Wild (Cherik Book One)

The Quiet

"I'd rather be black and blue.

Anything hurts less than the quiet."

___________CHARLIE_________TW:MENTIONS OF ABUSE_______

On any other day Charlie would have been ecstatic to round the corner of thick trees to see all his friends rallied in the courtyard. He would have stumbled out of the car and joined their celebration with ease. But something about the way everything was going, how frazzled and scattered his brain was kept him from doing that. In fact it conjured up a completely different reaction. Frustration and aggravation. Two things that, if you knew Charles Xavier, weren't normally on his list of emotions. Something of a fire ignited in his chest as he saw Angel, Marina, Hank and Sean rallied in the driveway shouting humorous profanities at the siblings. Looking back, Charlie thinks most of what he felt in that moment was just an anger towards himself. He wasn't able to fully be present in any moment because of a blade constantly being held at his throat. It was hard to swallow it down as Raven ran out of the car and tackled her teary-eyed girlfriend to the soft grass patch by the elaborate marble fountain.

"Hey, how are you doing babe?" Angel's big brown eyes looked at Charlie for an answer. She wore a tank top that exposed her muscle toned arms. A baseball cap blocked the sunshine from her squinting eyes. Charlie didn't know how to respond besides he was doing quite shit but he couldn't say that.

"I'm doing good. Tired from waking up so early," Charlie shrugged and rounded to the trunk to get Ravens bags.

"And the inevitable hangover I'm sure you have. But, that is not what I'm asking. I'm talking about you and Jack." Her voice was a whisper, hovering on a gentleness that suggested Charlie was porcelain. That only pissed him off even more.

"We are fine. We talked and stuff so things are going well," Charlie lied easily and Angel frowned at him.

"That's...good," she cleared her throat and dropped the subject.

He tried not to hitch his breathing as he lifted Raven's bags and rolled them up the driveway to meet everyone.

The fire in his chest didn't sizzle for anyone's sweet greeting. Not Sean's obnoxious high five, Hanks' smile and chirping 'hello!', Angel's warm hug or Marina's kiss on the cheek. All things that would usually make Charlie overjoyed. But instead they made him feel rotten and sour. Of course he smiled along to the welcoming party but found he was moving like he was stuck in ink. Slow and aching just waiting for the walking to get easier. For conversation to get easier.

"Where's the rest of the crapshow?" Raven asked, finally breaking away from a blushing Marina.

"They should be here any minute," Hank looked at his watch in thought just as the black pickup truck tumbled up the driveway. A small needlepoint began pressing against every nerve in Charlie's body as memories of the previous night made his vision blur. Erik knew, well he didn't know but he saw and that was enough.

"Raven!" Emma ran out of the truck first. Charlie tried not to feel too bad about her being there. There was no reason to besides that she was just this perfect and strong frost princess with a heart of gold. Quit being an asshole to Emma. She's been nothing but a saint.

There's several different types of silence that can build. There's awkward silence, that specific form of discomfort that puts a plague on any flourishing conversation. Something oftentimes brought about by comments made by Sean or Alex. There's thoughtful silence, the kind where you are left with something beautiful or tragic that leaves you speechless. Achieved by midnight philosophies from Angel or Charles. Tension filled silence which is what happened every moment Charles and his dad interacted. And then there's this silence. God Charlie thought he would die. This silence was like a terminal plague that rotted at his mouth leaving him unable to speak. Erik came into view his conversation with Darwin continued only as long as it took for his eyes to meet Charlie's.