The Moon Kissed

2 √

Chapter 2| Rese Alvaro the Prince on a White Horse

Walking into school the next day put a smile on my face.

Cole was now talking to that freshman girl or trying to. It was cute watching him try and get her attention.

Celia had gone home last night after spending four hours sitting with my dad and his police buddies as we chatted about recent cases and joked that we would be criminals in the future.

Luckily, Celia didn't have to call Gavin or anyone for help. Dad was surprisingly calm and collected while his buddies were there, and after they left, he wished me goodnight with a small smile on his face.

It was interesting, to say the least.

"He likes you," I tell the freshman girl as Cole slipped away into the crowd. Only when I stood before the freshman girl did I notice Rese Alvaro's piercing gaze pinned on me from across the hall. I ignored him and focused my attention on the girl.

"No, he doesn't." She denied and a knowing smile curved my lips up. I leaned on the locker, humming in disagreement. "He doesn't." She added firmly.

"Ok, we can go with that answer until next week...?" I say, trailing off expectantly. She smiled again, happy to interact with anyone.

She was one of those girls who was too sweet to notice anyone falling for her, but she was also insanely smart from what I gathered. All the books in her locker were AP or Honors level.

"Charlie Wilson." She introduced and I smiled warmly, letting her shake my hand.

"Caline Dawson." I returned, causing her smile to widen and become more genuine. "So, Charlie, I haven't seen you here before, where'd you move from? New York? Maybe Maine?" I ask raising an eyebrow. A surprised expression flickered across Charlie's face.

"I moved from Maine, how'd you know?" She asks curiously and I shrug.

"Most kids here have a tan from being outside in the hot South Carolina sun. You're still wearing a semi-winter coat, which means the heat is surprising your body, and you find comfort in clothes suitable from where you moved from. Plus, your locker had a lot of photos of Maine. I'm assuming you're a photographer, yeah? I like the lighthouse photo." I explain and she blinked at me in surprise.

I felt the boys moving closer, hearing the hallway grow silent around me as they moved.

Charlie nodded and tucked a piece of brown hair behind her ear, "Yeah, I like photography. I like the lighthouse photo too." She says with a smile, "Are you a photographer?" She asks and I nod, thinking about the expensive camera laying in my bedroom, still untouched.

"I find that taking photos lets you experience the world through a different eye. But I've been so busy I haven't had time to think about bringing out my own camera." I explain carefully. It was only half a lie. I really have been busy, but I want her to be my friend. Anything we can both relate to is a good sign.

Charlie nodded in understanding and looked at the photos in her locker. My eyes flickered over them, and I froze at the sight of a tear-stained photo. A sad smile formed on my lips, and I placed my grubby finger on the edge of the picture, giving Charlie a glance.

"Is it just you, your mom and your brother?" I ask and she looks from me to the photo of her family. I was carefully avoiding the man who was obviously her father. She seemed to be thankful for avoiding him.

"Yeah, just us and a dog named Lucas. Do you have any pets? Family?" She asks changing the subject quickly and I decide to push for answers later on. It was a sensitive subject to talk about family.