𝙼𝙾𝙾𝙽 𝚂𝚃𝚁𝚄𝙲𝙺 (𝙳𝙿𝚂 - 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚘𝚗)

𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈-𝙵𝙸𝚅𝙴

✍︎

When dinner was called later that evening, I didnt move to go down.

My stomach turned at the thought of food and my head was pounding with a headache.

Beside me, Charlie lay still and fast asleep. Finally. I had been awake all five times when he got up to throw water on his face after twisting and turning in the bed.

Each time he lay back down in the bed he pulled me closer to him until he'd eventually begin twisting and turning again and drop his arms from around me.

So here I lay, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. I quietly climbed across Charlie, lightly standing on the ground before crossing the room and grabbing socks from my dresser. 

I put on my shoes and grabbed a jacket before quietly leaving the room. The hall much like earlier was quiet apart from a few distant conversations that could be heard from the student room.

I passed the boys room before coming to a stop outside of Neil and Todd's. I knocked softly before opening the door. Within in the room, Todd was asleep on his bed, beside his head a copy of Neil's script from a mid summer nights dream.

I smiled softly at the boy before shutting the door quietly and turning away. Behind me a door opened and Cameron stepped into the hall.

His eyes were red and blotchy and he was wearing a Welton sweatshirt and his pyjama bottoms.

It was one of those rare moments when you see someone who's usually so put together fall apart. Cameron would never be seen outside his room with his pyjamas on. But here he was. The purple circles under his eyes and disheveled hair.

His head lifted noticing my figure stood across from him. He wiped away a stray tear as he stood quiet not saying anything.

There was no exchange in words because we knew neither of us needed that. He crossed the hall, wrapping his arms around me. My arms immediately came around him as his head came down to rest on top of mine.

Cameron wasn't an affectionate person but by the way his arms squeezed me, it was clear he needed this.

We pulled away after a while, still not saying anything. He gave me a small smile and squeezed my arm before I turned and made my way to the stairs.

When I got outside I wrapped my coat around me, following the small trail into the forest. There was another thirty minutes before it would begin to get dark.

My feet carried me to a familiar bench. The river infront of it frozen solid. The seat covered by snow.

I wiped the bench down before taking a seat, my heart aching as I turned my head to look at the empty seat beside me.

"Okay okay, all seriousness. This year. What do you want?. What is your goal?" I asked him, it took him a minute to respond and when I looked at him he was staring at the stream.

"I want to get straight A's" he said looking at me making me roll my eyes.

"Oh cmon Neil, you always get straight A's. You have to change it up" I said to him as he raised his arms out to the side

"We'll what do you expect me to say?"

"I don't know. What do you really want Neil. Like really want?" I asked him as he stared back at the stream. I didn't think he would answer.