Project GoldCrest ✓

Chapter 18

Charlotte

My mother dropped me off at school the following day. After a quiet morning at my house, I was hoping to spend this Thursday with a little bravado and try to forget about what I did last night. I'd torn the paper out of my book and folded it, then placed it at the very bottom of my backpack. No one could see it unless they were snooping around.

I should have just discarded it. Thrown it in the bin. But I didn't, and I didn't know how I felt about that.

At break time, my friends and I walked with our trays of food toward our table. We chatted a little while eating. It actually felt wonderful, and I realised that it was because of two reasons. One, I wasn't feeling a vague presence of sleepiness. Two, Chrissy was actually sitting with us.

Albeit, Chrissy started looking bored. She suddenly stopped talking and looked away. At first, I didn't pay attention but then as I turned I realised who she was looking at. Him.

"I can't take this anymore. Chrissy, what's your deal with him?" I found myself asking and impatiently awaiting an answer.

Sophie was in the middle of a story, but she abruptly fell quiet.

Chrissy suddenly jerked as if she was surprised. With the way I asked her, as if I was accusing her, I would have been very surprised too considering I was her friend.

She blinked once, "I- We're just friends."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He's going through something and I'm helping him out."

"Shouldn't Lucy be the one worrying about him?"

"Charlie," Sophie looked at me like she was trying to send me a warning. "Stop."

I looked at Chrissy. She looked embarrassed now, and I realised that it was the last thing I wanted. "I'm sorry." No reply.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," I repeated and stood up, deciding that it was probably better if I left at that moment.

"Charlotte!" I think I heard Sophia call while sounding confused, but i didn't turn around.

To be honest, I was angry at myself for grating Chrissy like that. She'd done nothing wrong after all, except for hanging out with Blake. Blake was bad.

I went outside, and stayed there for a few minutes until i heard someone getting closer. I was surprised when i looked up to find the root of this problem himself.

His dirty blonde messy hair caught my attention first. "What are you doing outside alone Charlie?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly.

I looked around a bit, trying to avoid his sky blue eyes. That's when I noticed that Lucy wasn't with him. "Where's Lucy?"

"With her friends. You do know that she doesn't always hang out with me right?"

"I guess," I looked down. "Ever since we split up, you two have always been together. And I was always a witness."

"If I remember correctly, you'd quickly gained new friends. What were their names again?"

I smiled as I thought about them, "Candace, Corinne and Keeley." I hadn't thought about my friends in a while, and I used to think about them everyday.

"Yes, them. So Lucy and I were also witnesses. We only had each other then, and that's why we're together now."

I recoiled. He just said that he loved Lucy. Well not directly, but it was something close to that.

"Then what are you doing with Chrissy?"