"Well look at this, its math boy all alone again. When is that brother of yours gonna learn he can never leave you alone in this school."
"Hi Sam."
"Charlie, how is your day going." The senior says towering over the eleven year old sophomore.
"So for it's been good." Charlie says trying to be nice to the guy who he knows will soon be causing him pain.
"Now since you're so smart I bet you know what's gonna happen next." Sam says teasing the scared boy.
"You know I don't really understand why it's always me, Sam." Charlie tells him walking toward his locker trying to ignore the fact that he will soon be on the floor in pain like everyday.
"Because here you are nothing." He says slamming his head into the lockers. "Maybe in the classroom you've got something…" he grabs Charlie's shirt and pulls him close "But in theses halls, to these people, your nothing, you understand now."
"Yeah." Charlie whimpers in pain.
"HEY! Sammy what do you think you're doing?" a voice booms from behind them.
"Nothing." He says as he throws Charlie to the ground and turns around to see whose voice it was. Behind him is a short, blonde hair, blue eyed, girl.
"You know, if you don't hurry you'll be late to take that make-up history test and you'll fail and not be able to play anymore. So scamper off big brother and go make dad proud Sammy." Angie Carter says smiling teasingly at Sam.
"Never call me Sammy at school again stupid LITTLE sis."
"Now, now Sammy, be nice or I won't help with you're English paper." She taunts him. He mutters something under his breath as he walks away defeated. Charlie looks up at his rescuer in awe.
"Thank you so much."
"No problem, he's a jerk and I use any accuse I can to tell him off. You're Charlie Eppes, right?" Angie says as she helps him up.
"Yeah, you know who I am?"
"Oh Charlie please don't tell me you believe that 'Your nothing' crap Sammy seems to think means something."
"Well it's hard not to when you're me."
"No Charlie, people know you. Take me for example; I have you in two of my classes I know you're there."
"Yeah I guess. Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, I guess, can't guarantee I'll answer though."
"Why do you notice me?"
"Ah, that's easy cause you're in my math class."
"Oh."
"Yeah you're the only one who really gets things right away and I guess I think that's kinda cool, being super smart in all."
"Really you do?"
"Sure, Charlie being smart isn't a curse no matter what people say, it's a gift."
"Thank you, so what other class do we have together?" the bell rings.
"Look for me, I'll see you."
"Bye." Angie runs down the hall to get to class and she runs into Don. There stuff falls to the ground and is scattered everywhere.
"I'm so sorry." Angie bends down to collect her stuff.
"It's my fault really." Don insists staring at her. She stops and looks up at Don
"I'm Angie Carter." she says smiling.
"Don Eppes."
"Oh…" She says in surprise. "You're Charlie's brother."
"Yeah, you know Charlie?"
"Yep, my dumb brother likes to pick on him."
"You mean Sam Carter?"
"Yeah, he's a jerk. Just a minute ago I stopped Sammy from hitting him."
"Sam was gonna hit Charlie?" Don says angrily
"Yeah he picks on him every day, you really didn't know?"
"No, I didn't."
"Oh, I thought you did. Charlie never told you?"
"Nope, I wonder why?"
"I don't know, that's weird. I really need to get to class; it was nice running into you Don Eppes."
"You too, Angie Carter. Maybe we can run into each other again sometime, you know without the hitting each other part."
"Maybe." She says giggling a little "I'll see you Don."
"Bye Angie." Don says as she rushes off to class. Don watches her for a second; a smile slowly creeps across his face as her thinks about the blonde girl.
Lunch time rolls around and, like every day, Charlie was eating alone working on some math equations. Angie comes up behind Charlie and sits next to him two boys and three girl fallow.
"Hi Charlie." Her bubbly voice startles his writing.
"Oh hi, Angie, right?"
"Yeah, theses are my friends, Heather, Kat, Dave, Melissa, and Ricky." She points at each one as she says their names. All of Angie's friends sit on the other side of the table.
"Hi, so Angie the dance is coming up next Friday, you got a date yet?" Dave asks
"Nope."
"Oh cause Ricky wants to ask you."
"Hey I do not." Ricky says suddenly.
"Oh really, what's wrong with me?"
"Nothing, I just don't think of you like that. I've known you to long."
"Oh so because you know me I'm someone you wouldn't conceder dating. So I guess any girl you know you wouldn't date."
"That's not true I'd go out with Melissa, I mean I… Oh no"
"Really you would?" Melissa asks a little surprised.
"Well yeah I guess."
"So you like me."
"Yeah I always have."
"Oh how sweet, now ask her to the dance and all this hard work'll finally pay off." Angie says to Ricky.
"You mean you planed this?" Melissa asks
"Yep, me and Dave make a great team, don't we." She and Dave smile at each other.
"Do you wanna go to the dance with me?" Ricky asks Melissa.
"Sure." She answers.
"So Charlie, whachya doing." Angie asks him
"Well just some equations."
"Really like homework." Kat asks.
"No, for fun." Charlie answers.
"Math. Fun. How?" Heather asks Charlie.
"Well it can be fun to figure out something new, to solve a problem you couldn't before."
"I guess, me I like to figure out something I don't know about Greg Fisher." Kat says dreamily as she stairs off in his direction.
"Not possible." Heather says "Don't mind her she's just crazy. Hurry up guys; we have that thing to get to. We're gonna go ahead…" She says pointing at Melissa and Ricky who are standing beside her. "…and you guys ketch up when you're done here, kay."
"Kay, Heather." Angie tells her as the three run out the lunchroom door.
"Oh, Greg I am yet to find someone to introduce us." Kat says to Greg who can so obviously not hear her.
"I know Greg Fisher, my brother and him are good friends." Charlie replies as he looks over at Greg and his brother eating lunch with their other friends.
"Really, that's great! You have to introduce me."
"I don't know Kat, maybe you should wait a little while you've been dreaming of it for so long it should sink in first." Angie tells her friend.
"He's coming over to my house Friday." Charlie tells them.
"Oh I have to come over." Kat announces.
"Calm down you'll need a reason to come over you know." Angie tells her.
"I got it! You know that big Math test coming up next week?" Dave asks.
"Yeah." Kat says intrigued.
"We can go over to Charlie's and form a study group." Dave tells her.
"If it's okay with Charlie." Angie says annoyed with Dave not even asking Charlie first.
"It'll be fine I just have to ask my mom first." Charlie says quickly. The thought that he might have friends in high school made him feel warm inside and he couldn't help but smile.
"Cool." Dave says.
"Who would be coming?" Charlie asks them.
"Just me, Dave, and Kat." Angie tells Charlie.
"Don't worry me and Angie'll actually study." Dave instructs Charlie.
"Yeah I really need to, chapter seven is killing me." Angie admits.
"You don't get it?" Charlie asks her
"Not at all."
"I can help you if you want."
"Sure, how bout last nights homework." Angie says as Sam walks up to them.
"What's this, first you're helping him and now you're hanging with this loser now?" Sam asks. Charlie turns quickly to where Don was sitting, but he's not there anymore.
"He's not a loser Sammy; you know maybe you should leave him alone now."
"Yeah, why?"
"Because if you don't I'll make you." Don says behind him.
"Don hey how's it going." Sam says friendly to him.
"Move along now Sam." Don says standings up to the senior who could easily be a foot, maybe two, taller than him.
"You think you can tell me what to do, Sophomore." He says getting closer to him.
"Yeah I do, Sam." Don says moving a step closer to Sam
"Well I think you should reconsider this time little boy." Sam warns him as he is right in his face.
"Oh do you." Don says with such courage in his voice, Charlie thinks he could win. Neither Don nor Sam seem to wanna back down from this fight.
"Okay boys break it up; we get it you're both big men." A teacher tells them as he sees what is about to happen.
"Watch your back Eppes, I will finish this."
"I'm not backing down." Don says bravely. Don looks over at Charlie sitting with Angie and her friends, he looks confused. Sam walks away in defeat once again.
"Hi Donnie." Charlie says.
"Hi, hey Angie." Don mutters still very confused.
"Don." Angie says so cool and smooth-like it makes Don grin a little. Kat whispers something in Dave's ear then stand up and starts to leave.
"Hey Angie we've got that thing." Dave says as he gets up to follow Kat as she runs out the same door the others did a moment ago.
"Oh right, see you in class Charlie, Bye Don." Angie says as looks at Don in a way Charlie's only seen his mom look at his dad like.
"Bye Angie." Don says with a very similar look on his face.
"Oh Charlie don't forget to ask if we can come over Friday." Angie reminds him.
"I wont, see ya." Charlie says as he looks at the two of them.
"K, bye." Angie gets up and runs out quickly after her friends.
"She's coming over? When? Why?" Don questions his brother.
"She and her friends need help studying for the math test next week. There coming over Friday." Charlie answers him.
"Okay I can do that, Okay. Thanks Charlie. See you."
"Hey Don, do you like Angie?"
"What? No, I don't like Angie."
"You like her; you know I could tell her if you want."
"Charlie I don't like her."
"Whatever I have to get to class anyway, bye Donnie." Charlie runs off after Angie. He walks a bit prouder than usual; after all he has good reason. His brother defended him to a senior, He ate lunch with a girl his brother likes and her friends, and they were coming over. He, Charlie Eppes, had friends coming over. He was so proud of his life; nothing could bring him down, not even Sam Carter. He though about how Don reacted to what he had found out. That would be so cool, Don and Angie Charlie thought almost aloud. The beautiful, blonde, sixteen year old would be a good match for Don. He and Angie seemed right to Charlie, she was so nice and sweet, she was good enough for his perfect older brother. Then he thought about what Angie had said to him. 'Being smart isn't a curse no matter what people say, it's a gift.' Angie was so cool and she saved him from Sam, Charlie thought it would be so cool if Don and her could get married. Then Angie could be my sister, that… His thoughts were interrupted by Angie's familiar voice coming from the drama room.
"Romeo, Oh Romeo where for art thou Romeo." He hears as he gets closer and walks in. "deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if thou will not be but sworn my love and I will no longer be a Capulet." Angie recites from the famous play.
"Shall I hear more or shall I speak at this?" Ricky says playing the part of Romeo.
"'tis but the name that is mine enemy. Thou art thyself though not a Montague, what is a Montague. 'Tis not a hand nor foot nor arm nor face nor any other part belonging to a man. Oh be some other name, what's in a name, that which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet. So Romeo would if he were not Romeo called retain that dear perfection that he owns without that title. Romeo doff thy name and for thy name which is no part of thy take all myself." Angie continues.
"I take thee at thy word." Ricky, as Romeo, says back.
"Are thou not Romeo and a Montague."
"Neither fair madden if either you dislike?" Ricky says questioningly. "What does this crap even mean?"
"It's not 'crap', here look she's saying that she really likes this guy her whole family hates but it makes no scene cause the name has nothing to do with who he is as a person. So it's okay if she likes him. Then him overhearing he says that he wants her too. Then she asks if it's him and he replies by saying 'if you don't like it than it's not who I am and I'll be whatever you want.'" Angie explains.
"Well why can't they just say that?"
"Well because than it wouldn't be a play, now c'mon let's move."
"Hey wait who's that?" Dave asks as he now sees Charlie.
"It's Charlie, Hey come here Charlie. What do you think of us?" Angie asks him.
"No Angie it's a secret no one is to know what we're doing." Kat tells her.
"Well he kinda already heard so he might as well help us right."
"Fine come on over." Dave calls to Charlie.
"You were so cool Angie, how you knew what they were really saying. I can never get it." Charlie tells her with great enthusiasm.
"Hey I can help you understand the book better if you want, you know you help me with math and I help you with English." Angie tells Charlie.
"That would be great, oh and you guy sound good except when Ricky got all confused."
"Hey we're gonna set up a stage in Angie's house on Saturday. Maybe you could come over and you can give us a few tips about how we're doing." Kat suggested.
"Sure I guess." Charlie told them.
Don pulled the car into the driveway and Charlie runs out of the car as soon as it stops.
"MOM! MOM ARE YOU HOME!" Charlie yells.
"Right here" she calls warmly from the kitchen. Charlie races in there.
"Mom, I met this girl and her friends at school today and they wanna come over Friday and study for the test next Tuesday. Her name is Angie Carter."
"Friday, I think that will be al… Angie Carter." She says suddenly as Don walked through the doorway to the kitchen. 'One and the same' Don mouths to his mom so that Charlie can't see. "Oh well that will be wonderful. Friday it is."
"Okay thanks mom." Charlie says as he bounces out of the room.
"So Angie Carter knows Charlie."
"Yeah, I was as surprised as you but then again she's always been smarter."
"Donnie, Charlie knows Angie Carter. I still don't really understand how."
"They're in the same math class and apparently the same English class too."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, hey I'm gonna go out for awhile, but I'll be back for dinner, k."
"Okay."
It was later that day and Alan was sitting in his chair reading the paper when his wife comes up to him.
"Alan, today Charlie asked if he could have some friends come over on Friday."
"Really, Charlie, our Charlie has friends coming over Friday."
"Yes, Angie Carter."
"Well that's… did you say Angie Carter?"
"Yes I did, Charlie is friends with Angie Carter."
"What does Don think of that?"
"He seems fine with it, although Don has always been the harder one to read."
"Yeah, I'll have a talk with him after dinner and see how he's really doing."
I hope you liked it so far, I'm not sure where I'm gonna take this one so if you have any ideas please tell me.