Young Writers Society

In that small, little house it was cold like a corpse despite the fact that summer was only days away. The bright blue of the walls were as tainted as the stains on their carpet and the smiling faces did nothing, but emphasize the loneliness that was deeply rooted at the bottom of her cluttered soul. Charlie sat alone with only a brown paper bag in her hands. It was late, the night growing shorter and shorter as was her strength. She pulled a clear bottle out of the bag and traced the pretty, red letters. Has it really come to this? Charlie thought. Knots tightened themselves inside her stomach and chills tickled her spine. In the back of her mind, she knew the little bottle wouldn't save her from the loneliness or the pain, but for a moment it would numb the feelings, and that would have to be good enough.

She took a long swig from the bottle, letting the burn slowly descend down her throat. The taste was awful, but it did the trick. Charlie took another drink and stared at the large TV in the center of the room as scenes from her favorite movie flickered across the screen. Two young lovers were torn apart by fate, but eventually found a way back to each other. Charlie envied the couple from The Notebook and cried every time she saw Noah with the other woman, aching in a way that had become familiar to her.

Over and over, Charlie watched the movie until the sun peeked into the conor of their windows. The edges of her vision was becoming blurry as the room became lighter. With tiredness at her shoulders and vodka in her stomach, Charlie could barely keep her eyes open. As she slipped into forgetable dreams, she could only think of Noah. When she woke again, Charlie was no longer sprawled drunkly on the couch, but being carried to their bedroom. Her head was aching, but she ignored it, enjoying the rare warmth.

It felt like only seconds when the warmth disappered, the arms tucking her into bed instead. Charlie opened her eyes cautiously, even though she already knew who was saving her. The familiar stranger had black hair so dark that you could see tints of purple and blue when the light hit it just right. His face was in a straight line and looked much older than 26. The knots in her stomach tightened themselves even more, though not from his touch. He wouldn't look at her.

Without thinking, Charlie reached out and cupped his face in her hands. "Drew?" Her voice was just above a whisper.

In that moment, Charlie never felt her heart break as much as it did when Drew looked into her eyes. In those eyes there was worry, a gentle concern, and even guilt, but what she had been serching for had disappered. "Yes, Charlie?" He whispered in a strained voice.

Trembling, Charlie pulled a beautiful golden ring from her left hand and placed it in his. She fought tears, and the feeling that the knots in her stomach had become so tight she could no longer breathe. Chocked by the pain, there was no way she would have been able to form words. Her heart was breaking, but Charlie knew that time could not heal all wounds, nor bring back what she had been searching for in those eyes. It was gone forever.

Shock hit him first, clear on his face, but was quickly replaced with sadness. He looked as if he had failed, and, in some ways, they both had. Tears filled his gray eyes. "You'll always be my best friend."

Charlie nodded, tears spilling from her own dark eyes. "I know."

He hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Charlie."

For just a moment, she clung to him, feeling weak and venerable. He had always been the stronger of the two; he was the one saving her even when they were just kids. Charlie couldn't remember loving someone as much as she loved Drew. She knew in her heart that she could make him stay, that Drew would put her happiness before his own because he did, in fact, care for her, but that would be selfish and cruel. If Charlie were to make him stay, she knew he would grow to hate her and she would ultimately lose him altogether. Drew no longer loved her and they both knew it. Taking a deep breath, Charlie let go and gave him the best smile she could give. "Goodbye, Drew."

He gently kissed her forehead. "Goodbye, Charlie."

Within seconds he was gone, taking all the warmth with him. There was a sickening chill much worse than before cutting Charlie with sorrow and raw pain. It cause a sob that boiled from the bottom of her soul and retched itself to the open air, echoing throughout the house. It was deep and filled with an emotion Charlie didn't even know was inside of her. Tears pooured out, soaking her pillow and hair. It was almost unbearable, but she had to embrace it. For a short moment, just a blimp in time, Charlie allowed herself to feel. Deep in her bones, in the darkest corners of her soul, she allowed herself to feel, she allowed herself to cry, and she allowed herself to mourn for her lost love.

Once the tears came to an end and the sorrow subsided and buried itself next to the loneliness, Charlie found herself even more exhausted than before. She snuggled deep into her bed, alloowing the tiredness to take over. It wasn't until she was just about to fall alseep that she felt it...hope. It was small and fragile, but there just the same. If Drew wasn't her Noah, than he was still out there somewhere. This was the end to something beautiful, but it also was the beginning of something better. Charlie clung to that hope and allowed it to fill her, bringing with it some peace to her broken heart.