Sugar - Charlie Dalton

21

The next morning may have been the hardest day of Clara's life. She was the one who had to tell the rest of the guys about Neil.

Getting dropped of at the school, everything seemed grayer than it had at orientation. Then again, Clara's whole life seemed gray now.

Charlie was first. As she kneeled by his bed and gently stroked his hair, the girl whispered for him to wake up.

"Sugar! I would've thought you would be home." The boy smiled until he saw the state Clara was in. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Immediately she burst into tears, the drops stinging her eyes. "I don't even know how to tell you this but...Neil, h-he died last night. He k-killed himself."

God, it hurt more than anything to actually say the cruel reality out loud.

Charlie searched the girls face for a hint of a joke. When he saw nothing, he too began to cry as well. "It's okay Clare, we're going to be okay."

"Hey what's...Clara? Why are you here? We're going to get a de-merit!"

"Fuck off!" Charlie yelled at Cameron who's eyes widen in surprise.

"Sorry Cameron," the girl sniffled getting up, "I came to tell Charlie about Neil. He's passed away."

Cameron face paled as he cleared his throat and apologized.

The three sat in silence until Charlie spoke up. "Did you..uhm..did you tell the others?"

Clara shook her head and wiped away her tears. "I wasn't sure how to tell anyone expect for you."

The boy nodded and kissed the girl's lips lightly, squeezing her hand. "I'll do it. You're going through the worst thing imaginable. Let me do this for you."

If she wasn't already, Clare would've cried. "Thank you Charlie, thank you so much."

"Anytime, Sugar."

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The two had traveled from dorm to dorm, everyone's reactions more extricating to see than the last.

Finally, the group waited outside Todd's dorm. The last person to be told about the news.

Opening the door to see an empty bed next to the boy hurt Clara's heart more than she expected.

"Todd? Todd." Charlie shook the boy awake.

"Oh, Charlie." He smiled lightly before seeing the boy's face. "What is it?"

He looked around the room from Pitts to Meeks to Knox and finally, to Clara.

She couldn't hold eye contact for more than a few second before she burst out crying again. Knox immediately engulfed her in a hug.

"Neil's dead." Was all she heard before Todd went running.

They followed him closely outside, as snow fell down on all of them.

Todd turned around, smiling at the sky. "It's so beautiful."

Clara stepped toward him, just as he fell to his knees, vomiting.

"Oh, Todd!" She sobbed, hugging him from behind.

The rest of the guys all followed closely, trying to calm down their friend.

"Todd. It's okay, Todd."

"Calm down."

"It's all right, Todd."