talk about anything they can think of. Diana usually nonstop babbles about her undying love for corey hart. This subject however, was different.

"I heard some people saying your neighbour's pretty cute..." Diana says, smiling while looking out the window next to them.

"Brandon?" Charles replies with furrowed eyebrows. "They have no clue what they're talking about. None of them actually know the guy."

Brandon was the tall boy living in the big fancy white house across from him. The two have known each other since Charles moved in. You couldnt imagine the bright smile on Brandon's face when he realized people were actually moving into that shit-hole house. The lawn was completely destroyed and the house in general, was too. But that didn't stop brandon from wanting to help the boy and his mother move in. Insisted on the idea, in fact. The boy begged his mother to go over and help out. He was a smart kid, definitely had an extraordinary vocabulary for a five year old. Charles did not. He barely spoke as a kid.

"Plus, you know I've known him forever now Di. I'm aware of the things people say about him." 

"What, so you two are like...friends now? Charles Daily. Best friends with the infamous Brandon Morrison!" She said, clapping slowly.

"I never said that." Charles huffs. "How would i not know. The whole cheer team drools over him. I wouldnt be surprised if the basketball team did too."

Diana snorted. "I dont see it. That cheer team has a type for nerds or something. And hey, you watch your mouth about those sort of things, gay people do actually exist you know. They have it hard, Char." She takes a pause. "But don't be going around telling people that's my opinion. I don't want my head slammed into the windshield of a car today."

"Yeah, i know." He let out. Charles always found himself uncomfortable in conversations about the gay's or bisexuality in men. Its nothing like he was against it, though. He had absolutely no reason to care about who people loved. If he cant even find love himself, he cant be the one talking.

"But yeah he's...definitely fucking nerdy. You shoulda' seen the kid when i moved into that house. Absolutely mental."

Diana looked up at him through her eyelashes and grinned, fidgeting with the ketchup bottle placed on the table.

"How've you and momma been holdin' up?" Di said gently to the tired boy across from her.

Charles pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath in at the mention of his mother.

"She's- i mean nothings been...wrong." But has anything been wrong? He has no idea if anything's been off. He hasnt been paying attention. Why hasn't he been paying attention? Is his mom okay right now? Does he need to go home and check on her?

"You know what, yeah. We're good. Everythings good." He struggles to get out. He leans back against the bright red cushioned seat of the booth.

"She miss your dad?"

Charles looks at her. And glances back out the window. "No one can miss my dad." They both laugh a bit at that. Knowing how shitty Charlies father really was, and most likely still is.

As the two leave the diner, Diana spots a boy with blonde, middle parted hair and tight dark washed jeans running up to her.

"You've gotta be shitting me finn." Diana slumps and rolls her eyes at the sight of him for the third time this week.

"Please Diana, I ran out of Marlboros." The boy replies, holding a pack of unopened Camels cigarettes in his left palm.

Finney Fraser. Never has Charles seen this boy care about anything, or anyone. He only cares about his precious Marlboros and marijuana. Diana and him like to swap cigarettes. Di only smokes Camels but usually has Marlboros stored away in her house from her father.

"Fine. Come on." Diana says. "I'll see you tomorrow Char." The girl jogs back up to him and plants a soft kiss to his right cheek. "Be safe! I love you!" She quickly adds before running the other direction with Finn.

Charles was never jealous of Finn. He only ever saw the two as stoner buddies. And there was nothing for him to be jealous of anyways when that man looks like he showers once every week. And Charles knew damn well Diana had no genuine friends other than him.

As he walked down the familiar road to his house he smelled the cold air and freshly cut grass. He wonders if it smelled that way back in idaho. He wonders if he really had childhood, he would be able to pinpoint the smell of the air or the playground. But no, Charles was never allowed to go out. He wasn't allowed to go for walks, he was never allowed to play tag with the kids across the street either. He wouldn't consider Idaho his home any day. And hes glad he won't ever have to again. California is his home.