Recondite {Malia Tate}

19: Faith, Trust, and Missed Calls

"Hey, Malia, its, umm, its me... Again.. Charlie, sorry, its Charlie, but I'm sure you already knew that.." Charlie sighed, "Listen, Lia, I didn't mean to hurt you, and I can't say that I know how you feel, but if you would just- if you'd just call me I could help you a-and-" Charlie bit his lip in frustration as his phone beeped to signal his voicemail time was over.

"She still not answer?" A voice asked Charlie softly.

Charlie let his head drop to his hands as he let out a deep breath, "I ruined it, Lydia. Everything we had is just... Gone."

Lydia sighed as she took a spot beside Charlie, the two of them seated on his bed, "No you didn't, Lee." she tried, but Charlie refused to let it go.

"I did," he nodded, "I did. And I know I shouldn't cry in front of people, but just thinking about a world without Malia has me wanting to fall into this seemingly endless ocean of tears." 

"Charlie, who told you you shouldn't cry in front of people?" Lydia wondered.

Charlie shrugged, "I've just caught on by now, I guess."

No words were spoken, and Charlie looked to where Lydia watched him silently, "Lydia, a world without Malia Tate is not a world at all, okay? Its-its just this dark pit that has me guessing whether or not I'll ever see light again."

Some would look at Charlie and say he was overreacting, that Malia Tate wasn't worth his tears, or that he was being pathetic, but not Lydia. Lydia didn't think Charlie was overreacting because, to her, he simply wasn't. 

"Charlie, do you remember what you said to me when Jackson dumped me?" Lydia asked him, eyes dazed as she remembered that night.

"I never liked him anyway?" Charlie sniffled.

Lydia laughed, "Okay, yes, but that's not it. You said it was okay to cry because while he wasn't the nicest person, he was someone I loved, and its okay to cry over someone you love-"

"-because it just comes to show love is an emotion stronger than the rest," Charlie finished. "That was my poetry phase," he commented.

Lydia snorted, quickly covering her mouth, "Sorry, sorry. That wasn't funny."

"Actually, it was," Charlie told her, slowly beginning to smile. "I was quite the poet Sophomore year," he said. "My journal is quite the time consumer."

"Teasing," Lydia nodded, "Maybe you won't be sad forever."

Charlie's smile fell, "But I'm not in love with Malia, though. At least, I don't think I am."

Lydia shrugged, "I think you'll know love when you feel it, Lee. Its something you can't describe. But its also something you can't miss."

"Is it too soon to feel so many emotions towards her?" Charlie wondered.

Charlie had never had a girl as special to him as Malia was. Sure, he had to admit, he had the smallest crush on Allison Argent when she had first moved here, but who wouldn't? She was incredibly smart and talented, which is most likely why Scott McCall was so quick to ask her out. 

Charlie had thought he had gone through his first heartbreak when Lydia came to him about Allison's date. Lydia had even gone as far as to buy Charlie his favorite candies and watch movies with him until they both fell asleep. Unfortunately, what Charlie felt back then was nothing compared to what he felt now.

It was a gut wrenching and heart aching pain that left Charlie feeling crippled. Almost to the point to where he couldn't walk correctly. His shoulders were slumped with exhaustion and his eyes were weighed down by the heavy, purple bags he carried, leaving his paled skin looking paler.