Woah, I've updated a lot today! I hope it's not too much! I think I will be back with you on Boxing Day but if not, I am sure you have enough to be getting on with. I hope you enjoy the chapter. I have to admit I quite like writing Charlie and Joey not getting along! Lol. Happy Christmas to every single one of you. I hope you have lovely celebrations. Much love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Five
It was a Thursday night and Charlie was desperately looking forward to going home for the weekend. When her classes were done the next morning, the plan was to drive back home and spend time with her daughter. However, now, she was struggling to study. Apparently it was some girl's birthday so the whole of the corridor was holding a very loud party. Growling in frustration, Charlie gave up. Slamming her laptop shut, she stood and stormed out of her room and into the kitchen.
"Ugh!" Joey protested, having down ten shots in a row.
She cursed her own competitiveness as a wave of nausea hit her. Still, she'd out-drunk Brax who had wavered on his ninth Sambuca.
"You're not going to chuck, are you?" Shane asked a little worriedly.
Joey shook her head and then turned green.
"I'll be right back," she mumbled, leaping to her feet and running towards the door where she promptly bumped straight into Charlie.
Surprised, Joey's body took over. She threw up on Charlie's shoes. The music continued to play but everyone had stopped talking. Joey looked horrified and Charlie looked furious.
"I am so sorry," Joey tried.
"You're fucking disgusting," Charlie snapped.
Trying not to laugh, Angel passed Charlie a cloth. She then poured Joey a glass of water, which she gratefully accepted.
"Some of us are trying to study," Charlie said stiffly.
"And some of us are trying to party!" Miles said jubilantly, wandering into the kitchen from where he had been dancing through the corridor with Leah, Rachel and Selena.
He pulled a face when he noticed the smell.
"What happened?"
"Joey threw up on Little Miss Prefect," Brax said unapologetically. "You know, Charlie, if you lightened up a bit then maybe you'd make the first friend you've ever had."
She glared at him. Joey felt even more awkward.
"I don't want a friend," Charlie told him. "I want a degree. That's why I'm at University."
"Look, Charlie, Joey's really sorry but it was an accident," Shane tried.
"I don't care if she's sorry," Charlie snapped. "All I want is for guys to all shut the hell up so I can study. It's not even a weekend."
"Well, of course it's not the weekend," Brax commented. "Or you'd be off visiting your parents wouldn't you, you little rebel?"
Charlie hated him. Joey sat down beside her friend and hissed at him to be quiet.
"It's my birthday," Martha ventured. "We were just celebrating. But we can turn the music down..."
"Good," Charlie replied curtly before turning to leave, elbowing Miles out of the way.
Her bedroom door could be heard slamming loudly down the corridor. Joey moved to turn the music down but Brax stopped her.
"We promised," Joey pointed out.
"I didn't promise anything," Brax insisted. "Now, it's Martha's birthday and if Charlie wants to be old and boring then she can do it by herself. We're going to have fun."
With that, he turned the music up even louder.
The following day, with a very groggy head, Joey headed out shopping and returned home as quickly as possible. Walking past her own door, she took a deep breath and knocked on number ninety six. She heard some movement inside before Charlie opened the door with bags under her eyes and only one shoe on.
"What?" she barked.
Joey produced a modest but pretty bouquet of flowers and offered them out to her. Charlie just stared at her.
"They're an apology," Joey said.
"For keeping me awake until four in the morning when I had early lectures or for vomiting on me?"
"Both," Joey said, continuing to hold the flowers between them.
Charlie regarded them sceptically.
"I'm really sorry," Joey offered. "And I can pay for a new pair of shoes or..."
"It's fine," Charlie told her, not accepting the flowers and moving to shut the door.
"Charlie," Joey said far more desperately than she intended. "I'm trying to hold out an olive branch here."
"I don't want it," Charlie told her, trying to shut the door again.
"Please? Honestly, I hauled my arse out of bed and spent my food money on these. Would you just take them? Chuck them in the bin if you want but at least accept the gesture."
She thrust them into Charlie's hands and headed back to her own room. Charlie kicked the door shut, standing in the middle of her bedroom. Despite herself, she smelled the fragrance of the flowers and couldn't help but admire how pretty they were. She dug around in her cupboard for a glass that she could get away with using as a vase. Then she put them carefully on the window sill. Sitting on the bed, she wondered if there was any point in trying to be friends with at least one of the people she had to live with for the next year.
Next time… Charlie falls out with everyone again and Joey has a one night stand…