𝗧𝗪𝗢 - 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘

•••

Charlie's POV

Sometimes i do illegal shit, I'll bump some coke or smoke some weed but I never want to put myself in actual danger, or well, i mean i guess I willingly put myself in danger but I don't ever want to die knowing she'll be alone.

Knowing someone so important to you will be alone is an insufferable pain, or at least to me it is. Who else would bring her a Caribbean green smoothie from boost at lunch because she refuses to eat the cafeteria food, and not because she "doesn't like it", who else would take her to her favourite mall so she can buy new socks almost every month because they keep going missing or who else would she watch horror movies with because she doesn't like watching them home alone. Point is, I probably need her more than she needs me regardless of all that.

And no, its not because i like her.

I just simply care about her, like a good friend would.

I check to make sure the hallways are at least mostly empty, just some juniors milling about,

before making my way to her locker, leaving the smoothie in there and head to the other end the hallway, waiting for Nyx to open her locker.

I see her from the opposite end of the hallway, her wavy long brown hair framing her face, speed walking to her locker whilst she doesn't even notice the sophomore and junior boys and even some of our year checking her out as they come out the class rooms, heading towards the cafeteria.

She's So oblivious

The small smile that graces her lips when she opens her locker is honestly quite cute, i wait for her to look at me, noticing my presence, she quirks a perfectly arched eyebrow up and gives me a questioning glance, i jut my head and she understands what i mean.

I start to walk out the school with Nyx hot on my tail and by the time we had reached my car I practically feel her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Why are we at your car" she has a pretty deep voice for a girl, it's still feminine but it's definitely not the shrill voices of every other girl in school. Thank god.

"I wanted to get lunch out of school, skip with me?"

"Seriously" she gives me an unimpressed face and an eyeroll.

"Pretty please?" I give her my best puppy dog look.

"Don't bat your eyelashes at me like that, it's weird" she laughs at me, although every other girl would probably cry at chance to have me to beg them get lunch with them.

"So you'll come?"

"Obviously, you didn't even need to ask. I'll get in your car at any given opportunity"

" yeah, it's pretty alarming at how easy you'd be to kidnap. Offer you a ride in a nice car and you'd be a goner"

"Ted Bundy would've loved my dumbass"

My laugh freely flows out of me like it always does when I'm with her. She slides in the passenger side and buckles in, connecting to the aux converter almost immediately as if she's done this a hundred times, which she probably has if I'm honest.

When we got the car in the family garage i think she was more thrilled than i was, begging my dad and i to let her help us fix it up for my 16th birthday.

It was a vintage restored 1972 Chevrolet chevelle 454 SS that we painted red and I understand why she loves it.

When i first got it, i took her for a trip out of state for a few nights, we had stayed in a motel for the two nights, not like we actually stayed there, the first night we stayed out star gazing til the early AM with some taco bell and the following night we went to a party that a group of people in a cafe had invited us to, it wasn't hard to convince Nyx to go, although she was pretty uncomfortable until she got some liquor in her system, which wasn't long until that had happened. I remember us dancing and attempting the oh so famous lift from dirty dancing which obviously ended up in shambles.

"So where are we going big boy?"

She kicked off her shoes and placed her legs over me, resting them on my lap, using my hoodie that she had grabbed from the backseats as a pillow as she leaned into the corner between the window and the seat, making herself comfy.

"Well what do you fancy?"

"Ummm, I'm good with my smoothie" she takes a long sip of the drink, giving me a Thank you for it once again.

"Bullshit, what do you want to eat" i ask again

"Curly fries?"

" curly fries it is then munchkin"

"Literally stop calling me that" she huffs, blowing some of the hair that had fallen in her face.

"It's not my fault you're so little"

"I hate you"

"You wish that was true" i grinned at her and she smiles back with a shake of her head, a lipped smile, she doesn't really do the whole open mouth smile thing

"No, you wish it was true, you'd save a lot of money if so" she states matter of factly.

"I would never" i cover my heart, faking hurt.

•••

Friday had came at an alarming rate, I'm not complaining but the week flew by, at least i was in art class, sat at a table to the left of Nyx but a row behind her so i had the perfect view of her work. I loved watching her paint, it's like she was divinely inspired and nothing compared to the art she created and emotions it portrays.

I know she hates drawing and painting and just the thought of it gives her anxiety, so I don't know why she does it, but she's talented. The finished product never does cease to amaze me.

She had just finished the sketch for this new piece, and whilst the lines were too faint for me to make out what it fully was, i could tell it was going to be beautiful.

I however, was not so talented in art. At least not this type of art.

😏

I chuckle, making Nyx turn around and flash me a smile before resuming her work and instead of following suit i bury my head in my arms on my desk and take a well deserved break.

Pssh, foot fetish, I don't even like feet touching me.

Apparently, during my break i had fallen asleep only to be woken up an hour later by the teacher telling me it was time to go.

It was the night of one of the football team's parties and whilst I was on the football team, co-captain. I didn't really care for it that much, just something to fall back on and to pass the time. Despite this, i still decided to make an appearance at the party because there'd be free liquor and you can't say no to that.

Or at least I can't

Walking out the school, the carpark was practically empty despite my car and a handful that most likely belonged to the faculty.

The drive home was short but the wait until I'd leave for the party felt shorter because i took another nap, exhausted from the constant late nights and early mornings, but somehow I'm now three cups deep in vodka cranberry juice, two rounds into beer pong.

All my friends are wasted too, probably more than me and now we're betting on the next person to lose has to jump into the lake at the hosts house.

We was playing 1v1 beer pong and with Alex's aim, it was obvious I'd be winning and rightly so since I've played more games of beer pong than I'd like to admit. The last time i lost a game was with Nyx and our friends from the café, she had thrashed me and some others from the group.

Alex and i was both down to our last cups when it was my turn to throw the ball, my vision was beginning to blur from previous drinks but somehow, in my drunk stupor i had landed the ball in his final cup, winning the game.

He begrudgingly picked up the red cup, chugging it's contents before throwing it at me with a smile and a roll of his eyes, walking out the patio doors, everyone who was watching followed us down to the lake, chanting and screaming with cheers of laughter.

Alex began slowly stripping off his clothes, singling out this one red head, Melissa, a girl who he's been trying to bed for the last few months. Giving her what seems to be the drunkest, sloppiest strip tease in history before diving into the water, resurfacing shortly after.

The chants and screams began once more, cheering Alex on, one by one people began following suit, jumping into the water, it wasn't until the entire football team charged at me, tackling me into the water that i had comprehended just how cold the water would be.

Pulling myself back onto dry land, i yanked off my soaked T-shirt, launching it at one of the team members who was climbing out the water, knocking them back into the lake with a splash.

Seeing how drunk they were i'd maybe be concerned but this is light work for them, they've been far more drunk way too many times and will probably crash on the floor.

I walked out the party onto the streets, shoving my way through sweaty bodies of half naked teens, some throwing up and some kissing so intensely it was like they're cannibals

My house wasn't far from here, maybe a 15 minute walk if I wasn't slow. Somehow i found myself walking the opposite direction of my home and instead towards the home of someone i know would take care of me in this state and would make me feel as though I haven't wasted my Friday night mixing drugs and alcohol.

Nyx.

Her house may of been over half an hour of walking through streets and alleyways, shirtless and cold but it wasn't for nothing as she was still awake, judging from the soft flicker of lights that shone through the curtains.

I climbed up the side of her house, pulling myself up onto the window ledge, i tapped the glass repeatedly until my phone pinged.

"Dickhead? Really? How rude" i said, brushing off my jeans and arms, earning a grin from her. She was laying in bed, snuggled up with both of her dogs, her laptop on her lap.

"Man-whore would've been more fitting judging from how you're dressed" both her dogs, jumped off her bed and ran over to me, their tails wagging as they begged for attention.

"Who's a pretty boy" i cooed, bending ever so slightly to stroke Romeo. "And you!" Turning my attention to Prince, i picked him up and cradled him to my chest, walking over the closet i pulled out one of my old hoodies and a pair of my joggers.

Prince was a black soft haired Patterdale Terrier whilst Romeo was a white Doberman Pinscher.

"Did you come here just to take my dogs and my clothes?"

"First of all, these were mine first" - "and secondly, of course not, i want your food and attention too" i winked at her, stripping off from my now damp jeans, i slip on the gray joggers.

"Ugh come on then" rolling her eyes she unwrapped her self from the duvets and stepped out of bed. She grabbed the empty glass off her night stand too and we made our way downstairs into her kitchen.

"What do you want to eat? A sandwich? Tortilini? Pancakes?"

"Do you want to share tortilini with me?" I ask, grabbing the packet of tortilini from the fridge.

"Go for it" she shrugs, lifting herself up onto the counter.

I grabbed a pot from the cupboard and filled it with water, adding salt and leaving it to boil.

"So, care to share how you ended up wet and in my house?"

"Umm why wouldn't i end up in your house? Who else will nurse me back to health in the morning?"

"That's true, mom does love making you pancakes when you end up here after a night out"

"Exactly, and as for being wet, we took a swim in the lake, well not voluntarily per say"

"Sounds like a blast" her voice dull and sarcastic.

"Aye well the tortilinis ready so grab some forks munchkin"

"Eating outside?" She questions, unlocking the backdoor. Giving her a nod and a smile I wander past her and place the bowl on the small wall.

I was soon followed by Nyx with some more blankets and the forks, we climbed onto the small bed-seating situation in the corner they had built using pallets, illuminating the area with fairy lights and wrapped ourselves up in the blankets and sat close to one another, Nyx had music softly playing from her phone in the background as we ate and star gazed.

Our hands intertwined and she rested her head on my chest as the moonlight danced on her face, casting shadows from her long lashes, she smiled up at me, pulling herself close into my side.

It was a picture perfect scene.

She was picture perfect.