The Fortune Teller

A week has flown by since returning from Lake Windermere. Charlotte felt that she never got a break. Madame Lavelle had her working hard, finding time to fit in some teaching lessons of her own otherwise she’d barely make it through Christmas period with the cash she has. Charlotte always thought of the ballet studio as her second home but now it lost all sentimental purposes, it was a place of dread and complete exertion. She hardly found time to go out and see everyone or Oliver, she had to turn it down every night. She couldn’t wait until the audition was over then she would get some normality back.

Plus it was only nine days till Christmas. She only knew that because Rissa got advent calendars for the both of them, turns out it has another purpose instead of chocolate a day. It also meant at least a week for Charlotte to come up with something spontaneous for Oliver as his Secret Santa present. It all filled Charlotte with dread, she wanted to burrow into her duvet sheets and never come back out again.

Charlotte was laying on the couch in her onesie, her hair pulled into a pony tail and make up free. She wanted to spend her first free day, lazing around in the flat and watch films. Rissa disappeared early in the morning, no doubt going out to meet up with Tom. So it was just the television and Charlotte, she couldn’t be happier.

She was half way through watching The Lost Boys, her eyes slowly closing then opening a couple of minutes later, then closing, falling into this half asleep but half awake state. As soon as she closed them again, she swore she heard rustling and knocking from the front door, but she assured herself it was either Thor or the cats. She closed her eyes once again, they flickered open to the sight of Oliver crouching down at her side. She screamed, she threw her arms in the air, her eyes wide with shock.

Oliver stunned by this reaction, just stared, not sure whether to laugh or wince.

“Oli! You could’ve bloody knocked, you git!” Charlotte huffed, relaxing back down on the couch again.

Oliver chuckled, rolling his eyes at her girly reaction. “Stop over reactin’ Charlie. I knocked and yeh didn’t answer, so I let myself in.”

Oliver plonked himself on the couch beside Charlotte. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him watching her.

“What are you staring at?” Charlotte asked self consciously. She moved about on the couch, as if to shield her face from his staring. She was still pissed off with him for scaring her, he must’ve noticed since he moved closer so that she could see the actual sincerity in his stare.

“I am sorry, Charlie.” Oliver said.

He moved closer, so he was hovering by her, trying to get her attention. She turned her head to focus stonily on the television. She could feel the weight of his stare, slowly distracting her, nervousness at the thought of it

“It is okay, Oli, now focus.”

“Nah, I like the view I got here.” Oliver smirked.

Charlotte blushed, hiding her face behind her hands. She heard Oliver’s laughter fill the room, she cracked a small smile at this. She turned her attention towards Oliver.

“Okay, you got me. Why are you here?” Charlotte asked.

Oliver shrugged. “I haven’t seen yeh in a week, yeh have been too busy for us all, plus the lads are pretty gutted too. So yeh are goin’ out tonight with everyone.”

Charlotte groaned lightly, burrowing back under her hands and further into the couch. She wanted to see everyone but she was feeling pretty down and when she was in those ruts, she loved her time on her own, to dwell on everything whilst going glass eyed over watching as many eighties films as possible.

“What’s up Charlotte?” Oliver asked her directly, his eyes were serious.

Charlotte couldn’t lie to him so instead she kept her face hidden whilst she counted back from ten and taking deep breaths, something that prevents her from going on a blubbering rant.

“This may sound so bratty so ignore me if it is but Christmas is meant to be a time of joy and family moments. I mean Christmas is my favourite season but never a favourite for family stuff because spending Christmas with my mum and her dick of a bitch is like sticking needles into your eyes then Christmas at my dad’s is the best thing ever, Lucy cooks like a pro and my sisters are basically the entertainment for the night. But ever since I’ve gotten older, they go out as a family unit, them without me. I mean I am the tag along, as much as I love Lucy, she isn’t my mum so I guess I take the hint to spend it with my mum...” Charlotte took another deep breath, she moved her hands so that she could see Oliver’s reaction which was nothing just concern, her heart tugged, she willed herself not to cry, she took another shaky breath before continuing, “that hasn’t been a problem for the past few years but until now. I still feel like my thirteen year old self, who was shipped from one family to another half way through Christmas but now I am older so I should have a life but what is my life on Christmas if I can’t spend it with my family.” Charlotte looked at Oliver, waiting for his reaction, she laughed bitterly at her foolishness. “I have been obsessing over nothing, haven’t I?”

A couple of minutes passed, only the chatter of the television as their noise. Charlotte didn’t dare say anything more until Oliver spoke, she was waiting for his words to fill her doubt hole up and give her some sort of peace.

“It isn’t bratty nor nothin’. I guess yeh are going through that stage in life where everythin’ seems to be fallin’ into place when it is really fallin’ apart in your mind. I do think yeh are stressin’ too much over it. Yeh just don’t want to be alone on Christmas do yeh?” Oliver mused.

Charlotte sat up so she was facing directly Oliver, her eyes on level with his. She nodded her head in defeat.

“I do think maybe being without my family on Christmas will be good for me though, I need that independence.” Charlotte said in her own defence.

Oliver laughed, rolling his eyes playfully. “Charlie, no one wants to be alone on Christmas, so I am goin’ to give yeh the ultimate offer, do yeh wants to spend Christmas with the Syke’s?”

Charlotte opened her mouth then closed it, dread filled her body. She couldn’t do that, Christmas was for families not for tag-a-longs. She shook her head.

“I can’t do that Oli, it’s your family. I don’t want to be a tag-a-long,” Charlotte said sternly, “that’s the whole point of why I am in this rut. I don’t want to be a tag-a-long. I can’t be.”

“Yeh don’t need to be Little Miss Perfect. Yeh can be selfish, take it from me, I have done a lot of selfish things in my life and some I am proud of, some I ain’t.” Oliver said softly, his hand reaching for Charlotte’s, he held her hand for comfort. “Charlie, yeh can be a tag-a-long, Syke’s house at Christmas is for tag-a-longs, Jona is gonna be there, if Tom and Riss still together by Christmas, she will.”

Charlotte let out a loud sigh, placing her forehead on Oliver’s chest. Nodding her slowly, admitting to defeat. The fact that she wasn’t the only one soothed her.

“Check with your mum first.” Charlotte whispered.

“Whatever, yeh is comin’ either way.” Oliver grinned.

Charlotte let out a laugh, swatting his arm with her free hand. “Thank you Oli, for such a dick, you do have a way with words.”

“I think I’ll take that as a compliment then.” Oliver chuckled.

“You should.” Charlotte smiled, she leaned towards him so that both their forehead’s was touching, one quick move and she could kiss him but she didn’t, a smirk landed upon her lips as she watched him wait for her move, she leaned in closer, then at the last minute kissed his cheek.

With that she jumped off the couch, grinning wickedly.

“That was not fair, Charlie!” Oliver glared at her.

Charlotte laughed loudly. “That was payback for your stunt last week!”

Oliver still glared at her, fighting the smile that so desperately wanted to break out on his face. He jumped up, running after Charlotte who squealed loudly, she ran towards the stairs, clambering up them as quick as she could. Luckily she has speed and agility due to her ballet, like a graceful panther.

“No, Oli.” Charlotte laughed, as Oliver spun her round by the waist, tickling her sides. “Leave. Me. Otherwise I won’t go out tonight!”

“That’s fine with me. I can have yeh to myself then!” Oliver retorted.

“Dick!” Charlotte shouted, wriggling out of his grasp. “I will kick you where the sun doesn’t shine if you tickle me again! And you won’t be getting anything off of me.”

Oliver held his hands in the air, surrendering. A laugh escaping his mouth, soon Charlotte joined in. She felt something she hasn’t felt in a long while, she felt like a young girl, everything felt shiny new and pretty close to perfection. She didn’t want to jinx it, so she kept it all to herself. But she liked keeping it to herself, it felt more real that way.

“I will leave yeh to yeh own devices and wait for yeh downstairs.” Oliver smirked, Charlotte nodded her head, shooing him with her hands away from her. “Please shower too, yeh are startin’ to smell.”

Charlotte gasped in shock, swatting him in the chest again. “You are the biggest dick ever!”

“Correction, I have the biggest dick ever!” Oliver joked.

“You wish darling!” Charlotte shouted from behind the bathroom door.

“Don’t tease me or I’ll be comin’ into that shower with yeh!” Oliver shouted.

“You wish!” Charlotte retorted.

She locked the bathroom door for good measure, not wanting that possibility to occur at this moment. She saw the doorknob rattle then Oliver’s faint grunt from the other side of the door. Charlotte laughed girlishly. She turned up the radio, letting the cheesy pop songs fill the air she danced her way round the bathroom.

***

“Is that Charlotte?!”

“What up girl?!”

“Told you I didn’t kill her!”

“You bitch, I was gonna kill you myself if I didn’t see you soon!”

Were the outbursts she got when she walked into the pub with Oliver. Their hands grasped tightly, not caring if it was slightly obvious.

“Hello guys, I am alive. No, Rissa did not kill me nor does that mean you have permission to kill me Rosie.” Charlotte joked as she sat down in her the vacant stool beside Jona.

Oliver sat next to her, chuckling softly. Rosie rolled her eyes, completely oblivious to how she and Oliver were acting. But slowly one by one the lads realised, instead of remarking about it, there were wolf whistles instead. Charlotte blushed. They could be mistaken for a pack of wild dogs. Rissa and Tom smirked knowingly along with Jona. Rosie’s eyes widened as she soon realised.

“You bitch! Did you shag him?!” Rosie shouted, loud enough to get some stares of other people in the pub.

Charlotte blushed, as she hid her face in her hands.

“No, we did not shag.” Oliver smirked, finding amusement in Charlotte’s discomfort.

“He wishes!” Vegan muttered.

“Okay, sorry I was just surprised. Isn’t this an anomaly?” Rosie questioned.

Charlotte raised her eyebrows at Oliver, who shrugged.

“I used to have a reputation.”

“A reputation? Is that what yeh call it now! I swore yeh could’ve got some fuckin’ trophy for it, if yeh could’ve!” Matt muttered loudly.

“Make him take a STI check before yeh do anythin’.” Lee smirked.

Charlotte’s eyes widened, her cheeks felt as if they were on fire. She wasn’t a prude, she was modest and liked joking around but this made her feel uncomfortable. She knew she’d have to get over it because for one, it looked like she was gonna be sticking around.

“Let’s not embarrass her. Oliver does enough of that for her.” Rissa teased, giving a wink in Charlotte’s and Oliver’s direction.

“Okay, I am going to buy myself a drink.” Charlotte excused herself from the table, heading towards the bar. “Beer and brandy/coke please.”

“It’s certainly something you’ll have to get used to.” Jona remarked.

Charlotte nodded her head. “It’s weird because we haven’t put a label on it and I don’t want to but it seems everyone else has.”

Jona shrugged. “Don’t fret, Oli will probably do enough of that for the both of you. Plus you got through the toughest of it, at least the fans haven’t found out yet.”

Charlotte’s mouth fell open slightly. “I forgot about that.” She laughed lightly. “It’s so weird because you are all normal guys yet you are famous, it will take a while to wrap my head around that.”

“Okay, you win, that was the best reaction ever.” Jona rolled his eyes. He then turned to walk into the direction of the men’s toilets.

Charlotte smiled in his direction. She paid for the drinks before walking back to the table, placing the beer in front of Oliver who smiled his thanks and took a sip of her own drink before sitting down. Oliver had his arm round Charlotte’s shoulders, pulling her closer to him. She smiled lightly.

As the night went on, Charlotte attempted to catch her best friend’s eye contact, but it didn’t take her a while to notice that she was ignoring her. For what reason, it was unknown to Charlotte. But it was driving her mad, when it drawn to the end of the night and everyone jostled their way out of the pub drunkenly, Matt with one random girl attached to his side, obviously going to get laid. Charlotte tugged away from Oliver, darting towards Rosie who was waiting for Lee to come out after catching up with a old work friend.

“What’s wrong?” Charlotte asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.

Rosie glanced at Charlotte then turned her gaze away. Charlotte stood firmly in front of her, crossing her arms stubbornly.

“Tell me, you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder all night.”

“I have? I haven’t heard from you all week and now everyone but me seemed to know about your relationship with Oli.” Rosie muttered.

“By everyone, you mean Tom, Riss and Jona?” Charlotte replied, raising both her eyebrows.

“Yes, not me, your bestest friend since we were young.” Rosie snapped.

“Rosie, it wasn’t as if I meant for you to find out this way. We aren’t even together, everyone just assumes we are. Plus I have been busy the whole week, I tried to get in contact with you this morning for you to hang out but I got no reply. So don’t bitch at me until you know what is going on.” Charlotte said bluntly. “So I am not bearing the brunt of your bitchiness, so speak to me when you don’t have your knickers up your arse.”

Charlotte moved away from Rosie as soon as Lee walked up to her. Rosie sniffled but disguised it very well. Charlotte was feeling empty, her and Rosie don’t fight. They never clash, they always got along and if they pissed each other off, they both recovered and forgot but something about that spat, felt like something else. Maybe, as much as it saddened Charlotte, they were falling apart.

Oliver seemed to get the gist of what happened, he opened his arms for Charlotte who burrowed her face in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her as they walked along towards the direction of Charlotte’s flat.

“Don’t take anythin’ personal, yeh are both drunk and grouchy, speak to her when yeh both cooled down.” Oliver mumbled into her ear.

Charlotte nodded and sniffed loudly in agreement. Finding warmth in Oliver’s arms, she felt more secure now but she couldn’t stop dwelling over her quarrel with Rosie, they disagreed and always argued in banter like way, this was the first time in a while since they were young teens that they have argued about something so serious. Charlotte frowned, she refrained herself from crying. She was tipsy and was over thinking about everything, she let out a deep breath.

“Okay, I still feel sad.” Charlotte pouted sadly.

Oliver stopped, they were half way up the street to her flat. He turned Charlotte round in his arms, lifting her chin with his finger.

“Charlie, forget about it, yeh are both drunk. No doubt Rosie is moaning about it too, yeh’ll be back to normal by tomorrow.” Oliver chuckled.

“Excuse me, Rosie and I are not like Rissa and Tom.” Charlotte giggled.

“Don’t be a bitch, Charlotte!” Rissa shouted from in front of them, she spun round, flipping the bird at her.

Both Charlotte and Oliver laughed loudly, as Rissa sighed dramatically.

“Oliver, you better not corrupt lovely Charlie, I happen to love her the way she is. If anyone needs to change within your relationship is you, you fucktard.” Rissa huffed as she stared at Oliver with a mock pissed off expression.

“I won’t,” Oliver rolled his eyes, turning to face Charlotte again but still speaking loudly, “isn’t it funny how everyone is assumin’ that we are together?”

Charlotte smirked, nodding her head. “I know, it’s weird because I always thought you were gay.”

Oliver raised both his eyebrows at her statement, shaking his head softly. “Okay, yeh need to take that back right now.” He glared at Charlotte.

Charlotte laughed, shaking her head. “No.”

“Okay love birds that’s it. Oli piss off and Charlie get in the house, you know what I feel like your mother right now.” Rissa grumbled.

Charlotte laughed, pulling away from Oliver. “Okay, I will see you soon.”

She kissed his cheek. He moved his cheek quickly and caught a kiss on the lips. Oliver smirked at Charlotte, smugness radiating off of him, she stared at him, still unbelieving of what happened, if it wasn't minus how ever many degrees she could see herself losing herself to him right at this moment.

“Now! I am freezing my tits off!” Rissa shouted.

Charlotte smiled coyly before pulling away from Oliver’s arms and running into the flat. She couldn’t express the mini attack of joy that overcame her, she was sober as anything now, on sharp alert. Rissa smirked knowingly at her, to which Charlotte threw a pillow at her before running upstairs to her bedroom, feeling like a lovesick teenager once again.