Carl licked his lips, rubbing a hand across his face as he readjusted himself behind the computer. Sugar crystals grated against his already scruffy chin, turning his skin red as he groaned, pushing away the bag of sour patch kids. He pulled his shirt down over his belly, leaned his elbows on the desk once then pressed his back comfortably into the chair. Letting out another deep breath and flicking his gaming headphones back over his ears, boredom sunk in.

A game he hadn't finished playing yet buzzed softly beside him on the tv. He glanced at it, reaching out quickly to mute the music before turning back to his inbox.

"Danielle Nicole is typing…"

He rubbed his lips together, paused, then opened a new window. Clicking through his bookmarks, Imgur, gaming sites, his eyes starting to blur. He had that feeling you get when you are attempting to distract yourself from the only thing you want to think about. His teeth began to grind without him realizing it.

"Fuck!" He cursed in his head and stood, hitching his pants back to his hips, he leaned up the stairs against the wall. "Hey Mom!" He waited for a reply for a brief moment then irritably made his way to the kitchen. The house was empty. Huh… For a moment he wondered then shrugged, cracking open a flat can of soda.

Sliding his hand down the rail, he moved back downstairs quickly. The room was dimly light and nearly empty, except for the cluttered desk area he nearly always occupied and the corners which were crowded with random boxes and tidbits he wasn't even sure about.

"Tori…" the name left his lips before he could process why and he threw up his hands, "Da fuck!"

Angrily, he grabbed his mouse and went to Facebook, venting to the first person who would listen. Danielle had been there the past few days and he locked his jaw, pouring the sudden onslaught of emotion into a few passive words. The sadness hit again…

Oh yeah. She's gone.

Carl stopped, his eyes on the chat box. "Read at 4:40pm" He waited, the words on the screen beginning to blur. He stared then turned away, grabbing his xbox controller.

I feel numb….The thought came suddenly and took him by surprise. His mouth opened then closed, I feel…numb.

He stared at the screen.

…

Carl chuckled and leaned back against the fence surrounding the baseball field. The sky outside was shifting from light grays to dark blues and there were dirt stains on his white shirt and a wide smile on his face. His smile was sarcastic and loped to one side. He rubbed his small, rounded nose and stood up straight, pulling up his jeans with one hand. The energy around him was magnetic.

Danielle looked at him from her spot on the ground and grinned to herself, unused to seeing him in his natural state. She pulled her knees to her chest as he made another ironic one liner and shook his head to himself.

His voice was as wide as the field they were all goofing around on, confident and brave. Unlike the boy she had met on the computer screen. She wanted to be a part of that, feeling compelled but afraid and smiled wider, calling out to him.

He looked at her with an odd expression and shook his head, moving to the other side of the fence and she watched, tilting her head, filled with some disappointment and delight.

Carl laughed, leaning back, one hand on his stomach and she glanced at his hands. There was dirt under his fingernails and his palms were paler than his tanned cheeks which were slightly red from his animated talking. His shoes had a layer of mud cracking off the bottoms and his clothes were simple, plain and functional.

She walked over to him and he stopped again, eyeing her suspiciously. She felt amusement wash over her and she laughed and began to follow him, trying to absorb the energy into herself.

He continued without noticing, completely wrapped in the moment, and she watched, seeing him for the first time.