| 8 |

❝ Are you a camera? Because every time I look at you, I smile. ❞

AS SHE WALKED down the hall to her next class, Charlie noticed Malcolm to her right, bounding towards her.

Slamming her locker shut, her books rested in her arms, she greeted Malcolm as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder with a blinding smile on his face.

"'Sup, Char?" he grinned, walking down the hall with her.

He was so at ease with her, something that shocked her to the bone. Her stomach fluttered at the sight of his dreamy, hazel eyes on her, a slight sigh escaping her lips.

Charlotte blinked and bit her lip, realizing she'd done that out loud. "Oh, hey."

"All I get is an 'oh, hey'?" he teased, squeezing her body to his lightly. She sucked in a deep breath.

"Sorry," she whispered, holding her books to her chest. "I've just been a little-"

Her words were cut off when she was suddently thrown forward, a body slamming into her in a side check. Charlie crumpled to the floor with her books strewn across the ground, a cry of pain escaping her lips.

She lay on the tile floor without any attempt to get up, clutching her shoulder with a hiss of pain, squinting her eyes shut and biting her lip.

Malcolm entered her sight, crouched down before her and asking if she was alright. After Charlotte replied with a weak, "yes," he stormed over to where a heavily muscled jock was guffawing with his friends.

Charlie glanced at Malcolm who looked thoroughly pissed. A wave of fury was crossing his face. His eyes flashed and his jaw clenched, a vein stood out on his neck and his fists were clenched in tight balls.

Charlie starting getting up, putting her weight on her forearms, which got her on her knees.

The jock coughed loudly with a smirk and started to walk away, but not before he could whisper loudly, "Watch where you're walking next time, bi-"

Malcolm sprung onto him, his right hand curling around the collar of his shirt and throwing him against a row of lockers. Charlie scrambled backwards, watching the pair, horrified.

Malcolm had him pinned against the lockers, his hands on either side of the wall next to the jock's face. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."

"Fuck off, geek," the jock mumbled, flattened against the wall.

Malcolm, a complete nerd from what she's seen of him, was currently pinning a two hundred pound guy to the wall. His fingers curled in his palm and his jaw tightened, his teeth scraping together.

"Pick them up." Malcolm's face was contorted in anger, his nose flaring and his lips tightened as he scolded the asshole.

Charlotte was on her knees, gathering her books. She had been doing this a lot lately, first picking up her books from when she was with Shane, and now this. She was also in a lot of pain. Her shoulder now killed, along with her goose-egg sized bump on her forehead from slamming it on her locker.

"Charlotte, stop," Malcolm's voice was cold and chilling, making Charlie freeze. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the crowd of people gasping and staring. "Apologize."

"No way man, wh-"

"And pick up her books."

Charlotte shook her head, gulping. "Malcolm, it's fine, we're going to be late to class."

"No, Charlotte," he stated, glaring at the jock intensely. He turned to the muscled guy with a nerve ticking in his neck. "Pick them up."

Malcolm let the guy go and shoved him towards her books. The jock squatted and gathering them all, handing them to Charlie.

"Freak," he mumbled and shoved the books into her chest.

Him and his gang departed and the crowd dispersed, leaving Charlotte and Malcolm. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising as he panted, Charlotte nervously darting her eyes to him every so often.

She just stared into his eyes, soft hazel, flickers of gold in them. He held out a slender-fingered hand down to her and she took it with ease, pulling herself up. She felt her heart flutter. "You didn't need to do that."

"Yes I did, Charlotte, he purposely bumped into you. I saw it."

"I've dealt with worse," she mumbled, interlocking her fingers. "But thank you anyways," she breathed out, his warm hand encasing hers, sending tremendous trembles down her body.

"My pleasure, Charlotte," he muttered, his hand ruffling his chocolate colored hair.

Hearing footsteps to their right, they both turned to see Shane swaggering towards them.

"Care to tell me what the hell happened?" he said sweetly, his head swiveling from Charlotte to Malcolm.

"It's nothing, Shane," Malcolm started, glancing at Charlie quickly to mentally send her his plan: deny.

"Yeah," she piped up.

We're fine, came out of her mouth as the bell immediately rang right after, interrupting their trains of thought.

"I'll see you at lunch," she whispered to them, hugging her books even tighter to her chest and rushing off to class with her shoulder aching.

•|•|•

Invite Teddy to sit with her at lunch.

That was her plan the minute she stepped foot into the cafeteria, seeing Teddy all alone once more, earbuds dangling and a pencil in his hand. She just wondered if Malcolm and Shane would let her invite Teddy to eat with them.

As she picked at her lunch, sitting to the right of Malcolm and across from Shane, her mouth opened and she subconsciously blurted out, "Can Teddy sit with us?"

Malcolm stopped chewing his chicken and raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell's Teddy?"

A blush involuntarily fogged up her cheeks. "Er, Theodore. Higgins. I- I mean, Theodore Higgins."

The blood drained out of Malcolm's face as Shane burst into laughter, his eyes crinkling at the sides, a dimple popping on his cheek. "Seriously dude? You have the hots for Malcolm's cousin?"

"I do not have the hots for-" she blinked with a blank mind until she connected the pieces. "-oh my god... Cousins?"

"Shit," Malcolm muttered under his breath. "Did not see that coming."

Charlie's eye twitched as she shot Malcolm a glare. "You don't say."

"Teddy," Shane snickered, probably at the nickname. She blushed. "Is a good guy. He can sit with us. Right, Malcolm?"

"Yeah, whatever," Malcolm replied, not looking up.

"Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you, okay, I'll be right back," she speedily said, shooting off of her chair an bolting over to where Teddy sat.

Cousins. Cousins.

This time, she just thumped him on the back of the head, knowing that coughing loudly wouldn't do anything.

"Ow," he groaned loudly, yanking out his earbuds. "What the hell was- oh. What do you want."

"Well, Grumpy Pants, I was wondering if you would like to sit with me, your friend, may I add, and a couple of my acquaintances." It was hard for a smile not to fly on her lips.

"And these acquaintances?" Damn he had nice eyebrows. They curved into a perfect bridge-shape, so perfect she wondered if he ever waxed them or something. Whatever you do to eyebrows.

"You'll like them, I swear. You may have already met them, I just have a feeling..." she smiled devilishly, gesturing for him to join her. He rolled his electrifying eyes and grabbed his notebooks and lunch, stuffing his earbuds in his gray hoodie pocket [the one that she had once worn!].

She bubbled with laughter when they finally made it to the table, Teddy once again groaning. "Seriously?"

"Hiya... Teddy," Shane grinned, giving him a wave.

Teddy scowled. "Shut up."

They both sat down, Teddy choosing the spot beside Charlie. She could feel the warmth of his body on her, and she so badly wanted to snuggle up to him.

Her smile was bright on her lips until a thought smashed her brain, causing her to drop her grin.

Cousins.

Her eyes were trained on Malcolm, who wasn't quite engaged in everything. He was looking down quietly, tensing his jaw and biting his bottom lip.

Beside her, Teddy shifted awkwardly and cleared his throat. "How is she?"

Malcolm's voice was strained, his adam's apple bobbing up and down. "Could be better."

Charlotte was glancing between the two of them, confused as heck. Who's she? What?

"Huh?"

Either they didn't hear her 'huh' or they were ignoring her.

"My house?" Teddy requested, clasping his hands together.

Shane butted into their confusing conversation. "The usual?"

"Sure," Malcolm heaved a sigh, looking at Charlie. "Wanna join?"

His eyes were drooping, he looked worn out all of a sudden. She tried to mentally send him an are you okay? by mind, tilting her head and widening her eyes and pursing her lips. He slightly shook his head.

"I'll join," she declared, confused as heck to what she was joining but she'd definitely join if she could make Malcolm feel better somehow. "What exactly am I joining?"

"Our cult," Teddy replied casually, taking another bite of ham sandwich.

Her eyes doubled in size and she stared at Teddy with a mortified expression on her face.

"He's kidding," Shane deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

"You suck," she grumbled, punching his shoulder. "Your expression didn't falter, your expression is too serious to make jokes like that."

"Fridays, we have this thing that's like a hang out, all of us guys," Teddy interrupted.

"And you can stay the night, if you want," Shane finished.

"So... A sleepover?"

"Basically," Malcolm piped up, a hint of a smile. "It'll be fun."

"I already said yes," she chuckled. "Can't wait."

She'd never really had a sleepover.

There was one time her whole family was on a vacation in Delaware to visit family and they slept over their aunt's house, their aunt having three kids. So a house with three kids already plus the four kids that was Charlotte's family was doomed for disaster. Charlie didn't exactly know that her cousins were mortified of ghosts and were convinced their house was haunted, and she didn't think her ghost story would actually scare them...

She was wrong.

So that sleepover ended really quickly, and she'd never really had any others, being, you know, friendless and all.

She just really hoped she didn't screw this one up.

She continued to eat lunch with Teddy, Malcolm, and Shane, thinking deeply about this sleepover on friday.

And for some reason, she couldn't get the thought about Teddy and Malcolm being cousins out of her head, either.

Or the sentence Shane had said.

You have the hots for Malcolm's cousin?

a/n

v short, my apologies. the chapters just basically a filler, im sorry. but malcolm is all *slam wham pow* and the jerks all like *ahh wtf freak ahh* and charlies all like *oh mY GDKODJSNFJ COUSINS*

but so much yet nothing at all in this chap. the next chapter's a doozy i'll tell you that

ALSO new cover. is it better than what i had before?? pls tell.

ALSO HAPPY HOLIDAYS IN THIS HOLIDAY-FULL WEEKEND

best comment and therefore dedication to @negativewriter26 i litERALLY LOVE YOU SO MUCH YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS ARE SO SWEET LET ME HUG YOU

(i'm only typing the shorter one bc dang girl that was one long comment ty)

"I love rereading this story. I just keep rereading the chapters so far and smile each time. My best friend says she'll read it after it's finished, but i think she's a little sick of hearing the title 'A Note A Day'. My other friend already know your name and username like the back of her hand."

YOU ARE SO LOVELY YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW OH MY GOD

NO SERIOUSLY EVERYONE HERE IS SO AMAZING I LOVE YOU ALL OH MY GOODNESS OKay

tell me thoughts?

GOALS:

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