Playing the Good Sister

If math hadn't been Charlie's first class, there's no doubt in her mind that she would have been passed out on her desk right now. What? Sleep is important! She's a growing girl! It's vital for her development. Just ask her doctor! Ever since she was young, Charlie had always harbored an immense interest in the subject. It was the only class (besides P.E.) she could get an A in as well because unlike everything else in the world, there is only one precise answer to every problem. You either know how to solve it or you don't. It's clear-cut and straight to the point, just the way she likes things.

A few years ago when Charlie had received an award for her outstanding math skills from her teacher, her father told her that she must have gotten the talent from her mother, who had also been an extraordinaire when it came to numbers. Although she knew it was selfish of her, Charlie was happy to know that she seemed to be the only one who inherited such a trait since none of her brothers seemed to have a knack for math like she did. It meant that no matter where she was or where she went, Charlie would always have a special piece of Rebecca Whitmen with her that no one else shared. It made her feel closer to her even though she was no longer around which was why she took the class seriously.

As Mr Gherardi starts assigning textbooks to the students, the door is flung open, capturing everyone's attention. "Sorry I'm late. My alarm didn't go off this morning," the boy apologizes insincerely as a yawn slips past his lips. Charlie doesn't pay him much attention and returns her focus to the book in front of her. She couldn't wait to learn about calculus, as shocking as that may be to her classmates.

"And who might you be?" their teacher asks, pulling out the roster.

"Ethan," he reports suavely, eyes scanning the room. Charlie could hear the girls in her class sighing dreamily and groans quietly to herself. So much for peaceful mornings. First lunch, now her favorite class? "Ethan Morindozo."

"Ah, so you're the new transfer student." Mr Gherardi nods. "Welcome to Highland High then, Mr Morindozo. Although you probably haven't adjusted to how things work around here, I'm disheartened to inform you that you have already landed yourself in detention on the second day of school. I think that's a new record. I'm sorry, young man, but rules are rules. Now please take a seat and next time, I suggest you offer up a better excuse than that." The class laughs and Charlie snickers too. So the old man does have the ability to amuse his students. Kudos to him.

As long as the transfer student doesn't cause a scene, Charlie doesn't plan on ripping his head off. "Is this seat taken?"

"It is now," Mariana simpers. She's clearly flattered that the new eye-candy decided to occupy the desk next to hers. Then again, why wouldn't he? It's the only available seat left in the class. Too bad she isn't aware of that small detail due to her over inflated ego getting in the way. Playing it cool, Ethan drops his bag on the floor and slides into the chair. "Should I get detention so I could keep you company?" She props her elbow on the desk and rests her chin in her palm.

Ethan has had plenty of girls throwing themselves at him and Mariana is no different. It's not like he's got any reasons to complain. Instead of flat out rejecting her though, he chooses to humor her. He could use some fun. "Sounds like a plan to me. What flavor do you like?"

More annoyed than disgusted, Charlie rubs her temples as she tries to control her temper. "How about you two shut up and converse about your little rendezvous session later?" she suggests. "Some of us actually don't plan on living off of the minimum wage for the rest of our lives."

"Were we talking to you, Shelby?" Mariana sneers as she spins around.

"Wow, your memory is shittier than my grandma's," Charlie mocks. "I don't blame you though. You must have banged your head pretty hard when all of those guys boned you at Matt's party last year. I would definitely wear a rubber with this one, buddy. Don't say I never did you solid."

When Ethan emits a chuckle, Mariana shoots up from her seat, both enraged and embarrassed. "You little queer!" she exclaims with her nostrils flared.

"Ms Sanchez! I will not tolerate such offensive terms in my class!" Mr Gherardi gasps, flabbergasted. "You, missy, have just earned a spot alongside Mr Morindozo in detention. I expect to see you both here right after school ends. Now sit down!"

"You're welcome." Charlie winks, further patronizing the girl.

Mariana – 0

Charlie – 2

Class ends and as Charlie is gathering her belongings, somebody clears their throat beside her. She lifts her head up and quirks a brow at the new guy who is currently blocking her path. He seems eerily familiar but she has no idea where she's seen him before nor is she interested in finding out. He must have had one of those common faces a lot of people have. "Move," she mandates as she slings her backpack over her shoulder.

"You don't remember me, do you." It sounds more like a statement than an inquiry.

"I don't. Now that I've answered your question, would you get out of my way?" She tries to step around him but gets nowhere. "Are you kidding right now? I have to get to class. Whatever services you're offering, I'm not enticed to engage."

Audaciously, Ethan minimizes the distance in between them. Their chests are separated by an inch or two yet Charlie does not cower away. She has no reason to. He obviously has something he needs to say to her, although she has no idea what. "Look here, Muhammad Ali, let me make one thing clear. When you mess with me, I return the favor and it's ten times worse. So you better watch yourself." He proceeds to stuff his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and stare at her with a stoic countenance. "I don't take it too well when I get punched in the face, especially by a girl." And without another word, he saunters out of the room.

The memory belatedly reveals itself to Charlie. She couldn't believe it. The transfer student is the same guy who tried to hit on her at the batting cage? What are the chances of them ending up in the same freaking class? Charlie isn't dense. She is aware that Ethan has just threatened her yet she isn't perturbed. She could take him down if he ever comes after her. She's done it once already. How hard could the second time be?

Lunch rolls around the corner and Jillian is sitting at the spot they had claimed as theirs yesterday. Charlie drops her tray onto the table and plops down onto the bench across from her best friend. "What's with the frown?" Jillian blinks.

"You know," she insists.

"Oh come on, Charlie. You're still upset about having three classes together? You can't pin the blame on Hayden. How was he supposed to know that was going to happen? Cut the boy some slack, will you?" Jillian dictates like a mother.

"If he really wants to spare me the pain and suffering, he could go and switch his schedule. It's only the second day of school. He has plenty of time," Charlie retorts. "It just gets frustrating being around him sometimes. I don't get him. He's too nice for his own fucking good. One day, someone's going to take advantage of him and he won't even see it coming."

"Try not to think about it. It'll get better with time. I promise," her friend lulls as she quickly alters the topic in attempt to distract the girl and get her mind as far away from Hayden as she can. "Have you seen the new transfer student who's in our grade? I think his name is Ethan. I caught a glimpse of him in the hallway before second period and let me tell you." She begins to fan herself and Charlie has the sudden urge to regurgitate at the mention of her new classmate. "That boy is gorgeous, but don't tell Ian I said that."

Charlie wants to hit Ethan with a slew of insults but stops. "What? Why would my brother care about who you find attractive?" Charlie crinkles her nose bridge and then catches sight of the lip gloss Jillian has on. The wheels in her head start turning and she fits the puzzle pieces together. "No fucking way," she rasps out. Charlie is on the verge of exploding but manages to keep herself together. For the most part anyways. "Jillian Winters, are you sleeping with my brother?"

"No, of course not!" she declines almost immediately. Charlie lets out a breath of relief but nearly has a heart attack when Jillian continues on in a sheepish manner, "We're dating," she confesses at last with an awkward smile. "Surprise."

"This is not happening." Charlie shuts her eyes and inhales deeply in attempt to control her rage. Several emotions are running wild inside of her. She doesn't know what to make of the situation. Should she congratulate them or strangle them both for keeping it a secret from her?

"We were going to tell you, Charlie," Jillian adds in, sounding highly remorseful. "We just didn't know how you'd react."

"How long?" she forces herself to ask.

"Three months," Jillian supplies as she hangs her head low.

"Are you happy?" Charlie exhales.

Her friend sits up straight and feverishly nods her head. "We are."

"Then okay." Charlie is not the boss of either one of them. If Ian and Jillian have romantic feelings for each other, who is she to be a hindrance to them? They are both old enough to make their own decisions. As long as they don't force her to pick sides, she'll be fine with their relationship.

"Wait, really?" Jillian's eyes twinkle in delight. To be honest, she didn't think Charlie would agree so easily. Typically, in those movies and shows she absolutely adores, the best friend is always against this kind of relationship. But boy, is Jillian glad that's not the case here.

She shrugs. "If that's what you guys want then go for it. I'll get used to it sooner or later."

Unable to contain her joy, Jillian springs up from her seat and envelopes Charlie into a tight hug. The people around send them a mixture of apprehensive and smug looks which go completely unnoticed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! It means a lot to us that you approve. I can't wait to tell Ian."

"Actually, I think I'll talk to him myself," Charlie declares and Jillian swallows. She knows what Charlie means by talk. Let's just say not too many words will be exchanged. Right on cue, Ian struts into the cafeteria, unaware of the storm approaching. His eyes land on Jillian and the corners of his lips tug upwards. He is about to wink at her like he normally does but stops when he notices her troubled face. His gaze then moves to his sister who looks murderous. Well, it looks like the time has come for him to bid adieu to his life and everyone in it. With the desire to live and see another day, he makes a break for it with Charlie hot on his tail.

"You better not be playing with Jill," Charlie growls as she traps the boy in a headlock.

"I'm not! I swear!" Ian yells as he twists and turns, trying to liberate himself. "Can you let me go so we could talk like human beings?"

"Fine." She releases him and he fixes himself. They are outside of the library and the corridor is empty, providing them with privacy.

"I know you don't trust me but I'm being genuine here, Charlie. I really like Jillian and I know I've made stupid mistakes in the past but I promise I won't hurt her. I know how important she is to you." The sincerity is evident to Charlie and since she knows Ian like the back of her hand, she is aware that he means every single word.

"Just remember, if you make her cry I'm going to kill you even if you're my brother."

Ian breaks out into a wide smile, not the least bit bothered by the violent threat. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. Now if you'll excuse me, my pretty girlfriend is waiting for me. See you after school!"

As she watches her brother skip down the hall, Charlie chuckles and shakes her head. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't noticed the undeniable chemistry lingering between the two of them. As long as they're happy, she will be too. Just as she is about to leave, a girl with golden blonde hair comes barging out of the library with Hayden behind her. He grabs onto her arm and pulls her back.

"I'm not going to go through this again, Hayden," the girl croaks.

"Why are you always avoiding this, Cecilia?" He doesn't look that well and Charlie realizes that she shouldn't be here. Her presence, however, goes undetected by them as they continue their conversation.

"How many times do I have to tell you? If you want to date me, we have to keep it a secret. My parents don't want me distracted from my studies. I thought you understood that. That was what we agreed upon." Cecilia reminds. Charlie's eyes widen in astonishment. She couldn't believe her ears. She definitely doesn't belong here and she tries to discreetly back away.

"I know what we agreed on, but I'm just saying that maybe if they met me, they'll change their minds. I'm tired of sneaking around and lying to my parents about who I'm meeting up with, Cecilia. And don't even get me started on all of those girls who keep confessing to me either. The only way they'll leave me alone is if I show them that I'm with you." Hayden reaches down and seizes both of the girl's hands in his own. "I want to do this for us."

"I want to tell the whole world that you're my boyfriend too." Cecilia breathes as she looks at their meshed limbs. "But I can't." She lets go and holds her chin up. "Not right now. I have to get back to studying. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Hayden is left alone and the doleful expression he is wearing is one Charlie has not seen in a while. She couldn't let him know she has been there the whole time. It will be weird and most certainly humiliating for him. Right when she is about to turn around the corner, Hayden shifts towards her direction and they lock eyes.

"Shit," she curses. What's she supposed to do now?

---

Author's Note: Hello! If you're reading this, I would like to thank you for giving my story a chance! It means a lot to me! I hope you enjoyed :) Could you imagine how awkward Charlie must feel to have seen a lover's quarrel? And look! Ethan has made his official entrance! Oh my gosh. Charlie is sooo mean! Do you smell character development? I sure do!