It Doesn't Matter, Charlie

Part 2 - Zake's Seafood and Barbecue

A/N: Uploading another part today because I made a mistake or something.  Yay?

“Skinny jeans - check. Decent tee - check. Converse - check. Hair…” I ran over to the mirror and smoothed my bangs. “Check!” I said to myself. I smiled in the mirror and applied a little eyeliner and mascara. I was excited; I felt a lot better than before. I felt happy…weird. I skipped over to the full length mirror across the room. I inspected my everything, until I felt confident. I picked up my phone and texted Charlie (they had given me their numbers earlier), ‘Ready when you are.’

He texted me back a minute later, ‘You don’t use text terms?’

I smiled and replied, ‘You noticed! So, are you on your way?’

‘Yeah, we’ll be there in five minutes. See you.’

I tossed my phone onto my bed and paced the room. I closed my eyes and told myself, “It’s not that weird to feel this way. You deserve it.”

BRING BRING

I spun around to face the door of my apartment. I walked over to to intercom and pressed the button. “Yes?” I asked.

“It’s us,” Charlie said through the majiger.

“Alright, I’ll be down in a second! Wait there,” I replied. I slipped into my black sweatshirt and grabbed my purse. When I reached the bottom of the stairs I saw Alex and Charlie leaning in the corner and went over to them. “Hello, again,” I said.

“Oh, hey,” Alex grinned.

“You like The Beatles?” Charlie asked, looking at my Abbey Road shirt.

“Yeah, they’re my favorite band,” I nodded.

“Mine too!” Charlie smiled.

“One of mine,” Alex nodded, agreeing with us. “Definitely one of mine.”

“They’re legendary. You know what else is legendary?” I said, poking both of them on their arms.

“What?” they asked together.

I placed a hand on my stomach. “Zake’s Seafood and Barbecue. Shall we march?” I stuck my arms out for them to take.

“Let’s,” Alex nodded. They both took my arm, Alex quite confidently but Charlie a little awkwardly, and I led them out of the building and down the street.

—————

“Ever had lobster?” I asked, reading the entire menu word-for-word.

“Once, last New Years,” Alex said.

“Where’d you have it?” I asked.

“Iceland,” Alex grinned.

I slammed my menu onto the table, rattling the glasses. “I’ve always wanted to go there!” I yelled through my jealousy.

“It’s a fantastic place,” Alex nodded.

“I have no idea what to get,” Charlie said, staring blankly at the menu. “There’s so many choices! Why are there so many choices?”

“This is Maine, we love good food,” I reminded him.

He smiled slightly. “Okay, I think I know what I’m getting. Crab is good here, right?”

“Don’t even ask that question,” I said, bragging.

“I think I’ll have lobster again. It was pretty good, if I remember correctly,” Alex said.

“I’m gonna have steak and shrimp and steak,” I said, turning around to call a waiter.

“Steak and shrimp and steak?” Charlie asked, chuckling.

“I love steak,” I shrugged. We all laughed a bit and the waiter came over. He took our order and then we waited.

“So, Aimee, I’ve been meaning to ask you this,” Charlie said.

“Yup?” I asked, taking a sip of soda.

“You said you lived alone?” he asked.

“Well I mean, I have a cat,” I said. “But yes, I am the only Homo sapien.”

“Good to know you’re human, Aimee,” Alex joked. I stuck out my tongue at him.

“Well,” Charlie said, getting the attention back to him, “when you woke up you called for your mum,” he said.

I thought back for a second and then laughed. “Oh my, god, that’s so embarrassing! I never got out of the habit of calling for my mom when I felt sick. I still do it all the time!” I covered my face with my hands, laughing. Then I peeked through my fingers and saw that Alex and Charlie were both pretty amused by my embarrassment. “I’m so weird,” I sighed.

“Actually, that’s pretty cute, for you,” Alex said tipping his glass towards me.

“Jee thanks, you make me feel so awesome,” I tipped my glass back. “So like, you’re leaving tomorrow?”

Charlie nodded. “Tomorrow night, yes.”

“What time?”

“Gotta be at the airport at nine, plane leaves at ten thirty.”

“Oh,” I nodded. I felt kind if sad about them leaving, but I’d get over it. People came and went out of my life all the time.

“Don’t do anything stupid after we leave,” Charlie told me. “No more swimming in murky, cold lakes.”

“Don’t count on it,” I said. He smiled, thinking I was only joking.

—————

Dinner went by really fast. By the end, I felt like I had known Charlie and Alex forever. They told me about everything, their entire life stories, and I told them mine.

“So you’ve never even left this half of the country?” Charlie asked, sounding shocked.

“Nah. I like the cold too much, I guess. Or maybe it’s because I have no money. One of the two.” I put my fork down and sat back, finished with my steak and shrimp. I was the last one done.

“It’d be so cool if you could come to California with us,” Alex said.

“That would be spectacular, yes. Maybe one day,” I sighed deeply, dreaming of this ‘one day’.

“Why aren’t you in college?” Charlie asked me.

“Again, money won’t allow. Taking several gap years to raise money. It’s a slow, slow, process when you have a minimum wage job.”

He nodded. “I am so stuffed,” he said, changing the subject.

“Agreed,” I said.

“Okay, I say we head back to the hotel, Charlie,” Alex said.

We it up and put our sweatshirts on, then headed out of Zake’s. We all headed back to the hotel, walking along the beach.

“It’s so beautiful out,” Charlie said, gazing up into the sky.

“The best is when you can just go and walk along the beach at night. It’s magical,” I said, looking up as well. “In fact, I think I’ll do that. See you tomorrow?” I turned to the two guys and grinned hopefully.

They looked at each other, then Charlie said, “Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all,” I said.

“I’m gonna head back to the hotel, or else I might just pass out on the sand,” Alex said. “So, I’ll see both of you tomorrow.”

I looked at Charlie. “Cool with me.”

“Sounds good. See you, Alex,” Charlie said, waving, then immediately stuffing his hand back into his sweatshirt pocket. I did the same, and we both started walking across the sand.