Being Charlie

t h r e e;

A week soon passed, and the elections were today. We were all standing in the Mills' backyard waiting for the results. My dad already got his results, and yes, I was standing next to the new mayor of Los Angeles.
The minutes passed by, the situation was nerve wrecking. Well, for them, I didn't even vote for Mills, I didn't want him as a governor again.
I looked up and saw Charlie watching everything from a window, dressed up in jeans and a flannel, I guess he didn't care that much either, since he wasn't here. I moved away from my mother's embrace and walked to the house.
Inside, everything was as tense as outside, the service was looking at the tv in the kitchen, with their arms either crossed or with hands on their chests. I walked past them and went upstairs. I turned left and tried to look for the second window, where Charlie was. I knocked on the door but, it wasn't locked so I could peek inside, and there he was. Sitting on his bed, with a cigarette inbetween his lips.

"Knock knock." I said as I opened the door and let myself in. Lining against it, I watched Charlie exhale the smoke, and nod at me. "Are you nervous? About your father." I walked to the window and saw everyone still waiting. As soon as I turned around to look at Charlie, everyone screamed, he won.

Charlie laughed and said "No, he always wins. Ever since high school as prom king." he made space at the feet of his bed and patted the bed for me to sit down next to him. Which I did. "Last time we didn't talk that much. I'm Charlie Mills. I'm twenty and you?" I took his hand and shook it.

"Lilian Wood, nineteen." he frowned and hummed. "What?"

He smiled at let my hand go. "Nothing, it's just that I already know your name and I thought you were older, you look like twenty-three dressed in that pant suit and wearing your hair like that." I looked down at my dark grey pant suit, my black high heels and pink button up shirt. And then proceed to touch my hair, which was perfectly made up into a bun.

"And is there anything wrong about looking good and clean?" I moved my body so that I was facing him completely.

"No, nothing at all." and then he tossed the cigarette in the ash tray that was placed in front of him. That's when I realized that the air had a thick smell of cigarettes, not because of the one he just finished but, for the almost twenty that were in the ash tray. I looked around the place and yes it looked like a college boy room, messy bed, clothes everywhere, posters of bands in the walls and dim light. "Do you like it?" He asked, catching my attention.

"Like what? Your room? No, I like The Smiths poster you have right there." I pointed with my black polished nail at the smaller poster hanging over the lamp at the nightstand. A loud laugh came from his throat, followed by a cough.

"You. You like The Smiths. Yeah right." I closed my eyes and tried to not say any sarcastic comment and just smiled instead. "You look like the girl who would listen to classic or jazz music, while studying business, politics or some shit like that."

"Well, I'm..." the door opened fast, and Charlie stood up immediately like of we were doing something inappropriate. Miss Mills was there looking all happy.

"We won! Charlie, we won." she came in and hugged his son. "Please get changed and join us downstairs." and then she looked at me and her smile faded away. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked, scared if you let me say.

"Nothing mom, we were just talking, about politics. Now, I'm gonna get changed." he pushed her mother out of his room and closed the door behind him, locking it. I watched as he started stripping down, staying in his boxers. A few minutes later he was dressed in the same suit from last week, and bathed in cologne. He opened the door and gestured for me to get out. When I passed next to him he grabbed my waist and whispered in my ear "I saw you looking at me while I was getting dressed." I pushed him away gently and continues walking down the hallway with Charlie behind me.