Flightless Bird

Chapter 14

"Lexi, I am so, so sorry," I said, sitting down on my bed so as not to crowd her.

"I just don't get it Kerri. Do you even know him?" she asked

"No, but the weirdest thing happened today," I told her.

"A lot of weird things have happened lately," Lexi muttered, dropping her head and scuffing her shoe on the floor.

"I'm so sorry Lexi, I just needed to sort some things out with Charlie. He's kind of been...following me."

"I'm sorry too," she began, "I guess I just got jealous, what with you picking Charlie over me. And now it seems like all the guys are in love with you!" she cried.

"I promise, I will never ditch you for a guy again," I said as I stood up, "you're my best friend, Lex!"

She stood too, and said,

"And you're mine Kerri."

Laughing, she pulled me into a tight hug, both of us apologising tearfully. When we both sat back down on her bed, she said, giggling,

"I still can't believe you were hiding under the bed the whole time!"

"I thought for sure Jacob would catch me. I swear, if I had just reached out a hand I could have grabbed his ankle!" I cried.

"Good thing you didn't! I have no idea what that was all about, but man did he look pissed!" Lexi exclaimed.

"I know. I feel so bad, he probably thinks there's something going on between Charlie and I," I said.

"Yeah. I think you should talk to him tomorrow, let him calm down a bit first. And about Charlie..."

I sighed, "It was so weird! One minute he was taking me up to the attic saying he wanted to talk, next he wasn't saying a word. Even when I left. There's just something about him..."

"Stay away from him," Lexi warned, "he's definitely bad news. And you'll definitely get expelled if Mrs Marsh finds her son has the hots for you!"

"Why?" I asked, shuffling closer.

"Last time he had a girlfriend, about four years ago it must have been. Well, it ended badly. Think they had an argument, and she dumped him. Charlie went mental after that; was AWOL for months and when he did come back his mum made him redo his final year. Thing is, every year now he fails on purpose," Lexi told me in a hurried voice. As though if anyone heard something bad might happen.

"Why does he do it?" I asked her, interest piqed.

"Well," Lexi began, "I don't know for sure, but last I heard he was still trying to find a girl. There's always some poor sod falls for him, but he never lets it get anywhere. Heartbroken but on the pull, it's weird alright."

"Yes," I agreed, "it certainly is."

Suddenly Charlie had become a lot more interesting, and far more dangerous.