Charlie's Web (A Romantic Comedy)

Chapter 21

A wine glass, which was until mere minutes before filled with Australia's finest, went flying across the room and with a loud smashing noise, it exploded against the wall.

The shattering noise which ensued stunned the two girls, who finally seemed to realise what had just happened. They stared at one another in horrified silence, unable to find the words. Eventually Thea broke the silence. By turning around, storming out of the room and slamming the door so hard the entire flat shook, seemingly to its foundations.

Charlie, still silent, still struggling to catch her breath, dropped down onto the couch, her entire body trembling, Whether this was down to fear, a rush of adrenalin, or simply anger, it was difficult to tell. She wasn't sure herself.

What had she said? Still breathing hard, she tried to recall the start of her conversation with Thea. The whole incident had lasted a maximum of two minutes, culminating in Thea screaming at her that she was a "selfish bitch" who didn't care about anyone but herself before launching the glass of wine at the wall. 

She had never ever witnessed Thea angry like this. In fact, she had barely ever seen Thea angry at all in the whole time she'd known her. Thea was caustic and sarcastic but she was also very contained and controlled. She didn't ever fly off the handle like she just had. 

Charlie turned her head slowly and looked at the shattered glass on the floor. They were lucky neither of them had been hurt by it. They were also lucky neither of them liked red wine, because that would have been an absolute bastard to clean up.

Charlie's glass of wine was still intact. She had burst into the living room with her white wine just a few minutes ago, ready to fill Thea in on everything that had happened in the last few hours, as well as try and find out what on earth was going on with her. She'd actually been giggling to herself on the way home, much to the curiosity of other folk on the train, thinking what a kick Thea was going to get out of her having to pretend Dave was Paul and plant one on him. She couldn't wait to share her story.

With a shaking hand, she picked up her glass and took a large gulp out of it. 

Thea's reaction had not been what she expected. 

"You did what?" She had asked quietly. Calmly. 

Ominously.

"You kissed Dave?"

That was louder.

Charlie knew something was wrong, horribly wrong, at that point. But she didn't know what. 

But as Thea got angrier and scarier Charlie discovered some things about herself. About how selfish she was, for example. About how she was so desperate for male attention she would just go after anyone who was remotely interested in her… "and sometimes guys who aren't interested in you . . . because that's how much you want a boyfriend!" She was pathetic. And she didn't care who she hurt to get what she wanted. 

Oh, and that Aaron wasn't remotely interested in her and never had been. "Move the fuck on, for Christ's sake! And not to Jake cos he clearly doesn't want you either!" 

She'd barely got a word in. Had there actually been scratching or hair pulling? She couldn't actually tell you, but it had felt that way. She felt wounded emotionally and everything Thea had said had hurt like she had been physically attacking her.

"I am selfish," she said quietly to herself. "But I don't think I deserved that."

She grabbed her phone and started a new text. 

Can I come over? Think we need to talk.x

Not waiting for a reply, and leaving the rest of the glass on the coffee table, she let herself out of the house. It was definitely the last place she wanted to be right now.