Saving Charlotte (Now on Radish)

Chapter 3

"Moore, open up!" Daniel Weston shouted. I shook my head quickly and locked the doors. "Charlotte Moore open the damn door now before I break the window."

"N-no, go away, Weston!" I yelled back. Daniel walked around the front of the car and to the passenger seat, and pulled his sleeve over his fist.

"One... Two... This is your last chance, Moore. Three—" Daniel counted and before he smashed my window, I unlocked the car and leaned over the center console to push open the door. "Thank you." He said.

"What do you want?" I mumbled, drawing my knees to my chest.

"Are you okay?" He asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine." I spat, putting up my walls to defend myself. I heard Daniel sigh, but I didn't care. As long as I didn't cry, I didn't care. I couldn't let my make-up run, I couldn't break down. I had to be strong because I didn't need saving. I was fine... kind of.

"No, you're not. It looks like your eye is bruised, you were practically in tears in the hallway and I'm just trying to help." He said, looking at me. I stared straight ahead and didn't say a word. "Dammit Charlotte, I'm just trying to help. I tried to do that once, remember; in second grade? You came in to class with a big bruise on your cheek and you said that you were playing ball with your dad and he 'accidentally' hit you with the baseball? The teacher knew something was fishy, and I knew something was fishy. You never should have had that bruise. Then you went MIA for three days and came back with more bruises, but on your arms and stomach."

I stayed quiet. I remember every beating my father has ever given me. He never had to ask if I remembered second grade, because I was given hell because the school called him.

"Go. Away." I bit out. "Go back to your goddamn sports cars and mansions and blonde sluts and leave me alone. You don't really care; this is just a freaking project Weston!" I snapped. "All you rich people are alike. You think the world will be handed to you on a silver platter while the rest of us have to scrape and scrim to pay the bills. I. Hate. You. I just want to get the fucking project over and--" I was cut off by Weston's lips. He was kissing me. Why was he kissing me? This has never happened to me before. Ever. I don't even know how to kiss, I just mimicked Weston. But I needed to stop this, so I pulled away. I needed control, to make sure that none of the druggies that bought from my father saw us. If Father even knew I had a boy in my car, I wouldn't be able to move from my bed for a few days.

"Charlotte, I—" I cut Weston off by opening my door.

"Just go away, please." I begged in a whisper. "We'll meet up later this week for the project, but just leave me alone." I closed my door as Weston opened and shut his. I started walking towards the school as he shouted;

"I'm having a Party Friday. We'll meet up then, seven p.m. sharp!"

*

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*

"What do you mean he kissed you?" Mary exclaimed from the passenger seat. Ashton groaned and rolled his eyes from his spot in the back.

"I was ragging on him and he just... kissed me. I kissed back a little, but then I stopped and left." I said as I turned down a side street. "Please don't over exaggerate this. It meant nothing to me and I'm sure he just wanted to shut me up, nothing more."

"But he invited you to his party on Friday!" She whined, smacking my arm. I shot her a dirty look as I stopped at a red light. "Sorry! I know, no hitting the driver!"

"It's for the damn project. He's just trying to get under my skin." I grumbled, hitting the gas when the light went green. I dropped Mary off at her house and let Ashton hop in the seat next to me before taking off.