Charlie
I was on my way to school when I passed by an athletic store, in the windows were pictures of different people playing sports. I looked at them briefly but then stopped in front of one.
I looked at it, it was for swimming. The girl in the picture had her arms cross and was standing upright, next to the picture was a quote.
"Chlorine is the breakfast of champions." I read out loud. "Lauren Parker." My voice whispered.
Lauren Parker as in, the Lauren Parker I go to school with? it all came rushing back, to the Junior Goodwill Games, my failed attempt at flirting. I remembered her now, no wonder she looked so familiar when I first met her.
She had gotten upset over being called Miracle Girl, but now she was dating Adam? Banks? Banksie? Of all people, my mind was still in shock by the time I realized I was about to be very late to school.
• • •
When I walked into first period, which I did happen to have with Lauren sat behind her. I knew it was her, but I wanted to pull her strings abut first. I saw Adam sitting across the room distracted by something else, I leaned forward.
"Hey Miracle Girl, got a pencil?" I whispered.
"What?" She turned around surprised causing her to fall out of seat and her pencil case to fall off her desk.
Mrs Johnson looked up from her desk, "Everything all right there Ms Parker?" She asks.
"Everything fine." I say.
I see Adam try to stand up but Mrs Johnson scolds him , "Mr Banks please stay seated, I'm sure Mr Conway is more than capable of helping Lauren." Mrs Johnson says.
Lauren gets back onto her seat and then hands me a pencil, "So it is you." I whisper. "From the games."
"What's the point you're trying to make?" She whispers back. "I don't want to talk to you right now, I'm not in the mood."
"Fine, talk to me after class then." I whisper.
• • •
Lauren
After class I followed Charlie to an empty storage closet that was more than spacious, he closed the door and turned to me.
"Well well well, I honestly forgot about you but many did you break my heart that day." He says sarcastically.
"Yeah whatever Charlie." I say rolling my eyes. "It really took you this long to figure out it was me? My name has gone on the speaker multiple times."
"In defense I only knew you for around three minutes before you stormed away from me, but yet you came crawling back because I saw you at the rest of those championship games." He says.
I laugh, "That's funny, because I only went to those games to see Adam." I say.
"Wait, what? You knew him at the time?" He asks confused.
"Oh yeah, in fact we met just a few weeks after you and I did. Except, he didn't offend me!" I say.
"I don't even understand how I offended you that day." He says.
"Look, I don't know what was going through my 13 year old brain at that time, but I thought you were offending me." I say. "If you hadn't maybe I would have even gone out with you."
"Woah easy there, I'm seeing your best friend." He says.
"Don't even flatter yourself, what you've both talked twice? Last time I checked that's not seeing each other." I say. "And I wasn't flirting with you I was pointing something out."
"Alright alright, so you're saying if I hadn't offended you and then gone along with my plan to ask you out then maybe you wouldn't be seeing Adam at this time?" He states.
"Not be seeing Adam? I never said that, there's a chance I would still have met him and then fell for him so in reality there's a much better chance that I would still be with him even if you hadn't offended me." I say.
"So you admit you two are seeing each other?" He asks.
"Technically I never said that." I say, I felt my hand start to shake and I quickly tried to put it behind my back.
"Whats wrong with your hand?" He asks quickly grabbing it and looking at it.
"Charlie-" I start to say, but am cut off by the door swinging open.
"What is going on in here?" Adam asks coldly.
"Nothing, we were just talking." I say snatching my hand back.
"Why was he holding your hand?" Adam asks.
"Hey man her hand was just shaking and I was just wondering why, no big deal-" Charlie starts.
Adam looks at both of us, "Are you seeing each other?" He asks sounding hurt.
My eyes go wide, "What? Why on Earth would you think that?" I say.
"The other day, the whispering in class and laughing, and now this? I don't know but that seems pretty weird to me." He says crossing his arms.
"Adam its not like that, Charlie likes Linda and Linda is my best friend and isn't Charlie your best friend?" I start but see them glaring at each other. "Maybe not. But that's not the point, I wouldn't do that, to you or Linda."
"Maybe you wouldn't but he would." Adam spits at Charlie.
"At least I noticed that her hand was fucked up." Charlie says.
"You don't think I noticed that already?" Adam says coming closer to Charlie.
"Please I think that new varsity jacket is getting to your preppy head." Charlie spits.
"That's rich coming from you," Adam says pushing Charlie into the shelves in the closet.
"Why don't you just go buy a girlfriend with mommy and daddys money?" Charlie says pushing Adam back into the door.
"Whatever I'm outta here." Adam says starting to leave.
"Wait Adam," I say starting to walk after him.
"Don't, I don't want to see you right now." He says and turns back around.
"This is all your fault Conway." I spit and walk away.
