Andrew's P.O.V.
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Friday Afternoon 3:30 pm
This past week has been hell. Forgive my words, but that is about what it feels like. That would be the most accurate comparison I'm afraid. Call me overly dramatic, or weak, but it's the truth. You wouldn't understand fully, but it mostly has to do with one girl.
Kathleen.
My new girlfriend.
She claims that she is irrevocably in love with me, has been for years now. She claims she knew it was only a matter of time until we would be together, it was destined. I could just die. She loves me, the way I love Charlotte. I still love her, but I made my choice. I chose my girlfriend over her. She is not really talking to me these days.
I did actually end up riding with Kathleen to school after Monday. Here is sort of how it went with Kathleen.
Flashback:
Where could she be? I'm waiting for Charlotte. After our little break-up, I made me choice. True love comes first. Of course it does! How could anything overpower love. I loved her, I adored her, and needed her to know that and I could only pray she felt the same. I've been waiting in the cafeteria for her to enter. She had been avoiding me all day, not that I don't understand. I chose my girlfriend over her friendship!
There is no girlfriend though. Never was, I only want her. I just had to tell her now.
Suddenly, I feel myself being pulled from my seat. I turn around to glance at my attacker, and realize it is just James. He is wearing his signature smirk, that for some reason makes all the girls swoon. I find it repulsive, but maybe that's just because I am a male. Who knows.
He then proceeds to drag me by me arm and pull me toward the opposite side of the cafeteria. I try to resist at first, but then I catch sight of something I never thought would come into vision.
There she was. Charlotte. My Charlotte. With Drew.
I stumbled on my foot, and James continued to pull me, right past her. I was puzzled then. Didn't he notice that? Didn't he care? I tried to pull back again, harder this time. He just continued to drag me along. In a matter of seconds we were on the opposite end, and in front of the salad bar. He turned on me suddenly and spoke,
"Did you see that?" I gave him a bewildered look and he just sighed. Then it clicked when he pointed over my shoulder. I nodded numbly. I wanted to go back do something, but what could I do? Nothing. James continued,
"Well we have to something about that now don't we?" He spoke to me as if I was missing my mind, which was partly true, but still degrading. I rolled my eyes and nodded. I was eager for him to get to his point. I he smirked again, this time with a glint of something in his eyes, the glint scared me,
"Well then I have a plan." He rubbed his palms together menacingly and I just gulped.
END OF FLASHBACK
That's how I ended up here. In my room, pacing like a fool waiting for my true love to come back with my paid girlfriend. Kathleen didn't really love me. She just claimed that with Charlotte. James is evil, and I shall always loathe him. I don't understand why he wouldn't just let me tell her the truth.
Why I needed Kathleen to make Charlotte believe she was my true love, was beyond me. Tomorrow was the date. It wasn't blind anymore, Charlotte has become awfully friendly with Drew since our break-up. James asked her how she found out and she claimed she didn't, they just started talking and it worked out. I didn't believe a bit of it. Drew was sly. Who knows how he found out, but I know he did.
Lately I have been a mess. I'm angry, I'm confused, and I am a bit of a maniac. Nothing in my life is making sense anymore, and I know why. The one thing I know for sure is this, my life lost meaning when I lost Charlotte.
All this week we haven't spoken. She never even spared me a glance. She still went through with the shopping spree though, and even was kind to Kathleen, but I still saw the pain deep in her eyes. I was hurting her for no good reason, and it was all James' fault! He never even fully explained the plan to me, just that I had to date his cousin in law Kathleen and go through with the date.
My first thought was that he wanted me to make Charlotte jealous, so I rejected his offer. He told be that jealousy wasn't it though and that I just needed to trust him. Regardless of how evil he was, I trusted the man. He knew about love, he swept Carly off her feet afterall, though she never admits it.
So now it's after noon. Friday. The girls started shopping two hours ago being that today was a holiday, so no school. Charlotte stopped by earlier to borrow the money I begged to her to take, and she dropped off my sneakers I had left at her house. I threw out the sneakers, and now I am about to lose my mind again. This lifestyle can not be healthy. Far too stressful.
They were due back any minute, and I was not ready to face them both in the same room. Maybe Carly would help me. James never gave me any instructions other than that I had to go on the date tomorrow no matter what. I agreed blindly, trusting was not always easy for me.
I fall back on the sofa, hoping it will just eat me alive and end my miserable life I have created for myself. I was ready to fight for her! I was ready to do anything that was necessary! Now my opponent had the upper hand though, and I was losing. I wasn't entirely sure who the opponent was though. Drew, or myself. I was my own worst enemy right now.
I groan out loud, relieving some of the pent up aggresion. I groan again, louder. It feels relieving in a way. I decide to stop though, groaning didn't help. I needed to make my own plan.
I need to fight.
Charlotte was worth all the pain, all the heartache. She was worth it all. We weren't really best friends in her eyes anymore, but we would always be best friends to me. Maybe that could help me though. To her, we weren't best friends anymore. She was never outright hostile to me, no never, but we just were not the same. She didn't come over. She didn't chat with me.
She didn't hold my hand.
I needed her back now. I could not go one much longer with out her. It's time to be the man she deserves. He hero. Her knight in shining armor. I need to be the one to save her from the darkness and fill her life with light. No more being a coward. I have nothing left to lose, and she has nothing left to fear. I can not allow this to go on any longer. I sat upright and made my resolve. My final resolve.
Suddenly the front door was burst open, and my girlfriend waltzed in. She was pretty granted, but not Charlotte. No one even compared. That only strengthened my resolve. I stood and greeted her. She smiled at me and then Carly followed her in. Then Karen. Then Charlotte.
My heart stopped when I saw her. She was worth fighting for.
I smiled politely at all the girls, and James came in after, holding bags as well. I gave him a puzzled look and he replied with an impish smile. Carly answered for him the unasked question,
"He was just helping us bring in the bags. There are more in the trunk. Come on girls." She snapped and they all moved to go out. Kathleen stayed behind though. No one seemed to notice, except for Charlotte. I saw her glance at the two of us. When she noticed me watch her, she shot me a breathtaking smile. Then she followed the rest of them out.
Kathleen turned to me, and asked quietly,
"That's a good sign." I looked at her bewildered. I didn't know what she was talking about. She sighed and smiled while she spoke,
"She looked at us. She is yearning. When she saw you looking though she smiled, a totally real smile. She was actually happy to see you. I just know it. All during the shopping trip she was slipping up. Letting her hurt and jealousy flow in her words toward me." I put up my hand to her, silencing her and questioned,
"Wait. Jealousy? Charlotte is not jealous. Just rejected. Hurt. I am the jealous one her remember." I pointed to myself and she just rolled her eyes. The door opened and the others walked in. Suddenly my mouth was occupied. It took me a moment to get over my shock to realize Kathleen was kissing me. It wasn't real kiss, she was just putting her lips to mine. I glances toward the door to see Charlotte's smiling, pain evident in her eyes. She looked away then, and busied herself with the hem of her shirt.
Kathleen released my mouth, and then actually blushed as she turned toward the audience. She giggled and then said quietly,
"Sorry guys. Didn't see you there." Instantly I saw a change in Charlotte. She didn't look like a rejected friend, but a jealous teenage girl who had her heart broken. She didn't smile. She scowled. She didn't slouch or slump, she crossed her arms and stood tall. She was so beautiful, at the same time threatening. I wanted to hold her.
"Yeah you looked a bit distracted." Charlotte remarked, her words dripping with... something unrecognizable. Kathleen just giggled and blushed some more. I was baffled, and utterly speechless. I had no clue as to what I was to say. James looked at me and just shook his head. He rolled his eyes and sighed. He then looked to Kathleen and gave her a helpless shoulder shrug. She shrugged too, and then she walked to the kitchen. Soon everyone followed.
I was confused beyond compare.
Once they all left, James stayed behind. He looked at me condescendingly, and I just stared at him utterly clueless. He groaned and then whispered to me,
"You are hopeless, man. Seriously, what is wrong with you! She want's you too man." I snapped out of my dazed trance and turned my attention to his words. What was he talking about? I gave him another clueless look and he just groaned again,
"Just get this right on the date tomorrow man. You can not screw up again." I just stood there like an utter fool. I was a fool. A clueless fool.
"Alright." was my genius response. He just sighed and went into the kitchen.
I hit my head on the wall. It felt wonderful so I hit again, and again. Each hit clearing away more and more of the fog clouding my thinking. I heard some one clear their throat, and I turned.
Charlotte.
She giggled and then spoke to me. It was wonderful to hear her speak to me again,
"You alright there? Need an aspirin or something?" I chuckled at that. She was still Charlotte my best friend. That meant nothing anymore though. I remembered my earlier resolve and I straightened up. I dropped my smile and spoke with finality.
"We need to talk." She stiffened at the words. I was slightly puzzled, but assumed it was just the sudden tone of my voice. I continued anyway,
"Charlotte I have something to tell you... I-" she raised her hand ,cutting me off. She looked broken. The last time I saw her like this was when her father beat her that last time. She was absolutely shattered. That was the look she wore now, and I wanted to runaway with her right then. To take away the sadness and pain she was feeling now, and make her happy. I was the cause of her pain though, I couldn't make her happy.
"Stop Andrew." My heart swelled when I heard her say my name again. It was the most wonderful sound I've ever heard. I wanted her to say it again and again till I forgot it was my own name, and instead just a lovely melody. It was magical, she continued though,
"I just- I just can't do this anymore. I can't handle this. I need to let go, move on. I need a clean break Andy." My heart sunk when she called me Andy. Everyone called me Andy, except for Charlotte. We always made sure to use each other's full names. It was our special code that said we were best friends, and different from all our other friends. Now she was no different.
"Charlotte. I really need to-." Again I was cut of this time by her words, tears streaming down her face, she spoke to me,
"I don't want to hear it! I don't need your apologies, nor do I want them. You made your choice Andrew, now live with it. I hope you two are happy." With that she made a move for the door. I grabbed her wrist to stop her, and spoke to her quickly,
"Charlotte I am sorry, but that's not all... I-" She turned around slapped my face.
"That's enough Andrew. I'm through." She wriggled out of my hold on her wrist, and went to the door. She opened it and paused before going through,
"I really do hope you are happy Andrew. I'll always love you." her voice was barely audible so I wasn't sure I heard her correctly. With that, she swiftly left and slammed the door behind her. I just stared after her. A single tear made it's way down my stinging cheek where she had slapped it.
"I love you Charlotte."
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AH! DRAMA! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was a bit difficult to write I admit, these two are just so stubborn AAH! But never the less, lot's is happening now... story is on the move and I can't wait for the DATE! I hope you all are enjoying the ride. This story is not over yet! Still far to go and I hope you stay along for the journey!
Author's Note:
so many may think Charlotte was a bit harsh to Andrew. But you must remember she is heartbroken. When one suffers a broken heart, they do everything in their power to avoid more pain. Andrew's depression scene is not long lasting believe me. I just wanted to show some effects he is having from her. Charlott'es P.O.V. next. Moving forward!
Love to all, thanks as well,
Yours truly always,
Lily Avenue