Roommates

-chapter one-

Charlotte's P.O.V
Mum pulled me into a tight embrace. "I'll miss you so much, sweetheart."

"I'll miss you too, Mum."

We say our last goodbyes and I glance at the stairs. "Is she really not coming down?"

"Give her time, Charlotte."

"I'm moving away and she can't even suck it up for five minutes?" I say, feeling anger wash over me. She's my sister. When May left she was crying and going on about how she didn't want her to leave but I don't get so much as a goodbye?

Mum sighs and shouts "Melody, come down here please!"

I hear the stomping of Melody's feet and she appears at the top of the stairs. "What is it?"

"Come say bye to Charlotte."

"Bye Charlotte." She storms away again.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart..." Mum says sympathetically. "I don't know what's wrong with her."

"I don't know either."

"Sorry that you're leaving in the middle of this."

"It's alright, really. It's not your fault, Mum." I hug her again and we talk more for a little while before I leave.

I park my car outside the apartment complex. Oli said that he would meet me here. I get out of the car and lock it before opening my umbrella to shield myself from the heavy rain. A black car parks next to mine and I see Oli get out. He sent me a picture during our talk on email. He spots me too and walks over, getting soaked in the rain.

"You must be Coco," he says and extends a hand. I shake it and nod. "I am."

"I haven't been in the apartment yet so I don't know how the old residents have left it. Hopefully it isn't too much of a state," he says with a chuckle.

"I'm sure it's fine. I'll just grab my bags." I open my car boot and pull out my suitcases. Oli went to his car and grabbed his. He had more bags than I did but still proceeded to ask "Need some help?"

"I'm alright, thanks." I feel awkward. It's probably just because I'm moving in with a stranger. I'm sure I'll relax soon enough.

We both took our bags upstairs. He seemed to be struggling with his though.

"Need some help?" I asked. He laughed and nodded. I took one of the bags and he managed them better.

We reached our apartment and I pulled out my key. I unlocked the door and we walked in.

It was a nice apartment. I sat my bags down and went to look around. There were three bedrooms. I guess the third one can be a guest room or a study or whatever. I mention this to Oli.

"Well, I guess the one that doesn't have a bed should be a study. You can take the bigger room."

"No, it's alright. You have more stuff than I do anyway. I'll take the smaller room."

Oli shakes his head. "It's fine. Take the bigger room."

I cross my arms. "I have a feeling we may end up butting heads."

"Only if you're going to keep being stubborn while I'm trying to be nice," he replies as he takes his bags through to the smaller room.

I give up and take my bags to the bigger room. I felt exhausted from the drive and carrying the bags up the stairs. I fall onto the bed and close my eyes, pretending I'm back home. I imagine that I'm three again and it's Christmas Eve. Dad is tucking me up in bed and I ask him if I can stay awake to see Santa. Dad tells me Santa doesn't come unless everyone is asleep. So I ask Dad to tell me a story to get me to sleep. He sits down next to me and thinks for a moment, then begins to tell me a story about a princess with my name who was trapped in a tower guarded by a dragon. The princess gets tired of waiting for a knight and fights the dragon herself. She kills the beast and escapes the tower to take her kingdom back. I fall asleep before I can hear the ending but I know it would be a happy one.

There's a knock on the door. I open it and Oli is there.

"I- uh, I made spaghetti."

"Oh."

"We don't have to eat together. I just made too much and I was like 'Oh, I have a roommate I can give this to' so I came here. Sorry if I interrupted something."

I smile at his attempt to explain. "Thanks Oli."

"I'll be in my room if you need me." He scurries off and I walk out once I hear his door close. I go to the kitchen counter and pick up the hot plate of spaghetti. I burn myself and drop it back down on the counter, swearing profusely.

"Everything okay?" Oli is popping his head out of his door.

"Yes! Everything is okay. The spaghetti is good."

"Okay..." He goes back inside and I attempt to pick the plate up again. I burn myself again. I guess I'll never learn.

I walk out of my room and see Oli sitting on the couch typing away on a laptop.

"What are you writing?" I ask. He jumps but relaxes when he sees it's me.

"You gave me a fright."

"Oh, sorry." I turn to go.

Oli speaks before I reach my room. "I'm writing a novel."

"What's it about?" I walk back over and sit next to him on the sofa.

"Well, this guy has been in a coma for years and there's a guy who volunteers to read to hospital patients who visits him because nobody else does. So he's able to hear her over all the years he's in the coma for. Eventually his family decide to pull the plug on him but the girl begs them not to because she's become attached to him over the years. They do anyway and he wakes up from the coma. He tells the girl he had heard everything she said and they become friends."

"Wow. Now I want to read that," I say.

Oli grins. "I'm almost done so you can soon."

"I've always wanted to be a writer," I admit.

"What's stopping you?"

"Nothing now. That's why I moved here and decided not to go to college or uni. I'm going to get a job and write in my spare time."

"That's a good plan. I'm going to be joining a college here so you won't be seeing much of me."

I'm not sure why but hearing that makes me feel a bit down. I guess I just don't want to be alone in this apartment all the time.

"Nice," is what I say.

"Yeah. I want to be a police officer."

"What makes you want to do that?"

"My dad was one before he retired and I want to help people."

I smile at his reply. I think I picked a good roommate. I know we'll end up being friends.

"How about we go grab a coffee?" I suggest.

"I'd like that."