I lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
My mind blank.
I try to sleep.
But my mind won't allow it.
Thoughts of home twist and turn in my mind until they are morphed into a gruesome mix of happiness and sadness.
I remember things I want to forget.
Driving and belting out showtunes in Katie's car.
Date nights with Darren to see a show.
Tony night with Addie when she said those things to me, but they barely stung.
My mother singing to me when I had a nightmare.
Darren leaving me alone when he joined the military.
The thoughts of planting a tree.
A fucking tree.
The few months where Addie wouldn't even look me in the eye.
The echo of the gunshot that horrid night when Darren got shot.
The echo of the gunshot when Addie got shot.
The horrible sound of my own thoughts, slowly drowning me.
The weight of Darren on top of me when he had a nightmare and was sleep-walking.
The joy of graduating.
I don't want to remember.
I want to forget, to leave it all behind and start again.
But I can't.
Because the truth is, you can't forget New York.
You can't forget the thing that changed your life.
It just stays with you.
You can't do anything about it.
It's just there.
_______________
I come into work with dark circles under my eyes.
"Charlotte, honey, what's wrong?"
Alex asked from the counter, working with a customer.
"Allergies."
I called back to her, trudging to the back to start steaming the silky fabrics.
They only used delicate fabrics and silks in their clothes because it makes them more 'breathe able'.
I carefully ran the steamer over the clothes and hung them on the racks outside.
Andrea offered to touch up my makeup and get rid of the dark circles, but I pretended not to notice them.
Allison steamed with me, sitting in a position not to hurt her pregnant belly.
I smiled at her.
"Boy or Girl?"
She chuckled.
"Boy. But does gender even exist anymore?"
I snorted, causing her to laugh more and hold her stomach.
"Good lord, you're just as funny as you were when you were a kiddo."
She stood up and ruffled my hair, making it more tangled.
I rolled my eyes and groaned, continuing to steam a teal dress.
She hummed, noticing the scar on my neck.
"What's that from?"
She wondered.
I tensed up in every part of my body.
"Accident at rehearsal. Sharp prop."
I lied.
She hummed, going back out to the main part of the building.
I sighed and raised the steamer to the fabric.
"You just can't stop lying can you?"
YOU ARE READING
City Of Dreams
General FictionSequel to New York- Where Dreams are Made Charlotte struggles to remain on top of everything. With all the problems and stress, she tries to hold it together. She tries to finish what she came to do. She tries to make her dreams come true. But...
