Why Charlie Wanted Sydney Part 1

Sydney is a quiet girl. She's always kept to herself, feeling that she was too unusual to befriend other people. During school, Sydney is only seen in her classes. Soon after her classes are finished, she retreats to a place where no one can find her.

Charlie is also an outcast of sorts. He has a few friends who share his interest in gaming, but his deepest interests lie in Sydney and her mystery. He thought that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was about 5'4 tall and of mixed ethnicity. She had dark hair and an enchantingly cute face, which she often hid beneath her oversized hoodie.

At times, Sydney had noticed Charlie staring at her, but she would never acknowledge this. People would stare at her all the time, but not like Charlie did. She didn't think too much about it because she was always preoccupied with something, something that no one else knew about, or could even understand if they had known.

Charlie so wanted to speak to Sydney that he often day dreamt about her during class. He would watch her hurriedly move through the school corridors, anxious to reach this unknown destination which she visited so often. Because of this, Charlie could never find time to talk with her. This continued throughout the school year. Until one day, when Charlie had had enough.

It was lunch time. Sydney had never gone to the cafeteria during this time; instead she would carry her lunchbox elsewhere for the 45 minute period. On this particular day, Charlie decided to skip lunch to follow Sydney, with hopes of finally talking to her. Like usual, she swiftly traverses the hallways, while Charlie struggles to keep up. She turns right, past the science lab, and then left into the gym. Charlie peeks through the gymnasium doors to see Sydney at the other end, rushing into the girl’s locker room.

Charlie tiptoes into the locker room, which is completely empty, except for a silhouette on the wall, which could only belong to Sydney. He knew that he couldn't reveal himself in that moment, because she would never speak to him again if she knew that he was spying on her. So he waited and watched. He would become the first person in Belmont High to discover what Sydney Rian does alone during lunch.

Charlie could see in her silhouette that she was removing her lunch from her lunch bag. She appeared to take out a sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water. She sat them down beside her on the bench before she reaches for her backpack on the floor. In her shadow he can see her lift and rest her backpack on her lap. She reaches inside the backpack, and then pauses for a moment, as if she is suspicious of Charlie’s presence. She hears nothing, and then proceeds to remove what looks like a large hunting knife from the depths of her backpack. The lights in the locker room reflect from the blade proving that it is authentic and very sharp.

At this point, Charlie has no idea what he is witnessing, but he refuses to blink. Sydney holds the blade high as it reflects twice as brilliantly as before. Then she swiftly drops the blade down onto her food; chopping at it like a hibachi chef. The motion is so fast that her arm movements become a blur. Then suddenly she stops, laying the knife down to reach into her bag once more. She pulls out a notebook and a pen that she replaces for the backpack on her lap. Then, she is still... for what felt like an hour for Charlie, in all of his bewilderment.

Sydney's right arm moves across her body to grab the knife. She raises it again to eye level, then slowly turns it horizontally, resting its sharp edge on her neck just above her left shoulder. As Charlie watches in shock and awe, Sydney suddenly whips the knife through the left side of her neck, out through the right!  Charlie muffles a potentially revealing gasp at this sight. Sydney sits for a moment with her arms to her side, and the knife gripped firmly in her right hand.

Sydney then raises her left hand to the top of her head, gripping her hair. She tugs upward, once, then twice, and on the third time Charlie’s see a narrow line light emerge between the silhouette of her neck and shoulders. She raises her head from her body very carefully; slowly placing it down on the bench beside her, where she promptly begins eating. Her left hand then releases her head, picks up the pen in her lap and begins writing in the notebook as if nothing has happened.