Charlie

It felt as if I’d woken from a nightmare into a waking nightmare, some really sweet and honestly wholesome moments, and then a reminder like “hahaha you fool! You’re in a nightmare?!”

Charlie is jittery. He really hasn’t recovered since his run in with Money and the gang. He’s bumping into things and certain people who know know about what he knows but who even knows what he knew like he’s not even sure it even happened? He was really drunk. It was a bad dream. It had to be… How could a savant ever be made to wear the dredges of the under world so instantly and out of the basket. He’s hardly had his hero phase. He hadn’t risen like an Icarus and blazed out in glory into the heel of a villain that could suit the smoldering and unwelcoming type of characters he found himself neck deep into right now.

I mean… they are kind a hot. Charlie knows what he likes. Slay.

Anyway, he’s not ready for the black leather daddy better phase of life yet. He’s still got so much glitter and gold to go through. How could you ask Sir Elton John to don the black without ever singing about a yellow brick road?! He just doesn’t understand. His mental break is really getting out of hand. Hands on head even. Fingers through his luscious hair he made sure to shampoo and condition and perfectly dry with that new air drier that doesn’t fry anything ever. No touch can’t burn baby that’s me. I’m smoldering but I’m broken…

Charlie stands dejected outside of campus hall. Center stage of the university universe. From here is a grand library and then study halls and things of that nature. Rippling out between research and art buildings. The humanities and those boring calamities that were the hard sciences. If only they produced hard men. He shouldn’t pretend he knows he saw a few. Not many though…

Demons. Damn them all. Tye, Corin, Locke and that silent fellow he forgot his name and that prize fighter he sees posters of all over campus, Forbes! It has to be real. He’s not insane. He can’t be blamed. This is reality not his but theirs apparently. He’s just along for the ride he wants to hide but what if he could make them cloths? Huh… I gotta find them.

He’s got Money’s number or more like Money has his. It hasn’t rang yet and he hasn’t called yet. It all seems to dangerous. Let sleeping lions lie. Let happy men fly and pray that way over there he’ll run into his passion, Art!

This entire time Charlie is moving about as if nobody is around. Obnoxiously bumping into people. Oops sorry. My bad please ignore me…. What am I doing? How did I get here? My life is over… everything is ruined?!

He screams and seemingly if this weren’t make believe it’d be utterly unbelievable. To see such a perfect girl in this world for his eye to fancy upon. It’s no lie he knows it when he does. Inspiration to cloth a nation. High fashion model proportion potential he’s first have to break her. He dives into a bush and hush…..

Peering out he observes his specimen. She walks about mannishly. Manic-ly. As if she were a he but confusedly happy to be the otherwise but not really? Totally. Oh my gosh inspiring!!!!!! The way she grunts when she’s annoyed. The way she hunches. The way she just walks right through him as if he were nothing. Golly this girl is a brick house strong?! Brown hair, brown eyes, but they look so alive and she’s with some weird otaku fanatic no doubt. So lame. Get your own game. Be original. Don’t just copy make it exceptional!

I’ll make her mine. She is my prize. My wild stallion I’ll brake her in and I’ll make her wear all my imagination for the nation’s salvation from this decaying boring bird I’m mundane same thread lame tread end game!

———————————-

Corin awoke in a cold sweat, her heart beating as if it could feel as though she’d soon be in danger. So much so it preceded itself. Maybe a premature heart arrhythmia? Palpitation? Heart failure? Was her dna designed to damn her sooner than later? Ughhhhhh….

Then it passed and Corin exhales. Fewf.

“Good morning Si-… Corin.” Nora greets her upon her knees having slept upon the floor.

“Wait… did you sleep on the floor last night Nora?” Corin asks as she collects herself. Gathers the room. TV is on and so is the gaming system. Nora has a controller in her hands and the fighting game is paused.

“Oh my god! You figured it out. Isn’t it great?” Corin asks excitedly

“It’s such a touching love story told with fists and kicks. I didn’t know love could be told in such a way.” Nora confesses as they grab each other’s hands and prance about over it all giddily.

“How far did you get? Did you get any sleep?” Corin inquires.

“I did not sleep a wink because it’s important I learn everything as fast as possible to return as soon as possible. I will become cultured and bring it to my people.” Nora declares. She seems to have gone through some sort of spiritual reboot. She’s definitely got something going on up there still. Processing. Oh gosh.

“Uhm… We’re are the guys?” Corin replies then blushes as she notices she’s really not part of it anymore… wait? I’m… she pats herself down and feels a mix of parts. How the? “Uhm Nora?”

“Yes?”

“Is it normal for phasing sickness to mismatch?”

“Mismatch?” Nora asks back it only dawning on her at the last syllable. “Ooooooooh my gods! Corin! You don’t!”

“I do.” Corin replies defeated.

“How does that work?” She asks.

“I give up. I don’t even have the desire of understanding anymore.” Corin replies.

“You’re a deviant.” Nora admonishes her waving a finger at her backing away. “A witch aren’t you?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Corin replies defensively.

“You’re not normal. You’re different. You’re of the other. Which means you’re inherently dangerous. I should never have collared you! You’re blasphemy!” Nora continues trying to cast at Corin but failing utterly because of the iron bands. She’s freaking out and scrambling away to the door.

Corin is taken aback. Just a few moments before they were like besties. Like her first best girl friend almost… her heart breaks a little. Stupid dog. I’m different what’s of it. She isn’t even human. She’s alien. Exotic to an extreme.

“I’m me.” Corin tries as a pleading reply.

“No! Get away from me! Witch! Witch! You’re a witch!” Nora screams at her uncontrollably. So loudly and robustly the door slams open as Tye, Locke and Brent come smashing through the door Nora was fumbling to get out of.

“Witch?! We’re?! Did the demon find us?” Tye shouts.

“Nora stand behind me!” Locke declares. Having taken a nap they’re back to form. “Corin, what’s going on?”

“She’s a witch!” Nora shouts again pointing at Corin.

“I’m just a little bit different.” Corin replies. She can feel tears in her eyes.

Nora is hyperventilating and agitated that nobody else seems to be getting as worked up as she is.

“Don’t you see? It’s a he but a she! Abomination! The beginnings of a curse! All the books say it. Everyone one!” Nora pleads with them.

“Wo wo wo wo, hold on…” Tye intercedes. “I’m not following you here. Corin is a witch because she’s a girl now?”

“No, she’s a witch because she’s not a girl now.” Nora replies.

Tye’s confused face smirks so gravely. So slowly so completely in sync with Locke’s and Brent’s as their auras and presence dominate the room as their focus falls upon the lone Corin blowing helplessly before them. She’s near tears. Actually she’s lost a few. Invested them into the wind for better luck again.

She sniffles.

The guys smiles thicken. Eyes widen. Enjoyment sickeningly deeper then it clicks and they turn to Nora. Now a look of protective dominance. They stand between the two but now it’s in her defense.

“Hey, look… I know you’re from a different time and place but you gotta learn real fast and right now cuz that’s my best fuckin friend and she isn’t allowed to cry from anything but me beating her fair and square showing my undeniable superiority over her!” Tye admonishes Nora.

“What?! You defend that? Betray you’re summoner over corruption?!” She retorts.

“My powers literally corrupt and decay things out of existence.” Locke shoots back thumbing his glasses.

“Fire isn’t pretty when it’s actually burning people Nora.” Tye states flatly. Arms crossed before himself.

“She’s trans.” Brent states.

“I am?” Corin says aloud looking at her hands bewildered. “I am…”

“We don’t discriminate like that here lady. If we hated everyone different than us then you’d be the first to go.” Tye states simply to her. Stepping onto Corin’s coffee table for added effect with his left leg to stoop. He knocks over the clock and empty bottle…

“Hhh” Corin flinches out. Somehow she feels completely naked and alone and yet protected and surrounded by friends, no even better, family.

“But… it’s unnatural?” Nora complains. Then she bumps into the hallway light switch which turns on the light and freaks her out. “Ahhh!”

“Hey guys. Let’s take it easy on her. It’s a lot to process. Ontop of everything.” Corin states.

“See, that’s why I’m the leader. You’re too soft man. You gotta rip the Band-Aid off!” Tye complains. Walking to Corin and pants-ing her in front of everyone.

Everyone screams and Corin smacks Tye in the face.

“Ahh fuck!” Tye screams.