Charlie.- Completed

twelve

"How is it even possible to have this much work after a week?" Oz flipped through Fred's books, filled with graphs and equations. "I don't understand half of those."  I glanced up at them, chuckling before bringing my attention back to the essay I was almost done with. 

"What are we doing this weekend?" Harry shifted in his seat next to me, knocking my arm as he did, making me put a line across the page. I sat back in the chair instantly staring at the ceiling. 3 hours. I'd been working on this for 3 fucking hours. "Shit. Sorry Loz." I dropped my pen and put my head on the table. Laugh. Laugh or you'll fucking cry. This 1st week back had been fucking rough. I'd seen Noah in passing and all the eyes of the people in my classes were staring at me constantly. The guys had been extra irritating since we got back on Sunday evening and I was very much looking forward to working out every morning at the gym just to get some space that wasn't work or essays or the guys.  

"Charlie, you okay?" Fin put his hand on my back and I sighed as I sat up. 

"3 hours I've been working on that Haz." 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." I closed the note book and started packing my stuff up. 

"I know you didn't. I'm gonna go. I'll see you all tonight." 

"Loz-" Fin grabbed my arm and I gently pushed him off. 

"It's fine but I'm not writing it all up again for it to happen a second time. I'll see you later." I pulled my bag over my shoulder and slowly walked out. I have 0 idea where I'm going or what I'm going to do there but I just needed some space. I held my books tight in my arm as I gripped the hand rail down the stairs. 

"Hi Loz." I lifted my head in the middle of the stairs and smiled at Noah. 

"They're in the study hall." I pointed back and walked down a few more stairs. 

"Where you going?" 

"Fuck knows." I carried on walking, not exactly in the mood to talk to anyone. I genuinely just wanted to be alone and work in peace

"Okay." I reached the bottom of the stairs and stood, looking in both directions trying to decide if I should just go home and call it a day, or if I should go down to the studio and work on my piece. I don't think it will be in use right now. "What are you thinking?" 

"Trying to decide where to go." 

"What are the options?" He stood behind me, keeping his hands to himself but there wasn't much space between us. 

"Studio or home." 

"What work have you got to do?" 

"Well I need to rewrite the essay I just spent 3 fucking hours on before Oz nocked me and ruined it. But I've got some studio work too." 

"Let's go to the studio then." He took a step to the side slightly and I turned to look at him. 

"You don't have to come with me. The guys are upstairs waiting for you." 

"I'd rather be with you." He ran his hands through his hair. I think he needed a trim, it was getting a little long and I could tell it was starting to bug him. "Which way?" 

"I'll have my headset on. I won't be able to hear you speak." 

"Which way Charlie?" He smiled sweetly and pulled my books from my arms, holding them tightly as he grabbed my hand. I looked down at our fingers intertwined and back to him. 

"B block." 

"Come on then." He walked and didn't drop my arm, the pull of him moving away and gripping my hand tight so I couldn't drop it forced me to move. 

We walked the rest of the way in silence. Once we hit the department I stopped by the list, checking which room was free, writing my name in the box to show I was in there and it would be occupied for a few hours, ensuring no one would walk in mid recording.  

It was my turn to pull him slightly now, down the long hallway filled with sound proofed rooms and big heavy doors. The spaces above the doors all had red lights on outside them, showing they were recording too. I'm glad he was being so quiet, I really didn't want to fuck someone elses work up. I pushed the door open and dropped his hand, turning the lights on as we walked in. 

He looked around at the board, littered in dials and levers as I dropped my bag into the chair at the front of the room. 

"You know how to use all this stuff?" 

"I guess so." I smiled slightly and turned the recording light on outside and continued setting the room up.  I pulled open the booth door, stepping in and adjusting the mic to my height  and pulling the paper stand closer before checking that the headphones were working. Once I was sure they were, I put them over the mic stand and walked back to the doorway where he was stood.  "You can sit on the sofa." I pointed behind him and he nodded. "Just don't say anything okay? Keep quiet. Don't look at me or you'll make me all embarrassed and I'll have to stop." 

"I won't. I'll do my work and ignore that you're here. Is that what you wanted to hear?" I nodded quickly and he sat down, pulling his books from his bag and settling in. I shuffled through my bag for the book I'd been using last year for the studio work. It still had all my notes and everything in and had my USB attached with all the recordings. I plugged it into the computer and started it running how it needed to be, the music I'd made over summer queued up ready to start at the press of a button.  

I turned and sighed as his eyes weren't even on the book. 

"What?" I crossed my arms and he smiled, looking down at his books quickly. 

"Nothing."