Winter break is here. Finally. I'm burnt out from all the exams and damn presentations. I need and deserve a break. However, I find myself at Charlie's place rather than being in the comfort of my own home to relax. Not that I'm complaining though. It had nearly slipped my mind that we agreed to this, but today our "writing and drawing weekend marathon" begins. Charlie likes to call it that. We didn't have the time to work on our Web Comic for the past few weeks, so we're making up for it.
So, here I am.
I glance at Charlie, and as expected, he's still glued to his screen, typing away like I've never witnessed before. He's been at it for hours. I firmly believe he forgot I'm even here. Charlie is especially motivated because our Comic hit 500 views the other day. Thanks to Jay's help and a crash course on marketing your work on Social Media, our engagement skyrocketed over the time. It's not a lot in my opinion, but it isn't nothing either. And seeing Charlie's excitement and his gummy smile makes it all worth it.
I'm tempted to get up and make myself another cup of tea, but I don't want to break Charlie out of his trance. I've finished drawing the upcoming episodes a while ago now, and I'm starting to feel restless. I could take a short nap. I need sleep, but seeing Charlie's unrelenting focus, I can't bring myself to get some shut-eye. He looks cute like that, wrapped in a thick blanket with his back hunched over and his hair a total mess. I'm so close to taking a quick picture of him.
And that thought right there is my cue to get some rest before my mind wanders further to a place I don't want to acknowledge. I'm about to drift off to sleep when I notice something amiss. I don't hear any typing or clicking anymore. Curious, I peel my eyes open only to be met by huge eyes staring directly at me.
"Christ…" I jolt back slightly. "Charlie, you scared me!"
I don't think I ever expected Charlie to watch me sleep.
And to my surprise, he doesn't make an effort to move and just continues to stare. It's slowly starting to freak me out since he's not saying anything. "Uh, Charlie?"
Finally, he speaks softly. "You have a really tiny mole on your left eyelid."
"What?"
"A beauty mark," Charlie repeats casually.
I chuckle. "I do, huh? So, you were watching me sleep?"
"Yeah," he admits almost immediately.
I feel like a deer caught in headlights. He was the one caught staring at me, so why do I feel so flustered? I awkwardly clear my throat, trying to find a way to change the subject. Lucky for me, the doorbell rings. I release a breath I didn't know I was holding as I watch Charlie make his way to the door.
A dude steps into the living room, and I sit up a little straighter before Charlie stands between us with a smile.
"Blake, this is Luke. My best friend," he announces, then turns to face his friend. "Luke, this is Blake. The one I told you about."
The one he told him about? Interesting. I wonder what Charlie spilled about me.
"Hey, nice to meet you!" Luke says, waking me from my trance.
I smile, shaking his hand. "Likewise."
Luke turns to Charlie. "I'm just dropping something off, I'll leave you guys be in a second."
Charlie nods and we watch as Luke starts to head to the kitchen, carrying a grocery bag in hand.
I can't help but let out a tiny snort. "Wow, a friend who brings you food over! I would like to get one of those. Mine doesn't do that."
Charlie laughs softly. "No, it's not like that. Aunty most likely asked him to do that."
I raise an eyebrow. "Aunty?"
"Luke's mom," he answers simply. "He and I have been friends since we were kids because of our parents. We were the only Chinese residents in the neighbourhood, so our families became really close."
"Makes sense."
Just then, my phone buzzes on the table and I look over. No surprise there. It's blondie. Again. Man, that guy is persistent. I told him I was busy today. Now he even dares to call me. I groan, flipping my phone over.
Charlie hovers next to me, curiously staring at my phone. "You should get that. I think it's important."
I shake my head. "It's just Louis. He wants me to go to the club with him and Jay."
Charlie perks up. "Oh, then you should definitely go. Your friends are waiting for you."
"No, it's fine," I huff, waving a dismissive hand. "Our Web Comic is much more important than some club."
Charlie crosses his arms, shaking his head. "Yeah, but your friends are important too. We can work on our comic another time. We've made a lot of progress today."
I totally agree with him on that last part, but the whole point of working on our comic together is so I can spend time with him. But how do I tell him that without… actually saying it?
I grumble under my breath. When Charlie looks at me like that, almost pouty and eyes narrowed, I find it hard to say no.
"Fine," I breathe. "But you're joining!"
Charlie raises an eyebrow, completely taken aback. "Me?"
"Yes, you." I huff, leaving no room for arguments. Then I turn to his friend, who was on his way to leave without a word. "You're invited too!"
Luke stops in his tracks, slowly turning to look at me, then at Charlie. "Uh, sure."
"Wait, what?" Charlie almost roars as he walks over to his friend. "You don't even like going to the club."
Luke shrugs. "Neither do you. And besides, I was invited."
I can't help but chuckle as they playfully start to bicker and proceed to I grab my phone and send Louis a quick message:
"We're on our way."
I get a reply almost immediately:
Louis: "WHO'S WE?!"