What You're Missing

Chapter 1

Charlotte Bolton stepped through the doors of Swellview High trying to keep her head up as the first day of the second semester started.

Midterms and finals had just passed and the dark-haired girl was still recovering from all the stress and sleep loss. Luckily, she was able to get enough rest the past weekend and relax after undoubtedly acing all her exams.

Charlotte was known to be pretty sociable and outgoing around the school, with her sarcastic humor getting a laugh out of anyone and her ambitious nature when it came to academics. So while she didn't admit it out loud, she wasn't entirely surprised when the student body voted her as class president. Her style also seemed to attract those that her best friend Jasper didn't approve of. She smirked as she walked passed a pair of boys gawking and biting their lips in her direction as her curls bounced in their signature half-up half-down style and her black heeled ankle-boots clicked behind her.

Reaching her locker, she spotted Jasper propped up against it with his arms crossed in front of him, his eyes lowered in a glare.

"Well hello to you, too," Charlotte joked as he nodded his head, his gaze not moving from the boys who remained staring at his best friend.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jasper finally spoke to the boys, moving towards them and gesturing for them to leave. "She's a girl, wow, I know, right? Amazing. Now carry on." The guys nudged each other before walking down the hall, away from Jasper and Charlotte. The curly-haired blond huffed as he went back towards her, who was now laughing after watching in amusement.

"Hey," she complained as he stepped in front of her. "They could've been nice. You can't shoo away everyone. I'm gonna end up alone." Jasper scoffed.

"I'm protecting you," he responded. "Those guys were just a pair of hooligans with a load of testosterone practically waiting to cause trouble. Trust me, you can do better." Charlotte laughed before wrapping an arm around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Jasper," she said softly. He hummed in response, a smile spreading across his face as he squeezed her back.

The two had been inseparable since kindergarten, quite literally, when they accidentally got their hands glued together. They had been working on some sort of art project; abstract was what she had told him their amateurish art was called. He gave her a high-five after they both finished, confused when the other wouldn't let go. After a brief scolding from their teacher, glue remover, and a lot of soap, there was an instantaneous mutual agreement that they were destined to be best friends.

And so it happened.

The sound of the bell sent the two apart as students began to roam the halls, looking for certain room numbers and trying to find a match with friends.

"What's your first class?" she asked him.

"Uhhh," he drew out as he unfolded his roster. "Pre-calc."

"Me too!" she exclaimed happily. "Let's go."

The pair walked side-by-side through the halls, Charlotte's short black skirt swaying along with her strides and Jasper sending smiles to the girls waving at him. The curly-haired blond had matured nicely after his awkward, bucket-loving phase in middle school, undoubtedly surprising everyone in their grade. He had grown another five inches, much to Charlotte's dismay, and while his love for collecting buckets still thrived, he kept it on the low.

The bell rang again just as Charlotte and Jasper stepped into room 302, and the two sat next to each other in empty desks in the middle of the room.

"Hello, class," a petite, brunette woman spoke as she entered the room. She wore rectangular-framed glasses on the bridge of her nose that seemed to serve no purpose as she inspected the class from above the frame. "I'm Mrs. Johnston. I'll be your pre-calc teacher. Welcome to your second semes-"