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charlotte
— We swerve into the parking spot, my finger tips turning white as i grip onto the door too tightly.
"jesus drew who gave you a drivers license?" rudy exclaimed from the back seat. "the state of north carolina thank you very much." he yanks the keys out of the car and i open the door.
"can i ask why he's here?" i pointed at rudy and proceeded to open the door to grab my white north face backpack. "because we live in a country where everyone has free rights and rudy wanted to come. so he came!" drew explained.
today is an off day so me and drew decided to go to ikea. we need some stuff for both of our apartments, and rudy decided to tag along too.
i don't know why and i really don't want to know.
we walked across the parking lot and rudy tapped my backpack. "can i ask why you are caring a backpack?" he asked and i continued walking without looking back. but then i felt rude so i replied.
"well one i have food in here cause when you go to ikea, you never know when you're getting out. and i also have girl things in there i can't disclose with you!" drew slightly chuckled and rudy gave me a weird look. "you asked!" i yelled and we arrived at the sliding doors.
all 3 of us made our way over to the escalator and stepped on it. "drew what exactly are we here for?" i asked and rudy pulled out a pack of gum from his pocket.
"charlie, we are in ikea. you walk in with plans and they always go haywire. just go with your gut and what you know your apartment needs!" he replied and i rolled my eyes.
"you sound like grammy, who is the happiest starkey of us all." drew laughed and looked at rudy. "she's stuck in the 70s," drew explained and rudy nodded his head.
we arrive at the top and start our journey through the endless black hole of ikea. rudy found a section of plants that he wanted so me and drew left him.
that sounds bad i know, i know, but he can find us...right?
anyways me and drew start walking around the kids section and drew looked at me. "what's with you and rudy?" he asked. "nothing."
"come on charlie! you both have been acting weird around each other and just in general!" i turn and look at him as children pass through us from left to right.
"okay look, we don't get along! he told me i had a potato head, and he's just kind of a jerk if you ask me!" drew just looked at me and then started laughing.
"a potato head? are you kidding me. you hate each other, because of a potato i-" he couldn't even finish to sentence without laughing.
we got out of the kids department and ended up at the mattress department. "it's not just that, he like, i don't know he just reminds me of justin, and i'm not going through that again!" i finally let out and drew stopped in the middle of the little set up room we were in.
justin wright. we'll get to him later.
i picked up a fake little cactus in a square plastic pot and drew scoffed. "rudy is the farthest thing from justin, and i need you to trust me on that!" he grabbed my hand and i looked at my big brother.
"you've known him for like 2 weeks drew, how would you possibly know?" i asked and he gave me the starkey really? look. it's a thing that runs in the family.
"3 weeks actually and i spend almost 15 hours of my day with him! but look, i'm your brother. i told dad i would take care of you, so i'm on your side. you have the right to not like him, and i'm okay with that. i'm just telling you i know he is the total opposite of justin!" i felt a tear roll down my cheek but quickly wiped it away before anyone could notice.
drew pulled me in for a hug and i felt safe. he let go and a loud rudy pankow was heard on all 3 stories of ikea.
"why haven't you guys been answering your phones?!" everyone just stared at the three of us. "shhhh use your inside voice,!" drew told him and rudy shrugged. "sorry!"
"wait a minute," i took off my backpack and unzipped it to grab my phone out of it. i looked at it and saw an unknown number tried to call me 6 times.
"hey pankow, how do you have my number?" i asked him and drew started looking at a random bed and rudy kept his mouth shut.
"you gave him my number?" i whispered yelled at drew. "it was just incase of emergency!" he defended himself.
"in my defense it was an emergency, i got lost in the plants!" rudy started defending himself and all i could think about is rudy's plant fetish. one of our many, many ugly arguments we've had over the past week.
"okay emergency use only!" i pointed at rudy and turned to drew on the back of my heels, "and you please ask for permission, you know the ups and downs on my phone number!" drew shook his head and mouthed i'm sorry. i nodded him off and we all just stood there. in an awkward silence until we all fell into an abyss of laughter.
rudy looked at me while laughing and his mouth dropped.
"charlotte starkey? laughing? with me? accomplishment!" rudy said astonished putting his hand on his chest. "your very funny pankow!" i scoffed and rolled my eyes.
we finished our shopping adventure and went to a restaurant to eat with everyone else.
maybe rudy's not that bad after all?
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[ WELCOME TO COMMERCIAL BREAK! ]
this chapter is pretty shitty but i swear this chapter is stirring up ideas in my head.
