Obsessive Love Disorder [PART 3]

4

November 4, 1996
Billy

"Ding ding, dinner's ready, folks!"

I huff a sigh into my pillow before slowly opening my eyes and looking out into the hallway. My limbs feel like lead... do I bother to get up? Do I remove myself from bed and shuffle into the kitchen to eat some gross home-cooked meal that Stu made? Do I force myself to live after hearing Charlotte last night? 

"Fuck you."

I squeeze my eyes as tight as possible, trying to erase her voice from my head. I didn't even realize that I'd started holding my breath until I gasped for air, my eyes shooting open again. 

"Fuck you."

I've heard those words many times before. From my dad, from classmates, from Sidney... not from Charlotte. I never thought she'd say that to me. I didn't know it was even possible. 

"Fuck you."

Shut up, shut up, shut up. Stop it, brain. Stop playing her voice in my head. Stop making me relive it. Stop making me realize what a horrible boyfriend I am. What an awful person I am. 

"Hey, didn't you hear me?"

I nearly jump out of my skin and bolt upright in bed which, in turn, makes Stu flinch too. He's holding a pot and spoon, stirring something absentmindedly with a surprised smile on his face. "Christ, you really must be out of it, man. I called you for dinner, like, five times."

"...Sorry," I mutter, staring at the carpeted floor. "I'll be there in a seco-"

"Nope," Stu groans. He quickly strides over to my bed and hauls me out by the wrist, nearly dragging me out of the room. "We're not doing this shit again, Billy. You haven't eaten anything today."

"Fuck off. You're not my mother."

"Well, shit, I might as well be at this point."

"Don't say that."

Stu rolls his eyes. He must be used to my dramatics by now because he barely even reacts when I yank my arm from his grip and shove him into the nearest wall. "Did you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Sergeant."

"You're a piece of shit. You know that?"

"Yeah, I'm a piece of shit who's making sure that you don't starve because you're too depressed about ruining your girlfriend's life to cook for yourself."

I open my mouth to retort, but it goes dry.

"Get your ass into the kitchen and eat something, man," Stu whispers, offering me the pot. I peer inside and see pasta covered in a meaty sauce of some kind. My heart aches at the sight... reminds me of that night I babysat with Charlotte. 

"Fine."

Minutes later, I'm sat on a stool next to the counter and slowly eating dinner, Stu to my left and Davey to my right. They're talking over me about some comic book they both like while I'm thoroughly checked out, staring at nothing in particular. 

"No, Stu!" Davey whines, dropping his spoon into his bowl with a clang. "He wasn't the bad guy! He had been brainwashed by-"

"Don't even start with me, young man!" Stu responds. "Brainwashed or not, he still destroyed the town with those big laser-beam things on his sleeves!"

"Nuh-uh! Dr. Doomful had automatically powered them! He had no control over them!"

"Then why didn't he just aim them at an open field until someone helped him take them off?"