"You're kidding me," David said with a disgusted look after Charlotte told him the whole story of her and Spot. He sat across from Charlotte in Tibby's a week later after a day of selling papers.

"I know you disapprove, and I know I hurt you, but I really care about him, David," said Charlotte.

"What makes this time different than before?"

"He's not seeing anyone else."

"And you believe him? He's a womanizer, Charlotte!" David lowered his voice to a whisper to avoid making a scene in the middle of Tibby's. "You're just another girl he's chasing, and when he gets bored with you, he's going to drop you for the next girl that comes along!"

From the expression on her face, David could tell his words hurt her nearly as bad as when Spot had hurt her.

She blinked a few times and looked away. David saw her wipe at her cheek.

A dull ache formed in the pit of his stomach at the thought that he'd made her cry. He immediately regretted everything he said. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to take every word back. He wanted to pull her into his arms. But nothing came out of his mouth. The dark part of him wanted her to feel what she'd made him feel.

"Hey," Spot said, sitting down next to Charlotte, resting his arm on the back of Charlotte's chair.

David looked down at his coffee, slowly turning the cup. Charlotte looked in the direction of the window, keeping her face away from the boys. Spot looked between the two, sensing the tension.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

David nodded and finished off his coffee. "I need to get home," said David. He stood up and put a few coins on the table for his coffee. "See you two later."

Charlotte chewed on her lip as she looked down at the table. David watched her for a few beats before glancing at Spot and walking out of the restaurant.


"What's wrong, David?" Mrs. Jacobs drew the words out as she spoke them later that night after dinner.

"Nothing," said David, helping his mother dry the dishes.

Mrs. Jacobs crossed her arms. "Don't lie to your mother. You've been moping ever since you came home."

David shrugged and put away the small stack of plates he'd finished drying.

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a certain young lady, would it?" she asked.

David sighed. "Ma, I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"Did you and Charlotte have a fight?"

David rolled his eyes. "No, Ma. Look, just let it go. Please?"

"Fine, fine." Mrs. Jacobs put her hands up. "I understand. You don't want to talk to your mother about it."

David continued to dry the dishes in silence. Mrs. Jacobs glanced over at her son, her mother's intuition telling her exactly what was going on. Despite what Mae Fuller had recently told her about Charlotte's personal affairs, she could tell from her son's demeanor that things had changed.

"Your father should be able to go back to work next month," said Mrs. Jacobs. "I know you're looking forward to going back to school."

David gave a noncommittal grunt in response. School meant George and his posse. School meant Charlotte. School meant Spot waiting for her every day outside the school gate.

"Well, I'm looking forward to you going back to school," said Mrs. Jacobs. "I'll be glad to see Charlotte again when you have her over for study sessions."

David shrugged. "If she'll come."

"Of course she'll come," Mrs. Jacobs rolled her eyes. "That girl is your best friend, and she cares about you."

David, tired of his mother's probing, finished drying the dishes and hung up the towel. "I'm going to go read." He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for trying."

David grabbed his book and walked through his room to the window, crawled out, and settled on the fire escape. The setting sun provided enough light to read, though reading was the last thing on his mind.


"Dessert, Charlotte?" Aunt Mae offered.

Charlotte shook her head, her cheek resting against her fist.

"What's wrong, kitten?" Uncle Ben asked.

Charlotte shrugged. "Just…a long day."

"Mm-hm," Uncle Ben nodded. "Did this long day have anything to do with a certain young man that we have yet to meet?"

"No, this long day had to do with our favorite young man," said Aunt Mae.

"David?" asked Uncle Ben.

Charlotte's head snapped up. "How'd you know that?"

"Oh, honey," said Aunt Mae. "I can read you like a book. When Spot upset you, you cried and ate everyone's dessert. You were a little worse for the wear, but you managed to pick yourself up and carry on. When something happens with David, you hardly eat and you mope for days."

Charlotte sighed. "David and I…we didn't really fight, but…he's not happy with me."

Uncle Ben raised an eyebrow. "Did your fight involve Spot?"

Charlotte lowered her eyes, but said nothing.

Uncle Ben and Aunt Mae shared a look.

"You know, Charlotte, your friends should always come first," said Aunt Mae.

"After your family, of course," Uncle Ben added with a wink.

"And if Spot is causing trouble with your friends, then maybe you need to reevaluate your relationship with him," Aunt Mae continued.

"Spot isn't causing trouble," said Charlotte. "David just needs to accept the fact that Spot is in my life."

"I miss having David around," said Uncle Ben. "Before you…er, I mean, before the strike, he would come over to study and stay for dinner all the time."

"Things are different now." Charlotte sighed and stood up. "I'm going to bed."

Once she was in her room, she changed into her nightgown and laid on her bed. She stared at her dark ceiling. Why did she have to choose between David and Spot? When things were good with one, they were bad with the other.

She had never fought with David before. She missed the easy friendship she used to share with him. Charlotte knew that if Spot weren't in the picture, things with David would clear up and return to normal. Like the city after a thunderstorm, it would take time for the clouds to clear and the rain to dry, but eventually the sun would shine bright and warm again.

But why should Spot have to get out of the picture? Why couldn't David just accept that he was in her life and live with it? She tried to avoid thinking of the day where she would eventually have to choose between her friend and her love.