Steve Rogers ran up the metal stairs until he reached that familiar green door. He reached for the door knob but couldn't turn it. He was confused for a moment until he realized he couldn't pick up things but he could go through things. He could feel Darby roll her eyes.
Steve took a breath and stepped through the door. He so amazed at his new ability he didn't notice how much his childhood home had changed. The walls changed to a soft green instead of the egg shell white color. The furniture was a chocolatey brown and more square than the furniture Steve was used to. His furniture used to the rounded couches and chairs with buttons lining the sides. But here, the coffee table was square with glass topped off with a purple flower. The chair was leather which faced a big black screen. Steve wasn't sure what that was. The couch was plush and L shaped with light green pillows.
But besides pillows, something else sat on top of it. Steve froze when he saw a girl with blonde hair that ran down her shoulders. Her blue eyes were focused on the book she read. Her feet were covered in large, fuzzy socks and jeans hugged tightly to her legs and revealed her knees because of the rips. Steve wondered why such a beautiful dame would wear ripped jeans. Men didn't even wear ripped jeans except for working hard shifts. She wore a plain back top as well that showed off her collar bones and a small silver locket. She had white cords from a small box, much like the big black screen, that snaked up her stomach to her neck and in her ears. Maybe they were a new type of earring?
Steve froze when he saw the girl. Partly because he thought she was beautiful but partly because he thought of how the girl might react if she saw a man just waltz right in to her apartment. This time it only took a couple seconds for Steve to remember that no one could see him. He stood up straight, danced around a tad to see if she would respond. She didn't move.
Steve walked in front of the girl who kept on reading. Steve stuck his hand through the book to see if that would make a difference. Steve was scared and excited when she moved but he soon was disappointed when he realized she was just turning the page. Steve had one more thing to try out but he was wary because he did not want to offend this girl in anyway. But he remembered Darby's words.
Slowly, Steve reached out and touched the girls right hand. Once he made contact, he could not go through. However he got a reaction form her, she shivered through her body and looked up from her book. Steve quickly stood up and backed away. "I'm so sorry, ma'am, I just-well I," Steve exclaimed until he realized she had not even noticed him.
The girl lifted her small box and it lit up. Steve was certainly perplexed. "Shit," she muttered to herself. She set her book on the coffee table and yanked her earrings out. Not soon after did Steve find they were not earrings and instead blasted classical music.
"Come on, Charlotte, what are you doing to yourself," she muttered to herself. Steve followed her as she went directly for Steve's old room. "Now you have to take a shower, get changed, do make-up, and get everything set. Sure it's just Laura but you know how Laura can be sometimes," Charlotte said to herself as she dug through her drawers to find a nice pair of jeans and nice top. "Why am I talking to myself?" She asked frantically and walked out of her room. " I think I am going insane," she told herself. Steve followed her until the bathroom door closed in front of him.
"Right," Steve said to himself. "I will not go in there." But that didn't mean he didn't think of Charlotte.
Steve decided to catch up on his old house instead of play peeping Tom on a girl that can't and probably never will acknowledge him. He first went back into his old room and Charlotte's current room. This was the master bedroom, which wasn't very master but bigger than the other room. Steve's mother wanted him to have it so he could display his art. Which by now was taken down and instead pictures of bands were on the walls. Bands Steve has never heard of.
Her bed was covered in a blue comforter and the mattress was placed in a black box shaped head rest. Her black dressers had some that were open with clothes dropping out from the recent event. The thing Steve noticed the most was the amount of pictures everywhere. And they were in color, too. There were pictures of her and another girl with brown hair, pictures with her parents, pictures of places, pictures of sunsets, pictures of flowers. Charlotte did some a photography in her spare time and her room displayed that beautifully.
The one that wasn't a photograph was a drawing. Steve recognized it right away. The drawing sat at her desk, framed and everything. Steve drew that picture, it was of Brooklyn and the people and the streets and the buildings. Every detail was perfect and Charlotte loved it dearly.
So did Steve, it was the first picture after his mother's death. He stuffed it in the vent so it wouldn't be ruined so quickly and he forgot it there. He was so pleased that someone liked it. Framed it even.
His next destination was his parents old room which had become a storage room for Charlotte. The guest/storage room was right next to Charlotte's room and the bathroom was right next to the guest/storage room. Steve walked in and found boxes stacked high. Some filled with pictures, some filled with papers, some filled with stuffed animals. The only thing that wasn't in a box was a mattress with blankets neatly covering it and a pillow. Charlotte didn't have many guests stay over but she always had something prepared at least. Steve assumed this would be his quarters since he was certainly not staying in Charlotte's room.
Steve skipped looking in the bathroom but he could hear the shower and Charlotte singing lightly. He passed the living room and went to the kitchen and dining room area. The red floors were gone and replaced with wood ones. The cabinets were new as well, they were white instead of the yellow color. And the stove and refrigerator looked very expensive to Steve. It looked futuristic. In fact, this whole apartment had transformed from a 1940s cheap apartment to a futuristic palace. Or at least, that's what Steve thought.
To Charlotte, everything was bought from IKEA, the flowers were fake, and she got this apartment for a very minimal amount.
Steve was in wonder at how much it was so different until he remembered the Council's words. They had said he was in the ice for 64 years. That means that time had gone by, people have gone by, everything has changed. Steve remembered the small box, the big black screen, the white earrings that blasted music. All of this futuristic furniture was actually the style.
Out with the old and in with the new. Out with Steve Rogers and in with a Ghost.
Steve could have been in a trance all day if it wasn't for Charlotte burst into a song. "And IIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiIIIIII will always love youuuuuuuUUUUUUuuuuu IIIIIIIIII-" her light hum turned into loud singing. Steve thought she had a great voice, well, not great but not bad. The shower turned off but she continued and Steve chuckled.
Steve went over to examine the big black screen. He looked at it, it sat on top of a small table. On the back, there were chords hanging out of it and went into the wall. Steve was beyond confused. Why didn't Darby warn him about this?
The bathroom door opened quickly. Steve looked away just in case she was not dressed. Steam poured out of the bathroom as Charlotte, who was fully clothed, ran into her room to grab mascara. She went back into the bathroom and went to work. Steve saw her blonde hair had turned darker and every so often a drop would fall onto her shoulder.
Steve went into the bathroom. It was small, one sink, one toilet, and a shower and bath combined. The shower curtain was a light green as well as the towels. Above the sink hung a mirror. In it was Charlotte, whose mouth was opened as she tried to extend her eyelashes. Steve saw himself beside her. As for Steve, it looked like when you look through a window and you can see the other side but if you focus enough you can see your reflection. Steve saw himself, the same face as if he looked in the mirror in 1940s. He hadn't changed, but the world had.
His clothes were khakis and a white shirt. He was grateful he wasn't in his suit. He also had a leather jacket on, the Out knew his sense of style. "Oh Lord," Charlotte said to herself. "I can already feel Laura and her friends eyes judging me," Charlotte said to no one in particular. She smoothed out her floral shirt neatly and looked at her face. She smiled and frowned, and smiled and made a silly face.
"I think you look beautiful," Steve said and he truly meant it. Maybe that's why there was a reaction.
Charlotte jerked around. She saw nothing but Steve froze, as if that would help him out. Charlotte stayed still, hiking her breathe in case she heard anything else. But she didn't, because Steve stayed exactly where he was and held his breath. "I'm going insane," Charlotte agreed with herself and put her locket back on.
She walked out of the bathroom and headed for the kitchen. Charlotte quickly and neatly put crackers on plates along with and assortment of cheeses. Half of them she didn't know the names of. She set that on the coffee table in the living room and went back to the kitchen. She grabbed the two bottles of wine from her fridge, four glasses, and a bottle opener the the coffee table. Everything was just about set. Right on cue, a knock on the door sounded and Charlotte let out a involuntary groan. She exhaled and went to open the door. When she did, she found Laura, the tall, over bearing, brown haired women with two of her friends. One had long blonde hair who looked completely disgusted with everything and the other looked terrified to be standing that close to Laura.
This was high school all over again. Laura and her group, Charlotte and her forced friendship. Her parents always were friends with Laura's parents. Laura's parents were nice, however, she wasn't so much. Charlotte had realized Laura's gross personality when they went to high school. But Laura clung to Charlotte for reasons still questioned today. Maybe because if this whole popularity thing didn't work out, she would at least have Charlotte to judge.
"Hi Laura," Charlotte said, sounding slightly already tired with the night.
"Lottie! Oh my god I absolutely love your new place," Laura explained. Charlotte knew she was lying. And Laura's blonde friend didn't seem to love it as much as her eyes wandered to every dusty corner.
"Thanks," Charlotte said dryly. "Come on in."
Laura and her friends walked past her and went into the living room. "Oh! How rude of me. Lottie, this is Annie," Laura said, pointing to the blonde one whose face was in a permanent disgusted face, "And this is Anna." Anna smiled politely and grabbed a piece of her brown hair nervously. "Anna don't be such a coward, Lottie doesn't bite."
Charlotte smiled sarcastically. Oh how little Laura knew. "Why don't you three sit down, I have to get something out of the kitchen really quick."
The three girls nodded and spread out on the sectional couch. Charlotte went into the kitchen and Steve followed. He was amused and astonished at this whole girl thing.
"I fucking will bite, Laura. Just you wait," Charlotte muttered. Steve chuckled as she grabbed a cheese knife from the drawer. She walked into the the living room and found Laura scolding Anna for some reason. Her legs were crossed, but not dainty and instead like she was going to pounce and kill someone. Probably Anna.
Charlotte set the knife by the cheese and popped open the wine. "Your favorite color was always green, wasn't it?" Laura asked, looking around the room. Charlotte poured herself a nice glass of wine that may or may not get her through the night.
Charlotte smiled and nodded and took a sip of wine. Her favorite color was blue ever since she was little.
"I love these flowers," Annie said, pointing to the purple one. "Are they real?" Annie asked. She already knew the answer.
"No. I got them on sale at Target," Charlotte said truthfully. For some reason everyone laughed.
"Oh you are so funny," Laura said. "Remember when it was just me and you, Laura and Lottie?" Laura asked.
Charlotte certainly did. She distinctly remembered Laura making out with her boyfriend, too. Laura and Lottie. Not Lottie and Laura, that was unheard of. "Laura I wish I could have known you in high school," Annie sighed. Anna nodded quickly, probably wishing she said it first.
"Suck up," Steve coughed. Charlotte laughed a little in her glass at the comment, thinking it may have been her own. She was going crazy after all.
All six, sharp eyes darted to Charlotte's direction. "I'm just laughing at that, uh, one party." Charlotte recovered and Laura smiled, satisfied.
"Oh of course! The McManus party was great. And their hot tub was sensational." Laura explained. Charlotte wanted to roll her eyes so bad.
"So, Lottie, Laura told me you are into photography," Anna said. Charlotte couldn't believe she actually her heard voice.
"Yeah, it's a hobby of mine. It's great to capture a great moment you know? Just when the time is-" Charlotte explained but was cut short.
"It doesn't pay very much though," Laura chimed in.
"Well-"
"Her real job is an editor at Brooklyn Daily Eagel, that's what pays for this apartment," Laura explained. Charlotte absolutely wanted to bite. Annie smirked and Anna went back into her shrunken state.
Charlotte drank more of her wine while Steve gaped. What kind of passive aggressive world did he just walk into?
"That sounds like a lot of fun," Annie said, completely faking a smile.
"Thank you. I worked hard to get my job," Charlotte said and glanced at Laura. Her job was at some business and slept her way through. It infuriated Charlotte.
There was an awkward silence that choked Charlotte. She hated small talk. "Awkward silence," Anna tunes. It does not go over well with Laura.
"Shut up Anna, that just makes it worse," Laura snapped. It somehow was even more quiet. Steve wanted to get out of there fast. But he could not leave Charlotte alone. The whole night was filled with Laura being stuck in high school years, awkward silences and wine. When it was finally late enough, Laura announced they should leave. Which they did, they walked out, no 'thank you' or 'this was fun'. Just a couple of 'goodbyes' and 'I'll text you later' which Charlotte did not want.
When they finally left and Charlotte closed the door, she plopped on the couch and groaned. "Laura will be the death me," she yelled. Steve still sat at the coffee table but scooted so he was closer to Charlotte. That was the weirdest experience he had in awhile, and he was dead.
The good part about it was that Charlotte worked for a newspaper and he could know what was going on in Brooklyn easily.
Charlotte pushed herself off the couch. Steve found that once she sat up, she was looking directly in his eyes. Steve didn't know what to do except stare into her blue eyes that stared right back at him. Charlotte squinted, as if she did see him. And Charlotte did, for a quick second but she rubbed her eyes roughly. Steve let out a sigh of relief, accidentally blowing on her.
Charlotte shivered and said, "What is up with these cold draft? It's like I'm living with a Ghost."