Unbound

“Charlotte, Charlotte wake up.” Lisa said shaking Charlie roughly awake.

“Huh?” Charlie asked groggily as she opened her eyes. She looked around in the darkness and saw her mother’s silhouette by the city lights cast through the glass balcony door.

“Wake up.” Lisa commanded, flicking on the light switch by the door.
Charlie squinted as the bright light of the room temporarily blinded her. She sat up rubbing her eyes as they gradually adjusted to the brightness and glanced out the balcony door to see it was still fairly dark outside.

“What time is it?” She asked sleepily as she stilled a yawn.

“Five A.M.” Lisa said riffling in Charlie’s suitcase until she pulled out a pair of shorts and a tank top. “Here, put these on.”

“What for?” Charlie asked as she pushed the warm blankets off of her and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

“You’re going to the gym.” Lisa said tossing the clothes at her.

“But the gym doesn’t open until nine.” Charlie said, but exchanged the sweatpants and t-shirt she was wearing for the shorts and tank top anyway.

“I spoke with one of the employees yesterday and he gave me a key.” Lisa said. “Oh, and I gave your music to the pageant’s pianist too.”

“Music?” Charlie asked, sitting on the floor so she could lace up her running shoes.

“For your talent song.” Lisa clarified.

“Amazing Grace again?”
“Is there something wrong with that?” Lisa asked, her face darkening.

“No.” Charlie replied curtly as she stood up from the floor.

“That’s what I thought.”

“Do I get to have breakfast first?” Charlie asked as they walked out of the bedroom area towards the front door.

“I suppose you can have something.” Lisa said rolling her eyes as she stopped at the mini refrigerator. “You’ll just work it off today anyway.”

***

“Oh Gerrraarrrd?” Frank said in a singsong voice as he knelt on the floor at Gerard’s bedside.

“What do you want Frank?” Gerard groaned into his pillow.

“Guess what I got?” Frank sang.

“Do I want to know?” Gerard asked, turning is head on his pillow to face Frank.

“You do if you want to see fifty half-naked girls on one stage tonight.”

“I’m not going.” Gerard said, turning his face and burying his face in his pillow again.

“Oh why not?” Frank asked, looking a little deflated. “I thought your girlfriend was one of the contestants.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend.” Gerard said, the sound muffled by his pillow.

“Then who was that girl you took out last night?”

“No one.” Gerard said darkly.

“Well I don’t care what you say. You’re going because I already got tickets.” Frank said standing up straight and putting his hand on his hips. “Come on, Bob and Ray are excited to go.”

“I wonder why.” Gerard said sarcastically. “What about Jamia and Alicia?”

“What about them?” Frank asked, sitting on the edge of the other bed.
“Don’t you think they might have something to say about their husbands going to a show and ogling half-naked women?”

“We are not ogling them.” Frank said defiantly. “And I don’t think they would care.”

“Really?” Gerard asked smirking. “Well how about I just give Jamia a call,” He said, reaching on the nightstand for his cell phone. “and we can just see what she has to say about-”

“NO!” Frank shouted, and snatched the phone away from him.

“What’s wrong?” Gerard laughed. “I thought you said she wouldn’t mind.”

“Have you ever heard the phrase ‘less is more’?” Frank asked. “Because the less Jamia knows, the better.”

“For who? You or her?”

“Take your pick.”

Gerard sat up in the bed shaking his head and looked over at the clock on the nightstand.

“Damn is it really one o’clock already?” He asked.

“Yeah, the guys and me just got back from lunch.” Frank said.

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Mikey said you got in kinda late last night so we just let you sleep.” Frank said. “What happened last night anyway? Did you get some?”

“No.” Gerard said coldly.

“Oooh no wonder you’ve been testy these days.” Frank smirked. “So what happened?”

“She ran away.” Gerard said.

“Man that sucks.” Frank said, trying not to laugh.

“Not from me idiot.” Gerard said rolling his eyes. “She ran from her problems. Well…back to them is more like it.”

“What do you mean?”
“She got scared, she didn’t want to fight her mom anymore.” Gerard said. “So she just gave in.”

“Fight her mom?” Frank asked. “She doesn’t really want to be in this pageant thing?”

“Not at all.” Gerard said. “But hey, it’s her life. I guess she can do what she wants. I’m done trying to help her.”

“So you’re giving up too?” Frank asked. “You just let her go?”

“Yeah.” Gerard said, looking down at his folded hands in his lap. “What was I supposed to do?”

“You’re really thick, you know that right?”

“What?” Gerard asked, looking up.

“When they run, they want you to go after them.” Frank said.

“What do you mean? Aren’t you supposed to just let them go? Don’t they want to be alone?”

“It’s called reverse psychology Gee,” Frank explained. “All women do it. It’s like a sport to them. Like when a woman asks you if the dress they’re wearing makes them look fat and it really does, what do you say?”

Um…aren’t you supposed to tell them the truth?”

“No.” Frank said shaking his head. “You lie.

“So she really wants me to help her?”

“Yes.” Frank said.

“But she said to stop helping her.”

“Reverse psychology my friend.” Frank said standing up and patting him on the shoulder. “Go after her.”