BLACKED OUT

Chapter 1

She is the class; everything everyone did was for her: every sentence, every silent stare, every lunch time gossip, everything... is for her. Charlotte: electric, radical and wild. Every time she walked in the room, silence. Every time she talked, silence. Every time she moved, silence. Everyone's eyes were fixed on her, the way she moved as if her drive hypnotised everyone, the way she flipped her hair as if she was demanding for attention, and the way her lips exchange a language so sweet it echoed into the heavens. "Charlotte Bailey", the name of the girl engraved on the door of everyone's fantasies.

Call me Harley Glover, a boy who wants his brightest dreams to come true but is living his darkest nightmares. Why won't she look at me? Why was I cursed with this unacquainted love? Maybe it's because she has been in my form group ever since the start of secondary school. Maybe it's because her deep... blue... eyes... set me through a boat ride with her on the clear blue ocean... Whoa there I go again. I need to make Charlotte recognise me; tomorrow in school, shall be the day I make Charlotte recognise me. The time yelling at me "4:48 am", but the yelling was silenced by the thoughts of Charlotte. I tried sleeping, but the constant thought of her being with another guy was really frustrating me, and I could not sleep at all. Questioning why she would prefer me over other guys was no help to sleep at all; in fact, it made it worse. When I finally fell asleep, my mother came to wake me up!

"Harley, school time... WAKE UP... Harley... you're going to be late again... HARLEY WAKE UP!!"

So, I go downstairs to see my annoying brother and my 'goody-goody' sister eating breakfast... MY BREAKFAST! Since this was not the first time this had happened, I decided to rush off in order to prove my genuineness to not stay and prevent me from not eating THEM for my breakfast.

Waiting for the bus gave me time to think about how I am going to make Charlotte recognise me. I had really stupid ideas flowing around my head: "Bump in to her and pick her books up for her" that would just make me look desperate, "Randomly say hi to her and start to talk to her" once again that would make me look desperate. One thing she would never know is that I am desperate, desperate for Charlotte to be in my arms and for her to realise I am the man in her dreams, like her being the girl of my dreams. Since I was clueless on what to do next, I decided to call my best friend.

"Hey Miguel, I'm having Charlotte trouble again, I want to make her realise that I am the man of her dreams", to which Miguel replied "Harley, PLEASE stop with this Charlotte business, she will never stoop to our level, by the way I need to go... Bye". I do not know whether to be flattened after that conversation or to take it as good criticism. Anyway, Miguel and I have been best friends, sorry brothers since forever, and we have never had a serious problem which could cause us to part from each other. That is one of the many reasons our friendship is very strong. The bus had arrived, so I just plugged my headphones into my ears and started to listen to some music to relax myself.

As I left the bus and made my way down the everlasting hallway, leading to my fatal form class, where my fate was impatiently waiting to be decided: whether Miguel was right about Charlotte not 'stooping to our level' or whether the girl of my dreams has a little room in her heart for me. The doors were crying for me not to enter the classroom and the lockers in the hallway were pleading for me to go back. Ignoring my conscience, I entered the classroom and there she was... Charlotte Bailey; sitting there, applying lipstick to those luscious lips of hers, gently patting face powder on her face and not having a care in the world about all the boys eyes that she just kidnapped.

Breathing heavily, sweat dripping from my head, clinching my fists as if I'm going to battle, I had finally built the courage inside me to go and talk to her. The walk towards Charlotte was if running one hundred laps around a football field. Taking very miniature steps towards Charlotte made me look like a fool, but looking like a fool would have been worth it, that is if everything goes to plan and I walk off with Charlotte in my arms. Having reached Charlotte, I started to pile my brain with words, words to start a conversation with Charlotte. Concluding me to say 'Hey' took more time, when I finally spoke out:

"H – H –Hey"; a beautiful song was being whispered from the heavens, my dreams were one step closer to becoming true; Charlotte... Charlotte Bailey... LOOKED AT ME! She recognised me. My life is half complete. There I was firm like a tree, standing gazing into her eyes, thinking ahead of our future: summer parties, music festivals, and theme parks and most crucially... she was mine!

Out of the blue Miguel interrupts "Harley, Harley come here", pulling me to the side, Charlotte carried on applying her make-up and talking to her friends, while I was pulled away to the side reminiscing what happened two seconds ago.

Why did Miguel just intrude Charlotte and I's gold-worth moment? He knows how much I want her to be mine, her to be with me always and every second of my being. The moment was meant to be my gamble to talk to Charlotte, and the person I am most dependent on ruined it for me!

"WHAT! ARE! YOU! DOING!" I screeched.

To which Miguel instantly replied: "We haven't finished our science project, and we have science tomorrow".

Miguel was exactly right; I needed to finish my science project for me to get an 'A' overall. My academic results meant everything to my parents; they have always encouraged me to do the greatest I can in school. Maybe Miguel is just looking out for my best intention, maybe he is being my best friend; by making me realise I will never get Charlotte after all.

Days later Charlotte hadn't posted her fathers birthday post which was very weird as she does it every year. Miguel hadn't messaged me in a few weeks and I was back to living under a rock and speaking to myself.