Mini Magic

Charles licked his lips as he felt the sweat dripping down the side of his head, the world was drowned out, he dribbled once more and shot, sinking the deciding point and the buzzer sounds, and they carry him off…

Charles smiled as the whole hype died down, and he was sitting on the roof; Penny, having shared that spot with him, showed up, in her signature plaid shirt and jeans, a sparkling grin and wild blue eyes and thick dark hair.

“Your form still sucks ass, trying to play basketball or be a fish?” She asks teasingly and Charles laughs, “shut up, you still shoot granny style.” He says and she giggles.

Penny inwardly felt her chest cave at his laugh, and his comment made butterflies erupt in her stomach. “Yeah, but your girlfriend would just say get me next time, huh?” She says with a roll of her eyes. Penny and Rose were not on eye to eye about sports. Penny watched Charles, seeing his eyes darting to and fro through the night sky; letting her breath leave her held lungs and her teeth sink into her bottom lip due to her attraction to him that was mistaken by her spunky attitude and her inability to admit it to the both of them.

Charles was thinking of the game, but his peripherals saw Penny biting her lip and her cheeks getting red. He knew then… she was either attracted to him or, even more shocking, was in love with him. “C, Have you decided what you’re doing after this year?” She asks, as she had sat beside him, and she smelled like Penny, very faint perfume and the outdoors. And before Charles could answer, he felt his phone vibrate, and it was Rose… whom he was sure could be cheating on him with Penny’s brother Johnny. Charles let his mind run as he closed his eyes, he felt small kindling and flames bursting at the thought of him and Penny. And her college she was going to that had given him a full ride, had a great basketball program… Rose was just going to coast off of Charles.

“I don’t fucking know.” He says, and grabs a cigarette from his pocket and lights it, only inhaling into his mouth and not letting the cancerous smoke seep into his lungs. Penny stole his cigarette from his lips and took a puff as well, they usually smoked up there. “Pig was asking when you graduate because he wants to party with you on Mondays.” She says and giggles again, making that flame inside Charles intensify. She always could break him from stress but also put it on, it’s how Penny was. Charles was just fine with it.

Rose called Charles’s phone, and he answered, and it was Johnny. “Hey, Charles! Um, we are in a bit of a problem…. Can you meet us in the guy’s locker room? ” he says, and Charles’s face is crimson, with rage and pain. “Fuck you both.” He says and throws his phone. He will just say it fell.

Penny’s eyes widen and her lips part, she had an inkling of her idiot brother and Rose, but didn’t think Rose was dumb enough to hurt Charles. Penny knew Charles enough to know he was holding it in. And she did what she knew would let it out. She grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into her arms. He started crying and was sobbing. She felt her heart ache for him, and she cupped his chin and looked into his sad light brown eyes, and right there Penny almost kissed him. She almost was able to confess her love for him at that moment. And if he couldn’t see it, he would feel it against his lips if she had less willpower. She didn’t want them to get together on terms of him sobbing his eyes out, no matter how deep down she wanted him to make an extravagant effort to court her… or just him randomly kiss her; She couldn’t start it, she wouldn’t.

Charles calmed his sobs to be calmed down, but his heart refused… her smell made his senses dulled and his chest rapidly her pursed lips made his chest ache and her worried eyes made his become lost in hers. He almost broke and just kissed his best friend. But couldn’t. He couldn’t risk losing the girl who could make his heart ache. He would rather suffer in silence and just have that feeling, then have her not be around him.

“I’m going to University of Florida with you genius,” he says with a smart- assed tone and her smile and giggle nearly broke him, he found his nose a mere breath away from hers, and his lips were just. Barely as far away. He was frozen. He was completely paralyzed in her gaze and the proximity of their embrace.

Penny felt her lips part as Charles got close. Not of her accord, just of her heart overriding her brain. Her eyes were half-lidded, and she was barely able to stop herself from kissing him. She craved the feel of his lips, so badly, it was now hurting her to be so close. She bit her lip, and Charles rested his forehead on hers and pulled back, “thanks, Penelope.” He says softly, and the way he said her name broke her. She cupped his chin and kissed him. Hard and brief, “shut up. Okay? Just …. If you don’t want this to happen, we can just forget it happened… but… dammit, C, I’ve loved you since the day you gave me that goofy-ass smile. And if you don’t feel the same, then I’ll live without, okay?” Penny says, and her words aren’t usual. They’re barren and soft… a tone he’d only heard a few times, and he cupped her cheek and kissed her, deeply, and slowly. His lips slowly dancing with hers, and his chest is aching with a warm burn. He felt her arms go around his neck and hold him there as they kissed.

Penny’s lips were quivering, and her arms wouldn’t let Charles go even if he tried to. She felt her heart racing and feeling like she could die here and everything would be okay…. He was her heaven. He pulled away, and that same goofy grin graced his lips. She smiled, “you scared me fuckface.” She says softly and rested her forehead against his.

“Text your brother 'Adios Assface', we are going on a road trip.” He says, and swept her off her feet and ran her down the stairs with ease and plopped her in the front seat of his car. He kissed her briefly once more before getting in his car. Starting it and blasting the radio, driving them a state East bound. Ending up in Louisiana, “we, need some private time before we continue on our road trip.” he whispered at a red light at 3 am. Before pulling into a parking lot and that early morning they slept in his car, her in his arms, and that night she didn’t have a single of her usual multiple night terrors.