Time with Charlie flew by. I learned a lot about her that night; while we sat in the dim lit room eating pizza and laughing, she definitely came out of her shell. She told me stories of her when she was little; from pretending to be a dog and barking at people in the street, to when she broke her leg attempting to go down a slide when she was three. She told me about her family; her dad and her siblings, and how misunderstood she felt at home. She was such a sweet, kind hearted person with such a weird sense of humour that by the end of the night my face hurt from smiling so much. I knew we'd get on well.
The next day I was woken up by a loud clatter coming from the bathroom that made me jump out of my skin. Sitting up promptly in bed, Charlie poked her head around the door, a sheepish look on her face.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, I'm just a bit clumsy," she grimaced, lifting her hands up in defence.
"Nah dude it's fine," I laughed, swinging my legs from under the covers. "I'm gonna go grab a coffee, you want anything?" I asked.
"I don't like coffee, but a tea would be lovely please," she beamed, and i nodded as she closed the bathroom door. The sound of the shower starting up was the last thing I heard as I grabbed my wallet and walked into the hall.
The cafe on campus wasn't a far walk from blue house, and the brisk Saturday morning air was a refreshing feeling in my lungs. I never truly appreciated the feeling of the cool mist against my skin until I came here, but now it was one of the nicest sensations I knew.
"Meg!" I heard someone call from behind me. Spinning on my heels, I almost collided with Ashton, who was jogging towards me. "Hey gorgeous," he grinned, kissing me gently.
"Hey," I smiled. "Where you going?"
"I was just going for a run when I saw you," he puffed, "and I wanted to ask why they called you to the office yesterday? I never saw you after class."
His eyes bore into mine in the most affectionate way. It made my heart flutter and my stomach do flip flops. I smiled, lacing his fingers between my own unconsciously.
"I've got a new roomie," I laughed, "nothing serious." His face softened in relief, the prior worry that was in his features draining away like rain down a storm drain. "Her name is Charlie, she's lovely."
His smile grew, the dimples in his cheeks becoming evident once again. "Let's go out tonight then, all of us," Ash suggested. "After all, we need a fresh start. Charlie could be exactly what we need. "
