geminiy
v tired
Charlie took up Luca’s offer almost immediately, ditching her things on a chair before grabbing her notebook and walking over to the musician.
“So, it's a song about being confident in yourself and stuff. Not really the style my managers are going for but I don’t care.” Charlie began to explain, flipping through her notebook until she got to the page the lyrics were on. Handing the notebook to Luca, she slid onto the bench beside him.
After demoing a bit of the song on the piano, Charlie turned to Luca with a grin on her face. She was doing her best to ignore the aching anxiety thumping around in her stomach. How much had Lin heard? How much of what was said in what Charlie thought was private did he now know? Every time Charlie looked to her friend, her face flushed a deep red in colour. Eventually, she just stopped looking at him.
“So, uh, I need a trumpet of some sort. I think having a bit at the beginning would work very well, sorta setting up the playfulness of the song.”
The rest of lunch was spent working through various ideas. Luca was a whiz with most of the instruments Charlie needed and Amy was great with helping her with the flow of the lyrics. And then there was Lin, just hanging out and throwing in his ideas every once in a while. As odd as it was, the four made a great pair and, just before lunch was over, a demo was freshly recorded on Charlie’s phone.
“Hey, you guys go on ahead, class is about to start. I’m just gonna wrap up here!” Charlie said to Amy and Lin. Once they were gone, Charlie turned to Luca, the cheerful expression draining from her face.
“I’m sorry for running out on you earlier. I really hadn’t expected anyone to come in, I was sorta rattled.” Charlie laughed as she laced her fingers together on her lap. “A lot happened this morning, I just needed a minute on my own. Stupid Twitter drama, people being assholes again, feeling kinda worthless and dumb again. It was a lot.”
Charlie turned to Luca, a sad smile on her lips. “Thank you for checking up on me and thank you for saving my ass just now. I, uh, I think Lin found out some information he really didn’t want to hear and I just sorta booked it. I guess running away from stuff is a talent of mine today.”
Luca and Charlie talked for a good while. Charlie found that the Italian was incredibly good at giving advice and found comfort in his wise words. As the lunch bell rang, Charlie slumped forwards slightly.
“Hey, uh, thanks for the help. You’re a really good guy Luca. I appreciate everything.”
Charlie stood up from the piano bench, patting Luca on the shoulder as she walked by him to grab her guitar case and backpack. As she walked to the doors, Charlie turned around to open it with her hip as she offered one last smile to Luca before she made her way to class.
✩══════════════════✩
What the actual hell had she gotten herself into? Charlie hadn’t left her room yet that morning, instead opting to simply sit on the edge of her bed and contemplate the intricacies of why going on a blind date at a glorified pumpkin patch was the worst idea in the immensely long history of bad ideas. There was something especially dumb about the whole affair, something so monumentally idiotic that Charlie was convinced that the night was going to end in literal flames. There was that bonfire after all, and what would a first date be without some mild arson and a couple of burns?
Charlie groaned audibly, flopping backwards into the plush embrace of her mattress. Was it really too late to get a really accurate looking fake moustache and get a legal name change and become her alternate identity: a strapping young man named Ricardo? Perhaps. They were on a time crunch of sorts and Charlie was fairly certain that if she didn’t show up, Ash would hunt her to the ends of the Earth just to drag her back and force her on the date. For someone who wasn’t supposed to even be in on their little bet, Ash was certainly invested in the whole thing.
Her procrastination then posed a very important question: was there any way of getting out of the date? No one would really miss her if she didn’t show up, would they? Whatever poor dude Ash had coerced into agreeing to go on a date with Charlie would just wander off and find someone else to bother. Lin would go on his date and be happy. Amy would drag Trevor to Ash. It would be perfect! Charlie paused, phone in her extended hands, hovering dangerously above her face. She needed something gritty, something disgusting, something absolutely repulsive to get her out of this date…
Ah yes, the stomach flu. Food poisoning. Irritation of her digestional tract. Perfect.
A few words into Twitter ended with Amy banging at her door, telling her to open up. Charlie rolled her eyes, wanting to crawl back under her covers and cocoon herself. Would she become some sort of butterfly if she did?
SMACK!
“Ow fuck!” Charlie yelped. It had happened so quickly yet so slowly. The phone tumbled from her hands, making a beeline for her face. It was locked onto her nose as a target, rotating in the air before smashing directly into the bridge of her nose. Charlie sat upright, the phone dropping to the mattress beside her as she vigorously rubbed her aching nose.
Well, if that was any indication of how the rest of her day was going to go, maybe she should just wrap herself back up and catch another few hours of shuteye. No, she had made a promise to Ash and to Lin. She had to go.
The pain in Charlie’s nose subsided only for the pang of hollowness that shot through Charlie’s chest at the thought of Lin. She was 100% certain that he had overheard her and Amy in the music room on Monday, meaning he definitely knew she had feelings for him. Charlie had never meant for any of that to come out, she had made the mental decision to keep it under wraps in the deepest parts of her private mind. But the situation presented itself and ultimately, Charlie couldn’t stop herself. But now what was she supposed to do? They were both going on those stupid fair dates with other people. How awkward would it be if Charlie simply rolled up before the date spewing her whole ‘hey I feelings for you, have fun with your date’ spiel? The idea was hopeless and pathetic.
Charlie had come to the conclusion that, no matter how great the upcoming set up went, she wasn’t going to enjoy herself. Not while somewhere else in the fair, the person she really wanted to spend time with was on a date with someone else. Not while what she said was out in the air and just floating around unaddressed. She really just wanted to stay home.
But alas, she had made a stupid bet and a stupid promise to Lin and Ash. She had to show up. So, with a sigh of reluctance, Charlie peeled herself from her bed and began to get ready.
Some time later, after many hours of contemplation and convincing herself that she needed to go, Charlie felt sufficiently ready to go fake impress some guy. She looked presentable enough for a ‘date’ but not fancy enough to actually seem interested in taking things seriously. Interested but indifferent. Perfect, just the look she was going for.
The walk to the fair grounds was longer than expected, every step Charlie took was agonizing and met with her mind telling her to just turn around and go home. At least the fresh air was helping to clear her mind. And sure, the fair itself was a personal favourite of hers. If she got ditched, she could still enjoy the festivities on her own.
Once Charlie arrived at the fairgrounds, the tension built once again. Past the ticket booth and the swarms of people was the fair. All those cool rides and diabetes inducing foods and all the people showing up only to take aesthetic photos. But, somewhere in that flurry of activity, there was Lin, waiting for his date. There was Ash, likely hanging out with their dates. There was, hopefully, Trevor, being dragged in unknowingly by Amy into his date. Past all that activity, Charlie had to fake enjoy a date she really didn’t want to be on in the first place. Perfect.
After giving in her ticket, Charlie made her way through the gates and into the fair. She stood just inside for a moment, hugging her arms around her abdomen in an attempt to slow her anxiety. Charlie had to meet up with Ash and Lin, but she had something she had to do first. Making her way through the fair, Charlie walked up to the two boys she had been looking for, making eye contact with each one of them.
“Hey Seb.” Charlie greeted before looking at the shorter boy beside him. “Hey Chas. I was looking for you two, I actually wanted to talk to you guys.”
Charlie paused, nervously nibbling at the interior of her cheek. She had to apologize.
“So, uh, I just wanted to say sorry to both of you. Just to clear the air or whatever.” Charlie sighed, tucking her hands in her back pockets. “I overreacted at the party and I really shouldn’t have. I don’t know the intricacies of your relationship and ultimately, it isn’t my place to know or judge. And the whole fight was uncalled for. I was drunk and angry but that doesn’t excuse my actions. So, I’m sorry. If I were you, I don’t know if I’d forgive me but I figured I would apologize anyways.”
“So, it's a song about being confident in yourself and stuff. Not really the style my managers are going for but I don’t care.” Charlie began to explain, flipping through her notebook until she got to the page the lyrics were on. Handing the notebook to Luca, she slid onto the bench beside him.
After demoing a bit of the song on the piano, Charlie turned to Luca with a grin on her face. She was doing her best to ignore the aching anxiety thumping around in her stomach. How much had Lin heard? How much of what was said in what Charlie thought was private did he now know? Every time Charlie looked to her friend, her face flushed a deep red in colour. Eventually, she just stopped looking at him.
“So, uh, I need a trumpet of some sort. I think having a bit at the beginning would work very well, sorta setting up the playfulness of the song.”
The rest of lunch was spent working through various ideas. Luca was a whiz with most of the instruments Charlie needed and Amy was great with helping her with the flow of the lyrics. And then there was Lin, just hanging out and throwing in his ideas every once in a while. As odd as it was, the four made a great pair and, just before lunch was over, a demo was freshly recorded on Charlie’s phone.
“Hey, you guys go on ahead, class is about to start. I’m just gonna wrap up here!” Charlie said to Amy and Lin. Once they were gone, Charlie turned to Luca, the cheerful expression draining from her face.
“I’m sorry for running out on you earlier. I really hadn’t expected anyone to come in, I was sorta rattled.” Charlie laughed as she laced her fingers together on her lap. “A lot happened this morning, I just needed a minute on my own. Stupid Twitter drama, people being assholes again, feeling kinda worthless and dumb again. It was a lot.”
Charlie turned to Luca, a sad smile on her lips. “Thank you for checking up on me and thank you for saving my ass just now. I, uh, I think Lin found out some information he really didn’t want to hear and I just sorta booked it. I guess running away from stuff is a talent of mine today.”
Luca and Charlie talked for a good while. Charlie found that the Italian was incredibly good at giving advice and found comfort in his wise words. As the lunch bell rang, Charlie slumped forwards slightly.
“Hey, uh, thanks for the help. You’re a really good guy Luca. I appreciate everything.”
Charlie stood up from the piano bench, patting Luca on the shoulder as she walked by him to grab her guitar case and backpack. As she walked to the doors, Charlie turned around to open it with her hip as she offered one last smile to Luca before she made her way to class.
✩══════════════════✩
What the actual hell had she gotten herself into? Charlie hadn’t left her room yet that morning, instead opting to simply sit on the edge of her bed and contemplate the intricacies of why going on a blind date at a glorified pumpkin patch was the worst idea in the immensely long history of bad ideas. There was something especially dumb about the whole affair, something so monumentally idiotic that Charlie was convinced that the night was going to end in literal flames. There was that bonfire after all, and what would a first date be without some mild arson and a couple of burns?
Charlie groaned audibly, flopping backwards into the plush embrace of her mattress. Was it really too late to get a really accurate looking fake moustache and get a legal name change and become her alternate identity: a strapping young man named Ricardo? Perhaps. They were on a time crunch of sorts and Charlie was fairly certain that if she didn’t show up, Ash would hunt her to the ends of the Earth just to drag her back and force her on the date. For someone who wasn’t supposed to even be in on their little bet, Ash was certainly invested in the whole thing.
Her procrastination then posed a very important question: was there any way of getting out of the date? No one would really miss her if she didn’t show up, would they? Whatever poor dude Ash had coerced into agreeing to go on a date with Charlie would just wander off and find someone else to bother. Lin would go on his date and be happy. Amy would drag Trevor to Ash. It would be perfect! Charlie paused, phone in her extended hands, hovering dangerously above her face. She needed something gritty, something disgusting, something absolutely repulsive to get her out of this date…
Ah yes, the stomach flu. Food poisoning. Irritation of her digestional tract. Perfect.
A few words into Twitter ended with Amy banging at her door, telling her to open up. Charlie rolled her eyes, wanting to crawl back under her covers and cocoon herself. Would she become some sort of butterfly if she did?
SMACK!
“Ow fuck!” Charlie yelped. It had happened so quickly yet so slowly. The phone tumbled from her hands, making a beeline for her face. It was locked onto her nose as a target, rotating in the air before smashing directly into the bridge of her nose. Charlie sat upright, the phone dropping to the mattress beside her as she vigorously rubbed her aching nose.
Well, if that was any indication of how the rest of her day was going to go, maybe she should just wrap herself back up and catch another few hours of shuteye. No, she had made a promise to Ash and to Lin. She had to go.
The pain in Charlie’s nose subsided only for the pang of hollowness that shot through Charlie’s chest at the thought of Lin. She was 100% certain that he had overheard her and Amy in the music room on Monday, meaning he definitely knew she had feelings for him. Charlie had never meant for any of that to come out, she had made the mental decision to keep it under wraps in the deepest parts of her private mind. But the situation presented itself and ultimately, Charlie couldn’t stop herself. But now what was she supposed to do? They were both going on those stupid fair dates with other people. How awkward would it be if Charlie simply rolled up before the date spewing her whole ‘hey I feelings for you, have fun with your date’ spiel? The idea was hopeless and pathetic.
Charlie had come to the conclusion that, no matter how great the upcoming set up went, she wasn’t going to enjoy herself. Not while somewhere else in the fair, the person she really wanted to spend time with was on a date with someone else. Not while what she said was out in the air and just floating around unaddressed. She really just wanted to stay home.
But alas, she had made a stupid bet and a stupid promise to Lin and Ash. She had to show up. So, with a sigh of reluctance, Charlie peeled herself from her bed and began to get ready.
Some time later, after many hours of contemplation and convincing herself that she needed to go, Charlie felt sufficiently ready to go fake impress some guy. She looked presentable enough for a ‘date’ but not fancy enough to actually seem interested in taking things seriously. Interested but indifferent. Perfect, just the look she was going for.
The walk to the fair grounds was longer than expected, every step Charlie took was agonizing and met with her mind telling her to just turn around and go home. At least the fresh air was helping to clear her mind. And sure, the fair itself was a personal favourite of hers. If she got ditched, she could still enjoy the festivities on her own.
Once Charlie arrived at the fairgrounds, the tension built once again. Past the ticket booth and the swarms of people was the fair. All those cool rides and diabetes inducing foods and all the people showing up only to take aesthetic photos. But, somewhere in that flurry of activity, there was Lin, waiting for his date. There was Ash, likely hanging out with their dates. There was, hopefully, Trevor, being dragged in unknowingly by Amy into his date. Past all that activity, Charlie had to fake enjoy a date she really didn’t want to be on in the first place. Perfect.
After giving in her ticket, Charlie made her way through the gates and into the fair. She stood just inside for a moment, hugging her arms around her abdomen in an attempt to slow her anxiety. Charlie had to meet up with Ash and Lin, but she had something she had to do first. Making her way through the fair, Charlie walked up to the two boys she had been looking for, making eye contact with each one of them.
“Hey Seb.” Charlie greeted before looking at the shorter boy beside him. “Hey Chas. I was looking for you two, I actually wanted to talk to you guys.”
Charlie paused, nervously nibbling at the interior of her cheek. She had to apologize.
“So, uh, I just wanted to say sorry to both of you. Just to clear the air or whatever.” Charlie sighed, tucking her hands in her back pockets. “I overreacted at the party and I really shouldn’t have. I don’t know the intricacies of your relationship and ultimately, it isn’t my place to know or judge. And the whole fight was uncalled for. I was drunk and angry but that doesn’t excuse my actions. So, I’m sorry. If I were you, I don’t know if I’d forgive me but I figured I would apologize anyways.”
location
the fair
mood
nervous
outfit
autumn vibes
tags
amy (mentioned)
Kitsune2202
lin/trevor (mentioned)
ditto
ash (mentioned)
Winona
luca
Daniel Reaving
seb
LowkeyLovingLoki
chas
hery
coded by natasha.
