It took ten minutes to get to Charlie's house. I always walked like I was in a rush, so the back of my calves were sore by the time I made it to her house.
She was already locking the door. "That was fast."
"How long does it take from here to school?"
"About… fifteen minutes." She joined me on the sidewalk and we started walking.
I never really described the surrounding houses, so maybe it sounded like there was nothing but empty space between our homes. The other homes looked nice and well-kept. They definitely looked old, but a nice, aged-with-grace old. Not only that, but each house was different. Despite its denizens, Cheshire wasn't really a cookie-cutter town. Each house was unique, maybe from a time where everyone picked where they wanted to live and built their homes the way they wanted.
The sun was out, but it was never warm enough. I still needed a sweater everywhere I went. Charlie just had a long-sleeve on.
Walking at Charlie's casual pace didn't seem so bad, but I mostly had the urge to walk faster.
"It's not weird, is it?" she asked suddenly.
"What's not weird?"
"What I said yesterday? About… going out with Ethan? It was only freshman year, and we don't really talk anymore, so—"
"Charlie, calm down. It's not weird."
"I mean, I don't mind that you like him. In fact, I—"
"I don't like him."
She scoffed. "Yeah, okay."
"I don't know if I like him. What's unsettling is how easy he can ignore me." I couldn't be one to talk, though. Every time I heard 'Somebody That I Used To Know' I feel a little pang of guilt since I'd found it so easy to cut out my old friends.
"You know he just does that so no one bothers you. It's like what you tried to do with me yesterday. You were just looking out for me."
"I guess…."
"Look," said Charlie, "once we solve this murder, we'll find a way to prove to everyone that the Walkers were always innocent, and then no one will bother them… and then you two can go out."
I looked at her. "Are you really okay with that?"
She rolled her eyes. "Bella, you need to relax. He's your Edward."
We shoved each other all the way to school.
*
I never gave Ethan his signed copy of Complex Thursday. My mom also wanted to give him the hardcover edition, so I had two books to return to him. The problem was that he probably preferred that we not speak to each other in public.
I found it weird that he could pretend we never hung out, never talked, so well that it was like he completely forgot about me. I'd only known him less than a month, so I couldn't imagine what Charlie must've thought after that first month of being ignored by him. Crap—did I care too much?
YOU ARE READING
Cheshire Girl
Paranormal"There were three things about which I was absolutely certain. First, I didn't have my cell phone. Second, my hands hurt from gripping the trunk lid closed. They would probably be useless to put up a fight. ...
