As old as time - Charles Leclerc

Oh, so now you care

Michelle

"Bonsoir" I said as I went back into the living room, My parents were sitting at the table, and My dad looked up at me with a sour glimpse. I silently sit down and start eating. After a while, my mother asked "Michelle, how are things with your job?" "not much, you know the usual" I replayed, My dad stopped eating with annoyance, he hates it when people talk at the dinner table, he angrily glanced at my mom so she ended the conversation early.

While I was walking up to my old bedroom my father yelled, "Michelle" I shrugged and walked back up to him. "Sit down" he muttered in French, I sat down on the other side of the couch, and he started reading the news on his Laptop, after a long period of pure silence he said, "So, did you meet Charles yet?" "No" I replied with no interest, "your birthday is coming up soon, you should plan a party for your friends". I was shocked, he remembered my Birthday?! In all the years that I've been on this planet My father never remembered my Birthday, nor showed any care whenever he was around for one. "are you planning on doing anything?" he added. For some reason, I got angry and said "Oh, so now you care" as I got up and quickly walked back to my room.

I felt a wave of emotions hitting me, I wanted to cry, why was I angry? Claudia's voice rang softly in my head "Acknowledge these memories, but never let them control you". "It's okay to cry, what's not okay is to make these emotions build up to the point of a mental breakdown". I felt the warm string of tears rushing down my cheeks, "It's been a while since I cried" I thought, living in Italy away from this house made me forget how it feels to relive what I've been through again and again every day.

Later that night my phone buzzed, and the screen lit up with a message notification, I opened the message and it was from Charles. he texted, "Hey Elle, wanna go out?" I replied, "hell yeah, where are u?" he replied, "I'm outside waiting for u, let's go" "OK, give me 10 min". I quickly washed my face and picked something to wear from my suitcase. I put on some lipstick and mascara and grab my purse as I ran outside to the elevator.

As I walked out of the building, I quickly spotted the Silver Porche 911, Charles waved with a big smile as he walked out of the car, he opened his arms and we hugged, "It's been so long since I saw you" I said while he opened the door for me, "I know, that's why I wanted to go out with you tonight" he replied, "when you told me you arrived today I assumed you'd be tired" I explained, "I guess I'm not!" he said while he fired up the car's engine.

"where are we going?" I asked, "somewhere nice" "I know, but where?" Charles ignored me, then rolled the window down as he approached the gate in front of his apartment's parking garage "You said somewhere nice, not your house!" I said annoyingly, and he said with a big grin "You are so impatient huh?".

He put his hand over my eyes and guided me to his apartment, when we finally got there he removed his hands and opened the door, the hallway was dark until he turned on the lights, "OMG Charlie!!" I screamed with happiness.

In front of me were all of my friends, a big pink cake that was poorly decorated (probably by one of them), and a cute black cat with a pink bow-shaped collar. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLE!!" Odette shouted with an ecstatic look. On the other side of the room, there was a blonde guy, Olivier, who also happened to be Odette's twin and one of my best friends, he squeezed his eyes as he was trying to open a bottle of champaign, while all of this was happening, Sarah, the chestnut-haired girl and Charles started running after the poor cat, it got probably scared after she heard the weird sounds these two where making.

Later that night

"So, what are you going to name him?" drunk Olivier suddenly shouted from the kitchen, "I suggest you name him Charles, you know?" Charles said, while lying on the floor, "Why would I name him Charles? I'm going to name him Niro" I replied, "I hate you" "I know that, thank you!" I said to him with a cocky grin on my face.

The next morning

I woke up as the sun hit my face through the big windows in Charles's apartment, well let's just say that the state that the living room was in was crazy, champaign on the floor, cake frosting smeared all over the couches, two noticeably drunk boys sleeping in the weirdest positions I've ever seen in my life, and Niro, now my cat, sleeping soundly under the couch.

I picked up my phone to check the time, It was 11 AM, and I had over 10 missed calls from my mom.