fearless

[CHARLOTTE LOUISE TAYLOR]

A warm melody filled the music room and drifted faintly out into the hallways. It was a peacefull weekend and Charlotte was spending it on her own. She was trying not to be upset all week but it was difficult. For a complete total of seven days she had avoided Dylan like the plague, not wanting to face him after what happened. She spent time with other people but didn't really form deep, genuine connections with them. She felt distant and like she couldnt rely on the people around her. Then she was paranoid this was paranoia and went to see the therapist who told her to calm down. Finding this a difficult assignment, she retreated to the music room in hopes the piano could cheer her up. With the piece she was making up, she was letting go of her thoughts and memories and feelings, at least for the time being. her eyes were shut and her fingers drifted knowingly across the keys. With a little help from the music tutor she had begun to hone her hidden talent and both of them were quite excited about it. Sometimes Charlie wondered why she could trust some of her teachers and get along with them better than most of the students.

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[DYLAN MARSHALL TORRES]

Dylan could remember the thoughts when he woke up with a slight hang over the day after his argument with Charlie. it wasn't exactly helpful for his self esteem to put it lightly. After alot of self scolding, he thought of what to do next. For a while, he avoided Charlie out of fear and, okay, he admits it, embarassment. He couldn't believe he got drunk when she had wanted him to be there for her. What loser does that? Just goes to show you what drinking does to you. Just goes to prove how his nice mother can turn into a bitch so quickly.

He just wanted to concentrate on a few extra credit history reports he volunteered to do before he thought more on what to do about Charlie. For a while, it was okay. Charlie didn't exist and Dylan was free of any wrongs. Yeah right. Handing over his finished work, he knew that he would eventually run into her. And what was he going to say? He needed to do what was supposed to be done.

Turns out, Charlie can really be envasive when she wanted to. Walking past the music room towards his dorm, he recognized a familiar piano riff of hers. He walked inside. "Sounds good." he said at the doorway, somewhat hesitantly.

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[CHARLOTTE LOUISE TAYLOR]

Charlie's graceful fingers tripped over a couple keys and her eyes opened when she heard his voice. She didnt look at him though, just chewed her lip and bent her head as if to study the keys she'd continued to play. "Thanks." She said finally, her voice quiet and back to her usual timid tone. There really wasn't much else she had to say to him. Her mind vaguely drifted away from her music and she wondered why he was there, but she had a feeling she'd find out soon since he'd bothered to even come in the room and speak up.

Part of her, during this past week, had been waiting for him to come say something. Why had he not even made an effort? But she'd just kept quiet and waited, not sure what she would say even if he had tried. Now here he was and just as she thought, she had no words immediately coming to mind she had to tell him.

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[DYLAN MARSHALL TORRES]

He barely heard her 'thanks' making him worry if she was back to her old shy self again, because of him. But perhaps that's giving himself too much credit. Either way, he felt uncomfortable standing here and frankly, he didn't want to do this. It was a little humiliating, not that it wasn't what he earned himself...

Besides... he missed her. He liked her quiet personality, the sweetness she had, her smile, and going to morning mass with her before classes. It went quiet. Dylan was allowing the seconds to pass on and tick away. He could hear the wind outside the window causing the tree outside branches to rattle. He took a breath and said "Charlie, I'm sorry. That night, I was drunk... You know I didn't mean all of it. Even so, it's my problem. Not yours. You're great, honestly I don't know why you're here. I'm the one with the problems." His lips hinted a more light hearted smile to combat the heaviness that filled the room.

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[CHARLOTTE LOUISE TAYLOR]

Charlotte stopped playing completely and stared at the piano, listening to him while she traced the edges of the keys slowly. Despite their struggle that day, she still wanted to be friends with him. She wanted things to go back to normal - or as normal as they could be for two messed up kids. "its fine." she said finally, forcing her voice to be audible over the loudness the silence was creating. The girl still wasn't ready to look at him yet though, still uncertain, still hurt and confused, and self conscious. Her hands dropped into her lap and she started chewing on the inside of her cheek instead now. She had a choice to make. To genuinely forgive him and get over it or not even bother to try and let go of her negative feelings and still be mad at him.

Finally she slowly spun around on the bench, sheepishly brushing her hair out of her eyes as she managed to force a little smile. She would try and get over it while santi tries to get over her lame posting skills.

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[DYLAN MARSHALL TORRES]

Forgiveness. Of course she'd forgive him. It was her style. Why'd he worry? Or maybe that's why he waited, what was the rush? Nah, that's not it. He really did dread this. He dreaded apologies. It's been him making them when the fault wasn't his. This time it was and he got over it and said the magic words. That's what a man does right. Exactly. He felt as if he grew up the instant he felt the cold hand cuffs clicked around his wrists. He never even thought he had more growing up to do. Thinking like this made him feel even more immature and silly.

Still, she gave forgiveness so easily. Too easily, so easily that he still felt unredeemed and unready to accept it. He needed to seal the deal, give her something back. He sat down the spare stool for the drum sets that faced her. "People talk alot of shit about me here but they don't know what happened..." He paused, wondering if he should stop there. "Truth is, I was involved in a hit and run accident. It would've been less upsetting to the judge if the body hadn't been hidden away in the bushes." It was partially the truth, it was enough to tell. He couldn't bring himself to tell the whole story of it, how he was only a victim of being in the wrong place and in the wrong time. And how, for his mother, he'd take it to the grave if he had too that he was in the files a murderer. He'd take it to the grave how he felt like one despite the truth. It was as if he had buried himself alive in the lies. It was his story and he was sticking to it. "I know you won't tell anyone."

ooc; haha, santi. you've got great posting skills.

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[CHARLOTTE LOUISE TAYLOR]

Charlie's eyes widened a little as she listened to his story. She was realizing that what he had said before was right - everyone did have their secrets. just when you thought you knew everything, bam, something came out of nowhere. Shaking her head, she affirmed his comment about her not telling. "I wouldnt do that" she promised, the awkwardness already pushed into the back of her mind. It was sad how much people assumed around here. Lots of kids were jerks to Dylan... not that he didnt ever ask for it, but when the rumors got around, it felt like no one bothered to think twice about it. Lucky for Charlie she was new to the scene and didnt know about the social agendas going on. No one knew anything about her either, and some days she wished it would just stay that way forever.

She felt like she should do or say something to break the tension. Finally, after a moment of thought she looked up at him again. "I wrote a new piece." she said. "Want to hear it?" Charlotte wasnt ready to tell even Dylan about her secrets, but in a way her piece was her secret. That was why she loved it so much. She was pouring out her guts and most people might not even guess what it was. But it was basically her life story on a piano.

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[DYLAN MARSHALL TORRES]

He smirked a little. He knew she wouldn't breathe a word of this to anyone. Did it matter if she did or not? That was an easy question. Of course it was. Sure, the humiliating dares between him and Kara were crazy and the student body did know he served time, but that's it. That's all he was willing to let out. He wished he could be more like Kara and fade into the background AND intimidate anyone who tried to see her there. He seemed to only attract looks of nervousness. That's only an invitation to him to get nervous himself... was he so much like dogs? Sensing an emotion just gave him it as well?

It went quiet. He busied the time to look at his artist hands, smothered in old paint stains. Charlie gained his trust somehow, it was the way she was easy to 'get'. She had her secrets but he didn't need them. He knew enough about her to confide in her. He knew it would be treated with respect. Respect is hard to find here. He looked up. "Sure, I'd like that." he replied.

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[CHARLOTTE LOUISE TAYLOR]

Charlie took a deep breath and turned back to her piano. The song sounded out as a soft lighter melody with a hint of sadness. Then it progressed into a louder, more passionate but lonley sounding part. As the song peaked, it got darker and then lonely again on top of it, Charlie was chewing on her lip, completely intent on this and swaying with her music, not hiding how emotionally important this was to her. It slowed down during the intense sad part, almost as if it was going to end, but then it started up again, slowly, sounding almost like a beating heart. Then, gradually it started to get lighter again, and hopeful, until it quietly drifted off, leaving reverberations in the silence.

She glanced over at her friend, hoping he got that she had in a sense just spilled her entire life story to him, without the words.

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[DYLAN MARSHALL TORRES]

It surprised him, how much emotion was in the song. He hadn't expected it's darkness. Who knew Charlie would have it in her? Dylan certainly hadn't. What really made it impressive was the way one could connect to it's tense melody. It was one of those songs that you always wanted to play, the song that your insides sang but it never was heard. It came to him that it was a vunerable and sad song. He understood it was Charlie's way of communicating her feelings.

The song faded to nonexistence. "Your best one yet." he complimented.

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