by L. L Hunter
I looked Nathan Wright up and down. He was dressed smartly in a black military coat. Army green gloves covered his hands, which were shoved into his pockets, and a dark grey scarf surrounded his neck. When he got close enough to touch me, he pulled a hand out of one of his pockets and held out my phone. I sighed and decided he was only trying to be nice by returning my phone.
“Thanks. So… you’re new here, huh?” I almost stuttered. Gosh, he was handsome. I couldn’t decide who was hotter, Frankie or Nathan.
“Yeah. I got here early this morning,” he told me.
“Good thing it’s the start of the semester.”
“Yeah.” His eyes took me in. He was smiling at me in a peculiar way. It made my heart work overtime. “So you didn’t tell me your name,” he added after a minute.
“I’m Charli.” I began looking around awkwardly.
“Looking for your boyfriend?”
“What? Oh, he’s not my boyfriend. I should be going.” I turned to leave.
“Will I see you at the Roundhouse tonight?”
I spun back around. “I thought you were new? How do you know about the Roundhouse? And that there’s a concert on tonight?” I narrowed my eyes, unsure what he was getting at.
Nathan shrugged. “I’m a local. The Roundhouse is one of the best concert venues in Sydney. So, will I see you there?”
I looked at my phone. I had to see if Mia was going. I didn’t go anywhere without my best friend. “Sure. But it’s a ticketed event. I don’t have one.”
“No worries. I have a few.”
“Great.” I returned a small warm smile before leaving.
As I walked to my English Lit class, I smiled to myself. What was the chance of two guys in one day asking me out? If Frankie’s weird behaviour was actually an invitation. I shook my head. Of course it was. He was playing games with me. And what about Nathan? He was so open. He was the total opposite of Frankie. He seemed genuine enough that I couldn’t help but feel my walls falling down. Two guys in one day? Yeah, my life definitely was changing.
* * * *
When I reached the corridor outside my dorm, I found Mia lounging against the wall beside my door.
“’Bout time you returned,” she said lazily.
“Mia! Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call you.”
“Yeah… I was busy,” she said, fidgeting with her phone.
“Well, are you busy tonight? There’s a concert.”
A grin spread across her face as she squealed. “I’m so in! It’s about time you started living up to your plan. Plan Rebellion, remember?”
“Yeah, yeah. Come on. You have to help me pick an outfit before tonight.”
“I knew you’d need my expertise one day.” I playfully shoved her as we entered my room. “Have you talked to that guy lately?” asked Mia as she made her way to my closet.
“What guy?”
“That guy I introduced you to in the chat room.”
“Oh, yeah. I have.”
“And? Come on, girl. I am your best friend, and I expect details. So spill.”
“Well… we had coffee this morning.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh My God! See, you don’t need my help.”
“I never said I did, Mi.”
“Yeah, sure. But this is terrific. It means you’ve put your plan into action. What’s he like?”
“If I were to describe him in three words… tall, dark, and mysterious.”
“Mm… Sounds hot. Is he coming to the show tonight?”
“Umm, not sure, probably. Unless he’s a bookworm and doesn’t party.”
“Hmm… Sounds familiar.”
I sat on the bed and threw a cushion at her. She ducked, and it missed her head, landing inside the closet.
“Then, we’re perfect for each other, right? Your matchmaking worked,” I asked, hopeful.
She turned and smirked at me. “It always does.”
Chapter Seven
Nathan
“What have you got for us, Nathan?”
I glanced around to make sure no one could hear. “I met Charlotte. She calls herself Charli.”
“I know. And good.” Tension seemed to lift from my shoulders. Mrs Jayne sounded like she approved, which was a good step forward. “What else? Did you connect?”
“If by connect, you mean asking her out, then yeah.”
“Very well done, Officer Wright. Keep playing the game. She will soon fall.”
The conversation ended after that, so I didn’t get to ask about what she meant by ‘she will soon fall.” Was she implying that Charli was easily persuaded? If that was the case, then Mrs Jayne didn’t know her daughter very well. I glanced at my watch. 5.30pm. It was almost time. I decided to head back to my room to wait until show time.
Charli
“Charlz, hurry up! Get your butt movin’.” I heard Mia yell from the other side of the bathroom door. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror as I ran my fingers through my bangs one last time. Perfectly straight. Good. My hair was such a pain to style sometimes being dead straight. But luckily, tonight it was behaving. Everything was on my side, except time. I checked my watch.
“Shit.” I grabbed my makeup bag, checked my wristbands one last time, and yanked the bathroom door open, almost colliding with Mia on the other side.
“Whoa! Schmexy!” she said with an added wolf whistle.
“Shut up. Lookin’ this hot doesn’t happen over night.” I joked. I often over compensated with sarcasm because I was uncomfortable with who I was. That was my theory, anyway. My outfit consisted of a plain black tank top, black metallic jeggings, and black high-heeled boots, which came up to my knees. I didn’t look that hot. Even with the added touch of red lipstick.
“That’s not what those two boys thought earlier. The one’s you’re planning to meet up with tonight?”
I turned to glare at her.
“How did you know there were two guys?”
“Oh, puh-lease! I see everything.” I rolled my eyes at her and finished packing my essentials for tonight. “You’ve got a problem on your hands, you know that, right? You can’t have two.”
“What? You’re not jealous, are you?”
“No! No way.” She replied lightly. I wasn’t convinced. She was beginning to act a little weird.
“Whatever. Let’s go.” I checked my phone as I grabbed my leather jacket, and I immediately wanted to die.
“Oh My God! The jerk!”
“What?” Mia asked as she closed the door behind us.
“Uh… when I bumped into Nathan yesterday, the guy who has the tickets, I literally bumped into him. Well, he bumped into me.” I was rambling. I always did it when I was nervous.
“Ooh! And…”
“When he knocked me to the ground, I dropped my phone. I didn’t even realise I had lost it, but Nathan found it. While it was in his possession, the sneaky jerk put his number inside.”
“Sneaky… and smart.”
“Yeah. He just sent me a text saying he’s at the venue and waiting for us.”
“What about Frankie?”
I looked at her for a second and felt a pang inside my chest. I felt bad for Frankie, but the guy had left me no choice. And I didn’t have his number. I shrugged. “Nathan asked first.”
Chapter Eight
Charli
When we arrived at the Roundhouse, we found Nathan straight away. He smiled as we approached, and I smiled back.
“Hey, where’s your other friend?” he asked.
“What other friend?”
“The guy you were with in Social Studies. I thought he would be coming with you.”
“Oh, when I said he was a friend, I meant he wasn’t exactly a friend. He’s just a guy.”
“Yeah, she has a very complicated love life,” added Mia. Oh My God, could she be any more embarrassing? I wanted a black hole to open up right then and swallow me. She was totally ruining my chances with the gorgeous guy standing in front of us.
“I see. Well, should we go inside? I have your tickets.”
“Sure.” I glared at Mia and she shrugged. We followed Nathan through the door into the darkness.
* * * *
The Roundhouse was already pretty packed with mingling concertgoers by the time we arrived. I was surprised Frankie hadn’t made an appearance yet.
“Do you girls want a drink?” Nathan practically had to yell into my ear to be heard. I jumped and shuddered at his sudden proximity.
“Yes, please! Such a gentleman,” said Mia. “Rum and coke for me!” Nathan nodded and then looked at me.
“And, for you?”
“Um… I’ll just have a gin and tonic, please. Thanks, Nathan.”
“No worries. Just wait here so I can find you again. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay.”
As soon as Nathan was gone, the vultures descended.
“He’s so hot!” Mia exclaimed loudly.
“Ssh! Mia, keep your voice down,” I said, looking around for Nathan, but he was at the bar.
“Who’s hot?” Said another voice from behind me. I was about to ask him how he had managed to get our drinks so quickly, but when I turned I saw it wasn’t Nathan. My heart just about leaped out of my chest.
“Frankie. What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t miss a chance to come and mingle with you.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes this time. I looked to Mia, but she was no longer there. Where had she gone?
“Want to dance?” Was it just me or had he moved closer to me?
“No. I can’t dance. Plus I’m waiting for my friend.”
“Your bodyguard? Don’t worry, he’s busy.”
I glanced over towards the bar, and I saw Mia very noticeably flirting with Nathan. The bitch! I couldn’t believe her! Frustrated, I turned back towards Frankie, and my chest brushed against his. He was standing so close. But I didn’t mind it. If this was part of my plan, I had to go along with the ride.
“Oh, what the hell. Let’s dance,” I said. Plan Rebellion, Plan Rebellion, I kept repeating in my head. Frankie smiled and took my hand, leading me into the thick of the mosh pit.
* * * *
It was hot inside the mosh pit, and not just from all the body heat. Being with Frankie, it did something to me. He pulled me closer to him, still holding my hand. My breasts brushed up against his chest once again, and I felt his hand hover above my butt on my hip. I shivered.
“Are you cold?” His voice was low and hot against my ear. I felt him rocking me gently from side to side to the rhythm of the music playing through the speakers. The band hadn’t appeared yet. This was just the prelude music to get everyone in the mood.
“No, I’m… I’m fine.” I looked up at him. He made me so nervous it was hard to relax. Then I heard his chest shake. I realised he was laughing.
“Are you nervous?”
“No! I mean… a little,” I confessed.
“You don’t need to be nervous, Charli.”
“I hardly know you, Frankie. And I’ve never really had a boyfriend before, or even been on a real date.” I didn’t want to tell him I was still a virgin, but it was probably written all over my face like a bright neon sign.
“It’s okay. I’ve never really had a girlfriend before.” He smiled down at me and then he was touching my cheek, and my hair. I smiled back and settled against his chest. Then I heard what I thought sounded like thunder, but really, it was the sound of the crowd screaming and the stamping of feet. With my petite frame, I couldn’t see over the sea of heads, but I could see what was on the stage. The band had arrived. I looked around for Mia and Nathan but couldn’t see them. I glanced at Frankie, and he smiled at me then looked up at the stage. I stood beside him, hoping my uneasiness would fade into the music.
Nathan
As soon as I turned to make my way back to Charli with the drinks, her friend appeared in front of me.
“Would you like some help?” she asked, cocking her head to the side with her hand on her hip.
“Uh… thanks. Mia, right?”
“Correct. So I heard you’re in Charli’s Social Studies class? How are you finding Uni?”
“It’s great. Exactly what I expected.” Mia took one of the plastic drink cups from me— the rum and coke. She took a sip, cringing.
“Ugh. I hate this pre-mixed shit. But yeah, college is great, huh?”
“Yeah.” I tried looking for Charli, but I couldn’t see her. She was no longer standing where I had left her. I attempted to step around Mia, but she stopped me again.
“So, do you have a job?” she asked.
“Uh… yeah. I work in IT.” I lied. Well, it was a half lie. I couldn’t tell her I was a cop. I would blow my cover.
“Ooh. So you must be like, really smart.” She was flirting, I could tell. I ignored it. I had to get back to Charli.
“We had better get back to Charli.”
“Do you like her?”
“Who?”
“Charli? Because she has a boyfriend, you know.”
“Really? She didn’t say she had one before.”
“Well, she lied. Probably because she has mixed feelings for both of you.”
“Is that so?” Mia was beginning to get tipsy. She downed her current cup. “I need another drink,” she added, and then thankfully, left me for the bar. I quickly made my escape and headed back towards the edge of the mosh pit. I had to see if what Mia had said were true, if Charli really did have a boyfriend. I had to check this guy out.
I stood by the edge of the thick crowd of partially drunk college students and stood up on my toes to try to see. After a moment of scanning the bobbing heads, I found her. But when I saw whom she was with my heart sank. It was the guy from Social Studies. He was leaning close to Charli and saying something in her ear. Charli laughed and then blushed. He must have been paying her a compliment. I suddenly felt very jealous. I was tempted to down Charli’s drink in my hand, but I couldn’t. I had a plan. I pushed my way into the crowd.
Charli
After the band had played three songs, I began to feel more comfortable around Frankie. He really was a sweet guy, even if he was a little intense. I laughed when he leaned in close and sang some of the lyrics slightly off key. When I realised what he was singing, I blushed. The song was very fitting. It was about a girl with red lipstick whom the lead singer said he couldn’t take his eyes off. And when Frankie sang these words to me, I melted. Luckily, he was hanging onto me, because I would’ve been on the floor already. He took my hand in his, interlocking our fingers, and placed it on his shoulder. He then placed my other hand on his other shoulder and placed his hands on my waist. I was burning up—from his touch and from the heat of the other bodies around us. I really did feel faint. I had to get out of there. I motioned for him to lean closer.
“I need air,” I yelled. He seemed to hear me and nodded.
“Let me come with you,” he yelled back.
“No, I won’t be long. Enjoy the show.” I leaned up to kiss his cheek to reassure him and he seemed okay with that, so I slipped away.
In my haste to get out of the suffocating mosh pit, I didn’t see him until it was too late. I crashed right into Nathan, spilling the drinks he held all over us.
Nathan
“Oh My God, Charli, I didn’t see you.”
“You really are making a habit of this, aren’t you?”
I couldn’t tell if she were mad or not. She shook her hands of the liquid, splashing me in the process.
“Yes. I’m sorry. Let me buy you another drink. Or help you get cleaned up.”
“This is why I don’t go to concerts much. I’m going to the bathroom.” She pushed past me. She was mad at me.
“Charli, wait.” I discarded the empty cups and followed her as she ran into the ladies bathroom.
I hesitated outside for a second before barrelling through the door after her.
Charli
I leaned into the
basin and washed my face and neck, before looking up at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was plastered to my right cheek, and my top was totally soaked through. I also smelled like a bar. Ugh, I looked like a nightmare. I began peeling off my tight leather jacket as I heard the door open behind me. Another face joined mine in the mirror.
“Nathan! What are you doing in here?”
“I had to make sure you were okay.” He was looking at me, at my wet tank top, which was beginning to turn transparent. You could now see my black bra through the material. I covered my chest with my jacket and continued to wipe myself down with some paper towels. My wristbands were also soaked through and were beginning to unravel themselves. I knew I had to remove them too but I couldn’t do it in front of Nathan.
“You’re far prettier than your photograph,” I heard him say quietly. I tense, and I turn around to face him.
“What did you say?”
“Uh... nothing. I saw your picture online.”
“Stalking me, too?” I turned back around to face the vanity.
“Everything I think of to say in my head sounds much creepier in real life. Let me start over—I lied.”
I looked up at him in the mirror. “About what?”
He stepped closer. “I didn’t see your picture online.”
I turned to face him again. There was now less than a metre separating us. Neither of us moved any closer. I waited. But it didn’t come.
“Well? Are you a friend of a friend on chat, or something? Where did you see my picture?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he looked down at his sneakers.
“I have to go.” I grabbed my jacket and left the bathroom. Nathan didn’t move to stop me.
Chapter Nine
Charli
Why was everyone being so secretive? Everyone seemed to be lying to me, or keeping secrets from me, these days. As I worked my way back out into the venue, I suddenly didn’t feel like moshing anymore. I exited through the glass doors out into the cool night air. With thoughts to myself, I didn’t notice him leaning against the wall in the dark.
