FRIENDS ➳ jean kirstein

017. BAD TRIP

Charlie - November 20, 2020
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Charlie didn't understand the rules of basketball. Truth be told, Charlie didn't understand the rules of any sport. But if subjecting herself to an hour on the horrendously uncomfortable bleachers and pretending to care about sweaty boys bouncing a big orange ball around was the price to get into the afterparty, she was more than willing to pay it.

Her mom had insisted that Armin be the one to drive to the school, and Jean called shotgun, so Charlie begrudgingly slipped into the back of the car, stretching her fishnet-clad legs out across the three seats and refusing to put her belt on. With Chase Atlanic blaring into her ears from her earphones, she rolled down the backseat window and closed her eyes, feeling the car rumble and rock as it drove down the street.

"Charlie." She could just about hear Armin's irritated voice over the sound of her music. "Charlie, will you roll the window up?"

She ignored him, steadily tapped her finger against her thigh to the beat of Friends.

"Charlie," Armin snapped, louder than before. "Seriously, roll the window up, it's fucking freezing."

Sighing loudly in what was most definitely an over-dramatic manner, Charlie blindly reached for the button by the door handle and pressed down on it, rolling her window back up, disappointed by the loss of the cold winter wind lashing against her skin.

As much as she wished Eren was going to be at the game, Charlie was excited to spend time with Mikasa. It was rare that they had a one-on-one hangout, so Charlie was looking forward to it. She would probably end up crashing at Mikasa's place after the party too, so she wouldn't have to deal with a lecture from her mom when she came home exceptionally drunk (and probably a little bit high too, not that her mom would be able to tell, though).

The very second Charlie felt the car roll to a stop in the school parking lot, she sat up, threw open the door and clambered out of the car. It was early evening and the sun had set. A blanket of shadow had descended upon the school, giving it an almost sinister appearance, and if it wasn't for the floodlights illuminating the football pitch in the near distance, Charlie may have gotten shivers that weren't induced by the November chill.

The inside of the school was warmer, though not by much. Charlie had ignored the sound of her brother calling her name, turned up her music and hastened inside. There, she pushed past groups of excitedly chattering students, making straight for the girls toilets by the chemistry lab, where Mikasa had said to meet her.

She was already there, as Charlie had expected, propped up on the countertop, a cigarette hanging loosely from her lips. Offering Mikasa a smile of greeting, Charlie yanked out her earphones and popped open her own packet of cigarettes.

"You heard from Eren?" Charlie asked as she sparked her lighter.

Mikasa shook her head. "Not since this morning," she answered. "I reckon the boredom finally killed him."

Snorting in amusement, Charlie hitched herself on top of the counter next to Mikasa and puffed on the cigarette, and when she sighed out, an enormous cloud of putrid smoke erupted before her. Part of her had still clung on to the hope that Eren might bite the bullet and sneak out to go to the basketball game and the party that followed. A year ago, he would have, even though he didn't understand nor enjoy basketball, but he would want to support Armin at least.

The bathroom door swung open and Charlie and Mikasa looked around—Charlie remembered a time when, if someone walked in when she was smoking in the bathroom, she probably would've put the cigarette out on her own skin just to avoid the risk of being caught. Now, however, she watched with a slight tilt to her head, and smiled sweetly at the freshman who was glaring at her in disgust. She didn't say anything, much to Charlie's disappointment, because she would've loved to argue with her. The girl merely huffed, lifted her nose into the air and marched into a stall, reducing Charlie and Mikasa to fits of giggles that they did their best to muffle with their hands.