Charlie's POV
"That's cheating!" I argued when he landed his car token on the Chance. "You rolled a six!"
"No, I rolled a seven!" He said in defence.
"Liar!"
Sufficed to say, it was awkward and weird that Ace Caldwell was currently seated on the other side of my mother's antique coffee table playing monopoly with me.
"You must have not been looking properly." He smirked.
God that smirk.
An incoming text on my phone distracts me. Hopefully it's my mother or father, finally explaining where in the heck they are!
I read the text and my face fell.
Hey. Texted Ryan.
"Everything okay, Charlotte?"
"Sure." I locked the phone and sat it screen-down on the coffee table.
Ace handed me the dice, slightly brushing his fingertips over my palm when doing so.
I shiver rushed through me and the hairs on my arm stuck up.
I quickly snapped myself back to reality before I wound up on a train of thoughts. I shook the dice in my clasped palms before rolling them onto the board.
A five.
I placed my Scottish Terrier token five spaces down, another text dinging from my phone.
"Someone's popular."
I gave him a half smile before flipping over my phone and reading the incoming text.
Wanna hang out?
I can come to you.
We did have a good time last time, before he straight up ignored my existence.
"Is it your girlfriend?"
I fought the urge to laugh as I gave him a look with my eyebrows furrowed.
"You know I'm gay, right?"
He genuinely looked surprised at that. Surely I've told him, or he at least would have heard it from someone else, maybe he's just very forgetful?
"Ohhhh. Really?"
"Yeah."
That probably just ruined the entire game, huh.
"Okay..."
I guess this would be the part where he excuses himself, claiming that he had an urgent matter to attend to.
"Is it a boyfriend, then?" He rolled the dice.
Oh. Not the outcome I expected.
How is he this casual?
"Yes. I mean. No. It's not. We're not. He's not my. We're just-"
"Dude, breathe." Ace laughed.
I paused to take a breath. "We're not dating."
"But you want to?"
Was I seriously about to converse with Ace Caldwell about my crush on a guy who was Narnia-deep in the closet?
"I don't know. Maybe? Yes?" I talk way too fast.
"He doesn't want anyone to know, and it's just. I don't know if I want to be someone's secret." I frowned.
"Not into scandalous trysts?" He peered at me, holding out the dice for me to take.
"I mean, it seems exciting. But I don't really fancy being ignored when we're around other people." I take the dice from him and shake them around in my hands.
"Yeah, that sounds rough."
I rolled the dice and got a three. I moved my token three spaces forward.
Ace leaned forward a bit, looking at me in all seriousness.
"You owe me one hundred bucks."
I rolled my eyes, reaching for my Monopoly money that I placed beside me.
"I only have twelve dollars."
"I win! Hand it over!"
I frowned, handing him the last of my money.
"You're rude."
"Don't be a sore loser now, Charlotte."
"My name is Charlie!"
"I know." He smirked, packing up the Monopoly pieces.
"Excited to go to Paris next week?"
"I can't go." I frowned again.
"Why not?"
"I have a broken leg."
"So? Plenty of people with broken legs go to Paris."
"Have you ever had a broken leg? It's not a piece of cake walking around on crutches. People go to Paris to sightsee, not walk slowly around the city because their classmate is a slowpoke on crutches." I took a shaky breath.
"You shouldn't have to miss out on an awesome trip because your leg is broken. Talk to Miss Saunders about it." He packed away the Monopoly and returned it to the hall closet.
Maybe he's right. I've always wanted to go to Paris. All the things I've always wanted to do, like take an awesome picture in front of the Eiffel Tower, see The Louvre, walk through the Arc de Triomphe, and to see if Croissants taste different in French.
"This was actually kind of fun." Ace smiled genuinely.
"Yeah, it was."
"I should head home now, I promised my little brother I would help him build a castle on Minecraft."
I laughed. "You better not keep him waiting."
"See you tomorrow, Charlotte."
"Bye." I gave an awkward wave.
And then there was one, alone in his house. I'd normally use being home alone as the perfect opportunity to listen to my music as loud as I can possible handle without my parents nagging me to turn it off, but I for some reason wasn't in the mood.
I'm glad that Ace stayed. He made me feel better. But as quick as that rain had appeared out of nowhere, my unwanted sadness returned.
It wasn't just that I was alone, I was lonely. Why did I feel this way?
I'm fine. I am fine.
I, Charlie Harrington, am totally fine.
Maybe if I just keep saying it, I'll somehow end up manifesting it to become true.
I crutched my way up to my bedroom and slumped down onto my mattress after turning on my Bluetooth speaker and connecting my Spotify.
Depressing playlist, coming right up.
~
After an hour of lying silently in my bed and staring at the ceiling whilst both listening to my depressing playlist and my own depressing thoughts.
My door bursts open, and I'm prepared to interrogate my parents to learn where in the heck they were. "Hey little brother."
Are my ears deceiving me?
I looked over to see my older sister Nora standing in the doorframe.
"Nora!" I turned down my speaker and hugged her.
"Hey Charlie." She hugged me back.
"What are you doing here?"
"I have the week off." She explained.
"Were you just listening to Conan Gray?"
"Yes."
"What's up?" She wondered.
She's definitely psychic.
"Nothing." I lied.
"Don't lie to me Charlie." He ruffled my hair.
I sighed.
What are older siblings for if not to be your personal therapist?
I explained everything to her, and her diagnosis was that I was depressed.
No crap Sherlock.
She thought I should tell mom and dad and maybe see a professional. Because talking to a complete stranger will somehow magically cure me.
"I'll be fine. I think I just need some sleep."
"Charlie." She gave a warning tone.
"I'm fine, trust me."
She hesitated for a moment before leaving me to my thoughts.