Smile For Me (Student/Teacher)

New Years

"Thanks for inviting me." I said back.

"Hey baby brother." She teased, hugging Charlie tightly.

He tensed, "Get off me." But she caught his joking tone in there and squeezed him tighter. "Happy birthday Sav." He said when she pulled back.

"Thanks, come on, everyone is excited and everyone is here!" She squealed, pulled us along behind her into the living room. Yes, everyone was definitely there.

I met a lot of people that night, and was introduced as his friend, and nothing more. Somehow, the pang in my chest when he spoke the words wasn't as prominent as it had been, and I wondered to myself if that was a good thing. I felt they thought otherwise, as Charlie wasn't helping when he'd grab my hand or look at me with something that seemed like more than friendship. I met his aunts, his uncles, his five other cousins, his grandmother, his grandfather, the gardener again...

"Mr. Grant, it's so good to see you again." She said, patting his cheeks affectionately.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, you too, Mrs. Johnson."

She looked at me, "Miss Apollo?"

I nodded and she clapped for herself.

"Oh I may be ancient, but I have a damn good memory!" She chuckled, shaking my hand again.

"You've met before?" Charlie's mother came by and he groaned uncomfortably.

I flushed as Mrs. Johnson began speaking. "Yes, just the other day I came by to do my daily tendings to the garden and I saw these two curled up on a blanket sleeping like two beautiful babies." She laughed again and Charlie pulled me closer to him.

"Sorry." He grumbled.

I shrugged at him, giving up on having his family believing we were truly friends. I could just feel them passing around the newly thrown info about Charlie and I's garden sleepover. I blushed again, remembering how nice that was.

His mother, Karla, looked at Charlie in a little shock, "You took her to the garden?" She asked, sounding a bit impressed.

Mrs. Johnson then snickered a secret laugh and leaned in, though not lowering her voice the slightest. "Well apparently the garden will soon be in the name of Diana Apollo." She said with a hint of mischief.

I felt embarrassment fill me and Charlie who had an arm around me shook his head in embarrassment, too.

Karla's jaw dropped and I was afraid of what she might think. Did she think I was using him or something? Luckily, it was all the opposite and she fawned. "Oh I'm so glad someone is gonna put it to use. That's so sweet of you, Chance."

I blushed even more.

"We're gonna- uh, be over here." Charlie grumbled awkwardly, pulling me along beside him.

We got into the kitchen and we still hadn't escaped everyone, but most people. "I don't know what I'm supposed to tell you now." I told him honestly.

He sighed and reached out to pinch my chin. "Tell me to be nice to them."

"Be nice, Charlie." I said and he suddenly smiled softly, leaning down to kiss my forehead, ignoring the fact that he had eyes looking extremely shocked or confused at the sight of Charlie lacking hostility.

His cousin Harry saw us and laughed, "Chance, you brought your friend again, huh?" He elbowed the other man next to him and they snickered.

Charlie seemed to sort of joke back, holding up his middle finger and hold my hand with the other. His cousin's laughed and approached us. "We gotta go fishing soon," Harry began. "Remember when we were kids and we'd gather around Pop's lake and steal my dads beer?" He laughed and Charlie joined in, making me feel comfortable that he was now comfortable.