Chapter One
"Charlie"
"Urgh" I mumble.
"Charl" the voice yells again.
Go away. I think as I roll onto my side, squeezing my eyes shut tighter.
BANG!BANG!BANG!
"Charlotte! Are you up yet? Its almost 3pm and your still not up! You'll be late for work if you don't get up now!"
'OKAY!OKAY! I'm up! Jesus don't put a hole in my door!" I shout back.
I hear him mumble something inaudible and thump back down the stairs back into the kitchen. God he's angry in the morn... I mean afternoon. Whoops.
I grab my work uniform from the pile of clothes that's been chucked on the floor in the pile mentally labelled as the I will put that away eventually and head into the bathroom to shower.
I am in the shower for less than two minutes before the water turns ice cold.
"Ahhhhhhh!" I scream before trying to find the handle through shampoo filled eyes.
Paul! my step-dad always uses up the hot water knowing full well I need to shower before work, he insists that he needs to go first as I just stand behind a bar for a living while he and I quote 'has a real job'.
He infuriates me 99.9% of the time and I get why he is the way that he is. Ever since my mum died four years ago I guess I have not been the easiest step-daughter to have around.
After my ice cold shower (thanks Paul) I head downstairs to the kitchen to grab some food.
Paul's sat at the kitchen table dressed in his police uniform reading the local newspaper. He doesn't look up at me until I'm in the fridge grabbing the butter for my toast.
"Hey you know that when butter is finished it goes in the bin right?" hes asks sarcastically.
I spin round to look at him "Really?! See I always thought that it magically refilled itself! Why?What are you accusing me of doing now?" I snap.
"First of all drop the attitude, second I saw you put the empty pot back in the fridge yesterday and considering this isn't your first offence, you can buy some on your way to work." He says as he gets up to place his coffee mug into the dishwasher.
I slam the fridge shut and stair at him. "First offence? P you're not on duty now you know? When your in the house your're allowed to put the badge away and be human you know." I smirk at him and reach for a plate to put my butter-less toast on.
"Well you have to have one person in this world that will steer you away from screwing up your life anymore and well it cant be your mum can it?"
I freeze in my spot at kitchen table, How DARE he? I stand up, angrily scraping the chair back on our already scuffed kitchen floor.
"Screw you!" I spit in his face.
I head to the front door as I attempt to put on my Mums old denim jacket from the 80's.
"Charlie please wait! I didn't mean to say that It just slipped out please I'm so sorry."
He grabs my arm and it feels like its on fire in his grip. Sometimes I think he forgets that hes not on shift and I am not a criminal.
"Paul if you don't get off me then for the first time in your life you'll have to arrest me for assaulting a police man."
He senses my pain and immediately lets go and watches me leave the house, slamming the door hard that I am scared that if I turn around my house would be reduced to rubble.
I arrive at work with two minutes to spare. Shaking off my damp jacket as it just started to rain as I got to staff door round the back of Smoke and Mirrors, the bar that I have been working at since I turned eighteen three months ago. I have singing here almost every Friday night with my band Soft Sound since I was seventeen, Paul doesn't know that. The amount of times he's been on duty on a Friday night and has come in to arrest suspected drug deals and to stop fights and I had to make a sudden runner of stage.
I tie my short blonde hair into a low bun before heading out to the bar to get ready to set up for the night. It's a Saturday and we have some local hip hop dancers performing so that should get the people queuing.
"Hey Charl"
I know who that voice belongs to and its Ryan Samuel's - the HOTTEST guy that I used to go to school with. Unlike our peers we didn't head out to college or university, we just stayed behind to get swallowed up by the wildness that is Manchester.
"Hey Ryan, how was Hockey practise?" I notice that he's carrying a bucket full of ice so I grab one handle to help him pour it into the ice wells.
"It was alright, your boyfriend slammed me into net again. I think he has yet to realise that I goalie the same team as him." He chuckles nervously.
"Liam? Oh no Liam is NOT my boyfriend I have just grown up with him, our parents are - where best friends." I whisper the last part involving my mum.
"Oh so there wouldn't be an issue if I asked you to be my date to Joel's party next Saturday? I saw on the rota that we are both off."
My hand suddenly slips from the handle on the bucket I'm holding, sending half of the ice on to floor. Shit I hope he doesn't think I'm an complete idiot.
"Shit don't worry I'll clean it up but I'll take that as a yes then."
"Sure I'll see you then."
He empties what's left of the ice into the last well. "Cool I will DM you on Instagram Friday to work out the details."
He winks and leaves the bar to find a dustpan and brush.
Holy hell I have a date with Ryan! Im too busy day dreaming about Ryan that I don't notice my best mates/band members Liam, Jace and Connor walk in with three of the most plastic looking girls you have ever seen.
The three girls go an take a seat in one of the booths near the dance floor and the boys head towards me.
"Hey guys how was Ice Hockey practise? I hear from Ryan it was a bit rough at some points." I blatantly look at Liam when I say this and his brown eyes bore into my blue ones. I always wonder if he ever knew that I used to be madly in love with him?
Jace and Connor both break out laughing. Liam's signature smirk rises up on his lips.
"Wasn't my fault he was acting weak-letting in every goal sent to him is it?"
"Liam" I lean towards him over the bar.
"Charlotte?" He leans closer.
"Well we are going let Liam here get the drinks in and well will head back to our date as there looking rather lonely." Jace pats Liam on the back breaking up the staring match we were currently having.
"Yeah see you after your shift Char." Connor leans over the bar to kiss my cheek before rushing over to the table awaiting his one night stand.
"Three rosés, two rum and cokes and one beer please." He reals off to me.
Even though I already have the drinks ready as this isn't exactly their first time at bringing random girls here to impress them.
"Ah." He says reaching for his wallet just as Ryan walks behind me.
His stare turns to him.
" Ryan I just want to apologise to you about practise man, I was just a little bit moody this evening and took it out on you."
Ryan reels back, shocked that the great Liam Parker is apologising. He manages to muster up an "No worries man" before leaving to grab some stock.
Liam takes over the wines and comes back for the other three. "So Paul called me after practise asking if you had gone to work or if you where with me. I told him you where at work before he explained to me about what happened. He's really sorry." He stands there with a plain look on his face. I can tell he feels sorry for me but also doesn't want to upset me but also trying to keep me cool. It's like we're a married couple.
"Look I really don't want to talk about this now okay?!"
"Okay,okay I am sorry. Do you want to stay at mine after work? Then I can drop you home tomorrow fresh and focused to have a civil conversation?" Jace notices how long he's been stood there for and comes to collect the drinks himself.
I giggle at his offer. "No thanks Liam, a threesome with you and Barbie is something I am not interested in." I feel myself blush.
"Oh don't act like you don't sleep in my bed all the time, and don't flatter yourself, say the word and she's gone. I'll make her leave now if you want."
"Fine. I'll stay at yours! But only because tomorrow's Sunday and your mum makes the best pancakes every Sunday morning. But don't forget about Barbie."
"Consider her already gone." He turns and walks away.
And he was right, within two minutes of him whispering in her ear she was gone.
Hope you guys enjoyed !!!
Love you the most!!! Xxx
