What's Yours Is Mine

Chapter Eight- Hayley/Charlotte

"You see I know that you might be just a bit jealous of me."

Lunch is over and we stroll back towards the main entrance. I spray myself with my Prada perfume fearing my scent is not too distant from a pub ashtrays. Aaron and Lydia share understanding grins at my expense.

"So Hayley, I'm having a get-together Saturday you should come." It's a passing comment, said in the most careless tone Lydia could muster, but to me, it is the nicest thing she could do for me. She's providing me with a distraction, wether she intended to or not she just did a good deed. Lydia is a good person, a much better person than myself or Charlotte. I won't ever think a nasty thought about her again. "Oh, I will! Thanks." I try not to sound too cheery at the prospect, imitating her cool persona.

Waiting for me as I enter the canteen are my friends. Six pairs of eyes staring me down and waiting on my next move. My lunch break with Aaron and Lydia had definitely strengthened my resolve and I feel it's about time I face the music. "I better get to class." I'm about to walk away when Lydia places her hand on my shoulder. "We're in English together." Of course, how could I forget? Lydia is in my English class, but so is Charlotte.

I have two options and neither have a particularly great outcome. I approach Charlotte with Lydia and ask if she's ready to go to class. I'll probably get a week long silent treatment form Charlotte, which wouldn't be so bad. Although the other girls will make snippy comments and English will be too awkward to bare.

The second option is to make an excuse to leave Lydia and approach Charlotte alone, get a telling off for leaving the dinner table, apologise and then ultimately fall back under her thumb. Lydia would know I was avoiding her in front of Charlotte, she knows how girls work. It would be cruel, even if it wouldn't bother her I'd feel like a bitch.

So against my better judgement, I chose option one. "Let's ask Charlotte does she want to walk with us." Lydia shrugs and we wave goodbye to Aaron.

Charlotte's eyes slowly trail from our heads to our toes and back again. Lydia is loving it, she clicking her chewing gum loudly and tapping her foot, making her presence known. The other girl's eyes are so far out of their heads I swear they've detached from their sockets, Laura is grimacing. She gives me a what the fuck look of confusion.

I gulp down any remaining fear, "you coming to class char?" I try to act cheerful like I always do, like this isn't a completely alien situation. The silence is deadly, I can feel the tension in my bare hands. Charlotte gives me a long disgusted snarl, usually, I would feel about two foot tall. Not today though, not with my friend Lydia egging me on with her loud clucks. Neither of us says a word. She turns on her heals and walks away. Yes, I'm getting the silent treatment.

"How are you even friends with that?" Lydia whispers to me during English. Charlotte chose to sit alone at the front of the class, her face moulded into an unwelcoming scowl. Lydia had jumped into her seat imidatley, adding fuel to the now out of control fire. "She's not that bad." I'm convincing myself as well as Lydia. Looking at her now, Charlotte is the definition of a spoilt little bitch. She's childish, demanding and sometimes out right mean.

But she's one of the only people I can call a friend, we've been through a lot together. She wasn't always this bad, when we were younger she was funny and playful. I could have genuine fun with her. It's just lately we've grown apart. I think the older she's got the more insecure she has become.

Sometimes the only way she can make herself feel better is to put me down. I've let her get away with it for so long it's become normality. But that isn't friendship, is it? Your friends are supposed to support you and make you happy, Charlotte does the opposite. I'm tired of it all, the games, the insults and her constant need to remind me that I'm inadequate. I miss the old Charlotte, she wasn't perfect but at least she cared about me.