Chapter 16

The story of Charles Moore

Charles was the complete opposite of Amelia, he lived in a trashy apartment in the city. He never actually knew his real mother, she died when he was two from an overdose. Charles's father didn't finish high school and worked at an oil company, he would come home with girls almost every night, the nights he wouldn't bring any girls were the nights he spent at a bar.
Charles never saw his dad sober. In his eyes, his father was the lion and he was the sheep.
Charles first tried heroin at the age of fourteen. His dad was passed away on the couch and Charles had nothing to do, plus he was getting in trouble at school a lot.
After the first shoot-up, the high caught him quick and off guard.
Ever since that day, Charles would steal his dad's OxyContin, weed, heroin, fentanyl, alcohol. Basically whatever he had on him. His dad wouldn't notice because he honestly didn't remember how much he takes after his high worn off, and when he did find out, honestly, he didn't give two shits.
He would beat on his son repeatedly a night.
Charles would inject whatever was in the needle.
The cycle would continue.
Charles hated his dad. He resented his father for letting him get into hard drugs, he hated how his father found more comfort in drugs than his son. He hated how he would see little boys playing baseball with their fathers.
Charles was never really popular in school, he was known as the "weird druggie" in school. The jocks would poke fun of his daddy issues. The girls would laugh whenever he walked by.
He felt as if he had no power.
Everyone in his life always took dominance over him. 
That's when Charles decided he wanted to get clean.
He wanted to take control of his life.
Charles got home one evening, his dad drunk on the couch with a cigar in his mouth.
"Sign these." He hands his father emancipation forms.
"What the hell is this." His father grabs the form out of his hand. Charles wasn't scared of his father this time because he was holding a gun behind his back. His father visibly upset reading these papers, he gets up and breaks the beer bottle off his knee, and threatens his son with the sharp tip. Charles smiles and reveals the gun, it's loaded and Charles wanted nothing more than to just shoot his father right-center in his face.
"You're going to sigh these goddamn documents." Charles points the gun at his father. For the first time, Charles felt like he was in control, he loved this feeling more than ever. Not any high could ever replace the feeling of empowerment and dominance. Charles had also seen his dad scared for the first time, which made him even angrier.
"Sign the fucking form, you bastard!" Charles screamed. His father's eyes dilated and carefully grabbed the first pen and signed the papers.
"Don't ever fucking talk to me again." Charles points the gun at his father's kneecap and releases his thumb from the trigger. He saw his dad scream in agony and fall to the floor, in this moment, Charles was the lion and his son-of-a-bitch father was the sheep. Charles wanted to continue shooting his father until every cell in his body died. He didn't do that though, he walked out of the house after stealing some pills and left his past behind. Who gives a shit if he's only seventeen, he can still build himself the future he's always wanted.
Ever since that last encounter with his father, instead of an addiction to pills or heroin, he left with the addiction of power. The only thing that made him want to continue with life is the reassurance of power he was given daily. He visited his grandmother after that day and threatened her to pay for his college. Of course, Charles wanted to Major in business, he could always see himself as a powerful businessman with everyone working around his schedule. He looked at the world with black and white filters and thought there were only two types of people in this world, the ones who take leadership and show their power or ones who sat behind and were looked at as a nonentity with no control in their life.
In his college years, he met beautiful and exquisite Amelia, he thought of their future together after the second time they went out. He would make her his.
The one thing Charles liked about Amelia is that she was quiet and easy to manipulate. She never talked back to him or told him what to do. He always would tell her what to do and where to go and what outfit looks less slutty. Charles also liked she was a virgin, from what she told him, but that gave a chance to ensure that Amelia would always be his, no matter what.
Charles loved drugs so much.
Like a lot.
He wanted to be rich and build a perfect family, give his kids the life he wished he had. And so, that's what he did.
He would work every day getting his business ready and with the help of Amelia, their drug empire would soon be the best-hidden secret in town. All the white rich folks would meet them in the basement of the house the drugs were produced, it's funny because they're the people you would least expect to be buying drugs, just goes to show you how fake people can be. How can people who preach the dangers of drugs to their children be the ones snorting cocaine secretly?
Once Amelia and Charles's relationship went downhill, he would hit her whenever she said something he didn't like. He wasn't used to people standing up to him. He couldn't handle it.
Subconsciously, Charles hated himself, he never wanted to be like his father and here he was with a family he lies to and a wife he beats on. He wanted to kill his father so badly and would blame him for the way he ended up. He wanted to be a good person, Charles. However, the vulnerability he would show always felt like a knife deepening in his back, he hated showing emotions, it made him feel weak. He was addicted to power so bad, it ruined him.
He dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts, but couldn't talk about it. It was like he was a volcano about to explode. And if the tiniest amount of lava slipped out, everything would, and that's the last thing Charles would've ever wanted to happen. Is knows his family sees him as a human being.
I kinda feel bad for him, but honestly, I'm indifferent about everything at the moment.
My life is horrible right now.
And the same way Amelia and Charles resent their parents, are the same way I resent mine.
I resent my mother for making me feel like I was little and couldn't have an opinion, I resented my father for lying to me all these years, painting me a perfect life just for some water to come and demolish it. I blame them for Andrews's drug issues, and I blame Andrew for me doing his drugs.
I don't ever want to turn out like them, ever.
I won't ever touch another drug in my life.
I promise.