[Written by-WhitTheReader ]
" Charlie, when are you ever gonna grow up!" Maureen shouted, running her fingers through her long blonde hair. " Lighten up Maureen, Jeeze." Charlie huffed, throwing a mini-basketball into the net on his bedroom door. " You know what? I'm done. I'm sick and tired of feeling like I'm babysitting a five-year-old all the time!" She yelled, grabbing her jacket off of Charlie's bed. "Maureen wait!" He yelled, stopping her from leaving the room. " Please, I love you." He pleaded, leaning down to kiss her. She pushed his face away, " nice try." She laughed, walking out the door with a slam. Charlie ran to his bedroom window, pulling it open with a creak. " You'll be back! All of them crawl back to me!" He yelled out the window, watching her open the door to her new black Porsche. " I won't be crawling back to anyone! Ever!" She yelled back, entering the vehicle, pulling out the drive way. He watched as she sped down the street, vanishing into the night. Charlie slammed his window down, the glass almost breaking. " Darn you Maureen!" He yelled frustatingly. He grabbed a black leather jacket off a peg on the wall, throwing it on as he left his bedroom. He went into the kitchen, grabbing a wad of bills out of a cookie jar. He grabbed the keys to his Harley Davidson and left the house.
Charlie looked up at the glowing neon sign, his motorcycle helmet in his hands. " Jackie's." The sign read. Charlie strode into the building, the smell of smoke and alcohol filling his nostrils. He took a seat at the end of the bar, setting his helmet beside him on the wooden floor. A older lady with dark brown hair, wrapped into a messy bun on top of her head, came towards him. " The usual?" She asked, grabbing a glass from behind her. " Everytime Jackie." He replied with a smirk. Jackie winked in response, starting to fill his glass. She set an ice cold drink in front of him, sliding a coaster under it. " Your usual whiskey on the rocks." She said leaning on the counter. Charlie picked up the drink, taking a sip, then setting it back down. " What's wrong sugar?" She asked, twirling a loose piece of hair. " It's nothing Jack." He replied somberly. " Come on Renegade. What's buggin ya?" She asked, filling a shot glass with some tequila. " I'm not feeling like Renegade tonight." He replied, taking another sip. " Girl trouble?" She asked, throwing the shot back. " Whoo!" She yelled, holding her cup in the air. Charlie laughed as she filled the glass again. " Maureen sorta broke up with me." He sighed. Jackie sat her glass down " Aww I'm sorry sugar. I know she meant a lot to you." She said, patting him on the shoulder. " Hey Jackie, can I get another cold one?" A guy a couple stools away from Charlie asked. " Sure Harry, coming right up." Jackie replied, " Don't you go anywhere." She warned, pointing her finger in his face. He smirked, sliding his finger around the ring of his cup. He didn't feel in the mood to get drunk, that was his go to coping mechanism. Jackie's was the only place he felt he truly belonged. Out there...he wore a mask. He tried to fit in, tried to make his parents proud, tried to act like everything was cool when it really wasn't. He'd be graduating High School soon and he had no idea where his life was headed. He spent most of the school year drinking, partying, and always having a girl around his arm. Maybe Maureen was right, maybe I do act like a child. He thought out loud. " Harold why don't you get home to Margot?" Jackie said, moving a drunk Harold towards the door. " Hey anybody here with Harold?" She asked, looking around the room. One man came forward, laying Harold's arm around his shoulder. " That would be me." The man replied leading him out the door. Charlie looked back at his drink, wanting to just feel free. Forget school and his future. It could wait...right? " Hey hon sorry, Harold had a few too many." She explained, seeming a little tipsy herself. " Jackie, when you look at me, who do you see? Renegade or Charlie?" He asked, searching her face for an answer. Jackies lips turned into a warm smile. " I see you." She answered. " But, what if I don't know who I am?" He asked, running a hand through his hair. " Be patient grasshopper." She laughed, taking another shot. " Aren't ya going to finish your drink?" She asked. " I don't really know." He replied as shouts started to come from the back of the building. " Old Billy and Rick are at it again." She huffed, walking away. " Don't you dare be breaking my glasses!" She shouted at them. Charlie looked down at his drink whispering " What the heck." To himself as he took a gulp. The doors to the bar opened as a girl entered, sitting a seat sway from him. Charlie just glanced at her, noticing her blonde hair that trailed down her back. " Maureen?"
" Well I'll be darned." Charlie laughed. " Ohh brother. I totally forgot Jackie's was your spot." She replied, laying her head down on the bar. " Whatcha doing down here? Never saw you ever drink before." He asked, staring at her. " Well, I thought to myself as I was about to drive home. " Why not try something new?" And here I am." She finished, twirling her hair. She did that when she was nervous. " Hey I'm bac-Maureen, what a surprise." Jackie exclaimed, mouthing something to Charlie. " Whatcha want to drink hon?" She asked, cleaning a glass. " Ummm..." She started when Charlie made a choice for her. " Get her my usual." He answered, winking at Maureen. She laughed " I'm still mad, you realize that right?" She said. Charlie smiled " of course I did." He responded. Even though he was mad at first, all he felt was like something was missing from his life. Maureen brought out the good in him, the good no one ever saw. " Whiskey on the rocks?" She questioned. " Basically whiskey with Ice." He explained as Jackie put the drink on a coaster in front of Maureen. " Enjoy." She said with a smile, winking at Charlie as she left them alone. Maureen examined the drink, smelling it, spinning it, doing everything else besides drink it. " You think it's poisoned or something? Take a sip." He said, taking a sip of his own drink. " Will you chill, this is my first time okay." She said, bringing the drink up to her lips. She poured it back, taking a big gulp. Charlie took the drink out of her hand as Maureen started to cough " Woah take it easy. You're a first timer. Take a sip, not a gulp." He explained, setting the drink back in the coaster. " That was...different." She laughed. Charlie watched as she started to take a sip of her drink. He wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her. When she turned his way, he went for it . He pressed his lips against hers, this time she didn't pull away. It felt bittersweet. He retracted his lips from hers, knowing that would be the last kiss they shared. " What was that for?" She asked, their faces still close. " That was me saying goodbye." He left the bar stool walking out the door. Maureen left her drink, following him out the bar. Charlie started to walk down the street, the crisp night air hitting his face. Maureen grabbed his shoulder, turning him towards her. " Where are you going? What did you mean by goodbye?" She asked, rubbing her arms. " I'm going to leave." He said. " Leave? Go where? Do what?" She asked, her mind buzzing. " I'm going to leave here. I'm going to go off and...try to find who I really am." He explained. " So your just going to hop on your motorcycle and ride into the sunset? Is that it?" She replied sarcastically. " Look, it's my decision okay? My choice. You said I needed to grow up, well...I'm growing up." He said, starting to walk again. " Charlie please don't go." She begged. He stopped in his tracks, turning around to face her. " Why? Why should I stay?" He asked, sliding his hands into his pant pockets. " Because, because I want you to stay." She replied. " I can help you figure it all out. I'll be there and I won't treat you like a child. Just please, stay for me." She pleaded, starting to shiver. Charlie took off his jacket, walking towards her. He wrapped the jacket around her, her eyes staring up at him. He looked into her bright blue eyes, those eyes that held so much knowledge, so much potential. He kissed her on the the forehead, leaving her. Maureen watched him walk away, disappearing into the darkness of the streets.
Maureen eventually went home, her parents worried sick and disappointed. She only got a couple hours of sleep, she just couldn't stop thinking of Charlie. She went downstairs, putting back on the jacket Charlie gave her. She walked down the stairs, her mom closing the front door. " Honey, you have a letter." She said, staring at the folded piece of white paper. " Who's it from?" She asked, taking the letter from her mother's hands. " There's no name." She replied. " Huh, that's strange. I'm going to go change upstairs mom. Wouldn't want to miss Kelly's party." Maureen said as she walked up the stairs, closing her bedroom door. She sat the letter on the bed, thinking none of it. As she searched through her closet of clothes, Charlie popped into her mind again. She looked at the letter, her name written in big black letters. She rushed to her bed, grabbing the piece of paper, unfolding it. Inside it read
Dear Maureen
Last night I spent a lot of time thinking. About you, my future, and who I am really am. Do I know the answer to that question yet? No, I do not. But once I do, I'll be back. I promise you, I'll be back. I just have to get things together and stop " acting like a child". I hope you know that I still love you and always will. No other girl I've ever been with could ever compare to you Maureen. I hopefully won't be gone long, but can do me one favor? Could you wait for me? I know it's a big question, I'm sure you've already gotten a date with Dean Sanders, but could you just wait for me?
Love-Renegade?
