But isn't that what makes you who you are? Your little insecurities and flaws? Your passion and your uniqueness? You don't need to hide yourself away like that; society makes you feel like you do; but trust me you don't. Embrace yourself and the world will embrace you.

Dedicated to MissBecky0715.

Chapter Twenty: Work

“Even my own mother thinks I'm gay. I'm not gay! Do I look like a lesbian to you?” Char asked Cat as they strolled through the halls of the mall.

“Ooh... he's hot.” Cat followed a blond haired guy with her eyes as he rounded a corner.

Char slapped her arm. “Ow! Sorry... What were we talking about?”

Shaking her head, Char entered a dress store. “My parents think I'm a lesbian.” she held a golden coloured dress in front of her, looking in the mirror.

“Well to be honest, you're too pretty to be single. If I were your mom, I'd be doubting your sexuality too.” Cat took a seat in front of the mirror, swiping at her phone.

Char stepped out the changing room, swirling in front Cat. “I feel like the oldest twenty four year old in the world. I mean come on, how hard is it to a kind, sweet, handsome, down to earth, honest, trustworthy, faithful, guy?”

“Nice,” Cat gestured to the dress. “Wait, what? Was there ever a man like that in the Bible? Honey, this is real life. It's pretty hard to find a man with those qualities. Nobody's perfect.”

Char sighed. She really needed to wake up and face reality. Hoping for those happy fairytale endings were getting somewhat old.

“I guess you're right.”

They strolled through different sections of clothes, dresses, jeans, shorts, shirts. After about an hour, when they'd finished shopping, they walked out of the store, arms filled with shopping bags. Cat complained that she was hungry so Char decided to go to the cafeteria.

When they had bought their food, they went to sit at a table. Cat immediately dug into her food as Char sipped on her milkshake. Her mind still lingered on Daniel. She hadn't spoken to him all day and she missed him. She longed to know where he was and what he was doing. She chuckled, they weren't even dating and she was already whipped.

“Lemme guess, Daniel?” Cat asked, studying the weird smile her best friend had plastered on her face. Only one guy could make her smile like that.

“Mm hmm,” Char looked around the cafeteria, one table to another. One table caught her eye though, and from what she could tell, they were newlyweds. The fact that they both had rings helped. Their love was so fresh, so intoxicating. From the way they were looking at each other, Char knew they were meant to be. And that was exactly what she wanted. To belong to someone. To love someone and have them love her back, not the unrequited love she felt for Daniel. She knew he could never love her that way. He'd completely friend-zoned her.

“You know, I still think you should talk to him about it.” Cat said, her gaze on the newlyweds. She'd followed Char's eyes and they'd led her to the married couple sitting across from them. She'd never know what Char was going through, no, but she knew that she hated seeing her best friend suffer over something that could easily be resolved, and if Char wasn't going to do something, she would.

“I can't do that Cat, you know why.” Char played with her straw as she turned her gaze to Cat.

Cat sighed. “But-”

“Enough of me. How are you? How's work?” Char cut her off. Cat didn't press further because she knew it was a touchy topic for her. She dropped it.

“Horribe. I'm working on this new case and it's frustrating as hell.” Char knew Cat loved her work, even though it was sometimes annoying, and she wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. So she just sat there and listened to her complain non stop.

“After years of working with the public, I have to wonder. Are people just really dumb or am I just that much smarter than everyone else?”

“People are just dumb.” Char said with a shrug.

“I decided to add ‘extensive experience in dealing with stupid people to my resume’, that has got to be a marketable skill. If I had a dollar for everytime I wanted to knock a stupid lazy co-worker out, I wouldn't have to work anymore.” Cat rested her chin on the table.

“That bad?” Char asked, laughing.

“Seriously. I want to be a nice person, but everyone is just so stupid. The case I'm currently working on has worn me out, on top of that my new partner is a crazy lazy ass, and it's gotten to the point where I'm working there to pay for the prescriptions I now require to cope with working there.”

Char smiled. Cat was extremely in love with her job, she just didn't show it. “You know, you just got to be the bigger person,” she said, trying at an advice. “Sometimes the bigger person means smiling and nodding while fantasizing about punching the other person in the throat.”

Cat snickered. “True. These days, I'm really quiet at work because what I really want to say would incite violence and I really need my job right now.”

“That's good. It's called being the bigger person.”

“Remember that time I came to work and I was excited?” Cat asked. Char shook her head.

“Me neither.” Cat sighed.

“It's too bad that having a job which sucks the life out of you doesn't also suck the fat from your ass.” Cat looked back over her shoulder in an attempt to stare at her ass.

“Your ass is fine, C.” Char tried to assure her best friend, yet again, that her ass was just fine. Cat seemed to think it was fat and out of shape. “I'm sure Zach likes it just the way it is.”

Cat blushed and giggled. Actually giggled. She was like a fourteen year old teenager in love when it came to Zach. “You're right, I guess.”

Char shook her head at her. She was the exact proof that being in love could make you do childish things.

“Come to think about it, you never told me much about Abby, other than she was mean to you and dated Daniel.” Cat said, tossing a fry in her mouth.

“Well, she was.” Char thought of Abby. She frowned when she thought of Abby and Daniel. “That bitch was crazy. And just when you think you've reached the bottom of her craziness, there's a crazy underground garage.”

“She sounds like fun.” Cat said with a laugh. “I just wish I met her eight years ago. I would've enjoying popping her crazy whenever she messed with you.”

Char smiled. “I would have enjoyed that too. Sometimes I really hated that I'm a good person and always took the high road. She needed a good ass kicking.”

“I know, right? I mean, sometimes I look at people and think, ‘Really?! That's the sperm that won?’”

Char burst out in laughter. “You know, when we first met, I thought you were a bitch.”

Cat smirked. “Really? What changed your mind?”

“Oh no, I still think you're a bitch. I've just come to like that about you.”

Cat laughed. “We can only friends if you're a kind of bitch. Not a full blown bitch because that's no fun. And if you're not a bitch at all, that won't work either. A halfway bitch. Those are my kind of people.”

Char would never know how much she meant to her. It wasn't like she didn't have sisters, she did, but none of them would ever measure up to Char. She would give up anything for Char, even her family. That was how much she valued their seven years of friendship. Which was exactly why she needed to help her with her own issues, just as Char had done several times.

“Charlotte, listen to me. This thing with Daniel. You try to act like you're okay but I know you're not. Talk to him, please. Tell him how you feel. You never know, he might feel the same. I hate seeing you like this. Promise me you'll talk to him,” she reached across the table to grab Char's hand. “Promise me.”

Char felt a sting behind her eyes, but the ears didn't fall. She felt elated that Cat cared for her enough to try to get her to be happy but she also was scared that making a promise like that could ruin her life, not to talk of her friendship with Daniel. “I promise.” she said the words, but wasn't sure she was going to go through with it.

Cat smiled, but the uncertainty on Char's face as she said the words didn't go unnoticed. She dropped the topic. If Char was as brave as she thought she was, she'd fight for her love.

She stood, holding out her hand to Char. “Come on, let's go home.”