????: ??????? ??? (? ????? ???? ?????) ?

~~~

Skyler

I wonder how Charlie's doing right now.

It was currently nine at night, and I was yawning profusely. My arms were weak and frail from stretching and maneuvering them all day. I was sitting in the bed of my sleazy motel room that I had bought, slurping lo mein noodles from the Chinese takeout restaurant I had ordered from. The room was small, but not too far from the church, so it was the best I could get. I could hear cars passing by outside, honking and blaring their horns, along with shouting voices beyond the walls of my own room. I felt uncomfortable, as always.

I had been working on the mural for several hours, and the only thing that ran through my head was Charlie. I hated being away from him for this long. I could only complete half of the mural, the bottom layer. Tomorrow, I would complete the top layer and finish the mural in full.

I looked at my phone, staring blankly at Charlie's contact. I tapped the icon of my recent calls and found that I had tried to call him six times already in the past hour, but none of them were answered. I still had almost no cell service, which could be the issue. Only one bar. I sighed, shoving the noodles into my mouth as I tapped his name once more, calling him again.

I placed the phone up to my ear and listened to it ring for a solid minute.

"Hey, what's up?" I heard Charlie's voice speak over the phone.

"Charlie?" I answered, excited to hear his voice. I choked down my food and wiped my mouth with a napkin frantically. I didn't think he'd answer.

"Hello?" He questioned as if he couldn't hear me.

"Can you hear me?"

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He continued. I checked to see if I was on mute, which I wasn't.

"It's me, Sky. Can you hear my voi—"

"Haha, just kidding, it's a voicemail. I got you again, Skyler, didn't I? Leave a message."

I felt the excitement leave my body like a hole in a bottle of water.

I closed my eyes and sighed, hanging up the phone. I smacked the screen to my face a few times in shame. He's had that same voicemail for three years now. I can't believe I fell for that. Again. For, like, the hundredth time.

I dropped the phone on the mattress and picked up the box of lo mein. I chowed down even more, almost ramming the chopsticks down my throat. I picked up the remote on the bedside table and pressed the power button, flicking on the TV. I flipped through channels, finding something that interested me. That was when I found a channel playing Bob Ross painting tutorials. I sat back and relaxed, finding comfort in it. I had nothing else to do.

Well, I guess sleep was an option. 

But, without Charlie, I can never get to bed soundly.

~~~

Somehow I did. It took a while, though.

I laid on the motel mattress with my face smushed into the cushions. My arms were wrapped around a large pillow with a certain size that could be compared to Charlie's torso. My earphones were in my head. I was listening to my sleeping playlist that consisted of soft, slow songs.