Status: working on it.
Feeling This...
01
“You're late Char!” My uncle's voice rang out, as I walked into his beach bar. The Friday night crowd seemed to be larger than usual. “Put on an apron!” he continued to holler from behind the bar.
“I sorr...” I began to apologize to my frantic uncle.
“Save it Charlie, get to work!”
From across the bar I saw my cousin Sarah shaking her head in my direction as she tossed her silky hair over her shoulder in disgust, before turning back to her table.
“Ew, she's such a snot!” A high voice rang out from behind me as I slipped my apron over my neck and pulled my hair up into a pony tail.
“Tell me about it,” I informed my friend Josie as I walked up to the sink behind the bar to wash my hands.
“You know I can't believe ya'll are family, let along first cousins.” Josie continued on tucking her blue hair behind her ears, “Remind me again why she hates you?” she handed me a pile of paper towels to dry my hands.
“Because she has as long as we've both been alive, and now that I'm working here as punishment and she's working here for actual money to pay her college fees she hates me more,” I grabbed a ticket book and walked away from Josie not waiting for a reply.
--------
“I'm going on break, you think you could actually do me a favor and watch my tables,” Sarah snapped at me hours later, turning towards her I whipped the fallen piece from my pony tail away from my face, the humidity in the bar really raising the more bodies that made their way in.
“What are they going to do? A trick?” I questioned while she sat the last drink on her tray down on the table.
“A couple more of these and we will!” A small guy with a spiked mohawk smirked while reaching for the drink.
“What short shit, you going to grow?” A deep voice growled in his direction, while the short guy wrapped around him trying to get the drink.
“Just for once don't be a bitch and do it,” she tossed her book at me so I could add to her tickets.
A low whistle rang out from the table as she walked away.
“Who peed in her Wheaties? The deep voice asked as I shook my head in her direction.
“Me apparently!” I informed him as I continued onto my tables getting orders for a while.
When I finally made it back to the table with the guys, they were ready for another round which I promptly dropped off.
“Here, take this for yourself,” the deep voice handed me a fifty dollar bill. Instantly I felt heat rise to my cheeks.
“I can't, it's Sarah's table, and plus I don't get to keep my tips,” I put the money down on the sticky table.
“What do you mean you don't keep the tips?” Another voice at the table rang out.
I opened my mouth to answer, but a wrenched noise filled the air.
“She doesn't have the job because she needs the money, she has this job so our uncle can babysit her, she can't seem to stay out of trouble,” she reached out grabbing the tickets out of my hand. “Go on break Charlotte,”
I didn't need to be told twice, quickly I made my way up to the bar to order my food and get a drink.
“Charlie, you can't keep being late, if I wasn't doing this for your father you'd be long fired,” Uncle Joe said filling a glass with coke for me.
Uncle Joe, my mother's brother, had been more like my father then the man he spoke of had ever been, ever since I was small I’d felt this pull towards him, like he knew some secret that I have dedicated my whole life into figuring out. My first steps had been towards him, my first grunt of a word had been “Unc” and my first real word had been “JoeJoe.” When I had first began really getting in trouble in school he always picked my up from detention and bought my ice cream after. So needless to say when my parents had come up with the idea of me working for Uncle Joe most nights of the week I hadn't been completely pissed.
“I know,” there was nothing more I could say, he had heard all my excuses one to many times.
“The guys in my booth would like to speak with you Uncle Joe,they say it's important,” Sarah's squeaky voice jumped from behind me.
His calm face became hard as he looked over at the booth with the guys I'd been talking to earlier and he walked away.
---
“Thanks for the help Char,” Jack, the dishwasher smiled at me as I dried the last plate and put it in the right place.
“No problemo, see you tomorrow,” I smiled at him and I made my way down the wooden hall to my Uncle's office;
“She doesn't know,she never had to be told,” My uncle spoke aloud, clearly not alone.
“She's never?”
“That's why she didn't feel the pull Gates, and why she ignored a direct order,” the deep voice from earlier filled the hall.
“Is that normal? For her to not..”
I tried to creep closer, hoping to peak into the room without being spotted, but a loose board creaked giving away my presents.
“Charlie,” My uncle snapped his head in the direction of the door as I stepped into the room, the scent of my uncle instantly filling my nose.
“Hey, I just wanted to turn in my tips and say bye,” I took a moment to look around the room, the four guys from Sarah's booth earlier were in the room, but now in the light I could see a very important detail I had missed before, not only were these large guys gorgeous, but also members of a local band, Avenged Sevenfold, who had gotten famous years ago and now were larger than life. I resisted the urge to run to my car to get their cds to sign.
“Charlie,” My uncle's voice distracted me from my staring competition. “Keep your tips and don't be late tomorrow.” him loving smile spread across his face. My legs didn't move even though I was willing them, something deep down not allowing me to go.
“Char, how long were you out in the hall?” a nervous look pass his face, his brown eyes darkening.
“Just a second, I was helping Jack clean up,” he nodded his head, knowing I usually helped.
“I'm texting your dad to let him know you're on the way,” nerves dropped down in my stomach. Probably from the fact all of the eyes in the room were staring at me.
“Actually, can you wait like two hours?” I begged with my eyes, no longer caring about the guys in the room.
“Charlie you know the rules!” My uncle's smile returned, somehow never being able to stay mad at me.
“Yeah, but can't we just momentarily forget what they are?” I gave him my second best smile.
“No,” he smirked at me, I knew I had already won.
“Come on! There is a bonfire.” I resisted the urge to stomp my foot.
“What trouble could I get in there? If I start on fire I'll run into the ocean!”
“Fine smart ass! An hour only!” he gave in, he always did.
I jumped to wrap myself around his large body pushing a kiss to his cheek, before I ran out the door not giving another thought to the men in the room.
---
Same Night
Joe's POV
Two hours later
“She feels no pull, to me as her Alpha,” Matt pushed his uncharacteristic long hair out of his face.
“She feels nothing abnormal,” I don't know how many times I could say it, we had been discussing Charlie for the last two hours.
“Are you sure she's even the right one?” Zacky asked his first question of the night.
“Yes, the first born female,”
“What about the other one?”
“Sarah? No she's my adopted brother's daughter, no blood connection,”
Suddenly my phone stared blasting from an unknown number. I held my finger up to the guys, stopping the conversation.
“Huntington Beach Police, will you accept a collect call from,” Pause. “Uncle Joe it's me,”
“Yes,” I growled in the the phone, slamming my fist on the desk.
“I'm sorry,” was the first thing that filled the speaker as the call went through.
“Yeah, I know Charlie, you always say that when the police call me,” the men in the room instantly stiffed. “I'll be right there,”
I hung up on my niece before I heard any more excuses.
“Besides, it's Charlies world, were just living on it!” I informed the guys before slamming out of my office.
“I sorr...” I began to apologize to my frantic uncle.
“Save it Charlie, get to work!”
From across the bar I saw my cousin Sarah shaking her head in my direction as she tossed her silky hair over her shoulder in disgust, before turning back to her table.
“Ew, she's such a snot!” A high voice rang out from behind me as I slipped my apron over my neck and pulled my hair up into a pony tail.
“Tell me about it,” I informed my friend Josie as I walked up to the sink behind the bar to wash my hands.
“You know I can't believe ya'll are family, let along first cousins.” Josie continued on tucking her blue hair behind her ears, “Remind me again why she hates you?” she handed me a pile of paper towels to dry my hands.
“Because she has as long as we've both been alive, and now that I'm working here as punishment and she's working here for actual money to pay her college fees she hates me more,” I grabbed a ticket book and walked away from Josie not waiting for a reply.
--------
“I'm going on break, you think you could actually do me a favor and watch my tables,” Sarah snapped at me hours later, turning towards her I whipped the fallen piece from my pony tail away from my face, the humidity in the bar really raising the more bodies that made their way in.
“What are they going to do? A trick?” I questioned while she sat the last drink on her tray down on the table.
“A couple more of these and we will!” A small guy with a spiked mohawk smirked while reaching for the drink.
“What short shit, you going to grow?” A deep voice growled in his direction, while the short guy wrapped around him trying to get the drink.
“Just for once don't be a bitch and do it,” she tossed her book at me so I could add to her tickets.
A low whistle rang out from the table as she walked away.
“Who peed in her Wheaties? The deep voice asked as I shook my head in her direction.
“Me apparently!” I informed him as I continued onto my tables getting orders for a while.
When I finally made it back to the table with the guys, they were ready for another round which I promptly dropped off.
“Here, take this for yourself,” the deep voice handed me a fifty dollar bill. Instantly I felt heat rise to my cheeks.
“I can't, it's Sarah's table, and plus I don't get to keep my tips,” I put the money down on the sticky table.
“What do you mean you don't keep the tips?” Another voice at the table rang out.
I opened my mouth to answer, but a wrenched noise filled the air.
“She doesn't have the job because she needs the money, she has this job so our uncle can babysit her, she can't seem to stay out of trouble,” she reached out grabbing the tickets out of my hand. “Go on break Charlotte,”
I didn't need to be told twice, quickly I made my way up to the bar to order my food and get a drink.
“Charlie, you can't keep being late, if I wasn't doing this for your father you'd be long fired,” Uncle Joe said filling a glass with coke for me.
Uncle Joe, my mother's brother, had been more like my father then the man he spoke of had ever been, ever since I was small I’d felt this pull towards him, like he knew some secret that I have dedicated my whole life into figuring out. My first steps had been towards him, my first grunt of a word had been “Unc” and my first real word had been “JoeJoe.” When I had first began really getting in trouble in school he always picked my up from detention and bought my ice cream after. So needless to say when my parents had come up with the idea of me working for Uncle Joe most nights of the week I hadn't been completely pissed.
“I know,” there was nothing more I could say, he had heard all my excuses one to many times.
“The guys in my booth would like to speak with you Uncle Joe,they say it's important,” Sarah's squeaky voice jumped from behind me.
His calm face became hard as he looked over at the booth with the guys I'd been talking to earlier and he walked away.
---
“Thanks for the help Char,” Jack, the dishwasher smiled at me as I dried the last plate and put it in the right place.
“No problemo, see you tomorrow,” I smiled at him and I made my way down the wooden hall to my Uncle's office;
“She doesn't know,she never had to be told,” My uncle spoke aloud, clearly not alone.
“She's never?”
“That's why she didn't feel the pull Gates, and why she ignored a direct order,” the deep voice from earlier filled the hall.
“Is that normal? For her to not..”
I tried to creep closer, hoping to peak into the room without being spotted, but a loose board creaked giving away my presents.
“Charlie,” My uncle snapped his head in the direction of the door as I stepped into the room, the scent of my uncle instantly filling my nose.
“Hey, I just wanted to turn in my tips and say bye,” I took a moment to look around the room, the four guys from Sarah's booth earlier were in the room, but now in the light I could see a very important detail I had missed before, not only were these large guys gorgeous, but also members of a local band, Avenged Sevenfold, who had gotten famous years ago and now were larger than life. I resisted the urge to run to my car to get their cds to sign.
“Charlie,” My uncle's voice distracted me from my staring competition. “Keep your tips and don't be late tomorrow.” him loving smile spread across his face. My legs didn't move even though I was willing them, something deep down not allowing me to go.
“Char, how long were you out in the hall?” a nervous look pass his face, his brown eyes darkening.
“Just a second, I was helping Jack clean up,” he nodded his head, knowing I usually helped.
“I'm texting your dad to let him know you're on the way,” nerves dropped down in my stomach. Probably from the fact all of the eyes in the room were staring at me.
“Actually, can you wait like two hours?” I begged with my eyes, no longer caring about the guys in the room.
“Charlie you know the rules!” My uncle's smile returned, somehow never being able to stay mad at me.
“Yeah, but can't we just momentarily forget what they are?” I gave him my second best smile.
“No,” he smirked at me, I knew I had already won.
“Come on! There is a bonfire.” I resisted the urge to stomp my foot.
“What trouble could I get in there? If I start on fire I'll run into the ocean!”
“Fine smart ass! An hour only!” he gave in, he always did.
I jumped to wrap myself around his large body pushing a kiss to his cheek, before I ran out the door not giving another thought to the men in the room.
---
Same Night
Joe's POV
Two hours later
“She feels no pull, to me as her Alpha,” Matt pushed his uncharacteristic long hair out of his face.
“She feels nothing abnormal,” I don't know how many times I could say it, we had been discussing Charlie for the last two hours.
“Are you sure she's even the right one?” Zacky asked his first question of the night.
“Yes, the first born female,”
“What about the other one?”
“Sarah? No she's my adopted brother's daughter, no blood connection,”
Suddenly my phone stared blasting from an unknown number. I held my finger up to the guys, stopping the conversation.
“Huntington Beach Police, will you accept a collect call from,” Pause. “Uncle Joe it's me,”
“Yes,” I growled in the the phone, slamming my fist on the desk.
“I'm sorry,” was the first thing that filled the speaker as the call went through.
“Yeah, I know Charlie, you always say that when the police call me,” the men in the room instantly stiffed. “I'll be right there,”
I hung up on my niece before I heard any more excuses.
“Besides, it's Charlies world, were just living on it!” I informed the guys before slamming out of my office.