Just us.

12. For my friends.

Carly, Jodie and I are all together today. Most of the time, someone needs to watch over their group, and keep an eye on Jodie. She can get a bit... confused sometimes.

As I'm cleaning up a spilt drink, Mia walks in and up to Jodie
"Jodie. Would you come to my office please?" Why does she want to talk to Jodie?
"Ya sure. Upload" Jodie presses the iPad, and puts it down on the counter. I look back down at the table and focus on my current job.

"You look nice today Charlotte" that makes me look back up at Mia. She smiles before walking out of the room with Jodie
"Um okay, what was that?" Carly questions. I shake it off and change the subject to Jodie
"I don't know. But I don't like that she's pulled Jodie out"
"Yeah neither"
"I thought Autumn warned her off of her?" I remember Carly telling me that Autumn told Mia she wasn't to touch them 'or else'.
"Oh she did. And initially, Mia did back off. But now she's off with food poisoning and Reece and Marjorie are out of the county. She's got free rein" I knew the quiet wouldn't last forever. Of course Mia had to do something to cause drama. Why did I even for a second think she wouldn't? It's Mia.
"I really don't like this"

...

(3ed person pov)
Mia walks into the office with Jodie trailing behind her
"Jodie, make yourself comfortable at my computer" Mia smiles
"Okay" she sits down in the chair and looks back up at her
"So Jodie, the reason I've called you in is because whilst I was browsing online, I won a hamper"
"Aw totes congrats! What's a hamper?" Mia pauses for a moment, taking in the women's lack of knowledge or sense of the world
"It's a basket of goodies, and I want you to have it" she smiles
"Really?" Jodie exclaims
"Yeah. Nobody deserves it more than you. You work so hard"
"I totes do, right?" Mia had to hold in her laugh at the girl, while humming in agreement
"So, to make sure it gets to you, all I need you to do is to put your details in" she points to the computer screen "pop these card details in and click pay" Jodie takes the card with the details on
"Okay. Why do I have to click pay I thought it was free?" Maybe she's not so stupid after all?
"It is free. The bank details are just to make sure it's going to a real person"
"Right! We don't want the robots getting these hampers" she shakes her head. Never mind
"Be sure to put your address, because you live right there, right?" Mia points out the window to the set of houses across the road
"Yeah, yeah that's my house so I'll do my address"
"Perfect. Thank you sweetheart"

...

(Charlottes Pov)
I'm in the staff room scrolling on my phone when Carly jumps onto the chair in front of me
"Char did you hear what happened to Jodie today?"
"No, what happened?"
"She's been suspended for a week!"
"What? Why?" Jodie wouldn't do anything that drastic to get herself suspended. Well...
"Apparently she used the owners bank card to order a really expensive designer handbag"
"What? How do they know it was her?" Jodie wouldn't do that!
"Because it was her name and address in the shipping details"
"Jodie has no interest in designer bags, even she did I don't think she's even know how to order one!"
"Exactly! And the only people who have even got access to that bank card are the manager and deputy manager when they're using it to order nappies!" This is crazy. Jodie has done a lot but this isn't something she could do. And how would she get Roger's details if only managers and deputy managers have access. Oh. No. Managers... Mia?

It seems like Carly had the exact same thought because her jaw practically drops down to the ground when I look at her wide eyed
"Mia set her up" I cannot believe she did that. Well, maybe I can.
"Oh my god. Of course. It had to have been her"
"I bet it was that day when Mia pulled her out of the classroom. Why doesn't Jodie just tell everyone that it was Mia?"
"Because Jodie already confessed to it" why would she do that?
"How could she confess to it, she didn't do it?"
"When the owner was literally just here she told him that she did use the bank card because she thought she was getting something for free" of course. Sounds like Jodie.
"Oh, god" poor Jodie "of course Mia used Jodie because she also lives right across the road. So she would have seen the delivery truck arrive through the window and quickly run over to grab it"
"That is why she obviously pulled her out this morning as well so she could go across the road and open the door for the delivery and Mia could grab it"
"Which means Mia's got it somewhere. What kind of bag was it?" Of course Mia would use Jodie to get some expensive designer bag
"Louis Vuitton" wow okay
"And where does Roger think the bag is now?"
"Well considering she didn't even know about it, Jodie told the owner she has no idea and he thinks she's just feigning ignorance" I sigh
"Jodie doesn't know how to feign"
"I know but the paper trail leads straight to Jodie. This suspension is just a formality. They're gonna fire her at the end of the week"
"Huh" paper trail? It can't all lead back to Jodie if she didn't actually do it. There must be something
"What?" I shake out of my thoughts and look back at Carly
"Just thinking about what you said about the paper trail. It's given me an idea" what if I can talk to Mia, admit she did something? There must be something that can lead to her. Jodie is, well, Jodie. But I can't let her go down for something she didn't do. She doesn't deserve that.

...

I'm about to walk into the office when my nerves get the best of me. I start to fiddle with my hands, my ring. Hm. I'll just put that on my other finger, no one will notice. And if she does, maybe it will work in my favour. Ok Charlotte. You can do this. It's for Jodie.

I walk in and fiddle with a few papers before looking over at Mia, who's sat at Marjorie's desk
"That perfume smells really nice" Mia looks up, and turns her head to me. That wasn't exactly a lie. She always smelt as incredible as she looked. But this could go one of two ways. I can't get carried away. Remember this is for Jodie. My friend. Not me.

"And your nails look so pretty"
"Do they?" Mia looks at me and I can tell she's trying to read me. I did just tell her that we have to stay away from each other, now I'm flirting with her. Making things so much more complicated
"Mm hmm. You both smell and look great" well that was awful. I really haven't flirted in so long. I am terrible at this. I put my hand on my hip, trying not to seem so awkward
"Charlotte was there something you wanted?" She asks
"Well, you know. Come to think of it, would it be okay if I just used your computer?"
"My computer?"Excuses Char excuses
"Yeah, my phone just never connects to the internet here" I can tell she is so not believing me right now "and Carly was just telling me about a new bar that's opened up in town and I just wanted to have a quick look at the menu, because I'd love to go" I pause "perhaps, you and I could go together sometime" she looks me up and down and I smile awkwardly,
"Go ahead and use the computer to check the, 'bar menu'"
"Great thank you. Do you know, we could go to this bar, like, today, straight after work" I offer. She looks at me again with a curious look, "if you fancy me- it! If you f- fancy it" what was that?! I cannot believe I just did that! Charlotte you are such a pillock as Marjorie would say.

"What happened to us staying away from each other?" Crap.
"Well, uh, as friends. We can still be, uh, friends. Right?"
"Let me guess, I'm the one driving us there, right? So you can take a good old look around my car" oh no. I laugh it off awkwardly
"W- what, what are you talking about?" Playing it cool, right?
"The bags not there Charlotte" oh well now I'm screwed, "I love the effort tho" wow I cannot believe how badly that went. So much for finding Mia guilty. "But go ahead and still use the computer for what you really came in here to use it for"

Well plan A failed. I guess it's time for plan B. And I really didn't want to do this. But if it's between my friends, and the person who is trying to hurt them, someone has to go down. Even if they didn't do anything wrong this time.

"Oh, Mia wait, can I just quickly get your signature on this before I go?" I pull an accident form out of my pocket and hand it to her, she looks it over to see it's blank
"You haven't written up the accident yet" I fold my arms over my chest,
"Oh no. I'm about to. It's just his mum comes in to collect any minute and I didn't want it to go out to her without a managers signature on it"
"Very well" she signs the form and hands it back to me. I thank her but remain low and defeated.

"Don't look so deflated, Charlotte" I look back at her as she looks me up and down "you can't flirt to save you life" I roll my eyes. Yeah I gathered. Thanks for that. "It actually just made me so much more attracted to you" what?! She walks out of the room and I wait until she leaves before letting out a breath.

I may not be able to flirt, but I know how to lie. Even if I don't totally feel okay with it. For my friends, right?

—-

A/N
I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a while, it's been a long few days but I'll get back to posting asap
Xoxo- I