𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭, charlie conway

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎 | friendship

DONNA WAS JUST ABOUT to head out the door, packing her bag for the office, when the phone rang.

It was very unusual for the phone to ring at the Nelson house, especially in the mornings, so something compelled her to answer the phone rather than let Crystal get it.

At this point it was about 8:30, and Crystal was dozing off on the couch, though she was dressed for the day. Donna looked over at her as she picked up the faded pink receiver, the usual melancholic feelings stirring inside of her.

It was far from easy to mother a child with this kind of permanent amnesia — no one would disagree with that. Additionally, it was hard to take care of and provide for three children as a single woman. Though she loved Crystal with all her heart, she'd look over at her sometimes and become simultaneously sad and angry.

She knew her daughter would never know that the clothes she wears went out of style years ago; that her siblings sacrifice so much to take care of her because she, the mom who is supposed to handle all, just can't. If she can't think about her daughter for 30 seconds without crying, how is she supposed to take care of her?

"Hi Mrs. Nelson, we have your son Christopher here in the office. He was caught in a fight in the locker room. I'd like to have you come down so we can talk about his punishment."
"Jesus, I'll be right over."

Chris and Carrie were Donna's perfect set of twins. Not that Crystal wasn't perfect, but when Chris and Carrie came along, everything was right. She was madly in love with a contractor she met on the job when she was first starting as a realtor, and they were engaged and trying to buy a house together. She was ecstatic to find out she was having twins, let alone a girl and a boy, and knew she had found her calling in motherhood.

Though the rose colored glasses were soon taken from her (in fact, the day she found out she was pregnant with Crystal), she knew her kids were perfect. She knew that both Carrie and Chris, Chris especially, were well-behaved, well-adjusted teenagers. There was no way her son, the football star, would be caught in a fight.

Quickly, she called her clients and let them know she'd be late to her first showing of the day. With a spot of hesitation, she looked over to Crystal. She figured that if Chris was in the wrong and needed any discipline, simply seeing Crystal would be enough for him to feel guilty and try to make things right.

"Crystal, you're coming with me, honey."
"Why?" She rubbed her eyes, sitting up on the couch.
"Chris got in some trouble at school."
"Oh no! What happened?" She went over to the rack of shoes, finding hers and trying to tie them up quick. "Is he okay?"
"That's what we're going to find out."

As Chris sat in the wood-paneled office of the dean, he couldn't help but smirk a bit about what he had done. He'd promised to find Crystal a friend, and in his mission, he had let himself go crazier than anticipated.

After gym class that morning, Chris was again the last guy left changing when Charlie Conway came in early. This time, Chris was determined to say something to him. He did go into the situation wanting to beat his ass for what he did, but with no intention of things actually going that way.

"Hey man, I've been meaning to talk to you." Chris says.
"Sure, what?"
"I think you need to start visiting my sister."
Chris was not simply going to ask this kid to visit his sister, because if he wanted to, he would have. He intended to intimidate and force Charlie to do it, because in his eyes, that was the penance he had to pay to a girl who didn't know any better.

"Your sister doesn't remember me. What difference does it make?"
"It's not about her remembering you. It's about doing the right thing." Chris asserts. "And if you don't, you don't want to know what I'll do."
"Oh really? I think I do."
Charlie was still scared of Chris, but was reluctant to think he would ever do anything to hurt him, even if he was tested like this. Considering neither of them had a violent reputation, it didn't seem reasonable to expect what transpired next.