|13|

•Charlotte•

I had stared at the picture for 30 minutes last night. It was completely out of blue that he would draw me. We had spent the rest of the class, working on our essay, making it detailed but not too much and making sure we wrote the key parts. He wrote every single word I said and then handed me the notebook saying we should cut out a few repetitive words. He definitely wasn't failing last year. 

Ramon Vitali was clever but didn't bother showing it. He sat in the back of the classrooms, with his friends, unbothered by what the teachers said. He had the reputation of being a drug dealer and everyone feared him for a reason I didn't know. Last year was a tough year for me and being in school was hardly my first priority. 

I couldn't show it to Lizzie yesterday because she was busy trying to do her homework at home. She had to leave school early, to look after her brother, Daniel who was sick and her mom was busy. I walked it home, knowing there were eyes on me. Cameron didn't bother me at all. 

When I woke up this morning, I woke up with a clear mind and made breakfast for my dad and Mary who were both in a good mood. I promised my dad that we would go out today to the closest park so he could walk and enjoy some fresh air. Mary said she could assist us and I was thankful for it. 

"Wait. Let me get this straight." Lizzie glanced at me confused as she pulled up to the left side of the road and parked up. "Ramon drew a picture of you?" She asked and I nodded. "I want to see it." She demanded. 

I pulled the notebook out of my bag and opened it up to show her. Lizzie gasped and awed at the picture. "If only it was in pencil so he could shade it properly but this is so cute." She gushed, taking the notebook out of my hands. 

I chuckled. Her inner artist had awoken. "It was very strange." I said to her as she handed me the notebook and started driving to school. 

"That he drew you? Or the part that it might indicate that he's crushing on you?" 

I leaned back on the seat as I stared out the window. "He is probably doing one of those school bets that trended two year ago. Remember when Mindy was played with?" I turned to ask her. 

"Mindy with the braces?" She questioned and I nodded. "I don't think Ramon wants to be the first one to take your virginity. I doubt it's a bet. I don't think Calvin will allow it." 

My mind started to overthink as I sat up straighter. "Calvin won't know about it. Probably Alex doesn't know either. Josh keeps flirting with me. Maybe it's a bet between them." I turned to face her while she entered the school car park. "He asked me if I slept with Cameron. Either my sarcasm is terrible or he wanted to know if I still have my virginity." 

Lizzie parked the car and switched it off. She turned to face me. "I am the one with the anxiety problems and my brain is calm. Take a deep breath with me and do not panic about this. We'll see them at lunch and you can ask him bluntly. You've got to put your big girl socks on." She grinned at me as I laughed. 

Yes. Today I would ask him why he was being nice to me. 

***

"They're coming." Lizzie whispered to me as she glanced towards them. I sat up straighter, opening my water bottle and gulping down the water. 

For some reason I was nervous. Lizzie had told me throughout our history class and our maths class that she suspected Ramon of having a crush on me. It seemed like a lie to me. He was probably betting on me. 

Lee, the quarterback had made a bet with his friends that he would be the first one to fuck Mindy. Her being oblivious to it, she fell for his charms and his popularity status. He had slept with her, taken her virginity, and the whole school had found out about it. The problem was, Lee never mentioned it to the school. Lizzie had heard their conversation in the library before Mindy moved schools. She went back to China, not bothering with him. He had pleaded to her, telling her to listen to him. Lee had fallen in love with Mindy but that trust was broken and she had left. 

He never dated any girl after that day and he proudly said he was going to save up and go to China one day. 

But that pain I had seen in her eyes, for trusting him and having her heart broken, I wasn't going to put myself through that. If Ramon was betting on me, he needed to know I wasn't going to take his bullshit. 

"Hey." Calvin said as he sat besides Lizzie. I moved to the end of the bench so Alex could sit besides me but he sat opposite me instead, letting Ramon sit. 

I didn't dare turn to look at him as I felt his eyes on me. "Ciao, amore." Ramon said to me. 

"Hey." I answered as I turned to look at Alex.

He smiled at me as I asked, "You're mostly quiet. Do we terrify you?" 

I was trying to make a conversation, anything that would lead up to girlfriends and sex, just so I could lie and say I had slept with a few men, just so Ramon would lose his interest in me. 

"Quite the contrary actually. I don't think I need to talk a lot to enjoy your company." He answered with a smile. 

"I'm assuming with your good looks and the accent, you have a girlfriend?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Lizzie kicked me under the table and I glanced at her. Confusion was clear in her eyes as I looked away from her. 

Alex answered with a chuckle. "I don't have a girlfriend, though I am interested in someone. I'm just waiting." 

"Who is that someone?" Ramon leaned closer and looked at him. 

Alex smirked. "You know exactly who it is."

"I think you should carry on waiting for another thousand years. Not my sister." Ramom smiled at him and Alex shook his head at him. 

Ramon turned to look at me. "Won't you ask me if I have a girlfriend?" Amusement flickered in his eyes. 

"Everybody knows Tiffany is your girlfriend." I replied with a smile. 

"She's not." 

"Is she just your plaything? Someone you can sleep with?" I asked, genuinely curious if he was just using her. 

"She's not my plaything," he frowned at the word. "I did have a thing for her once but not anymore." He answered me. 

"Maybe I should be someone's friend with benefits girl." I hummed the idea out loud, knowing they could all hear as I turned to look at Lizzie who was utterly confused. "Got anyone in mind?" I pleaded with my eyes for her to play along. 

"You could be mine." Ramon purred to me, a smirk on his face as he looked at me. 

I shook my head. "No thanks. I have my eyes on my co-worker. Tim is just beautiful, isn't he, Lizzie?" I turned to her. 

Tim was at least eight years older than me, his body covered in beautiful tattoos but that was all I liked about him. 

"I think if you jumped him, he would totally take you to bed." Lizzie grinned at me and I smiled. 

That's what friends were for. To play along with your lie just to see if a guy was playing with you. 

"Maybe I should wear something sexy like the last time I slept with him. Maybe that red dress from Christmas?" I asked her. 

Ramon stood up. "Can we meet up today at your place to workout a quick method for the cake?" He asked me, unbuttoning the button on his sleeves. 

"I can't do it at my place." I told him and he nodded, thinking. 

"I'll text you. Maybe over the weekend you can come over." He rolled up his sleeves as he started walking away from the table. Alex followed him. 

"You don't have my number!" I called out to him as Lizzie kicked me under the table. 

Ramom chuckled as he turned around to face me. He walked backwards. "Lizzie was a sweetheart and gave it to me." He winked at me and I rolled my eyes, turning around to face Lizzie.

"Wait!" Calvin called out to Ramon again. "Weren't we going to ask them a question?" 

Ramon and Alex jogged back towards the table as Lizzie and I looked at Calvin, confused. He smiled at us, at Lizzie as he asked. "We're planning to go to a fun fair tomorrow after school? Would you two like to come with us?" 

Lizzie grinned and nodded. She was getting comfortable with Calvin which I loved for her. He turned around to look at me. "What about you?" 

"Of course she's coming." Lizzie said, a pleading look in her eyes. She wanted me to come, to not leave her alone. 

"I'll think about it." I said to them both. I couldn't finalise something before asking Mary. 

"If Charlotte is going, I'll drive." Ramon said above me and I felt his gaze on me but I didn't look up at him. 

No eye contact meant no desire to fuck me. 

I heard him chuckle before he walked away with Alex and Josh who followed behind them. Calvin turned to Lizzie. "I'll see you later?" He asked and she nodded as he picked up his tray and walked away, following his friends. 

"He is definitely playing a game." 

"You are overthinking."

We both said at the same time and I sighed, and rested my head on my bag. "I think I'm pmsing." I mumbled as I groaned onto my bag as she chuckled. 

***

"I'm home!" I called out as I walked into the house and closed the door behind me. 

"We're ready!" Dad called from the living room and I smiled to myself as I walked inside to see him wearing his black raincoat and a black fisherman's hat. It was his favourite. He walked towards me, the walking stick in his hands to help him balance. Inside the house, he didn't need it because the house was small and he didn't need to walk a lot. 

Mary was wearing her coat as well, and her bag was in her hands as she sat up from the chair. I had texted her that when I'm back from school, we would head out. 

"Let's go then." I said to them as I placed my bag on the couch and pushed my phone into my jeans pocket. I held dad's hand as I walked besides him. "We can get ice cream too." I smiled up at him as Mary walked ahead of us and opened the front door. The warm air breezed through the door, as I walked in front of dad. 

My dad was old and being ill constantly, made his body weak. He was slower than usual, the old age catching up to him too quick. 

He held my hand tightly and the walking stick with his other hand as I walked backwards down the stairs. "Ice cream sounds good." He answered me as he concentrated on walking down the stairs. Mary stood behind him just in case dad needed help. 

He stepped down from the last step and smiled down at me. "Which park?" He asked me as I wrapped my arm through his and we walked on the sidewalk slowly. 

"The close one." I answered him. "I think we can go to the park today, we can get some food and then ice cream. Do you like that idea?" I asked looking up at him as Mary walked besides us with a smile on her face. 

"I do. Is your mom going to be joining us?" He asked, glancing around, looking at people who walked past us and the little kids who missed school and instead rode their bikes on the road. 

"What type of ice cream flavour are you going to get, Steve?" Mary asked, changing the subject which I was grateful for. 

"Chocolate. What about you?" Dad asked us both. 

"Vanilla." We grinned at each other and dad chuckled at us. 

"We need to get my car from the mechanics, Charlotte. They've had it for a couple of weeks now." He sighed as he watched a car drive past us. We crossed the road and headed towards the small park where little children were playing on the swings and the slide. 

"We will." I answered him as I pushed open the gate and we walked in. 

"It's okay if your mom doesn't come. Spending the day with you is perfect." Dad grinned at me as we walked towards the closest bench so he could take a rest. I smiled at him. 

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What do you guys think so far? I can't wait for you to read the next few chapters...

Also, I can't stick to a updating schedule (what a terrible author, I know) so I'm thinking of updating this book three times a week instead of two times?

I update Tuesdays and Fridays, so which other day would you like me to update on? I'll let you guys pick!

Question- If you could get any tattoo, what would you get?