A/N: Dedicated to PhotographedYou for her lovely cover she made me :)

Chapter 5: Sweet as a Sugar Cube (Charlie)

Even as Clark walked me to my next class, my mind wandered over to his friend. Ben, was his name.

I had so many questions about him. Like why was he so standoffish? I probably annoyed him with the whole 'Benny' thing, true, but he didn't have to be so rude, right? There was definitely something else that was the problem.

"Charlie? Charlie!"

I glanced up at Clark and smiled. "Yes?"

"You didn't listen to a single word I said, did you?"

I bit my lip in embarrassment and turned my head. "I didn't even realise you were speaking," I mumbled.

He let out a bark of amused laughter that made me smile. What a patient guy, he didn't even mind my blatant ditziness. "I'll take that as a no, then?"

"I'm sorry!" I apologised quickly. "What did you say?"

"I asked you how in Davy Jones' locker am I supposed to take you to your lessons when I don't know what you have?"

I paused and then pivoted on my heel to grin at him. "Did Mr Manly just quote Spongebob?" I teased.

His cheeks slowly turned a light pink. "Ehm...I h-have two little brothers," he stammered, and upon seeing my amused face, he mock-glared. "Hey, you understood that reference, that makes you just as bad!"

I looked down at the Spongebob pendant I had hanging on my charm chain that my baby cousin had gotten for me, alongside my other lucky pendants. "Now, how is it possible that I know about Spongebob?" I asked slowly, purposefully dangling my necklace in front of his eyes.

Clark narrowed his eyes and pointed his finger at me. "Will you just tell me where your class is?"

"What's the matter?" I baited.

"I can't see my forehe--oh fuck!"

I wiggled my eyebrows. "Yes, Patrick?"

He waved me away. "Forget you," he grumbled, stomping ahead.

"Wait, Clark!" I called, taking longer strides to catch up with him. "I'm sorry, I was just teasi-"

"Chill, Charlie. I know." He flashed me a toothy grin. "Are you trying to avoid the question?"

"What question?"

"Where is your next class? I swear, I won't stalk you if it makes you that uncomfortable." He grinned.

I smiled sheepishly. "Oh! Ehm...I have English Literature now."

Clark's eyes brightened, and I took in how happy he appeared that I was still following him - oh wow, he was so nice. He took my elbow and began dragging me off. "I know where that is, let's go! Quickly, my History of Theatre lesson starts in five minutes!"

"Then why'd you offer to walk me? I don't want you to be late!" I said guiltily. I hated it when people went out of their way for me. It was never necessary, and they could be helping themselves instead of me.

"Because I want to, Charlie, Jesus Christ."

I cocked my head and stared at the back of his blond head. He seemed sincere enough, and that was good enough for me!

***

"That boy likes you, Casanova," Ginny tittered, knocking me with her shoulder.

"Why would he?" I asked, highly confused

"Oh, I don't know." She pretended to ponder it for a minute. "Maybe it's because you're pretty?"

"That's shallow though, and he doesn't seem shallow." In fact, Clark was the absolute opposite of shallow.

"Shut your yapping mouth, did I say I was finished speaking?"

"I wasn't yapping!" I exclaimed defensively.

"Charlie, maybe he likes you because you're sweet, or because you're funny, or because you're a disgustingly positive son of a bitch-"

"Was that a compliment?" I wondered.

"I'm not done speaking yet!"

"You're never done speaking." I looked at my best friend incredulously, watching as she casually brought out an apple and industrial size jar of Nutella from the depths of her tiny backpack. "Where are you getting all this food?"

"They're all gifts from admirers, Charlie, don't look at me that."

"Ginny, that technically means that you're a prostitute."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You're just avoiding the subject."

"What subject?" I asked, tipping my head curiously.

She stared at me for a minute. "Charlie, have I ever told you that you're a brainless centipede?"

"Yes, but like all the other times you've called me that, I still don't understand why you had to choose centipede of all things."

"Wow, shit, you don't even know that you're avoiding the subject, do you? You honestly forgot what we were literally just talking about."

I smiled weakly. "What were we talking about again?"

Ginny groaned out loud and shoved the Nutella jar in my face. "Take it! Just take it, you're probably hungry."

"I can't eat when I'm on the job. And by the way, you can't either."

She glanced down at her uniform and waved her hand airily. "Diana's not here to complain, so who gives a shite?"

I just shook my head at her. "You're an awful employee. Put that food away, and take this Nutella back!"

"You're not you when you're hungry, Charlie!"

I laughed at her. "I'm not hungry, though."

"But it's Nutella," she sang, waving the jar in front of me.

"I'm allergic to hazel nuts, you cheesehead."

She pouted and took an exaggerated bite of her apple before shoving both things in her purse and stowing it under the counter. "Where's Diana, anyway?"

"I'm right here, and I need one of you to take the truck and deliver the raspberry-cream cake to this address."

Diana heaved an enormous red box up and out of the display case and placed it on the counter. She peered at us expectantly through her glasses, her eyes piercing even in her old age. "I'll do it!" Ginny announced, pulling off the Good Eats apron and throwing it at me. "That way, I can eat on the ride," she added to me in a whisper.

"Okay, Virginia, just be prompt about it, don't leave Charlotte by herself like last time."

I smiled reassuringly at Diana. "Oh, that was no problem, I can handle it."

"Suck up," Ginny coughed. I lightly pinched her side and she stuck her tongue out.

Diana scowled at us. "I know you can handle it, but I want to make sure Virginia here is doing her share of the work at well!"

"Of course I am!" Ginny exclaimed in outrage. "Jesus, Di, get your knickers untwisted already."

"Ginny, keep quiet," I whispered, watching as Diana's fluffy white hair puffed up more from her frustration. It was a wonder she hadn't fired Ginny already.

"Just go, Virginia, please," Diana sighed, before waddling back into her office in the back.

"I hate it when she calls me Virginia. It's like she's calling me vagina, or virginity," Ginny grumbled, grabbing her purse and the cake box. "I'll see you in ten...maybe twenty if I stop to get some Starbucks."

"Okay, bye, Virginia!" I teased. She flipped me off and skipped to the front door.

"The fuck," I heard her exclaim just outside the door. "What the fuck are you doing, just standing in front of here like a freak? Jesus Christ! Go the fuck inside if you want to see her!"

I raised my eyebrows at her language, but then my eyes widened as she shoved a certain growling someone straight head first through the door. "Benny?"