An extra update for you all in case I am absent tomorrow. I hope you like it. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Three

Charlie sat rather awkwardly around a large table in the busy student bar. She was regretting coming out already and everyone seemed to have made friends a lot quicker than she had, although that was no great surprise. Joey, the one person she'd had a conversation with had kindly seated herself beside her and they'd chatted a little bit. But Joey was clearly a popular girl and she was finding it extremely easy to make friends.

Having turned to her left, after struggling to make conversation with Charlie, Joey chatted rather animatedly to Brax, Aden, Belle and Nicole. The four of them were particularly entertaining and she was warming to them quickly.

"So, are you guys thinking of joining any of the social groups or anything?" Belle asked.

With a keen interest in politics, she was keen to be part of the activism group she had heard about, as well as the photography club.

"That sounds interesting," Aden said. "The photography."

In all honesty, he had no inclination to start taking photos of anything. But he had a strong urge to spend more time with Belle and if that was the way to do it, then he would. Brax smirked at him, clearly reading his mind.

"I'm going to join the gym as soon as I can," Brax said.

Despite her anxiety, Charlie tuned into the conversation. Joey noticed.

"You like working out?" she asked.

Charlie nodded, clutching her glass of wine a little too tightly.

"Maybe we should go and sign up together," Brax suggested.

He was very aware that Joey wanted to include the shyest member of their group and he was happy to play ball.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Joey enthused with a smile in Charlie's direction.

"Yeah, maybe," Charlie said, a little less enthusiastically than she wanted. "I was going to head over there on Monday morning."

"It's a date," Joey grinned.

"I can't be doing with the gym and stuff," Nicole admitted. "Especially not now."

"Yeah, I was trying to be polite but what's the deal?" Joey asked bluntly.

Nicole laughed.

"I was dating a pretty horrible guy," she explained, not seeming to mind.

Charlie stiffened and turned away from the conversation again. She tried to tune into the people on the other side of her – Rachel, Leah and Martha who were busily chatting to Hugo and Jack.

"So, you're engaged?" Hugo asked Leah, who nodded.

"Vinnie's my childhood sweetheart," she explained. "And he really is a sweetheart. I think I've loved him for as long as I've known him."

The other two girls giggled at the way their new friend swooned. Charlie managed a smile.

"And you two are single?" Hugo persisted, directing his question to Rachel and Martha who both confirmed that they were.

"In which case, why don't the four of us go on a double date?" Hugo suggested. "I'd definitely like to get to know you better!"

He offered his most charming smile, prompting Martha and Rachel to laugh and ask which one of them he was talking to.

"Either!" he said. "I really don't mind! You're both hot!"

The girls laughed again. Jack blushed a little an apologised for his cocky cousin. He and Martha exchanged a shy smile. It was enough to make Martha decide once and for all that he was the boy she liked.

"So, I'm giving the baby up for adoption when he arrives," Nicole explained. "It just feels like the right thing to do. It's not that I don't want him. I love him already and I want to give him the best life I can. But I'm eighteen and single, his father was evil and is now dead... And I know this amazing couple who are desperate for a baby of their own. It just makes sense, you know?"

Joey nodded and patted her hand in empathy.

"I think you're really brave," she said.

Charlie half tuned back into the conversation but kept her opinions to herself. She did not think Nicole was brave in the slightest.

"So, any other clubs you guys are joining?" Nicole asked, changing the subject and sipping her orange juice.

"I heard that because we're close to the beach there's a surfing gang so I might join that," Brax ventured.

"You're already in a surfing gang," Joey pointed out. "And they're pretty notorious as far as I can tell!"

Brax had already explained that he was the first of his River Boys to get as far as University.

"They're an hour away now," he said. "And although I will always be one of them, I can't be with them in the way that I've been used to. Therefore, I need a new gang."

He offered his most charming smile.

"Anyone care to join?" he asked.

"I'm in," Joe agreed readily.

Aden and Belle both declined. Nicole said she'd think about it when she wasn't pregnant.

"How about you, Charlie?" Joey asked, hoping to bring her back into the conversation.

"I'm not going to join any clubs," the brunette said firmly. "I don't want to distract myself from my studies."

"But you have to have some fun too," Joey pointed out.

"I'm not here for fun," Charlie reiterated. "I'm here to learn and get qualifications. That's it."

"Okay," Joey said in a tone that she didn't really understand the theory.

Charlie felt immediately frustrated.

"Well, I'm up for surfing," Joey said cheerfully. "And the gym. And I read on the prospectus about a fishing club so I'll totally go for that."

"Fishing?" Aden asked.

"Laugh all you want but..."

"I'm not laughing," Aden assured her. "Can I do it with you?"

"Sure!" Joey beamed. "And I'm going to join the LGBT society too."

"LGBT?" Belle asked curiously.

"Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Group," Joey explained.

Charlie immediately became interested again but chose to stay quiet.

"Are you...?" Nicole asked.

"Gay," Joey confirmed.

She exhaled discreetly and swigged her drink. It was the first time she had really admitted it out loud to anyone she wasn't actually dating. Everything had been so secret before.

"Who's gay?" Angel asked, interrupting the conversation and causing everyone else to look at her.

"Um... me," Joey admitted, now feeling a little awkward at the fact that the whole table were now paying attention.

"I'm bisexual," Angel revealed.

Shane looked a little flustered.

"Me too," Shannon added.

"But she's dating me," Curtis said, putting his arm a little possessively around her.

"Anyone else?" Bianca asked with interest.

"Me," Watson said quietly, turning pink. "I'm gay."

"And me," Charlie admitted.

Everyone looked particularly surprised both at the admission and the fact that she'd spoken at all.

"Well, the LGBT society are all meeting on Tuesday lunch time so if anyone wants to come with me..."

Shannon, Angel and Watson all opted in. Charlie resumed her silence.

Next time… the group all start their first day of classes and Charlie rejects all offers of friendship…