-Charley's POV-
The next morning I crawled from bed, pain radiating from my hip with every step I took. I entered my bathroom and flipped on the light. I stood in front of the mirror, tugged up my shirt, pulled my pajama bottoms down a bit, and let out a sigh at the huge bruise on my hip. I quickly snapped the band of my pajamas in place and dropped my shirt. I stood in front of the mirror, bags under my eyes, and shook my head at the thing in the mirror.
"You're the ugliest thing I've ever seen." I said to the thing before opening the mirror and taking down my box of wonders. I dry swallowed 3 pills before setting them back and closing the mirror. I didn't look up to see my reflection as I exited the bathroom. I immediately went to my closet removed my sleep clothes with out looking down, and grabbed a simple t-shirt. It, for once, did not have long sleeves. There weren't any bruises down my arms, and there hadn't been for a while. I pulled on a pair of skinny jeans, wincing at the pain from my hip. She had left other marks on my body, but none as big or as painful as my hip. There were bite marks on my breast, and bruises across my back and
thighs. I left my closet and ventured over to my piano. It was lilac in color with pale green keys, all custom made for 'daddy's musical princess' I hit middle C on the keys and sighed to myself. I slowly started to play Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. One of my favorite pieces of music.
The depressing melody combined with the haunting beauty always calmed me. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my fingers dancing over the keys; releasing the somber low notes and lovely high notes. I was through the first movement when I heard the doorbell ring. I stopped playing and listened. A moment later the intercom in m room buzzed.
"Miss Charley, a young mister Frank Iero is here to see you." Miss Maria's thick Spanish voice said through the speaker. I stood up walked over to the system and pressed a button to reply.
"Is my father home?''
"No Miss."
"Send him up and forget you saw him." I said as I released the button and leaned against the wall. Why was he here? He knew my dad would flip his shit if he found out I was still hanging around 'those freaks'. There was a knock at my door and I walked over to open it. There stood Frank looking nothing like himself. His hair was short, where as previously it had been long and kinda unkempt. He was wearing a turtleneck despite the heat outside, seemingly to cover the tattoos on his neck. He wasn't wearing any of his piercings, and he was wearing nice slacks instead of ripped jeans.
"Did you fall into a Calvin Klien magazine?" I asked as I shut the door behind him.
"Well, I wanted to see you and I know your dad hates the way we dress, so in the event that he was here, I wanted to look like a nice respectable young man." He said with a smile on his face.
"Well my dad would certainly like this, it makes you look quite handsome, although very different." I smiled as I walked passed him and sat back down at piano.
"So..." he said as he made his way over. He didn't sit next to me as he leaned against the piano.
"So, what are we doing today?" I asked as I picked up where I had left off.
"Well, it's wicked hot outside. I'd like to take this turtle neck off. I honestly don't see how you do it, wearing long sleeves, HEY! You're wearing short sleeves today!" He said as he stood up straight and pointed at my shirt, as if I didn't know.
"That I am." I said as I looked down at my pale arms.
"I've never seen your arms before, you're white as paper!." He said with a laugh. I just gave him a small smile and a shrug.
"Well anyway back to what I was saying. I'd like to take this stupid shirt off, and I wouldn't mind going for some ice cream with my new girlfriend." He beamed at me and then offered me his hand. I stood up and took it.
"Well I'd really love to go get ice cream with you, and watch you get rid of this sweater, but I kinda can't go anywhere." I said with a sly smile. He stopped smiling.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Well, I don't have any shoes on, and while it's socially acceptable in the South to go without shoes, it's not so in New Jersey." I replied with a shoulder shrug. He looked up at me with a bemused look on his face.
"You have like a million shoes, dork. Go find a pair." He pointed towards my closet and I let go of his hand to walk over to my closet.
"I'm going to the bathroom." I heard him say as I pulled a pair of socks from a drawer and then sat down to pull on my shoes. I thought nothing of Frank being in my bathroom but as I walked out of my closet he called from the bathroom.
"Hey Charley, why's there's blood on the edge of your tub?"
I froze. Blood? I slowly walked to the bathroom and stood in the doorway. He was standing by the tub pointing to the edge where just the tiniest bit of blood was, probably from last night. I hit my head on the tub, but I didn't think I'd hit it hard enough to make me bleed.
"I uhm...I have no idea, maybe I cut myself while shaving and didn't notice?" I shrugged it off hoping he would do the same. He looked up at me, and I could tell he didn't believe me.
"Uhm yea maybe, well I still have to ...go" he said motioning at the toilet so I walked back into my room pulling the door shut behind me. Half a minute later I heard the toilet flush, and then the water in the sink come on. A moment later he stepped out of the bathroom shaking his hands.
"You ready?" he asked and I nodded while heading to the door.
"How'd you get here anyways?" I asked as we made it down the huge staircase.
"Walked."
"All the way from your house?"
"No, from the library. My mom dropped me off this morning on her way to work."
"Oh good, that's not too far then. Still kinda far in this heat though."
"I had a bottle of water, and for most of the way here I was not wearing this thing." He said as he tugged at the sweater.
"That's good." I returned as we walked through the kitchen. My step-mother was seated at the table with paperwork in front of her and a cigarette between her lips.
"Who's this?" she asked looking up.
"Hi, names Frank Iero, I'm a friend of Charley's from school. We were just about to hit up the library to check out some of the books on this years reading list." He said, the lie just falling from his lips, sounding so believable.
"Well isn't that nice, be back by 8." she said as she went right back to her paperwork.
"She will be, it was nice meeting you." Frank said as I led him to my car.
"Your step-mother doesn't seem all that bad."
"She's ok." I replied as I backed out of the garage.
"That's good. So, don't get mad, but I already told the guys about us."
"Why would that make me mad?" I asked as I drove towards and ice cream shop. I looked over at him an shrugged. "I don't care who you tell. Plus it's not like it's a secret." I let out a small laugh.
"Good. Now if you don't mind I'm taking this damn thing off." He said as he pulled the turtle neck over his head to reveal a plain white t-shirt. He looked so good, I couldn't believe he liked me, was my boyfriend, wanted me, broken disgusting me. I turned my attention back to the road.
"So what flavor are you gonna get?" He asked as I parked in front of the mom and pop ice cream shop, that looked as if it had been there since the dawn of man.
"Vanilla with caramel drizzle." I replied as I walked through the open shop door.
"Sounds awesome but I'm going for chocolate chip." He said as he followed me in.
The inside of the shop was cool and quite. The walls were lined with pictures, posters, and all sorts of trinkets. A little piece of history. Frank ordered our ice cream and after the server handed them to us we walked outside and down the sidewalk to the small little park up the street. We sat down on the swings.
"So are you excited about school?" Frank asked and I nodded.
"Hey can I ask you something?" he asked as he licked at his ice cream.
"You just did." I smiled.
"Ok. Can I ask you something after asking you this?" he laughed.
"Yes."
"Are you happy?"
I thought about it. "In this moment right now with you, yes." I replied as I licked at my ice cream.
"And in other moments?"
"Sometimes yes, sometimes no." I replied while looking up at him.
"Why do you ask?" I inquired as I kicked at the ground.
"You always seem so sad." He replied.
"I'm not always sad." I replied.
"Ok."
-Frank's POV-
As Charley and I sat on the swings chatting and enjoying our ice cream, I gave her the once over. She had dark circles under her eyes, and every time she moved her lower half I notice a look of pain come across her face. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but I knew she wouldn't tell me. Wouldn't let me into whatever secret she was hiding, and yes I knew she was hiding something. After she finished he ice cream she began to swing. I just sat and watched her. The wind from the movement of the swing blowing her hair in her face and then back. She was so beautiful, the sun lighting up her face, or perhaps some inner light radiating from within. I had never in my life known a girl as beautiful as Charley McVille. I slowly began to swing too, trying to match her pace so that I could watch her face the whole time. She was so absorbed in the swinging she didn't even notice me staring at her. And then she started to laugh, the best sound in the world. It as so rare to see her smile or hear her laugh and the pure joy being produced made me happy enough that I too began laughing. We probably looked like two crazy people, but I didn't care and obviously neither did she.
Slowly Charley stopped swinging until she was at a complete stop, and then she looked over at me and smiled. My heart melted. I loved her, in that moment I knew it, of course I wouldn't tell her, but it was good enough that I knew. I smiled back at her, stood up, and offered her my hand. She took it and I helped her to her feet. We walked hand in hand to her car, I opened the door for her and she slid in. I got in beside her. She cranked up the car and looked at the clock.
"Holy crap we were out there a while. It's almost 8. I've got to get you home." she said as she backed out and then drove out and towards my house.
"Time flies by when you're having fun." I said. She looked over at me and smiled. Today was the most I'd ever seen her smile, and we hadn't even been doing anything.
She pulled into my driveway and turned the car off.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"Having ice cream with me."
"Any time doll." I smiled at her.
"I'll see you tomorrow maybe?" she asked
"Well I hope so, school starts tomorrow." I replied.
"True." she laughed a little.
We sat there in silence for a moment and then I leaned over and kissed her cheek. I saw her smile as I stepped out of the car. I walked to my front door without looking back.
