Our Time Will Come - An After Story

66

Emery

"Dude, your boyfriend is so quiet" Abby blurts, loud enough for Charlie to hear from the other side of the room. We arrived at my grandparents house about an hour ago, after they picked Charlie, Addy and I up from the airport and Charlie hasn't said much.

"Of course he's quiet, he did just lose his parents, Abby" I say, more bluntly than I intend to. My boyfriend is far from quiet, and his confidence is usually his biggest quality. "I know, I didn't mean anything by it" Abby loses eye contact. Damn, I probably shouldn't have said that so bitchily. "It's cute" Abby adds. What's cute about that?

Nana Karen is getting all dressed up and I laugh at the way she is fluctuating up and down the stairs, wearing a different outfit each time. Grandpa Ken is suited and booted, chewing Charlie's ear off about the golf. I want to tell him to leave the boy alone, as quite frankly, he couldn't care less about golf, but I decide against it. My grandparents are going to the opera house tonight to watch the ballet and I Can't help but smile at the sentiment, that they still go on cute date nights.

"Anyway, what shall we do tonight? My parents are going to be gone all night, they were invited to the Merrygold's for drinks when the ballet is finished, so we have the whole house to ourselves!" Abby beams mischievously, whatever she's thinking, I'm not doing it. The clues pretty much in the name with the Merrygold's, they're snooty and pretentious but my Grandpa loves their company.

"I don't know, maybe we could throw on a chick flick and pop some corn?" I suggest. Although our flight was only short, gosh I'm tired, plus we are up early tomorrow morning to head to our spa day. "Boring" Addelyn and Abby drone in synchronisation.

"Okay girls, your Nana and I are leaving now!" My grandpa approaches and I just know he's going to try to hug us. My suspicions prove correct as he wraps his arms around both Addy and I. "Grandpa!" I protest his affection. "Have fun you guys!" Abby tells her parents. "We will. Now look after your nieces!" Nana Karen smirks. The thought of Abby being my Aunt, still cracks me up to this day.

My grandparents eventually leave, and Charlie joins the girls and I at the dining room table. "Shh, don't mention his parents" I whisper to the girls as he approaches. "Hey, baby" Charlie chimes and I can't help but cringe as the girls stifle their laughs. "Shut up you guys" I scoff. "Hi boo" I peck Charlie on the lips to prove a point. A peck on the lips, Public display of affection at its finest, not. He looks Devine, in an oversized grey sweatshirt paired with a black pair of jeans. His hair is wild, but styled.

"So, boo! Can you tell your girlfriend to stop being boring so we can get drunk!" Abby sarcastically chimes whilst digging a bottle of cherry vodka sours from the cabinet. How does she even store this in the house without her parents knowing? I mean, It's a little risky with grandpa Ken being an ex alcoholic and all.

Charlie glares at me, as confused as ever, before giving in to Abby's antics. "Sure, don't be lame, Ems" my boyfriend shrugs. Is he for real? Who is this and what have they done with my Charlie? "What?" I scoff. "You heard me, why not? It's only a drink" he shrugs. Seriously, what is with him, he's usually such a prude, there's no way he'd ever drink underage.

Abby takes a swig of the red drink from the tall glass bottle, before passing it to Addelyn. She brings it to her mouth, but gags at the smell and even has to sprint to the bathroom to get sick. "What's with her?" Abby scoffs and I shrug. I have no clue, maybe it has something to do with the fact that it reminds her of that vile ex of hers, Austin Priestley.

"Charlie" Abby chimes, while handing the bottle to him. He takes the largest drink possible, before breaking into a fit of coughs. He clearly underestimated the strength of the drink. He then passes it to me, but I decline and place the bottle back on the table. "Oh come on" Abby Huffs. "You know my dad would kill you if I he saw you encouraging me to drink right now, right?" I snidely smile at her. "I'm not scared of that brother of mine" Abby bursts into a fit of giggles and I join her. Since when was Abby so rebellious? College definitely has changed her.

Addy returns to the table minutes later and we continue to gossip and catch up, however I grow concerned by the way that Charlie keeps grabbing the bottle and taking large gulps. This is not him, so I don't know what point he's trying to prove. "Charlie, sweetie, maybe you should slow down" I warn. "Why?" He scoffs. Why? Does he really want to open that door? My subconscious chimes.

"It's not like I have parents that I have to go home to" he slurs. So that's what this is about. He's using his grief to rebel against what his parents stood for. "Charlie I -" "Oh, silly me. Of course I have parents. And they live right here in Pullman, but they didn't fucking want me to begin with, even better" he interrupts my attempt to comfort him by taking another drink. Damn, he's wasted. Abby's face is a picture as she watches the kid that she called quiet, less than an hour ago, run his mouth.

I grow concerned for Addy as the night goes on and she gets more and more sick. She hasn't even had a drink and she looks like shit. I rub her back and hold her hair as she vomits into the toilet bowl. "Are you going to be okay?" I ask her, as I realise that I should probably go and check on Charlie. She looks up at me with tears in her eyes, but nods in agreement that she'll be fine.

I enter the kitchen, where Abby and Charlie are dancing around like lunatics to upbeat music. "You're great, blonde boy" Abby yells at the top of her lungs. That blonde boy is four years younger than you and my boyfriend, thank you, my subconscious chimes. "Shame my parents didn't think so, they wouldn't have given me up, otherwise " Charlie shrugs at the same time as bursting into a fit of giggles. Why is he getting so deep, damn. "You're twisted, blonde boy" Abby yells, while joining him in his laughter. Gosh, she is pissing me off tonight.

"Dude, If it's bugging you that bad, Why don't you just find out the names of your adopted parents and go see them?" she roars over the obnoxiously loud music, while taking yet another sip of the cherry drink. I wish she'd stop putting ideas in his head! she is basically encouraging Charlie to do something he'll regret.

"I know their names, my social worker told me, but I don't really give a shit, they're nothing to me" Charlie huffs and things are slowly taking a dark turn. "Oh yeah? What are their names?" Abby tests and I grow agitated at her behaviour. "Abby!" I warn her. "What? I'm just curious, they live in Pullman, I could know them!" Abby obnoxiously rolls her eyes. "I'm not telling you" Charlie huffs and takes a seat at the table. "Suit yourself, blonde boy" she shrugs while taking another large sip of the cherry liquor. "His name, is Charlie" I raise my voice in hopes that she'll get the picture.