It's Worth the Risk

Chapter 10

......What a cliffhanger, huh? Anyways.......
~The next day~
Henry slept for the whole night, leaning against the cold brick wall. He slowly picked his head up from his arms, hearing the painful cracking from his neck and back. Slowly stretching out all his body parts, he picked his drowsy body up, and caught the purple and silver glimmer from a clip.

Henry: It's Charlotte's. I...I can't give it back to her, I can't even talk to her.

Henry spent all of last night regretting what he did. Of course, he didn't not like the kiss, the passion, or the fire between them. But it was all extinguished after Charlotte had run off. Now, it's hopeless on what to do next. He slowly grew the strength to walk over and pick up the clip. Her engravings, C.B, meant that he was right: It's hers. 'What to do?', he thought.

~In school~
Charlotte anxiously waited for Henry to walk through the school's glass door. After last night, Charlotte couldn't sleep at all. She had spent the whole night, thinking about the kiss. If she liked it, was she crazy to, is it...risky? Once the clock hit 6:00 AM, she realized that she had spent the whole night thinking...about Henry. 'What does that mean?', she thought. Leaning against her locker door, she felt her eyelids grew heavy after every second. The cruel enemy of fatigue has taken a toll on her. Slowly, she slid down the door and landed on the ground.
Jasper finally said bye to his friends and continued walking to his class. During his journey, he caught Charlotte taking a catnap on the ground. He kneeled down to the ground, and taped her frantically to wake up...minutes before the bell rings and the both of them will officially be late to class.

Jasper: Char, Char, Hey Char, wake up, man.

Charlotte: *yawn* Oh, hey Jasper. What time is it?
If
Jasper: Time for history class. Why are you so tired all of the sudden? You always have that sleep schedule on your wall. Is it not working?

Charlotte: Okay, so far, Jasper does not know about the kiss. If I just play it cool, maybe he won't grow suspicious.
Um, yeah. That's it. Darn sleep schedule....Well, I have to go to class now.

Charlotte quickly got up after stumbling a few times and speed-walked to Ms. Shapen's class.

Jasper: Wait! Where's Henry? Is he out today?

Charlotte: Play it cool, Char. I don't know! I'm not in charge of the kid! He can do whatever he wants. Maybe he's out sick, or he is just not coming because he does not want to see me. Maybe because after last night when he kissed me, he realized that what he did was too crazy and risky and completely stupid! Maybe, he's skipping school today because he spent all of last night thinking about it just like I did. I don't know, Jasper! You can't ask me where Henry is, because I don't care! He can jump off a freaking bridge. But he's obviously not here, so don't ask stupid questions because I couldn't care less about where he is. Okay?!

Jasper: Whoa. Sorry I brought it up.

He slowly brought his hands up in a surrender position and walked backwards, while still facing Charlotte, to class.

Charlotte: Nailed it.

***After Lunch Period***

Charlotte and Jasper walked together to their next class, science with Mr. Matthews. During their tedious journey from the café, Jasper felt a slow vibration from his left pocket. Once he reached and grabbed his phone, his screen lit up with, "One missed call and text message from Henry Hart". He read the text in anyway he could. Forwards, backwards, diagonally, left to right, and between the lines.

Charlotte: Who texted?

Jasper: Um, no one. Just another one of those junk emails.

Charlotte: Oh. He's not the best liar. But his text is his business.

***In Science Class***

Mr. Matthews: Alright, class. Please take out your last night's assignments and pass them up to the front of the class.

While all the papers were rustling and the students were murmuring, no one quite noticed Henry open the door to class...except Charlotte and Jasper.

Mr. Matthews: Well, Mr. Hart, fancy seeing you here. You're just in time for my announcement. Please take your assigned seat.

Henry slowly walked up to the front of the classroom and took his assigned seat, which was directly adjacent to Charlotte's. With the two of them together, not saying a word to the other, not even the slightest second of eye contact, the air was still...and tense...

Mr. Matthews: Alright, settle down guys. Okay, so my announcement is, every class is having a semester exam, which can be kind of a snoozefest. So, instead, I brought the school board's attention to consider a science semester...project!! Now originally, I had the idea of making everyone choose their partners...

Charlotte: Yes! I can choose someone besides Henry!

Mr. Matthews: But the school board and I decided to arrange everyone's partner for the project. So, at the end of class, please come up to my desk, to see who you are paired up with.

Once the bell rang, every student rushed to Mr. Matthew's desk and frantically asked for their other half. And Lord Behold, Charlotte got Henry. Charlotte quickly grabbed her stuff and ran to her locker. In an attempt to avoid Henry, she covered her face deep inside her locker. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. Henry walked up to Charlotte and softly tapped her back.

Henry: Uh, hey.

Charlotte slowly removed her head from the locker and faced Henry for the first time, since the 'kiss-icident'.

Charlotte: Hi. So, I heard that  we're partners...for the thing...

Henry: Yeah. Um, so, how about we, um..., meet at, you know...

Charlotte: Why does he keep stumbling? It's kinda cute. Your house?

Henry: Perfect! I'll see you after school. Later.

As he turned and walk towards his next class, Charlotte couldn't help but stare at him until he turned the corner.

Charlotte: Dang...I gotta get over this.