amnesia | tyler joseph

03.

i doubt i'm going to put face-claims so imagine whoever you'd like as charlie and dakota and the others as you wish

"Moni, please shut up. It's three in the morning!" Charlie kicked her blanket off with a groan, a dull ache evident in the back of her skull. Moni, her ever-so lovely roommate, had been griping to her boyfriend of two years since midnight, occasionally unknowingly switching from English to Spanish rapidly.

With a click of her tongue, Moni added her last word before hanging up. "¡Púdrete!" She then followed to release a shrill half-sigh, half-groan and dropped her phone onto her side table. "I can't believe he thinks everything will be okay! He was—"

Charlie rubbed a hand over her eyes, well-aware of the burn beginning to develop behind her eyes. "Okay, Mon, I know you're pissed and stuff, but can't we please talk about this tomorrow? I have an early class tomorrow and I really need to get some sleep."

Moni appeared to want to throttle her for a few dozen seconds, until she finally released a breath and fell onto her bed. "You're right, you're right. Lo siento, amor."

Minutes later, Moni was knocked out. Thankfully, she didn't snore — however, she was a talker. When they had first met, Charlie had been convinced Moni was pranking her. She'd been talking about birds in her sleep, birds of all things.

As Charlie listened to the faint sound of the breeze rustling the trees outside their dorm and the soft murmurs from Moni, Charlie's phone purred to life. The screen illuminated the small room, instantly drawing Charlie's attention. She turned on her side and sighed, unable to resist the need to see who the hell was texting her at the crack of dawn.

From Unknown:

(4:05 a.m) Call me asap

From Unknown:

(4:05 a.m) I'm in trouble and I don't know what to do

Charlie's heart jumped into her throat. Though the contact was unknown, she knew all-too-well who the message was from.

The person who single-handedly almost ruined her life — or better yet, her brother.

—

"Well, you look horrible."

Charlie sent a smile her best friend's way, but it looked more like a grimace than anything. "Oh, really? I had no idea. I just thought my eyes were naturally droopy and my hair always looked this greasy."

Moni didn't bother trying to appear guilty, especially with her eyes shining brightly and her eyes free from any shadows. Charlie sipped her hot tea, though it did little to help her current, exhausted state. She couldn't understand how Moni could get only a handful of hours of sleep and still look like a goddess the day after.

"I told you you should have skipped your class. It wasn't worth it!"

Charlie sighed and tugged the strap of her bag further onto her shoulder. "Yes, Moni, because you know that I willingly skip class all the time."

Moni mumbled, "Not my fault you're weird."

Charlie pointedly ignored her.

"My brother texted me last night."

Moni paused mid-step. "¿Qué?" She grabbed hold of Charlie's arm and pulled her to the side, no longer blocking the path of others who had the misfortune of walking behind them. "He texted you?"

Charlie nodded and brushed her hair from her eyes. "He's in trouble again."

Moni rolled her eyes and mumbled something in Spanish under her breath. Charlie didn't question her. "You need to forget him, hermana. He is no good for you and after all he has done you don't owe him anything!"

Charlie sighed, "Yes, but—"

"No!" Moni's hands flailed about as she spoke, which happened to be one of the many reasons Charlie loved her so dearly. That and her ability to make a mean guacamole dip. "I refuse to even entertain the idea that you will help him! Charlie, he—"

"I know, Moni! I don't.. I don't want to talk about it."

The dark-haired, dark-eyed latina sighed. "I'm sorry, I know. I just.. You deserve so much better than him, hermana."

Charlie nodded. She was right. She didn't deserve having to carry her brother's weight on her shoulders when he did nothing for her in return. Though it weighed on her conscience, it was better for her in the long-run— she knew that.

Of course, what if something happened to him?

"Hey," Moni snapped inches from her face, drawing her out of her own mind. "Stop overthinking." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "I've got an idea. Why don't we get some Baskin-Robbins and make our asses a little bigger?"

"It's ten o' clock."

Moni scoffed. "Why does that matter?"

Charlie smiled, thankful for her best friend. "It totally doesn't."

—

Times like these were the moments she hated most. When all the lights were out, silence buzzing in her ears and the shadows of the night lurking behind her, the world began to become scary again.

It felt similar to the way a child reacts in response to the dark. When their parents aren't there to protect them, they tend to tuck their knees against their chest and hide under their blankets.

Charlie couldn't do that because what she feared wasn't physical. No, she wasn't afraid of a werewolf lurking outside her window or a clown hiding in her closet. She was afraid of the same thing that was hurting her — her mind.

Why, yes, she could very well be afraid of the single thing in the world that had caused her the utmost damage, but why? Why would she be afraid of him when in truth, she was the reason why he acted the way he acted? She was the reason behind why he suddenly began acting out. Why they found their neighbor's pets outside in their trash, why he was always called to the principal's office and most of all — why he had forced their father's hand that day.

It didn't matter that everyone she knew told her it wasn't her fault. That didn't matter. They didn't know him the way she did.

Charlie's phone was gripped between her fingers before she even processed that she'd picked it up. She'd already sent the message before she had realized she'd been typing.

To Unknown:

(1:03 a.m) What did you do?

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