The Not So Perfect Love Story

0|| The ending

That day was as normal as any could be. The weather was pleasant outside for a summer day. The student body was dressed in shorts and skirts and dresses enjoying the breeze as they lounged in the shade. 

Charlotte was walking around in a nearby street where all the local shops were located. She was dressed like everyone else, in a light pink sundress and white ballet flats, with her hair in a messy bun. Walking next to her was Finn Cadigan, a person she's known the past three years she's spent here, having shared some classes with him.

Finn had reached out to Charlotte, a girl one year younger than him that he's seen in some of his classes and he felt comfortable with. Even in today's society many people judged different, shunned them even. But not her, she was accepting of everyone. It was only logical that he told her about himself all those years ago, and now, asked for her help picking out a ring for his boyfriend. Finn who was graduating this year wished to propose to his boyfriend of four years before he left him all alone in this college.

As the two people walked down the street and to a diner at the end, a pair stood on the other side of the road eyes fixed on this pair.

"See, this is all I know. I only overheard them saying they can just grab a bite here since it was sort of on the way." Whispered Arabella.

"This does not mean they are doing something behind my back. This proves nothing." Roared James.

"I never said any of that. I only told you what I heard." Arabella said in reply.

"And the pictures? How did everybody get them?" James asked her hurriedly, not wanting to believe his girlfriend of five year was cheating on him.

"What pictures? I don't know of any pictures. There's pictures of the two?" Arabella was shocked sweet Charlotte could do something like this.

When James had come to her the previous day to ask if she knew something about Finn Cadigan and his relationship with Charlotte, she thought it was the regular getting jealous and overprotective thing. But to think it was something so big; Arabella felt herself getting upset and angry.

She had been in love with James from the first time she spoke to him in the junior year of high school, and now they were juniors at uni. But she never said anything because she could see the love between James and Charlotte and because she was close friends with the two and never thought either would ever do something like this.

"Yes, there's pictures. Stacy showed them to me yesterday after practice. Their cheer practice had ended only moments before ours had and someone sent them to her. Apparently it's all over the internet because a lot of people have seen the two together." James was heartbroken.

That evening, James, Charlotte, Arabella, Sebastian and Mark, two of their other friends, met up at the same diner that James had seen Charlotte in. The lot were seated in a corner booth and once everyone had come they had placed their orders.

Charlotte was confused why James didn't sit next to her, instead it was Mark that sat there, while James, Arabella and Sebastian sat facing them. But she didn't question it as they all started talking and sharing about their day.

"What were doing today here Lottie that you got the chance to eat here?" Asked Sebastian.

"Oh, Finn needed something so I came here with him." She smiled. What he needed was not her story to tell.

James didn't seem to be letting the issue go, though, and as soon as they all got to the apartment they all shared, he brought it back up and insisted on knowing what it was. Charlotte kept refusing to say what it was and the argument was building.

"Just how long are you going to hide this?" James cried out.

"I told you it is not my story to tell, it is Finn's. What he needed is his business James. And I shall not speak a word of it." Charlotte screamed back in reply frustrated that he wouldn't let go.

"It takes two to tango Char, it is as much your story to tell as much his." James gritted out. He couldn't understand why Charlotte was accepting to cheating.

"That does not make any sense James. What are you on about?" Charlotte asked exasperated.

"Why don't you just accept that you're cheating on him Charlotte? He knows. We know. We saw you today at the diner. I just never thought you'd stoop so low." Arabella screamed; she had had enough of this back and forth.

"Cheating on him? What are you talking about Ara. I told you I only went to help Finn shop." Charlotte was truly utterly confused.

"It doesn't matter if you don't accept it Char, but we are over. You are ready to throw away five years of us for a person you barely know, then I can be the one to declare it to be over. I wanted to try and salvage what was left of us after this, believing you loved me as much as I loved you. I trusted you and gave you my heart, Char. But you chose to break my heart, and I will never forgive you for this."

And that's how James walked out of Charlotte's life along with a very angry and upset Arabella. Charlotte cried over him and tried to reach out to him, but it was all in vain when on Monday, two days after the break up, she found out that he'd transferred schools to a different state.

Charlotte eventually decided to build a bridge over the river of tears she cried, and get over it. She got her heart broken, everyone does at some point, she must look forward and live her life the best she could. With that in mind, she worked hard in the last year of college, attended Finn's wedding as one of his groomsmen and after graduation, joined her family business taking it to new heights.

All with the support of Sebastian and Mark, two people who refused to leave her side and blindly believe James' accusations.

~~~~

Some beginnings are so painful, *sniffles*