Crashing Down Into Flames

Chapter 3

I sigh and pause my makeup, "What's wrong with your feet?"

"My feet are killing me, duh."

I roll my eyes and continue dabbing, "I told you to wear flats like me instead of heels. You know we're walking around a lot today."

Charlotte scoffs, "Those ugly things. It's a fashion crime to wear those."

"A crime indeed, but guess what? I'm my feet are cozy and not in pain."

Charlotte lets out a dragged sigh as I finish covering my tattoos with makeup, "Fine!" I say, slamming my things back into my bag. I take off my shoes and hand them to her, "Give me your shoes."

"No. I'm not wearing those ugly things."

I roll my eyes, "Fine," I set my shoes next to her and stand up, looking out of the window.

"Hey, Char, have you noticed two birds are sitting on the roof of the building next to us?"

She turns her head to look out of the window, "Where?"

I take this opportunity of a distraction to lunge at her, "Ah!" She yells.

I grip her legs with my arms as I lay my side on her, putting all my body weight onto her body. I lean and trap her in the chair.

She hits my sides which feel nothing like the hits and punches I'm used to by men and August, so I easily ignore it as I take off her remaining shoe, "Get off of me you masculine woman!"

I let out an evil laugh as I grab the other shoe on the floor and raise them both in the air when I get off of her, "Look what I have," I say, teasing her with the shoes.

She tries to snatch them back, but I move them before she can grab them. I sit in my chair and put her shoes on. I stand up and do a model walk, keeping my head high and swaying my hips as I walk past her, I turn around, "What the fuck are you doing?" She says angrily.

"Showing off how good I look in these heels and this jacket. Don't be jealous that I pull it off better than you, and these heel look damn good on me."

She rolls her eyes, "Now you're starting to sound like August."

"Evangeline, sit down in your chair," Roger says, ruining the moment again and knocking the reality in me that I'm at work back in me, "Oh, and good job on drawing more attention. Thanks to your performance with Mr. W, we have another person watching us."

I sit down and close my eyes, trying to calm my breathing.

"What are you doing?" Charlotte asks with a chuckle.

"Trying to slow my breathing because this jacket is crushing my lungs. That walk took a lot out of me." I stop mid-breath and shoot my eyes open, "Wait, what do you mean by draw more attention?"

I look out the office window and see Mr. Lockhart talking to Mr. W.

Shit.

Mr. Lockhart makes eye contact with me in mid-conversation and smiles, showing his white perfect teeth which makes my stomach quench, to fill with butterflies, and my heart to pump faster in an irregular way. He puts his hands up to Mr. Winters and turns to the door.