Quil walked slowly behind Charlie as she entered the community center. She had no problem walking up to the front desk and asking about meetings which surprised him. He thought this might have been a bigger fight, a bigger embarrassment for her but, no. She was kind to the lady at the desk who handed her phablets and cards with numbers on them. Quil looked around the center, he looked at all the posters with drug users on them talking about how they would have died if they didn't get sober. He couldn't picture Charlie dying, it would also kill him. He looked at the drug users who had sores on their faces or marks on their arms, he didn't see any of that on Charlie. Only a beautiful woman. He peeked into a room that was adjust from the lobby and saw a meeting in progress. Everyone looked up front to a stand where a man was standing, rubbing his arms like he was trying to keep warm and talking.
"I was a month in, even got my chip for it but the other night I fucked up. I shot up not even thinking twice about my chip. My ex won't let me see the kids again until I now have a three month chip which at this rate feels like it'll take forever. I mean, I relapsed on month one? Who does that? Why am I so weak?" The man started tearing up, hugging himself closer. A tall woman in a pants suit that sat in the front row stood up and wrapped her arms around the broken man.
"You are not weak. You have a battle that you are trying to win," she whispered before letting the man go take a sit with the others. Quil was so wrapped up in the scene he didn't realize Charlie and the receptionist was now standing beside him.
"Miss Gomez?" The receptionist called out causing everyone to turn their attention to them. Quil stood taller and tried to step a bit in front of Charlie, protecting her if needed from whatever may come.
"Do I have a new comer?" The woman in the pants suit said as she stood up and cocked her head to the side. The receptionist nodded and squeezed Charlie's shoulder before backing out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
"Well, why don't you come to the front and tell us about yourself? You don't have to dive into any details if you're not ready but I will tell you, the sooner you release the emotions, the better," Miss Gomez smiled, making her wrinkles around her brown eyes appear. Quil stepped out of the way and moved to take a sit in the back, letting Charlie go up front to the stand. He watched her keep her head down as she walked through the aisle. Miss Gomez stopped her before she took the stand and bent down to the ear.
"Just share what you're comfortable with, we all support you no matter what," she whispered it low enough to where only Charlie could hear but of course Quil heard it too. Charlie took a deep breath and raised her sunglasses on to her head. She looked out into the audience and saw the people stare back at her. The man who just spoke still had tears in his eyes but watched her with respect.
"I'm Charlie," she finally said in which everyone waved and said hello. It was like the first day of a new school all over again for Charlie, when they teachers would make her introduce herself to everyone.
"I'm a vet major in the local college here, I graduate in June and I'm a once upon a time foster kid," she wasn't sure what else to say. Did she just dive into the drug addict and alcoholic part? Or did she drag that out until another time?
"What brings you here, purple?" A girl in the front row jokes with her about the color of her hair. Charlie chuckles quietly and sticks her hands in her pockets. The girl had missing teeth and marks on her arms like the posters, but she also had a glow about her in her eyes.
"I came here because I promised a friend of mine I would get sober. Mainly because I like this friend and don't want him to always have to see how much of a mess I am," Charlie spoke to Quil, feeling the pull in her chest towards him. He was the only reason she would get sober, not even Denny when he found her in an almost overdose state last winter at a party.
"Is he your boyfriend?" The girl with missing teeth asked when she snuck a peek at Quil.
"A boy who is a friend. He wouldn't want to be with a mess like me," Charlie told the sad statement that she believed. "I am addicted to coke and pills, the high they give me make me forget a lot of things in my past. I drink a lot, like every night a lot. I use weed to counteract all the drugs to bring me down and knock me out," Charlie thought of all the years she's been doing this and how pathetic she must look to Quil right now. Although, he couldn't prouder then his imprint, especially in this very moment.
"How does that make you feel? Do you enjoy it?" Miss Gomez asked with curious eyes, Charlie was the youngest one in the group and the most put together looking one.
"I...I don't know," Charlie stuttered and looked at the ground. Did she enjoy it? Did she like the feeling? "Maybe, at one point I did enjoy it. Enjoyed the highs of it all and the forgetfulness of it but now...maybe not," Charlie had never stopped to think about whether or not she liked it anymore. She just knew it was habit and she needed it so with drawl wouldn't set in.
"Thank you for sharing Charlie," Miss Gomez popped up nest to her, placing a gentle hand on her arm. Charlie nodded before stepping down with knitted eyebrows. That question hit her like a train. Did she enjoy it? What did she enjoy? Was she just so use to it that she thought she needed the highs to be normal? Was she that fucked up? Charlie stayed zoned out as others stepped up to share. Quil stayed in the back not wanting to interrupt anything for anyone but he could tell Charlie was stuck in her head. Quil vowed to himself to look more into addictions and help. He was going to be the most supportive person ever.
"And that's the hour mark for the day," Miss Gomez stated at the ding of a bell from a phone. Everyone stood up to go to the refreshment table to mingle but Charlie stood, grabbing her papers and making her way to the exit. Quil jumped up and followed, not wanting her to go off on her own right now.
"Charlie! Wait up!" He shouted as he ran down the steps of the community center. Damn, she could move quick. She slid her sunglasses back on before turning around. She was hiding the tears in her eyes. Charlie never realized how messy she was. Yes, school was always her first priority because she was paying for it herself so there was no room for error. Other then that though she didn't care about life. She didn't care how she could have affected the people around her.
"I'm sorry Quil, I am a wreck and I don't think you should be friends with a wreck like me," Charlie turned before going to walk back to the apartment. All she wanted to do right now was some sort of drug to forget how fucked up she is, which only made it more clear about how fucked up she is.
"I don't care Charlie! I want you in my life, sober or not I'll be here. Whatever you choose, I'll be here," Quil remembered what imprinting was all about. Being whatever the person needed. A friend, a brother, a lover. A supporter.
"Then you're just as fucking crazy as I am!" Charlie threw her hands in the air, frustrated he wasn't leaving like the other guys would. This was one of those times where she let someone close and then they found out how messed her life really was and she would purposely scare them off. Quil wasn't budging though.
"Call me crazy then because I'm not leaving," he took a step forward and placed a hand on her bicep. He could feel a muscle there that he knew she used while dancing for work. Charlie groaned and threw her head back before stomping off, she was starving and wanting to find a food truck. Quil watched as she walked away, unsure of what she was doing.
"Well come on, idiot!" Charlie yelled behind her before rounding the corner to another block.
"You better go get your girl," a man laughed behind Quil. He was lighting up a cigarette on the step of the community center with a meeting schedule in his hands. He was in the room with Charlie when she was in group. Quil nodded before taking off towards where Charlie went.