daddy issues → brad simpson | ✓

8 - does it

CHARLOTTE

James stands besides me, "there they are."

He points to Tristan, who I had already met, and a boy with brown hair, who I assume was Connor. They were sat at a table in the canteen, a familiar mop of brown curls sat with them.

"Let's go," I give him a smile, thankful he'd shown me to his friends and we walk over to them. Tristan notices us first, a grin on his face.

"I remember you! You were talking to Brad the other day!" He says, obviously directed to me. "You get around a lot."

James scowls at him, "we're not like that. Besides, you shouldn't objectify a woman, she's a human, not something to be passed around."

"All right, all right," Tristan shoots his hands up in surrender. "Sit down, we'd love to talk. We've heard all about you."

My eyes flash with panic as they flicker over to Brad who has a frown playing on his features. Surely he wouldn't tell his friends that we had a thing going on? I hadn't told anyone, I assumed it was something private.

"You have?" I asked calmly.

"Yeah, James told us about you interrogating him yesterday," he chuckles and my features instantly relaxed. "But please, sit down."

There were two empty seats, one next to Brad and Connor and one next to Tristan who sat on the other side of the table to the other two boys. I had no choice but to sit next to Brad as James makes his way next to Tristan and I sit down slowly.

"Charlotte? Right?" Connor says from besides me as I sling my bag under the table. "James mentioned your name yesterday."

"That's my name," I smile over to him. "I'm best friends with Tiara and since she's my best friend I'm obliged to beat anyone up that hurts her feelings—"

"We didn't say anything," Tristan points between both Connor and himself and I nod slowly, leaning forward with my elbows and forearms resting on the table.

"As I've heard, but I don't understand why Tiara would frame you two if you did nothing," I say and the boys frown, both turning silent. I try not to focus on Brad's eyes that were so obviously staring right into me. "Are you sure you didn't say anything to her? Or something that could've provoked someone else saying something to her?"

"I don't speak to anyone besides these three boys," Connor shrugs, leaning back against his chair.

Brad's hand brushed against my thigh, and I stop myself from audibly gasping. I cough awkwardly before shooting him a brief, pointed look but he smiles innocently.

"I've only spoken to her once," Tristan explains, getting my attention. "I think we share a class together, the three of us—I don't remember which one, really."

I nod slowly, ignoring Brad's hand that found its way to my knee. I shift uncomfortably on my seat. I didn't know if I liked it or not, at least here, in the canteen, anyway.

"Don't you share biology?" Brad asks, leaning forward as his hand slowly creeps its way up to my thigh, squeezing it.

"No, I dropped out first year," Tristan shakes his head before looking over to Connor. "What class was it? I really can't remember."

"Health and Social?" Connor suggests and Tristan nods.

"That was it! We shared Health and Social," Tristan nods. "We were doing about STD's and someone called out about how Tiara apparently gave him chlamydia. We just laughed, just like everyone else. No one called a whore, really."