Charlie’s POV
“What’s on your mind?” Ryan wondered as we sat down at our usual lunch table.
The moment was playing on repeat in my head, those words coming out of Ace’s mouth. He was right, we weren’t friends. We were just two random people who were assigned to sit next to each other.
“I was just thinking.” I said.
“About?” He pressed.
“Nothing.” I exhaled a breath. “Shouldn’t you be at football practice? Don’t you have a game tomorrow?”
He sighed. “Crap, I totally forgot!”
He finished off his can of soda before running off towards the football field.
“Are you going to watch the game tomorrow?” Ella wondered as she stabbed into her salad with a fork.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“You okay Charlie?” Clayton asked.
“Not really.” I sighed.
“What’s up?” Ella asked before shoving a forkful of salad into her mouth.
“I was going to break up Ryan yesterday, but then he… kinda told me he loved me?” I replied.
Clayton almost spat his drink out, but managed to keep it in.
“What?” Ella’s jaw dropped.
I nodded my head.
“Wow, uhhhh. What are you going to do?”
I sighed again. “I don’t know. What do you guys think I should do?”
Clayton gulped down his drink. “Well, i think maybe you should still break up with him.”
“Really?” I asked him.
“Don’t get me wrong, Ryan seems like a nice dude now. But you can’t be with someone if you don’t really feel it.” He explained.
Ella nodded her head in agreement, stabbing her salad again.
“I’ve never broken up with someone before. How do I do it?”
“Just let him down gently. Do not do it over text, that’s for cowards, and you, Charlie Harrington, are no coward.” Ella said. “Tell him you think he’s great, but you don’t really feel the same way.”
I groaned frustratedly. “He’ll hate me.”
“It’ll be awkward. But he won’t hate you.” Clayton advised.
~
“I think we should break up.” I said, stoically.
Of course, it was much easier to say that to a mirror than to actually say it to Ryan’s face.
I’d been practicing breaking up with him for at least twenty minutes now.
“Hey Ryan, uh. Let’s break up.” I shook my head.
Let’s try that again…
“Ryan. You, me, over.” I said to the mirror before smacking myself in the head.
Seriously Charlie?
I cleared my throat and did another take.
“Sorry, Ryan but we have to break up…. I’ve taken a vow of solitude.”
Then another take…
“I think you’re a great guy, but…. I’m straight.” I scoffed.
I can’t even fake break up with him, how the hell am I actually going to be able to do it in real life?
“You’re straight?” Nora laughed from the doorframe.
I whipped my head in her direction with a scowl on my face. “Get out!”
“Oh Charlie, why? I thought we were endgame.” Nora acted all dramatic, holding her hand over her heart.
I rolled my eyes and groaned as I slumped backwards onto my bed.
“Dude, you’re trying way too hard.” Nora entered my bedroom without my permission and sat down next to me.
“What do you know about breaking up with someone?”
“Uh, hello? I’ve broken up with so many guys, also one girl, but that’s a story for another time.” She turned to face me, my eyes widened at the fact that she broke up with a girl?
“All you have to do is tell him you think he’s amazing, but you don’t feel the same way. Like this.” She cleared her throat.
“Ryan, can we talk?” She spoke in a deeper voice.
“I don’t sound like that.” I shoved her.
“Do you want my help?” Her eyebrows rose.
I sighed before nodding.
“Okay, so after you say ‘can we talk?’, you’ll say ‘uh, you’re a nice guy. I think you’re awesome, and I hope we can still be friends… but I think we should break up.’ Then you say ‘I’m sorry’ and walk away.”
“It sounds harsh.” I stated.
“No offence, Charlie, I love you, but all break ups are harsh. It’s better to just rip off the Band-Aid and get it over with.” She stood from my bed and walked towards the door, leaving me to my thoughts that were raging like an untamed storm, and both Ace and Ryan were at the eye of it.
Maybe I should revisit that ‘vow of solitude’ idea.
Ace’s POV
My right arm was itching like crazy, and all I wanted to do was scratch the bloody hell out of it.
I looked down at my newest tattoo, a raven in flight, and admired the details, each feather vividly etched into my skin.
“A Raven? Cute.” Della said from beside me. “Also, when are you going to text Tia?”
I slumped further into the couch, my eyes tuning in to the tv. “Half past never.”
She punched me in the arm. “For fucks sake, Ace! You can’t just mess with my friends’ feelings!”
“Ouch!” I seethed.
“Stay the fuck away from my friends!” She spat.
“God, you’re so annoying.”
“And you’re a piece of shit!” She quipped.
Adam appeared in the living room with a gasp. “Della said a bad word.”
“Sorry, Adam.” She apologised.
“Nah-uh-uh, Bad word means five dollars!” He stated.
Adelaide scoffed. “I’m not giving you five bucks, Adam.”
“But I’m the keeper of the bad-word jar!” He protested.
I laughed.
Della groaned loudly before pulling cash out of her purse. “Here, take it.” She said in defeat.
Adam’s face beamed as he snatched the fiver from Della’s hand and stuffed it into his pocket.
“Acey, when’s Charwy coming over again?” Adam asked as he sat down between Della and I.
“Charwy?” Della gave me a confused look. “Is that the nerdy guy that came here looking for you?”
“Yeah.” Adam answered for me.
“What, do you pay him to do your homework?” Della wondered.
“Uh, yeah.” I lied.
“But I thought you were friends?” Adam frowned, looking up at me.
“We’re not.” I told him, turning my eyes back to watch the tv.
Comment