"Am I interrupting something?" Mr. Ajayi asks.

"Oh," Charlie starts, "Um, no,"

"Sorry about that, I have a class in here now, it's a half-hour thing,"

"Oh, okay, yeah sorry," Charlie says hurriedly. I try to tell him to slow down but he doesn't.

"Char-" I say, as he exits the room. "Charlie wait!" I call as I rush after him, bag half closed over my shoulder. A tsunami of students crashes in around me, and I'm lost in the sea. "Crap," I mutter, as Charlie disappears into the crowd. I make my way out, trying desperately to remember his schedule. Was he in math or no- chemistry? Shit. I stumble over to a nearby bench and crumble into the seat. I whip out my phone and start texting.

Charlie, where'd you go? You didn't have to run, it was only Mr. Ajayi. Please talk to me.

I finish the day grumpily, dragging myself through my school work till finally, the end of the day is near.

"Oi Nick!" I hear from the end of the hallway. I barely look, expecting it to be one of my old rugby mates, but I'm happily surprised as I recognize the hand clasped on my shoulder to be Isaac's.

"Oh, hey," I say, smiling.

"How are you doing? You looked pretty brassed off,"

"Nah, m' fine, what'd you wanna talk about?"

"Oh, the gang and I wanted to see if you and Charlie wanted to play mini golf tonight," I nod as we weave through students.

"That sounds fun actually,"

"You'd be game?" I nod.

"Sweet," He says geekily, I laugh, smiling myself. "See you tonight," He says, walking away. "We'll text you!"

I sigh. Time to see what Charlie thinks. More important if he was okay.

-

I fill the guys in about the situation, Tao knew most of it, which is what I was worried about, but to my surprise he said he'd already encouraged Charlie to stick it out with me. Maybe me and Tao were finally starting to see eye to eye.

It was nearly a quarter past four when I decide to text Charlie. He hadn't responded to the first one, but I figured I had to ask. It was supposed to be fun after all. I'd learned from the first time going mini golfing with Charlie, that what I once thought was a pretty good score, was absolute shit. He was amazing when it comes to mini golf, as he was when it comes to everything else, and he loved it too.

Maybe it'll cheer him up. This is good for us, right?

I send the message quickly, setting my phone to the side, no use sitting around stressing about a response. I lift myself off of my bed and start getting ready.

I turn my headphones all the way up, attempting to drown out my thoughts. It's not only that Mr. Ajayi walked in on us; one of my favorite people in the universe, it's that anyone else could've, that even him, as amazing as he's been to me, was able to make me feel small, and pathetic.

It feels like everyone in the world knows that Nick cheated on me and I'm just an idiot for staying with him. Maybe the only reason this whole thing happened was because of pity. Maybe Ben was right. Ben.

My mind wanders to the boy who had stolen my first kiss only to smash my heart into a million pieces when I found of he had a girlfriend. It's the same story again and again.

Is that really all I'm worth?

My phone buzzes at my side and I take a look, it's Nick. What could he have to say? I ignored him earlier though it took everything in me not imagine his disappointed face and text him back. I open the message and my body relaxes, he's asking about mini golf; I love mini golf.

He tells me Isaac, Tao, and Ella will be there, and that Darcy and Tara are having date night. I sigh in my spot. I know I want to go, but after the day I've had? Maybe it's best I don't. I turn my phone away but just as I do another text comes through. It's my mom.

Everything okay? You haven't seen anyone in a while, and I've noticed your rooms quite messy

I groan internally. She knows I get like this. I start a new message and plan to tell her I'm fine, when I think back to the group. It would be good for me to go, and it might help get my mom off my back. She'll see I'm alright, if I'm hanging out with friends.

I switch messages and open up the tread from Nick, I type, Sounds fun I'll be there pick me up at 6?

I text my mom a few minutes after, telling her the plans. It was set.

__________________________________Buckle up it's gonna be a cute one