Chapter 9

CHARLOTTE

The bonfire isn’t what I expected, which is a good and bad thing. I thought everyone would be chill, hanging around mini bonfire pits, but everyone was stripped down to their bikinis running into the ocean, splashing around.

Raven finds a spot to ditch her clothes, and she starts for the ocean. Taking off my boots, I sit next to her discarded clothes, scanning the crowd.

I see a bunch of people from my cooking class and some people I haven’t met a day in my life. This would be a long night for sure. Digging into my satchel, I pull out a book, ~Eligible~ by Curtis Sittenfeld.

Every now and then, I glance up as people pass by. Really, I’m hoping to catch one of the guys. I feel out of place here, but I also want to enjoy the bonfire thingy, too.

Raven officially ditched me thirty minutes ago when she came back for her clothes to hook up with some guy she met in the water. So, I bury myself in my book.

Reading word for word, chapter after chapter, before I know it, the sun is setting.

“Charles?” I look up to see Darren standing over me. “When did you get here?”

I look at my watch and groan. “About three hours ago, and you?”

“About the same time. Were you sitting here, reading the entire time?” He scratches the back of his neck.

“Come on, Charles, you have to have fun. This is senior year. You need to have fun and let loose. Did you do anything in college that is worth talking about years from now?”

I close my book and shake my head no. “I mean, going to college is a huge deal within itself so that’s something to talk about, right?”

“You aren’t serious, you can’t be serious.” He bends down to help me up. “We are going to have fun tonight and nothing you say is going to change my mind. The guys are going to be thrilled to see you.”

He’s already shoving my book into my satchel. “Did you come alone?”

“I was here with Raven, but she met someone.” I attempt to scan the beach for her. It’s getting darker and more students have flooded the beach. There is no way I can find her now.

“You know,” he throws my satchel over his shoulder and picks up my boots, “I don’t really like Raven. She seems off to me, always has and always will.”

“Hey, that’s my best friend you are talking about, and you don’t even know her.”

“Trust me. I know enough that she shouldn’t be friends with someone as nice as you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I look at him confused.

“Nothing. Let’s get going before the guys send out a search party for me.”

He walks off with my things and I stand frozen for a minute thinking about what he said. Raven has done nothing wrong so I honestly don’t know where all of that is coming from.

“Hey Charles, are you coming?” he looks back at me.

“Yeah.” I jog to catch up with him. “You don’t have to carry my things, you know. I can do it myself.” I reach for my boots but he raises them above his head.

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you carry your own things?” He winks at me.

“Are you being nice to me so I’ll move back into the frat house?”

He coughs and shakes his head. “Can I not just be nice?”

“You can.” I shrug my shoulders and fall into step with him. “I just thought…”

“Has no one ever been nice to you before?” He looks over at me.

“Of course.”

“Your family and Raven don’t count. So, has anyone outside of them done anything nice? Like a boyfriend?”

I don’t know if I should tell him or not. I narrow my eyes at him. “Don’t say anything, okay?”

“Umm, sure.”

“I never had a boyfriend before.”

He stops walking and looks dumbfounded. I stop short and look back at him. ~Please don’t make this weird.~ I hope that is the message my face is giving off, but then again, I could look like I’m in pain.

Either way, I should have never opened my big mouth. Darren is just staring at me, and I am getting more annoyed every second that passes by and he says nothing.

“D!” Tristan shouts heading our way. I shoot a quick glance at Darren, but he isn’t staring at me anymore. I quickly tap him, and he looks over at me.

“Don’t worry, I won’t say a thing.”

Tristan makes his way towards us, throwing his arm over my shoulder. “Charlotte, I am surprised to see you here. How do you like it so far?”

“It’s not really my thing, but I came with Raven, so here I am.” I shrug him off my shoulders. “I honestly think I should be going.”

“No way,” they said in unison.

“The night has just begun, and I know someone would be happy to see you,” Tristan says stingingly.

“Come on.” He grabs my hand and guides me over to a massive crowd. Well, not massive, maybe about twelve people. It was the guys and some cheerleaders I’ve seen around the campus before.

Tristan introduces me to the girls, and they obviously don’t care who I am, but are pretending because Tristan and the other guys are there.

Typical cheerleader behavior, I wouldn’t put it past them to be friendly with me all night just to get into good graces with the guys.

I watch Darren place my things near a pile of bags and footwear. I know exactly where my things are for when I make a great escape in the next thirty minutes.

I feel more uncomfortable around these cheerleaders than I did just coming to this bonfire. Vincent makes his way to me, shirtless, and I look away before he catches me checking out his Godlike abs.

“Charley, you look like you are ready to make a mad dash for the hills.” He stretches, and I take another peek at his body. My goodness, he must work out a lot. “Uh, Charlotte?”

“I am so sorry,” I blush. “I didn’t mean to look at you—I just thought—maybe—”

“It’s okay, Charley,” he chuckles. “At least I know you like what you see.”

I wish I could just teleport out of here. This is so embarrassing.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to tease you. I can go put on a shirt if that makes you feel better.”

“No, it’s okay. I am fine.”

The four cheerleaders Tristan introduced me to come walking up to us: Callie, Juliet, Makita, and Tessa.

Now that they are up close, I could have sworn the girl Callie was Dove’s friend, and here I am again, alone with Vincent.

“Hey, Charlotte, we were just wondering if you want to take a swim with us.” Callie smiles her pearly whites at me.

“Yeah, let us girls have a moment to catch up and the guys do whatever guys do.” Makita flips her straight black hair over behind her shoulder.

“Sorry, I don’t have a swimsuit.” I shrug my shoulders slightly.

“Oh, no worries, I always carry extra with me. I think we’re about the same size—well, your breasts are bigger, but that will make the bathing suit look even hotter on you.”

Tessa winks at me. She can’t be serious, can she? I look over to Vincent, and he just shrugs his shoulders. What is with everyone shrugging their shoulders? Ugh.

“I don’t think it is sanitary to share bikini bottoms. You girls should just go for a swim without me. I am leaving soon anyway.”

“Nonsense. This bikini is new, come with me.” She grabs my wrist and pulls me with her up the hill to the parking lot. “You are just going to love this one.”

There was nothing there. “What is this? That’s not a swimsuit.” The top for sure will look like nip covers and the bottom, well, it was practically a thong.

She tilts her head to the side and eyes me.

“Look, I am trying to help you out, because those girls down there are ready to tear you apart. Dove doesn’t play when it comes to Vinny.

“Callie sent her a text saying you both were all googly-eyed with each other. She is on her way now.”

“What? I don’t like Vincent in any way. He is a nice guy.”

“She’ll be here soon. Just steer clear of Vinny, okay?”

She pauses and waits for my response. I nod my head.

“Good, this is all I have that’s never been worn. It may look whorish, but if you wear it right, you’ll look like a heavenly vixen since it’s white and all.” She tosses it at me.

“I honestly can’t wear this. I think I’m going to leave for the night,” I tell her.

“No, you are not. I also need you to do me one small favor, since I helped you out.”

“But you didn’t help me out.” I raise an eyebrow at her.

“I did.” She points at the swimsuit. “Dove wants you to seduce Chase an—”

“Wait? What? No way. He hates me.” My eyes widen.

“No, he doesn’t, and you know it. Seduce him tonight with that.” She points to the swimsuit again. “That’s all you have to do, and leave the rest up to us. Maybe you can get a kiss out of it.”

“No way.” I toss the swimsuit back at her.

“I don’t want to be a part of something that could potentially hurt people. Whatever you girls have going on doesn’t involve me. I barely know any of you, and I would like to keep it that way.”

She steps closer. “Charlotte, or as the entire campus knows you, Snow White, you have a major role in this.”

“How?”

“You are the closest to all the guys, especially Natalia’s toy boy Chase. If you help us out with this little thing, I’ll let you know who the person is who will be submitting their application for RCA.”

This was news to me. “I’m the only applicant for that school.”

“No sweetie, you’re not.” She fake pouts at me. “I overheard some girls talking about it two days ago. You help us, and I’ll help you. What do you say?”

No one has shown interest in the academy before. I’ve heard no one talk about it. All junior year I kept my ear to the ground when it came to RCA, and no one has spoken about it but me.

Everyone knew I was going for it, and some even told me I already got in because no one was a better cook than me in our year. This has to be a bluff.

“I don’t believe you.” I look her straight in the eyes.

“Fine, don’t believe me, but when you get the news that someone submitted an application, don’t come begging me to tell you who it is.” She turns her back, putting the swimsuit back in the trunk.

“Hey what’s taking you guys so long? We’re ready to take a dip,” Callie yells walking up the hill. “Dove is here already. She got here quicker than we thought and she is eager to meet Charlotte. Did you find the swimsuit?”

“Actually, Charlotte is—”

“Is looking for a restroom to change into the swimsuit, and I don’t know where one is, do you?” I cut Tessa off. I don’t want to pass up on something that involved RCA. I can already feel the regret.

“Yeah, just go to Roy’s Diner, over there.” She points to a mom-and-pop diner across the street. “See you girls down by the water in ten.” She smiles, turning back around.

“I see you had a change of heart.” Tessa gets the swimsuit back out. “Come on before all the girls come looking for us next.” She rolls her eyes.

“You will tell me once everything is over, right?”

“Yup once everything is ~done~.” She slams her trunk door closed.