Charlie Whitmen loves sports, junk food, video games, cars and basically anything-if not everything-your average teenaged boy would find interesting. But wait a second, Charlie isn't even a boy! Oh no, she's actually a girl!
Bet you didn't see that...
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Playing Dr. Phil
A loud bang echoes throughout the house and the boy involuntarily flinches. The pencil in his hand stops moving. It sounds like one of the bedroom doors. His parents have been going at it for the past hour, forcing him to stay locked up in his room, somewhat safe from all of the drama. The passive and quiet arguments have undoubtedly evolved and escalated into livid screams and shouts.
He wouldn't be surprised to find broken vases and ceramic plates scattered about, all shattered into a million pieces just like them.
Even though he has his headphones plugged in, he can still hear his mother yelling as if her lungs are about to rupture at any given moment. No noise would be able to drown out her agonizing pain. A suffocating feeling swells inside his chest and it refuses to leave him alone. When did everything go down the drain?
They had been the picture-perfect family once.
Hayden retrieves his phone from the glove compartment and sends a text to Cecilia, telling her that he is outside. A couple of minutes later, there is a tap on the window. His head snaps upward and a smile drapes over his lips when his girlfriend opens the door and clambers inside. Before she settles into the passenger's seat, she advances towards him and pecks his mouth.
"How was your day?" she questions, securing the seatbelt over her body.
"It's been alright. Nothing new." He reaches his arm to the back and brings forth a bundle of scarlet-red roses. "These are for you," he announces.
Cecilia's face brightens up as she accepts the gift, the plastic wrapper crinkling in her grasp. Her nose is buried in the simple arrangement and she takes in a whiff, the floral scent invading her nostrils. Roses are her absolute favorite! "What's the occasion?"
"I wanted to apologize." Hayden begins meekly, unable to hold her gaze. "I'm sorry that I can't take you to homecoming." His voice is laced with guilt and Cecilia lowers the bouquet down onto her lap. It's her senior year and this will be her last high school homecoming ever.
Originally, the boy had wanted to make it a memorable night for her, but as you can see, that's practically impossible now. All he wants to do is give her everything she deserves and so much more.
The rest of the world can continue to orbit around him (as Charlie had kindly mentioned before), but to Hayden, none of that is significant. Cecilia Isles is the center of his universe, which means that nobody else matters to him. As long as he has her by his side, he would be okay.
She's the iridescent light guiding him through this dark and cold abyss.
The antidote that will cure this poisonous life of his.
The tiny amount of oxygen tending to the small, flickering flame within him that is ready to die out.
Charlie might not be able to empathize with him at the moment and he isn't going to force her to. He's certain that there will be a time where she, too, will be able to fathom the difficult decisions he's had to make so far, even if she cannot stand him right now. Once she meets that special somebody, who is capable of shaking her heart like no other, Charlie will realize what a wonderfully magnificent thing love can be.
