Being Wrong | ✓

Part 18

Charlie stretched out and yawned as he slowly woke up. It was Saturday morning, and for once he felt strangely enthusiastic to start the day. Hopefully Travis would want to hang out and maybe they could kiss or something.

He brought up the texting screen on his mobile phone and slowly typed out a word to Travis. Hello.

It was only after hitting send that Charlie realised how flat that sounded and frowned at his phone. He couldn't even make himself sound emotive in text. Why was he so bad at this?

His phone binged as a reply came in from Travis. Hey <3

And once again, Travis was so effortlessly good at it. Charlie spent a minute figuring out how to make the little heart shapes, then sent back a string of them.

His phone binged again. Going to 2nd hand shop today. Want to come?

Yes, Charlie sent back, and then added another couple of hearts. He was probably overdoing it a bit, but he didn't know how else to express his affection in text form.

Haha <3, Travis replied. Come get you @ 10. Bus at 10:15.

Charlie sent back another string of hearts. Yup, this was definitely too much and he needed to be banned from texting forever. He tossed his phone aside and went to go ask his grandma for bus money. When he discovered she'd already left to go grocery shopping, he asked his grandpa instead.

Charlie's grandpa frowned at Charlie as he set his newspaper down. "Second hand shop? Why do you want to go there?"

Charlie shrugged. "Travis is going."

"Hmm. I suppose he can't afford to buy his things new. You can now, you know."

"No I can't. I mean, I can't afford to buy second hand things either because I don't have any money at all, but I still like looking."

Charlie's grandpa's eyebrows slowly drew down and a look of realisation came over his face. "We didn't ever give you an allowance, did we?"

Charlie shrugged and shook his head.

Charlie's grandpa went and got his wallet. As he sorted through its contents he asked, "If I give this to you, you won't spend it at the second hand shop, will you?"

Charlie stared down at his toes as he wiggled them in the carpet. "Not if you tell me not to."

Somehow, that didn't seem to have been the answer Charlie's grandpa had been looking for. He shook his head and handed Charlie a fifty dollar note and a handful of change. "Bus fare and allowance for the few weeks you've been here. Spend it on whatever you like as long as it's not drugs or cigarettes."

Charlie held the note up and stared at it. Fifty dollars? That was enough to buy more books and clothes than he could carry at the second hand shop. The most his dad had ever given him to spend freely was five, and that hadn't happened very often.

"Thank you," Charlie finally remembered to say.

Charlie showered and dressed, then went and got himself a bowl of cereal. While he sat at the kitchen table and ate, he helped his grandpa with the crossword puzzle. He abandoned everything the second he heard the doorbell.

Travis grinned when Charlie opened the door, his cheeks dimpling.

Charlie stared for a moment, then reached out a finger and poked it into one of the little dips. "Boop."

Travis' smile somehow stretched wider, and he turned his face to give Charlie's finger a quick kiss as it pulled back. It tickled, but not in a bad way.