Charlie

It's been a week since I first went into the bakery. It's been six days since I offered to help Olivia.

I've also been trying to not visit the bakery so that I can give her time to think about the offer. But, I've been in here almost every day after school. It's been the same ritual. I walk in, a guy about a year older than me greets me, I buy some fudge - I've been trying different ones each day but my favorite one is still the Cherry Chocolate one. I sit at the table closest to the employee door, start my homework and wait for Olivia.

One thing I've noticed since being here is that she's very much a people person. She's always smiling and happy to everyone, even the grumpy ones. She can talk forever with anyone about the smallest of topics and make it seem huge.

I also think she's head over heels for her co-worker.

Everytime they're working together up front she steals as many glances at him as she can. Everytime he talks to her, her face lights up. She can never say no to him and she seems more stiff around him than anyone else.

"I'll see you on Saturday?" the guy asks as he gets up from the till.

I glance over at them and try to seem not interested.

The grin that had just been present on Olivia's face is wiped off. "I don't work on Saturday."

Nick frowns. "Why not?"

"I asked for the day off to have a girls day with Naomi."

Nick nods. "Then I'll see you Monday?"

"Yeah!"

I turn and focus on my homework as they both walk to the employee door. Their conversation reaches me before disappearing with them into the backroom. It's not often that they walk out together, but I guess it's slow enough that she doesn't need to stay up here.

I can't help but feel a little disappointed that she isn't up here.

"Are you spying on me?"

I jump in my chair. "What?"

I turn around and find her piercing blue eyes staring at me.

"You're here after school every day now and you don't leave until ten minutes before closing times. Or, you leave after me."

I gulp. "It's not like that."

She raises an eyebrow. "Then what is it like? Because it sure seems like you're stalking me."

I sling my arm over the back of the chair as I turn to fully face her. "I'm um... I've just discovered that this is a really good place to study." I point towards my open math book.

Somehow her brow goes higher. She crosses her arms. "Did you know you're a really bad liar?"

I shake my head.

"So what's the real reason?"

I sigh. If I tell her I'm sure it'll make me look more like a stalker. But if I lie again I think she'll see through it. "I'm waiting to hear whether or not you're going to take my offer up."

She rolls her eyes and sighs. "Why is everyone so concerned about my future?"

I shrug. That seems to be the wrong response though as she seems to get more upset.

She pinches the bridge of her nose. "Can you leave please?"

"But-"

She holds her finger up. "Nope. I don't want to hear about the offer. If I want to take you up on it I will find you."

"You don't even-"

"You're in grade twelve at Anderson High School. Your second period is math with Ms K."

My mouth pops open. "How do you-"

"Naomi's in your class."

"Are you sure you don't want to be a detective?" I ask, a smirk on my face.

She points to the door. Her face is almost as red as her hair. "Get out!"

I nod and start shoving my stuff into my bag. "Sorry." I don't look back as I leave the bakery, but the moment I'm outside I shake my head at myself. Why did I think it was a good idea to come to her? To come to the bakery everyday after school? Why didn't I realize that it looked stalkerish?

I sigh. I don't want to go home yet. Something about changing my afternoon up for a week has made me realize how lame my life was before.

I contemplate heading to dad's work but he would just ask me how it's going with finding my 'client' a job. And that's something that definitely isn't a safe topic. So I pull my phone out and text El.

Hey, can I come over?

He replies almost instantly. Course.

So I turn away from the bakery and dad's office and head over to El's apartment.

***

I press the buzzer for apartment three. It makes that annoying high pitched buzz sound for a minute straight before a male voice stops it. "Charlie?" My name cracks as the buzzing tries to come back.

"Ello."

"Shove it!"

When I first came here when I was little El told me that all I had to do was give the door a shove and it would open. Me, being the kid who wanted them as a friend, followed their instructions. Long story short, I ended up with a sore arm that day. And now it's an inside joke. I grin and pull the door open.

Even though the building is ten floors high, El lives on the second floor. What's even more surprising about that is the fact that when this building was built they were the last ones to move in. And no one has lived there before them.

When I get to his floor he's already standing half in and half out of his apartment. A gaming controller in his hands.

"Come on man!" he yells at me. "I'm about to die."

My grin grows wider. I run the rest of the way down the hall and grab the door from them and they dash out of sight in their apartment. I can't help but chuckle at their enthusiasm over video games. They're even more die hard about them than I am.

I close the door behind me, kick my shoes off and make my way into his living room. He stands in front of his tv.

I plop down on the couch. "Did you die?"

He groans and spins around. "Yes!"

I smirk.

"This isn't funny!"

"It kind of is."

He grabs at his hair and plops down beside me. "This was supposed to be the moment I proved everyone in that game wrong."

I clap his shoulder. "You'll get 'em next time."

He sinks back into the couch. "Doubtful."

I shake my head. They have no confidence in their skills but yet they're the best at any game they play. Video games, that is. Not any actual sports ones.

They give me the side eye. "Why are you here anyways? Shouldn't you be at that bakery with your new crush?"

I roll my eyes. "She's not my new crush."

He raises an eyebrow that says they don't believe me. "Are you sure? You've been going there all week just to see her."

"So that I can help her find a career she likes," I finish for them.

"And has she taken you up on that offer?"

"Well, no. But-"

"No but! You're not there to help! You're there because you like her!"

"Dude! I don't! I'm still trying to get over Eva."

He sighs. "She wasn't worth your time and still isn't."

I run a hand through my hair before leaning forward on my knees. "You act like I don't know that," I whisper.

His hand clamps on my shoulder. "I'm sorry man. I know you really liked her."

I nod. Words can't express how much I liked her. She was my first and only crush ever too. And trying to move past her after five years isn't as easy as El thinks it is.

"Do you want to take your mind off her?"

"I want to take my mind off everything," I tell him.

I watch as he gets up from the couch, changes the game and grabs another remote. He turns around and holds it out to me. I grin as he wiggles it up and down, taunting me to take it.

I snatch the controller from him.

"Best out of three?"

"Best out of nine," I counter. "I've got nothing but time."