Someone Like You (Chenry)

Chapter Nine

"What'd you get for number nine?" Henry asked. Charlotte glanced up at him, wondering why he was asking her when he could see her homework easily. "I got b."

She shifted on her bed to sit up a little higher so that her shoulder was pressed into his. Before her parents came home, they were catching up on some homework they had been putting off with their dates and interview they had in the past couple of days. It was supposed to be both of them doing the homework, but Charlotte knew that she was doing all the work while he stole her answers. She was fine with that, though, because she enjoyed spending some quiet time with him outside of the public view.

"You got it right for once."

Henry bumped into her shoulder, making the math book that was situated precariously on her lap fall down to the floor with a loud thud. Her homework flew high into the air as she let out a sigh. She peered over the edge of her bed, staring at the sad looking book on the ground.

"Doing homework in bed is not a good idea. I do have some other ideas, though, that the bed is perfect for," Henry said. Charlotte slid off her bed and threw a glare at him. He furrowed his brows at her like he had no idea why she was glaring at him until they shot up into his hairline. "I totally meant we should nap. Because I'm exhausted from trying to find Seymour Butts. That's all that I meant."

"Right. That's what you meant. I know what goes through boys' heads, Henry."

"I wasn't thinking about anything like that!" He was pleading with her now, she could tell. His voice was a little strained as he sat up, his own math book shifting to the bed. "I swear all I wanted to do was nap. That's it. I swear it on Ray's life."

She bent down to pick up her homework and math book, grinning to herself. By now, she knew that Henry had meant that, especially because he had been falling asleep a little earlier. She just liked making fun of him. It made her day every time she could get him to be a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I was thinking about it, too." Charlotte nearly burst out laughing when she saw how color slowly filled his cheeks and neck. She set her stuff on her bed and crossed her arms over her chest. She said, "You're so gullible, it's honestly a little ridiculous."

"I am not gullible!" Henry said, shaking his head. However, a confused frown appeared on his face. "What does gullible mean?"

"That you believe almost anything that people say to you. It means that you're very trusting of anyone you meet, which doesn't make sense because you fight villains nearly every single day."

"That doesn't mean that I find everyone a threat," he said with a shrug. When she glanced over at him, she found a thoughtful look on his face. He seemed to really be considering his next words carefully. "I like to trust people until they break it because I feel like that's the right thing to do."

Charlotte was impressed by what he was telling her. She hadn't really thought of him to be a true genuine nice person like that, especially since he met Ray and became his best friend. But he was still the boy she met all those years ago and chose to be best friends with. He still saw the best in people even though he saw the worst in the world every single day. That, for some reason, made her smile.

He turned his focus back onto his homework, giving Charlotte a little time to study him. Right now, he seemed so at peace with everything. Even though he was in his Kid Danger uniform, he had an easy smile on his face. None of his movements were stiff or forced; he seemed so sure of himself here with Charlotte. That was one thing she liked about him, that he was so sure of himself no matter what was going on. 

"I'm starving," Henry suddenly said. He sat up on her bed, setting his homework down on top of hers. "When is it dinnertime?"

"Soon. My parents are going to be home in, like, thirty minutes."