In Another Universe

Wednesday 11:58 Toast

The sounds of the lockers in the corridor kept distracting Charlie from what he was supposed to be doing. He had a free hour before lunch and he was waiting for his friends to show up. Oh but he was in front of his open locker to get his textbooks for the afternoon classes. Which he did after checking his agenda for the umpteenth time. Once again, he ignored his dad's text, asking him for lunch.

After the later left his mum, for whatever reasons he tried to give, their relationship somewhat went under. What was he expecting? Yes, he owed him for paying the rent to his shared apartment with Evie, but he wouldn't have had to do this if his father didn't leave. So he shrugged the message away.

He closed his locker and jumped, seeing Charlotte standing next to him with a large smile, definitely hiding some kind of question.

"Oh... Hey..." he started, but she decided to cut straight to the chase.

"Hey, listen, Sophia told me you were interested in the school play and since at the end of next week all teams will have had their first meeting, at least most of them, we thought we could throw a party to celebrate the beginning. We don't know yet if we're going to open it for other people to get more members but... we're looking for a place. Frances' can't have another party so soon after the other one, Sophia, well... you know, since she's Muslim, she can't have it. Ally can't either and my mum is there so..."

"What are you asking?" he ended up saying.

"Could you host the party at your place Saturday of next week?"

"Yeah... I guess."

She then profusely thanked him before leaving for what he guessed was either the cafeteria or her class. Probably more the cafeteria. Which is where he was headed as soon as his friends would show up.

He was crossing the courtyard when he finally saw them.

"Where were you? We've been looking," William asked.

"Well, not hard enough apparently," Charlie joked. "I was right in there."

"I'm hungry, though," Jack said, "And not jus-"

"Please don't make a sex joke," Thomas asked. "We're about to it."

Unsurprisingly, Jack didn't add anything. They started to make their way towards the cafeteria when someone grabbed Charlie's arm. He turned around to see Lea and one of her friends, Moira, if he remembered well. They both seemed pretty enthusiastic with their smiles, which Charlie wasn't.

"Hey, we're organising a little party on Friday, just a small thing, I don't plan on inviting the whole school, but I wanted to know if you'd like to come," she said, before adding, "Oh and your friends can come too, of course."

"Friday..." He said, falsely reflective. "I don't know, I don't think I can... I have this..."

He was trying to find an excuse, maybe Evie could back him up on something. But then he would have to explain both to her and to the others. Yet, he didn't have time to think much because Thomas stepped into the conversation.

"Ah, what a prankster! We got nothing to do on Friday so of course we're coming."

"Great!" Lea said, excitedly.

"And we will bring booze." William added.

Lea and Moira left quickly, and as soon as they were out of earshot, William looked confusingly at Charlie. He couldn't find any excuse for Lea, and now he had to find one for his friends. And himself in the end.

"What the hell, man? What's wrong in that small head of yours?"

"Look, she's nice and all but she's everywhere I go and it freaks me out."

"Hey, listen, that's cool and all but she's not the creepy stalker type okay? She's just into you, wake up!"

He shrugged and continued his way to the cafeteria. The others followed him, but not without a small slap on the head.