Charlie Whitmen loves sports, junk food, video games, cars and basically anything-if not everything-your average teenaged boy would find interesting. But wait a second, Charlie isn't even a boy! Oh no, she's actually a girl!
Bet you didn't see that...
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Playing Knight in Ripped-Up Denim
The following day Hayden is practically glowing. Sitting on his face is a radiant smile so bright that it can blind anyone who stares at it for more than five seconds. He emanates a rather buoyant and jubilant aura, which does not go undetected by the other students.
None of his classmates has ever seen him this happy before. Yes, he is often referred to as the bundle of sunshine at Highland High School, the human happy-pill you go to if you need some cheering up.
He'll never turn someone in despair away unless they're smiling again. That's the main reason why plenty of girls are always falling hopelessly in love with him. He's not intentionally leading them on or giving them false hope, like some of the heartless guys at their school do. It's not that they mistake his kindness for flirting either. The girls are very aware that Hayden is just being Hayden. He's being nice. That's all there is to it. It's who he is. So how can they not develop feelings for a boy as innocent as Hayden Knight?
Second period ends and Hayden makes his way towards his next class, whistling an upbeat tune. His throat becomes parched, which leads him to make a pit-stop at the at the nearest bubbler. After satiating his thirst, Hayden straightens his posture. He is shocked to find Gianna Humphrey, Paige Wang and Autumn Shays planted in front of him. "Hello ladies," he greets warmly.
"Hayden, we don't want you to take this the wrong way," Autumn begins timidly. Out of the trio, she's the most demure.
"And we mean no offense when we say this," adds Gianna.
"But your girlfriend is a total, fire-breathing bitch," Paige finishes with her nose wrinkled in distaste.
The insult causes his eyebrows to bunch up at the center of his forehead. A small fire crackles inside of him. What has Cecilia ever done to them? "Excuse me?" The smile he's been sporting up until now immediately vanishes. He may be a gentleman, but he isn't going to let these girls get away with talking trash about his girl.
"We said no offense," Gianna quickly reminds, trying to justify their crass words. Yeah, like that makes it any less immoral for them to badmouth people behind their backs.
"We're just looking out for you," Paige announces haughtily as if he's supposed to be grateful. "Charlie's a slob who doesn't deserve you. We're not the only ones with this kind of mindset either. Unlike the other spineless losers who claim they like you, we're not afraid to tell you like it is."
The tense muscles in Hayden's body unclench when he realizes that they aren't actually attacking Cecilia. How can he forget that, to the rest of the world, Charlie Whitmen is his girlfriend? What would have happened if he had slipped up and said Cecilia's name instead?
"We don't mean to hurt your feelings but, maybe, you should reconsider your relationship with her," Autumn chimes in.
"Seriously. There are so many girls who are way better than her, the three of us included," Gianna sneers.
