✓ | THAT'S SO US ! ( NOAH SCHNAPP )

iv. a dark sky with white dots

CHAPTER FOUR.
[ iv. a dark sky with white dots ]
/ IRL /

CHARLEY LOOKED AT the clock and realized it was almost time for the so called "Mystery Boy" to come, but her Dad was there this time. She definitely didn't want the boy coming in and her father seeing. She kept staring at the door, hoping the boy didn't walk in. Charley glanced over at her father, who was doing last minute clean ups. Just then, she noticed something at the corner of her eye. That boy, she silently panicked. She ran toward the door, shaking her head and mouthing the word "no" to him. He furrowed his brows and backed away from the door. "Be right back!" She shouted as she ran out the door. "Are you out of your mind?" Charley asked as she grabbed his hand, making him blush and become confused.

"What?" Noah breathed out as Charley took him to the side of the building and kneeled down.

"My dad is in there. He usually leaves around eight and comes back at closing time to lock everything up," Charley whispered completely paranoid. She stood up slightly to look from the outside in at her father. She got back down and sighed. "It's usually just me from eight till closing time, but today he's staying." Noah sat on the ground and leaned up against the wall.

"This is crazy," he chuckled as he looked up at the sky. "I don't understand why we have to hide from your Dad." Charley swallowed the lump in her throat and looked up at the sky with him. She leaned up against the wall and sat on the ground down beside him.

"My dad doesn't like me dating. After my mother died, there was this . . . guy," she explained softly so her father wouldn't hear. "We started dating and my Dad went ballistic." Noah listened to every second of it and nodded, showing he was listening. "He made us break up, immediately. I don't know why he's so strict, he didn't used to be that stern when it came to dating when my mother was still alive."

"What happened to your mother?" He asked hesitantly, but then realized how it sounded. "N-No, I'm sorry if it came out bad! I didn't mean anything bad!"

Charley giggled softly at his nervousness and then sighed. "Car wreck. The car wreck was so bad, the car was completely in pieces," she explained, her voice becoming softer. "I could've been in that car," the blonde said with no emotion. Noah's eyes widened and his heart softened, he felt horrible.

"Well, I'm glad you weren't in that car," he smiled as he tried to lighten the mood, making her smile. "Instead, you're with me, hiding from your father. Staring up at a dark sky with white dots."

"Sounds like the perfect date," she joked, making Noah's face immediately heat up.

"Da-Date?" He gasped and his eyes widened.

"Oh! I mean, if you call it that. I've been calling it that," Charley explained nervously and let out a nervous chuckle. "I've been going on a date with a complete stranger."

Only if you knew, he thought to himself. "Well, let's not be strangers anymore." He glanced around and saw an open patch of grass. "Come on." Noah grabbed the girl's hand instantaneously and stood up. They both walked over and laid in the grass, staring up at the stars. He let go of her hand and lied both of them on his stomach. Charley, however, slowly wished he held on, but didn't mention anything. She looked up at the sky awaiting for him to say something during the tense silence. "Well . . . I have a name, but I'm not gonna say it just yet. I'm thirteen, I have a twin sister named Chloe," he explained resourcefully. "Fun fact: I have a dog named Spaghetti—"

"Spaghetti?" She laughed as she looked over at him. "That's so cute. Alright, keep going."

"Okay, I have two best friends named Finnley and Margaret. Also, Sammy, Grant, and . . . um," Noah paused, trying to think of a name for Caleb Mclaughlin, a costar of his. "Cole. Yes . . . Cole. I don't go to public school, I'm really busy. Very busy. That's pretty much it," Noah lied and turned to glance at the girl, who was busy looking up at the sky. Of course, he didn't have friends with those names and yes in fact he did go to public school. It was obvious Noah didn't like lying and knew he wasn't very good at it, but he convinced her. When he glanced at the girl, his eyes opened wide in awe. Woah, he thought to himself as he stared at the girl. Charley turned to face him and he immediately turned to look up at the stars, making the blonde smile. "What about you?"

"Hmm, okay let's see. I'm fourteen and I have no siblings, I have a dog named Gunter, but I rarely see him," she paused trying to collect her thoughts, "I'm more devoted to work at the diner more than my father, which is weird. He and my mother bought that place and when she died, he kind of just . . . gave up. I know she would want him to continue working, he only puts in the effort sometimes. So, I'm busy doing his job," Charley explained. "I have three friends, Dylan, Macen, and Jake and they're all idiots," she giggled at the thought of the three. "Um . . . I actually am homeschooled too, but my father doesn't teach me. Someone online does. I am too obsessed over the show Stranger Things, it's getting to a very bad point."

Noah's eyes widened and immediately started to get nervous. "Stranger Things? I don't like that show. It could've been better."

Charley sat up and stared at him totally shocked. "'Could've been better?' That show is my life and it's so good." She lied back down but this time, she was closer to Noah, making him blush and celebrate in his mind.

"Who's your favorite character?" Noah asked, accidentally making his voice crack. "Oops!"

Charley snorted and smiled wide, so wide her cheeks started to hurt. "Either Will or Lucas. Dustin is good too," she stated as she looked over at him. She likes my character?! Noah thought excitedly to himself. "Now that I look at it, you resemble a lot of Will, like, so much it's freaky."

"Ha ha what. Pshhh, nah," he nervously chuckled as his palms started to sweat due to nervousness. Charley shrugged and she laid her head on Noah's shoulder. Making his stomach have millions of butterflies, his face get even more red, and him smile. They just laid there in complete silence, just enjoying each other's company.

This wasn't a crush, right?

"Char?!" A man yelled, making the two kids jump. She immediately got up and looked around, but then realized who yelled.

"Oh shit, it's my Dad," she whispered as she panicked. Charley turned towards Noah knowing she needed to act fast. "I had fun, Mystery Boy, I'll see you tomorrow." And just like that, she was running towards the entrance of the diner. Noah watched as the girl ran and made sure she was around the corner.

"Yes!" He exclaimed in a whisper. That was probably his favorite night, including her. "See you tomorrow, Milkshake Spiller."

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THIS IS SO FREAKING SOFT IM CRYING, BUT DONT EXPECT FOR THIS TO LAST.