The Thoughts Between Us // CHALEX

Nine

Charlie

When the bell rang for lunch today, I shot out of my desk and made my way towards the lockers.

The previous lecture of Spanish consisted of just exercise solving as most of the students were seniors and on the campus tour to Sanderson. This was the only one class I share with Alex, so my hobby of staring at him during the lecture was on halt for today.

Instead, my thoughts were still mostly on that graffiti.

Diego was a kind of person who will admit his doings, even if he had to in front of our coach. But he denied it, and that got me wondering who else would go through this much efforts to just show everyone, or maybe warn us.

Then I remembered someone else who wouldn't possibly believe that Monty could kill Bryce. I didn't wanted to overwhelm her, but I had to clear my doubts.

So after I kept my bag in my locker and grabbed some cookies, I entered through the doors of the cafeteria.

I first looked at the table where she usually sits with the HO nowadays, but she wasn't there with the other members. Gazing all over the room, I suddenly spotted her walking outside.

As I was about to follow her out, a singsong voice called me by a nickname I've started to hate.

"Hey, Charryboo!" I turned around to face Betty who was actually standing too close to my liking.

When I had started training in the team, I got introduced to all the cheerleaders who would support us during the games. That's when I met Elizabeth.

I asked her to the homecoming because everyone on my team had said that she had 'hots' for me, and I thought why not? She was quiet, got along with everyone, different from other cheergirls. But when we ended our first and last date during the winter break, I realized how much obsessed she was with herself. The night had ended with a kiss from her side, where I had just kept my lips shut.

"We never had our second date." Betty said, feeling my jacket clad arm. "I hope you are taking me to a 5-star restaurant this time. The dresses in my closet are waiting for a hot dinner."

Yeah, I can guarantee that will never happen.

But me being me, I couldn't say something mean to her face.

"Betty, hi," I replied to her, and kept my arms behind me. "I'm just, you know, kind of busy with the team. So, I don't know when I'll be free."

"Don't forget I'm a cheerleader." She said, first winking at me, then pulling me down by my neck to kiss my cheek. "We'll figure it out. You and me are a clique."

Did I mentioned Betty was the head cheerleader this semester?

She waved her fingers at me, and went to her table where the other cheergirls were watching rather attentively.

I shaked my head at her retreating figure, and continued towards outside.

The person I was looking for has decided to go sit at the farthest table under the trees. She was sitting alone, reading a book and eating some chips.

"Hey, can I sit here?"

Estela looked up at me in confusion when I asked her, and nodded unsurely.

I sat infront of her, and pulled out the cookies from my varsity jacket's pocket.

"Cookies?"

She continued to look unsure on why I had suddenly decided to sit with her, but still took one cookie from my tiffin.

"Thanks."

I nodded at her as she took a bite of the cookie and her eyes widened.

"Oh wow, this is so good." She nodded. "Thank you so much."

"Yeah, of course." I chuckled as she finished the cookie in less than a minute. "You want more?"

"Charlie, why are you here?"

She gave me a look, as I cleared my throat.

"I got worried after seeing that graffiti this morning." I said because it was somewhat true. "So I just wanted to check on you."

"I'm okay. Don't worry." She smiled at me. "I don't know who did that but it got me wondering who else thinks Monty is innocent in Bryce's murder."

What?

"What do you mean?" I asked her, as she started fidgeting with her sleeve.

"It's just, I always knew Monty had anger issues. What he did with Tyler Down, I couldn't believe it at first but there were proofs about it. So..."

I nodded as she continued speaking.

"But the thing with Bryce, that's what I don't understand. Monty and Bryce were brothers, they were always so close. You should've seen that too, right Charlie? You were Monty's friend too."

Yes, ofcourse Estela, how could I miss that?

"Yeah, you're right." I replied. "But maybe something must've happened between them."

"I don't know." She shrugged at me.

I know I can't say much to her about this, but I wanted to be honest.

"Monty and Bryce, they weren't really friendly after the homecoming game."

She just frowned at me in confusion, so I continued.

"Bryce kind of cornered Monty before the game, that's when I heard everything that Monty had done during the trial to others, including Tyler."

"So you are saying that Monty may have killed Bryce?" Estela asked, not believing what she was saying. "That's not possible, Charlie."

You're right. Monty didn't killed Bryce.

"Look, I'm not saying he did." I explained. "But then do we even know what happened that night when Bryce was murdered."

We sat quietly for a couple of minutes, both thinking over things.

"This would all be clear if there would be an alibi for Monty."

When Estela said that, I realised that no one knows where Monty was.

"Yeah," I replied. "At first when the police came asking around, Monty told me to cover up for him. But now I think he never really mentioned where he was."

"Maybe he was actually with someone else." She suggested. "Whoever that was may have done the graffiti."

That actually made sense. Whoever did that was sure Monty was framed, and that could be also the person Monty was with that night.

"Maybe Monty was innocent about Bryce's murder." Estela continued, sighing and looking in the distance. "Now I just want to know where he was that night."

You're not the only one, Estela.

×××××××××××××××××

I really took time to update this time, but here it is.

Sort of short, but still I was content with what I wrote.

So I hope you all like how I am framing everything around Charlie.

Don't forget to Comment & Vote