A Ray of Hope

>>> 8 <<<

"I hate Monday's," Paris groans from beside me.

I only roll my eyes at her and continue my walk towards my locker.

Once we reach my locker I find Charlie leaning against the one beside it, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Hey Charles," I greet as I open my locker.

Charlie scowls at me, "Stop calling me that."

"But it matches your personality... Sort of." I continue to rummage through my locker looking for a paper I had due in my first class.

"Charlie doesn't have a personality, Hope," Paris says from behind me.

"Scuse you? I'm right here." Charlie snaps as Paris chuckles.

"I was joking. Don't get all sassy with me."

"I can't help it, it's in my genes."

"That made no sense, Charles."

"Stop calling me that!"

I close my locker before turning around to look between my two bickering friends. I simply roll my eyes as they continue to argue.

"Guys! Hope!" Phoebe comes running up to us with a huge grin plastered across her face.

"Your happiness disgusts me," I mumble as I pull out my phone.

"Don't go all emo on us like your dads' lyrics," Charlie says from beside me.

I look up at him and give him a glare, "Now I just want to punch you, Charles. You're lucky you're my friend."

Charlie chuckles, "I was just joking, you know I love their music. My favorite song by them is the one that-"

"Guys!" Phoebe cuts across Charlie with an annoyed expression masking her features.

"What, Phoebe," Paris looks up from her phone giving Phoebe her full attention. Charlie turns to look at her as well.

"The new guy-"

"Ashton?" I cut across Phoebe with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah! That's his name, anyway-"

"Oh, he's in my art class," Charlie starts. "That boy is a hot piece of-"

"Oh my God. Charlie?" Paris turns to look at Charlie who has a raised eyebrow, "Shut up."

"I'm just being honest! If I could, I would totally bang him."

"Okay, I'm done here." Paris begins to walk away from us as Charlie raises his hands.

"Guys!" Phoebe yells causing everyone around to stare in our direction, "Let me speak, dammit!"

"Sorry, Phoebe," Charlie says with an apologetic smile. "Speak away."

"Okay one, Charlie is right, Ashton is hot. Two, Ashton was talking about you!" She looks directly at me and begins squealing.

I lightly laugh, "Uh, I think I heard you wrong, please repeat."

"Ashton. Was. Talking. About. You."

"Yeah, that's incorrect. No, there's another Hope Dun at this school then," Paris says from behind me.

"What was he saying?" Charlie speaks up.

"Well I was walking past him and he was on the phone. Obviously I stopped to stare at him because, ya know, he's hot."

I give Phoebe a blank stare.

She continues, "Anyway, he was talking to some girl, her name was Daniella. He also mentioned another girl, her name was May. Maybe he's off the market and May is his girlfriend. Oh well, anyway, he-"