Charley & Quinn [ON HOLD]

Chapter 11: Misunderstandings

Quinn

Shit, shit, shit, shit!

Why the hell was Charley hanging out with this asshole?

Did he give her something, or was he forcing her into something...

My burning glare heated rapidly, and my fist scrunched until there was a cramp in my hand. I looked at Ethan, who seemed to have shrunken to the size of a walnut. Pathetic...

"What are you doing with him?" The question slipped from my mouth, and my gaze softened as I glanced back to Charley.

Holy crap.

"Y-you! How dare you accuse me of being with Ethan when from the looks of it, you've settled down, had three kids and retired!" Charley's angry finger shook in the direction of Aleisha.

Sadness, disappointment and rage. Charley was a mixture of all three. Her brown hair stuck to her face as a fresh batch of tears slid down her cheeks, and her blotchy red skin made all that more hard to look at her, like she was in pain...

I looked at where she was pointing, and as I looked, Aleisha had a fry halfway in her mouth, looking as confused as I was, until It hit me.

"Wait charley, y-you don't think me and her are dati-" I couldn't help the smirk on my face, it was like a wild beast trying to gain freedom.

Such an asshole I was.

"Care to share the joke you find so amusing? Because I'm not amused!" She yelled, gaining us a few stares from various people munching on burgers and sipping on iced teas.

Boy did I need one of those right now...

Another tear slid down her face, and the guilt crumbled my heart and threw it in the bin.

Ethan, who took his chance when he saw it, stepped away from his forever latching shadow and slid a slimy arm around MY Charley's shoulder, and she quivered into his 'comfort'.

"You better fucking back off, man."

My voice came out shaky, and I couldn't suppress my anger. I raised a balled fist, ready to fight for what was mine. I'd never seen a side of myself like this, and apparently, so had Charley. She looked at me, mortified that I would hurt someone like that.

"No Quinn!" A sob let through her mouth, but it was too late, my arm was already in motion. Ethan didn't back away, but he flinched, ready for the impact, that actually never came.

Before I could land the blow, I felt a soft hand holding my arm back.

"Not here Quinn, and not now," Aleisha's cool voice washed over me, forcing me to relax.

Aleisha was really the only one who could ever calm me down at times like this. It had been this way since we were kids, since my mom...

I dropped my arm, and gave Aleisha a reassuring look.

"I always thought, that you were the one who would stick beside me, the one who would love me, and obviously I was mistaken," tears and all, Charley left the cafe, crying and heartbroken.

"Charley wait!" I tried to escape from Aleisha's grip but she wouldn't let go.

"She needs space, Quinn. Leave her."

As soon as the cafe door had shut, it reopened again, allowing Ethan to sprint out, saving the girl I was suppose to save.

Desperate to get Charley, and desperate to get away from the idiots sitting in the cafe, staring at me like I'd just pulled flowers out of my ass, I mustered up some of my much weakened strength, and tried to run.

"Woah there cowboy, not so fast, you have a lot of explaining to do," Aleisha's grip hardened, and I couldn't get away.

She was always the stronger one in the family.

Charley

He's gone. It had never been more clear. Ethan was driving me down the free-way, not a sound was heard other than the wooing wind that whipped my hair across my eyes. I was letting go of all the memories, all the times I had never thought would end. Quinn's smile flashed before my eyes, I could feel the texture of his soft hair against my fingertips. I wondered if he had even been effected by what just happened, if he was speeding down the free-way just to win me back, or maybe he was still sitting at his table, returning to whatever conversation I had just interrupted.

My lungs tightened, every breath was a challenge to complete. Ethan sat still, clearing his voice at times, but other than that he kept a straight face and focused on where we were going.

"My cars still at the Diner," I searched for a reply.

"We can get it after this,"

I was itching to ask where he was taking me, but before I could, we arrived at nothing but a dead end street. I jumped out of the car, Ethan not far behind me. At first I rolled my eyes at the thought of it being an adventure, where'd I'd have to physically move.

But then I saw how the road turned from the scorching bitumen to silky waves of sand.

Ethan had taken me to the beach.

I smiled, lifting my face towards the pleasantly warm sun. Ethan had slammed his car door closed, while balancing a few towels, a tube of sunscreen and a collection of books.

"We're at the beach?" I asked dumbfounded. "Did you somehow secretly plan this?"

"Charley I want you to know, my car can hold anything. One time I found a carrot under my seat."

I stared an answer out of him.

"Meaning, you shouldn't be surprised when I find a few towels and some books in my back seat."

I laughed, watching as Ethan was carrying the supplies towards the beach ramp.

"I'll race you to the water?"

Ethan didn't bother shining me a stupidity look before I zoomed off in front of him, dodging stray rocks and hopping across the sand my feet melted in. Before long, I was tearing my clothes off until I was left with just my strapless singlet and my animal printed underwear that Quinn had only seen in my school bag.

Ethan was now running, his arms adjusting so nothing would fall off his tower of towels.

When I felt the rushing sensation of the sea water, I knew I had well in truly beaten him.