friends in low places

Chapter Seven

Charlie's mind was spinning, and everything around him seemed blurry. He couldn't focus on a single thought, everything kept moving around his mind, an endless stream of consciousness. He was desperately trying to calm his mind, to piece together his thoughts, but it was to no avail. Things didn't make sense to him right now, and they probably wouldn't for awhile. 

He had just gotten off the phone with his father; who delivered the news that he nor his mother would be paying for him to return to college. In addition, he was to pick up everything he cared about that was still at Charlie's parent's house. He was also to block his father's number, his mother's number, and his little brother's number; and everyone else in the family would be cutting him off as well. 

He knew why this was happening. Charlie was transgender, and he was transitioning, going by a different name, and disregarding everything his parents thought about it. He had a feeling that it would be like this, that's why he was trying to limit the contact he had with his parents; only calling them twice a month, not living there, only visiting when they invited him. 

He had started transitioning last year, about a month after he and his ex girlfriend broke up. He knew that it would be the thing to keep him going despite everything else. He came out to his parents after going to school, and their reaction had been less than ideal, to say the least. He held onto hope that they would begin to warm up to it as they saw him transition, and become a happier and better version of himself. To Charlie's chagrin, it had the opposite affect. 

Charlie knew that this was only a matter of time, but he didn't expect them to take his college fund away from him. Especially since they were the ones that pushed him to go after his gap year after high school. They desperately wanted him to get out of the small town they had inhabited their whole lives, and experience bigger and better things. 

School was Charlie's home. It was there that he felt the most comfortable, he met his people, he met himself. He couldn't believe they were taking that away from him. 

He didn't let himself think about for too long. Instead, he focused on the fact that he needed to get his stuff out of his parent's house sooner than later. He knew there was still some important things in that house that he needed with him. He also knew that his parents would be leaving for work soon, and so he texted the boys, and asked them for a favor. 

group chat

"the dudes and bros"

Charlie: hello my boys. I am in dire need of a vehicle. would you be willing to help a brother out?

Julien: yea dude, you good?

Lucy: yeah man that's kinda mysterious, did something happen?

Charlie: I'll tell you when y'all get here, if that's okay

Phoebe: of course it is dude, we're on our way

Charlie sighed and put his phone away, waiting on the front porch of his now forever home, most likely, and waited for the boys to show up. He was so thankful for the three women that randomly decided to be apart of his life. He was so thankful that these three amazing, talented and kind women decided to be his friend. They had only become friends a little over a month ago, but ever since the night at the river, where all four of them talked all night about their hopes, dreams, and fears, he knew they were bonded for life. 

That night was when Charlie told them about him being trans, and they all accepted him like it was nothing. He remembered being so scared to tell them, thinking that they would disown him much like many other people in his life. Not the boys though, they looked at him after he told them with a look in their eyes that conveyed something like, "Okay cool. You wanna get some food?" 

Charlie was crying again, unable to understand how three people he only knew for a month were more accepting and loving than his parents, who had conceived him, brought him into this world, and raised him. He didn't understand why his parents would have him, and not love him unconditionally; why they would beg him to go to college, and then rip it away. Charlie was sobbing by the time the boys got there, but he didn't noticed until he felt Lucy's arms around him, and looked up to see Phoebe and Julien looking like they were ready to kill.

"What happened, who are we killing." Phoebe said, very seriously, which made Charlie chuckle a little bit. He loved how ready they were to go to war for him, even if they wouldn't win. 

"You aren't killing anyone," Charlie said through sniffles, having calmed a bit at their presence, "My dad informed me, about an hour ago, that I was being kicked out for good, they won't be funding my college for me, and my whole family is cutting me off." Charlie started to sob again as he summarized the hour and a half long phone call. He didn't give them any details of how nasty his father was, he couldn't repeat that yet, it was far too soon. And Julien already looked like she was ready to hunt him down, so Charlie felt assured that now was not the time to share that information. 

"Oh my god.." Lucy said, pulling Charlie in tighter, as Phoebe and Julien both joined in on their hug. 

"Hey, it'll be okay, you've got us. We are right here, through it all, through everything." Julien whispered as she kissed his shoulder. The sign of affection and the words of support made Charlie sob harder, and he couldn't get himself to calm down. 

Phoebe took his head into her hands, and made him look at her. 

"Hey. We are right here, always. Fuck him, he doesn't deserve to know you. You are a strong, intelligent and wonderful man. You are way more of a man than he could even dream of being." Phoebe said, speaking directly to Charlie's heart. He gave her a weak smile, and reached up to attempt to dry his eyes. 

"God I really love you guys, I hope you know that. I hope I can always be there for you all the way you are here for me." Charlie said, making it a point to look at each one of them as he said it. 

"We love you too, a lot." Lucy said, rubbing his back affectionately.

"And we know that you'll be here with us through everything too, that's the kind of friends we are." Julien said, patting his head as Phoebe nodded in agreement. 

"So, what do you need to car for, sweetie?" Lucy asked, curiously. 

"Well, I have to go get anything from my parent's house that I don't want to be burned or thrown away." Charlie said, a hint of resentment seeping into his voice. The boys said nothing in return, just nodded. They all felt fire coursing through their veins, but they just wanted to focus on being there for Charlie. And right now, that meant helping him retrieve his belongings, not murdering his parents. (Which they were more than willing to do.)

They all piled into Julien's car, Lucy in the front, and Charlie and Phoebe in the back. Charlie was too sad and exhausted to try and sit up, so he laid down and rested his head on Phoebe's leg. Phoebe didn't mind at all, and played with his curly hair to try and soothe him. Lucy could feel the heaviness in the car, and so she attempted to lighten the mood, via blasting HARDY.

It definitely worked, because even though Charlie was still laying down, he was screaming along to every song, just like everyone else in the car was. Lucy was very happy that she was able to lighten her friend's mood, even a little bit. She kept glancing back at Charlie to make sure he still had a small smile on his face. She looked at him and he kept his eyes closed, now silently mumbling the words, and made a vow that they would all be there for each other, always, no matter what. She looked at Phoebe, looking out the window, and made the same vow. And she shifted her eyes to Julien, whose eyes were focused on the road, and made the same vow a third time. Unbeknownst to Lucy, Phoebe, Julien and Charlie were doing the same thing.