CHAPTER 26
• CHARLIE •
As I approached Cafe Rocks, I heard the music blaring out of the place. I could tell that Joe or Taylor was to blame as the Kids In America were playing, it was one of mine, Taylor's and Joe's favourites.
When I pushed open the feeble cafe door, I noticed the Cafe was busier than I had expected it to be. Joe and Taylor had invited some people they knew from school.
I recognised Chris Stevens, Joe's other co-worker. Chris Stevens went to Longshore High too, but he was a senior. I didn't know him too well, but I could tell from a couple of faces in the cafe that he had also invited some friends.
Apart from Chris, Joe had invited Josh Grayson, Elliott Porter and Riley Fielder. I didn't know them too much, but Joe knew them from his classes. Taylor had invited Tiffany Flores and Ana Shore, the only friends that she made out of her time on the cheerleading squad. I also noticed that Jason had tagged along and brought his old high school best friend with him, Austin Cartwright.
"Charlie!" Taylor called to me, excitedly. She bounced over to me and slung one arm around me. "I'm so glad you're finally here." She slurred.
I looked her up and down as I felt I was holding more of her weight than she was. "How much have you had to drink?"
"A lot." A voice answered for her and I looked up to see Jason stood before me.
I chuckled slightly. "I can see that."
Jason shook his head, unamused. "It's the worst I've ever seen her. I'm gonna take her into the back to get her some water." Jason told me, putting Taylor's other arm around himself. "It's good to see you, Charlie." He said and he and Taylor disappeared into the back of the cafe.
I looked around, alone again. I couldn't believe how many people had filled up Cafe Rocks. What surprised me most was how many friends Taylor and Joe seemed to have. I always forgot they had a couple of other friends, whereas they were my only friends.
"Hey, Locke." Joe greeted me when he saw me. "Where you been hiding?"
"Long story. Got any beer?"
"You know I have." Joe said and took my hand, leading me behind the counter.
Joe had a couple of crates of beer stacked behind it. Joe turned his back to me and reached into the fridge, grabbing a beer and putting it on the counter. Then, Joe picked up a couple more beers from one of the crates and put them in the fridge.
Joe used the counter top as a bottle opener and forced the beer open. "Here", he said, handing it to me.
"Thanks." I replied, taking a sip.
"So, what's the story?" Joe asked me, leaning on the counter.
I sighed and pulled myself up to sit on the counter. "I went to see Billy."
Joe looked at me, disapprovingly. "Why'd you do that? You should have waited for him to come to you."
I laughed. "You and Taylor think alike. She said the same thing to me when I told her what I was going to do."
Joe shook his head, unamused. "It's because we're right."
"Lighten up, I'm glad I went. Turns out it was a nice misunderstanding, we're all good now."
"And that's it?"
"Pretty much, we made up. He's coming here tonight."
"What?" Joe asked, shocked. "You gotta keep him grovelling for a bit, Char."
"It's no big deal. He wanted me to hang out with his friends, but I told him I already had plans with you guys. We decided we could both just come here." I explained.
"Fine, but if he messes you around again, I can't promise I won't hurt him or try and get Bill to fire him."
I rolled my eyes. "It'll be fine. Something feels different and I like it."
Joe shook his head like I was imagining it, but it was true. I felt better. Things were finally looking up. I was getting on with Tommy, I had my best friends, my Mom hadn't yelled at me for a little time and Billy and I were okay. What more could I want?
Chris Stevens approached me and Joe. Chris leaned against the counter, looking at us. He smiled at me slightly, but turned to face Joe. "We got more beers?" He asked.
Joe nodded. "There's about three or four crates under the counter."
"Hand me one?" Chris asked Joe and Joe got another beer out of the fridge and handed it to him. Chris said thank you and turned his attention to me. "You're Joe's friend, right? Charlie, isn't it?"
"That's me."
"I'm Chris Stevens, Bill's son." Chris informed me like he had forgotten we had already met. However, what was new to me was that I didn't know that Bill had a son.
"Your Dad owns this place?" I asked and Chris nodded. "He's cool with us hanging out here like this?"
I had always known that Bill knew that Joe would sometimes have friends hang out at the cafe, but I'd always assumed a couple of friends was all he was okay with. Tonight, we had practically thrown a party and the boss's son was here. How were we getting away with this without him knowing?
"I told him we were having a gathering here tonight, so he has some idea." Chris explained, I nodded. It made sense. "He's cool with it as long as we don't trash the place."
"And if we do, he's warned us he'll make us work to pay off the damage." Joe chuckled. "That'll be a debt he won't let go."
Chris smiled. "I wish that wasn't true, but my Dads like that. Believes in paying your dues."
"Fair enough." I said.
Chris nodded, but looked at me more carefully. "You're a Lakewood, aren't you?"
"Sort of." I admitted.
"I know your brother, Sebastian. He's a friend of mine. I'm surprised we haven't been introduced before. They coming tonight?"
I cringed when he called Sebastian my brother, but I didn't correct him. I couldn't be bothered. However, I turned to Joe and realised I hadn't told him that I had asked Tommy to come. I looked at him sheepishly. "I'm not sure, maybe. I invited Tommy, but he wasn't sure whether he would come."
Chris nodded, but his friend came and dragged him away from us. Chris seemed cool, but he put me off him when he mentioned he was friends with Sebastian.
"You invited Tommy and Billy?" Joe asked me, looking at me like I was crazy.
"Tommy's actually kind of sweet. He drove me to Billy's earlier and it could have been worse. They were civil with each other. Not friendly, but civil. It's an improvement."
"You know how to dig your own grave, don't you Charlie?"
"I'm not dead yet." I smiled, but I was distracted from the conversation when I noticed that Billy had arrived.
I stayed with Joe, drinking beer by the counter as Billy and his friends entered the cafe. He'd only brought Sadie Sinclair and Milo Jackson with him, but I sort of wished he had come alone even if this was a gathering.
Billy spotted me and Joe by the counter and he walked away from his friends and approached me. Billy smiled at me and Joe.
"I didn't expect there to be this many people." Billy said, looking at me.
I shrugged. "The more the merrier?"
I glanced at Joe to see something had shifted in the way he saw Billy. Joe was no longer looking at Billy like he was his favourite person to work the Sunday shift with. Billy was oblivious to it, but the slightest glint in Joe's eye warned me that Joe had some hostility towards him.
Billy didn't notice, he took the way the corner of Joe's lips lifted into a slight smile as them being good. He didn't seem to recognise it was the way Joe looked at a rude customer after they had disrespected him. His smile was a disguise, his best way to hide what he was really thinking. And all I could think was that Joe and Billy's friendship was over.
"You working tomorrow?" Billy asked Joe. "I'm on a nine till close — probably about seven."
Joe took a swig of his beer. "Yeah, as always." Joe nodded and glanced behind him. "I'm going to go and check on Taylor." He said and walked into the back, leaving me and Billy alone.
Billy turned to me with a confused look. "Is everything all right with Taylor?"
"One too many. Her brother's looking after her, she'll sober up soon enough."
Billy nodded. "Is Joe okay? He seems a bit different."
I shrugged and remembered the history essay he had been complaining about earlier in the week. "History — it's stressful. He's stressed. He has to rewrite an essay because our teachers a bit of a perfectionist." I explained.
Billy nodded, seeming believing my pathetic attempt at a lie. "You should come by tomorrow, we haven't really seen each other much this week."
I raised my eyebrows. I thought, who's fault was that? But I didn't tell him what I was thinking.
"Oh?" I said, a slight smirk coming to my lips. "Did I not see you Friday and earlier today?"
Billy narrowed his eyes, but kept the smile on his face. "Briefly. We've only seen each other briefly."
I nodded. "I'll text you, I think I have plans with Tommy." I replied, but I didn't have any plans with Tommy.
"You know where I'll be." Billy smiled at me, but he was watching me closely like he couldn't work out what I was thinking.
"That I do."
The conversation ended when Jason, Taylor and Joe came out from the back. Jason and Taylor headed in the direction of an empty table in the corner and the rest of us went and sat down with them, even Billy. It made me smile how he was following me around now rather than sticking with his friends.
"She okay?" I asked as I slid town next to Joe and Billy sat besides me.
Taylor and Jason were sat opposite me. Taylor's head was leaning against Jason's shoulder and her eyes were closed. It was actually kind of nice to see Taylor being the Thornton that had gotten fucked. Usually it was Jason.
"Yup, she's finally shown me how annoying it is when your sibling gets wasted." Jason smiled, looking down on her with an amused smile.
I smiled back at them. It was clear how much Jason loved Taylor. Sure, when Jason was in High School, he'd barely acknowledge her in the hallways, but he was always her ride home and never left the parking lot until he knew she had a way to get home. And despite all the parties he had thrown, how many times we'd seen him get wasted or find him high lying on a sun bed by their pool, Jason and Taylor were okay.
"You're a good brother, Jason."
I told him, but he just shrugged like it was nothing.
I bet he had never said the things Harry and Sebastian said to me to Taylor.
Taylor sat up straight, placing her hand on her cheek and looked at me unamused. "Don't make his ego any bigger, Charlie." She slurred. "He owes me after all the high school parties he put me through. It's my turn." She said and rested her head on the table.
She was out again.
I chuckled slightly. "Karma had to get you somehow, Thornton." I smirked at Jason.
"Could be worse, Jason could have you for a sister." Joe teased me. I suppose I was more likely to get this drunk than Taylor.
"Meh. I am what I am." I laughed.
That was when I heard the cafe bell chime throughout the noise bursting through the cafe. The door was open and two figures walked in.
Tommy had arrived and Harry was with him.
Hey! Thank you for reading, please vote and comment :)
Anyone warming up to Billy or you all done with him?
Also thank you for those of you who went back and read chapter thirty - thirty one. I changed a lot in those chapters - I added new scenes and changed it so that Charlie and Billy's first kiss happened there. If you haven't and fancy reading it, please go check them out :) I think it's really fun chapters!
Update next Friday :)