// ROBBERS //

"I did it Grace, I finished it. You were right." I was sat with her arms wrapped around me. I went straight back to our flat after I had that whole thing with Finn and I prayed that she was home. I when I saw she was I was the closest to tears I've been in a while.

"I'm so proud of you Charlie," she let go of me and I sat up slightly. She put her hands on my shoulders and said, "Tommy would be so proud of you Charlie." I smiled a real smile, one that made my cheeks hurt.

The thought of facing Finn almost everyday in uni made me want to never go again. I wasn't even enjoying it, I hated law and I had no interest in it what so ever. The only reason I was doing it was because that's what my parents wanted and I was going to drop out after the first year but then Tommy died and I just couldn't face disappointing them. I was already the disappointment of the family, Tommy was the genius of the family. Aspiring to be a brain surgeon while his little sister enjoyed art and photography and acting and anything that wasn't academic, cliche right? I wish I was more look Grace. I guess you could say she was what you would call a 'free spirit' she's 20 and has no idea what she wants to do with her life, currently working full time in cafe Nero and she's the happiest person I know.

"Are you going to tell Matty what happened with you and Finn?" Grace asked,

"I don't know, should I?"

"Yes yes yes a thousand times yes!"

"So no?" I said sarcastically, she rolled her eyes.

"You're such a loser, now call him."

//

"So let me get this right, he cheated on you a week after your brother had died. And you stayed with him?" Matty asked me. Although I'm pretty sure it was a rhetorical question. I put my face in my hands, it sounded horrific every time anyone said it. He glanced over at me then looked back at the road. We were on our way to his flat where George Adam and Ross were.

"Charlie?"

"Matty?"

"How did your brother die? You don't have to answer, I mean if you don't want to you don't have to, if you don't want to talk about it that's-"

"It's fine," I laughed at how flustered he was getting. Even a guy as cool as him could get flustered, what a revelation. "He died in a car accident, a drunk driver went into him as he was driving home from work."

"Shit Charlie that's fucked up, I'm really sorry."

"It's fine." I stared out the window, "I mean it's not, it's totally fucked. The whole aspect of death confuses me. It's really fucked up how one minute he's a brother and he's a son, a cousin, a nephew, a friend and then the next, he's gone. Just like that."

"Life's fucked up Charlie."

"You really believe that?"

"Yeah I mean I don't want to die or anything like that, I mean I love my life. It's just life is fucked isn't it? It's really fucking fucked. It's so fucking sad that your brother died and I don't understand why life brings such pain to an individual,"

He pulled up outside his flat and switched the engine off. The silence was almost painful. His words were still floating in the air. He got out of the car without saying anything and walked toward his building. I hurried out after him.

George, Ross and Adam were sat on a sofa drinking beers. Matty went straight to the kitchen and grabbed a beer.

"Want one Charlie?" He asked,

"Uh no thanks," I walked over to where they were all sitting.

"Hey, Charlie was it?" George said,

"Hey, yeah," I hovered slightly, I felt awkward. Matty was still in the kitchen and I don't quite know what to do with myself.

"Here sit, I need to take a leak anyway," George said, I laughed slightly.

"You were the girl at the pub the other day right? The one who had seen us play in the towers ages ago?" Adam asked,

"Yup that's me,"

"I'm Ross." He extended his arm out, I took it and we shook hands lightly. I didn't even know anyone shook hands anymore.

"This is Charlotte guys," matty came and sat next to me as he guzzled down a beer.

"It's actually Charlie." I shot matty an unimpressed look. Adam and Ross both laughed. George returned with a beer in his hand and two beers for Ross and Adam,

"Did you want one Charlie?" George asked me.

"Charlotte," Matty corrected George before I could answer,

"It's just Charlie actually and no I'm fine thank you." Matty smiled and put his arm around me, and looked at me as if to say 'you know you love me', I rolled my eyes and looked away from him.

"So just Charlie are you coming to the party we're having tomorrow?" Ross asked,

"Oh uh, I didn't know you were having a party," I turned to look at matty who was glaring at Ross. Ross sat back in his chair and looked back from Adam and then to George who both were looking anywhere but Matty and I. I wanted the ground to swallow me up. I shifted in my chair slightly, Matty's arm still dangling on my shoulder.

"I was going to ask you to come, I just didn't really think it was your thing and it's not really a party it just a gathering, a welcome home kind of thing. Boring," Matty rambled.

"It's fine. Uh I think I'm just going to go," I removed Matty's arm from my shoulder and got up to leave. "Nice meeting you guys," I walked towards the door and I heard George say, "dick move Matty mate." Then I heard Matty running towards me just bro few I got to the door,

"Charlie wait. You can come tomorrow darling, I just didn't think you'd like to."

"No honestly it's fine, you didn't have to invite me, you don't have to invite me. Honestly just don't worry,"

"No darling please come, I want you there."

"Clearly that's why you told me about the party in the first place."

I opened the door and walked out. He followed me out.

"CHARLIE WAIT!"

"What Matty?"

"At least let me drive you home,"

"No I'll walk." I turned and walked down the stairs as fast as I could before leaving him a space to answer. I don't even know why I was mad. I mean was I even allowed to be mad? Did I actually have the right to be mad?