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 with Claws
Cecilia licks the pad of her thumb and flips to the next page in her textbook. Her eyes drink in every single word printed out with caution while her pen scrawls out the notes she believes will be helpful for her exam. Basically, she's copying everything she is reading.
Everyone has their own methods to doing things. This is hers. She been studying the entire weekend, but it's not enough. She needs to work harder. She has to.
For four hours straight, she's been studying nonstop and she has no intention of quitting until she can recite the information she's come across in her sleep. She cannot afford to mess up on this test. She has to bring home a perfect score. It's expected of her. It has always been that way.
A soft knock echoes through her room before her door, which is painted an ivory white, cracks ajar. Her mother, a beautiful woman with bright blue eyes and honey blonde hair, pokes her head inside. "Cilia, dinner is ready. Are you going to join us tonight?"
"Not right now," the girl says absentmindedly, her focus never abandoning the hefty anatomy book sitting on her desk. "I'll eat later."
The corners of the woman's lips etch up, forming a subtle smile. "Okay. I'll leave a plate for you on the table then. And Cilia?"
"Hm?" she hums, still not bothering to spare the woman a glance.
"Your father and I are very proud of you. You know that, right?" Mrs Isles proclaims, her voice filled with tenderness.
There is a prolonged pause. "Yeah," Cecilia mutters at last. The door shuts with a soft click and she finds her hand slowing down. "I do."
The night flies by quickly. Too quickly, actually. The analog clock on her nightstand has already struck 3 AM yet the lamp is still on, illuminating a warm glow in the room. Once she decides that she is prepared for the exam she has tomorrow (or today), Cecilia stands up and stretches out her limbs. It's too late for her to eat now, so she doesn't.
After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Cecilia crawls into bed and burrows herself beneath the covers. Her bed feels like a fluff of clouds, but she doesn't fall asleep. Her body is exhausted, but her mind is in a flurry. She is mentally going over all of the stuff she has to do tomorrow and she immediately grows restless.
Hayden infiltrates her thoughts and Cecilia grabs her phone, excited to see if he has left any cute messages for her. He normally does, especially when he knows that she is busy studying. He always manages to make her heart flutter with his words, and knowing Hayden, he probably isn't even trying to woo her on purpose either. That's how she fell for him, you know.
Unconsciously yet, somehow, ever so naturally at the same time.
To her dismay and surprise, there is nothing from him. He must be worrying about the SAT. If she remembers correctly, he is scheduled to take his next month. Despite this fact, a discomforting feeling settles in her stomach as she tucks the device under her pillow.
