|5|

•Charlotte•

A knock on the door made me turn to it as I helped Dad wear his sweater. He had worn it the wrong way round. 

"I'll get it." Mary said as she walked out of the kitchen and towards the door. "Hey darling." I heard her say as dad smiled at me and leaned down to kiss me on the head. 

"Do you need any money?" He asked me with a smile on his face as I grinned at him and shook my head. He nodded and sat down in his usual chair. I needed to take him out for a walk around the neighbourhood soon. 

"I'll see you later, dad." I wrapped my arm around him tightly, and he hugged me back just as I saw Lizzie enter the room. 

"Morning, Uncle Steve." She smiled a little and dad, with hope in her eyes that he would remember her. 

I wanted Lizzie to visit him as much as she could, so he could have a familiar face other than myself and Mary. We had spent the summer together, her family visiting my dad, helping me while I worked. 

"Lizzie." Dad smiled at her as he outstretched his arms. She grinned happily that he still remembered her and hugged him tightly. "How are you? How are your dad and mom?" 

The smile vanished a little from her face. Lizzie's dad had left her when she was four years old. Dad had forgotten but she plastered the smile on her face again. "They're good, and Daniel misses you." She told him about her little brother. 

Dad nodded with a smile on his face. "Will you join us for dinner tonight? I'll be making your favourite." He asked her and Lizzie nodded. 

Lizzie and I walked out of the living room and waved goodbye at Mary as we walked out of the house. The cold air breezes through my hair that I had decided to leave down. I pulled my jacket closer to me, knowing it might rain today and walked towards her car. 

"I'm going to be staying behind with Mr Collins today for my session, so I can't drive you home." Lizzie told me as we sat inside her car. 

"You have one today?" I questioned as she started the car and indicated. She pulled out of her parking space and nodded. 

"They called mom, reminding her the sessions started." She mumbled as she turned left. 

Lizzie went to after school sessions with a teacher every other week to catch up on her work. They wanted to make sure she was understanding what they were teaching. She couldn't focus on the normal subjects but Lizzie was a superb dancer and an artist. She loved drawing and designing clothes. It was her hobby but the only problem was she couldn't express herself in school because they didn't provide any of those classes. She was determined to get into a good college so she could become a dancer and a fashion designer. 

"Just tell him the same thing you've been telling them last year. You've got a beautiful best friend who is willing to help you understand everything so you don't need their help." I flickered my hair over my shoulder, as she winked at me. 

Lizzie laughed as she pulled into the school car park. "I'll let him know." She parked her car and switched it off. I picked up my bag near the seat and stepped out of the car. The sun was shining down but the wind was blowing my hair all over. Wrong day to have my hair down. 

I pulled my jacket closer and my bag up as she got out of the car. Lizzie froze with the door wide open. 

"He's staring at me." She whispered softly, as I moved towards her. Her face was heating up as I noticed Calvin staring at her. He smiled at her as he waited besides the wall, alone. 

"Go talk to him." I grinned at her and closed her door for her. She shook her head, her eyes wide as she turned to look at me. 

"I will make a fool out of myself. Come on." Lizzie grabbed my arm and dragged me away from her car. I looked behind me to see Calvin frowning at us as we walked quickly inside the school. 

"I think he might like you." I said to Lizzie as we walked around groups of people and headed to her locker. 

She shook her head. "He won't like me. Have you seen me?" She pointed to her purple dress and her black jacket. "I'm the colourful stupid girl who wears bright clothes while the school wears black." She sighed as she opened her locker and pulled her books out. 

"You're not stupid and I like your outfit. I think it's bright and screams happiness to me." I smiled at her as she huffed out a laugh. 

"You're only saying that because you're my friend." She mumbled as she closed her locker. I wrapped an arm around hers and walked her to my locker. 

"If you want me to wear a neon green dress tomorrow, just say it. I will come to school looking like a lemon for you. Don't doubt that."  A smirk tugged on my lips as she laughed and stood besides my locker. 

"I really want to talk to him but I think I will probably faint if he says a word." She sighed as she leaned her head against the locker. 

"Let's get to class and wonder which guy is going to have to read to Mrs Margaret and her creepy stares." I said to her and she chuckled as we walked away from my locker.

"If she gives me a detention this year, I'm going to make you complain to the principal for child harassment." She told me as we walked upstairs to our english class. 

"Deal." 

***

The day had dragged on, and seemed to never end as I walked with Lizzie to the cafeteria. I had Home economics after lunch but I was tired. Every second seemed to tick inside of me, as if I was a broken clock and the day was not going to move forward. 

"I am starving and tired." I complained to Lizzie as we walked to our usual line to get our food. The cafeteria was packed with students as we squeezed past a bunch of girls who were blocking the line. 

"Today just seems like a really shit day." She rested her head on my shoulder as I held two red trays in my hand. One for me and one for her. 

She had struggled in her english class today when Mrs Margaret had asked her to read to the class. Lizzie hated being in the spotlight and she had stuttered while reading even when she asked Mrs Margaret if she could pass her part to me. I would have gladly taken it, but the teacher was a bitch and didn't allow it. Calvin had said he would read it and for some reason Mrs Margaret allowed him to. 

Lizzie hated it. She had gone so quiet, I didn't hear a single word from her. When we left class, she had just walked with me silently to our next class. She had waited outside for a few seconds as she had taken her pill. It kept her calm and from breaking apart in front of everyone. Her anxiety was calmer when she took her pills but she was trying so hard not to rely on them. 

"I heard some girls in the bathroom say that Mr Collins was giving everyone projects this year." She told me as we picked up our sandwiches and our drinks before paying for them. 

"The ones he talked about last year? I barely remember it." I told her as I pushed open the door and stepped outside. We walked towards our bench. 

"I think it was Jane who was talking about it. She had Mr Collins for her first period." Lizzie started to say as we sat down. "She got paired up with another girl and they were talking about how to take the batteries out of the doll." 

Home economics was the class every student had to take at West High. It was supposed to guide you in life after high school and college. We would learn how to cook, how to manage our money and how to look after children. The three main things in life, Mr Collins had told us last year. 

"Everyone has different projects though." She sighed as she pulled the plastic wrap off her sandwich. "Peggy, the one with the curly hair," she said to me and I nodded. "Apparently she's stuck with  a thousand fake dollar notes and has to manage living a week in an expensive fake apartment. They need to draw out their new homes and spend as less money as they can while making sure they left enough for food." She took a bite out of her sandwich. 

"I really hope we don't get babies. There's four classes he has to teach and if Jane's class got the babies, Peggy's class got the money management, who got the cooking? Wait." She grinned at me as she thought about it. "We're his next class. We're going to get the cooking part." She smiled happily knowing she had solved it. 

"That would be easy. Let's make something delicious and complicated as fuck." I said to her and she chuckled nodding. 

"We'll find out after lunch." She said and I nodded as I ripped the plastic off my sandwich box. 

Lizzie and I ate our food quickly while we talked about her crush on a new celebrity. Michael B Jordan. She agreed to come for dinner today since I promised to make her favourite food. Pasta with chicken. 

Once we were done, we threw the rubbish in the bin and took our trays back inside. I could feel a pair of eyes glaring on my back as I walked into the cafeteria with Lizzie. 

Turning around, I noticed Tiffany and her minions staring at me with disgusted looks. I didn't give a fuck as I smirked at her and placed the trays on the table where the dinner ladies would come to take them. 

"Lizzie, do you think you can stay over tonight?" I asked her as we walked out of the cafeteria and towards the girls bathroom. 

"I'll have to check in with mom but I think it'll be a yes. Why? Do we need a therapy session with drinks and face masks?" She asked as she pushed the bathroom door open and we walked inside. It was full of girls doing their makeup and talking or eating salads. In the bathroom. Lizzie always needed to check her hair and makeup after lunch. It was our routine to come here. 

"Hey bitches." Ronnie waved at us from the back where she was sitting on the sink and taking pictures of her body. Her group of friends were around her and pouting like ducks for the picture. I smiled as I waved back and so did Lizzie. 

I didn't answer Lizzie's question with everyone in the bathroom. Ronnie was the baddest girl I knew. She was friends with a few juniors but usually hung around in the bathrooms smoking weed. It was high school but somehow nobody gave a damn about what the students did as if they were afraid of us. 

Lizzie and I had grown up with Ronnie, from kindergarten to high school. We were friends once upon a time with Tiffany as well,but Ronnie got involved with the bad girls of the school and pulled herself away from us. I liked to assume we were still friends even if we didn't talk as much or hung around together. 

Lizzie finished applying her nude lipstick and fixed her jacket before she grinned at me and closed her bag. "Ready to get to class." 

We walked out of the bathroom and into the hallway where some girls and guys hung around talking besides their lockers. Lizzie and I walked upstairs to our Home Ec class. A few minutes were left to the bell but we walked into the classroom where Mr Collins was sitting at his desk. 

Lizzie and I had made a pact the day before our school had started. We would always be early to our classes, though I had failed it once, I was determined to make sure I was early this year. 

"Ladies please take a seat. It's nice to see you. How was your summer?" Mr Collins asked with a smile as he noticed us walking in. 

Lizzie blushed a little as she smiled back and answered him about her summer. Mr Collins was a young teacher, one of the youngest teachers in the school. Every girl had a crush on him. Every time he stepped into the room, in his perfect suit and a perfect watch on his hands and the perfect bright smile on his face. I was one of those girls. 

"And you, Charlotte? How was your summer?" He asked me with a smile on his face. 

"It was good, Sir. I enjoyed it a lot." I said shyly. He smiled at me and pointed to the desks, telling us to take a seat. 

He was the only one that could make me speechless and it was a stupid little girls crush. I let out a sigh as I followed Lizzie to the back of the room. We sat at the desks in front of the back row and I put my bag under my feet as I waited for the bell to ring. 

"Ask him about the project." Lizzie whispered to me. 

"No." I shook my head knowing I would be a stuttering mess if I talked to him. She huffed and rolled her eyes at me as the bell rang and students started entering the class. 

Lizzie pulled out her phone to record when I noticed him entering the room. 

Ramon Vitali. He was here again, having the same class as me. Tiffany followed behind him and she smiled at him sweetly. He didn't pay any attention to her as he walked towards the back row. He didn't even glance at me as he and his friends walked behind us and sat down at their desks. 

Mr Collins stood up. "I'm sure you've heard the rumours by now in school. I'm starting the projects early." He started to say, every girl in the class smiling at him. I tried not to smile as he turned his back to us and picked up the white chalk to write on the blackboard. 

I heard a sigh in the front of the class and I smiled to myself knowing I wasn't the only girl that found him attractive. Mr Collins wrote down the words, Unit 2, Cooking, and turned back to face us. 

Lee, the quarterback, let out a dramatic groan. "No." He stretched the word out as he sighed and closed his eyes as if the word cooking brought him death. His friends laughed around him. 

"Settle down, Lee." Mr Collins told him. "I saved the best for this class." He smiled at everyone and picked up a pile of booklets. He handed them to Anna at the front. "Pass them back please." He smiled at her and she nodded as she took one of the booklets and passed them behind her. 

"The booklet that is being passed around has all the information about your task. Would you like me to read it out to you?" He questioned as I picked the booklet and turned around to hand it to Ramon who was smirking at me. 

I faced the front as Tiffany answered Mr Collins with a yes please in her sweet angelic voice. 

Mr Collins nodded as he walked towards his desk and leaned against it. He opened the booklet and we all followed him. "This project will go towards your final grade. If you pass this with an A star, and you get a grade D in your exam, it will pull your final grade up to a C, so don't think this won't count." 

"Sir?" Tiffany raised her hand. Mr Collin nodded at her. "Can we make whatever we want?" She asked. 

He chuckled. "You can make any dish, desert, whatever you choose. It's not as simple as getting a cake mix and adding the ingredients and bringing it to me." Mr Collins placed the booklet on his desk and talked to us. "There will be three parts to this project. Your preparation skills will be tested and marked." He counted on his fingers. "I want a page on why and how you made this dish. It should include all the points in your booklet. I want presentation skills, every ingredient used, the cost of everything. Guys," he said, getting our attention which he already had. "The cost and the time is the most important thing during this project. I don't want to see a vanilla sponge cake during your practical." 

Lee chuckled. "Here I was thinking I could buy a cake from my local shop." 

His friends laughed besides him. Mr Collins clicked his fingers together, quietening them down. "No, Lee. I want to see vegan dishes, gluten free cakes. Think out of the box. The better your dish, the more marks you will get." 

"Does presentation matter?" Tiffany asked with a smile on her face. 

Of course it did. 

"Yes. The last part of your project is your practical task. You will have exactly two hours to make whatever you want, so don't choose anything easy but don't choose anything that will take too long. You will be judged by myself and Mrs Margaret during your practical in the cooking department upstairs. Bring your ingredients, and remember to write down their prices. I don't want to give anyone a fail for not reading the booklets so make sure you read them." Mr Collins stood up from his desk and walked towards his computer. "Now for your partners." He grinned to himself. 

"Can we not choose by ourselves?" Anna asked him. 

He shook his head. "I want to see new pairs, new ideas, new friendships in my class. Life is about stepping outside your box, taking a chance." He said to us all.

I turned to look at Lizzie who was frowning as she glanced at me. 

Ask him. She mouthed to me. 

We had to be partners. 

I raised my hand up and Mr Collins nodded at me. "Can I be Lizzie's partner? I'm not comfortable with any of the other students." I lied to him. 

I honestly didn't care about the others but Lizzie wasn't comfortable. 

"You're not special." Tiffany scoffed and I rolled my eyes at her as I waited for him to answer. 

He shook his head and I heard Lizzie let out a deep sigh. "No Charlotte. Life is about stepping out of your comfort zone." He smiled at me. 

The smile didn't affect me as much as the urge to roll my eyes at his words did. 

Mr Collins faced his screen and started calling out names. The students moved around to their partners as I leaned closer to Lizzie's desk. "Whoever your partner is, tell me you'll do all the work. We can do it at my place." I whispered to her and she grinned and nodded, finally letting out a sighed relief. 

"Lee and Tiffany." Mr Collins paired them. 

"But, Sir, he can't make anything." Tiffany protested. 

"Neither can you." Lee responded as his boys laughed. He stood up and winked at Tiffany as he walked towards her. The girl besides her had moved towards her partner. 

"Roman and Lizzie." Mr Collins called out. 

Lizzie didn't move from her desk, as everyone turned around to look at her. Eyes full of pity stared at her. Ramon was known as the male that broke girls apart. 

Both of them didn't move from their desks as Mr Collins called out other names. I waited for mine. 

"Calvin and Charlotte." He said finally standing up and facing us. "Everyone, get to know your partner and plan whatever you wan-"

"I'm switching partners." Ramon said behind me, stopping Mr Collins mid-sentence. "Calvin will be partners with Lizzie. I'll be partners with Charlotte." 

I could hear the smirk in his voice and my eyes widened a little as Mr Collins nodded. I felt the glare of Tiffany on the side of my face as I heard the scraping of chairs. Ramon stood up from his chair and walked towards Lizzie. 

"Go sit in my seat." He commanded, as he waited for her to get up. Lizzie picked up her bag and stood up. 

"Don't talk to her like that." I said to him, staring at him. "Don't you dare talk to her like that." I warned him. 

The room was silent as he watched me. Lizzie glared at me, demanding I shut up with her gaze as she walked behind me and sat next to Calvin who was silently watching her. 

Ramon chuckled, and the whole room seemed to let out a deep breath as he sat down in Lizzie's seat. 

"Work with your partners." Mr Collin said, and suddenly everyone started talking. 

I turned around in my chair and faced Lizzie. "I'm going to sort this out." I promised her as I stood up. I didn't care who stared at me as I walked forward towards Mr Collins desk. 

The class ignored me and the rage I felt. 

He knew she had severe anxiety and was working on it with her since last year, but when I asked to change partners, I was denied. Yet Ramon Vitali was given the privilege because he was a rich piece of ass. 

Mr Collin looked at me and he sighed. "I can't change your partners, Charlotte." He said before I could even open my mouth to talk. 

"But he demands to change and it's allowed? Sir, you know she needs my help." I whispered to him so nobody else heard. 

"I'm doing it to help her. She needs to stop relying on you for everything. This way it can help her stand up for herself. If she has a problem, she can come to me and talk to me about it. I'm always here to talk." He smiled and faced his computer, completely dismissing me. 

Bullshit. This was complete bullshit. 

I turned around and saw Lizzie staring at me. I shook my head at her as I walked back to my seat. Ramon was staring at me, his arms crossed as he watched every step I took, as if I was his prey. 

He had no idea who I was. 

I sat down at my desk and turned to face Lizzie and Calvin. I ignored Ramon and his grey eyes that seemed to stare into my soul. 

"I think it's time to complain to the principal about all the teachers." I mumbled to Lizzie as I pulled my chair closer to her desk. "Time to find new hot teachers." 

She chuckled, light shining in her eyes as I smiled at her. "I think that's perfect." She said to me softly, as Calvin stared at us. 

I wanted to threaten him, and his dick. If he hurt her, made her feel any sort of negative emotion, I was going to kick the shit out of him. 

I was extremely protective over Lizze. I had seen her go through anxiety attacks, one after another, over a few girls bullying her for a couple of weeks. She had never told me, but the moment I found her in the girls bathroom, during her anxiety attack, I had lost it. I had asked them at lunch to see me in the girls bathroom. They had agreed and I had walked inside with them behind me. I remember pushing them against the wall, warning them that if they fucked with Lizzie again, I was going to do much worse than break their acrylic nails. They nodded, in fear but couldn't prove anything to the principal because the bathroom had no cameras. 

"Charlotte. Face forward and work with Ramon on your project." Mr Collins called out. I felt eyes on me as I sighed and looked at Lizzie. 

"Shoot me in the head. End this misery for me." I mumbled to her. She chuckled as I heard Ramon chuckle from his seat. 

I faced forward, ready for the day to end.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

We are just getting started...

I think Ramon is my favourite character I have ever made. You'll see why but I'm fangirling over him in my mind and heart.

Question- Damon or Stefan?