Status: Undergoing revisions and character development but is still active. :)
Between 11:00 and 11:05 PM
Kyle
You know how you can stare at a television screen and see the colors and the people and you can hear the faint droning of voices and canned laughter, but you don’t know what you’re watching? You’re just staring and not blinking and when you finally close your eyes, you’re not even quite sure how to the TV got turned on in the first place. You know that? It happens when you’re too tired to live outside of your head, but you’ve got thoughts swimming around and around and you want to do something about it, but it’s just easier to sit and let them squirm in your brain.
I need to go and do something with my life and have an adventure before I die inside from something everyone does when they just… Follow the respectable path. I don’t want to finish up high school only to go to college and then find a job and I girl I can stand, get married, have kids, not have sex for thirty years, and then die.
That’s the most horrible thing you can do and I want to stop it. I want to have one last hurrah before I get caught in the flow of life and hate myself.
There’s a knock on the door. My head jerks up and I rub the back of my neck, rolling off the couch. Through the living room and into the foyer, I open the door.
“Charlie.”
“Kyle,” she says quietly and steps hesitantly forward. I back up a bit so she can get past me.
“Thanks.” She brushes past me, her hair lightly glancing my chest. My heart does a little pitter patter like it always does when she’s close. I hate that. I hate that my body seems to think that Charlie is possibly worth living in holy matrimony in a suburban area with kids, a dog, and a 9-to-5 job. Or at least that’s what love is to me. Something that ends everything you wanted to have in life, that makes what you despise most suddenly not so bad.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, shutting the door.
“I, uh. I dunno. I just, uh…” She blushes.
“Ever articulate,” I tease, stepping closer to her so my head’s hovering just a little ways from hers’.
“Ah—“
I brush a piece of hair away from her face with the back of my hand.
She touches my hand with her own, keeping it pressed to her face. She sighs, her breath lingering on my skin.
“Charlie,” I say, leaning closer so our mouths are touching, so I can feel my name buzz on her lips.
“Kyle,” she whispers.
And then we’re gone, floating on some higher plain where nothing can go wrong and no one can say a thing to make us think we’ve ever been wrong. This is what I love about Charlie.
But when I’m actually thinking, I think I hate her. But something tells me I’ve never loved someone more.
And then we’re back. We’re lying on my couch; her hands that I’ve always thought are so small are curled on my chest. My fingers are trembling over her mouth that slowly lifts at one side into a smile. I look up at her eyes and she looks happy, but then something changes and she flattens her palms on my chest and pushes me back. “We never should have done that.”
“What?” I ask, watching her adjust her crumpled shirt.
She pauses, looking down at her lap, wringing her hands, and then shoots me this tremendous glare. “You have a girlfriend, Kyle.”
I suck my bottom lip behind my front teeth and look away.
I do.
You do, Kyle. You have a girlfriend. She’s… intelligent. And… perky. And happy and annoying. And I don’t want her.
Yes, you do. You have for years and she’s the best thing that’s happened to you in a long time. Her family is like your family and you love her.
No I don’t.
Yes, you do, Kyle. Stop fooling around with this girl. When did this even start? You’ve known each other for years and what? A few experimental kisses later, you’re making out on the couch? What is your problem?
Nothing. I want her. I don’t want Violet. I want her. Not Violet. Her. Her, her, her.
Don’t. Stop.
I can’t.
“I’m going,” Charlie says, glassy eyed, shoes on.
“Charlie—“
“We can’t do this. It hurts—I can’t. We can’t. You can’t. I—Goodbye.” Her rushed footsteps stomp into the floorboards.
“Charlie,” I say, jumping to my feet.
I’ve got to make decisions.
Don’t mess up, Kyle.
I won’t. I’m doing what I want.
You’re ruining yourself.
“Wait—“
“What? What are you going to say? Nothing is going to—“
I just go in, sweep in. Lips to lips, anger making it hard to float. We’re sinking in the heaviness of the ocean.
She pulls away, her hand on the door handle. “Don’t do that anymore,” she whispers, turning.
“Please.” I hold her back just as she’s about to go for good. And when she turns it’s hard to say anything, hard not to touch her. “Don’t give me those sad eyes.” I lift my hand a few inches, but I make myself drop it back down.
“Kyle, just stop—“
“I’m breaking up with her. I… I just need to find the time. And then we’ll be together. I promise.”
“How can I trust what you say?” she asks her shoes.
“Have a little faith, I guess.”
“How?”
“Come with me. To Silverspur—“
“Kyle, you’re insane!” She puts one foot through the doorway, halfway outside.
“Take a chance, Charlie. I’ll be yours, you’ll be mine and we’ll have the time of our lives. Be like—“
“I can’t. I can’t, don’t you understand? I’m scared and it’s stupid and how am I supposed to know that you’re not just playing me, huh? How do I know I’m not a toy? How do I know that you’ll do what you say? You’re just a boy, Kyle. And boys—boys like you— hurt girls like me.”
“I won’t hurt you! Never, never.” My hands are on her shoulders before I know they are. “I care about you. I don’t think I could hurt you if I tried.” I pull her to me.
“…I have to go.” She pulls away from my hands.
“Charlie, no.”
“Let me go,” she says, standing just outside the front door, facing away from me.
“Just… Just think about it, okay?”
“Yeah,” she mumbles, rubbing the back of her hand across her face.
I wish you wouldn’t cry.
And then she’s down the driveway and walking fast, away from me.
I need to go and do something with my life and have an adventure before I die inside from something everyone does when they just… Follow the respectable path. I don’t want to finish up high school only to go to college and then find a job and I girl I can stand, get married, have kids, not have sex for thirty years, and then die.
That’s the most horrible thing you can do and I want to stop it. I want to have one last hurrah before I get caught in the flow of life and hate myself.
There’s a knock on the door. My head jerks up and I rub the back of my neck, rolling off the couch. Through the living room and into the foyer, I open the door.
“Charlie.”
“Kyle,” she says quietly and steps hesitantly forward. I back up a bit so she can get past me.
“Thanks.” She brushes past me, her hair lightly glancing my chest. My heart does a little pitter patter like it always does when she’s close. I hate that. I hate that my body seems to think that Charlie is possibly worth living in holy matrimony in a suburban area with kids, a dog, and a 9-to-5 job. Or at least that’s what love is to me. Something that ends everything you wanted to have in life, that makes what you despise most suddenly not so bad.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, shutting the door.
“I, uh. I dunno. I just, uh…” She blushes.
“Ever articulate,” I tease, stepping closer to her so my head’s hovering just a little ways from hers’.
“Ah—“
I brush a piece of hair away from her face with the back of my hand.
She touches my hand with her own, keeping it pressed to her face. She sighs, her breath lingering on my skin.
“Charlie,” I say, leaning closer so our mouths are touching, so I can feel my name buzz on her lips.
“Kyle,” she whispers.
And then we’re gone, floating on some higher plain where nothing can go wrong and no one can say a thing to make us think we’ve ever been wrong. This is what I love about Charlie.
But when I’m actually thinking, I think I hate her. But something tells me I’ve never loved someone more.
And then we’re back. We’re lying on my couch; her hands that I’ve always thought are so small are curled on my chest. My fingers are trembling over her mouth that slowly lifts at one side into a smile. I look up at her eyes and she looks happy, but then something changes and she flattens her palms on my chest and pushes me back. “We never should have done that.”
“What?” I ask, watching her adjust her crumpled shirt.
She pauses, looking down at her lap, wringing her hands, and then shoots me this tremendous glare. “You have a girlfriend, Kyle.”
I suck my bottom lip behind my front teeth and look away.
I do.
You do, Kyle. You have a girlfriend. She’s… intelligent. And… perky. And happy and annoying. And I don’t want her.
Yes, you do. You have for years and she’s the best thing that’s happened to you in a long time. Her family is like your family and you love her.
No I don’t.
Yes, you do, Kyle. Stop fooling around with this girl. When did this even start? You’ve known each other for years and what? A few experimental kisses later, you’re making out on the couch? What is your problem?
Nothing. I want her. I don’t want Violet. I want her. Not Violet. Her. Her, her, her.
Don’t. Stop.
I can’t.
“I’m going,” Charlie says, glassy eyed, shoes on.
“Charlie—“
“We can’t do this. It hurts—I can’t. We can’t. You can’t. I—Goodbye.” Her rushed footsteps stomp into the floorboards.
“Charlie,” I say, jumping to my feet.
I’ve got to make decisions.
Don’t mess up, Kyle.
I won’t. I’m doing what I want.
You’re ruining yourself.
“Wait—“
“What? What are you going to say? Nothing is going to—“
I just go in, sweep in. Lips to lips, anger making it hard to float. We’re sinking in the heaviness of the ocean.
She pulls away, her hand on the door handle. “Don’t do that anymore,” she whispers, turning.
“Please.” I hold her back just as she’s about to go for good. And when she turns it’s hard to say anything, hard not to touch her. “Don’t give me those sad eyes.” I lift my hand a few inches, but I make myself drop it back down.
“Kyle, just stop—“
“I’m breaking up with her. I… I just need to find the time. And then we’ll be together. I promise.”
“How can I trust what you say?” she asks her shoes.
“Have a little faith, I guess.”
“How?”
“Come with me. To Silverspur—“
“Kyle, you’re insane!” She puts one foot through the doorway, halfway outside.
“Take a chance, Charlie. I’ll be yours, you’ll be mine and we’ll have the time of our lives. Be like—“
“I can’t. I can’t, don’t you understand? I’m scared and it’s stupid and how am I supposed to know that you’re not just playing me, huh? How do I know I’m not a toy? How do I know that you’ll do what you say? You’re just a boy, Kyle. And boys—boys like you— hurt girls like me.”
“I won’t hurt you! Never, never.” My hands are on her shoulders before I know they are. “I care about you. I don’t think I could hurt you if I tried.” I pull her to me.
“…I have to go.” She pulls away from my hands.
“Charlie, no.”
“Let me go,” she says, standing just outside the front door, facing away from me.
“Just… Just think about it, okay?”
“Yeah,” she mumbles, rubbing the back of her hand across her face.
I wish you wouldn’t cry.
And then she’s down the driveway and walking fast, away from me.
♠ ♠ ♠
I haven't written this in a long time, but I recently saw a seriously crappy horror movie and was inspired to write something waaaay better. So, here I am. :3Writing this is getting really weird because since I created this story five years ago when I majorly sucked at writing, I have met five Kyle's, two Dani's (Danny's), and three Alex's. It's weird writing this now since they're people I know who nowhere near match the characters. So, yeah. Just thought I'd share. :3 I hope you enjoyed! :D I'll try writing more soon.