Charley & Quinn [ON HOLD]

Chapter 1: Bacon Cologne

Chapter 1: Bacon Cologne

A/N: Before you begin to read the story (and obviously get hooked), as authors we'd both like to thank everyone who has added Charley & Quinn to their libraries. There's no doubt that, by the end of this chapter, you will still be questioning a few things about the characters, but don't worry because things will surely be explained soon.

Photo above is Charley - Played by Lily Collins

Charley

The metal coat of my locker slammed shut forcefully, waking me from my embarrassing day dreaming. Paul. He was there. His eyes narrowed dangerously close at me as he held up a striking hand. I saw the bruising that rested on each of his knuckles. I heard the loud cracking as his crushed them together. I waited for the impact to hit, for him to curse loudly, for him to push me around like any other time.

But this wasn't any other time.

"Charley?" A voice, too soft and remorseful for anyone remotely similar to him, literally dragged me from my depths of imagination.

School. I was at school. Everything's fine. Paul wasn't here.

And just like that, I was back in the real world.

I curiously looked around for the source, engulfing in the familiar feeling of relief as I spotted Quinn beside me, leaning against the next locker.

"Sorry," he held up his hands in defence. "I wasn't meant to scare you, I didn't mean to slam your locker that hard."

I pushed past what had just happened and flashed him the smallest of eye rolls, paired with a goofy smile. "So much for the high-school-boyfriend-locker-slam cliche."

"I tried too hard, didn't I?" He pouted, which was too much cuteness for me to handle.

"Like always."

"Hey, need I tell you I don't try at all for swimming."

I didn't doubt that for a second. My eyes curiously rolled over his body in search for his perfectly sculptured abdominals that, somehow, made swimming a whole lot easier than it looked. His hazelnut brown hair curtained his eyes, but it really did wonders for his amazing cheek bones.

"Are you done perving on me?" His low voice dared me to look away.

"It's harder than you think," I said, dazed by his unbelievably good looks.

Once I realised I let the most embarrassing words fall from my mouth, I snapped my eyes up to his, only to seem him smirking in pride.

"A compliment from my own girlfriend? I'm blushing." He dead panned, pulling out his phone. I watched his eyes widen to the size of a baseball. "Fuck, Charley. I'm late for practice."

I almost exploded from how adorable Quinn was when he stopped himself from running off and waited patiently for my dismissal. The last thing I wanted to do was send him off to swimming practice, I wanted him all for myself, I wanted to squeeze his cheeks all lesson. But I knew that was just the selfish side of me talking.

So I did the right thing.

"For the love of God, please go! You're probably sending your coach into cardiac arrest for being so late."

"I'll meet you at lunch," he flashed me a heart-warming smile and kissed the top of my head.

And before I knew it, his delicious scent of bacon and cologne slowly disappeared as the bell to class rang.

Quinn

Kissable.

That was the word.

As I took one last look at the socially awkward, red cheeked, brown haired shy mess behind me, I couldn't help but grin. That awkward mess was mine, and no one else would ever see what she shows me behind closed doors.

No no no.

Not that.

Her personality.

No one would see the way she looked at me with so much affection. No one would see the way she scratched her left ear when she was confused, and no one would see the amazing person who cared so much for the world.

What can I say? I'm a protective guy.

As she faded away into the sea of students and teachers, lockers and hallways, I had put my mind to the task at hand. Swim practice.

Sounds dramatic, doesn't it.

My long, strongly built arms pushed through bodies of brightly dressed, messy haired people before reaching a navy door to the left that said, "Chesterfield Swimming Pool."

For the peeling paint, broken school desk and chairs that covered the school, at least we had an indoor swimming pool.

As I entered the heavily creaking doorway, a chlorinated smell hit my nose, and the clear pool came into my view.

On the sidelines near a wall that was basically one giant window, a row of chairs held two of my best friends. Jim and Tyler.

"Quinny boy! What took you so long?" The caramel curly haired loud one, yeah, that's Jim. "You better hurry up and get into your gear before Coach Riley grills your as-!"

It was a bit late for that.

"Quinn! What are you doing slacking around in your normal attire! Don't you know being late is against school policy and is written under our school code on page 33?! Get changed before I have a heart attack you lazy wet noodle!" A bulky large man, known as Coach Riley had just given me my weekly lecture. It didn't scare me. He didn't scare me.

I was the fastest in the team, and running for state. He couldn't get rid of me even if I begged.

Cocky, huh?

"Yes, Coach Riley!" I strutted away towards the change rooms, smiles and all. My life was perfect right now, and nothing could stop my high.

As I reached the change room I striped down into bare nakedness.

Sorry ladies, I can't go into detail about my amazingly shaped torso and the way my biceps tensed into perfect definition. It just can't happen.

I pulled up my black and blue quad swimmers that left my top half bare and jogged back to the pool.

"Finally Quinn! Even I was getting bored and I hate swimming!" Jim grinned towards me and I repayed him back a smirk.

That caused Coach to growl at us both.

"Alright you pathetic worms! Line up and know that this time will be placed on your record so by God help me, swim!"

All four of us stepped up onto the diving blocks and shielded our eyes with goggles. We knew that goggles were a must. I had heard a rumour that the chlorine in this pool isn't even chlorine...

"3..2..1 go!"

Jim and Tyler both synchronised their jumps into the pool, but I waited a second.

When I said I was the fastest in the team, I meant it.

I inhaled a deep breath, and dived.

I felt the cool water surround my body, enlightening me, setting me free.

From the moment I was old enough to walk, I swam. It was the only way I felt good about myself. The only way I could truly be something. Swimming was it for me, until I met Charley, and I wasn't about to let either go.