there she goes - jschlatt

tangled intentions

the bar was louder than usual tonight. ted was going on about some absurd story from his childhood while tucker chimed in with his usual sarcastic remarks. i tried to focus on the conversation, but my mind kept wandering, thoughts drifting back to schlatt and sierra.

i hadn't expected her to be here. she wasn't part of the usual group, but ever since i'd seen them together at the park a few days ago, it was like she'd suddenly appeared everywhere. she looked perfect tonight, like she always did—her blonde hair catching the dim lights, her smile wide and confident. she was sitting so close to schlatt that their shoulders were touching, and i couldn't help but notice how at ease they seemed with each other.

i tried to push the thoughts away, to remind myself that schlatt and i were just friends. and barely that—half the time, i couldn't even tell if he liked having me around. he was always so hot and cold, one minute making some snide comment that cut a little too deep, and the next cracking a joke that made me laugh despite myself. it was confusing, to say the least. i glanced over at them again. sierra was laughing at something he said, her hand resting on his arm. the sight made my stomach twist, and i hated that it bothered me so much. i had no claim over him. we weren't anything, and yet seeing them together like this felt... wrong.

as i took a sip of my drink, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my chest, tucker's voice cut through my thoughts.

"you okay, char?" he asked, his brow furrowed as he looked at me with concern.i forced a smile. "yeah, i'm fine. just tired, i guess." 

he didn't seem convinced, but thankfully, ted distracted him by launching into another wild story about some prank he'd pulled on his neighbors as a kid. i half-listened, my eyes drifting back to schlatt and sierra despite myself.

they weren't talking anymore. in fact, schlatt wasn't even looking at her. his gaze was fixed on his drink, his fingers tapping against the glass in that impatient way he did when something was on his mind. sierra, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious, still smiling and glancing around the room like she was the center of attention. maybe she was, in her own way. she had that kind of energy that drew people in, made them want to be near her.

but schlatt didn't seem interested. not tonight, at least. i watched as he downed the rest of his drink and stood up, stretching his arms over his head.

"i'm getting another drink," he muttered to sierra, who nodded but didn't follow him. her attention had already shifted to someone else in the bar, some guy who'd been eyeing her since we walked in.

as schlatt made his way to the bar, i hesitated for a moment before standing up myself. maybe this was my chance to talk to him, to figure out what was going on in his head. i wasn't sure why it mattered so much, but the tension between us had been growing for weeks, and i needed some kind of resolution.

i walked over to the bar, slipping into the space beside him just as he ordered another round."hey," i said quietly, trying to gauge his mood.

he glanced at me, his expression unreadable as always. "hey."

for a moment, neither of us said anything. the silence stretched on, and i felt the weight of all the things i wanted to say pressing down on me. but i didn't know where to start.

"you okay?" i finally asked, echoing tucker's earlier question.he shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. "why wouldn't i be?"

i sighed, leaning against the bar. "i don't know. you just seem... off tonight."

schlatt raised an eyebrow, giving me that familiar smirk that always made it impossible to tell if he was being serious or messing with me. "you psychoanalyzing me now, charlotte?"

"maybe," i shot back, trying to keep my tone light, even though my heart was racing in my chest. "you've been kind of distant lately."

he didn't answer right away, his eyes focused on his drink. when he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost too quiet to hear over the noise of the bar.

"i've just got a lot on my mind."

it wasn't much of an explanation, but it was more than i'd expected. schlatt wasn't exactly the type to open up, and i knew better than to push him. still, i couldn't help but feel like there was something more he wasn't telling me.

before i could say anything else, sierra's voice cut through the air. she was standing a few feet away now, her phone in hand, clearly having lost interest in the guy who'd been eyeing her."ready to go, schlatt?" she asked, her voice casual, but there was a hint of something else there. something possessive.

schlatt nodded, glancing at her before turning back to me. i could feel my heart sink, but i tried to keep my voice steady as i spoke.

"you guys going back home together?" the words slipped out before i could stop them, and i immediately regretted asking. what did it matter? but the question hung there between us, heavy and awkward.

schlatt's eyes flicked to mine, a brief flash of something—annoyance, maybe?—crossing his face before he looked away.

"yeah," he muttered, grabbing his jacket. "probably."sierra smiled, seemingly oblivious to the tension. "yeah, i guess you could say we're making it a thing now."

her words stung more than i wanted to admit, and i forced a smile as they turned to leave."see you around, charlotte," schlatt said over his shoulder, his voice distant.

i stood there for a moment, watching them walk out together, feeling a strange mix of emotions swirling inside me. it shouldn't have mattered. schlatt wasn't mine, and he never would be. but as i stood there, alone at the bar, i couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between us.

and i wasn't sure if it would ever be the same again.