flipped. charlie conway

54

julie, connie, and leah walked into the cafeteria with tear-stained faces, wishing they'd waited until after dinner to watch the latest titanic. julie raved over her newfound crush on leonardo dicaprio, teasing leah that it could never amount to her crush on charlie conway. leah wished she could have grimaced at the thought, but she couldn't bring herself to.

"ay, what's going on, ladies?" someone pulled them out of their conversation with a clap, "i'm russ tyler, remember me?"

"yes," connie smiled politely, "what are you here for?"

russ tyler cheered in his seat as he spoke. "i'm the newest member of team usa! filling in for your star leah banks, i am. i love your work." the boy winked to the injured banks girl. at the sight of russ introducing himself to leah, charlie hurried over. he desperately wanted to throw every insult he could at her smiling face, but the increased pressure constricting his chest scrambled every coherent thought he could muster.

julie smirked as she gestured between leah and their new teammate. "well, russ, you've got big shoes to fill. maybe you could ask leah for some pointers?"

connie gasped as she hooked on to what julie was suggesting, pushing the blonde twin forward herself. "that's a great idea!"

"i see you've met russ!" charlie tut as he slapped the tyler boy's back, "i scouted him myself. i thought you'd appreciate someone taking your spot, leah." the conway boy rose his eyebrows sarcastically.

leah smiled in approval as she thought back to the relentless iceland team. another player was exactly what the team needed, just in case leah couldn't return to the ice in time. "oh that is amazingly clever, charlie!"

whether from the compliment or opposite reaction to charlie's expectation, the conway boy's smug appearance dropped instantly. "what?"

"yeah," leah nod, "russ is a great player! you're a great captain for your leadership."

russ lifted his chin as he straightened his flannel shirt. "leah was about to give me some pointers, one-on-one. you know how it is!" the boy then winked at charlie and clicked his tongue.

charlie stumbled over his breath in disapproval. he looked between the two, suddenly feeling rather regretful of his choice to scout the overly-friendly russ tyler. "no, believe me, russ. you don't want pointers from banks."

"but i could really use the pointers, charlie." russ exclaimed through grit teeth, sending a faux smile to the banks girl. charlie stood flabbergasted at russ' eager desire to talk to leah banks of all people. he didn't know what he was getting into, and charlie would happily save russ from the same fate charlie had been suffering the past few years.

"well, i think portman wanted to talk with you! come on." charlie swiftly pulled the boy away from the three girls. connie and julie shared an amused smile with one another.

russ tyler gaped at charlie as the boy pulled him away, flailing his hands like a struggling bird. "bro, i was gonna get some!"

charlie cringed in distaste. "with leah banks? no way." the conway boy made an animated groan at the mere thought of mingling with the coop-poop babe.

"oh, i get it!" russ fizzled his dismay with a knowing smirk, "you have a little something for her."

"her?" charlie froze, "absolutely not! my god, that's the most offensive the you could ever say!" he bubbled with uncontrollable laughter. charlie thought that idea was preposterous, ridiculous, and purely hilarious.

"so you wouldn't mind if i... you know? slide on over?" russ shrugged with a smoulder, glancing over to the girl who now spoke with her twin brother.

charlie chortled again as he took a seat. "trust me, you don't wanna go over there."

"i don't want to, or you don't want me to?" the tyler boy interrogated, holding his hands up innocently as charlie glared up at him.

"just don't go over there, got it?" charlie sternly told, shaking his head with annoyance. nothing had offended him so deeply in a long time.

"got it, captain! hands off your girl." russ laughed teasingly, leaving the boy to simmer in his sour thoughts.

charlie threw his hands up incredulously as the boy walked away. "dude, she is not my—"

"hey, charlie." adam greeted as he took a seat across from the boy, "what's got you all riled up?"

charlie paled as he turned in his seat. "oh, nothing. what's up?" he asked.

adam crossed his arms guiltily. "i shouldn't have got so upset at you earlier, i'm sorry. leah seems really impressed with you, so i suppose i have no reason to be angry. she drives my head in, sometimes. you forgive me?"

charlie grimaced at the reminder that his attempt to rid of leah banks only put a smile on her face. he didn't get how leah could be so insufferably infuriating, when adam sat in front of him being the complete opposite. "yeah, my head too. i'm sorry too adam, i was really wrong. you're a great friend and brother. are we still pals?"

"of course we are, charlie."