15. Oscar Worthy Smile

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Charlie's POV

"Okay, what's going on with you and that Sam guy?" Ella interrogated after stopping me at the back entrance to the house.

"What do you mean?"

"Uh.... 'Would you like some company?'" She mocked Sam's exact words.

"There's nothing going on. He's just being friendly."

I honestly didn't believe that myself. He seemed overly friendly, to the point that made me feel a tad uncomfortable. I wanted to tell Sam that I was dating Ace, but Ace wouldn't like that. If Ace can be all chummy with a girl who was named after an allergy medicine, why couldn't I be friends with a guy who might like me?

Even just the thought made me sound like an idiot. I did not in any way like Sam. I guess a part of me was just playing the same game that Ace was playing. Sure, he and Allegra have history, it still doesn't excuse the fact that he's dating me, and it certainly doesn't mean that they have to always be in such a close proximity to each other. Why couldn't they just make like all exes and just say hi before going their separate ways?

"He clearly likes you." Ella says, allowing me to enter the house.

"We're just friends." I say.

"Are you sure?" She pressed.

I inhaled a deep breath before completely breaking down on her. "I'm just so sick of seeing Ace with Allegra." I slumped down to the floor, the need to relieve my bladder becoming temporarily unavailable.

"Right...." Ella takes a seat on the floor next to me. "They seem way too close."

"You are not helping." I groaned.

She puts an arm on my left shoulder. "Maybe you should just tell Ace how much it's bothering you." She suggested.

"And be some clingy overzealous boyfriend?" I scoffed.

"Charlie, I love you, but you need to snap out of it! If you don't want that harlot near your man, you need to tell him." She says in a tone that scared me.

"Okay." I mumbled.

"Alright, now I really need to go to the bathroom before I piss myself." Ella stands on her two feet before dashing towards the bathroom.

Nora's POV

"I think Adelaide may be setting us up." Connor says to me, a coy smile spread across his porcelain face.

I could feel my cheeks turning red. "Teenagers are so meddlesome." I responded, taking a cute little sip from my drink.

"Never have I ever..... been afraid of beetles!" Adelaide pointed towards Isaiah, who rolled is eye with a defeated sigh. "They're so ugh." He says, flinching at the thought.

Connor drank.

"You're afraid of beetles?" I asked him, attempting my best flirtatious laugh.

Oh my god, what am I doing? I just met this guy.

"Maybe?" She chuckled.

"Okay, but please tell me that you don't murder innocent bugs."

"I promise that I do not murder innocent bugs...." He answers me. It didn't sound all that convincing.

Sure, I hated some bugs and insects, but I have never killed an innocent Living creature: except for that one time i accidentally ran over a squirrel and spent the rest of the night crying over it.

"Are you in college?" He asked me.

"Yes. I had dropped out temporarily, but I decided to go back to a college closer to home while also working at my friend's bakery." I answered him. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I go to UCLA." He says.

"Nice." I took a small sip from my drink as Clayton continued on the game.

Ella's POV

I've been waiting in the hallway outside of the bathroom for Charlie for awhile now.

I had been playing subway surfers on my phone to pass the time as I sat on the floor with my back against the wall. I had contemplated wether or not I should just return to the bonfire, but if I was being honest, I was worried about Charlie. He's seemed a bit distant lately, at least, that is how it seemed to me.

I clicked my phone off and kicked myself up from the wall to knock on the bathroom door. "You okay in there, Charlie?"

Silence followed before his voice called back. "Yep. Be out in a minute."

"Okay." I say, stepping away as he flushed the toilet.

After washing his hands, he stepped out with a slight smile on his face. "You didn't have to wait for me." He says.

Tear stains glistened beneath his eyes.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

Charlie's POV

"I'm fine." I tell Ella, putting on my best Oscar worthy smile.

She didn't need to know the embarrassing details of me crying in the bathroom for no reason whatsoever.

Maybe it was just because I was tired? Sure, that's the reason I'm going with.

"Okay." She says.

We started down the hallway and made our way back to the beach.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked again as we reached the halfway point of the boardwalk down to the beach.

"I said I'm fine." I say, walking ahead of her.

In reality, I was a mess. I don't know why I felt this way, I just did. It was something I could not seem to control. Stupid Charlie Harrington and his annoying tendency to be absolutely pathetic!

"We're you crying?" She wondered.

"No....." I halted in my tracks. "Maybe."

She halted beside me.

"I think there's something wrong with me." I say.

He mouth fell open with shock. "Oh, are you not feeling well? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Not physically." I tell her. "I mean... I mean mentally. Emotionally." I sat down on the ground, resting my elbows above my knees as I held my face in my palms.

I could hear shuffled movement as she took a seat beside me, putting her arm around my back and cupping my right-side shoulder with her hand.

"What's up?" She asked.

I sighed. "That's just it... nothing seems to be worth feeling this way about. I'm on vacation with my best friends and my boyfriend. I am no longer being bullied at school. I should be fine. I should be happy. But I feel..." My eyes began welling with unwanted tears. "I feel like I'm a waste of space. Like, maybe everyone would be better off without me."

A soft breeze wafted past my cheek as I awaited Ella's response.

"Don't say that, Charlie." Her voice choked up as she squeezed both of her arms around me, pulling me into her embrace. "You are not a waste of space."

I didn't need to look her in the eyes to know that she was suppressing tears.

"You're my best friend, and the most amazing guy I have ever met. And I once met Shawn Mendes in a parking lot."

I chuckled at that, silent tears falling down my face.

"No one would be better off without you."

At that, I squeezed her tighter, an uncontrollable and ugly cry escaping me.

After composing myself and wiping away my tears, I rose from the ground and shook my dark thoughts away.

"You ready to head back now?" Ella asked me.

I smiled, but before I could answer I heard the high-pitched squeal of Allegra. "Oh my god!"

Ella and I gave each other a look before racing down to the beach.

"Holy shit!" I heard Clayton's voice as I witnessed what was going on.

Ace and Sam were fighting!?

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