Teenage Dream

12

          Ms. Jones was talking as they took notes.  They hadn’t had time to speak to each other, and Charlie had no idea he knew about this morning.  Logan is left handed, so his right hand was on the table between them, playing with his pen cap, twirling it, and pushing it over and between his fingers as he took notes.  Charlie noticed, how could she not? It was a little distracting.  But she didn’t mind.  She smiled at his restless fidgeting, but the small smile left her face, as she saw the bruises that had formed on his knuckles.  Those hadn’t been there yesterday morning.

     She reached out, quickly, without thinking, and took his hand.  Logan looked up surprised, then smiled curiously as he watched her pull it closer to her.  But his smile disappeared when he realized what she was looking at.  He quickly started debating with himself about whether or not he should pull his hand away.

     She shot him a questioning look, but was unable to speak to him.  A loud rumble from outside caught their attention.  It was pouring down rain again, and the thunder was pretty intense.  Charlie let go of his hand, going back to her notes, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to ask him about it later. 

          After class, Mike came over and started talking to Logan, before Charlie got her chance, so she held her tongue and left.  It could wait. 

     She left the room, and looked up and down the hallway, someone from the Homecoming committee had been busy.  The lockers were so covered in posers that were taped, haphazardly up and down, so that you couldn’t see the gray of the lockers anymore.  People were ripping them down, either tossing them on the floor, or grabbing a friend to show them.

     Charlie really had no interest in Homecoming.  No one has ever asked her, and other than Jackson, she wasn’t anticipating an invite this year either.

     Jessica came running up to Charlie, at her locker, waving a flyer.

     “Charlie! Have you SEEN this?” She asked.  Charlie looked at her, then she looked at her locker that was covered in at least 10 flyers, then she looked across the hall where over 300 were taped. 

 “No, what is it?” she asked.  Jess rolled her eyes,

“I meant did you READ it?”

“No.  We’ll do what we do every year.  Meet at Kayla’s 2 hours before it starts, get ready and go together.  I don’t need 10,000 flyers to remind me that it’s the same night as the Homecoming Game.” She said, with a little eye roll.

  “Read it.” Jess said more forcefully.  Charlie gave her a strange look, but she took the flyer.  Sadie Hawkins.  Charlie puffed out her cheeks for a second.

“Well look at it this way, you know how the last three years, the entire male population pretended we didn’t exist? Now it’s our turn to return the favor.” 

“What are you talking about? You can ask Jackson.  What am I going to do?!” Jess asked.  Charlie’s muscles tightened,

“I’m NOT asking Jackson.” She said. 

“Why not? Didn’t you have fun at the party on Saturday?” Jess asked, innocently. 

“Uh, it just, it didn’t’ work out.” She really didn’t want to go through this again.  Besides, knowing Jess, she’d probably think it was sweet that he wanted her to himself, and was warning other guys to stay away.  Jess is a great friend, fun to be around, loyal, unintentionally funny, but sometimes she can be oblivious.  Charlie spun the lock, and opened her locker, stuffing in her books.

          Logan was at his locker, Mike was still talking to him about the soccer game they are going to play this Friday.  Coach has been riding them hard the last few weeks.