Stray Hearts // Charlie Gillespie

12

"What are your guys plans tonight?" I ask Lauren and Jasper. We were grabbing our things to leave.

"I'll be with Nolan. Why?" Lauren looked at me worriedly. "Charlie's busy doing interviews and spending time with the boys." I sigh.

I was really sad about it. We've spent almost everyday together. So the days we're apart, it's really hard.

"When are you two going to date?" Jasper asked as we walked out of Starbucks. I blush thinking about it.

I shrug as I look at him. "Time will tell." He groaned a little. "You two are so annoying. Get together already." He bitched and moaned.

"Don't rush perfection." I joke with him. "If you wanna hang out with me and Nolan, you can." Lauren spoke up.

I agree so I drive over Lauren's, following her. I liked her boyfriend Nolan. He's always been on the quiet and reserved side.

But he was always kind and sweet. He's really good to Lauren, which I appreciate. When I get there, Nolan was already there.

"What's up, Taylor?" He asked as I walked in. "The usual. Work and dance." I check my phone for a text.

But there was sadly nothing. "She forgot to mention her new boy toy, Charlie." Lauren teased as I threw one of her couch pillows at her.

"Wasn't Charlie the one you were flirting with when we were camping?" Nolan asked remembering back.

"I wasn't flirting, I was just goofing off with him." I half explain, half deny.

"I never thought I would see the day Taylor Porter getting into a relationship. I need to take this in." Nolan teased me.

That's the one thing I loved about the friend group I'm in. We're always teasing each other and we can handle it.

"You're an asshole." He chuckles as he bites into his cereal. I spend most of the night with them, but ended up going home.

On nights like this, it was hard to not feel lonely. I was used to hanging with Charlie. As I'm doing laundry, there's a knock on my door.

I walk over to answer it. I smile to see three boys standing there. "Isn't it boys night?" I ask looking over at them.

They let themselves in as I look at them strangely. "It is. But we figured it'll be more fun with you." Owen smiled.

Charlie flopped himself on the couch. "You boys tend to make yourself at home, don't you?" I ask as they look at each other.

The shrug and nodded their heads. "We wanna know if you wanna hang out." Jeremy spoke up. I agree, I grabbed my things and walked out.

For some reason they wanted to hang out in a Target parking lot cause they thought it would be fun.

As we were sitting in the parking lot, we all started making jokes. "What can we make fun of Charlie about today?" Jeremy asked.

"Everything." I joke making Jeremy and Owen laugh. Jeremy and Charlie sat on the back of Owen's tesla as Owen and I were standing.

"His shitty hands." Owen joked. "What's wrong with my hands?" Charlie asked looking down at his hands.

"Actually I can't talk." Owen laughed. "Charlie is a stupid head." He looks up at me shocked.

Jeremy just sat there and watched us play argue with each other. "No fuck you. Why don't you stand over there?" Charlie joked.

He pointed to his right, his arm stretched over Jeremy's chest. Jeremy made a circle with his pointer finger and thumb.

He then started moving around Charlies finger, it going inside. We all started laughing at the childish joke.

Owen took a drink of his water bottle and then wanted to throw it at Charlie. He was hiding behind Jeremy, as I looked at Owen.

"Jer, move." But before he could, Owen threw it anyway. He hit Charlie's crotch making him groan in pain.

Charlie stood up and picked up the water bottle. I was laughing as Charlie threw the bottle back at him.

But Owen jumped up before it could hit him. "I do a kick flip, I tell you off, and you throw a water bottle at me." Owen said making me laugh.

"Yeah well you're stupid." Charlie came back to him. "Yeah well refrigerator penguins make noise in Jacuzzi's." Owen randomly said.

"Yes, that makes sense." I say trying to understand. "Sky blue tree flower." I guess Charlie was gonna say random shit too.

"Fish flower in Vancouverville are made in December." Jeremy and I's head kept going back and forth.

It was like watching a tennis match. "This is getting out of hand." I laugh while watching them.

"Excuse lamp post light turtle." Charlie acted like he came up with the best thing. "Jeremy do you know what's going on?" I ask looking over at him.

"No." Jeremy shook his head while laughing. Charlie and Owen were like children. But you can tell how much they care about each other.

Jeremy then started getting a phone call making us quiet down. He got up and walked away so he could hear the person better.

I sat next to Charlie before Owen could. Charlie looked over at me and smiled. He laid his head on my shoulder, a blush creeping on.

"Awe, you two are so cute it makes me wanna throw up." Owen joked. "Get a trashcan." Charlie chuckled.

I looked over to see Jeremy walking over to us. "I hate to end the night but the wife needs me home." We all pout to him.

We all piled into the car to drive to Jeremy's. Once there, he started gathering his stuff. "Tell Carolynn I said hi." I speak up.

He nods as he walks to his house. "Did you wanna go home too, Taylor?" Owen looked over at me.

"It'll be nice since you kidnapped me." I joke with him. He makes a face over at me when he realizes what I said.

"You agreed to come with us?" I laughed a little as Owen drove. I felt fingers make their way in my hand, and lace them with mine.

I look down to see my hand intertwined with Charlie. It made my heart flutter as I looked at our hands.

I wish I could stay with him forever.