1983 c.h. (au)

the end pt.4

Previously on 1983
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So she weaved her way through the crowd trying to leave as quickly as possible, tripping over different pairs of Jimmy Chu's and the tulle from the luxurious gowns scraped her skin awkwardly.

Finally the door to the exit was in sight and she was almost there. Until she tripped over a silver platform heel. And Charlie expected to totally face plant. Except someone caught her by the waist. She looked up into their oh-so familiar green eyes. "Phoenix?"

Charlie couldn't believe the being in front of her. He had been AWOL for a whole 2 months. No calls or texts or any trace of where he's been. "What the hell are you doing here?" Charlie asked immediately, completely forgetting about the fact that the boys had ditched her. Phoenix had a stupid smile smeared across his face just as a slow song started to play.

"May I have this dance?"

"N-no. Not until I get some answers." But Phoenix ignored her and placed her small hands on his broad shoulders while pulling her close by the waist. "Where have you been all this time? I thought you were dead." Charlie whispered.

"Why on earth would I be dead?"

Then Charlie bit her lip because all this time that she was thinking about Calum, she hadn't even bothered to reach out to Phoenix. I mean they disappeared around the same time and there were rumours that were spread about both of them. Charlie really wanted to punch herself in the face for being so stupid. Her cheeks blazed pink and she hung her head, ashamed. "That's what everyone was saying."

Then Phoenix laughed. And Charlie's chest ached once more. She was supposed to spend her senior year hearing that laugh everyday of her life. And she blew it. There was nothing she could do now that it was over. Charlie Carters could've have a perfectly normal senior year experience like everyone else. Phoenix MacAllister was her best friend and she abandoned him. "Oh Charlie. You're so stupid. Since when did you listen to what people say?"

"Since recently. You still haven't answered my question. Where the hell were you? You don't just hang around shady alleyways at midnight and tell me to go home because you wanted to talk to Calum and disappear!"

"Well I mean, I've had my phone on for 2 months and it's not like you called or texted or anything." Phoenix shrugged. "But I forgive you I guess." He closed his eyes and smiled and twirled Charlie around as it was that the slow song was still going on. "I missed you so much Charlie. It's the end of high school for the both of us and I would like for it to end well. Let's forget everything that we've been through these past few years. Let's just have a good time tonight. Okay?"

"Are you out of your goddamned mind!" Charlie snapped and blinked back the angry tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks. "You left me for 2 months and this whole time I thought that you were dead. Now you show up out of literal thin air and expect for everything to be okay?"

Phoenix stopped swaying them both to the music and a frown was etched across his terribly beautiful face, one that was made for smiling. He sighed and softly head butt Charlie while closing his eyes. "I knew you would say something like that. And you weren't at all concerned that I was gone."

"What?"

"Charlotte," He started, earning an annoyed look from Charlie but ignored it. "I refuse to sit here and listen to you scream at me for what you have failed to do. Both Calum and I had disappeared the same night." He kept his voice low in case anyone was listening in on their conversation. "I know for a fact that you didn't miss me. And that's okay." Phoenix clenched his jaw and started swaying again to the gradually fading beat. "If I were to crack you open and take a look to what roams around in your head, I would probably find a miniature sizes Calum Hood. Is that right?"

Charlie bit her lip and looked down, something she did when she was ashamed. "Yes." She squeaked out, afraid to look Phoenix in the eye now. She wanted to be mad at him even though there was only one person to be mad at, herself. There's nothing wrong with her being concerned about Calum at all, that's her boyfriend after all. It was still pretty selfish of her to not at all worry about Phoenix, her best friend that she grew up with for 12 years. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right, I'm Phoenix MacAllister." He shrugged and smiled again. "It's alright Charlie." His green eyes glistened slightly and he tore his gaze away from Charlie's for a split second, as if he was waiting for something. "Ashton was telling me about how you've been. I uh, I'm really sorry about him Charlie." Then Phoenix looked back at her, instantly becoming sad. His eyes became very glossy and clear and it looked like tears were threatening to spill down his cheeks.

"Phoenix, please don't cry."

"Psht! Me? Cry? Have you even met me?" He laughed despite the wetness on his face. "Anyway," Then the music suddenly stopped and the room was silent for half a second before everyone reacted with disappointed sounds and such. Then there was that familiar tune that Charlie absolutely could identify anywhere. "Oh shit! Come on!" Phoenix grabbed her hand and pulled her along through the mosh pit of high schoolers.

"This one for you Charlie."

And in front of her, stood Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Ashton Irwin.

And Calum Hood.

the actual end of 1983