Steven
This was a bad idea.
A very, very bad idea.
What am I doing here?
What the actual fuck am I even doing?
I thought that not being on drugs was supposed to make my decision making... well, good?
This isn't a good decision!
What if they're not even here anymore?
Oh, God, there's the door opening.
She looked the same: short, spiky hair, pixie-face. "Al- Alice. Er, uh, Mrs... uh..." I stammered, feeling ridiculous, out of place, and suddenly like I wanted to curl up in a ball on the front porch on which I'm standing, and start sobbing.
Alice gasped, opening her arms instantly. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed once she recovered from her shock. "Steven!"
Alice doesn't know what really happened between Charlie and me. She just thinks that things didn't work out. Which... isn't wrong, I suppose, but...
"It's been forever!" she cooed. "Come in, come in!"
I'm not sure if Charlie's dad will want to see me, but...
I wiped my boots on the welcome mat, not feeling very welcome in my ex-fiancees house, but... Well, nothing's really normal when you're me, is it?
"What brings you here?" Alice asked. "D'you want anything to drink? A snack? I just got back; I picked up Chinese, you can have some if you like chicken fried rice or lo mien..."
I'll never get over how sweet Alice is. Though she and Tom never had any kids, she'd make a wonderful mother. Just as Charlie would.
Wait, what the fuck?
I shook my head, clearing all of my thoughts that I shouldn't be having, and said quietly, "I'm okay, right now, thanks."
"Alright, sweetie," Alice said. Sweetie. God, this is bringing back too many painful memories. Right in there is the living room, where me and the guys sat while Charlie's dad told us to behave ourselves before we went rollerskating. Joe got dope-sick that night, and we had to leave early. Charlie and I shared a vanilla milkshake. I couldn't skate worth a shit. "Are you okay?" Alice asked softly, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I blinked. "Huh? Yeah. Fine," I lied, keeping my eyes closed longer than necessary. I'm not gonna fucking cry in front of my ex-fucking-fiancee's fucking stepmother. "Listen, Alice," I said sadly. "Charlie isn't here, I know. But do you know where I could find her? How I could contact her?"
Alice smiled sadly. "Sure, honey. I can give you a phone number."
"Thanks, Alice," I said with a slight smile.
Before Alice got the phone number, she got out two plates, and served the Chinese food onto them. She set them across from each other at the table.
Onto a piece of paper, she scribbled a number, and then handed it to me. "Have some food, Steven," Alice offered. "You're still too thin."
I grinned. "Really, I'm okay thanks," I tried.
Alice wasn't having it. "Tom's out of town. I ordered extra. Please? I haven't seen you forever! I don't care what happened; you'll always be a part of the family."
I hastily turned my back and wiped my eyes, pissed at myself for being so goddamn emotional. "Yeah, alright," I said slowly.
Sure, it was an odd thing to do, but I used to eat dinner here nearly every night when Charlie wouldn't be at our apartment or at her mom's. It felt natural, even after all this time.
God, do I miss her.
\\//
Charlie
This was a bad idea.
A very, very bad idea.
What am I doing here?
This isn't a good decision!
What if they're not even here anymore?
Oh, God, there's the door opening.
They looked totally different. They looked better, happier, more aware of life. They looked like they were aware of the fact that days were going by; like they weren't just walking around like zombies. It's not like they ever really got that bad, unlike some others, but... That's beside the point.
She looked confused at first, and I don't really blame her. I probably look like shit, to begin with, and I'm older now, too. "Charlie?" she asked, unsure.
"H-hi," I managed to get out.
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. "Tom!" she called. "Tom!"
And there came my blond friend, who instantly joined the hug the minute he saw me. "What're you doing here?" Tom asked, worried and confused.
I wiped my suddenly sweaty palms on my jeans. "Um, I, uh, need.... Like, I need Steven's phone number?"
"Why?" Terry asked, stepping aside to allow me into their home.
"Because I would, uh, like to call him," I reply dully.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tom asked me, worry lining his brow.
I shake my head no and give a dry chuckle. Tom returns my smile sadly. "I just... I saw him in the grocery the other day-I was buying smokes for my sister-and I didn't say anything to him and now I feel bad. I'd just like to say hello and see how he's doing."
"He's doing much better," Terry offered. Something tells me they don't want me to contact him. You know, he's probably got a girlfriend by now anyway. Shit, he's probably had many since me. Maybe he's married. Who knows, really?
"Yeah, we were just with him the other night," Tom adds.
"Great." I really didn't mean to sound so rude and uninterested, but... I wasn't interested in hearing this from them at all, if I had to be quite honest. I wanted to hear it all from Steven. After all, words are just words. And they're telling me words Steven should be telling me. "But... Not to cut this short.... But I'm having dinner at my dad's tonight, and I've gotta be there, well, now."
"Oh." They were surprised at my sudden directness.
"Please, can I have his number?" I ask again.
Terry sighed, looking to Tom. Tom shrugged, unsure. And then Tom pulled a scrap of paper and pen seemingly from nowhere and scribbled down the number. I couldn't tell you how many times I thanked them, but it was certainly more than enough.
And, I'm not sure, but as I was walking to my car, I think I heard Terry mutter, "I feel bad that she's still like this."
And in response, Tom (I think), said, "Oh, he's the same way ..."
--
I wasn't joking about the dinner at my dad's house. Alice had invited me over several weeks ago, saying that my dad was going out of town soon and that I should come over. I never gave her a definite day, but I said I'd be there. And, now, here I am.
Yet she's got someone over.
Oh, imagine if my dad saw the scene in the driveway: There was an expensive car, sleek, shiny, and new, pulled up. He'd not only assume Alice was with someone else, but he'd automatically hate him because this dude has got one hell of a rad car. And my dad still has his station wagon.
Anyway, I uncertainly parked my car. I didn't know if I would be interrupting anything. After all, it would seem a bit hypocritical for Alice to cheat on my dad, seeing as Alice was the mistress with whom my dad cheated on my mom. But you never really know.
I knocked on the door, ready to turn back, when Alice answered. And she did have a guy over. But it wasn't at all who I was expecting. "Ooh, this is awkward," she muttered, then, loudly, "Charlie, hi, sweetie!"
I was kind of frozen, but I had this stupid little grin on my lips, for when I was going to greet Alice. Alice, thankfully, unfroze me with a hug and a warm laugh.
When Alice released me, Steven and I held some pretty awkward eye-contact for quite some time before Steven shook his head and looked to Alice. "Well, I should probably get going," he said jerkily, stiffly. "Thanks for, uh, dinner..."
His boots were already on, which made me think he was already on his way out anyway. He made a beeline for the door, shrugging past me without a word or a second glance.
I don't know what exactly I was trying to say to Alice, but it was something along the lines of, I need to talk to him, and I want him to talk to me. But I was so tongue tied that all that came out was an awkward mess of, "I need him."
And, well, I guess you could say that's not entirely a false statement.
--
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A/N: There's some more shit to get real for 'ya. Comment and vote and vote and comment c: