Just a short chapter today but this is the calm before the storm. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Twenty One

Friday arrived rather quickly. Neither Charlie nor Joey could figure out where the time had gone. They had been very well behaved but both were looking forward to being allowed to be together the way they wanted to be.

"Hey, Charlie," Brax said, catching up with his girlfriend before they left school for the day. "Grant Bledcoe's having a house party tomorrow night. I said we'd all go."

Charlie looked unsure.

"Charlie, I've hardly even got to talk to you this week," Brax immediately complained. "I think I deserve one date, don't I?"

Charlie glanced at Joey who was busy at her locker, packing her bag and chatting to Miles who looked desperately relieved to be away from Leah.

"Okay," she said awkwardly.

She nodded and plastered a smile on her face.

"Sure. I'll check with the girls but that sounds fun."

He smiled and kissed her. She tried to look like she enjoyed it.

"Um, by the girls, you don't mean Joey, do you?" he asked.

"Yes, of course I mean Joey," Charlie snapped, immediately annoyed.

Brax held his hands up in surrender.

"Okay," he agreed. "But the sooner you get this girl out of your system, the better, as far as I'm concerned."

Charlie glared at him, grabbing his wrist and dragging him into an empty classroom.

"What the hell is your problem with her?" she demanded angrily.

"She's a loser!" Brax told her. "She's not like us, Charlie! The project is over so you just need to forget her and go back to how we were before."

"Maybe I don't want to!" Charlie said. "Maybe I like her. Maybe she's opened my eyes to what a bunch of shits you all are!"

"Oh, so now you think you're better than us, do you?"

"I'm not saying that," Charlie denied. "I just… I don't want to be all about image anymore. I don't want be exclusive and march around like we own the school."

"But we do own the school!" Brax insisted.

"No, we don't!" Charlie argued. "Why can't you just… be different?"

She sighed heavily and perched on the edge of a desk, gazing at him as if he was a stranger. He came to sit on the opposite desk.

"I really don't understand what's going on here," he said, taking her hands. "I don't know what she's done to you."

"She just…"

She knew it was the right time to tell him that it was over. She knew it was time to be brave and tell him that she'd fallen in love with Joey and wanted to be with her. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to say just that. She was surprised when he interrupted her with a kiss. She ended it as quickly as politely possible.

"Look, I don't understand it," Brax said. "But I'll accept your friendship with Joey. I'll even be nice to her if that's what you want. Mostly, I just want to spend time with you again, Charlie. So, let's draw a line under everything, go to this party tomorrow night and be happy."

He smiled triumphantly, deciding that he had definitely said the right thing.

"Brax, I don't…" she tried.

He leapt up and dragged her out of the room, nudging her towards her friends – including Joey – and promising to see her tomorrow night. He left with Heath and Liam. Charlie looked apologetically at Joey, silently letting her know that she hadn't done what she was supposed to. Joey nodded, accepting it but still hoping their time would come.

That evening, Charlie, Joey, Bianca and Leah were all sitting in a circle on the floor of Charlie's large bedroom. As she usually did on a Friday night, Charlie was having a sleepover with her friends and she was particularly delighted to have Joey with her. Bianca and Leah were even playing nicely, which made a welcome change. She couldn't help but wonder if she would lose them though, when she ended things with Brax and started a relationship with Joey. Probably, she thought sadly. These were the girls she had grown up with. She didn't want to say goodbye.

"Hey, guess what I brought," Leah said, pulling a bottle out of her bag.

Bianca looked elated while Charlie looked surprised when the 'good' one of the two of them, presented them with a bottle of vodka.

"Drinking game!" Bianca proposed.

"I don't…" Joey said uncertainly.

"Are you scared?" Bianca teased.

"No," Joey said quickly, desperate to fit in.

"So, how about a game of truth?" Bianca suggested.

Next time… the girls each make some confessions…