Back To You (Chenry)

Chapter 1

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"1897?"
Charlotte sighed and shook her head. "1987." I rubbed my face in frustration and pulled at my hair, rolling over my bed. I planted my face into my pillow which stifled my obnoxious groans as Charlotte cringed at my actions. Then, I heard the sound of a textbook closing.

"Maybe we should take a break," Charlotte suggested. I looked over at the digital clock on my nightstand that read 12:27.

"What's the point? It's already past midnight," I replied with a harsh tone unintentionally at Charlotte. She raised her eyebrows, but I just waved it off.

"Fine, then we're calling it a night."

"What? No. I need to study, Charlotte."

"And you need to sleep, Henry." I sighed as she continued. "You can study all you want for this test but if you don't get sleep, everything you studied for and got down into that little noggin of yours will go straight down the drain," she teased. She grabbed my head that laid on the bed onto her lap and rubbed her fist into my head giving me a "nougie". She laughed until I laughed with her, then we just started play-fighting trying to give each other nougies. We stopped suddenly when she hit the wall and Piper yelled, "Can you keep it down in there?!" We tried to contain ourselves as we burst into laughter.

"Shh, c'mom, it's late," she got out as our laughter started to die down.

"You're right," I said. "I'll get the sleeping bag."

"You can stay on the bed, if you want," Charlotte tried to say nonchalantly but actually quite hesitantly. I've always let Charlotte take the bed when she stayed over, you know, being the humble best friend I am. Knowing Charlotte for practically ever, we've slept in the same bed before, but not recently. I tried to think back to the last time that happened.

Before Bianca and I got together.

I slightly gasped at the realization, then saw Charlotte awkwardly shuffle.

"Or, I could take the sleeping bag for tonight, I just want you to get a good night's sleep, is all, and I figured you getting to sleep on your bed would help, and-"

I laughed at my best friend's rambling. "Move over." She smiled.
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We went downstairs to make some hot chocolate before we went bed. I grabbed the mugs and chocolate syrup while Charlotte got the milk from the refrigerator. She poured the mugs halfway full while I held them and then I popped them in the microwave.

After setting the timer for 2 minutes, we sat in comfortable silence.

"Oh yeah, sorry I forgot to tell you earlier, but Bianca was looking for you after school," Charlotte said suddenly. It was then I remembered I was supposed to walk Bianca home. I slapped my forehead.

"Dammit," I cursed. "I was supposed to walk her home."

"Oh." Charlotte looked down, finding an interest in her shoes.

"Not that I would've left you there anyway," I quickly said. "Especially since you waited for me, Bianca didn't." She looked up at me with a tired look in her eyes.

"You should've," she finally responded. "She's your girlfriend, Henry. You should be able to spend more time with her than you do with me and if that means me having to walk home alone I'm perfectly fine with-"

"I'll never leave you, Charlotte."

The sincerity of the words surprised even me, but the grin that spread across her face told me I said the right thing.