With a curious glint in her eyes, Charlie made a mental note to inquire more about Mila's past. She smiled as the other girl reached a comforting hand to help steady her. Char shook her head, a piece of hair fall from her messy bun and into her eyes. "I'm so clumsy." Her laughter filled the air in the kitchen as she tucked the fallen piece of hair shyly behind her ear. "I'll be fine, just a little off this morning. It can't be anything you did." By this time she had herself up on the counter. "By the way, you can cook anytime. I suck at it, so you can take that job." Humor lit up her face and made her dainty features, which at the moment seemed a little hallow, brighten just a bit. 

[i]“I’ll see you tonight. Keep the receipt for that wine, I want to split it with you.”[/i]

Lazily saluting Char leaned back against the cabinets and kicked her legs absently. "They extra key is hanging by the door." She called, pointing towards a tacky "Home is Where the Heart Is" sign that had several small key hooks. "See ya later." Her voice faded off as the front door clicked shut and her oddly intriguing roommate disappeared behind it. Silence lingered for several long minutes later. Char's head rested against the smooth wood of the dish cabinet as she procrastinated idly. A slow, exasperated moan broke the quiet as she nimbly swung her legs off the counter and landed catlike on the tiled floor. Her socked feet cushioned the landed, muffling the thud that sounded when her feet connected with the floor and she grabbed the counter tightly to steady her fall. "Time to clean." The sarcasm dripped in her voice as she reached towards an old stereo and flicked it on. The static laced music pumped cheerfully through the kitchen, giving Charlie the energy to finally start tidying up. 

It took all morning, but by the time she was done the house looked spotless. It was hard to believe that the once disorganized mess could actual look like it did now. With dishes washed and put away, magazines and books placed in their respective homes, laundry done and the entire house dusted, it looked like an entirely new place. Char had gotten her cleaning skills from her housewife of a mother who had early instilled the need-to-clean into all four of her children. Charlie had grown up doing her own laundry, keeping her own room clean, and taking shifts doing the dishes and cleaning up the rest of the house. Her parents were always well meaning, but sometimes they pushed just a little too hard; they sought perfection and Charlie just wasn't that. 

After a quick shower Charlie left. It was noon at the warm autumn sun beat down on her as she walked down the sidewalk and towards her small buggy that only got use on special occasions. The ugly, yellow car was parked in the residence parking out back and was stark in contrast to the gray surroundings. It sputtered to a start, nearly giving her a heart attack as it jerked forward, ready to do it's duty. Her casual outfit wasn't exactly an eye turner as she went about her errands without much distraction. She took all of three hours to get some groceries, a new bottle of wine and a couple DVDs from the sketchy movie rental place, where the teenage boy at the counter had silently sat there without greeting. His beady green eyes following the only costumer in the store with contempt and distrust, as if she were going to steal one of the movie boxes that didn't even have disks in them. 

It was a relief when she finally arrived back home, sweating slightly as she lugged her heavy bags back into the apartment. The radio still played quietly, giving the place a more lively feel as she rushed to put away the groceries. The fridge was more full then it had ever been, bringing back memories of the looming black contraption in her childhood home that was always filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, yogurt and other healthy choices that were only available at the set time of the day. Going near the fridge at any random time was completely forbidden and would result in a "time out" from her mother. The woman had been such a perfectionist, and Char just knew that she suffered from severe obsessive compulsive disorder (even though she refused to go to a therapist, even when Char and her siblings had suggested it to her). With a slight shudder Charlie shut the fridge door with a small clicking noise. [i]Finally[/i] she was able to relax for a couple of hours. 

When Mila slipped back in the door a couple hours later, Charlie was bent over her guitar. Her blond hair shielded her features as she softly sang the lyrics to "Poison Oak" by Bright Eyes. The sound filtered softly through the air as she lost herself in the music.