Cigarette, daydream and poetry ( A DPS fanfiction ) Charlie x OC

Homework

Margaret had time to shower and do some homework before joining her friends in the study room. When she entered, she saw that everyone was already absorbed in their assignments except for Pitt and Meeks, who were tinkering with a small machine. Curious, she approached them and asked what it was. They explained that it was a prototype for a radio, which delighted Margaret, as she was deprived of music in this dreadful place. The thought of having access to music again lifted her spirits significantly. She eventually sat down between her brother and Charlie, opened her trigonometry notebooks, and, gathering her courage, began to work.

The hours passed, and Margaret felt that the exercises were getting harder and longer. She also lost a lot of time explaining formulas to her classmates and arguing with Charlie, who always had an opposing opinion.

"Damn it, Dalton! It's written in black and white in the notebook our teacher gave us! Why do you refuse to understand?!" Margaret debated.

"No, you're confusing everything. It's impossible to take the square root of x in this case. Just use logic!"

"Which you absolutely lack."

Meeks and Pitt were already betting on who would win the debate while Neil and Cameron feared that the two might end up hitting each other. This could have happened if Knox hadn't entered the room with a silly grin on his face. Everyone stared at him, wondering what had happened at the Danburris' house. Charlie asked him how the dinner had gone, and Knox replied that it had been awful. He sat down on a chair, and seeing everyone's confused faces, he explained:

"Tonight, I met the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my entire life."

"Well then, it's silly to make that face," said Neil.

"But she's practically engaged to Chet Danburris," elaborated Knox.

"Oh, how lucky!" blurted Margaret.

Charlie kicked her under the table, and she realized her mistake while everyone expressed their sympathy for Knox.

"I mean...poor girl, he's a first-class idiot. That's really awful."

"Don't say it's awful, Maggie, it's a tragedy. Such a beautiful girl in love with that jerk!" Charlie corrected her.

"Jerks always get the beautiful girls," commented Pitt.

"That's true," added Charlie, giving Margaret a meaningful look.

She returned it with a sigh and offered Knox her trigonometry notebook, offering to help him, and he accepted. They continued working on their homework, not forgetting to tackle Latin, which everyone except Meeks hated. They were also relieved not to have any literature assignments, giving them some time to relax. They decided to all sit on the couch and chat. Cameron tried to sit next to Margaret, but Charlie shooed him away and took the spot, making the young girl laugh.

"So, can you believe it? Knox met the most beautiful girl in the world, and it's not you. Not too disappointed?" Charlie teased.

"Of course not. Deep down, I know I'm still the most beautiful girl in your eyes."

Charlie blushed, looked away, and mumbled something like "You wish!" but Margaret couldn't hear because of his low tone. She laughed, knowing she had managed to fluster him. Before she could add anything, Cameron, watching jealously as the two flirted, asked:

"Explain to me because I'm not quite sure. Have you known each other for a long time? You seem...close."

Their friends turned their gazes toward them, the same question having been on their minds for a while. Neil smiled, waiting for their explanation without any intention of helping them clarify.

"Well...yes, we've known each other since childhood," began Charlie.

"Simply because Charlie is Neil's best friend. I've had to put up with him for...I don't know exactly how long," continued Margaret.

"Eleven years," added Charlie.

"That long?"

"Yes."

Margaret found it hard to believe she had known Charlie for so long, and deep down, she knew she had developed a certain affection for him. Neil, seeing that the two were uncomfortable talking about their (completely platonic) relationship, provided more details to their particularly curious friends.

"For eleven years, I've watched them argue and pretend they hate each other."

"Pretend?" Margaret retorted, offended.

Their friends laughed at the young girl's expression, even Charlie, who fortunately managed to change the subject. As the conversation continued, everyone could see that Margaret, feeling more comfortable but also tired, was leaning more and more on Charlie, who, without really realizing it, put his arm around her waist to make her more comfortable.

A teacher knocked on the door, and Margaret realized she wasn't allowed to be there. To avoid being seen, she lay down on the couch, and the boys amused themselves by covering her with pillows and blankets. The teacher asked everyone to finish their homework and return to their dorms.

"Tell me, young men, isn't that a radio on your laps?" the teacher asked Pitt and Meeks.

"No, sir, it's a radar," Pitt lied.

The teacher raised an eyebrow but didn't press the issue further and left them to finish their work. Once the teacher was gone, Margaret managed to reach her room without being seen. She closed the door, took a book, and finished it quietly on her bed. After turning off her light, she thought about her day and realized that, after all, life at Welton wasn't so bad.

The next day, Margaret woke up early, determined to face the new challenges that awaited her. She was ready to blend in and make the most of her time at Welton, no matter how daunting it seemed at times. She joined her friends for breakfast, feeling more confident and hopeful about the future. They discussed their plans for the day, and Margaret couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging. Despite the initial hardships, she was starting to find her place in this new environment.