Chapter one

Fascinating

When Charlie was with his sisters on the way for New Jersey, he couldn't contain the anger he was feeling. The tears were streaming down silently down his face, while the car rattled on the way.

You guys will love New Jersey kids! - Their mother looked at the road, her eyes were black blurred, due the crying and the cheap mascara she used to wear. That image and that day would never leave his head.

She parked the car on the narrow street. The red-weathered brick house and short black iron gate was simple and seemed to be small, in a way, semi-detached with the neighboring house. A small step leads to the main entrance door. Then her grandmother appeared, with a concerned look, going straight to her mother and hugging her.

- Why are we at grandma's? It´s not christmas yet! – said Julie, looking through the window.

- Didn´t you realized?- Charlie turned angrily to Julie – She will leave us with our grandma forever Julie! She doesn't want us anymore!

- Charlie! She doesn´t understand yet! – said Allie, turning to the passenger seat. She had the eyes of Charlie, but with a bulky orange hair.

Then, their mother opened the door, asking then to leave and take their luggage. The house was a little bit dark, but it was very cozy, different from theirs. The floor was wooden, and right at the entrance there was a staircase that led to the second floor of the house. Next to it was the kitchen, all wooden, small, with a round table with four seats. The room had a fireplace, with some pictures of them and decorations. There was a leather sofa covered with a blanket, an armchair, the TV, and a chandelier that Charlie thought was "old people's stuff". White curtains were covering the window.

- Kids, I have to go now, but I´ll call you, ok? – She hugged Allie and then Julie ran to hug her too. Then, after saying goodbye to the girls, she addressed Charlie, who was looking at her with angry eyes.

- Charles... – She tried to touch his face, but he took her hand away, silently - I know you don't understand now ... - She started to cry again and he lowered his head, crying. She tried to hug him.

- No! - He pushed her – I hate you! – He said and went upstairs, without looking back. He went into the bathroom in the bedroom corridor, locked it, sat on the checkered floor, hugged his legs and cried. His heart was broken.

And then, ten years later he was there, in the same bathroom, leaning on the sink, shaving the little beard he had.

- Julie! If you want a ride, stop fooling around and get down! I'll be out in a minute! - He said to his younger sister.

- All right Charlie! - Julir yelled from her room. He would leave her at work and he would go to his work too. Charlie works part-time in sales and at night he goes for his second job: Barman, at Selene bar.

He came out of the bathroom with his hair still wet, wearing a black T-shirt of his favorite band: The 1975, pants of the same color, ripped by the knees, and vans sneakers with plaid details. He and Julie almost ran into each other in the narrow corridor, but Charlie gave way to "Hurricane Jules" and got out of her way so she could go down the stairs- Grandma, we are going! – He went till the kitchen, where his grandmother was watching the News.

- Oh sweet heart, have a nice day! - She said, being hugged by him, and then, kissed his forehead.

- Tomorrow is my day-off of the Bar, so I think we can watch a movie together – He suggested to the little and wrinkled woman who lovely took care of him during those years – What you think?

- Ah Darling, I end up falling asleep every time! And you always scolded me for it! And I'm even going deaf - she joked.

- Movie for tomorrow night grandma, and don´t sleep! - He hurried out the door, and soon his grandmother could hear the car´s engine starting and him leaving for a day's work. She loved her granddaughters, but Charlie was special. It was her heart outside her chest, and she always treated him with a lot of love and patience, until he finally gave in and was sweet to her.

Charlie was attending as usual that night, talking little to customers, but whenever he saw a pretty girl, he slid a drink "on the house". Always with strawberries, after all, girls love strawberries, right?He knew he was a guy who called attention, after all, he was constantly reminded of that. In his spare time, Charlie liked to get together with his friends and rehearse because they had a band since high school. The period when he moved to New Jersey with his sisters was, although hard due to the abandonment, a positive change, so positive that he did not think about leaving the city, at least not so soon. Finally, he had felt "at home" as he hadn't felt in a long time. He remembered his teenage years, where he and his friends Tom and Billy "blasted" the city. They climbed water tanks, drank hidden beer, entered empty houses, wandered around the city. Those were good times!

 He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, and went out to pick up the call, going to the farthest corner of the bar. He put one finger to his ear, covering it so he could hear better. It was Julie, and she was crying.

- Charlie! A terrible thing has happened! - She sobbed on the other end of the line - It's Grandma!

Charlie felt a chill in his spine at that moment and held his breath and his heart was racing. This was not happening - He tought.