Charlie glanced at Ruthie and Emily. Both had an expression of annoyance at Aunt Rose's statement. She couldn't help but get the sense that her aunt didn't approve of the two girls seeing each other. So, against her better judgement, she decided she should find out why. It certainly would make things more interesting.
Besides, maybe it would help her understand her cousin a little more. Maybe even make it so her cousin wasn't as annoying. It was a fleeting hope, but at the moment it was still there.
So, Cherie and Charlie quickly moved the bags into the opposite rooms with their aunt supervising. After that, she began ordering them around to make the room she'd be taking to her liking. Although, Charlie had an idea that she thought might earn her a favor from her sister.
"Oh, Cherie!" Charlie said suddenly, as she started rearranging things as her aunt directed. "Didn't you have plans that couldn't be changed with your friends about now?"
"Huh?" Cherie asked, looking confused for a moment, but then when Cherie looked at Charlie's grin, she understood. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot about it." Cherie then turned to her aunt and apologized. "I'm sorry, Aunt Rose, but I have something I had planned with my friends that I can't get out of. I thought we'd be done by now, but it's important, so I have to leave right now."
Their aunt glared at Cherie, but Cherie wasn't going to let that stop her escape. She merely just took off, leaving Charlie behind, which Charlie didn't blame her sister for.
It didn't take Charlie very long to make the changes, but it did tire her out quite a bit. She wondered if she had the energy to make her own clean escape when she was allowed to leave. Though, at the moment she felt her bed calling for her and she wanted nothing more than to answer the call and take a nap. Unfortunately, she heard a voice in her head as she started climbing the stairs back to the kitchen.
–Charlie? Would you have a minute?– Emily asked with her magic.
–Could you talk to me as I went to my room? I just want a nap.– Charlie replied, hoping Emily would agree to that.
–Sorry, but I promise I won't take long, okay?– Emily said.
–Fine, but either come chasing after me to talk or take the stairs by the living room. I don't want Ruthie or my aunt to ask about why I suddenly changed where I was heading.– Charlie said, hoping that Emily wouldn't care to do that.
–Uh, well, I can accept that about your aunt, but well, uh, Ruthie already knows.– Emily stammered.
Charlie just shook her head. She wasn't sure what the circumstances were, but part of her didn't care. She was not happy with this new revelation, although she at least had comfort in knowing that her cousin didn't know because of her.
–How does she know?– Charlie asked, continuing to make her way up the stairs at a calm pace.
–Because I told her. We've known each other for years and I told her when I got my magic unsealed. I even offered to unseal hers when I learned how, but she declined. Then when I told her about you, when I didn't know you were related to her, I mentioned about you having magic.– Emily commented, sounding like she wasn't sure if she should regret having done that or not.
Charlie merely sighed. While it wasn't ideal, at least there was someone else she could talk to about magic related subjects. –What do you want to talk about?– Charlie asked as she entered the kitchen.
–Uh, I think we should talk about it in person rather than like this.– Emily replied.
–Alright, fine. I'll be in the living room.– Charlie replied.
Charlie walked over to the living room, not really surprised to find the Emily and Ruthie hadn't come up the stairs yet. So, she sat down on the couch, and leaned back, closing her eyes.
She wasn't sure if she fell asleep or if she just didn't hear them come up the stairs, especially since the stairs didn't creak or make any noise if a person just walked up or down them; either one was just as possible. She just knew that Ruthie was tapping her forehead to get her up.
"Okay, so what do you want?" Charlie asked, not caring for the pleasantries.
"I was wondering if I could meet the unicorn," Ruthie said.
Charlie couldn't say that she was surprised. Not just about Ruthie wanting to meet Petals, but also knowing about her.
"I'll need to talk with my friends before I can do that, and then get permission from Petals," Charlie said, quietly, just in case her aunt was close enough to hear her without her being aware. Although, while she didn't really need to ask Petals, she didn't think it necessary to let Emily or her cousin know that.
"Who's Petals?" Emily asked.
"The unicorn," Charlie said, wondering if Emily really needed her to say.
"Will you be able to do that before the week is done?" Ruthie asked.
Charlie nodded. "Yeah, I should be able to. It won't be difficult to get permission," Charlie replied.
Emily looked at Charlie carefully. "You sound like you don't expect a problem with it? Like things were already decided," Emily said warily.
Charlie looked at Emily levelly. "It doesn't really matter about keeping magic secret from you since you knew about it before I even met you, and you telling Ruthie was your choice. So my friends can't complain about that. Even if they don't like it.
"That said, since you know about magic, it isn't a real issue for you to meet Petals. Then in regards to the entrance to Petals' forest, Heathcliff and his people already know where the entrance is, so it isn't like we have a monopoly on that knowledge. So, it shouldn't be a problem in all, but I still need to talk with my friends before we talk to Petals," Charlie answered.
"That's it?" Emily asked. "I was expecting that you'd had others who already learned about it and a problem had occurred so you had set up rules or something to keep whatever from happening again."
Ruthie was giggling by the time Emily finished, which Emily gave her an offended expression.
"Sorry," Ruthie apologized as she continued to giggle. "Just the way you put it made it funny."
Emily sighed, sounding rather annoyed. "Well, when would you be able to get in touch with your friends?"
"I'll be meeting with them tomorrow," Charlie said. "But if you'd like, I don't think they'd object if both of you joined us."
Emily and Ruthie exchanged a glance, making Charlie wonder just how close the two were, before nodding.
"Yeah, we wouldn't mind joining you," Ruthie said.
"Okay, I'll let you know when I'll be leaving to meet my friends tomorrow," Charlie said, standing up to head back to her room.
"Thanks," Ruthie replied, smiling as she took Emily's hand in hers. Although, they quickly stopped as they hear Aunt Rose start up the stairs.
Charlie wanted to ask what that was about, but was too tired at the moment to care. She wanted to just get her nap and if her aunt saw her, there was a chance she wouldn't be able to get her nap, so she quickly made her way to the stairs and started climbing them as quietly as she could without slowing down.
_
"Alex, you really don't have to worry," Beth said, laying on her bed with her phone between her head and pillow. It was early morning, not even eight, and she was still in her pajamas, even though she'd been awake for half an hour already.
"Are you sure?" Alex said, her tone still rather worried.
"Look, if Charlie said that, then I'm sure she'll stand by it. If she decides she doesn't like it, then she'll have only herself to blame and I really don't think she's the type to push the blame on others. So, if she says that you can sleep with other girls, then go ahead with that if you want to," Beth said, wishing that Alex would make a decision already.
Ever since Charlie let Alex know that she wasn't comfortable being touched more than her breasts and those only through clothing, let alone getting in bed with her and told her that if she needed to, that she could hook up with another girl to meet her need, Alex had been fretting about what she should do. She'd even asked Beth herself once if she would sleep with her after that, but Beth had to decline because she was already going out with someone else.
"Is there anyone that she'd really not like me to be with?" Alex asked. For at least the umpteenth time, or at least that's how it felt to Beth.
"I really don't think so," Beth said. "From what I've known about Charlie was that she didn't connect with others that much. If there was someone she might have a problem with you sleeping with, that probably would be her sister, but I don't really think her sister is interested in other girls."
Alex sighed. "Okay, I'll try it then," Alex said. "Oh, ummmm, are you sure you wouldn't let me do you?"
Beth had a mixture of annoyance and amusement at that question. Annoyance because of how she'd already answered that question and amusement because of how adorable she was finding Alex's behavior at the moment. Alex didn't want to hurt Charlie, but at the same time sounded like she really needed to get laid. Beth couldn't be sure if there was a psychological problem that she was using sex to compensate for, but she wouldn't be able to figure out how it would be if that was the case. Especially since, for all she knew, Alex just had a libido that once woken up, it needed to be satisfied a lot.
"Look, if I wasn't going out with my current boyfriend, then yeah, I'd love to get a piece of you," Beth sighed. "We'll see if things change down the road, but not right now. Go with the girl that Allison said she knows. See how that turns out, okay?"
"I'm still not sure," Alex said. "I've never slept with someone I didn't know before."
"Well, if you don't like it, you could always see if one of your other friends would be interested. If they're dating a guy, you could offer to join them and make it a threesome if they were interested, though that might be a little much, since I can't say if your friends would appreciate that, or would even really go for it," Beth commented.
"Ugh," Alex replied. "Somehow that feels even worse."
Beth laughed. "Hey, I'm just pointing out options. At least I'm not suggesting you try to get laid by your grandma," Beth said.
"Eww! Stop!" Alex protested. "Are you trying to give me nightmares?"
"No, but some people do have weird ideas," Beth said. "So, why shouldn't I give a weird idea or two?"
Alex sighed. "If you're going to give weird ideas, why not ideas that aren't so gross?"
"We could always see if there's someone you know at school that you'd be willing to fuck," Beth said, wondering if she should just stop. The topic felt like she was running it into the ground and she was also starting to get bored with it.
"Maybe," Alex said, though her tone said that she was done with the topic as well. "I'm njust not sure, really."
"No problem," Beth said. "Though, will your grandma be there for Thanksgiving?"
"Yeah, she's on vacation from her company for the week. Aside from spending time with Charlie, I don't have any plans at the moment for hanging out with anyone other than my grandma right now," Alex answered.
"Sounds good," Beth said,, yawning.
"Well, I probably should let you go," Alex said.
"Call when you want my help again," Beth said.
"I will, thanks," Alex said as the line went dead.
Beth removed her phone from between her head and her pillow. She hadn't really cared to deal with that conversation right now, but the soorner it was dealt with, the better. Especially since it looked like Alex might be finally making a decision about the whole situation, which hopefully meant that she wouldn't bother Beth with it as much. Especially since Beth really didn't want to be the one running interference between Alex and Charlie's lack of physical intimacy.
When the two started getting together, Beth thought things would calm down and be simple; or at least simpler. So, it's a good thing she hadn't put money down what would happen, since things had just gotten more complicated and she couldn't' think of what she could do to, at the very least, get herself out from the middle of it. She really didn't care to field such questions when she wasn't the one dating Alex. Although, she could understand why Alex wasn't bothering Charlie with this. Charlie would probably be even more indecisive than Beth and probably would feel more pressure to get in bed with Alex.
Beth was about to head out of her room to get something to eat for breakfast when her phone rang. Beth couldn't help but roll her eyes, assuming it was Alex again. Maybe giving her an update or something on what she had said she'd decided.
Yet, when she answered, she was surprised to find it was Charlie. Usually she didn't call on days they'd already agreed to meet, so she hadn't expected this. Much like the Spanish Inquisition, Beth joked in her mind.
"Hey, Beth?" Charlie said, sounding a little uneasy.
"Something wrong?" Beth asked, hoping there wasn't a problem. She wasn't sure she could really handle it if there was.
"Well, kinda," Charlie hedged. "You know how I told you my cousin, Ruthie was visiting this week, right?"
"Yeah, did she see or hear something we didn't want her to?" Beth asked, already expecting Charlie to say 'yes' and that it was her being careless.
"Ummm, not from me," Charlie said, sounding like she was being careful with her words.
"What do you mean 'not from you?'" Beth demanded. "Who else in your house could have spilled the beans?"
Charlie laughed nervously. "Actually, her girlfriend did," Charlie answered.