When I exit the bathroom, I walk back into the receptionist room to find Daniel engrossed in a conversation with Alex. He seems to be very interested but Alex, on the other hand, looks completely bored, like he wants to get out of there but when he sees me, I almost don't catch the subtle smirk he throws my way.

"Charlie!" Alex waves over, his-her voice sounding extremely cringy. He was trying way too hard. Was I the only one noticing that? Alex turns to Daniel with an embarrassed face.

I notice Alex isn't wearing revealing clothes, seeing that he isn't a girl, I was sure he didn't have many choices when it came to his outfits. He had a long-sleeved shirt on with a long skirt and his fake butt and boobs were probably the only thing everyone was focused on.

Let's not forget, his face; I always thought Alex was so handsome he was almost pretty.

"I walked in on Charlie using the number 2 in the bathroom; let's just say I almost didn't make it out alive," Alex whispers to Daniel loud enough for me to hear and I gasp.

That little-

Daniel turns to me with a look of concern and a hint of repulsion but I could tell he was trying to be as polite as possible. "It must've been something you ate, are you feeling alright?" He asks, checking my forehead for my temperature.

"Better now," I reply forcefully as I glare at Alex and he fakes a gagging sound, causing the both of us to turn to him, I mean her...? Gosh this was so confusing! Daniel shrugs off the sound but I know better.

"What were you guy's talking about when I was gone?" I ask, completely curious.

"I was telling her how we're staying at my beach house for the vacation," Daniel explains to me with a hopeful look.

"We are?" I ask, completely confused because this was the first time I've heard this.

"Yeah I was planning to ask you but I was hoping you'd say yes?" Daniel raises his eyebrows hesitantly and for some reason, I really want to say yes eagerly but it was like there was something holding me back.

When I turn back to Alex, he looks angry and I know he's practically shouting at me to say 'no' in his head.

"Of course!" I exclaim, wrapping my arms around Daniel as he chuckles, his arms encircling around my waist as well.

"Perfect," he tells me and I know he's smirking even though I'm not looking at him. "I invited Alex; she says she has a friend she also wants to bring. The more the merrier, right?"

The world stops spinning.

He WHAT!!

I turn back to Alex slowly to find him smiling sweetly my way, I know behind all that he was planning something, I know he probably already planned how he'll ruin me from the moment we get to the beach house.

Before I can say anything, Rebecca emerges from behind the counters, finally retrieving our schedules. She hands it to us and I'm the only one who thanks her while Daniel starts another conversation with Alex about where the beach house was and how'll beautiful the beach is.

I'm too frustrated to say or do anything.

I just sulk as I walk behind them.

Everything was going so great until Alex came here dressing like a girl and started ruining everything! No one was even acknowledging me in the back, they were all whispering about Alex and how he might be Daniel's new love interest whilst in the back I feel invisible.

Once again, I'm invisible.

It sucks being known for your looks, because when someone prettier comes along, you're easily disgarded.

Only now I realize, and it bothered me. I wanted to be known for something more significant than that. Looks didn't matter to me as much now. I'm angry at myself that it ever did.

.....

When Daniel leaves into his dorm building waving goodbye at us, mostly Alex, I'm wondering why he didn't eagerly kiss me as he has before every time he goes. What happened to doing 'normal couple things' so people would believe it?

The rumors have passed, I didn't need to hold onto Daniel anymore...

But I wanted to! Didn't he want to?

I forget Alex is still standing there, looking my way until he speaks up. "You don't want to be with Daniel," Alex starts, his voice back to normal. "Don't you realize no one will ever treat you the way I do? Just come back to me, baby."

I look back off into the distance where Daniel had just disappeared into building C. I know what Alex was trying to do and I need to stop depending on him, on his words, I have to follow my own choices and right now they were telling me I want Daniel.

"You're not getting away with this," I tell Alex, glaring his way. "Stop trying to control this, to control me and leave Daniel and I alone!"

"I'm not trying anything with that brainless dude!" Alex raises his hands in surrender, looking completely innocent. "I'm not trying to interfere, I just want you back, Daniel's doing the rest all on his own. When you're just wanted, you can easily be replaced with something new to want."

I don't meet his gaze when he says this.

I wouldn't believe his words, I couldn't... I had to see for myself, I had to ask Daniel for myself and see what was going on.

"I'll see you this weekend, and then maybe you'll realize for yourself..." Alex trails off, walking away and leaving me alone in the middle of the street with my ragged thoughts.

....

I came back to my dorm later on that day and I hear a knock on the door before it opens on its own. There were Hayden and Clark talking animatedly as they enter before they notice me.

I was lying on my bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling and failing to fall asleep.

I had too much on my mind.

"Hey Charlie," Clark says, walking over to fall onto me on the bed as Hayden shakes his head and shuts the door behind him. I groan and push Clark off of me and she rolls away, laughing.

"No more work tomorrow!" She giggles throwing her hands in the air and dancing. "Thank God!"

"Yeah," I agree. Now that I know Hayden is rich, I figure he wouldn't understand our pain.

Hayden walks over to his drawers and pulls out CDs before handing them to Clark. She takes them from him before getting back up.

"You're leaving already?" I ask.

"Yeah, heading over to Hunter and Jack's to finish packing, we're so excited for this weekend," Clark squeezes my arm and I can literally see the excitement written all over her face. I turn to Hayden and he shrugs sheepishly and Clark is out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

All I can think is what the fuck?

"Wait we're going to your beach house this weekend?" I ask, dread seeping into my expression as I slowly realize the predicament I got myself into. Hayden frowns when he sees my reaction.

"Yeah, why?" I sit back at the edge of my bed, my fingers rubbing at my temples, suddenly feeling completely overwhelmed.

"Are you okay?" He asks again.

"I can't make it," I find myself saying, feeling horrible as the words come out of my mouth. Clark, Hunter, Jack, and even Hayden...they were all so excited. I couldn't leave Daniel alone with Alex and his friend, even though I knew Alex was still a guy under all of that, I didn't want him to prove me right.

I didn't want Daniel to prove me wrong either.

"Why? What happened?" Hayden asks with concern etched onto his face which only makes me feel worse. Why did he have to look at me with such innocent concern?

"I forgot I already made plans," I lie. I couldn't tell him Daniel asked me after him, I just couldn't do that to them, this was the only way I could do it without them getting mad or feeling disappointed. Hayden would obviously understand if I told him I already had plans.

Even if it was a lie.

Even if I wanted to tell them the truth, without including Alex, it wouldn't make as much sense. And I couldn't do that.

"With who?" He asks curiously and when I don't answer something seems to click in his head on his own. "Oh." He starts. "The boyfriend." The way Hayden says it makes it feel like he has something more to say.

"What?" I push, knowing he clearly had something else to add.

"Nothing."

"No, tell me."

"It's just that everyone was so excited." He says with a shrug and I know he was trying to act like it didn't affect him that much. "I thought Daniel was your pretend boyfriend, since when did you guys get serious?" Hayden asks again.

"We were always serious," I say but Hayden just looks at me incredulously before laughing. I make a face at him.

"You hated him. You were using him because he was all over you, remember?" Hayden says through a chuckle. "Now it seems the tables have turned."

When he says this, my eyes flicker up to meet his and I could've sworn Hayden looked disappointed before he started smiling again.
That same smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Those pure black eyes.

I expected to see ocean blue irises like Daniel or a warm hazel like Alex but instead, I saw a small portal of Tartarus just waiting for me to jump in. And I was okay with that.

A simple color like black...

...I never thought it could look so beautiful.

"I think Daniel is good for me," I explain, looking at my hands in my lap to break away from Hayden's intense eyes. "I can't explain it but right now, I know I probably sound crazy, but the way he makes me feel, I want it at this moment. I want him..."

I peer up at Hayden once again. He was sitting on the edge of the bed as well, his legs apart and his hands supporting him from behind on the bed as he watched me from across him. I suddenly feel uncomfortable.

"You don't have to explain yourself to anyone Char, everything you do is up to you and only you will ever be able to understand that. I'm happy you're happy," he tells me with a small smile.

I find myself smiling back, something blossoming in my chest. I think I needed to hear those words.

Even though Hayden didn't say it, I feel he meant it was up to me to discover myself and that no one else should help me reach that point. I had to do it all on my own and learn from my mistakes along the way.

I need to trust that in the end...it would all be worth it.

....

When it was finally the weekend, Daniel was already at my dorm building, helping me get my luggage into his van. I didn't have a lot of stuff so that was good. I explained to Clark and Jack the same lie I told Hayden on why I couldn't be there and they understood.

They were disappointed but they understood.

I couldn't miss this weekend for the world. I have to prove to Alex that he is wrong about everything. That I don't need him and that Daniel isn't who he thinks he is. I thought that after I discovered myself I would come back to Alex but now I wasn't so sure.

I couldn't have him doing this forever, I have to let him know, I have to let him know that we were done for good.

"Alright. I sent Alex the directions to the beach...it isn't far from here. Are you ready babe?" Daniel asks me, turning the key in the ignition as the engine of his Mercedes roars to life.

They say money talks and by the sound of that, I know his is howling. I nod over to Daniel, a soft smile on my face before he looks away and focuses back on the road.

My smile drops.

I wasn't at all ready for this.

__________________________

I'm going to TRY and keep this short because y'all are probably going to skip this anyway. Charlie is changing, I know, but I don't want you guys to hate her. She hasn't done anything that bad to deserve it if you think about it, she's only human, besides the book wouldn't be that interesting if she didn't make all the mistakes she's made so far.

You'll start to like her again, I promise. When she learns that the old Charlie wasn't as bad and that she should accept herself and not forget who she used to be.

Sorry for that rant, lol.

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