|10|

•Charlotte•

"You look beautiful." Dad smiled at me as I walked downstairs. He was walking out of the kitchen slowly, but walking nevertheless. Mary was behind him, careful he didn't fall. 

"Thank you." I smiled at him as he walked into the living room.

I was wearing a black dress. I had a shower last night to wash the sadness out of me and had shaved my legs. They were smooth and I couldn't stop touching them. The dress was perfect and I was wearing short shorts under the dress. It was indeed sunny outside today and I had my hair up in the usual messy bun. 

Pushing my feet into my black boots, I laced them and then added small gold hoops to my ears. Lizzie had texted me last night. Wear jewellery or else I'm running you over with my car and then running to Hawaii to hide. 

I was wearing earrings and that counted. I looked different, and my legs looked long as I stared at myself in the mirror. Stunning. I had applied a red lipstick and then dabbed my lips with a tissue to make it lighter. It worked and my lips were tinted red. Mascara and concealer was next and then I was done. Ready. 

A horn blared outside and I smiled waving at my dad and Mary before picking up my school bag and walking out of the car. 

"Holy fuck." Lizzie exclaimed from the window as she popped her head out. "Someone is going to make everyone drop." She grinned at me as I walked towards her car and opened the door. 

"You said to look hot." I said as I sat inside. "You look gorgeous. Calvin won't be able to stop looking at you." I smiled at her as she started driving, with a big grin on her face. 

"Either I'm going to embrace this look or I will panic and change. I bought myself an extra pair of clothes." She pointed to her back seat and I chuckled. 

Lizzie looked beautiful. She had her own sense of style, constantly wearing her black jacket on top of everything. Her blonde hair was in a bun with strands of curled hair around her face and big earrings. She had a couple of small gold necklaces on and a big gold watch on. She was even wearing the gold boots she had bought. 

"I'm going to leave my work clothes in here, alright?" I told her and she nodded as I pulled out the uniform and threw it in her back seat. 

I needed to go to work today because Mary was asking too many questions, wondering why I was missing so many days off work. Joe had texted me saying I could come in today straight after school to help out at his cafe. 

Lizzie parked the car in her usual spot and she breathed out giving herself a pep talk. You can do this. Walk in and drop the hip and walk like you own the school. You are hot. You are sexy. You are smart. 

"I completely agree." I said to her and she grinned as she opened her car door and stepped out. I followed her and picked up my bag before closing the car door. 

If Lizzie needed a hand to hold her, I was always here. If she wanted to look hot but didn't want to be the only one, I would wake up early to make myself look hot. Which I did today. 

The sun shined down on us as I noticed Calvin staring at Lizzie, his eyes wide, his mouth open a little. I walked towards her and wrapped my arm around hers so she couldn't run away. 

"Let's make this day count. We're talking to him." I said, and pushed her to walk with me towards Calvin who was waiting besides the school wall. He stood up straighter as I smiled at him but he didn't look at me at all. I grinned to myself. 

"Hey Calvin." I said, stopping in front of him. A small blush tinted his cheeks and I grinned as Lizzie waved at him. 

"Hey." He said to me and waved back at her. "You look beautiful." He smiled at her. "You both do." He corrected as he smiled at me. 

I returned the smile before turning to Lizzie. "We've got english first so you can come with Calvin. I have to do something." 

She glared at me as I ran up the stairs to the school. She needed a push and I gave her one. Calvin was adorable for her. 

I walked into the school and straight towards my locker. I needed to get my english book out. I had forgotten to do my homework and left the book in my locker. I still had about ten minutes before the bell went. 

"Look what the trash bought in." I heard Tiffany's voice behind me and the snickers of her minions as I opened my locker. 

"Are you looking at yourself in the mirror,Tiffany?" I asked without bothering to turn around to look at her. I pulled out the book and closed the locker. 

"Listen." she glared at me as I turned to look at her. "Stay away from my boyfriend." She hissed the words at me, taking a step closer to make herself intimidating. 

"The same boyfriend that banned you from his house?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

It felt like slow motion was being played as Tiffany reached her arm out to punch me. I simply took a step to the right and missed it. Her hand hit my locker and she screamed. 

The students looked at us, as she held her hand against her chest and ran away with her friends towards the girls bathroom. Stupidity at its finest. 

I picked my bag and turned to the stairs to see Ramon staring at me. His eyes trailed over my body, ever so slowly, with every step he took towards me. I watched him, in his black jeans and a black collared shirt, walk towards me. He didn't dress like a boy. He dressed like a man, as if to say to every student here, you can't fuck with me. The top button of his shirt was opened, his brown hair messy as he stood in front of me. 

"You look beautiful." 

It was the first thing he said to me as he smiled. He smiled. 

"Thank you." I replied back and stood there awkwardly. I had no idea why I was feeling so awkward. 

"Doing your homework now?" He asked, pointing to my homework book. I nodded as I took a step around him and we started walking upstairs. 

"I forgot the book at home so I've got about five minutes left before Mrs Margaret gives me a detention." I chuckled to myself as I sat on the stairs right outside the classroom.

 Ramon didn't move even though he didn't have this class with me. He stood besides me, as I sat down and stretched my legs out. Opening my book, I started answering the basic questions. 

"What's with this new look? I've only ever seen you wear jeans." He said above me and I could feel his eyes burning on me, urging me to look up at him, to see the smirk I knew he had on his face. 

"I decided I wanted to make every guy fall for me."I shrugged my shoulders, doing my homework. 

"Every guy?" He questioned, chuckling. 

"Not you though." I answered as I finished my homework just as the bell rang through the whole school. 

Ramon bent down in front of me, ignoring the people walking past us. "What if I decided to fall for you?" He smirked. 

"I would say it's a pretty stupid thing to do. Especially with your bad boy reputation." I said to him as I stood up and grabbed my bag. 

Ramon chuckled as he stood up and fixed his shirt that was tucked in his black pants. He didn't look like a student. "I-" he looked behind me to see a girl walking down the stairs and he sighed at me. "I'll see you later?" He asked. "I've got to talk to my sister." He glared at her and she froze in her spot and crossed her arms. 

I nodded and quickly entered my english class to see Calvin and Lizzie  already in their seats.  She smiled at me as I sat down. 

Today was going to be good. I could tell. 

***

The classes had all flown by today, the day passing by like a breeze which left Lizzie in a mood because she didn't get to look hot for too long. I had simply laughed at her as we walked to her car. 

"Can you drop me off to work?" I asked as I opened the back door and sat inside her car. 

"Yeah." She answered, starting her car. 

The back windows of her car were tinted black, and nobody could see me. I was going to do a princess Mia move and change in the back of a Toyota instead of a limousine. 

"Calvin is so nice, Charlotte." She sighed as she drove out of the parking lot. That was my que to change. "He said I looked beautiful five times today." She started talking as I took my shoes off. 

"Has he asked you out yet?" I asked as I pulled my shorts off and picked up my black pants. I pushed my feet into the pants. "Or did you hook up in the bathroom?" 

She laughed. "Remember when he asked to talk to me at lunch?" She questioned and I hummed, lifting my ass up from the seat to pull the pants up. 

Calvin had come to us during lunch and asked Lizzie if he could talk to her privately. I had simply sat there, trying really hard to pretend I wasn't listening. I couldn't hear anything and she didn't get to tell me because the bell went then. 

"At first he wanted to talk about making the dish and hoping he could come over since I can't go to his house. I agreed to it so he is coming over on Saturday to my house. Then he said I looked stunning." She laughed to herself as I unzipped my dress and pulled it off my body, leaving me in black bra. 

I pulled my black shirt with red collars and Joe's Diner embroidered into the shirt, and wore it quickly. 

"Where did Ramon disappear off too? I assumed he would want to see you in your sexy look." Lizzie asked as I wore my boots again and fixed my hair. 

"I don't know. He talked to his sister and then I never saw him after that." I shrugged my shoulders as I shoved my dress and shorts into my school bag. "Not that I was looking for him." I pointed out, pulling the strings of the backpack and tying it up. 

"Of course you weren't." I saw her rolling her eyes at me as I picked up my phone and shoved it in my pocket. "It's not like he's on your mind and you're wondering when he is going to come out with the cameras and say haha you thought wrong bitch!" 

I laughed as she turned into my street. Joe's diner was opposite the gym I fought at which was perfect because no one from school was here. Nobody visited these streets unless they wanted to buy drugs which was usually dealt with at night. 

Lizzie parked outside the street which would lead me down to Joe's diner. "See you later." She waved at me as I got out of the car. 

I threw my bag over my shoulder and headed down the street. It was empty, too much daylight for people to get caught selling drugs in. Behind me, I heard laughter as parents walked their kids back home from school. 

I crossed the street, ignoring the gym that was completely shut and walked into the yellow diner. There were the usual homeless men sitting at the tables, drinking coffee. I smiled at them as they waved. They were the regulars who knew I worked here. 

"Hey girl!" Mandy winked at me as I walked towards her. She pulled up the counter, and I stepped in. "Haven't seen your sexy ass here in awhile." She wrapped an arm around me and hugged me. 

I chuckled. "Just been busy with school." I said to her and she nodded, pointing to the back as customers walked towards her. 

I walked into the staff room and headed to my locker. 

Mandy was my co-worker, also my boss who worked here when Joe wasn't in. She was beautiful and her charming personality brought everyone always back to the diner. It was why Joe never fired her because she was the reason his business never died out. 

I put my bag into my locker and picked up the clean apron. Typing it to my body, I walked out of the staff room to see the place buzzing with life in an instant. 

Mandy had connections and she wanted her money by the end of the week. Sometimes she even promised them dates if they returned. "Take the order of table two please." Mandy handed me the notebook and pen while she handed Tim, the cook an order through the kitchen window. 

Minutes turned to hours as I worked, and ran in and out of the kitchen to serve people. The more the clock ticked, the more people arrived. We were the only diner close by that served every kind of food. 

"Table four!" Mandy called out to me from the kitchen. Tim chuckled as he handed me a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. I headed out towards table three and placed his order in front of him. 

"Just shout if you need anything else." I smiled at him and he nodded, as I walked away and pulled my notebook and pen out of my apron. 

"Hey welcome to Joe's Diner. What can I get you today?" I asked as I looked up to see Ramon and his friends staring at me. 

"You're everywhere we go." Josh chuckled as he opened the menu on the table. 

"I honestly think you're stalking me now." I said, not removing my gaze from Ramon. He was everywhere. "I've never seen you guys here before." I crossed my arms and waited for them to answer. 

"We have a little business here." Alex grinned at me. 

I raised an eyebrow, ignoring the people around us. "Another drug deal? Don't bring drugs here or Joe will kick your asses." I warned them. 

Joe hated drugs in his business. He never allowed them anywhere near the gym. Alcohol was allowed but if he sniffed drugs, he would ban them out of his business or get his friends to beat the shit out of that man and to put him on the straight path. 

Ramon chuckled. "Nothing for you to worry about, amore." He opened the menu. "It's just a coincidence that you work here. May we order?" Amusement lit up in his eyes as I nodded. 

"I would like the chicken burger meal with large fries and Pepsi." Alex said without opening the menu. I nodded and wrote it down. 

"Spaghetti and meatballs. Don't hold back on the sauce." Ramon drawled out in a low voice as he leaned back on the booth, the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to his elbows. 

I didn't look at him as I nodded and wrote it down. Calvin asked for the same, politely. 

"Could I get you on the side?" Josh leaned onto the side of the table, smirking up at me. "Is that part of any special deal?" 

I chuckled. "Unfortunately I'm off the table." 

"What about the oven? I could always put a bun in the oven." He ran his eyes over my body and I rolled my eyes, waiting for him to come to his senses and stop being creepy. 

"Order." Ramon punched him in the arm, his eyes glancing up at me. I saw the words that he didn't say. I apologise for his stupidity. 

"I only wanted to ask her on a date." Josh mumbled as he opened the menu. 

"Maybe next time don't use your dick." I said shrugging my shoulders as Ramon chuckled. 

Josh smirked up at me. "I'm good with my hands too." Alex cursed at him, telling him to be quiet and Josh chuckled as he ordered a cheeseburger. 

"I'll be back with your order." I smiled at them and walked away from their table to see Mandy wiggling her eyebrows at me. 

"Take your time, amore." Ramon called out to me. 

If I was Charlotte the school girl, I would have shown him the middle finger, but I was Charlotte, an employee so I simply ignored it and handed Mandy the note which she passed onto Tim. 

"Who are they? They look delicious." Mandy grinned at me, glancing behind my shoulder as I watched her push her black curls behind her shoulder. 

"School boys, Mandy. Too young for you." I clicked my fingers in front of her face. She was much older than me, than them. 25 years old and perfectly beautiful. 

"One doesn't look like a boy." She turned to look at me with a smirk on her face. "Amore." She mimicked Ramon's accent. 

I chuckled as I shook my head. "Keep it in your pants, Mandy." I told her as I walked into the kitchen to help Tim. 

I got out the clean plates, and placed them in front of him as he placed the spaghetti in the middle of the plate. 

"Hey." Mandy came walking inside quickly. "They've gone." She frowned at me. "They left a tip on the table with a note on the tissue but then they walked out." She sighed handing me the hundred dollar bill and the tissue. 

Until tomorrow, amore. 

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

Updates will be every Tuesday and Friday! Twice a week.

I'm trying to get into a updating schedule because I'm bad at it now. Let's hope I can stick to it!
You can follow me on instagram (glitterxox1) where I will post a bunch of teasers for this book. Canva has become my new best friend.

Question- do you want a Ramon's pov next?