Screaming Schemes - Tyler Locke

All That's Lost

word count: 1971
chapter five

Charlotte doesn't even know how long they've been folding shirts for but is glad they finally agreed to play music to get through this easier. The song changes from Where We Come Alive by Ruelle to I Found by Amber Run. She's surprised she hasn't been thinking of her nightmare but she chalks it up to bring around her friends, even Tyler.

"Okay," Jackie starts, startling Charlotte out of her zone-out space, "so, Char and I have to go but she's planning on holding a meeting after school to go through the shirts. I can't go but she'll obviously be there. Will you guys?" Charlotte shoots her a look. Jackie winks in return.

Tyler nods. "Yeah. I'll come. Just, uh, let me know when."

Logan hesitates, glancing between Charlotte and Jackie. "Uh, I don't know. I think- uh." He hates picking between them. "I'll look at what I've got going on," he settles on as his best answer.

"Okay!" Jackie says excitedly, pulling the redhead away.

When they're outside of the room, Charlotte nudges the brunette. "Really smooth, Jack."

"They seemed to think so," Jackie says with a grin.

She shoves Jackie's head but she only laughs in return. "You're lucky you're cute."

"You love me."

"And, like I said, you're lucky." She grabs her camera from her locker. "But I will be making sure to get your bad side."

Jackie rolls her eyes. "And why would those pictures matter? They're not going in the yearbook. It's just practice."

"Instagram, Jack," the redhead said with a grin.

"You wouldn't."

Charlotte shrugs in reply.

Charlotte notices Tyler by himself after Jackie's practice and walks toward him, leaning over the couch with a grin. She reads the eight ball app's prediction: not likely. "Nice screen quality," she jokes.

He looks at her, startled like she had hoped. "I didn't realize you were done." She jumps over the back of the couch and ends up right next to him. He raises his eyebrow. "Was that needed?"

"Nope." She taps his phone. "And usually, neither is that app."

Tyler rubs the back of his neck. "I was hoping for a better answer than it gave me."

"I could tell by the sigh," she replies. She catches herself staring, getting lost in his blue eyes that are meeting hers with so much interest. "What did you ask it?"

"I'm not telling you. Have you never heard of the don't tell anyone your wish or it won't come true line?" He asks.

Charlotte had heard of it but hadn't really ever trusted the stars to dictate her life. Ashley had made sure that her daughter was well-versed in taking her own life into her hands and never trusting someone - or something - to have even one finger involved. "I was told in psychology terms, the (put yourself in that position term)," she says finally. "The stars wouldn't help me. Only I could help myself."

"That seems like..."

"Fun?" Charlotte jokes.

He smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes and she suddenly feels bad for ruining the mood. "Fun is probably one way to describe it."

Before either of them can continue, Jackie interrupts. "Hey, Char, we've got to go real quick." She shows Charlotte and Tyler a video of Eden kissing a statue, catching them both off guard. "Yeah. I don't know what's going on. She likes an audience..."