Chalex Oneshots

Alex Can't Sleep

Alex hadn't slept in three days. He would toss and turn each night, slumped in an anxious mess against his pillows, watching his clock slowly make its way to 6am. His eyes felt heavy, his limbs ached, but each time he drifted off, all he could hear were gun shots, loud and clear as if they were firing right at him. His body would shake awake, and he'd be rendered a mess for the rest of the night.

This had been standard daily procedure since the shooter drill three days ago, where his heart had been in his mouth, his mind flashing back to the god awful night two years ago that he begged he'd forget again. Ever since, he felt traumatised, his brain working overtime as he tried to calm his own distress. No matter what he did, it wasn't good enough. He couldn't sleep, and at this rate, he'd never sleep again.

"Hey, you okay?" He felt a hand lay softly on his shoulder, pulling him back from his drift as they sat in the cafeteria. "You've not even touched your lunch Alex." Charlie St. George, was nothing less than an actual saint, smiling sadly at Alex as he offered him his Twinkie. "I know your mum makes you eat all that freeform organic shit, so you can have this if you want?" He chuckled slightly, placing it on Alex's tray for the older boy to take.

"Not hungry." Alex muttered in a deflating tone. He let out a heavy sigh, pushing his tray away from him. "Thank you though." He mustered up a small smile, gently placing his hand on the other boy's in gratitude.

Charlie smiled, rubbing small circles into his palm. "You don't seem yourself." He pursed his lips in concern, eyeing Zach and Jessica as they sat across from them watching with a worried stance.

Alex shook his head, anxiously playing with Charlie's fingers as he tried to calm his nerves. He didn't want the person he was growing to like to think he was an even bigger freak. It wasn't normal to still be traumatised from a flipping drill, he was fucked up, much too fucked for the likes of Charlie St. George.

"Come on Alex, we've all seen it man, you look like death warmed up right now." Zach weighed in, quickly quietened by Jessica as she proceeded to kick him under the table. "What!? I'm just saying what we're all thinking!" He proceeded, smiling sadly at Alex as the frail boy rolled his eyes.

"Guys, seriously I'm fine okay, I'm fine, I just want to be alone for a bit." He pulled his grip away from Charlie, wobbling as he stood. He could feel another panic attack coming on, and he needed to get some fresh air pronto. He grabbed his bag, refusing to look behind as Charlie called his name in concern.

"He's definitely not fine." Jessica bit her lip, emptying the contents of Alex's lunch tray onto hers to be cleared. "Charlie, you should go after him." She motioned, giving him a nod of approval as he began to stand.

"You think it's a good idea?" He asked. All he wanted to do was wrap the boy up in his arms and tell him he could talk to him about anything. But he also knew that with Alex it was important to not overstep.

"He needs you right now." Jess encouraged, handing him his bag. "He's different around you, he listens to you for a start which is more than what he does with us. Please go to him, I'm worried about him Charlie, he's not been right for days, and with his past you know-"

"I know, I know." Charlie placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, calming her worried demeanour. "I'll get to the bottom of it, I'll make sure he's okay."

"You're good for him you know, I'm glad he has you." She pressed a friendly peck to his cheek, Zach giving him an approving nod behind her as he went off to find Alex, the boy who's sad smile was currently breaking his heart.
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Alex found himself slumped against a bench in the empty part of the school courtyard, using all his strength to tightly grip his bag as he desperately tried to calm his breathing. All he could hear were gunshots, he could feel his body shake with them, his head heavy and tired, his eye bags making him look all the more sick and crazy. He wanted someone to hold him and tell him he'd be okay, he wanted to sleep, but neither of those things were going to happen.