Christopher didn’t usually attend events, at least not recently, not since… the incident. But this was Beth-Amber’s wedding, little Beth-Amber his cousin, who he had such fond memories of playing with as a child, in the before times. His doctors weren’t sure he was ready for, trained for it, but he needed this, so reluctantly they let him go. So he wrapped himself in his strongest shields, not nearly strong enough his doctors warned him, and set off to see little Beth-Amber get married.
His parents were ecstatic at the idea of seeing him again; they hadn’t since that man in the suit had come to their house and told them that Christopher was Special. It’d been months since they’d all gotten together. So here he was, in a nice suit and tie, his jaw length, dirty blonde hair combed and set back, sitting at his family’s table.
He was fidgeting. He could feel them, outside his shield, their thoughts. Pounding at his shields, demanding to get in. He blocked them as best he could but already he knew it was inevitable. He’d made it through the ceremony, and what a beautiful ceremony it was.
Beth-Allen was just as pretty as he’d remembered, long, straight, platinum blonde hair, petite sized with a gym toned figure, big beautiful blue eyes. Richard, her new husband, was tall, athletic, chiseled jaw, and commanding brown eyes.
It was a tear jerking ceremony, but always Christopher couldn’t forget. Always the thoughts were there. Always they were pounding against his shields.
It was when Richard’s best man, some frat brother that Christopher couldn’t remember the name of, got up to give his toast that it happened. The shields began to fall. It wasn’t much at first, a thought here and a thought there.
Isn’t she just beautiful?
Why can’t my girl find a guy like that?
But as the speech continued the cracks grew and the shields fell, and then… and then Christopher had no protection.
Christopher stared shocked at his father as he listened to him think about his dalliance with a young boy in the neighborhood. Then gasped softly as he heard his mother’s affair with the same boy. His brother kept thinking how he hoped that their parents wouldn’t realize how high he was. His sister wondered if she was pregnant.
The best man sat down and Christopher caught a glimpse of the orgy that happened at the bachelor party, hookers, booze, and drugs abounding.
He caught the look and the thought as Richard eyed one of the bridesmaids. He had plans and hopes for tonight.
Beth-Amber hoped Richard would get the promotion so that they’d be more financially secure. And maybe he’d be too busy to catch onto the affair she’d been having with a local biker.
Everywhere secrets, everywhere tragedies waiting to happen, Christopher saw it all.
He stood up hurriedly; his parents looked at him quizzically. He shot them an apologetic and pained look as he rushed away, phone already out, calling his doctors.
He couldn’t help but catch their last thought as he left.
Of course, no surprise there, disappointing as always.
Whatever, he thought, haven’t you people ever heard of closing a goddamn mind.
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Bonus points if you can guess the song that inspired this!
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