Dancing with your ghost

Ghosts?

Charlie King let out a heavy sigh as he carefully placed his textbooks into his cramped locker. He glanced over at his friend Julie, who was doing the same a few lockers down. With a slight shuffle, Charlie closed his locker and made his way over to Julie's locker. After a brief pause, he lightly tapped on the locker door and then leaned in, resting his head against the cool metal surface.

Charlie's day got off to a rocky start when he overslept and had to rush to get his brother to school, only to end up late for their classes. Now he's counting down the minutes until he can leave school and head home, but he's dreading the fact that he has to work right after.

"Hey, Char," Julie said, looking up at her older friend. Her words made him snap out of his thoughts and focus his attention on her.

Charlie, at almost seventeen, was the eldest among the trio, with Julie and Flynn both being fifteen. Despite the age gap, the dynamic was harmonious, given that Charlie and Julie were next-door neighbors. Occasionally, Charlie would graciously offer both girls rides to school, fostering a sense of camaraderie and friendship among the three of them.

"Charlie!" Flynn called out excitedly as she leaped onto Charlie's back. The sudden weight caused Charlie to stagger and nearly lost his footing, but he quickly regained his balance and steadied himself, preventing a fall.

"Flynn!" Charlie exclaimed in exasperation as he felt her weight on his back and quickly grabbed her legs to prevent her from falling off. "How many times do I have to tell you not to jump on me?" He asked, a mix of annoyance and concern in his voice.

Julie glanced at the two of them with a warm smile, although they were too engrossed in their conversation to notice. It had been quite a journey for Flynn when she discovered that Charlie, the guy she used to have a crush on, was gay. However, she handled it with grace and acceptance. Since then, their bond had grown even stronger, and Charlie had become more like a brother to her.

"Are you doing anything for your birthday?" Julie asked, her eyes shifting between her two friends. Flynn remained perched on Charlie's back as they all stood together.

" I'll be visiting my godparents' house. It happens to be their son's birthday, and coincidentally, we share the same birthday, so we'll be celebrating together."

"Are we still planning to have the usual annual sleepover this year?" Julie inquired eagerly; her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Of course,"

Flynn dismounted from Charlie's back, and as he turned his gaze toward his ex, Charlie saw him engrossed in his phone, wearing a smile as he texted. A sense of melancholy overcame Charlie, and both Julie and Flynn picked up on my feelings.

Flynn looked at me and asked, "Don't tell me you're still hung up on Asher?" as she followed his gaze to see where Charlie was looking.

"No"

Flynn and Julie locked eyes for a moment, exchanging a knowing look, before Charlie rolled his eyes in response. "Okay, maybe I am," Charlie admitted, "but can you blame me? He looks adorable standing there with his tousled, fluffy hair and those charming dimples."

"Man, you still got it bad," Flynn remarked to Charlie with a knowing look in her eyes.

"It's barely been a month since we broke up, who could he be texting?" Charlie asked, frustration evident in his voice as he glanced repeatedly at Asher, his eyes filled with a mix of longing and uncertainty. His two best friends exchanged knowing glances, realizing the depth of Charlie's feelings as they pondered how to best support him through this tough time.