Behind Closed Doors

Look Inside Again

Char POV
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As people began to sing and/ or dance, I was nervous as hell. The backstage crew said they'd bring out the piano. The backstage crew consisted of Ethan, Vicky, Paul, Max, Alex, Anthony, Destiny, and my other friend named Paul. The head of the backstage crew, named Max said to not worry about it, he was in my chorus, but he didn't want to perform in the showcase.

"Just play like no one's there." He said, pushing the piano out on to the stage. "Charlotte Willis!" I heard Mrs. Baker say from the audience. I wiped a bead of sweat a across from my forehead and sat on the piano bench. I looked at the crowd of 60 or 70 people staring at me, then Aiden and Mrs. Baker in the front row, smiling.

I looked at Max, who was behind the curtains on the other side back stage, but I could still see his face. He was smiling and then he put a thumbs up. I looked down at the piano and felt my fingers roll across the piano for the intro. And then I began to sing.

Come on skinny love just last a year.

Pour a little salt we were never here.

My, my, my, my, my...

Tell my love to wreck it all.

Cut out all the ropes and let me fall.

My, my, my, my, my...

***
As I walked off stage, I heard a loud applause. I looked at Aiden then walked off stage.

I went over to the audience and sat away from Aiden, all of the seats in his row were full.

I hugged him and we talked for a bit, but I had to get on my bus.

He texted me before bed. I felt my phone vibrate on my dresser.

You were spectacular.

Thanks. Going to bed. Love you.

He then called me, I loved listening to his wonderful voice. "You were simply amazing."

I laughed, "Thanks. I would've sat next to you in the audience after the performance, but your row was full, sorry."

I heard him laugh, "No worries."

"I'm really tired, love you."

"Love you, goodnight."

And then I fell asleep.

***

I woke up to my little sister shaking me back and forth.

"Emily, it's 6:00 am. What are you doing up so early?"

"I had a nightmare so I came here and slept next to you. And then your phone rang so I picked it up. There was a lady named Margaret and she was crying. She told me to tell you to call her back."

I wanted to see Aiden's mom in person. I threw on some track shorts, a Fairtop High Athletics t-shirt, elite socks, and slides then ran out the door with my backpack and keys after brushing my teeth.

I stood in front of Aiden's house then inhaled and exhaled deeply. I knocked three times very loudly. Margaret looked at me with tear stains on her cheeks, wearing black. "Please, come in."

I sat down on their couch, Angie came down the stairs in her outfit for school today, but all black. She had mascara running down her face and her brown eyes were sunken in to her dark eye sockets.

"Does she know?" She asked. I noticed she wasn't wearing lipstick and she wasn't chewing gum either.

Margaret shook her head. "Charlotte, Aiden was with his dad in the car, going to some restraunt. They were supposed to go have some bonding time because him and I haven't been getting along lately."

She begin to choke up and tears went down her face again. "They got into a car accident on 66 and he died. His head hit the window very hard and he passed away. I'm so sorry."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "He....he died?" She nodded and I cried in her arms for who knows how long. I think I heard the bus pass by, but I didn't care, I'll skip.

"Can I go in his room? I want to sleep there. I hope you don't mind if I skip." she nodded, "Go ahead. I'll make you something to eat."

I dropped my backpack at the foot of the stairs and walked towards Aiden's bed. He smelled like mint chocolate. I cried in his bed for hours, asking God why he had to take away the love of my life.

And I thought we had a future together. I expected us to stay together and for him to ask me to marry him. And I'd say yes, and we'd have a magical wedding and we'd have kids then we'd live happily ever after. But I guess happy endings only happen in fairy tales.

I then heard a knock on the door and I saw Angie in the doorway of the room. "I haven't been in his room since last week when he asked me for help on his homework."

She smiled sadly at me then let me cry on her shoulder. "I know it's hard. I knew he loved you very much. He didn't stop talking about you after his date. He told how he kissed you twice and how you kissed back. And he kept saying you were pure perfection."

My heart melted when I heard those words.

I fell asleep in Aiden's room and recieved breakfast when I woke up. It was more of a lunch though.

***

Around 4 o'clock, I heard police sirens coming and going. I wonder what they were for.

Around 7 o'clock, we went to go see Aiden's dad in the hospital. He had already heard the news about Aiden, so hopefully I don't have to see him cry.

Margaret said that Dan had broken his left leg, and sprained his right wrist.

I hated the smell of hospitals, I hated hospitals in general. It smelled like medicine, blood, and death. As we went into Dan's room, I saw tears stream from Angie's face silently. "Hi, daddy." She said, running towards her father to hug him. "Hi, Angela. Everything's going to be okay." He said, stroking her hair.

"Charlotte, you're like a daughter to me, come give daddy a hug." I gave him a huge hug, he winced, and I apologized. He was like the only father I've known. My real dad left when he cheated on my mom and I was 6.

"May I talk to Char alone for a bit?" He said to his wife and real daughter. They nodded and slowly left the room. Tears were threatening to fall, and then they won and fell down my cheeks. "Oh, Char. Please don't." I looked up at Aiden's father. He looked like an old, wrinkled and tired version of Aiden, which made me cry even more.

I just wanted him back. I really wanted him to hug me right now and tell me to calm down and that everything would be alright. He would play with my hair and brush through it with the tips of his fingers. Oh, if only he could calm me down right now.

"I know Aiden really did love you. Hell, we were even talking about you before the accident." I looked up at him in surprise, "He...you guys did?" He nodded, "He said, and I remember word by word, 'She's everything I could ever ask for. She's perfect, beautiful, kind, loving, sweet, pure, and innocent. I would never want anyone else.' We were looking at each other for so long, I didn't notice there was a car driving toward us. The driver died, too by the way." I hated to hear 'the driver died, too'. I would have been alright to hear, 'the driver died, but Aiden and I are okay.

I couldn't believe Aiden said that. His last words were about me which just broke my heart into a million pieces. "Thanks for remembering what he said." He nodded then gave me another hug. "Char, if you need anything, 'anything', then you can come to us." I nodded as more tears escaped my face.

A nurse suddenly came in, saw me, then dropped her clipboard.

"Are you Charlotte? Charlotte Willis? Char?" I nodded slowly, "Yeah, why?" She picked up her clipboard then looked at me and Dan.

"You're missing."

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Sorry there are so many " and '. Of there is no one saying something between " then that's supposed to be bold, which is just at the top saying Char POV and this author's note. If it's text between ' then that's supposed to be italicized. Sorry for all of the confusion, I haven't been on the computer all day to edit this, so I'm on my phone. But I promise to boldface and italicize everything by tomorrow.

Byeee.