KHLOE
I walked to lunch with a weird feeling in my stomach. When I entered the cafeteria with Taylor, I noticed a lot of eyes on me suddenly.
I realised that everyone from Charlie's table were looking at me. All of his friends noted my arrival and instantly started talking - probably about me. Charlie, however, wasn't sat with them.
My brothers table were also looking at me. Dean was eyeing me with an expectant look. I could tell that he was expecting me to join them. I sighed and turned to Taylor.
"I'm gonna eat my lunch with my brothers today. I'll catch you at the end of lunch?"
"Sure. I'll see you in a bit." She said and headed over to our table where Alex and Max had already sat down.
I took a deep breath and walked over to my brothers table. All of them were there - except for Charlie. I had no idea where he was. Austin and Blake were also sat at the table - unfortunately.
I walked over and Chase and Dean moved up so I could sit between them. I gave them an awkward smile and sat down.
"You alright?" Dean asked me.
I nodded.
"What's with the cut on your cheek?" Austin asked me.
I gulped and looked at my brothers. None of them had a clue what to say.
"It's a spot. She's got a terrible habit of picking at them. It's gross really." Tommy piped up.
I looked over at Tommy, absolutely mortified. Deans eyes widened in amusement and I could tell that he was practically trying not to burst out laughing. Jake and Chase looked at each other like they weren't sure whether to be amused or to whack Tommy on the back of his head.
"Tommy, I do not!" I exclaimed.
"Don't deny it." Tommy said to me.
Dean sniggered.
I huffed and glanced at Austin who sheepishly looked down like he had only just realised that he shouldn't have asked the question. I think he was hoping for the exciting answer that I got in a fight and wanted to know what happened.
"You got lunch?" Chase asked me.
I nodded and grabbed the packed lunch from my bag.
"When did you make that?" Tommy asked me, looking at the sand-which with envy.
"I didn't. Elliott did."
Tommy huffed. "He could have made me something."
Chase whacked Tommy on the back of the head and Tommy gave him a death glare. I just smirked in amusement.
"You guys coming to the bonfire on Friday?" Jake asked Blake and Austin.
The pair of them nodded.
"Wouldn't miss it." Blake said.
"I'm dreading the exams though." Austin added.
"They'll be easy. Always are." Chase shrugged.
Tommy glared at Chase. "Easy for you to say."
"What do you mean?" Chase asked.
"Dude, you're always in the top three and you don't even revise." Dean said.
"Yeah, it's annoying." Tommy stated.
Chase shrugged. "I guess I just got all the brains in the family."
I'm pretty sure all of us rolled our eyes at that.
"Are the exams actually hard?" I questioned.
"Awful." Tommy grumbled.
"They aren't that bad." Jake said. "You just have to revise."
"Who knows maybe you're like me and you don't have to." Chase said.
"Nope. I think Charlie's the smarter twin." I said.
Literally all of my brothers gave me a look of concern when I mentioned his name.
"Have you seen Charlie today?" Jake asked.
"Nope. He's avoiding me."
Jake nodded.
"He's sulking." Tommy said. "He doesn't like the fact i beat him up."
Dean scoffed. "You barely touched him. It was one punch."
"One punch, but a good one." Tommy grinned.
I raised my eyebrows, "are you seriously boasting about the quality of the punch you gave our brother?"
Tommy rolled his eyes and shrugged. "He was an ass. He deserved it."
"And he learnt from the best it seems." Jake commented, giving Tommy a look.
"Whatever." Tommy replied and took a bite of his lunch.
"Anyway," I said, changing the subject. I turned to Chase. "What happened with you and my friend Taylor's sister?"
"Is that, that Stacey chick?" Dean asked and I nodded.
"I think she is the longest girl you ever had a fling with." Jake smirked and turned to the rest of us with a devilish look. "Apparently the sex was good."
"Jake I seriously didn't want to know that." I exclaimed.
"I did. I should get her number." Austin grinned.
Chase just rolled his eyes. "We had fun. That's all. She's her own person and does what she wants."
"Is that your way of saying she broke up with you?" Dean smirked.
"No she's just not the typical cheerleader I get with." He said. "Apparently she doesn't and has never wanted a boyfriend. Yet she's very picky whenever she see's anyone. It worked for me as I didn't want a girl friend either."
"Why not?" I asked.
Chase shrugged and gave me a sly smirk. "I already have one girl driving me insane. I don't need another."
"Wow Chase." I said, rolling my eyes.
"I just think he has commitment issues." Jake explained.
Chase shot him a glare.
"Sounds like Stacey does too." Tommy said.
"I like Stacey." I said. "I definitely
respect her."
"Yeah, she has that affect on people." Chase agreed.
"How do you even know Stacey?" Jake asked me.
"She gave me and Taylor a lift to Maddie's house last night. She said she knew Chase."
Chase nodded, understanding.
"So that's why you like her then? Because she drove you somewhere where you could get smashed?" Tommy smirked.
"No!" I exclaimed.
"Tommy stop being a dick." Dean said.
"I liked Stacey because she seemed nice." I explained.
Just then, the bell rang and I mentally scolded myself for staying at their table for the whole lunch hour. I very much wanted to sit with my friends for a little bit.
"You finished everything?" Chase asked me, looking at the sandwich crusts I had left.
I nodded. "Yeah, don't like the crust." I shrugged.
Chase nodded. "Fair enough."
I stood up and packed away my stuff.
"Khlo, we'll meet you by the car after school, okay?" Dean said to me.
"Yeah sure. Catch you later." I said and walked away.
I quickly made my way out of the cafeteria and headed to my next class. It was biology, unfortunately.
As I walked in, I saw that my table was empty. I sighed in relief and walked to the back of the class and sat down in my seat. It wasn't before long that Mr Low came In and the rest of the class started filling up.
I noticed Charlie's friends come and sit around me and I took a deep breath. I looked down and began writing out the questions that Mr Low had set us out on the board.
"Are you okay?" Someone asked me. I turned to see Logan had taken the seat beside me and was looking at me sympathetically.
I shrugged. "I guess."
I noticed Connor and Jack exchange a look after I spoke.
"Don't sympathise with her. She provoked him." Jack told Logan.
Logan rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Charlie shouldn't have done what he did. He knows that."
"You seriously sticking up for her? She's a bitch." Jack snarled.
I rolled my eyes and huffed, wishing I was anywhere, but here.
"What happened between me and Charlie is nothing to do with you." I growled.
Jack narrowed his eyes at me and looked at Dylan. It looked like the pair of them had me figured out.
"Whatever. What we do know is that your not what you want everyone to think you are." Dylan finished.
I raised my eyebrows. "And what's that exactly?"
"Nice? Careless and easy going. You're just a bitch that wants to make everyone else look bad." Jack stated.
"Guys that's enough." Logan said.
I saw Dylan role his eyes and Jack just clenched his jaw and looked away. The pair of them really were a pair of jerks.
••••
When school was over, I walked over to our car where Jake and Charlie were waiting. As soon as they saw me, their conversation went quiet. I joined them and stood there quietly. It was so awkward.
Jake sighed and looked at me and Charlie. "Are you two gonna talk to each other any time soon?" Jake said.
I just looked to the ground and Charlie didn't say anything.
"Come on guys, you can't keep going on like this. You're twins. You shouldn't be fighting like this. Me and chase have never had a fight this bad." Jake said.
"We're not you and Chase." Charlie snapped.
Jake huffed. "But you two are close. Right? Are you seriously going to let one stupid fight get in the way of that?"
Charlie looked down and I just shrugged. I didn't know what to say. We had both hurt each other now.
Jake turned to Charlie. "Look, Charlie. I know you're mad at her. But, I think Khloe's paid the price for her actions and we need to move on. I also think she needs you."
Charlie rolled his eyes and looked away.
"Guys this is ridiculous. Talk or hug it out or something like that. You're actually starting to worry me now." Jake continued.
I shrugged. I didn't know what to do anymore.
Just then the others joined us and we got in the car. I guess that was the end of that conversation.
For the whole ride home, I kept thinking about what Jake had said. I really wanted to move on from this.
When the car came to a stop, we all got out of the car and headed inside. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a snack. As I cut up an apple, I decided that I had better at least try and revise for my exams - even though I really didn't want to. But, I wasn't going to use my mental health as an excuse not to work hard. I wasn't as bad as I was before and there was no reason I couldn't revise. In many ways, I felt that If i didn't put effort in and ignored any pressure that the rest of my family had on their shoulders about the exams, I may make my brother's think that I'm doing worse than I actually am. And I want them to see that I a m getting better. Bit by bit.
I took my plate of cut up apple and walked over to the kitchen table. However, Charlie and Jake were already sat down at the table. I bit my lip. I couldn't avoid Charlie forever. And I wasn't not going to sit at my kitchen table just because he was sat there too. He's my brother. I can't pretend he doesn't exist and he can't pretend I don't exist either. I'm his twin.
I sighed and took out my books. I was really tired of fighting and I just wanted to move on. But, I couldn't work out whether Charlie was mad at me. He just kept ignoring me. Surely it would be better to just talk it out? I don't understand and it's just making me feel terrible.
"Charlie?" I whispered, holding me breath.
Charlie didn't look at me. He just wrote the date at the top of the page. Jake, however, looked up from his textbook and took my voice as his que to leave. Part of me wished he hadn't.
Was he seriously ignoring me right now? I was trying to actually talk to him.
"Charlie?" I repeated.
He bit his lip and turned to me. I saw his eyes look straight to the cut on my cheek and he quickly looked down.
"What do you want Khloe?" He asked, his voice was strained.
"You can't keep ignoring me." I told him.
Charlie nodded slightly. "I know."
"Well, can we talk then?"
"We're talking right now, aren't we?" He said, annoyed.
I huffed and looked away from him. "You know I'm the only one that has the right to be mad here. You're the one that hit me, remember?"
"I know and I'm sorry. I really am. But I can't help, but feel angry at you."
"Angry at me, why?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"No? Should it be? I get why you're mad about me dragging you into things and doing stupid stuff, but you went too far when you hit me." I replied, my voice hushed.
Charlie sighed and looked at me. His eyes were angry, but there was a hint of saddens in them.
"You shut me out." He whispered.
"What do you mean?"
"Everything that you told us last night. That was the first time I'd ever heard about it. You never told me anything."
"Charlie you can't seriously be angry about that, can you?"
"Yes. I can. Why didn't you tell me?"
"You guys shut me out all the time and leave me out. I didn't exactly feel like I could be open and vulnerable to you all."
"You're talking bullshit Khloe."
"Oh really? You're trying to tell me I'm not like the most excluded person in are family?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
Charlie sighed. "Don't you get it, Khloe? You've never been shut off from me. We're different. I have never excluded you. There's no reason why you couldn't have just spoken to me. Been open with me. I could have helped. Instead you just kept the whole thing a secret."
"You don't understand, Charlie. You don't know what it's like. My mind just gets so busy that I can't think straight. It's not about us. At all. You can't be mad at you for not telling you something. It's just so personal and it was really hard for me to admit it to myself - let alone come clean to our whole family."
"I know, Khloe. I'm just sorry and mad that I couldn't have done anything or helped you. You're my sister and my twin. I couldn't bare it if anything happened to you. I just can't believe I didn't see any of it."
"I guess I'm good at hiding things sometimes." I shrugged.
"Please don't hide anything again, though? Be open with me. Please."
I nodded. "Yes. I will."
Charlie wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug and I sighed in relief.
"Please can we never fight like that again." Charlie whispered to me.
I nodded. "Never. I'm sorry for dragging you through hell." I said, I could feel my eyes watering now.
Charlie chuckled softly, "I'm sorry for being a crap brother."
I smiled. "I'm sorry for being a bitch."
***************
Hey!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter! And they are finally friends again yayyyy!!!
Thank you for reading!!!
Sorry the update took me longer than I thought it would! I have been really tired this week. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!!!
ALSO ATTENTION PLEASE: I was wondering what you guys want to see what happens next. With this book I kind of just like writing fun things that happen to the characters so I was wondering what you guys want to see?
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