City Of Dreams

Sixty-Five

I lay awake, staring at the ceiling.

Same old apartment.

Same old bed.

Different Charlotte.

My phone rings.

I grimace and reach my bedside table to answer it.

"Charlotte?"

I smile.

"Hey, Addition what's up?"

She pauses.

"I need you."

The covers fly off the bed.

I put my same red hoodie on.

"On my way."

As I'm leaving, I think about finding patches to put on my hoodie.

You dork.

That's the saddest thing you've ever thought.

That's familiar.

What is that?

Dammit.

Seriously?

I ignore the little whispers in my ear and pause before running out the door.

My brain makes a note to go to the Internet for the name of this musical when I get back.

My eyes travel to something laying on the table before the door.

The cover is grey and the hinges of the notebook are black.

I reach out to touch it, seeing the pencil still stuck in the middle where I left it.

I flip the cover open to be faced with the words,

Charlotte's

                   Drawing
 
                               Book

My hands wrap around the book and tuck it under my arm.

I grab keys and run down the stairs of my apartment building.

Cold air greets me.

My lungs fill with the chilly atmosphere as I take a breath.

I run.
_______________

Rain starts pouring on my head.

"Shit."

I mutter, still wandering in the street.

"Where the hell does he live?! This is what the Internet is for! Why won't it work?!"

I yell to no one.

Thunder booms above me.

"Fuck."

I whisper and start running.

Addie doesn't do storms.

Better get there quick.

Hurry up.

I growl.

"SHUT UP!"

Headlights catch my eye and I dive out of the way.

I lay on the sidewalk, out of my mind and my breath.

Better get there before Victoria.

She'll beat you I bet.

She's the better friend.

She didn't leave.

She stayed when things got ugly.

Unlike someone I know.

I scream.

And I scream for a long time.

When I'm finally done, I've got strangers staring, sore vocal cords, and a growing death wish.

Another crash of thunder stirs me from
My trance.

I stand to my feet and start running again.

You steal her dream role.

You lie to her.

You almost get her killed.

Then you leave.

With not apology.

No words.

You just left.

Left her in the dust.

Left them all in the dust.

Even your own brother.

I squeeze my eyes shut.

More thunder.

Before I can open them again, I run face first into a wall.

"Shit. Shit. Shit."

Nice.

There's a wall there.

Victoria's almost there.

You're not gonna let her steal your best friend are you?

You aren't gonna give up yet are you?

I put my hands on the wall to steady the shaking earth under me.

My chest rises and falls faster than it should.

I feel blood dripping from my nose.

"Crap."

I let my hands lower and I sink to the street.

My legs curl up to my chest and my arms wrap around them, with one hand still holding my nose.

I can't tell the difference between the blood and just the color of my hoodie.

Rain chills me to the bone.

Are you giving up?

Don't worry.

The new girl will take care of it.

She is the newer, cooler version of you.

My brain is gonna explode.

Be More Chill.

That's the musical.

My phone buzzes in my pocket.

Where are you? Are you ok? It's been an hour. Darren says you're not home.

I put my phone back in my pocket.

I'll just let Victoria do it.

She'll help more anyways.

She's the better of us.

I shouldn't have come back.

Look who's listening.

I close my eyes and put my head on my knees, letting the noise calm me enough to the point that I fall asleep.