CHAPTER EIGHT
CHARLIE
Moving into my new apartment after graduation has been a feat in itself, but I am definitely grateful my mom and dad came to help me. These old buildings have no elevators and trying to get a couch up the stairs reminds me of that one scene in Friends and I really don’t want to turn into Ross screaming “Pivot!” for twenty mins just to get the furniture in the place.
My apartment is small, but spacious because it’s open concept. I take in the exposed brick next to the slate gray walls and the vinyl plank flooring. It’s an old building, so the apartment has a slight musty smell. Nothing some essential oils can’t fix! I’m glad the owners of the building have kept the inside up to date with newer appliances and a fresh coat of paint.
“What do you think Charlie? Do you like it?” my dad asked bringing in the last box from the moving van. They were nice enough to bring up some items from our house to help me furnish this place. I didn’t have a lot in my dorm room and I can’t really afford new furniture right now.
“Yea! It’s rustic. I think it’ll look great once I get unpacked and organize everything,” I say, picturing my furniture and decor in the industrial apartment.
“I saw a cool hole-in-the-wall pizza place a few blocks back,” Mom said, “Wanna give it a try Charlie-bear?”
“Definitely!” I say and we make our way to the car. I am hoping to make a list of restaurants so I don’t have to google something every time I want food.
We walk into the pizza place a few minutes later and the smell of cheese, dough, and grease rush into my nose. The red tile floor and bright orange walls clash, but I kind of like it. There is a giant stainless steel countertop at the back and five or six high-top tables scattered around the 700-square-foot restaurant. The walls have a few pizza signs and pictures, but are otherwise unadorned. We walk to the counter and order one personal pan ham and pineapple pizza for me and one medium meat lovers for my mom and dad. Mom and dad get water to drink and I order a Dr. Pepper.
“Hey Charlie, have you figured out what bus stop and train stations you’re going to use to get to and from work?” Mom asks, looking a little worried.
“Yea. I made a list a few days ago. If I choose to take the red line bus, I can probably get there in forty-five mins with stops. And there is even a coffee shop right by the bus station,” I reply. Thank God, because I don’t know what I would have done without a local caffeine tap. I know I have a problem but both my wallet and I are fine with it.
I love how Mom worries, but she doesn’t need to. I’m a reporter in training, of course, I’m going to look up where I live and research the best routes before I move to a new place. I have a pocket-sized red Ford Focus hatchback I call Effie, so I can drive to and from work if I need to, but there are so many one-way streets in Chicago, so I’ll probably just use the train. Plus, I swear I saw a pothole the same size as my car on the way to my apartment earlier.
While we wait for our pizzas, Mom and I make sure to enter the grocery store, which is only a few blocks from my apartment, into my maps app on my phone. They deliver which will definitely come in handy when I don’t feel like carrying a ton of bags up three flights of stairs. We also look up some local clothing stores and restaurants for me to try out in the next few weeks. I already looked up how close the building I’ll be working in is from my apartment. It isn’t too far away.
Dad asks, “Charlie, are you excited to start work on Monday?” as the waiter brings us our pizzas.
“Yea. I can’t wait to get started. I know I probably won’t be working on the type of stories I’m really interested in, but I hope they’ll see my portfolio and give me at least a chance to do some investigative journaling,” I say and then thank the waiter for refilling my Dr. Pepper.
“Let’s eat up so we can get you back to your apartment and help get you settled in before we have to head back home,” Mom says.
Mom and Dad are being so supportive and are doing their best to help me feel comfortable and safe. I love that we are a tight-knit family, but I’m also looking forward to spreading my wings. I can’t wait to get into the office and start researching. As we wrap up dinner, I think about how I want to organize my apartment and wish Yuri were here to experience all the newness with me.
I remember when he came over to help me put my glow in the dark stars and moons all over my room, a gift I had received for my eighth birthday. He helped me strategically place stars and moons in spots to create real constellations. That way whenever I had a bad dream I could pick one out and know that I was safe and he was always there for me.
He was also around during my middle school boy band phase helping me organize all the posters on my walls to make sure there weren't more Dream Street posters than Hansen posters. They had to be evenly placed through the room. I just laugh to myself at the memories, knowing he would have loved helping me today.
Once we are back at my apartment, Mom says, “Let me help you finish unboxing your bedroom so you can get a good night’s sleep. Hun, why don’t you put some dishes and kitchen supplies away.” She lovingly orders my dad around.
“All right, but I expect a raise.” Dad jokes. He is always so helpful.
I hear my phone chime with a text notification and it is none other than Dominic checking in to see how things are going.
Dominic : “Hey C.C.! How’d the move go?”
Charlotte : “As good as can be expected, I guess. There’s a lot around here.”
Dominic : “Knowing you, you’ll get lost just going to the store. Haha!”
Charlotte : “Hey, now, unnecessary call out mister!”
Dominic : “You’ll just have to share your location with me so I can rescue you when you get lost.”
Charlotte : “Wow, way to have a vote of confidence for a girl, D!”
Dominic : “Who’s to say I won't enjoy being your knight in shining armor.”
Charlotte : “More like a knight in shining, Land Rover.”
Dominic : “Don’t go hating on the ride C.C. Especially if she is expected to rescue your ass. lol”
Charlotte : “I will hate on any car that costs more than a downpayment on a house, D.”
Dominic : “I would expect nothing less. I am off to a meeting. Talk later?”
Charlotte : “Definitely, have fun!”
I have already ensured I have all the important locations pinned on my phone, I’d die without my maps, because I know I am for sure going to get lost in the windy city with its one-way streets and creepy alleyways at least once. I do not want to have to take Dominic up on a rescue mission and prove him right. I will definitely continue to add to the list as I get acclimated. After running around all day, Mom and Dad start to pack up their car.
“I’m really going to miss you guys!” I say, with a hint of a whine, giving them each a giant hug fighting back the tears.
“See-you-later Charlie. You can come home anytime. You know that,” Dad says with a smile, and I think I see a glint in his eyes, but he quickly blinks any sign of tears away. We don’t believe in goodbyes in my family.
Mom says, “Don’t worry about us, you know how your dad drives. I promise to text or call when we get home.”
I walk back inside after I can no longer see their car and take a deep breath. I’m going to use the time alone to relax and enjoy my new apartment. I may be resorting back to my comfort zone by having The Hunger Games running in the background while I organize myself, but who cares. I’m in my own home away from home now. No one is here to judge me!
I am really loving the view from my windows. Although my apartment isn’t anything fancy, at least I feel safe and have a decent view. I just can't believe I did it! I really moved down here in this huge city all alone, well, I guess not completely alone. I know I can call Dominic if I really need anything, but still.
I’m glad to still be close enough to see my parents when I feel the pull of home. Everything will be fine once I get my bearings. I have the weekend to get everything together and then I start my new job at the paper. I’ll mostly be working on click bait and fluff articles. They’ll probably have me go out on coffee runs and back up research for the senior writers, but everyone has to start somewhere. I’ll still be working on bigger articles to submit so they can at least be considered for publication, but who knows what the higher ups are looking for at this point?
I hop on to my laptop and check my social media accounts to update my handful of friends on my new life. Then I wander the cursor to the search bar as I do every once in a while and plug in Yuri’s name. I know it’s weird and that he would look different now, but I just hope one day his name will pop up. I can’t even imagine what a twenty-four year old Yuri would look like. Would he be tall? I hoped he would still have his golden, brown hair and I’d never forget his dark almost nightshade eyes. But as usual, nothing. I sigh, close up the computer a little more forcefully than I had intended and lay it on the end table to get ready for bed. It's been a long day and I have a lot to do this weekend.