| 15 |

❝ What did Britain's ruler sing after she murdered her husband? Killer Queen ❞

SKYLAR FOUND HER lying facedown on the carpeted floor of the bookstore.

"What the hell, Char?" Charlotte saw Skylar's heels in her peripheral vision. They were black and white, polka-dotted wedges. They suited her.

Charlie made a guttural sound in the back of her throat. A sort of groan-moan-wail thing. Her nose was starting to tickle from the dust in the carpet.

"What happens when you like a guy, Skylar?" Her voice was muffled because of the rug. Her sister then sat cross-legged in front of her with a sigh.

"A guy?"

"Yeah, a guy."

"..."

"..."

"Well..." Skylar began, and Charlotte propped her head up with her fist. "If you don't do anything about it, nothing could happen."

Charlie stayed quiet.

"It's like the laws of motion. Y'know, every object in rest stays in rest unless acted upon by an external force."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"In order for a steady relationship to become something more, something has to happen in order for the relation to take flight."

"Interesting."

"I need to remember that, that was pretty good..." she muttered. "The laws of love. Nah, too cheesy."

"Anyways," Charlotte interrupted Skylar's train of thought. "What if you, err, hypothetically, obviously... Kissed him, and you're actually really good friends with that boy, and you've been ignoring him since because you've been really confused about stuff?"

Charlotte scowled at Skylar's growing grin, the grin that she got when she thought of ships like Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. Her growing grin scaring Charlotte.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?" Skylar said, grinning even wider, like the Cheshire cat.

"Ughhh," she groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Okay, okay," Skylar took a deep breath. "I guess, just do the thing that feels right. The thing that makes you most happy."

Charlotte smiled, a plan forming in her mind. "Hypothetically."

"Hypothetically."

•|•|•

Her palm were sweaty. The ding of the bell made her heart stutter.

God, what should she call him? Theodore? Teddy? Maybe he likes Theo? Oh good God. It was too late- well, early. It was like one in the morning. Oh no, she was rambling.

He didn't notice her. He was currently fiddling with something, facing away from her. It looked like he was making something, maybe a coffee. Or hot chocolate.

Every step was agonizing, every step more painful than the last. She couldn't gulp. She struggled for air.

Charlie leaned against the counter. Her arms were crossed on it, the counter cold to the touch. She doubted Theodore noticed her yet.

There was one other person in the Dunkin' Donuts. He was in the corner, sitting in a two-person table, maybe waiting for a coffee.

What should she do, should she say hi, should she cough?

"What would you like me to call you?"

Teddy whirled around. So suddenly, so shocked, maybe, that his hand jerked, causing some of the drink in the styrofoam cup that was in his hands to spill onto his shirt. His blue eyes doubled at the sight of her standing in front of him and at the coffee now dampening his shirt.

Her jaw dropped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my- ohmygod, I'm so sorry, o-"

"Charlotte."

The way he said her name.

It made her breath hitch; the gruff, gravelly, husky sound sounding almost awed at the sight of her in front of him. His voice was thick and throaty, the way he said her name releasing a pit of dragons into the bottom of her stomach.

"I- I'm so sorry about the coffee," she stuttered, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. "Uh, here."

Shoving her hand in her black hoodie's pocket [she kept a bunch of tissues there because she had hardcore allergies] she whipped out her tissues and began reaching over the counter, spreading them all over his coffee spot.

Charlotte was wiping the tissues all over his chest before she froze, actually realizing what she was doing. Her hands stopped and she slowly locked eyes with him.

His big, blue eyes were like a dream. The ocean.

"I-I'm s-sor-ry," she stuttered again, dropping her hands to her sides. "I don't know what I'm doing."

"Nah, Charlie, it's fine," he said with a small chuckle, patting down his chest. Her eyes trailed his chest.

"I'm sorry, again," she said in a small voice.

He reached under the counter and pulled out his sweatshirt again, sliding it on. Charlotte had to crane her head slightly upwards to stare him in the eyes. His lips were pursed and his jaw was tight. "What was your question?"

She blinked. "Uh, ahh, I-I wanted to know what to call you. Theodore. Or maybe Teddy. I don't know, maybe you prefer Theo or something."

He grinned such a pearly-white grin. "As long as you call me, I'm fine with anything."

That made her heart crumple up into a ball. She tried to hide her small smile by ducking her head.

"So I can call you Teddy? Even though it sounds cuddly and adorable?"

"No, I like it," he laughed, the sound making her insides melt. Charlie was looking at him awed and big-eyed. Starstruck, that's what she was. "Nobody's really here, so we can go to a table if you want."

She nodded and waltzed to a two-person table. The place was quiet, and the guy had left, probably because he was coffee-less. There was a faint buzz, Charlie didn't know where it was coming from, she assumed from his phone.

"Look," she began to say. "I'm sorry I've been ignoring you, it's actually not why you think-"

"So it's not because of the kiss?" he asked, raising a perfectly sculptured eyebrow.

Gulp.

"No, n-no, it's because of something else that came up, but th-the kiss..."

Teddy scrunched up his nose, his glasses sliding down the crook. "I swear, it won't happen again."

"Wait, what?" she blurted out, her foot tapping on the linoleum floor.

"I acted out of impulse and it was a spur of the moment thing, it won't happen again, I promise."

Charlie's breathing became labored. Was he really saying this? You can't faint again Charlotte Jackson, don't faint again. Don't faint because of a guy, that's low.

Deep breaths, deep breaths. Think of bands. Bands make you happy.

The Beatles. All Time Low. Fall Out Boy.

Teddy was looking at her concerned, his head tilted. The kiss was a mistake. He said it was a mistake.

Panic! At the Disco. Cage the Elephant. Queen.

He reached out to her, grabbed her hand. His hand was soft and warm and sort of sweaty. It enclosed her petite hand like a cage. "Breathe, Charlie."

Mistake. Mistake.

She was shaking her head, back and forth, back and forth. Her breathing slow and shaky.

Blink 182. Plain White T's. Paramore.

Her hand jolted away from his grasp and she abruptly jumped out of her chair.

They both froze.

Teddy was looking at her, almost a horrified expression on his face. She mirrored his expression.

"Charlotte..." he whispered.

"I-I'm sorry, but I... I have to go."

Teddy's jaw was clenched, his blue eyes wide and puppy-like. He was blinking, almost like he was lost.

"Oh, okay, I'll see you around, I guess, Charlie."

"Oh, er, yeah..." she mumbled, turning towards the door. "...Theodore."

a/n

this was a teddy chapter!!! yay!!!

i'm out of school in a week i'm so psyched omfg

i'm almost a high schooler; the 8th grade graduation is on thursday, friday's my last day, and the 8th grade dance was yesterday (which was surprisingly fun) my dress is hella rad

so how was this chapter??? do you like how theodore is handling the kiss? do you like how charlotte's handling it? i actually really liked the quote i thought up, "as long as you call me, I'm fine with anything" i actually really like that

what's your fav part? opinions? you can be honest, haha

ok, so look up amazinkreation.com which is a website that i've participated it. some writing of mine is in it! also check out TheTeddyChallenge you won't regret it :-)

ok i'm done

GOALS:
1k reads
130 votes
150 comments

[also i made up that joke idk if anyone gets it it's pretty sad. i might change it lol] [if anyone does get it you'll get the dedi next chap]