| 6 |

❝ Are you my appendix, because the feeling in my stomach makes me feel obliged to take you out. ❞

SHE NIBBLED ON her ham sandwich, surrounded by Malcolm and Shane on either side of her on the bench. They had 'taken her in', as she called it.

Or maybe this was friendship, by some miracle. Maybe she just hadn't realized what being 'friends' was like, and they had become her friend without her knowledge.

They had noticed she usually sat alone at lunch, and told her to sit with them, because she looked like she needed some company. She was grateful, but sometimes she liked to be alone.

She liked to hear her own thoughts echo around in her brain until she forgot them, and sometimes she liked to keep her mouth closed and watch the world around her instead of immersing herself into other people's conversations, trying to listen to be polite but her mind drifting far from their, unable to bring herself back home.

But she did like being with Shane and Malcolm.

The pair was lively, one of them always laughing at something. Sometimes both of them were laughing, and most of the times Charlie was completely lost.

But she was okay with that. She found it nice to hear their laughter. That was enough to make her smile and join along for no reason, because sometimes, that's all it took.

Her stomach was still agitated from encounter with Theodore Higgins, and her nerves were out of control.

She glanced again at Teddy, all alone, a couple tables down from them.

Shane was currently ranting about the homework high school gave them, stopping when Charlie blurted out, "I'll be back."

She dashed to Theodore's table with her lunch bag in her hand, never once glancing back at Malcolm and Shane, coming to an abrupt stop just behind Teddy. She was afraid of what to do next. Should she speak up? Tap his shoulder?

She kept her eyes away from him, especially away from his eyes, the things that made her tremble head to foot last time, and instead stared at the artwork in from of him. He held a pencil and was sketching something in a notebook that was absolutely gorgeous. A woman. Long, wavy hair, the silky-looking hair covering some of her face, her nose small, rounded and dainty-looking, the woman fragile in a strange way. The lady was faintly smiling. Her lips were frozen, unwavering in the slight grin and her eyes were wide and innocent. It was beautiful.

Theodore was incredibly talented, Charlotte concluded. She, on the other hand, could barely draw stick figures.

She decided to go with her idea of speaking out loud, although she wasn't very good at it. She had no clue what she would talk about, but she'd just have to improvise.

Glancing at the back of his head, anywhere but his eyes again, as last time was such a disaster, she noticed his hair color reminded her of deep, dark, black chocolate. His hair was fluffed wildly, curling and whisping around his ears and over his forehead.

Cough.

Charlie glanced at him, annoyed he didn't turn to look at her.

Cough.

He still didn't turn around.

"Excuse me," she squeaked, squeezing the handle of her lunch bag.

He still ignored her.

"Hello?" She began wildly clearing her throat in an attempt for him to turn around and make an effort to seem like he was listening to her. She must have sounded like she was on death's corner with some rare disease that made her hack every second. Charlie noticed there were some stares on her.

It was then that she noticed he was wearing earbuds, the long strings dangling from his ears and traveling into his pocket.

Oh.

Her face contorted into annoyance at herself, her eyes narrowed as she inhaled deeply and exhaled. Her eyes crossed as she exhaled once more and glared at the air.

Sometimes, Charlie just needed to think a little more.

Tapping him on the shoulder, she finally got movement out of him.

The pencil in his hand slid across the paper with surprise, a big streak covering some of the picture. Her eyes widened and her trembling hand slapped against her mouth. Shoot, she didn't mean to scare him.

He turned slowly, his eyes creeping up her body until reaching her face, and gave her a flat glance. "Oh, it's you again."

Charlotte was taken aback and blinked, her arms slowly crossing over her chest. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged, and tried erasing some of the mark going down her face, groaning every so often. She felt like groaning, too.

She just ruined his incredible artwork. Aw, shoot. She wasn't cut out for this... This 'social interaction' thing.

She awkwardly watched him attempt to erase the mark, nervously and anxiously shifting her feet.

"Erm, look, Teddy-"

"Theodore," he muttered, actually [slightly] looking up from his drawing. Progress.

Ignoring his name preference, she slid into the bench across from him.

"I just wanted to, um, thank you for letting me borrow your notes," Charlie smoothly said, smiling brightly.

Her eyes reluctantly journeyed up to his startling, electric blue eyes and saw them soften almost, and he pushed his big, black, squared glasses up his nose.

"W-welcome."

Searching for another conversation starter, as it looked like Teddy wasn't going to pipe up anytime soon, she nodded and flicked her eyebrows up in approval towards his art.

"Nice drawing."

The look on his face almost brought her to chuckle. His eyes began blinking at a furious pace, his lips puckered [not that she was looking at them] [that would be absurd].

"W-what, me?" he stuttered, glancing from his gorgeous drawing to her eyes, back and forth.

That stutter was something. It was different, as she definitely wasn't used to someone stuttering like that, but it was a good different. In a way, it was kind of cute.

"Yeah, you," she accidentally let slip a giggle, a grin on her face. "It's amazing."

He blushed a deep shade of fuchsia and bit his bottom lip.

Their eyes became entranced in each other's for the second time now, his eyes so deep that she felt like she could drown in them, his eyes so dark that she felt herself getting lost in them. His eyelashes were crazy long and unnaturally curly, and his eyebrows had to be plucked or something.

Unable to look away. Impossible to blink. Difficult to swallow.

As if he had read her mind, he gulped and looked away, turning his attention back to his drawing. He had picked up his pencil once more and was drawing more lines, shading around the woman's eyes. His blush continuously became a deeper red, she noticed, as he busied himself in the art and continued to ignore her.

He shoved his earbuds back into his ears and she sighed, knowing that her small-talk time with Teddy was over.

•|•|•

Charlotte heard herself whimpering.

She was screaming at herself to wake up. She felt herself shivering and trembling, crumbling at the horrific nightmare. Screams tore through her mouth like a glass piercing skin, her body jerking and twitching.

Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up.

Her pleads in her mind turned to screams, mentally sobbing as she was being drowned in her thoughts.

WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP-

Charlie woke up.

Her breathing was choppy and her chest thumped. Charlotte felt closed off, constricted, and she trembled as she rolled her body over to where a trashcan lay beside her bed and heaved, sweating and shaking. The room felt as if it were getting smaller, she felt cramped, her vision was blurred, her eyesight blacking out and she tasted the salty tears sliding down her cheeks and over her lips.

She stumbled blindly to the bathroom, choking on her tears as she splashed cold water on her face. She rinsed out her mouth of the putrid taste and gagged, wiping her tears with the back of her hand and wiped her mouth, swiping away the horrid puke on the corner of her lip.

Charlotte was breathing heavily, rocking back and forth as she did so, her throat dry and crackled, her eyes fluttering open and closed every second.

She dashed down the stairs with her brain pounding and her heart thumping and burst into the cool, fresh air, her knotted and matted hair whipping around in the wind. Charlie had made sure she had her phone and some money in her sweatpants pocket. She wrapped her arms around herself, in only a tank top in twenty-degree weather as she shivered, from the cold and the haunting dreams. More like haunting reality.

She didn't know where she was going, she just kept walking and walking and walking. The lights were scarce and the stars were twinkling.

She made it to a small Dunkin' Donuts that was only a couple minutes from her house. Goosebumps were covering her skin as she entered the very cozy place.

It was two AM, but it was one of the places open 24/7.

It was dead silent, something that made her hairs stand on end and her nerves tingle.

She waltzed up to the counter, fishing out a couple dollars from her pocket.

It was then, when she looked up, that she realized she was staring right into the captivating blue, bottomless pit eyes that could quite possibly lure her to her doom.

Charlie felt herself catch her breath, a quiet gasp escaping her mouth and filling the silent Dunkin' Donuts.

She tried to smooth down her hair that was horribly frizzy and knotted, looking like grown-up Simba in the Lion King's mane. Her sweatpants were wrinkled with big stains on them, and her tank top was way too small, as it was just something she kept around for pajamas. She should have brought a hoodie or a jacket with her, since she was so cold and because of his scrutinizing eyes.

Staring into those glinting eyes of darkness, she shivered.

Her fingers were frantically combing her long brown hair and noticed Teddy was staring at her with lazy, tired eyes, with a face that read, what the hell.

She chuckled nervously and dropped her hands from her hair, interlocking her fingers and twiddling her thumbs. "Err, hi. I, uh... Didn't see you there."

He looked amused, even though his eyes held dark bags below them, his hair was disheveled, and he looked dead tired. "Sure... What can I get for you?"

Her mind was addled from little sleep and the miserable dream. She wasn't thinking clearly. No way. She got wicked bad delusions without sleep. That's probably why she thought he looked adorable in his Dunkin' Donuts work attire with his glasses perched on his nose.

She blushed, feeling the red creep up her neck and flood into her cheeks. "Just a hot chocolate, please."

Theodore gave her a smirk, something that made her eyes cross and her head woozy. "Would you like whipped cream with that?"

"...Yeah."

He gave her a small grin plus a chuckle as he told her the price, and she paid as he made the hot chocolate for her, since it looked like no one else was there. He doused the thing in whipped cream, making her blush even harder, which made no sense to her. Why was she even blushing? He was just doing his job. It's sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation.

She subconsciously whispered to herself, "Sleep deprivation..."

Just great. Now she was acting like Brick from The Middle.

"What was that?" he perked up, giving her a questioning gaze.

"Oh, nothing," she mumbled with a deep blush attacking her cheeks. "Thank you," she finally whispered, taking the warm, styrofoam cup from his hands, feeling his fingers merely brush hers. She nearly dropped the cup.

Scooting over to a two-seater table, she busied herself in sipping the scalding hot chocolate, her mind whirring and her body still trembling. Determined not to look at Teddy, for the incident coincidentally happening to bring her here to him was much too repulsive and terrifying, still fresh in her mind. She felt trapped, caved in, chained to it. Charlie closed her eyes with a tremble.

His gaze was on her. She could feel it. She felt his eyes burning into the back of her head, his piercing look on her as she sipped her cocoa.

When she finished half of her drink, she finally piped up.

"I can feel your eyes on me," she teased, finally turning around to look at him to see that he was, in fact, staring at her [so much for her plan not to look at him!].

He blushed and laughed a little, ducking his head down and running a hand through his unruly black hair.

The laugh shocked her. Nerve-rattling and spine-tingling for some reason. She hadn't expected him to have such a carefree laugh, a shadow of a dimple on his cheek, slight crinkles around his tired, drooping eyes. It was throaty and gruff, causing her to bite her lip at the startling [yet breathtaking] sound of it.

Charlotte didn't know how she was handling this situation so well. She was talking to her note creator, calmly speaking with the man that called her beautiful through scribbled letters. She had never been called beautiful before Teddy came along [besides being called beautiful from her parents, but that was way different].

"Why are you out so late?" he questioned her, his voice so soft, caressing her, almost, with his words. It seemed like he actually cared.

She shrugged her shoulders, covered in goosebumps from the chill of the night. She really wished she brought a hoodie. Or wore something warmer than a tank top.

"Why do you care?" she trailed off from his question vaguely, her index finger tracing around the rim of the hot chocolate cup.

Teddy looked down at the counter, fiddling with something, and shrugged his shoulders, the blood-red blush still going strong, his lip curved upward in a smirk. He was using her vague reply of shoulder-shrugging as his own. Jerk.

Her eyes narrowed at his silent response and slowly sipped her drink, the hot chocolate burning her insides. His big-eyed gaze on her didn't help get rid of the feeling of her insides burning, either.

Charlie somehow felt more confident with less sleep, with enough courage to jokingly glare at him, with enough confidence to actually speak to him without all stutters and stumbles, something she'd certainly be doing during the day.

Coughing into his hand, he looked away and rolled his lip in between his teeth, something she mentally sighed at. That was really cute. Really, really cute.

'SLEEP DEPRIVATION!!!!' shrieked her mind.

"Well, I think I should go back to working now," he said in a matter-of-fact attitude, his features showing obvious fatigue and his voice husky, yawns after nearly every other word.

"Teddy, it's literally two in the morning and I'm the only person here," she stated flatly, being too tired to deal with BS. Plus... She kind of liked talking with him, in a weird, friendly, somewhat social way.

His deep red blush had spread to his ears and down his neck.

"You're...You're never going to call me Theodore, are you?" he finally sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose, something she noticed was a habit of his. Adorkable, kind of. He blew his black bangs out from his eyes.

"Most likely not," she nodded.

A silence creeped over them. It was a strange, defeaning silence. It made her anxious as to when someone would finally speak up.

In her head she sang a song that had been lodged in her brain since first period in the morning to entertain herself and get her mind off of the hot boy only a few feet away from her, blushing up a storm and shoving his glasses so high up his nose they were going to break. To break the silence, in a way.

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.

Humming it lightly, she was pretty sure he could hear her. Charlie couldn't help it, this was a way she calmed herself down. She kept her head down, determined not to be the first one to speak into the deadly silence.

She knew the song by heart. She'd listened to 'Bohemian Rhapsody' so many times it had been burned
into her brain. Her father had been the one to introduce the song to her when she was little, and they would rock out to it in the car together. He would bang on the steering wheel as she'd rock the air guitar during a red light.

Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see,
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,

It was common for her to do this, to sing a song in her head to keep herself busy during awkward moments until the other person spoke up or left. Sometimes she'd recite her favorite quotes to herself. Other times she'd name all of her favorite actors and actresses. Just to keep her thinking of anything but the awkward silence she was in, to keep her from breaking out into a panic attack of what to say.

Things easily gave her anxiety, and these little tricks were good ways to cool her down and chill her out.

Because I'm easy come, easy go,
Little high, little low,

It helped her. Doctor guy had recommended it, and she obliged, realizing the songs did help her from freaking out, from creating yet another scene, something she never wanted to happen again.

Anyway the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to m-

"You look cold."

It was finally, after what felt like millenias, that Teddy spoke up. Just before one of her favorite parts, MAMA, JUST KILLED A MAN!

Taking a deep breath, she nodded shakily. Slightly shivering.

"A little. But I'm fine."

He frowned and disappeared behind the counter, popping up a second later with a grey hoodie in his hands.

Charlie sucked in a breath.

He was coming closer to her with the hoodie, closer, closer. His hoodie. Was he letting her borrow his hoodie? Theodore, Theodore, Theodore.

She nervously belted out some more Bohemian Rhapsody in he head.

PUT A GUN AGAINS HIS HEAD
PULLED THE TRIGGER, NOW HE'S DEAD

[Don't freak out.]

MAMA, LIFE HAS JUST BEGUN

[Don't.]

BUT NOW I'VE GOT TO THROW IT

[Freak.]

ALL AWAY

[Out.]

MAMA, OH, DIDN'T MEAN TO MA-

"Here."

He handed her the hoodie. Hoodies were so involved in romance, the guy giving the girl his hoodie to stay warm. Every girl knew it, it happened to her sister Skylar more than once, it's common knowledge in any cheesy novel, and it's a guy's corniest move, beside the weird yawn-arm thing they did.

Charlie was freaking out inside.

Was he trying to say something? Was this a statement to her on his feelings?

Dear god, she had practically just met the dude, she shouldn't overthink this.

And her mom wondered why she didn't have any friends. Maybe because she couldn't read between the lines well. Or because of her limited interactions with humanoids.

She blinked before taking the hoodie, slipping it over her head. It was so soft and warm and fuzzy, she wanted to hug herself, and hug him, for letting her use it. It was way too big, baggier than her already-baggy hoodies she had of her own, but that made it even cozier, somehow.

It smelled like coffee. Him and coffee.

"Thank you," she whispered, her shivering coming to an end.

"My pleasure," he mumbled, a faint smile on his lips. "Go get some sleep, Charlie."

She nodded with a yawn, feeling her eyes droop and sag even more, as if his words were a command. Her mind was growing hazy, hazier that it already was, her thoughts fuzzing out. As she walked out, she called over her shoulder, "I'll see you around, Teddy."

She could, once again, feel his gaze on her. Smiling, she hopped out of the Dunkin' Donuts, throwing away her empty hot chocolate cup. She walked into the cool night air, not at all feeling cold because of the toasty hoodie covering her.

Her thoughts buzzing.

Words missing. Mind shutting down.

Running home.

Quietly scrambling to her house. Creaking open door. Trudging up stairs.

Mind fuzzy. Sleep deprivation.

Walked stealthily to her room. Silent. Slid under the blankets, still wearing the hoodie. Two thirty in the morning.

Go get some sleep, Charlie.

And she did.

a/n

happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me... jfc, i'm 14. wtf when did this happen. i'll let you guys in on if i get any good presents

so my sister and i made such a badass cake i make fandom symbols (wattpad, trident, mockingjay pin, spiderman, tfios, etc.) and the cake itself is a triangle and i made it into a deathly hallows thing and each section is a fandom and its aMAZING OH MY GOD

also, fun fact: this is, in fact, me in this crappy picture that is my profile picture, for i wanted yall to see me on my birthday or something kinda like a hannah montanna reveal? idk. probs just for the day.

i updated two books today, this one and Healing Nova's Heart. whee, i'm on a roll.

thoughts on the chapter? i actually kinda like this one c:

• • •

so we have some ship names to choose.

comment on your favorite, i'll pick the most popular ones

CHARLOTTE X THEODORE (charlie x teddy)

• charleddy
• tedlie [ suggested by @pro_fangirl1963 ]
• theolette [ suggested by @trixehstories ]
• teddie
• charleodore
• theodorlie
• cheddy [ suggested by @trixehstories ]
• telie [ suggested by @emmxrs ]

CHARLOTTE X MALCOLM

• charlcolm
• mallotte
• malcarlie
• malcotte
• malclette
• charmal
i've run out lol

and if anyone pairs CHARLOTTE X SHANE (anyone????)

• charlane
• shanlette
• sharlie
• shanlie

ok, that's enough (for now). i'll pick my fav/most popular next chapter

this chapter's dedication goes to @ThessLeo (although i loved everyones <333)

"Have you ever read a book where you were excited for the next chapter? THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS BOOK :-D"

thank you so much, you're so lovely <33

GOALS:

10k reads in total
70 votes
100 comments

yes i am aiming superduper high, but i'm gonna dream on my birthday lol #noragrets

[bohemian rhapsody is the song on the side btw]