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 Head to Head
After the rather awkward and uncomfortable hug finally comes to an end, Charlie decides that it would be best to join Hayden outside. She figures he would want some privacy and the fresh air would also be good for him. Why does she always find herself tangled in these situations with him? They take a seat on the steps, a reasonable amount of distance keeping them apart. If the boy hadn't informed her of his unfortunate situation, she would have most definitely pushed him off and given him a black eye.
What spurred him to tell her about his folks, especially at this hour, remains a mystery to her, but at least now Charlie knows what's been gnawing away at him these last couple of weeks. Dealing with a divorce can't be easy. Of course she can't empathize but if it's like anything she's heard, it's no walk through the park. No wonder she hasn't heard much from the Knights lately.
"How long has it been going on?" she questions.
"Since the beginning of the summer," answers Hayden without batting a lash.
A pause ensues before the girl replies with, "Well that sucks." What else is she going to say? She's not going to apologize. It's not like she played an active role in their separation. There's nothing she can do about it besides try to console the guy, not that she's very skilled in that area of expertise. Shouldn't he be moping with his girlfriend? She's probably more qualified to handle this sort of issue than Charlie will ever be.
He nods stiffly, eyes focused on the step below his feet. "I know." What's he doing here?
"Does Cecilia know?" This time Hayden shakes his head while his heart clenches. "You should probably tell her," Charlie advises.
"I have no reason to," mumbles the boy.
"What do you mean by that?" Her brows furrow in confusion. "She's your girlfriend, the girl you love. What other reason do you need?"
"She's not my girlfriend. At least, not anymore." Hayden looks up, tilting his head back to keep the tears from flowing. Even he can't believe his own words.
"Knight," Charlie pauses as she turns to look at him, "what did you do?"
"I broke up with her," Hayden croaks, choking on his own words. "I broke up with the girl I love." It's as though the harsh reality has finally hit him like a ton of bricks and with quivering hands, Hayden buries his face, concealing the tears which are ready to escape.
"Why the fuck would you do that?" Charlie shouts. "Are you a fucking idiot? Who the hell does that?" Sometimes, she really can't understand people, especially the ones who claim that they're in love.
"Maybe I am," he answers without protest, his voice slightly muffled. "I'm just sick and tired of having to check over my shoulder every other second whenever I'm with her. Always worrying about getting caught. That's not what a relationship is supposed to be like. I want to be with a girl who isn't ashamed to tell the world I'm hers. A girl who will fight for me, the way I've been trying to fight for her."
