Falling Again

6.

**Flashback**

“How can you do this, John?” Charlotte's mother Frances asked her husband who’s drinking in this evening time skipping his work. He didn’t care about what she’s saying and took another sip from the bottle.

“Please stop drinking this s**t,” her mother cried taking away that bottle.

“Give me that f*****g bottle,” John warned his wife. But when she didn’t give it he pulled the bottle from her hand and pushed her aside.

“You’re ruining yourself and this family, John,” her mom started crying.

“Shut the f**k up, Frances. You don’t have to tell me what I have to do,” his father gritted in anger because he’s drunk or else he wouldn’t talk like that.

“This is wrong; you’re not understanding me. Let’s get a divorce I don’t want to waste our daughter’s life.”

John banged the table and looked at his wife, “Stop there okay. Don’t talk about divorce because that’s not going to happen. I can never allow you to take away Charlotte.”

“If you kept drinking and shaming our family then I don’t have any other option,” Frances cried.

“If I didn’t fail in my business, then you wouldn’t talk this way to me,” John said his disappointment.

“Yeah, that’s what I am saying too. You have failed but that’s not the end. You should move on instead of wasting your time drinking. I can work as long as I can, John. Please stop doing this to yourself,” her mother begged. But his father didn’t speak anything and just walked out of the house.

Charlotte who’s sitting in her room heard whatever they conversed and felt really sad for her family’s situation. She never thought that they will end in this bankrupt state. Her father’s business had a great loss, so he was compelled to work in his friend’s industry and at the same time, her mother is working in a nearby bakery and was diagnosed with first stage liver cancer.

Recently they have shifted to this very tiny apartment to meet the expenses and ever since they came here her parent’s kept fighting and arguing which Charlotte can’t intervene.

With tears in her eyes for being in this tough time, Charlotte took her bag and came out of her room.

“Honey, where are you going?”

“I am going to study in the park,”

“Oh, okay. Come home soon,” her mom volunteered a smile.

“Okay,” Charlotte nodded her head and went out of the house.

She made her towards the park which is just a few yards away from her house. These days this place is so much better compared to her chaotic home. She doesn’t know how or when things will turn back to normal but she had a hope that one day she will be happy with her parents for that she needs to work hard. Get a degree and want to earn a lot of money to get rid of all these worries. Charlotte always believed that happiness is what important for life but then she learned even money brings that happiness, after seeing her parents.

It was early evening time, usually, not many people come to the park except one or two elderly people who were so bored staying in the home and its Sunday as well. Charlotte always sits on a bench under a sycamore tree, she went there watching the beautiful evening sky and found someone already sitting there. That turned her a little bit sad but there’s another unoccupied bench beside that so she decided to sit there as she doesn’t want to waste her time walking here and there.

While getting closer she noticed that the person is a guy and he looked the same age as hers but she didn’t saw his face. He was alone and leaning his head back on the bench showing his slender neck and perfect jawline while gazing up at the blue sky.

Though she doesn’t want to disturb him, unintentionally, her footsteps, her bag zipper sound and the way she flips her book’s pages greatly disturbed him. She started to study for her upcoming English test putting on her earphones to avoid all other disturbances.

Charlotte is the smartest student in her class, every time she gets compliments from her teachers for her good grades and attentive nature. But others call her simply as a nerd. She’s too boring and her classmates hesitate to hang out with her so she doesn’t have any friends too.

When she was so engrossed in the book, she felt a pair of eyes looking at her. Obviously, Charlotte turned her attention to her side and saw the guy who’s already watching her, their eyes locked momentarily. It’s just for a second but that has sparked something in Charlotte.

She has never seen him before, perhaps the most beautiful pair of eyes that she ever saw must be his. Charlotte immediately turned her attention to her book. Her cheeks tinted pink and a cool breeze made her gasp as she finds herself in a very strange emotion at that moment.

Clenching her teeth, she tried not to see that guy but she gave up, she slowly turned her gaze to know is he still there. To her surprise, he’s still there but his attention is somewhere else.

Realizing that she’s wasting her time, Charlotte turned her attention to the book but she couldn’t study anymore. Something very uncomfortable yet exciting is happening to her. She closed the book immediately thinking it’s all because of her family problems as she wants it only to be that way.

When she was in her thoughts that attractive young dude got up and adjusting his sweater peeked at Charlotte and she did the same. They exchanged awkward glances, they both don’t want to continue this any further so they turned away seeing different paths...

It’s been two days since Jaxson came to this new town after his parent’s divorce. Jaxson chose to stay with his father instead of with his insensible mother who left him and his father for her new boyfriend. His father wanted a change so he shifted his job in this town and Jaxson enrolled in the school which is near his house.

After settling in his new house, Jaxson decided to walk around the neighborhood since he hates to sit in the silence that’s haunting him every second flashbacking about his broken family. He loved his mother more than anything but he never thought she would do such a thing to him. He’s seriously affected by everything that has changed his life upside down. Now it’s blank, nothing except his passion for boxing. Though his dad hates that and he's practicing it heavily to get out of this life.

When he noticed there’s a park near his house, he went there and walked searching for a nice place to sit and rest. He watched how his breath travel in his lungs and comes out of his mouth and nose looking at the mysterious sky. That time, like disturbing his peace he heard footsteps. He noticed a girl sitting on the bench next to him, she’s studying which makes him wonder why she’s here. Suddenly she glances at him through her glasses. That one look is enough for him to think about her for days and years.

After he came back home, his dad asked him to have dinner but Jaxson refused and walked to his room. He hates his mother at the same time he doesn’t love his dad anymore. He’s the reason why his mother walked out of this marriage. His abusive nature resulted in this breakup.

Jaxson sat on his bed seeing the night sky, strangely instead of thinking about his life he reminded about the girl he met in the park. He laid back and gritted his teeth wondering why he’s thinking about her. She looked tiny, those glasses don’t look great on her face and she’s sad; he noticed that.

People who have problems which they couldn’t share to others will always have that face which he saw in his face a lot of times. Maybe she’s also hurt by something, he thought.

Going to school is one of Charlotte’s favorite things yet she always gets bullied or mocked by a group of people. Spending time in the library is her other favorite thing. Her senior year has started some three weeks ago and she likes all her subjects.

Today will be a great day! With that thought, Charlotte entered her class only to find otherwise. She usually sits in the middle seat beside the window and on that day someone else is sitting in her place. She frowned seeing that. As she gets closer to that person she found a familiarity seeing that same sweater and her heart pounded against her ribs when she finally found that’s the same guy she saw in the park.

Jaxson first felt so surprised to see her but he soon got that expression like I-don’t-care.

“E-Excuse me, I sit here,” she stuttered while seeing his eyes closely.

“So what, don’t you have any other place?” he annoyed and turned to the other side.

“Okay, fine,” she nodded and sat in the empty place behind him without arguing because he kind of looked intimidating.

In the first period, their class tutor c*m English teacher came inside. She told some important announcements and then asked Jaxson to introduce himself to the class.

He walked to the front, seeing him closer she saw how tall and handsome he is. He has got that broad manly shoulders. 

“My name is Jaxson, my dad got a transfer to this town so I am here,” he said unenthusiastically.

Their teacher smiled seeing this boy’s attitude. Charlotte watched him controlling her smile as well, she likes his name and she added him in her weirdo’s list.

Then her teacher said, “Jaxson is so passionate about boxing, he has won preliminary matches for the world championship.”

Girls on the other side made awe and already started thinking about asking Jaxson for a date or maybe more than that. But Charlotte felt so afraid and decides to never get involved in Jaxson’s business.

“I hope you work hard and achieve your dreams, Jaxson,” their teacher told.

Jaxson didn’t care about the compliment much, just nodded his head and came back to his seat glancing at Charlotte who failed to hide that fear on her face.

Then after the lunch hour, they had a biology class. Charlotte was the last one to enter the biology lab. She saw all the seats were filled except the one beside Jaxson. How come no one sat next to him? She thought and walked there.

“Can I sit here?” she asked permission with a slight smile and he just nodded.

She tried not to look at his side yet his hand that he placed on the table greatly disturbed her. He has lean long fingers with veins protruding out from his skin.

“Can you show me your book?” he asked quietly as he doesn’t have one.

The class continued awkwardly for both of them. At the end of the class, Charlotte closed her book hoping he will say thanks. But he didn’t and walked away without looking at her side.

As always Charlotte walked to her home, while going, she saw him again riding in his bicycle. Such an arrogant jerk! She thought after seeing his behavior. Even she acts nice to the people around her she doesn’t know why no one is showing the same kindness in return. Leaving out a sigh, Charlotte entered her house.