DOWN N DIRTY

1.

Veronica PoV
My eyes flicker mindlessly across the yard, focusing when I see a figure walking towards me. I drop the spanner from my hand, march towards Charlie and slap him straight across the face. His head slowly turns back to me with a smirk.
"I'm really glad you dropped that spanner." I roll my eyes and turn back to my work, adjusting the nut quickly and bending over to get the spanner. Charlie wolf whistles and I throw him a glare, straightening up and tightening the nut. Satisfied that the steel should hold, I climb into the loader, turning the gate up the right way. My eye catches sight of a piece of welding that wasn't done properly and my eyes narrow before I jump about of the cab and grab the face-guard, covering my eyes before finishing the welding with ease. Charlie coughs awkwardly and I lift the face-guard, pulling it off and leaving it on the bench. I grab Charlie by the ear, dragging him down the yard, ducking behind the hedgecutter when Sam, one of the workers walks past. We finally get into the barn and I duck round the combine until we are between the bale stacks and away from most views. However, to be on the safe side, I drag him to a lower part before pointing upwards wordlessly. He points up to the top, his eyes wide with fear and I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms and leaning on one leg. He sighs and begins to climb the steep stack, me in close pursuit. He stumbles repeatedly but eventually gets to the top, heaving breaths and scooting away from the edge when he sees how far up it is (really it isn't very tall, maybe 10metres?). I roll my eyes, lying down and looking at the patterns of the corrugated roof. Then I remember why I dragged him up here in the first place.
"What the hell are you doing here!!!" I punch him hard in the arm and he backs away, shuddering when the bale wobbles.
"Well, you refused to answer my texts and calls.  Did I do something wrong?" He smirks, but rubs his arm. "Damn you can pack a punch. Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you."

"Bit late for that you imbecile! What the hell were you thinking! You can't just show up at my workplace, let alone when people can actually see you!" I'm fuming although to be fair, it's kinda cute that I was that memorable. Shut up subconscious. It's not cute, it's stalkerish and weird and wrong. What if my dad saw him. He will so get the wrong idea! Ugh why did he have to be a police officer again? Oh yeah, I liked a guy in uniform. Drunk Ronnie is dumb.
"Why would it be so bad if people saw me?  What is wrong with you, why do you insist on being so closed?  Can we just talk?  I want you in my life..." He tries to look into my eyes but I turn away, quickly descending down the bales.  I land at the bottom after jumping down the last 2 metres and begin to stalk off.
"Veronica!" I turn and give him the look of death.  I reserve it specifically for stupid people, I just narrow my eyes and imagine bad things happening to them.  Apparently my eyes go a light grey, almost silver.  Charlie flinches but advances towards me.
"Look, I know you've rejected me and I know you don't want me but can't we start something?  I felt the connection even a year ago and I feel it now.  Come on, this connection is..." I interrupt quickly.
"...the only connection we have is that we had sex.  Quick meaningless sex.  Nothing special.  Nothing new.  Have you never had a one night stand?" His eyes drop and I know something isn't right.
"You've never had a one night stand before?  Please tell me you've had a girlfriend." He nods and I sigh in relief but his eyes are still downcast. "You've never had sex before have you?"  He mumbles something but shakes his head.
"Ugh, that's why you've turned into such a stalker, I took your virginity and you think it means something!  Well let me tell you now buddy boy, it means nothing.  I go through men like I go through food, quickly and as much as I can get.  You were nothing new and I don't know why you think you are.  Leave.  Me.  Alone.  Go tag along some other sappy girl, pretend she's your virginity taker, I'm hoping you've still got the receipt to this 'gift' because I want to return it, it's worthless and meaningless.  Now leave."  I turn on my heel and stalk up the yard, mumbling about stupid loveydovey people these days and their uselessness.  I'm just making coffee for all the boys when Max wanders into the portacabin with Charlie in tow.
"I found this loitering in the yard, figured it belonged to you." Max smirks and I glare playfully.
"Actually, he's just some guy I took the virginity of that won't leave me alone.  He's been bugging me the past year because of it.  Deal with it, I'm busy."  I take the cups of coffee down to the boys who are silage clamping and annoyingly Max and Charlie follow, Max and I fall into step and banter back and forth with meaningless vague flirting, same as usual, with Charlie third wheeling.  The boys all take their coffee gratefully and I chat away to my grandad about the silage clamping that needs doing at Hortons.  All of a sudden, Will says loudly,
"Who's the weiney in the corner?"  Everyone stops and looks at Charlie then looks at me.
"Oh that's just some guy who doesn't understand the concept of one night stands.  Dumb virgins, eh Virg?"  Virg (Dan Chanders, called Virg for obvious reasons) blushes a bit pink but nods.  A few of the guys high five me for "de-virginating" such a hottie.
"Actually, Veronica and I have a connection, we are soul mates." Charlie suddenly pipes up.  Everyone freezes, watching me.  I aim to lunge at him but Max wraps his arms firmly around my torso, dragging me back into his embrace.  I unconsciously relax slightly but still my fingers twitch towards Charlie's throat.  Max murmurs concerns in my ear and I nod silently, he releases me and I walk straight up to Charlie going close enough to see how long his eyelashes were and the freckles on his nose.  I yank my knee up and walk away from him, mumbling about being back in half an hour.
-*-
Charlie PoV
She slams her knee mercilessly into my balls, pain shoots through my body and I crumple to the floor, watching her footsteps as she stalks up the yard.  What did I do?  Sighs ring out as a vehicle drives away at high speed.  The group slowly disperses, leaving behind Max and an old man, about in his 70s.  They chatter about something lowly then the old man climbs back on the tractor and begins driving up and down the green hill thing.  Max looks at me through narrowed eyes for a moment before grabbing my arm and yanking me to my feet.
"Strong connection with Ron huh?  It's sure looking like it at this point.  You clearly know nothing about her, from the way you act, to the way you talk."
"And you know so much about her?  I could tell by how you wrapped your arms around her.  And her name is Veronica, not Ron." My anger fires up quickly.
"Try calling her that to her face again, see where that gets you.  Grow up man, she ain't gonna love you so give up.  What are you, a girl?" He turns to walk away but I yank his arm so we are face to face.
"Are we gonna have a problem, you and I..."