“Ha!” Charlie said, poking Benny in the stomach with one finger as she snorted. “Right, I’d have to actually practice to become some famous cello player. I’m not exactly a music prodigy,” Charlie pointed out. When they were younger, before Charlie had turned from straight A’s to straight nights of coding, Charlie had been very talented with her cello. But that had waned in the recent years as she found herself more interested in technology and exploring her powers. Deep down, Charlie did miss the praise that came with being a good musician and doing performances with the orchestra. It wasn’t exactly like everyone on the island played the instrument.
She finally sat up, the back of her hair a mess as she slid off the bed and went to the freezer, grabbing the bottle of champagne. She hadn’t bothered with glasses- why would she? She was pretty sure that Ben, Calvin, and she had traded enough germs in their youth to make them immune from each other. A life time of little vaccines in the form of sneezing in one’s hand, and then using it to push Ben out of the way during a sporting event. That would always end with Charlie on the side lines, wheezing with her inhaler.
Charlie plopped back onto the bed, using the pillows to prop her up as she put the cold bottle between them. “Alright, I’m sick of waiting for midnight,” she informed Ben, handing him the bottle. He was the boy, he could open the rocket.