Charlie's Web

Rick

Rick's fists clenched at his side, he'd just left Caroline's place, overhearing everything they'd talked about. Charlie was being reckless again. He wasn't surprised but he was disappointed. She lived as if she had no regard for her own life, and it drove him insane. As soon as he got back to his car, he sank his ragged nails into the flesh of his wrists. When they were finally together he wouldn't allow her to go out and act so foolish. If she was ever even allowed out, she'd gone out enough for multiple life times. When they were with each other he was certain she would have no reason to ever leave the house again, he would provide everything for her. His cheeks were hot and wet with tears that he hadn't meant to cry, and he swiftly wiped them away, grabbing the steering wheel with his large hands and speeding towards Mark's house.

The street was littered with rowdy teenagers already under the influence of alcohol. Rick frowned before driving to the next street over, parking his car and running back towards the sound of laughter and music. Even when he'd still been in high school, partying never interested him. He loathed the idea of drinking and losing control, just to pretend to have fun with some loser potheads. It had always seemed so pointless to him. And he was certain that Charlie wouldn't enjoy going to parties either if she wasn't so fucked up on alcohol or pills. It was nights like these that he truly knew how desperately Charlie needed to be saved. And it was up to him to rescue her from this life of addiction and pain.

As he walked into the house, his ears were assaulted with deafening music, the rhythm thumped through his body, causing his anxiety to spike and his heart to race. The air in the congested room was thick with smoke and sweat, his breathing became shallow, not wanting to ingest the toxic mist surrounding him. He'd started second guessing his plan, the overlapping voices causing him to become disoriented, and he almost turned back toward the door. Before his fingers could brush the doorknob, he spotted a stream of long black hair. His body slanted back, eyes narrowing at the long haired girl. She was laughing with that insufferable red head and the aggravating blond man, Ben. He watched intently as she threw her head back, her small body shaking with laughter. He frowned, knowing nothing her "friends" said could've been that hilarious. Rolling his eyes he waded through the unending sea of sweaty bodies, finding an empty spot in a corner to the very left of his girls' location. He couldn't deny that she looked absolutely radiant in the dim light, if everyone wasn't so out of their minds with whatever drugs they were on, he was certain someone would've noticed his hawk-like stare.

Once again Rick could feel his blood pressure rising as the friend group clinked small shot glasses together, quickly throwing them back and refilling them with some sort of cheap vodka. His eye twitched, she shouldn't be drinking after raiding her mothers "medicine" cabinet, he thought. Didn't she read the fucking label? No mixing pills with alcohol! He sighed, massaging his forehead slowly. He would be the first to admit that sometimes the girl gave him a massive headache. That was exactly why she needed him, because otherwise who knew what kind of trouble she would find herself in. Any man watching her would be waiting for the perfect opportunity to pull her into an empty room and take advantage of her. She was lucky he had self control, because he could've whisked her away just as effortlessly. Of course she was too oblivious to notice any of the men giving her longing glances.

Rick stayed glued to his spot, it seemed like hours as he watched Charlie mingle and drink with her school friends. Her movements were starting to become slow and imprecise, he grimaced as she tripped over her own feet, falling forward onto a random man she'd been conversing with. The man held onto her, laughing as she slowly found her balance. Rick couldn't watch any more, his fists were clenched by his sides, every muscle in his body was tensed, he was ready to explode. Roughly pushing past people, he stepped into the small bathroom that he'd seen people enter and exit throughout the night. A truly foul smell was emanating from the toilet bowl, and vomit crusted the inside rim, causing his stomach to gurgle uncomfortably. He looked in the mirror at himself, his dark brown eyes looked almost black in the dark, flickering light, and the bags underneath them were heavily pronounced. He looked exhausted, and felt it too. Lately watching Charlie had just caused him more suffering. In the beginning it was the only thing that kept him going. He would get so worked up over the thought of seeing her, but it just wasn't enough anymore. She was always surrounded by her pathetic friends, they were all attached at the hip like some weird cult. Seeing them all together caused his stomach to twist in envy, he should be the only one by Charlie's side. He hated them for having the privilege of knowing her so intimately. He knew it was wrong, and they hadn't done anything to deserve it, but he couldn't help fantasizing about wrapping his hands around their throats and watching as they took their last breath. His lips twitched into a small smile as a mental picture of their horror-stricken faces, their useless hands clawing at their constricted throats in agony entered his mind.