Charlie unlocked his front door, using his knee to balance the box he was holding until he could push it all the way open. Gordon was right behind him, carrying some of his nicer shirts for work that he'd put on hangers instead of folding. "So, uh," Charlie said as they both went inside. "The room's upstairs. So are the bathrooms and the rest is down here."
"Okay," Gordon nodded appreciatively just as Goldberg came barreling in with a box of his own, panting at the energy he'd just exerted.
"Really, Goldberg?" Charlie rolled his eyes as his friend practically collapsed on the floor.
"It's heavy!"
In the years since their pee wee days, Goldberg had lost all his baby fat but unlike some of the other Ducks, he didn't work out and lift which meant he had absolutely no upper body strength.
"No it isn't," Adam came in next, looking amused.
"You're just being dramatic," Charlie added.
"Rude," Goldberg mumbled.
"Besides, you deserve it for starting this party crap," Charlie scowled.
"Hey, it's for Coach," Goldberg defended himself.
"I haven't been your coach in years," Gordon told them. Not that anyone was listening to him.
"In that case, you're in charge of it," Charlie told him.
"But-"
"Not involved," Charlie said stubbornly.
"That's not fair," Goldberg whined.
"It's plenty fair," Charlie retorted.
Adam chose that moment to intervene. "Where should I set this?" He glanced between Charlie and Gordon, waiting for either of them to give him directions.
"Wherever," Charlie shrugged. "I don't care."
"I'll take it," Gordon said and Adam handed the box to him. He adjusted the hangers he was holding so as not to drop them. "I'll take it upstairs."
"Yours is on the right," Charlie called as he went up the stairs.
"Why's Coach staying with you, anyway?" Adam asked curiously.
"He doesn't have anywhere else right now," Charlie shrugged. "So I said he could be with me."
Adam nodded understandingly. "It's probably good that he's not alone. You know, after breaking up with Ms. McKay."
"Yeah," Charlie said nonchalantly.
"Have you told your mom about this yet?" Adam said carefully.
Right. His mom.
She came over sometimes and her visits wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. She'd probably want to know what she was walking into. He couldn't imagine her being alright with finding that out on her own instead of him telling her.
"Not yet," he muttered.
"You might want to," Adam advised.
No kidding
"And have her blow up at me?" Charlie wasn't so sure she'd take it well.
"Maybe she won't," Adam was trying to be positive, "maybe she'll take it well."
Charlie scoffed. "Yeah and maybe Goldberg will get a PhD."
"You think I could?" Goldberg beamed.
Charlie and Adam rolled their eyes.
"Still. Don't worry and just tell her. It'll be fine."
"She didn't exactly take it well when I told her I'd seen him," Charlie said.
Adam shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, it'll be better if you tell her and not have her find out herself."
"I know," Charlie sighed.
Adam gave him a small smile, nudging him.
"Well, you've always wanted to live with Coach. Now's your chance."
He'd wanted to live with Coach with him being married to Charlie's mom so he could have two parents and feel like he had a real family. Like his friends had. Even with how Adam's parents were, especially his dad, he'd been envious of how Adam's dad really did care about his son-even if he had an odd way of showing it.
He might not be getting his exact wish coming true but it was something and he'd take it.
"Yeah," he agreed.
"Everyone should be here soon," Goldberg told them, to which Charlie rolled his eyes again.
"Great."
"I'll be fun," Goldberg tried to make it sound better than it was. "I'll even bring food over."
But Charlie was not concerned with any of that. "How many are coming?" He knew Goldberg had said he was inviting everyone; it was just a question of how many would actually show up.
Goldberg shrugged. "Who knows. It's short notice."
"Yeah. Really short notice," Charlie grumbled.
Adam nudged him again. "It'll be fun. Come on, we haven't gotten together in a while."
Not with everyone being too busy. Most of the Ducks were finished with college and now onward to their desired careers. But between long work hours and a wedding to plan-Guy had worked up the courage to ask Connie. She'd accepted, not that there was any doubt-it left little time for them to hangout like they used to.
"I know," Charlie begrudgingly acknowledged.
"Stressed about that interview?" Adam asked knowingly.
"A little."
"I bet you did fine," Adam assured him. "Stop beating yourself up over it."
"Isn't that rich coming from you?" Charlie said with a small smirk.
"Leave me out of this," Adam took his teasing well, playfully shoving him. "I'm serious, Charlie. Even if you don't get that job, you can apply somewhere else."
"I know." He hoped he wouldn't have to. The district was his most preferred as it was nearby.
"I got a headcount," Goldberg, who Charlie couldn't remember going into the kitchen, came back with a cold drink.
"Sure, Goldberg, take whatever you want. Make yourself at home," Charlie said sarcastically.
"Okay, thanks!"
One of these days, Charlie's eyes were going to get stuck in the back of his head with how many times he rolled them. "How many are coming?"
"Five. Peter, Tammy, Connie, Guy and Averman," Goldberg counted off using his fingers. "No one else can make it."
"You coming?" Charlie said to Adam.
"Obviously."
"I'll bring some hot wings," Goldberg volunteered.
"See," Adam said to Charlie as if that was merely enough to solidly convince him now that this party was a good idea. "We can watch Averman try to beat Fulton's record again."
Averman had tried once and it had not gone well. For him, anyway. It was pretty entertaining to everyone else.
"Okay, okay," Charlie grinned. "Fine. Maybe it won't be so bad."
"What won't be?" Gordon came back down. He must have been arranging things in his new room.
"The party," Adam told him. "He's finally come around to it."
Gordon eyed Goldberg. "Don't you have a restaurant to run?"
"I can have someone take over," Goldberg said, grinning as he waved a hand to indicate that it was no problem. "We're not that busy at night."
/
Tammy Duncan followed in Bombay's footsteps. She was studying to be a lawyer, with it not being too long until she was finished. Her brother, Tommy or Tom as he now went by, was still undecided for a major. He was attending the local community college, getting through his generalized courses until he came to a decision.
Tammy was holding onto a plastic cup of fruit punch and tequila as she spoke to Bombay. He was giving her advice and she absorbed every word, nodding with a determined facial expression.
It was good to see her, Charlie thought to himself. It had been a while since they'd seen her, her brother, Peter or Karp. Last Charlie had heard, Karp had enlisted in the army after high school which was a bit of a surprise. Than again, they'd all changed in one way or another so maybe it wasn't that hard to believe.
Peter plopped down on the arm of the couch that Charlie was standing adjacent to. Unlike the others, he didn't indulge in the alcoholic fruit punch, preferring to have a soda instead. Charlie had wondered about that but he didn't ask about it nor did anyone else. They just let it be. "So," he said, "Coach is really staying with you, huh?"
He might not have been a coach anyone and not been Peter's coach since he was a kid, but he was still referred to as such.
"Yeah," Charlie nodded.
Peter took a drink. "Wasn't sure if Goldie heard right. You know how he is."
"Right."
Peter took a drink, looking contemplative. "Listen, you heard that game on Saturday?"
He must be referring to the one taking place at the Megaplex Center. Of course he knew about it. Charlie's favorite team was playing. "Yeah."
"I've got four tickets," Peter grinned.
"No way," Charlie hardly dared to believe it. "How?" It was sold out weeks ago. Everyone wanted to go. It was one of those very important games that could either let the team move on or hurt their chances.
"Someone at work," Peter shrugged. "Thought you might wanna go."
Since high school had ended and all the Ducks had gotten back in contact with each other, Charlie had found out that he actually enjoyed Peter's company a lot, much more than when they were kids. He fit right into the group again and was pretty good friends with Russ, who came for visits whenever he could.
"Seriously?" Charlie broke out into a huge grin. "Of course, man! Thanks!"
Peter shrugged. "Might take Russ and whoever else."
"Maybe Adam could come if he's not working," Charlie suggested. "Sure," Peter agreed easily.
"Come where?" Adam appeared. He'd been over at the kitchen table, watching alongside Connie as Averman challenged Guy to a wing eating contest. Goldberg had slipped out to bring back some dessert he'd forgotten. Adam must have gotten bored watching.
"To that game on Saturday," Charlie told him. "Peter's got tickets."
"Wait, is it this Saturday?" They both nodded. "Aw, crap. I can't. I told my co-worker Mallory I'd take over her shift this week. Sorry," Adam apologized. "You could take Guy. I think he'd like to go."
"Well, whoever," Peter sighed. "As long as it isn't the Cowboy, I don't care."
Adam and Charlie snickered. Peter got along with the newer Ducks just fine. Well, mostly fine. He wasn't too fond of Dwayne, who more often than not, annoyed Peter immensely.
"Don't be so hard on him," Adam said. "Dwayne likes you."
"So?"
"He thinks you're his friend."
Peter did not look pleased.
Connie came over to join them. Charlie glanced at her, asking, "How's the contest coming along?"
"They're both going to get sick," she smirked lightly.
"Better hope he doesn't lose to Averman," Peter quipped. "There's no coming back from that."
"Keep talking and I'll sic Dwayne on you."
"Don't even think about it, Moreau," he narrowed his eyes.
"That's Future State Senator Moreau," Charlie slung an arm around her shoulders, using his height advantage to mess up her hair. "And if someone's giving you trouble, go all Velvet Hammer on 'em."
"Why do they call you that anyway?" Adam asked, having not known them when they were District Five.
"Because she used to knock us down all the time," Charlie responded.
"Like I had to do much," she retorted back easily. "You guys couldn't stay upright if your lives depended on it."
Charlie stuck his tongue out at her.
"Too bad Fulton couldn't make it," Adam said.
"He's working, I think," Charlie tried to remember. Fulton had gotten a construction job in town. He seemed to really enjoy it.
"Has he asked out Tammy, yet?" Adam wondered. Fulton had confessed through his drunken haze about still being in love with Tammy. That was news to the other guys, who hadn't known he was in love with her in the first place.
When he was sober, he'd threatened them all if they let word get out, reminding them why kids used to be intimidated by him.
"Not yet," Connie shook her head. "He doesn't even know if Tammy's interested in him."
"Why can't you ask?" Peter had grabbed a couple of the little savory pies Goldberg had made. They weren't dessert, but Charlie didn't know exactly what was in them. "Don't girls talk about that stuff?"
"We're not close," Connie shrugged. "We kinda talk but I wouldn't say we're friends. Same with Julie. We get along, but she's closer to Portman and Adam than me." She sat on the other arm of the couch. "I didn't even know Fulton liked her."
"I didn't know he liked anyone," Charlie said.
The conversation fell away when Tammy approached them. She was in a very good mood, which is probably induced by the alcohol. Bombay was now in the kitchen, watching as Guy and Averman continued with their contest.
"Hey..." Adam was not the best at being subtle.
She raised her brow. "What?"
"You dating anybody?" Peter asked.
She gave him a strange look. "No."
"Good."
Charlie grimaced. Great, now she was going to get suspicious and-
"Why? Are you asking me out?"
Peter choked on his soda. "What?"
"You asked," she said defensively.
"That didn't mean anything!"
"I dunno," Charlie said nonchalantly, grinning when Peter glared. "I could see it. Tammy here could show you how to do some of her moves."
"Please," Tammy scoffed. "He'd be the last person I'd want."
"You couldn't me, Cupcake."
Charlie suppressed a laugh at the look on Tammy's face.
"Don't think I've forgotten that you're single too."
"What's your point? I don't see guys lining up by your door."
"Not that it's any of your business," she huffed, "but I'm planning on getting out there again."
"You don't think it's too soon?" Adam asked.
Tammy had been in a relationship with a guy named Darius since freshman year of high school. She, unlike most of the Ducks, hadn't gone to Eden. She went to the high school they-excluding Adam and the non Minssota native Ducks-would have gone to. They dated throughout high school and most of college, until he got a job opportunity in another state. Tammy hadn't wanted to go-everything she was doing was here. They made the difficult decision to break up. She'd been hurt, but didn't want anyone to catch on to how hurt she was.
That was almost two years ago.
"I have to get out again sometime," she said. 'Who knows, maybe I'll meet someone good."
"Yeah and he might be closer than you think-ow!" Peter hissed when Charlie subtly kicked him.
/
Charlie kept forgetting Gordon was there.
He'd lived alone thus far, since he first moved out of his mom's house. He wasn't used to anyone else being there. He'd already jumped a couple times, his thoughts mulling over the possibility of an intruder until he would realize who it really was and relaxed.
The downstairs lights were shut off. Everything was cleaned up a while ago. He was preparing to go to bed. It wasn't that late but for some reason, he felt pretty worn out.
Gordon was just coming out of the bathroom. His hair was damp, clinging to his forehead. He'd obviously just taken a shower and was now returning to his room, dressed in pajama bottoms and a loose nightshirt.
"Sooo," Charlie dragged out the word as he came down to the end of the hallway. Gordon stopped to look at him. "You need anything else? I think I'm gonna go to bed."
"No," Gordon shot him another grateful smile. "Thanks again, Charlie."
"You don't have to keep thanking me," Charlie told him. Truly, he didn't. It wasn't some heroic decision. He knew Gordon would have done the same for him if he'd been in need.
It would've been something only in his wildest dreams to be taken in by Gordon back when his mom had been married to Alan.
But, oh well.
What's done is done.
"Use the fridge if you need it," Charlie shrugged. "Whenever. It's yours now too."
"I will," Gordon smiled again. "Night, Charlie."
"Yeah," all the exhaustion seemed to crash upon him at that moment. "You too."