𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

sixty two.

─☼☼☼─

─FIVE YEARS EARLIER─

"𝙒𝙀 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿 𝙏𝙊  talk." Kensington Lewis announced as she arrived next to Charlotte Carrera, Willa Connors in tow.

Charlotte turned from her locker, her dark hair falling over her shoulders, "About what, Kens?"

Kensington rose her brows, hands fastened on her hips, "Why did Madison Wheeler tell me that Lauren Tucker told her that you and Rafe Cameron spent the entire night together at Beckett Gibson's end of summer party?"

"Geez." Charlotte muttered, trying to recover from that whirlwind of a sentence.

"Don't try to avoid the question!" Willa almost shrieked, forced to cover her mouth at the outburst.

"Willa's right, Char. Answer the question." Kensington prodded.

It was the second week of school, two weeks after Beckett Gibson's party, two weeks since her and Rafe had become something more than they were before. She still wasn't sure what, but she knew they were more than acquaintances, more than friends even.

But despite the fact that a fortnight had passed, Charlotte had yet to say a single word about it to her best friends. She knew how they could get, and she wasn't ready to let anyone in on her and Rafe's little secret. It had almost been more fun that way.

Much to her dismay, it now seemed as if the secret was out.

Scanning the halls, Charlotte's eyes snagged on Rafe. He was surrounded by his friends, but it seemed as if he could feel her looking at him. Meeting her gaze, he sent her a small smile. One that seemed to say so much.

"Charlotte!"

Dropping the smile that had begun to spread across her lips, Charlotte looked back to her friends, being face with the impatient glares of Kensington and Willa.

"We're your best friends!" Kensington whined, "You have to tell us everything."

Pulling at her uniformed skirt, Charlotte shook her head, "Nothing to tell."

"Nothing to tell?" Willa echoed incredulously. "You're dating Rafe Cameron and you think there's nothing to tell! Charlotte, literally ever girl in our grade wants to date him."

"Or his dad." Kensington muttered under her breath.

"Gross." Charlotte dismissed Kensington before addressing Willa. "No one said we're dating."

Willa rolled her eyes, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulders. "Right, that's why you spent an entire night together at a party, and I bet if I checked your phone right now there would be, like, a million texts between the two of you." She paused for a moment, studying Charlotte's facial expressions. "Oh my God! Charlotte, did he─did he take your virginity?" She whispered the last word as if it were the poison.

"No!" Charlotte answered quickly, cheeks reddening slightly, "We haven't even kissed."

Kensington scrunched up her face, casting a look over at Rafe, "Well then what the hell have you two been doing?"