GOSSIP COULD either be fun to listen to or not fun to be apart of. People, of course, were gonna talk no matter who you are. People always have something to say. Or in this instance, something to show.

Charlotte was pretty consistent with what was going on in life, especially if it had to do with her or anyone she knew personally. She kept the good grades (slipping up some with math but we'll ignore that) and she had the ex-boyfriend that everyone now wanted. She was golden.

Until she wasn't made out to look that way.

She sat by one of the many mall water fountains and had let her mind wander off as she scrolled on her phone.

She felt someone lightly kick her chair and when she looked up, a group of girls walked past, just looking at her with utter despair.

She furrowed her brows and stared for a moment before bringing her attention back onto her phone.

In an almost frantic state; Carter rushed to his friends' side and held his phone in front of her face.

It took her time to adjust to what was on the screen, but once she had focused on it, she took the phone into her own hands.

An article from hater girl, an anonymous blog that she had heard of once.

"Ex-girlfriend of Austin Moon or heartbreak girl?"

The blog was notorious for bringing up bad news with Austin and it never grew in popularity until recently.

"What did you do?" Carter asked.

She cocked her head to the side and gave him his phone back, "Nothing. It's a stupid blog. You think people are going to believe anything like that?"

"I know you've done nothing bad, but others may not."

Charlotte sighed. She, with her full heart, thought that the girl who kicked her chair, completely, accidentally did it.

She didn't want to read the article because she knew it was false and nothing in it was true, but from what she had said about Austin (eating ice cream off his pants) made it seem like something he would do.

But no one other than Austin and Charlotte knew their relationship. She had no suspicion on who could have been writing the articles in the first place.

Dez wouldn't write an entire blog hating his best friend. Even Charlotte felt like Dez didn't like her, he was going to bash her.

Carter himself wasn't the biggest fan of Austin, but Charlotte knew he was going to bash Austin and her in a couple of stupid (and possibly true) articles.

She drew her attention away from her thoughts as she spotted Austin and Ally sitting at a table nearby.

She stood up and ventured over. Carter's eyes following as she left.

She gently tapped Austin's shoulder and he looked up at her, a gentle smile on his face.

"Can we talk?" She asked, "If you're not busy."

He nodded and the two of them stood alone new one of the very fake mall plants.

"Have I ever... hurt you during the time we've dated?"

Austin furrowed his brows, staring down at the girl who he very still cared for.

It was evident that Austin had no clue what was going on in her bubble. He was focused on what was being said about him, which he had every right to do so. He was being publicly shamed on the internet for being "disgusting".

"Because if I ever made you feel like you weren't enough or that I didn't care, I am so sorry."

"Where is this coming from?"

"Hater girl wrote an article about me and I don't really care about what other people think of me, but... I don't want you to think I didn't care when I did... a lot."

"I know that. Trust me, I know."

Charlotte held a tip lip smile and nodded. Whether she chose to believe it or not; she was just going to go with it.

"Pretty sure you've read and seen the videos of me."

She nodded, "Yeah. Eating ice cream off your pants isn't the worst that I've seen."

"I don't doubt that." He smiled, "Ally and I are gonna try and get hater girl to get positive videos of me, so she can't hate me anymore."

"That's great."

"You're lying."

"Yeah."

If anything, Charlotte was always honest with Austin. It didn't matter what it was about. If she didn't like his shirt, she was gonna tell him. If she didn't like the song, she was gonna tell him. If she wasn't happy, she was gonna be honest.

"You're gonna do embarrassing things. Everyone is gonna do embarrassing."

"But for the sake of my reputation. I'm gonna have to be good."

He quickly shuffled to the fountain where Nelson stood and handed him a quarter.

"Yup, Austin Moon is a good guy who makes little kids' wishes come true."

Soon enough, Nelson found his way into the fountain.

Austin quickly got him out and sat on the fountain as Charlotte took her hands and wiped Nelson's face.

"You're supposed to let go of the quarter when you throw it in the fountain." Austin said.

"So no mustache?"

"Sorry, Nelson."

Nelson sighed, gave his quarter back to Austin, and headed off to who knows where.

"I'm gonna make sure he's all right, but get over this hater girl stuff soon." Charlotte reassured.

"Thanks. I'll see you later?"

Charlotte nodded and Carter soon stood from his seat and followed suit.

Austin's eyes never left the three until they were out of sight and he heard applause.

Austin couldn't see himself as the jealous type, but when it came to the (what he had deemed) relationship between Charlotte and Carter... he had his suspicions.

A DAY had passed and yet another video had landed on hater girl's site. From what seemed to be a heroic act by Austin retrieving Nelson from the fountain showed him "dunking" him instead.

As for Charlotte, nothing else from hater girl came out. She still got stares and glares, but other than that. Nothing new came about.

Charlotte had taken the time to read what hater girl had written about what she claimed to know about the Charlotte and Austin breakup.

If anyone actually took the time to read what hater girl had written they would've seen plenty of flaws within her story.

From the perspective that Austin and Charlotte had started talking about the breakup at school and somehow ended up at the beach.

Charlotte had actually broken up with Austin in his bedroom and unbeknownst to her, Dez had been hiding in the closet and came out holding a camera for the newest Austin Moon music video.

There were plenty of flaws that Charlotte could see and she didn't understand how no one else couldn't see them.

So, when Austin, Ally, Trish, and Dez confronted hater girl, whose name was Tilly Thompson, about why she was sabotaging his career, she simply said that she didn't hate him, but she rather just get revenge on Ally for something that she did in kindergarten.

The target was now off on Austin and now completely on Ally. She would now have to perform her butterfly song with her stage fright. If Ally failed to do so, Tilly would continue to post bad things about Austin.

Which soon brought up the topic of why Charlotte was brought up in the first place.

"Charlotte was also in our class." Tilly explained, "She never spoke."

"She spoke. Just not to you." Trish said.

Tilly quickly glared at her and brought the attention back to her story, "After the whole break up with Austin and Charlotte happened everyone wanted to know what and why it happened. So, if Charlotte wasn't going to say anything. I was."

"I know what happened." Dez smiled.

Austin held a tip lip and faced his best friend who's smile quickly fell.

No doubt Dez knew, he was there. Carter also knew, but whatever story Tilly had told really made people think that Charlotte was pretty heartless.

Tilly sighed, "I want to give you the benefit of the doubt Austin. I think you're really talented, but people wanted to know the story and whether it's true or not. People will eat anything up." She explained, "Like I said, Ally performs the butterfly song and I'll take everything down. I'll even say the blog was fake."

With one final look around, Tilly walked off.

GETTING ALLY to try and perform in front of a bunch of stuffed animals was just as hard as getting her to go on stage and perform in front of a live audience.

Austin told her that she didn't have to perform the song because of her stage fright, but Ally was adamant about performing for the sake of his career and to have the blog taken down about the break up between him and Charlotte.

"What happened between you and Charlotte anyway?"

Austin sighed, "I definitely could've been a better boyfriend. Like you said, when I'm ready to tell. I'll tell."

In Austin's mind, if he didn't make music his number one priority he would most definitely still be dating her.

But that was the past and all he could do now was try and "get on her good side" and show that he's changed.

That started with telling her about who hater girl was and trying to get the blog down whether that meant Ally performing or Austin finding his own way of getting down.

NIGHTFALL CAME and the mall had been seated with people who were waiting to hear the two songs being performed that night.

Austin, Ally, and Trish stood on the sides as Tilly introduced herself and Ally.

Charlotte scoped the area to find them and once she did, she gently tapped Ally on the shoulder.

"I really appreciate what you're doing Ally."

Ally could only nod. Her nerves were getting the best of her and everyone could clearly see that.

Austin handed Ally the guitar, reassuring her that she was going to be fine, and telling the people in the front to slide their seats back just in case an accident were to happen.

Ally held the guitar in her lap and she sang, no words coming out of her mouth.

"Oh, mic's not working." She chuckled.

As she made her exit, Dez hopped on stage testing the mic, showing that it was working just fine.

Ally soon returned to her seat, fumbling with the strings on the guitar, and stuttering out her words.

Austin sighed and walked on stage saying that he was singing instead.

"What are you doing?" Ally asked.

"I don't care if Tilly ruins my career. I'd rather that happen than let you suffer."

"Seriously? Thank you, Austin. That is the nicest thing that anyone has ever done." Ally smiled, "But what about..."

Their gazes laid on Charlotte, "That I care about." Austin said.

He shifted so he could face her, hold the guitar in his hands as Ally left the stage.

"She's not going to take the blog down if Ally doesn't perform." Austin told her.

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, "I told you earlier that I don't care about what people think about me. That I only cared about what you thought and how you felt. I meant that."

She held a small smile as Austin nodded and took a seat where Ally originally sat.

Tilly huffed and made her way on stage, "This isn't part of the deal. If Ally doesn't sing her stupid song, then I'm gonna keep posting fake stuff about you on my hater girl website."

"Woah, you heard her, folks. That's hater girl and she faked the stuff on her website."

The crowd quickly drew in a chorus of boos.

Trish grabbed Tilly's arm and dragged her off stage as Austin began to sing the song that Ally had written when she was five.

THE NEXT day, Charlotte entered Sonic Boom in hopes to be able to talk to Austin.

Lucky for her, he was there and held a stuffed dolphin in his hands.

"Hey." Austin smiled.

"Hey. Saw Tilly took down her site."

"Yep, no more blog and no more rumors."

"I really appreciate, Austin."

"I meant what I said last night."

She furrowed her brows, "What?"

"That I care. About you." He said, his nerves getting the best of him, "That I care about you still."

"Feelings mutual." She smiled.

She felt a gentle tug at her arm. Looking down, Nelson held her sleeve tight, "Can we go eat now?"

"Yeah, bud.' She answered, "I came by to see if you wanted to join us? As a thank you."

"Yeah, I would love to."

It was pretty much an unofficial, official date. With, of course, Nelson joining them of course.

- lucy has something to say!!

🧍‍♀️
if i didn't update this damn story y'all were gonna bite my head off

bye :))))