He snorted, then crossed his arms. "No one special. Just Ignis's crappy girlfriend."
"Wow, that's…pretty honest of you to say."
"Well, you'll see what I mean when you meet her. It's still early, though. Wanna walk around some more?"
Charlie smiled, her worries easing somewhat. "I'd love to."
She almost believed that she felt normal, but a guilty pang in her chest reminded Charlie that she and Griff weren't the same happy children they used to be. Not only that, maybe the tight bonds that once knit them so close together weren't so strong anymore. She only hoped they were, and that it was the lingering coldness from the city still clinging to her psyche.
"So, you never thought to…I don't know, text or anything?" Griff asked. "Not even a call?"
"Believe me, I wanted to! I just…wasn't allowed to."
"Huh!? Did you move into a prison or something? What gives?"
Charlie shrugged, avoided his gaze. "After we left, Mom made me promise not to reach out. She said we didn't belong here anymore. I was scared, and thought she was just trying to protect me."
"Uh, from what? Your friends? Family? Everyone that cared about you and missed you? That's seriously messed up, my girl."
Griff carved out their path, stuffing his hands into his pockets. For a moment they walked in silence and Charlie reflected on…a lot of things. The town, the people. Her memories.
"You remember that time we went into the Secret Woods?" Griff asked, almost like he'd taken the thought from her head.
There were a few times they'd snuck off to play there in the ruins. Not a lot of notable times…except for one. Charlie's lips curled up. "Yeah. You tripped over the only clearly visible log and went head-first right into the pond."
"I tripped over a branch hidden in the weeds!"
"Oh, come on! You had to know it was there."
Charlie recalled the girly shriek he'd given right before the plunge, and then the aftermath of her and Ignis trying to fish the flailing boy out before he drowned only to give up and scream for Adagium to save him. She wondered if this is what reminiscing was supposed to feel like: painful. Not the kind of pain from recalling it alone, but more like the bittersweet tug at recalling a bygone time that ended far too soon.
"We were always getting into some kind of trouble, weren't we?" Griff replied, smirking. "Speaking of, I was wondering if we could get into some tonight. For old time's sake?"
Charlie's smile grew. His kind of trouble was rarely harmful. "What did you have in mind?"
"Something I need Ignis to join us in. If he agrees, I'll talk."
Charlie laughed to herself. As much as she wanted to fall back into old times, she wanted to get settled in before she went around causing trouble like some miscreant. Once she nodded her agreement, Griff smiled, but quickly made an 'o' with his mouth as he dug out his phone. He scanned the screen then sighed.
"I gotta run for a bit," he explained. "Dad needs help unpacking some late crate before closing shop. See you later?"
"You bet."
"You my girl, Charlie," he said with a quick grin before running off. Charlie watched him disappear across the small river bridge and out of sight, her anxiety returning in full force.
‡ † ‡
The town retained much of its charm. The medical clinic had gotten a small upgrade, but otherwise looked the same, and Tal's general store had been added onto at least two times, making it into a proper grocery store. Charlie grinned. She knew only one person who could add on to such an old building and make it look good.
Turning away, she headed east. A large blue house sat by the road, cut off by a tall, wrought iron fence. Compared to small village charm, this house stood out as garish to her. She knew for certain it hadn’t been there before and had no clue who lived there, but the way her nose instinctively wrinkled told her all she needed to know about them.
Pushing past, she reached a small stone bridge. In her childhood, had led to both a small, two-story home and a community pond, though the second she reached the river she made an audible sound of disgust. On the other side was a sight she knew all too well—an obnoxiously large, glowing JaeCo sign sticking out of the rustic landscape like a sore thumb.
"They're like cockroaches," she muttered to herself.
Using the west Dellcro city of Arbre Delvie as its base of operations, the Jaeger Corporation was number one when it came to worldwide influence. Education, retail, science, energy, arms development, urban planning, space and aeronautics, food and pharmaceutical production, and even entertainment, the company had seen unprecedented growth. But to see its influence way out here was just mindboggling, even if it was just a movie theater.
As she turned away, she heard the automatic door of the cinema open and looked to see a man step out. He was pulling off a blue JaeCo shirt, but even without the uniform Charlie could very well have guessed the guy was an employee just by the look of utter misery on his face. So, she didn't mind it a bit when he stalked past her without so much as a glance.
Funnily enough they seemed to be going in the same direction. Every turn this man made, Charlie made, until the weathered old building brightly lit with a sparkling 'Luna Saloon' sign came into view. The man suddenly spun around, frowning in annoyance and frustration.
"I don't know you. Never seen you before, so why the hell are you following me?"
Charlie blinked in surprise before her eyes narrowed in the defensive anger she'd been so quick to hide behind in Drasil.
"I have no idea what your deal is, but I'm just trying to get to Luna. Same as you, it seems. I promised to meet Tal there tonight."
The man appraised her for a long moment, steely blue eyes locked onto her own. She half expected him to tell her to screw off and was well prepared to return the sentiment. Instead, the side of the guy's mouth quirked up into somewhat of a half-smile.
"New girl is a woman after my own heart," he said. "Name's Troy."
"Charlie. And I'm not 'new'," she stated. "I grew up here."
"Well, welcome back to the shithole that's Miner's Cove."
With a faint noise in response, Charlie followed Troy the rest of the way in silence.
III
Luna Saloon.
It was an interesting name for a seaside town bar, made all the better by the fact there was nothing notably good or notably bad about it. Charlie had been to dozens of bars ranging from upscale lounges to trashy college dives, but Luna was perfectly unique in that it was so blatantly normal. On the inside, at least. The front of the building was certainly something with the entire face used as a canvas for a fantastical work of art only a great mind could come up with and a skilled hand could make manifest.
In the end, Charlie's drink was cold, and the bartender was friendly, and that's really all she could have asked for in a bar.
The place was still mostly empty when Troy and Charlie arrived, no Griff or Tal in sight. A middle-aged Pelean woman who had clearly seen better days was slumped over the far end of the bar, but Charlie saw no reason to approach her. Nothing good would come of talking to someone that inebriated.
The owner, Cal, treated her to an appetizer which she gratefully accepted. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until the man offered, but as soon as Cal set the food down, she descended upon it like a starving vulture. Even as she stuffed her face, she came to the realization that it was the best cheese-n-chicken quesadilla she'd ever eaten. She vaguely realized that Troy was watching her with a small smirk on his face, but there wasn't a single iota of her being that cared. She was starving, and that house ranch sauce was downright amazing.
Cal gleamed with the pride of a mother hen when Charlie told him as much, leaving the man promising to make his famous chicky fries the next time she stopped by.
The Luna slowly filled up as the sun crept below the mountains, and Charlie was the evening's main attraction. Despite everything she had previously thought, she didn't mind near as much having everyone's eyes on
her.
The people she met seemed to remember her and seemed genuinely interested in her. Most of their comments fell along the lines of condolences for the loss of her grandmother and expecting such a young woman with her whole life still ahead of her to remain in the city. And honestly, Charlie felt mixed. Everyone she met were not only kind, but also piqued her curiosity as well. She didn't realize just how much could change in nine years.
She also forgot just how far removed from Drasil this place was, where people only approached you if they wanted something. Pretty faces, pretty lies, using people and being used in return. For the first time in a long while, Charlie realized that she was having an honestly good time.
The buzz from the pale ale probably helped, and Cal hinted that he'd keep them coming should she need them. Charlie leaned back in her chair, sipping at her third beer of the evening.
"C'mon, Sophie, be honest. Did you really paint the front of this place?" she asked the woman who had quickly trashed the doting teacher persona and become her drinking partner for the night. "All on your own?"
Sophie laughed. "Damn straight, I did! This place needed something to bring it out of the stone age, and Cal gave me a month's worth of free food as payment. He loves that awful piece of work."
"Oh, I don't think it's awful!" Charlie insisted. "It's just…creative."
"No, Sophie's right. It's awful."
Charlie turned to find Lori standing behind her, grinning. Tal was by her shoulder, trying in vain to hide his own grin.
"Oh, Lori, that hurts," Sophie said playfully. "So much so that I'm going to grab another drink to drown my sorrows. Need anything?"
All three of them shook their heads, and Sophie walked off.
Lori turned to Charlie and smiled. "So! How are things?"
"Honestly? I haven't felt this relaxed and…well, welcomed in so long. I got so used to being overlooked and glared at in the city. Everyone has been so kind."
"Good to hear."
"Not to mention you and Griff already ruined things," Tal stated, but Lori just laughed.
"You know you can't hide anything from your boy."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
While Tal made a fevered noise of disappointment, Lori only smiled and shook her head. Something told Charlie the two of them were much closer than she remembered, but it didn't feel like her place to ask what was up.
The mere mention of Griff seemed to be his cue, for he walked in the door not a second later. He took one look at the bar and headed over. His other friends—a tall, pale blonde guy dressed head to toe in all black and a girl with shimmering green hair—stared after him for a brief moment before heading into the adjoining room.
"Figured you guys would already be engrossed in your pool game," Lori said. With a lighthearted laugh, she added, "You ruined the whole plan, you know."
"Oughta know by now nothing gets by these eyes or ears."
Grinning, Tal raised an eyebrow. "Then explain why your room smells like ass and gym socks."
"Dad! Cut it out!"
"Ew," Charlie laughed. "I figured you'd be the lazy, jock airhead when you grew up."
Lori smiled, shaking her head. "Come on, Charlie. Masae's in here somewhere. She's been real excited to see you again."
Charlie somewhat awkwardly followed Lori across the room. Tal remained behind to lightly tease his grown son. She could almost feel the giddiness draining from him, like this was supposed to have been one of the best nights of his life, only for it to be dashed by his own dreamtouched son. Remembering the man's late wife had been a soldier, this probably would have been one of the best moments of his life in recent years.
Seated at the table Lori led her to was an older Yamatese man Charlie remembered to be Bolin, and beside him was a younger woman of mixed heritage—Masae. Lori waved to them.
"Charlie, I'm sure you remember Bolin?"
"Nice to see you again," Charlie replied, somewhat clumsily returning Bolin's much more proper bow. She'd never been too much into Yamatese customs and felt a little out of place.
"And to you as well, young Charlotte. Welcome back to Miner's Cove," he said with a polite smile. It didn't reach his eyes.
Masae, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear. "Charlie! I'm so glad you've finally come back home! It's almost like a completely new person's come to town. Oh, it's gonna switch up the town's dynamic for sure!"
Charlie couldn't help but laugh. "I don't know. I've become pretty stuffy these past few years." More like weary, but that was beside the point. "And that's the second most enthusiastic welcome I've gotten. So far," she added with a grin in Griff's direction.
Masae looked a little sheepish, but still pleased. "Sorry, girl. I get over-excited sometimes. What I'm trying to say is we didn't get much of a chance to be friends back then, so I'd like to be friends now."
"Yeah, I'd like that."
"Not to break up this budding friendship," Lori cut in, "but have either of you seen Ignis?"
"No," Bolin said simply.
Masae rolled her eyes at her dad, who pretended not to notice. "He's probably in the back with Gabriela," she said. "Him and Griff are supposed to settle a bet tonight, and he's probably trying to practice before he gets his butt kicked."
"Right, duh. Thanks, sweetie. Come on, Charlie."
Charlie said her goodbyes to Masae and Bolin, and she followed Lori to the game room that sat just off the bar area. It certainly looked the same as when Charlie was last here, and even the old, battered pool table was the same, in the same spot in the room's center. The only thing that looked new was the green felt. It was small and dated, like the rest of the place, but there were a few old school arcade machines that looked promising. An ancient CRT television played music videos along the opposite wall, and there were a number of couches and lounge chairs lining the perimeter of the space.
The pale guy in all black was bent over the far side of the table, blonde strands falling across his sleek glasses as he stared intently at the arrangement of balls in play. The green-haired girl sat cross-legged on the couch nearest him, idly twirling a lock of hair around her finger as she watched the scene with a bored expression.
"Alright! Game time!"
Griff loudly announced his presence, bounding over to grab a cue before taking his place at the table. He motioned for Charlie to do the same, but Charlie ultimately decided to sit the first game out and just observe. She and Lori leaned against the entryway's frame, watching the group with amused interest.
The minutes passed as each player took their turn, the silence interruptedly only by the crack of a cue stick on the cue ball. Towards the end, Griff leaned in close enough to be in clear violation of personal space boundaries as Ignis lined up his shot. His lips pressed together slightly, but there was otherwise no outward sign that the close proximity rattled him. His stick hit the cue with a loud crack, sending it rocketing toward a cluster of balls near the side pocket. Two solids dropped, one in the side and one in the corner, before the cue rolled to a stop in line with a third.
Griff groaned, eliciting a smirk from Ignis as he then shoved him out of his bubble. Gabriela just rolled her eyes.
Lori nudged Charlie. "Sure you don't wanna join in?"
"I don't know," she said slowly. These guys were emitting some serious clique vibes and—despite knowing full well she was welcomed by Griff—Charlie truly didn't feel like she belonged.
"What?" Griff laughed. "Don't tell me those fancy city clubs didn't have a pool table."
Charlie snorted. "They did, but billiards weren't exactly the kinda balls I had in mind when I went."
At the mention of the city, the previously uninterested pair sent their gazes her way. However, theirs weren't warm and welcoming like that of Griff. Gabriela and Ignis appraised Charlie like she was up for auction and the walls she'd gradually let down over the course of the evening slammed right back into place. Feeling self-conscious and awkward in the presence of these two, she retreated back to
ol' reliable: wearing the face of someone much more confident.
"Hey," she said with practiced nonchalance, nodding to each of the two in turn. She turned to Ignis, a genuine smile on her face. "Nice to see you're still putting Griff in his place."
Ignis stared at her for a moment, expression unreadable despite the confliction in his ice chip eyes. His eyes flicked to his mom and then back, eyebrows raised. He looked at Charlie a little harder—scrutinizing—but there was no light or warmth or even recognition. He muttered his thanks, turning away to retrieve his drink from the small table behind him.
"Aw man, Charlie, don't puff his head up anymore," Griff said with a grin.
Lori laughed and excused herself, citing something about Bolin never ordering the right food. Tal never entered the game room but was seen briefly having a seemingly more-than-friendly chat with the carpenter before offering a wave as he dashed out the door.
"So!" Griff said loudly. "Gabby! This is the girl I told you about. Y'know, the one me and Iggy grew up with?"
"The one who up and left you guys in the dust, if I'm remembering right," Gabriela said.
Something in her tone rubbed Charlie the wrong way, and she could see why Griff spoke so harshly and honestly about her. She was just about to make an excuse to leave when Gabriela walked over to where she stood. She glared at Griff before turning her gaze to Charlie.
"So, you're up in Old Lady Marianne's house, huh? Must be nice having your own place. You're only, what…twenty?"
"Twenty-two."
"Hey, that's right! You, me, and Iggy are the same age. Gabby's an old fogey, though," Griff added with a chuckle.
"Twenty-four isn't old, dick," Gabby seethed. "So, Charlie. You're from Drasil, right? Why'd you come to a shithole like Miner's Cove?"
Given how intertwined the town's history was with her family, Charlie got the feeling Gabriela was the true outsider here if she was asking such an easily answered question. Still she stood there, looking at her expectantly while Charlie struggled to find an appropriate response. It was hard when you didn't really know it yourself.
The Silence Between Page 6