Hey Guys,

The new chapter is here!!! Enjoy and please let me know what you think!!

- Allamy14

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{Monday 3 July}

~Charlie's POV~

I meet Eden at our locker. She smiles when she sees me walking towards her. 

"How was art" she giggles. 

"You knew I have art with him, didn't you" I reply sourly. 

"Yeah I did, I know his whole timetable" she laughs. "But stop changing the subject, how was art?". 

"It was okay, I have a funny feeling about him like I know him or something, but it was okay. He drew my portrait and I have to draw his tomorrow" I reply. 

"Oooooo did it look good?" she asks smiling. I open the locker and exchange my English and art stuff for my stats and health stuff. I close the locker and turn to her. 

"It was beautiful" I reply with a small smile. "It was like I was looking into a mirror". 

"Cccuuutttttteeeeeee" she squeals. "I want to see it in person now". We link arms and walk to our spot. We sit down and eat some food. 

We talk about how mum is doing and how I need to come hang out with her more often and how work is going and how her hockey team won their game last weekend. 

Eden is superwoman in my opinion. She's a Scholar Grade student, the Student Body President and the Captain of the Linkenwater Hockey Team all while looking stunning every single day, getting everyone to fall for her, looking after her little sister and my little sister while her parents and my mum and I work and maintaining a weekend job as a fashion stylist at the local mall. 

Superwoman I tell you. She also has to deal with me being her best friend and all but we deal with each other and it's great. Ever since we met when we were little, it's like we're glued to the hip. 

You can't separate us and I honestly love her to pieces. She's like a sister to me and I don't know what I'd do without her. The bell rings and we get up and I walk her to her business studies class and then I walk to stats. 

I spent the next hour of my life learning about networks which isn't as bad as I thought it would be. The bell rings and I pack up my stuff and make my way to health class. I walk in and find my seat. Coach walks over to my table and pats my head. 

"Welcome back munchkin" he says warmly. Coach Roberts was a friend of dad's and he was there at the funeral. 

"Thanks for having me" I laugh. He walks away and I get my stuff out. I go on my phone while I wait for Mr Roberts to start the class. 

Suddenly the air chills, he's here. Shit. I look up and watch as he walks to the back of the class and slides into a seat at the back of the class. Coach gets up from his seat and walks over to the whiteboard and turns to the class. 

"Right team, as you know, the unit we are studying at the moment is relationships so today's lesson is going to be about one of the many key elements of a relationship. Attraction" he says. 

"Attraction is a quality or feature that evokes interest, liking, or desire and can be physical, sexual, romantic, friendly or platonic". I zone out as Coach drones on about the types of attraction. 

"Are you okay Charlie?" Coach asks and I realise he is standing right in front of my table. 

"Hmmm? Oh, I'm sorry Coach. I'm okay. I was just thinking" I say quietly. 

"That's okay" he smiles. 

"I asked you what are three things you look for in a potential mate". Oh ummm wow. 

"I-I-I've never really thought about it Coach" I stutter embarrassed. 

"That's okay, have a quick think about it and I'll come back to you in a bit" he smiled. 

"Ryder, you're up, 3 characteristics please". I turn and see Ryder look at me, locking my gaze and smiling. 

"Someone who is Intelligent, imperfect in a way that makes them perfect to me, and has a strong heart" he says. Wow, I thought, smiling to myself. "But Coach, the problem with human attraction is not knowing if it will be returned" he continues in a slightly sad tone, dropping my gaze. 

"Excellent point Ryder" Coach stated. 

"Humans are imperfect and that means they're capable of being hurt as people in our society today judge all too quickly before they even get to know them. It means we are vulnerable and the complexity of our human attraction is one of the features that set us apart from other species." 

Shit, that all got deep really quickly. 

"Now, with that all in mind" Coach continues turning to me. "What do you look for in a potential mate Charlie?" he asks. 

"Ummmmm... someone who is loyal, someone who knows what they have when they have it and someone who makes me feel safe" I say quietly while glancing at Ryder. I notice him smile to himself and I turn away before he notices I was looking at him. 

"Good" Coach says smiling. 

"So team, what comes after attraction?" Coach asks. 

"Sex!" Brody yells out, chuckling and nudging his friends. 

"Not quite buddy" Coach chuckles. 

"It's actually body language. You have to communicate 'I'm interested' to a potential mate. So, say you're at a party and there are people everywhere, of all shapes, sizes personalities and ideals of beauty. You've found someone who fits your profile, who interests you. How do you let them know that you are interested?" he asks. The class is silent. 

"I'd get her on her own and talk to her" Ryder says smiling. 

"Excellence!" Coach grinned. "But how do you know if she wants you back or wants you to move on?" he inquired. 

" I watch her" Ryder replies. "I figure out watch she's thinking and feeling by the way she moves because she won't just tell me. So I have to watch her body language. Does she blush and play with her hair? Does she turn her body towards mine?" he continues smiling. 

"Very good!" Coach says as he walks back to the front of the class. He continues to talk about attraction and body language but I zone out. 

There's still something off about Ryder. But there is a strange pull like I'm connected to him or something. I look over at him and see him staring back at me. He smiles and I drop his gaze. I feel like I've seen him before today but I can't quite put my finger on it. 

The bell rings and I put away my things. 

"Make sure you read the pages in your workbooks about attraction before tomorrow" Coach says before he dismisses the class. I get up and walk out of class and feel Ryder hot on my trail. 

"Charlie, wait up" Ryder calls. I stop and turn around. He walks up to me and hands me a piece of paper. I turn it over and see that it's the drawing of me. 

"I photocopied it, I thought you might like it" he says quietly with a small smile. I look up at him and give him a small smile in return. 

"Thank you" I say. Our gaze locks for a second and I fall into his chocolate brown eyes. I drop my gaze when he blinks. 

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow" he says grinning. 

"I guess so" I say quietly. He turns and walks away. 

"Bye Angel" he yells out as he walks away. Angel? What the fuck? 

"Ummm bye?" I reply quietly. I head off towards my lock in a daze. 

I have to tell Eden about his weird behaviour I think to myself as I continue to walk away.