𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡 - 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗗

•••

A week had passed since Scarlet decided it was perfectly acceptable to attack me on the field.

Honestly i was embarrassed that it happened but when i entered the school to see the entirety of the football team chanting my name and giving me weird bro hugs, it made my scratched up arms worth it. That same day Scarlet had shown up to school with a badly covered bruised cheek bone and a slightly less aggressive black eye.

I was surprised she'd come in to be honest.

Now after school today i was sat on my bed, crossed leg with my school books scattered around me whilst Charlie was in a similar position but sat at my desk instead, his head bobbing a long to a song playing in the background. His deep brown, almost black hair bouncing along with him.

"Hey turn this song up" I practically scream at him over the music.

After hours of studying, i was feeling spontaneous and annoying so i jumped up off my bed and leaped towards Charlie, i took his hand pulled him from the spinning chair, forcing his to dance with me.

"What the fuck are you doing Ross?" He laughed at me, standing rigid.

"Let loose King, you've been hunched over for hours" i try to spin him but fail miserably due to the height difference.

After a minute of trying he began to move a little more freely.

I shove him back into the chair and turn myself around and begin to back up on him, deep laughter erupting from both me and Charlie. He places his warm hands on my hips, gripping me firmly.

We continue for a few seconds longer until i turn back around to face Charlie, still laughing myself.

It wasn't until i noticed the slight tent in Charlie's pants that my laughter got outrageously louder, if it was later and my neighbours were sleeping, they'd definitely be awake now.

A deep blush crept up on his cheeks and I continued laughing like a crackhead. "Shut up and don't mention this again" he mumbled, looking incredibly embarrassed.

"I'm quite flattered actually" I breathe a laugh. "Well I'm going to shower" i look through my draws, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a crop top along with other items. "You do whatever you've got to do" i wink at him, earning a grumbled "fuck off"

After ten minutes of showering, which was mostly me wrestling with a bottle of body wash because I couldn't open the lid, i was stumbling out the bathroom, pulling my sweatpants up because they were clinging to my still damp legs.

"Not much improvement" he looked me up and down, clear amusement in his eyes.

"Still enough to get you hot and bothered" i smirked, making his face drop. "Hey are you staying for dinner?" I ask, throwing myself down onto my bed.

"Depends, whats for dinner?" He asks.

"Well what do you want? I'm cooking" i shrug

"Good, you know how i love your cooking" he smiles, a far away look in his eyes. He's definitely thinking about food right now.

"Can you make those chicken sandwiches again? With the sides?" Charlie asks, giving me his best pretty-please face.

"Come on then, but you're helping" i roll my eyes, pulling myself up off my bed and towards the door, waiting for Charlie to follow.

Once in the kitchen i begin pulling out the ingredients from the fridge, glancing over at Romeo who's sat by his empty food bowl.

"Hey can you feed the dogs?"

"Of course i can feed my little babies" Charlie cooed adorably, stroking Romeo and Prince who appeared from nowhere.

•••

After dinner, Charlie and I resided to the couch, curled up in blankets in the dark, our attention purely focused on the tv in front of us.

"Do you think they'll get caught?" Charlie asked, referring to the tv show that we're currently watching.

"Probably not, this is tv" i shrug. "Theres definitely going to be a third season, because capitalism" i shrug again, leaning onto Charlie, resting my head on his shoulder.

Halfway through the episode, my lack of sleep seems to catch up with me and i feel my eyes getting heavier by the second before I'm pulled into a sleep comforted by the warmth of another body, who had his arm around me and was currently playing with the ends of my brown hair.

A sleep that only seemed like mere minutes but rested me like i had been sleeping for hours, left me with a sore neck that needed cracking and a raised heart beat, mostly because i woke up in the arms of Charlie, still on the couch and at god knows what time.

I nudge Charlie awake, clearly alarming him since he woke up with his hands curled into fists, ready to fight. Or protect.

"Hey what time is it?" I ask him, rubbing my eyes free of any sleet and to just make me feel more awake in general.

He checks his wrist watch, his brows furrowing. "Well school started an hour ago if that means anything" he looks at me with a sheepish smile.

"Fuck" i grumble out, pushing myself off of Charlie.

"We can just go in for half a day, we have that exam last period" he said, stretching out his arms, making his biceps bulge.

No wonder the girls love him.

"Probably for the best" i stumble my way over to the kitchen, brewing a coffee for Charlie and I.

"I can't believe you talked your way out of suspension for beating Scarlet" he laughed, picking up his coffee mug.

"I did not beat her" i rolled my eyes, "I can't believe she would pick a fight with me as if she'd win" i smiled, still satisfied by the black eye as sadistic as that sounds.

"If i could hit her, i would" Charlie stated, cracking his knuckles and his neck, a bad habit that we both had.

"I don't even understand how or why she's popular, I'm pretty sure no one even likes her"

Charlie nodded and hummed in agreement before we started getting ready for school, agreeing that we would go in at the beginning of the lesson before lunch.

Charlie got in the shower whilst i loaded the dishwasher from lasts nights dinner and this mornings coffee. It wasn't too long before Charlie reappeared in grey sweatpants, a white cotton v-neck t-shirt and fresh white socks, his signature gold chain dangling around his neck and his dark hair wet, in a messy state.

The grey sweatpants would definitely get the girls talking.

He smirked at me as i took in his appearance but i just flicked his temple as i walked past him, taking my turn to shower.

•••

After showering and arguing about who would drive to school, given I didn't have my license or a car, i still knew how to drive, i just haven't gotten around to doing it legally, so it was safe to say i lost the argument and Charlie drove us, and took a detour to boost, grabbing us both a smoothie.

We made it just before the start of Physics, which was my last lesson before lunch whilst Charlie had football practice, so he was excused along with the rest of the team.

I wasn't the brightest student, but my grades were pretty decent, Mostly B's and a handful of A's but physics, that was something I could never understand and I don't think I've ever got a grade higher than a C, even with a tutor I wasn't getting any better and I didnt even care anymore, i had accepted that a C was my peak performance and it was better than a D.

So i spent the hour jotting down notes, which was basically everything the teacher had said and everything from the board, as well and drawing in the corner of my book, ignoring the stares from the students and the sly comments of those still jealous by my now infamous friendship with the one and only, Charlie King.

I live for the day they get their head out of their ass and get over it.

The shrill bell rang and the entire class jumped out of their chairs, packing away, i followed suit and was one of the last students to leave the classroom, taking my time because i knew Charlie wouldn't have finished changing from practice just yet.

The hallways were loud of idle chatter until i could see a mop of ginger hair pushing it's way through the crowd, not bothered about the students who he's most definitely shoved out the way.

"Nyx!" Noah shouted, jumping up out the crowd to spot me in the sea of students, my small height definitely making this a harder task for him.

When he got to me he was panting, sweaty and still in his football uniform.

He doubled over and raised a finger to me, still panting out of breath.

"Come with me" he grabbed my hand and once again started shoving students and shouting at them to move. To say i was confused would be an understatement.

"Noah slow the fuck down" i said, trying to pull back on the large boy "what is it?"

"Just come on" he said, pulling me with more force than before that i almost tripped over my own feet. "It's Charlie"

Oh fuck.

I allowed the red-headed boy to pull me through the hallways until we were back outside on the football field, a crowd gathered and chanting could be heard even from this distance.

I could hear a panicked Alex shouting at Charlie whilst the sound of skin on skin contact and grunts could be heard between the chants.

Noah had let go of my hand and shoved me through the crowd, allowing me to elbow my way to the front, only to see Charlie straddling another player, landing punch after punch on the poor boy.

It was clear Charlie had taken a few hits from the small dribble of blood from his nose and swollen lip, but the boy beneath him clearly had a fucked up nose and I wouldn't be surprised if he had a broken cheekbone or concussion of some sort.

Was i stupid? Yes, so was i going to get in the middle of this fight? Abso-fucking-lutely.

"Charlie" i shouted at the dark haired boy who was still landing more punches than he was receiving.

"Charlie get the fuck off that boy right now" i shouted, finally making it to him, managing to pull him back with the help of a still alarmed Alex.

Charlie stood up and made eye contact with me, it was clear he had blacked out in rage as his eyes became unglazed and shone in realisation.

"What the fuck is this" I gestured up and down his body, he just shrugged and wiped his nose and bleeding lip on the back of his hand.

The rest of the football team was pulling up the other boy, who I recognised as Lucas, Olivers best friend.

"It's probably best to listen to your lap-dog King" Lucas bit out, as if he was in any position to act brave.

"Bold choice of words, Lucas" i shot him a glare and he just laughed, muttering something about 'she's hot.. tap that" to Oliver who was on his other side, before they both fist bumped.

Dogs.

The two boys shared a chuckle and before any of us could react, Charlie had stalked over to the two less than relevant boys, landing a final uppercut punch to Lucas' chin which knocked him backwards and left him out cold, on the floor.

Charlie walks away, grabbing my hand along the way and began dragging me towards the exit to the student carpark, a faint looking Alex and angry Noah trailing behind us.

Charlie sat in the drivers seat of his car, his legs still outside the car, and he leant to the side, leaning his elbow on the steering wheel.

He pulled me between his legs, resting his hands on my hips, i looked down at the bruised boy below me, his eyes still held their piercing cerulean colour.

I rested my hands on his shoulders, linking them around his neck, "you know, you're pretty hot with a busted lip, makes your eyes pop even more" i smirked at him, a blush tinged his cheeks before he recovered "I always look hot" he retorted, running a hand through his hair.