Charlie
The next day had started like any other day, Matthew was drilling his head with the article on nightlife. It was almost done, most of the research already complete and it was time for Charlie to read the second draft. He was nervously sipping his coffee at Solé as he waited for Charlie to finish. She had gotten so much better at making coffee since she started working there, it was miraculous.
"So?" Matthew said.
"It's g-good." Charlie rolled her sleeve down.
"But is it good good or just good?"
Charlie looked considering. "It's ok."
Matthew threw his hands up. "You don't like it."
"I do like it, but it's also just the second draft, I think you should work on this section a bit more," she highlighted it for him, "it lacks character."
"You can say it. It's boring."
Charlie smiled painfully. "It is boring."
Laughter distracted her from the paper in her hands. The sound bounced off the wall and reached her ears, Charlie's eyes quickly followed its source only to find Alison laughing in slow motion on the other side of the coffee shop. Olivia was bent over, clutching her stomach. Matthew followed the line of her gaze, and saw them.
"How are things with Alison?"
"Better."
He nodded. "She has changed."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, she seems different." He observed. She was no longer throwing daggers at him whenever she looked at him and she even consented to being interviewed for the article, which was surprising to say the least. "What was her best friend's name again?"
"Olivia."
"Is she seeing someone?"
The two didn't realize they had been staring for too long, not until Alison and Olivia caught them looking. As if on cue, they both cleared their throats and went back to discussing the article, hoping that was enough to play it cool. But Alison and Olivia both stood up and walked towards them. The blonde was walking gracefully, she looked like a model on a runway, her hair followed her every time she swayed her hips. In no time they were both at the bar, Alison looking stunning in her oversized military green jacket due to the weather getting colder.
"Hey." Olivia said.
Charlie nodded. "Hi."
"Hi," Matthew mirrored.
"So, Alison and I were talking and we were wondering if you'd like to come to a party with us." Olivia was smiling.
Alison on the other hand was quiet. "I never said that."
Olivia pinched her.
"Oh," She had been caught off guard, never in a million years would she expect that. "Tonight?"
Olivia nodded.
"I told Diego I'd help tonight." Charlie blurted out.
"He said he was closing early today."
Alison looked bored. "You should definitely stay and help him."
Olivia pinched her again.
"Yeah, it's just that I have to work on this... Thing for the newspaper."
Matthew shot her a look. "What thing?" Charlie widened her eyes and forced a smile at him. "Oh, yeah. The thing."
"You're a bad liar," Olivia pointed out, Alison chuckled behind her. "You're coming."
"I wouldn't know what to wear."
"Then we'll go shopping." Olivia countered.
"I'm not gonna go shopping," Alison bit back and retrieved her arm before Olivia could pinch it again.
The brunette looked like she was in pain. "I really have this thing-"
"Then don't come, case solved." Alison
Olivia smiled. "Case not solved until Charlie walks into that party."
Charlie soon realized there was no escaping this. But if she was going down, so were her friends. "Can Matthew and Emma come?"
"No," said Alison.
"Yes," replied Olivia smiling sweetly. "Of course they're invited."
Charlie was distracted the rest of the day, even during lunch where Emma and Matthew had to take it upon themselves to make conversation, the girl simply nodded and agreed with everything they were saying. Once at the mall, she watched as Alison and Olivia scanned the various pieces of clothing in different stores. They made an odd pair, the tall blonde and the short latino girl, but they sure as heck complemented each other very well which made their friendship so strong, she even felt jealous of the connection the girl had with Alison, not that she'd ever admit it out loud.
"Charlie," Olivia said. "Hello? Are you listening to me?"
The brunette looked back at her. The loud music and bright lights of the store they were in helped put her in a trance. "Sorry."
"It's all right." She said, smiling gently. "I was asking you if you liked this shirt, I bet it'd look great on you."
"Uh, yeah it's... Cute."
"She didn't like it." Alison said, appearing from behind Olivia.
"She just said she did."
"She was being polite Liv," the blonde explained, "am I wrong?"
Charlie, who up until now had done an excellent job at avoiding being the center of attention, found herself in the spotlight, as the two girls stared at her waiting for an answer. "I- I liked it, I just wouldn't... Wear it."
"Told you." Alison said to Olivia before giving Charlie a small wink. "What about this one?"
The blonde was holding up a delicate white blouse with a deep v neck, the kind of shirt you'd see Charlie wearing but with a little more edge to it. More flashy.
"That's... Not bad." She didn't want to seem rude, and since she hadn't tried a single outfit all afternoon she thought it was time to at least give the shirt a shot. "I guess I should try it on." Charlie pointed out, looking particularly unenthusiastic.
"You'd rather punch a wall, wouldn't you?" Alison said.
"No," she started, but then added thoughtfully, "yeah, pretty much."
The blonde laughed, along with Olivia and encouraged Charlie to go to the fitting rooms. "Come on, you got this." She cheered.
As Charlie was taking off her own shirt she heard a soft knock. "Hey it's me, I found some cute pants that might look good with that," the blonde spoke from the other side, "want to try them on?"
"S-Sure."
The girl pressed the blouse she was about to try on against her bare chest and slightly opened the changing room door. When she did Alison handed her the pants. "Nice bra."
Charlie's cheeks turned bright red and quickly closed the door. Next to Alison was Olivia, shaking her head.
"What?" Alison mouthed.
"Stop it." Olivia whispered back.
Alison replied through gritted teeth. "Stop what?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Alison Hayes."
Alison's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"You know what I'm talking about. The wink? Nice bra?" Olivia lowered her voice further.
"What do you mean-"
The changing room door swung open and there it stood a very uncomfortable Charlie, in the outfit Alison had picked. "Wow," Olivia commented. "You look very cute."
Charlie smiled and tucked a hair strand behind her ear, not before trying to read Alison's expression. Did she also think she looked very cute? The blonde took a step closer and untucked the hair Charlie tried to hide behind her ear, once she did that she untied the girl's ponytail, sending a wave of electricity through Charlie's spine. The girl ran her hands through the brunette's messy hair and fixed the white blouse before finally taking a step back. "There," she said, a small smile forming on her lips.
Olivia watched the interaction between the two and decided not to say what was on her mind.
"Why don't you try this on?" The blonde asked as she handed Charlie a tight looking long, dark dress. Once the door of the changing room closed Olivia spoke.
"That's what I mean." Olivia spoke in a low voice.
Alison rolled her eyes. "You're not making any sense."
"There's a line, Ali," she whispered. "If you're willing to cross it that's okay, but don't toy with her if you're not."
"What line are you talking about?" For a moment bleak amusement colored her voice.
Olivia turned her back to the dressing room and so did Alison. "That girl is clearly confused even if she doesn't know it yet and I bet you Diego's coffee shop that it has everything to do with you."
"You're imagining things."
"Oh really? Don't you see the way she looks at you?"
"I-"
The door swung open once again. They swirled around just as fast.
"I don't think this fits," Charlie said, trying not to inhale too deeply, squirming uncomfortably as she walked out and stood in front of a floor length mirror.
"Wow. You look hot." Olivia pointed out.
Alison wanted to agree, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Olivia's words were stuck in her head like a broken record. Don't you see the way she looks at you? She had, but she thought it was a friend thing, since they were friends now, but she wasn't so sure anymore. Her only friend was Olivia and they were always teasing each other but it wasn't uncomfortable. Charlie scowled and tugged the dress down. The slit on the side left her legs visible, she hardly ever wore skirts, much less short ones, so seeing this much of her own legs was alarming.
"It's too short."
"Alright, change back into your clothes so we can pay for the first outfit." Olivia said.
"I don't have any money on me."
"Don't worry," before Charlie could protest she forced her back into the changing room.
Sure, the brunette had this way of looking at her that made the blonde think there was something more to it, but that didn't mean anything, did it? They made it back to Alison and Olivia's dorm where they would get ready for the party.
"Stay still." Alison demanded.
"I can't, you're poking me in the eye." Charlie whined.
"I'm curling your eyelashes," the blonde tried explaining, "and if you don't stay still I am going to poke you in the eye."
Putting makeup on Charlie was proving to be harder than she thought, Olivia of course wasn't helping, she kept glancing at Alison warningly over and over again, which at this point made her look crazy. The blonde was dangerously close to Charlie, their faces inches apart and it was making it harder for Charlie to breathe and although she wouldn't admit it, it was making Alison's heart speed up.
"We need to do something about your hair," Alison said. Charlie squinted her eyes shut as Alison yanked her hair in an attempt to brush it. She felt the blonde place bobby pins gently and try different hairstyles. As Alison was finishing up with her hair, her eyes flickered to Charlie's mouth, she didn't know wether it was her best friend's words or something else but she could feel hot air hit her own lips and suddenly she wondered what the brunette would taste like, what would her reaction be if she leaned any closer.
She had kissed plenty of girls before, but it never meant more than just teenage hormones and drunken dares. As quickly as that thought made its way to her head, it was gone.
She leaned back and cleared her throat, hoping Charlie couldn't read her mind. "Okay I'm done."
"Wow," Olivia said for the third time that day. "Charlie, you look gorgeous."
She smiled and looked down at her feet, her hand tucked a hair strand behind her ear. "Really?"
"Yes." Alison replied. "You look like a person for once."
Charlie narrowed her eyes. "Not a shrimp?"
Alison half smiled. "Not a shrimp."
The two held each other's gaze for a little longer than they both intended, but Alison couldn't tear her eyes away from the girl, not when she looked this beautiful and not with the conversation she had with Olivia replaying in her head.
"So can my friends come?"
Alison scrunched her nose. "The point of this party is so you can meet new people."
"That doesn't mean I can't bring my friends."
"Charlie."
"Alison."
Again, they held eye contact for what seemed like the longest time, until the blonde gave in, she couldn't help but keep glancing at Charlie's lips and she didn't want to risk the brunette - or Olivia, noticing that. "Fine."
Charlie disappeared as she called Matthew, while Olivia's piercing gaze stayed on Alison. "What? I didn't do anything."
"Not yet."
Alison scoffed. "You're being crazy."
"I have my eye on you, Hayes."