the other side of us | ✓

1.7 | lightning in a bottle

Charlotte stretched her tired limbs as she turned off the lamp in her office and packed her bag. Ash hadn't been able to make it to work—her sister had had another seizure, so she'd had to stay with her—which meant that it was just Devin and Charlotte against the seven o'clock dinner rush. Charlotte rubbed her sore ankle and winced as she recalled her fall from earlier that afternoon. Her once comfortable heels were digging into the swollen area as she limped along to the back door.

The cold air was refreshing, and Charlotte took a deep breath, letting the smell of winter enter her lungs.

"Are you sniffing the air?"

Charlotte jumped slightly at the voice and turned around in surprise.

"Ian?"

The blonde boy smiled in greeting as he came up beside her on the sidewalk.

"Hey, Charlie."

"What are you doing out so late?"

Ian held up a shopping bag in answer. "Dad sent me out for some milk. Jim wants to make waffles tomorrow."

"Nice of you."

"Why are you standing out here?"

Charlotte gestured to the bag of trash that she'd grabbed on her way out to toss into the dumpster.

"Trash day tomorrow."

"Ah," Ian said. "Well, here. Let me help."

Charlotte gratefully passed him the bag and the pair began to walk towards the dumpster around the back of the streets.

"Have you started your Christmas shopping?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Charlotte gave a light chuckle. "I've still got time. Have you found your date to the formal?"

Ian's cheeks turned a light pink, though Charlotte was sure that the cold was doing the same thing to her own face.

"I've got time. Besides, I don't really wanna go to this thing anyways."

"Ian! You're a senior! You have to go to the winter formal. It's like, the most important part of senior year."

"I think some people would argue that prom and graduation are the most important parts of senior year."

"But the formal is fun. Plus, there's the carnival before it." Charlotte sighed happily. "The carnival was my favorite part."

"You should come."

"I can't. They changed the ruled my senior year that you have to ether be a student or go with a student to go to the carnival. It sucks."

There was an awkward silence that Charlotte didn't notice.

"Thanks for your help!" Charlotte said brightly as Ian tossed the bag into the large trash receptacle.

"Sure."

They walked back to the front on the store, and Ian walked her to the entrance that lead to the upstairs portion of the shop that served as Charlotte and her father's apartment.

"Have a good night," Ian said as she pushed the door open. "See you later."

"See you."

Charlotte closed the door, and Ian walked away.

***

Mason went to class that morning in a terrible mood. Not only were rumors about his arrest still circulating, but his car battery had died, so he had to run to campus.