A Friend Like You || Completed

Chapter Twenty-One || Charlotte

"You're an idiot."

"No, I'm not."

"Germany resuming unrestricted submarine warfare wasn't the reason why the United States entered the Great War." Charlie mimicked their History teacher as they walked from the classroom to their lockers down the hall. "Goodness, Matt, and you wonder why you're failing."

"Help me, please?" He folded his hands under his chin and gave her his best puppy eyes, and she almost said no.

"You're doing the writing for your homework." She opened her locker and began switching her books out when a piece of paper fluttered down. "Can you grab that?"

He handed it to her without looking, and she stuck it in her bag as it was probably some homework or worksheet that escaped. Jules came up to them holding a creased paper that was covered in small text; the only thing readable from a distance was BOYS' ATTRACTIVE LIST 2016.

"What the hell is this?" She waved the List while Charlie rolled her eyes.

"So this school used to be all boys then people were like, 'hey, girls should get an education, and a bunch of the guys decided that was the worst thing ever and came up with this brilliant idea to humiliate girls back to being at home," she closed her locker, and the three walked to Matt's. "Ranking them from the most attractive, the girls who didn't go to school, to the ugliest, the ones were actively trying to be more than a wife and mother. The Attractive List was born, and still around because people suck. Decades later, during the Sixties, a group of girls said, "payback is a bitch, here's a list of boys from most gorgeous to ugly.' Thus the less popular but still around-" she pointed to the paper Jules was still holding. "I'll give you three guesses why the girls' list is more popular."

"What is wrong with this school?"

"More like the town, Stel- my mother freaked when I got listed as the ugliest girl and literally grounded me, and her mother, my grandmother, brags about how she was at the top all four years she was in school." Charlie rolled her eyes while the other two shook their heads. "Anyway, I'm not gonna be at lunch because Dad's taking Keira and me out for some reason."

"Does it have to do with last night?"

"You mean you were sleeping in her bed?" Jules grinned as she took the paper out of Matt's locker and crumpled it up with the List from hers. "Don't look so shocked, Matt, she told me in History."

"What?" Charlie asked when Matt glared at her. "We were just sleeping; it's not a big deal."

"Is that why you didn't say anything to Dad?" Keira wrapped an arm around Charlie's shoulders. "I know he left early, but we were all awake expect for Ches, who would've said something."

Matt got his lunch and shut his locker; he didn't need any books since his last two classes was TA-ing for Taylor and Study Hall. "Let's go to lunch, J."

"See you later," Charlie waved as they started to walk away. "Jules, I'm meeting you at the dance, right?"

"Yeah," she nodded and looked at Matt. "Are you sure you don't wanna come? It's like three hours of bad dancing to worse music with your friends."

"I'm sure."

"I was hoping you'd changed your mind," Charlie frowned and followed her sister to the parking lot. She barely made left the hall when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Matt. "What?"

"I'll go."

"To the dance?"

"Yeah, it's a chance to take pictures."