Back at school the next week, I had been wearing leggings and a t shirt.
I stopped by his classroom before school began, and the halls were emptied because it was a beautiful day. "How was it?" I immediately asked when seeing him. He leaned up against the door frame while I stood out in the hallway, looking up at him to closely speak.
He furrowed his brows. "How was what?"
"Hanging with the guys."
He released a look that said oh in realization, and he shrugged, completely bored of our conversation. "James is still breathing, isn't he?"
"What does that mean?" I asked in seriousness.
His brows furrowed again and his expression went angry. "It means I didn't kill him like I want to."
I rolled my eyes. "He's your friend." I stated bluntly.
"Yeah, he's yours too." He snapped.
"He's like a brother to me-"
"I want you to stop saying that."
"Well I'm going to say it until you get it through your thick skull." I told him, taking a step back and seeing the frustration in his eyes. He calmed.
"I just don't like the way he looks at you." He said lowly, much calmer than before.
I smiled at him, "It's all in your head." I tried to convince him the truth.
"Really, it isn't-"
"So Claire still digs you. And I don't hate her." I said, trying to be humorous.
It didn't work at first, then he gave me a confused look that made me laugh, and with my laugh he finally smiled at me. A quiet smile. A sweet one. A Charlie one. "Did you just say digs?"
I nodded, and we easily dropped the subject.
"So what does Mr. Grant have planned for his class today?" I teased, and he narrowed heated eyes at me, the amused smile not wavering.
"Hey, Mr. Grant!" I turned in the hallway, seeing one the football players named Greyson, giving the hot calculus teacher a wave.
I looked in amusement at Charlie whose expression fell to confusion as well as uncomfort. "Uh, what." He said, and I wanted to nudge him, but only took another casual step back, realizing I was probably a little closer than a teacher-student boundary.
"You look sly today." Greyson complimented, and then I wore Charlie's expression, seeing happy Greyson speak to the teacher in a such a casual way.
"Okay." Charlie said in uncomfortable suspicion. I held in a laugh.
"I was just passin' through. I hope you have a narly day, man." He kept walking, closer to the exit, then turning to look at me. "Diana, your ass is looking fine." Then he was gone. It was the most pointless moment of my life.
After watching him walk out, I turned to look at Charlie, who stood in slacks and the shirt I'd often sleep in with a boring blue tie. He frowned deeply at me. "What?"
He narrowed his eyes at me. "Turn around." He demanded lowly.
"Excuse me?"
"Turn. Around." He growled.
I rolled my eyes, but did as I was told. Doing a three-sixty, I met his eyes again and he looked scary-unhappy. "Diana, change."
"I thought you liked me the way I was."
"I'm not fucking around," The teacher snapped, ignoring my joke. "Change."
"What the hell, why?" I asked in shock.
"First of all, you're breaking dress code, and second, you'll have eyes glued to your backside all hours of the day wearing those."
"You flatter me."
"Goddammit, go to the office."
I gaped at him, the amusement refusing to leave. "You're not serious."
He vanished for a second, leaving his door wide open and I stepped in, having him snap at me to get out, but I stayed in and shut the door behind me. He was leaned over his desk, frantically writing on a half-sheet of paper and then holding it out to me when he finished.
I read it.
"You're dress coding me?" I exclaimed, a sudden laugh erupting out of me.
"I'm not kidding. Do you need me to fucking take you to the office?" He snapped in fury.
I sobered, "This is bullshit, Charlie. I'm not going to the office just because you're pissed off that someone said something about me that displeased you."
"Watch you mouth." He snapped at me, taking my arm and walking me quickly down from B hall and in the middle of K hall was when I spotted Mr. Joseph.
"Jo!" I called in desperation. My voice echoed.
"Diana! Sweet girl, how have you been?"
"This idiot is trying to dress code me." Was the first thing I said to him, trying to snatch my arm away from Mr. Grant's hold.
Mr. Joseph looked at the other teacher in question.
"Look at what she's wearing!" He argued.
Mr. Joseph went passive. "Apparently it's the style now, that's not huge deal unless it really bothers you."
"It really bothers me." Charlie stated darkly.
"Then proceed. I'm sorry, Dye." Mr. Joseph said as he continued on walking and I watched him vanish in shock.
"Don't." I told Charlie.
He continued walking me, getting to the office and I was so embarrassed when he pushed me in there and gave the referral to the guard principle, who was a strict man when it came to dress code. I was forced to change into ugly as hell sweats with the principles name on the side.
I was furious.
So furious and embarrassed, I skipped calculus and went straight home. He called me, but I ignored him. I know I was being childish, but I was embarrassed. It only made the comments like the ones Greyson shot at me worse.
"Damn Diana, wearing something naughty today?" Some would say, and I was unusually pissed off.
I didn't eat lunch with him, and wasn't able to go home and change into jeans because Sky Rodgers caught me in the library and asked for some help with her committee shit. I couldn't turn her down.
I didn't go to his place after, either. Instead I stayed at home and did homework, becoming angry every time my mind wandered off to him.
Where are you? Are you okay?
Those were the messages he sent to me while I was supposed to be there with him in his class, sitting there and learning along with everyone else. I ignored him.
I even stayed at my own place that night, and of course he eventually came in worry.
"What the hell?" He had said when stepping inside while it poured rain, seeing me on the couch reading a book. He shed his wet jacket and dropped it onto the barchair, his hair wet and messy. He looked so hot at that moment, but I averted my eyes from him immediately, saying nothing.
The house lightly shook as he shut the door and stepped closer. "Why haven't you been answering your phone?"
I kept on reading.
"Diana?" He stood before me and I shifted away from him. "You're ignoring me? Really?"
I said nothing.
"Stop acting like a fucking child." He demanded, and I stood, escaping to my room and locking the door so he couldn't get in. Yes, I was acting like a child, but it was still offensive when he said so. There was also the anger in me from him sending me to the goddamn office like I was some juvinile kid.
He followed me up after, trying the doorknob and finding it to be locked. "Fuck off." I said, knowing full well my word choice would only anger him more.
Good.
"Stop cursing, and open this goddamn door." He demanded darkly. I missed him suddenly, but this sudden control he thought he had over me needed to stop. Yeah, he was clingy, and sure, I was, too. But I wasn't his robot, and I wasn't his fucking submissive. Not at the moment, anyway.
"This shit needs to stop." I spoke again, purposely throwing in another curse word just despite him.
"What does?" He didn't sound aggressive within those two words, and I felt this was an easier way for him to not make me as angry.
"You don't control me, Charlie, I'm not your robot."
"What do-"
"Just go home, I want to be alone." I said, a half-lie, but the scare seemed to work a little too well.
"I'm not leaving, talk to me. I don't think you're a robot, what does that mean?" His tone immediately changed, and the demand for him to go home gave him worry. I didn't answer him, nor did I elaborate. "Diana, don't ignore me." He said, not demanding, but begging more like. A needy groan that came closely from behind the door of my room. "What can I do?" He suddenly asked.
"Leave." I told him.
"What?" His voice jumped, like a flinch responding to my command, and there was just so much fear in it at that moment. I felt bad. "No, no, no, please, I'm sorry, baby, talk to me. Tell me what you want, I'll do it."
His words were like huge slaps in my face, and made me realize that he was still fearful. I realized I wouldn't ever be able to argue with him and tell him to leave me be without him fearing for our relationship. I wasn't even wondering what it would be like to end things between him and I, all I wanted was a night to myself and for him to see how ridiculous he was for dress coding me.
"I've already told you, Charlie." I sighed out.
He banged on my door. "I love you."
I layed back to close my eyes, my thoughts distracting me from his words.
"Diana, I can't leave, don't do this-"
"Oh my god Charlie." I felt my voice fall as I did and grew sleepy while the rain continued on.
I said some more things, and he said a lot. I ended up getting him to go home, but that was by not saying anything else and blocking out his panicked tone as he spoke to me with earbuds and music.
That same night, a thunderstorm erupted after I finally fell asleep, and I jumped up in fear. I looked around, confused and scared for a second that I was somewhere strange that was not in Charlie's bed and not at his side, then I relaxed, remembering I was at my house.
I threw on shoes and that was it as I ran out to my jeep, already soaked, and drove to Charlie's apartment. The five seconds I had in the rain had me soaked, and then not yet realize that I was only wearing a large white button down that was Charlie's, and no pants and no bra. I wore panties, luckily, but that was pretty much it. The sky was dark, and I was also thankful for that being because Charlie's shirt was now completely see-through.
I took out my key to his place and stepped in, seeing emptied liquor bottles and beer bottles left around his bar and couch. I frowned, seeing he decided to attempt to drink himself to sleep.
Dripping in rainwater and shivering cold, I walked quietly to his room, seeing him in bed, but awake as well. I widened his door and he looked up at me, eyes going wide as he jumped out of bed, taking a long look at me. "Diana!" He whispered in relief, standing, but then running to his laundry room and taking out a towel from the dryer and quickly wrapping it around me. It was warm, and I closed my tired eyes for a second, snuggling closely into him and he did so back, holding me closely.
"Sweetheart," he sighed out, but I lightly shushed him.
"Can we just go to sleep and have make-up sex in the morning?" I said tiredly, but he didn't seem to want to joke just yet.
"I'm sorry." He told me. "I'm sorry, you're not my robot, I don't think that, really. I just hate the th lought of someone having their eyes on you like that and you know I never meant to upset you, I'm-"
I kissed him to shut him up, but morely throwing myself onto him but not yet catching him off balance and he caught me. "We can talk in the morning." I told him.
"No, we have to talk now." He said, seriousness on his face as he set me down. "Will you look at me?" He asked gently.
I did.
"I'm sorry that I'm like this. I'm trying to change, I swear-"
"Hold on, change? Sorry? What the hell are you saying?" I asked him, my tone going serious like his own. "Why would you ever think that I don't want you how you are?"
"I-just- I know how demanding I can be-"
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to me, dropping my towel. "But I like when you're demanding, Charlie. It turns me on." I said, trailing my hand up his familiar chest. "It's just not a turn on when you take it too far. I was upset because you embarrassed me, and I didn't like how you were controlling me then." I told him in honesty.
"I never meant to try to control you, and especially didn't want to embarrass you, I'm sorry."
"I forgive you." I said, turning cold again because of my wet clothes. "Now can you undress me or do I have to sleep like this?"
He gave me a Charlie smile and helped me slip off the clothes that were stuck to my body, and gave me warm ones to fall asleep in close to him.
...
It was the weekend, and we decided to stay in all day. It was only one in the afternoon when we were lying back on his couch, joking and making fun of each other. We began to laugh and kiss like teenagers, feeling happier than ever.
He hovered over me, kissing my neck affectionately, "I love you." He said, sounding like a sap.
I laughed as he nuzzled the spot on my neck he knew tickled, and he laughed along, his big grin lighting up the apartment. "You're an idiot." I simply told him.
"I think that's your way of saying you love me, too." And he kissed me again.
But at the exact moment after Charlie and I's laughing-kisses, everything was ruined.
"Oh god." That familiar voice followed by three others was what parted Charlie and I, and we released each other, turning and watching nothing but the shocked faces.
"What- This- What?" Bailey said after Austin spoke, and was staring along with everyone else, eyes almost bulging out. It was all shock, and I was worried out of my mind, knowing not what was going to happen next.
Then I watched as shock turned into fury, goosebumps erupting on my arms from the fear.
"What are you doing?" Austin shouted, but mostly to Charlie.
The man at my side stood, calmly stepping forward, "Audie, listen-"
"What is going on?" Chris shouted also, stepping beside Austin. Bailey and James just stood at the door, not knowing what to do. Then I realized Tyler was there, too.
"What the fuck are you doing with my sister Chance? My fucking little sister?" Austin's demand was so loud, so angry I flinched in fear, my pulse racing as if being caught stealing.
"Calm down, man-"
"You're asking me to calm fucking down?" Austin furiously demanded, stepping forward and gripping Charlie's shirt threateningly.
Charlie didn't move. He kept his hands still and didn't fight back. I felt so busted.
"Diana, what the hell?" Chris demanded from me, and I just stared, releasing a plain shrug that only made things worse. "You have a rebound already?"
"I'm not a rebound." Charlie then snapped, forgetting to stay calm.
Bailey stepped, bitterly laughing. "Did she tell you that?"
I gaped at him. "Bailey!" I scolded, and he pointed angrily at me and told me to shut up.
"She just broke up with Andy Carl, and you're not a rebound?" Chris snapped.
"It doesn't fucking matter to him, he's just using her." Austin said, shoving Charlie back, but my man kept his balance.
"That's not true." Charlie defended loudly.
"Bullshit!" Chris called.
"It's not!" Charlie roared, and his shout caused my skin to leap. He was always scary when he was angry.
"You mean to tell me that you like my sister?" Austin stepped toward him, looking like a hungry predator, his sarcastic disbelieving tone being quite hurtful. But it was also a warning, saying that if this was the truth, my brother might become equally murderous than if finding out Charlie was only using me. I knew then he and I weren't going to win this fight.
"I do."
Austin bitterly laughed, his face reddening. "Even if that was true, it's not like she'd have anything for you."
"Let's be honest, asshole, a respectful and wealthy business man, or a depressed bastard teacher with daddy-issues," Chris cruelly said, and I gaped again.
"Chris, stop." I said to him, sounding stern, but it was nothing compared to the furious men around me.
"Hold on-" Tyler and James came in, Tyler thinking things through, "Aren't you her teacher?" Tyler did not seem happy, either.
Charlie stood in uncomfort. "Guys, just sit down so I can explain," I sighed.
"Explain what, that your daddy's gone so you're going around acting like a whore?" Austin snapped, and I held my breath, pretending that it didn't hurt. Hell, it was painful, but this time I refused to run.
Bailey hit Austin in the head and James scolded him. Charlie was angry now, "Don't call her that." He demanded.
"What do you care, you don't give a shit about her."
"She's all I care about."
The room quieted down. "Guys just calm down please." I pleaded, and I think I was the only one whose face was not a deep burgundy. I was pale, I knew that much. "Sit, so I can explain-"
"What would there be to explain?" Tyler demanded, and the only thing James said was to Austin earlier telling him not to call me a whore. He was very uncomfortable.
Each man's angry face might as well have steam coming from it, because all the heated anger between them made the living room really hot. "Sit down so we can fucking tell you." Charlie snapped.
"We? " Bailey was so unhappy, and that was what also hurt me.
James was the first to sit, and Charlie moved back to sit by me but Austin grabbed him by the shoulder and said he wasn't allowed near me.
"Oh come on, Austin-" I rolled my eyes.
"Did you have sex with him?" Austin demanded on the spot.
"Oh shit, I don't wanna know..." Chris' voice muttered quietly to Bailey as they both plugged their ears.
"What do you think?" I uncomfortably stated with boldness. I thought Austin was red before, he was almost purple now as he raised a fist to Charlie's face. Charlie easily blocked it and told him to hear him out.
"Dammit, I really wanted to see his face get smashed in." Bailey growled.
James stood, "Austin, calm down-"
"What-"
"Calm down, don't hit him."
"He touched my sister." Austin yelled.
"Goddammit, we know, but he has something to say, you can beat the shit out of him after, jesus."
Austin was so hesitant, but luckily he listened, demanding that Charlie sit down on the opposite couch, then Austin and Tyler came and sat by me on the smaller couch. I sat against the edge, feeling uncomfortable- and very scared.
"When did this start?" Bailey crossed his arms, being the only one standing. He couldn't keep still.
When did it start? I tried asking myself this, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. "December." Charlie answered for me.
They all gaped. "December?" Chris repeated in confusion, then looked at me. "But you were with Andy Carl then."
If I blanched before, it sure did get worse then, and I edged further from my brothers, trying not to look at Charlie who was pointlessly being held down my Chris and James.
I knew they had to know. "I-I uh, I- cheated on him." I looked away, haven't not felt so uncomfortable and scared in my life. But hey, I can say it now.
"What'd she say," Tyler whispered, because I knew I was really quiet, but Austin heard, and he had to stand to process it all.
"What-what did she-"
"She cheated, okay, she cheated." Charlie said, trying to just get it across best he could. I tried to keep my pride, even if I was so ashamed.
Every other guy in the room gaped again, wide-eyed, shocked. "But... you... loved Andy Carl- or- He loved you." Chris said, then turning to Charlie, "Chance, I never knew you were the type to let that happen." He said, all anger being temporarily replaced with calm shock.
That's when poor Charlie scratched his head, looking embarrassed when saying, "I didn't know."
They stopped. The air in the room froze, and I held my breath, praying that I'd pass out or something to avoid this. I really wanted to faint, too. Anything to prevent any of it from going further.
"Diana, you did that to them?" Chris' voice.
"I wasn't trying to hurt anybody-"
"Wait, so when did you find out? What did you do?" Tyler leaned forward and demanded from Charlie.
That's when he sat back, and let the words flow from his mouth. "She broke it off with me one day, and that was when she told me. We had been together for months."
"Months." Austin said through gritted teeth.
"Why did she break it off?" James, being clueless at moment said.
Charlie's face went dark, "Claire." He simply said, I rolled my eyes. "And Andy Carl."
"Claire?-"
"What?-"
Then he went on to tell them about when I first met Claire, and then eventually when I convinced him to be with her. "That's why you hate Andy Carl." Bailey said in realization.
"So you were together all this time?" Austin spoke, fury continued to be exposed.
I silently nodded, and that was when my oldest brother began to stomp around angrily, "This is bullshit." He shouted, and at first, I thought the rest of the guys were going to defend me, and say that no harm was done with me being with Charlie, but then they stood as well.
I looked between them all in curiosity, worry. "What-"
"Diana, you're never seeing this bastard again." I was about to cry- because this was Bailey talking.
"You can't do th-" I began calmly, then Tyler turned, grabbing Charlie as he stood up.
"Chance, you won't see her again." He said as a demand. "Not that you have a choice, but if you did who would it be, us or her,"
"Her." Charlie answered without hesitation, and the apartment went wild.
The guys let him, fucking just let Austin hit him as he stood, doubled over from not seeing it coming.
I stood, "Would you calm down, jesus christ, what's the harm done in me seeing him-?"
"That's fucking it Diana, you won't see him anymore. We may not have been able to stop you from seeing Andy Carl, but we sure as hell are gonna stop you from seeing him." Chris shouted.
"No, that's stupid-"
"You have no say in this." Austin bellowed, making me jump.
My oldest brother took my arm, pulling me out as I fought against him. I was crying. "No, I won't-"
"Chance doesn't give a fuck about you, all he cares about is himself. Not even, actually." Tyler snapped to me.
"Diana, don't fight back." James sighed, and just by him speaking Charlie turned red.
"Of course you would support this." Charlie snapped at him.
"What does that mean?" Chris turned and demanded as he was at my other side.
"It means you are all fucking blind to see that I'm not the only one who likes her."
"Charlie, don't start." I rolled my eyes in irritation.
"What'd she call him?-"
"What?" James spoke, amusement leaking through his tone. I turned red in embarrassment, because I knew the truth. And the truth was James only saw me as the sister he never had.
"Stop acting like you don't have anything for her."
"I don't." James said, beginning to laugh. "You really are one paranoid son-of-a-bitch."
I covered my face.
"You're not allowed to speak of her, you're not allowed to look at her, you're not even fucking allowed to think about her," Austin began.
"Or what?" Charlie shot back.
Austin stepped forward again, releasing me and gripping Charlie's shirt again. "Or I'll report you to the police, and get you fired, asshole."
"That's not fair-" I cried.
"Shut up, Diana." Austin shouted. "You don't have a say in this. You're not allowed to see him anymore."
"But I love him." I cried, trying to pull away from Chris.
"Bullshit. He's just someone you can chew on when you're bored." Tyler said to me, and I twitched to slap him, so I did slap him.
"Did she just-"
"Where are her keys, I'll take her car home." James said, looking around.
"You love Andy Carl, everyone knows you do." Bailey said, and then he tried really hard to hurt Charlie when saying, "You'll never be him, you know that? You're a fucking idiot if you believe that she broke it off with him for you."
"Bailey, stop." I sobbed, finally pulling away from Chris and running into Charlie.
"He doesn't care." Chris spat, as Austin demanded for me to get away from him.
Charlie hugged me back, and I cried. I cried because it really was possible that they could stop me from seeing him. They'd never let me look at him, and they were all capable of it, too. "I love you," I said, my face buried in his chest, and he was open when taking my face in his hands and kissing me, telling me he loves me too before Bailey came and ripped us apart. I didn't have the effort to fight back, so I only cried, trying to release myself from my brother's hold. My hope was actually gone for this.
"Stop crying." Austin demanded, pushing me in his car as Chris followed.
James found my keys, and used them to follow Austin, Tyler, and Bailey, since he was the only one who could drive stick. He taught me, after all.
I sobbed, though. Truly feeling like I would never be able to hug him or kiss him or sleep by him.
The entire time they were telling me things. I didn't know what they were, the demands, the accusations, but I was crying too hard to hear them. Their voices muffled out.
When they took me home, I ignored them when going upstairs and locked myself in my room, wishing I had my phone, but realizing that James took it from me.
They were at my door, but I stayed in my room, crying and wishing they weren't so cruel. I ignored them when they called for me, and I heard as Austin said he and Bailey and James were gonna stay over, and Chris and Tyler would go to Charlie's place.
Monitoring like we were children.
I stayed in my room the whole rest of the day, refusing to eat. The next day I stayed in, too. No one to talk to, only sleeping and crying. My father would never have done that to me.
It was Sunday morning, and Austin was banging on my door. "Open up." He demanded.
I said nothing, lying down and staring at the pillow Andy would lay on. The same side of the bed Charlie would lay on.
"She's not answering." I heard him tell someone else, and suddenly there was a bang, and my door was swung open. I jumped, then covered my face.
"Diana, get up." Austin ordered. I didn't move a muscle.
"You need to eat, Dye." I heard Chris tell me, sounding less mean than Austin.
I stayed still.
"This is bullshit." Austin snapped. "We read your texts, Diana."
"What are you gonna do now, monitor my eating? My talking to people?" I sarcastically shot back.
"Bailey and Tyler are bringing back all your stuff from his house."
"Ugh- I'm gonna be sick." Chris muttered, "You lived with him?"
"Longer than I did with Andy." I said in honesty, making sure to sound rude and unhappy like I deeply, truly was.
James came up, and I still didn't look at them. "Diana, eat."
I didn't move, then turning to James I felt I owed him an apology. "I'm sorry, James."
"For what?"
"He- he's always had this weird idea that you liked me."
But James only laughed, "It's all good. I thought it was funny."
"Nothing about yesterday was funny." Austin said.
I turned back around and said no more.
James had a plate of food, but I felt sick as well, and refused to eat. "I've never been so disgusted with her in my life."
"Get the hell out, jesus." I demanded in fury, his words hurting me. I began to cry again, but there was no surprise there.
"You don't talk to me like that-"
"What makes you able to talk to me like that?" I demanded, angry tears dripping onto my sheets.
"Austin, I'll talk to her, just get out." Chris told him, and I was actually feeling relieved to talk to Chris about it all.
"No, she can talk with me here."
"Will you talk to me if Austin leaves?"
I nodded.
"Will you eat if I leave?" James asked, and I nodded again.
They left, and I was scared to talk to Chris.