"What are you doing here?" She asked the redhead in front of her.

"Wow, please be less excited by my presence." He mocked, walking towards her.

She suddenly felt embarrassed. She didn't know exactly why though.

"I was... just caught by surprise." She looked at him, fidgeting her fingers. She was too nervous to think. She could only think about how she almost betrayed Charlie's confidence at Pandora's... house. "How did you know I would be here?" She blurted.

"I went by your house last night. Surprise." He shimmed his arms with no enthusiasm, which went along with his unamused voice. "Your mom told me where you were. I tried to call, but you didn't answer, so I just stayed in the car."

And then Samantha started to see. His ruffled hair, the under-eye bags, his creased clothes. He looked tired.

"Did you wait up for me?"

"Oh, aren't you smart?" He bopped his index finger in Samantha's nose. "You could have told me."

"What, exactly?" She needed to be sure he was talking about what she was thinking about.

"You and that barely decent guy."

"Who? Cook?" She had to fake laugh. "There's nothing between us." What was true.

"Does he know that?" He spat. He was tired, angry and sad. He drove for hours to see her and when he actually did, she was basically kissing another lad.

"Oh, believe me, he knows." Suddenly she felt angry. Angry because Charlie was putting her in a corner, Mirabella had Cook and she was so damn angry at her twin sister for leaving her, for not caring even a little bit about Pandora.

"Look, pumpkin..." He said after taking a deep breath. "I'm trying, I'm really trying here. But we are both drifting to different directions. So, save our time, our hearts. I saw what happened back there. You wanted him to kiss you, but do you want him?"

"No, of course not!" She looked at the street. No cars were passing, no sounds to distract her.

Charlie smiled and hugged her tight.

"I know you, Samantha Cooper, I know you like the palm of my own fucking hand. I know what every face you make means, what every word you say and how you say it means... I know it before you do."

What the hell was Charlie talking about? She had no clue what was happening. Were they going part ways? Were they making it work? Did she want that? Neither less she hugged him back. It felt good. Overall, she missed him, missed his unique scent of cologne mixed with sugar powder, missed his arms around her, and how safe she felt. Missed his honesty and his affection. She let herself melt in his arms. She didn't know she needed it until now.

The redhead finally let go. How he wished to stay in the arms of the girl longer, but he couldn't.

"Charlie..." She started, not knowing exactly what to say.

He smiled at her.

"I was never with you because of her. I'm sorry if you ever felt like that." He cupped her chin, looking her in the eyes. "I don't wanna let you go." He confessed.

"Then don't." She pleaded. But did she actually mean it?

"I have to, you know that, pumpkin."

The tears started to sting in her eyes.

"Oh, pumpkin." Charlie kissed her forehead. "It has to be that way. You don't know it yet, but soon you'll see it."

"I'll see what?" She asked, looking at the boy's bright eyes.

"You know what, just give it time."

"Charlie, you are making no sense."

He laughed.

"Let's just leave it like this, okay? Let me take you back home." He said.

✧ . ✧ . ✧

Before exiting the car, she kissed Charlie on the cheek. It was the least she could do. She waved him goodbye and the car disappeared into the horizon. When she left, they didn't end the relationship but they didn't say they would keep going with it. She thought they could make it work, but clearly, they couldn't. She couldn't help but think that in a way it was her fault. She was the one who didn't call, who didn't text.

"Why didn't you come home with your sister?" Her father's voice startled her.

"It was a sleepover..." She looked at the man, sitting on the sofa.

"You should have come with her. If one leaves, the other leaves too."

"I didn't even know she was gone until I woke up!" She cried out and suddenly she felt angry.

Why didn't Mirabella cover for her?

Her father stayed silent, taking in the new information.

"She didn't wake you?"

"No dad, she didn't." She sighed. "Can I go to my room?"

Her father nodded his head and Samantha basically ran upstairs. She hadn't slept all night; she was so tired. As soon as her body touched the softness of the mattress she collapsed.

Mirabella felt her twin sister climbing the stairs and opened the door. Charlie was there, she didn't know why but he was there to see Samantha. She wanted to know what they did, what they talked about... But her sister was so eager to crash in her own bed that Mirabella had no time to even say a word. She mumbled a curse and closed the door, sinking in her desk chair.

She decided to text Cook. Maybe he saw her leave with the redhead, maybe he made some progress on the bet.

Bella
U up?

He didn't answer right away, it took him almost half an hour.

Cook
Yes

Bella
Did u see Sam leave the party with a redhead?

Cook
She didn't leave the party. She stayed here all night

Cook
What redhead?

Bella
Her secret boyfriend back home. So, she didn't leave with him?

Cook
If she has a boyfriend how am I supposed to make her like me? Bella, you could have told me about him.

✧ . ✧ . ✧

"She's a really good dancer." Samantha said to Freddie.

The group was hanging at Freddie's shed for the day. Everyone thought it wasn't going to happen because of last night's events, but Thomas came back during that morning and so, everyone pretended everything was okay. But nothing was okay. Samantha was mad at Mirabella; Mirabella was mad at Samantha; Pandora was mad at Effy and was acting weird towards Thomas. Freddie was keeping his distance from Effy and Effy seemed bothered with Pandora. Kate was acting weird with both Emily and Naomi and JJ seemed down, for some reason. And Cook kept on looking at Samantha and Pandora. Everything was off that afternoon.

"Yeah, I guess." Freddie shrugged. "But now I'll have to lie for that fucking interview."

"Why?" Pandora asked while resting her face on Thomas's shoulder.

"She made up a lie to get sympathy." He mumbled and passed the joint to Cook.

Cook smoked it and looked at Samantha, raising an eyebrow. Samantha smiled and yet, gave him the middle finger which made Cook laugh.

Everyone noticed, but no one said anything. No one had the energy to care enough.

"I think she can win." JJ finally spoke. "She's a really good dancer and she knows what she's doing."

"Noticing Karen's moves, JJ?" Cook teased and the curly head boy blushed.

A loud knock was heard. Cook threw the joint onto the floor and hid it with his foot.

"Get dressed, Freddie. They're here." His father opened the door and looked inside. "Oh, hello." He said to the group and everyone greeted him.

Freddie got up from the floor and sighed.

"I'll be there in a minute." Even though his voice was not loud, it was visible he wanted to scream at his father's face.

"Be quick."

"So, I guess we'll be going then." Kate said, relief. She didn't like so much tension. She was glad she could go home.

The group said their goodbyes to Freddie and they all left the shed.

"Why is everyone so weird today?" Thomas spoke when everyone was on the street. He hadn't been gone for long, yet, everything seemed so different. What had happened during the last days?

They all looked at each other and started talking at the same time, saying everything was fine, that no one was weird.

"Okay..." He said and looked at Pandora, who was now holding his hand. "Your friends are crazy."

"Thank you very much, Thomas." Mirabella mumbled. "Let's go home? Dad's probably waiting." She talked to Samantha.

"Actually." Cook looked at Mirabella. "I need to talk with Sammy here."

Samantha looked at the boy with the look that said 'are you for real?'

"Are you two shagging or something?" Effy asked and then looked at Pandora.

"Unfortunately no."

"God, no!" Samantha hit Cook in the arm and he laughed.

"I'm taking a piss. Jesus woman."

"Let's just go." She sighed and started walking. "Tell dad something."

"Like what?" Mirabella asked, impatiently.

"I don't know, I'm sure you'll come up with something. See you all tomorrow. It's really good to have you back, Thomas!"

"Yeah, what she said!" Cook said and sprinted away from the group.

"What the hell was that all about?" Effy asked, pointing at them.

"If fucks me senseless." Because of Cook, Mirabella lost another chance to talk about Charlie.

"What is that you need?" Samantha asked Cook.

"Just to talk." He smiled brightly.

"Just talk?" She looked confused. "About what?"

"That ginger lad."

"You... saw him?" She was totally caught off guard.

"You can say so." He scratched his chin. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Ex." She answered reluctantly.

"Oh."

"Why did you ask me?"

"Curiosity."

"You are such a weird creature Cook."

"Is that a compliment? I'll take it as a compliment. What's the story of you two?"

"Asking just out of curiosity?"

"Yeah, of course."

"You just want to talk to me about Charlie? Why?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I think we took our friendship to another level that night. I just want to keep going with that."

"And you choose to talk about Charlie?"

"We have to start somewhere, don't you think?"

Samantha laughed and asked herself 'why not?' and then started talking. There was no problem in telling him, Mirabella already knew about it anyway.

"He stayed up all night, in his car, just to break up with you?" In the end, Cook asked.

"I don't think that was the plan, but in the end, it turned that way."

"Well, his loss."

"Maybe not. I think I would break his heart."

"Because of another lad?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know."

Even though Charlie clearly knew.