Charlie

Kit was looking through a magazine. She kept her distance, tried to let her brother heal, tried to help him, but if she heard him groan one more… that’s it. Kit stood up, walking to Charlie’s room, grabbing some clean clothes and then walking back, throwing them at her brother. “Put them on, get up, we’re going out. If I hear you pout over she who should not be named one more time I think I’m going to die. You have ten minutes to get ready and meet me in the kitchen.”

“I don’t want to go out.” Charlie whined, letting the Switch fall onto the couch. He put his arms over his head, the announcer chanting ‘DEFEAT’ softly on the system. “I’m not crying over Voldemort, I’m crying over Ara.” Even saying her name brought a pang of hurt to his poor little heart. 

“Oh, yeah, it’s Quinn, like the last name, like the guy’s name, or well my case girl’s name, any gender name really,” she replied, with a shrug. “I always forget that people don’t automatically know me. Wouldn’t it be cool if you automatically knew everyone’s name though? And wow I just kind a rambled a bit, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, just a bit.” Charlie half smiled. “I guess we have gender neutral names in common. My parents wanted that theme.” Charlie put his cocoa back down on the table. “Do you, uh, want to sit?”

Quinn saw Charlie from across the cafe when she was getting a coffee. She had a long night last night, but she figured she’d talk too him after Paisley had mentioned him. “Hey, it’s Charlie right? You and Paisley know each other? We graduated in the same year I think.”

@charliecarr

Charlie was focused on his cocoa. Paisley convinced him to come out despite all of his protests. He looked up when the girl approached his table. “Oh, yeah. She’s my friend.” He shrugged one shoulder. “What was your name? I’m sorry, I’m blanking.”

“Oh, Charlie,” Kennedy sighed quietly, his behavior making sense now. Her shoulders slumped and she set their drinks down on the nearest empty table. “I’m sorry, buddy. I know it sucks. If you want, we can go back to my apartment and drown in TV and ice cream. That’s usually my go-to. Or we can just stay here and you can keep telling me about how horrible love is, I don’t have anywhere to be today.”

“Ice cream sounds good,” Charlie mumbled. He groaned as he pushed himself up off the wall. “I’m sorry for drinking your coffee.”

“Pigs can get sunburn? Really? I didn’t know animals could get sunburn,” she replied. “What if we covered ourselves in mud. Not that I would, but just wondering.”

“We wouldn’t get sunburnt,” Charlie answered. “We’re a lot like pigs.”

“Who the fuck is Isabelle?”

“The dog lady from Animal Crossing. Duh.”

“If you want we can stay at my parents for a week or something, that way you can see them.”

“Really? You’d do that for me?”

“Well, if I can ever convince her to date me again, let alone have another kid with me I’ll try to make it work that it’s birthday is Christmas, just for you,” Mason laughed.

“You better get working on it, then.” Charlie looked at his watch. “Babies have to cook for nine months.”

“Baby M-” Mason broke into laughter, unable to finish the word. “One day I’m going to have to have you two meet, and if you call her that I’m gonna have to have my phone ready so I can record it.”

“What’s wrong with baby mama? She’s the baby’s mama.”

“Are you sick?” Kennedy wondered, putting the back of her hand to her little brother’s forehead. “It doesn’t feel like you have a fever… what’s the matter? Why do you want death by puddle?”

“My girlfriend broke up with me,” Charlie whined. More of him fell against the wall. “Everything is horrible and life is despair. Love isn’t real. Don’t fall for the cruel, cruel, joke that is love.”