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𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲, Charisma and Valerio strolled arm in arm down the office ways with impetuous grins, filling the hallway with echoes of laughter. Various signs decorated the dark cream castings, directing those outside court doors to be respectful and silent towards those undergoing hearings on the opposite side, but the pair had been just as oblivious to the rules and angry stares of sitting and passing mingling lawyers and clients.
They could be heard within any side of the vicinity, the Villada family hearing their youngest enter before her and her day partner in crime had been seen rounding the corner. To Chari and Valerio, they were whispering as quietly as a mouse stealing a piece of cheese in an Italian restaurant, attention seeking from everyone else was absent minded - they simply were in their own world.
When they made it to the bench outside of the hearing room, Andrea and Begona hushed their support and halted their conversation with their son and Cayetana. All four of them grew frowns when Chari released her hold on Valerio's arms and steadied herself, smiling proudly for arriving on time.
Before either parent could utter a word, sensing their urgency of displeasure, Valerio reached for Polo's girlfriend's hand. "I saw coffee when we came in," he said, urging her from her seat beside her boyfriend, "Begona, caramel with two pumps," he recited off memory then looked at Andrea, waving a finger, "ahh, Andrea, black with heavy cream."
The Villada mother's melted in the boy's charming gesture and nodded their heads in appreciation. "Thank you Valerio," Begona said, "how sweet of you." Returning a gratifying grin, Valerio tugged Cayetana and took off the way he just came. Charisma watched her friend leave with a scowl, intently waiting for her mom's scolding. Though benevolent to attention, any negativity or proof of imperfections led the Villada women to handle conversations and situations away from any wandering or gossip eyes.
Andrea scanned her daughter from the loose curls of her slicked bun to the tips of her white heels. "The sun is outside," she stated and Chari's hands went to the side of her white bermuda sunglasses. "They complete the outfit," she pressed, "besides don't people usually wear glasses to shield their emotions at these things?"
Begona laughed at her youngest's dismayed mixup, "those are funerals darling."
Faking a soft gasp, Chari parted her lips, "close enough."
The girl shrugged and while Begona found her to be amusing, Andrea shook her head in irritability. Her disappointed expression and lips rubbing together to prevent her from nitpicking made Charisma smile in more satisfaction. It shouldn't have been no surprise she chose to go about the hearing in her own manner, not what her mother preferred. Her mother's brows arched in judgment and she turned her nose, "glad you're here for you brother."
"Of course," Chari gushed while clasping her hands together and flashed Polo a smile, "I'm always here for my big brother."
There was a hint of tartness and warpness to her tone and words but both parents' were insensible to her curtness. Instead the two mothers' were content with their daughters' compliance. However, Polo wasn't one to return a palpable smile, instead mirroring her expression that was stonewall to him.
"Can I talk to Chari in private?" he stated flatly, standing from the bench and tugging his sister to the far corner before their moms' could hesitate.
Her heels clacked against the sheet tile, maintaining her footing while her brother dragged her like a rag doll. "What is your deal," she huffed, straightening her blazer and ruffling the end of her top from wrinkling.
Both of Polo's hands went to the legs of her glasses, pulling them off Charisma's face. The brunette frowned and reached for her glasses but her older brother shielded them behind his back.
"The fuck's wrong with you," he said through his teeth.
A lot of things, she thought to herself, you for instance.
She played the truthful thoughts in her head but chose not to voice it to his face, instead acting as if she truly had no idea what he was saying.
"The least you could do is be grateful you have one additional person sitting on your side," she bit back with hardened blue eyes. The look of bright loathing could slice the boy in half. It was one to see his ex-friends look at him with malice and hostility but to see it from his own twin made him want to dissolve in his boots. It was similar to the way he'd look at his own reflection.
He was at a loss for words and normally just as she, who was just as stubborn and needed to have the last word, Polo gave her back her sunglasses in embarrassment and failure. Placing them back on her nose, Charisma felt gratified. Part of her did feel empathetic towards Polo, seeing his aching face but it was difficult for her to be fully compassionate towards him, especially when he hadn't even tried to clear the air and release the truth to her.
Instead of filling her in with his thoughts and what occurred, he shut her out and acted as if nothing really happened, though Chari was just as smart and knew, something in fact did happen.
Just as she was to turn and return to her mother's side, Polo caught her elbow.
"Just thought you were smart enough to not come to a government facility high off your ass," Polo hushed, his own eyes scolding her. The two were similar in ways of enjoying a good party and devouring booze and drugs versus attending business or prominent functions but they knew when to separate the two. Regardless of how well either twin could hide their intoxication, they both knew when the other was on a bender.
Either this was the first time Chari was enjoying her rocker in a public function as such or she had been doing so and he just hadn't noticed. Either way, he didn't know which was worse.
"I'm not high," she said in defense and pried her arm from his hold, "I'm trying to make light of a shitty situation."
Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his slacks, Polo nodded, "fine." There were finer things he had to worry about than his sisters immaturity.
His eyes lingered to their mothers' who were now beside his ex-girlfriend, engaging in an intense conversation. Peering over her shoulder, Chari noticed the reason for Polo's drifting focus. Though she still held a grudge towards her twin and felt angered by his actions and the repercussions it caused her, his heartache over Carla struck a chord in her.
Polo's failed relationship with Carla really did a number on him.
"Hey," she muttered and reached for his hand, giving him a tight squeeze, "it'll be over before you know it."
