Live Again // Bradley Simpson

Chapter 29: Pain

Charlie sat in a hotel lobby, sipping from a day-old coke can. Brad had been on tour for the past few weeks, and Charlie had been taking camp on her brothers tour bus. No Brad, meant she felt very out of place at the Simpson Home. So, she went and lived up to her home-less status, and began couch surfing.

Charlie's mind was fixated, on a single statistic that said depressed people never truly get over it. She believed it, because the bitterness of youth still bit her tongue. 

Brad said before he left, "I know I'm not the best boyfriend as I don't understand you. But I will. You know that Charlie." 

Then he held her shoulder, and gave her a reassuring shake that reminded her of something Lucy would do to cheer her up. She told Brad to stop, he grumbled but then smiled.

"I'll miss you." He finally said.

Charlie nodded. "You always say that." 

Then she left. She knew Brad would be gone for tour, as usual and that's what came with being 'involved' with pop stars and what not. So politely, she excused herself from the Simpson household, held the little money Brad had lent her for simple things whilst he was still around and headed off on tour with her brother.

Jason suspected that Charlie was hiding something, but he had no need to question it. He assumed it was either drugs or booze and that's how it remained. Charlie liked it that way, she didn't want to involve her brother in her meddlesome worries.

However the day before, she departed the bands tour, and found herself in the small town where Brad and her were previously going to 'vacation' to.

She set camp in the hotel which they were going to find themselves accustomed, despite it's expense, they'd been given a voucher for their next visit by the hotel manager as they had to cancel their bookings. The hotel only wanted Charlie to post photos to Instagram promoting their name, and hopefully get a group of girls to stand around their hotel and give it the attention it wanted.

Charlie disagreed, but then of course, had to agree, because discounted stay and free continental and hot breakfast.

So there Charlie sat in the hotel lobby, reminiscing about the times Brad's lips were on hers, and made her feel like a melting popsicle in the hot summers sun.

She got up as she saw the receptionist walk over with a key in hand. 

"Miss Gold, the key to the games room." He said, as he put the key in her hand.

"So it's all good?" She replied.

He nodded, and wandered off, not wanting to be apart of the commotion that was soon to come.

Charlie huffed, and made her way over to the entrance, she stood outside in the -surprisingly- hot sun of England. God forbid such a thing, yet here it was.

"Friends." She smiled, as she made her way over to the girls who sat outside.

They all screamed and jumped up.

"I've got a room for y'all, it's a bit hot out here hey?" She suggested, as she started to smile for the million of incoming selfies.

The few girls, at least a dozen followed Charlie inside and to the games room. They piled in, and were overwhelmed by her act of kindness.  They began to do what fans would always do, and Charlie was momentarily able to hide her pain.

It was things like this that made Charlie wonder why she still had fans? She never appreciated them enough, and used them to absorb her lost hope.

She wanted Brad. 

She wanted his love. His love for life. His love for her. 

The days on tour made Charlie realised what Brad had become for her. Though they left on a low note, it seemed it only helped Charlie try to hit the high ones. Her relationship with Brad was somewhat a metaphor for her life. 

Fuck. She hated being so metaphorical and sentimental. So Charlie laughed and smiled as well as she could, and sat down with her fans, and shared stories of her love with Brad and the sadness of her childhood.

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lol idk what im doing with this story?????????????????