#rrl01d76

Gen One, Day Seventy-Six

As they got up to head back to the bus stop, Eris couldn’t resist anymore. She stopped in front of him, turning and he could only get out a quiet, “Wha-...” before she went in for the kiss. 

It surprised her, stomach dropping, when he dodged out of the way. His hands came up to hold her arms back and she stood there, feeling the flush cross her face and not in the good type of way. She took a step back immediately. “I’m so sorry,” she breathed out, embarrassed. 

“No, no,” Allan shook his head, looking down at his feet with a heavy sigh. “Please, don’t...” he shook his head again, like he was struggling with what to say. “Please don’t feel bad, or like you did something wrong. Or that I haven’t been feeling the same way.” The words confused her, having her look up at him and his face was understanding, yet mournful. “I’ve been fighting the urge to do that all day.” 

Confused, she shook her head. “Then, why...-” 

“Because we’re moving,” he cut her off. “At the end of the school year. To Strangerville. I, uh...I found out last week. Terrible timing, I guess.” 

“Strangerville’s not that far,” she tried meekly. 

Gen One, Day Seventy-Six

It was late and Charlie didn’t want to stay at practice, but he didn’t want to go home either. His mind was racing, heart beating loud in his chest. He felt like crying and he almost did as he walked to the park behind the school gym. He sat there for a long time, just thinking, legs curled up onto the bench with him as he hugged them to his chest, chin resting on his knees. 

The world sucked. He couldn’t believe he was so stupid as to think that Josef liked him. He’d just used him, hadn’t he? Used him and then expected him to keep quiet about it because that’s what a decent person would do and he knew Charlie was decent. What if he didn’t have to be? What if he went around and told everyone what Josef had done? 

The thought was out of his mind in a heartbeat, because there was cruelty and then there was ruining someone’s life. An eye for an eye was not the way Charlie did things and he closed his eyes, thinking back on his karate days. He hadn’t really kept up with it, even though his parents had been willing.

He wonder what karate would have him do about this? Probably meditate, think on it, and then get his emotions and energy out in a healthy way. He’d move on, prove himself worthy or not letting this define who he was or the way he thought about relationships and romance. One bad egg, that’s all this one. One bad experience. While the thought may help in the long run, it didn’t make it any less painful now. And he spent much longer than he meant to just sitting in the park, thinking it all over in his head. 

Gen One, Day Seventy-Six

As the day grew to a close, the exhibit’s doors were shut and the two made their way down the riverwalk instead. Laying down on the boards just next to the fountain, they looked up at the sky and daydreamed what it would be like for Eris to be a civil engineer and Allan and cop. Maybe just pipedreams now. Just fantasies they had in the moment, but it was fun to think about. 

Eris found herself growing closer and closer with Allan. Several times during the night, she found herself wanting to reach out and take his hand, or lean over and give him a peck on the cheek. Those weren’t things friends did, at least none of her friends. She had to remind herself that they weren’t dating. That they were out here at the art center as friends. Close friends, granted, but still friends. 

Gen One, Day Seventy-Six

After they made their rounds of the exhibit, they didn’t want to leave just yet and decided to check out the mural wall in the back. The arts center had set it up so anyone could come in and add their piece of the mural. They decided to add their own. A small section where they could spray paint their names together, hopefully so it would be immortalized for as long as this mural stood. 

“What about you?” Eris asked and at Allan’s confused look, she chuckled. “What’s after high school for you?” 

A shrug can in response. “I have an idea, but... I don’t know, it seems kind of stupid.” 

“It’s not!” she assured him, no matter what it was, she knew that she wouldn’t think it was stupid. “Tell me. Let me be your cheerleader.” 

A snort and Allan still looked a little hesitant before he stopped spraying his name and looked over at her. “I was...kinda thinking I’d go to the police academy.” 

Eris was a little taken aback by it all. “You want to be a cop?” she asked. 

“Told you it was stupid.” 

“No!” she insisted, putting her own spray can down and moving closer to him. “No, not even a little. I think it’s really cool. But...what made you decide that?”

Another hesitation, and she knew it was going to be a heartfelt answer before he even gave it. “Just...thought it might be nice to help other kids who had the same upbringing as me, you know? I’m still in touch with the cop that came that day. He really cares. I just thought, I dunno, might be nice to have a job where you can do stuff like that.” 

She smiled adoringly at her friend, reaching out to give his arm a squeeze because that was the mostly wholesome thing she thought he could ever get out of his situation. To want to be like one of the cops who’d come to help him. “Officer Szalinski, huh?” 

“Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” 

Gen One, Day Seventy-Six

By the time Charlie got home for the evening, it was well past curfew. He saw the light on in the living room as he came up the front porch and sighed, knowing this was not going to go well, but it was the last thing he needed right now. He didn’t need a scolding or a grounding and he wasn’t in the mood to be lectured or reminded of why they had curfews. 

So when he entered the house and his Mom came out of the kitchen, where she’d been worriedly washing dishes to tell him, “Charlie, do you know what time it is?” he tried his best to hold back his temper and heartache. She didn’t deserve it. 

“I know, Mom,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, I lost track of time.” 

Robyn paused for a second, like maybe she’d expected more of a fight, or hadn’t expected the tone of voice he’d taken, so quiet, reserved and a bit more sad than he’d meant to let seep through to the syllables. “You okay, baby?” 

Charlie nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I promise, I’m just...” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I’m just really tired, Mom,” he told her, almost unable to look at her as he started up the stairs. 

Robyn’s worried gaze followed him and she reached out to touch his arm as he passed by her. “Anything you want to talk about?” 

For a moment, he almost said yes. Almost broke down crying and told her everything. He wanted to. If not to her, then to someone, because it sucked trying to go about this alone. But he was embarrassed and tired and didn’t know how she’d react to the whole thing, so he shook his head after a long pause and gave her a wan smile. “No,” he whispered, but leaned over to kiss her cheek before heading up the rest of the stairs. “Goodnight, Mom.”