Charlotte's Problem

Charlotte

The next month or so is more or less uneventful. I mostly watch everything happen from the sidelines. I'm not sure if Marvin and Whizzer know this, but seeing the development of their relationship over the last four or five months I've known them has been interesting. I wonder if they see that with me and Cordelia.

Anyway, it's nice not having too much going on. It's also refreshing that Marvin and Trina are getting along now. I know he's always bugging her about her apparent crush on Mendel, but it seems to me that it bothers him, at least a little. But what do I know about that? I'm just watching from the sidelines.

I'm not too concerned with the whole Marvin-Whizzer-Trina-Mendel mess that could be forming anyway. My own schoolwork is getting more and more trying as the year goes on. I figured the climax would be early in the winter, around the middle of the year, but nope. It keeps on coming. And I'm going to get three more years of this. Maybe that's the beauty of college— you hate it more and more as time passes.

Anyhow, I'm in my dorm, trying to get some work done and, unlike what Marvin tells me, I get a pretty decent amount of time in. I'm feeling pretty happy with myself when I get a text message from Caroline.

Caroline: Hey can you talk?

Charlotte: Yeah sure what's up?

Caroline: Well I guess I'm going to be really busy this year because I'm looking for a college/job and I don't think we're going to get to hang out anymore

Caroline: I'm sorry :(

I'm speechless. What is she talking about? Oh, right, I kind of get where she's coming from. Last year I was busy with college decisions too. I didn't end an entire friendship over it, though.

Charlotte: Can we still talk after you sort this all out?

Caroline: I don't know, maybe

I can't believe this. This can't be happening. This was the longest friendship I've ever had, and now all of a sudden it's over? I place my phone down and get up to go to Cordelia and Whizzer's without bothering to take anything else with me.

Since Cordelia gave me a key a while back, I'm able to get into the apartment right away. Whizzer's sitting on the couch, texting somebody, like the world hasn't just been turned upside down.

He looks up and notices me. "Hey, Charlotte. Is everything okay?"

"No, for your information, everything is not okay. Caroline just ended our friendship." I walk into the living room and sink down onto the couch. "I mean, I know she's busy and all, but—"

"Wait, who's Caroline?"

I glare at him. "It's like you don't even care."

"Hi, babe," says Cordelia, coming out of her room, where I'm guessing she was watching Netflix on her phone, because she says that's what she always does when Whizzer's hogging the living room. "What's wrong?"

"Caroline texted me and said that we can't hang out while she's looking at schools and jobs or maybe ever again," I answer in a bitter tone, since I just explained the same thing to Whizzer and his reaction wasn't reassuring at all.

"Haven't you been ignoring her literally all year anyway?"

My jaw drops. "Ignoring her? No! We just don't get the chance to spend time together anymore because I'm so busy with college."

"But that's the same thing Caroline said to you," Whizzer points out. "You know, whoever she is."

"I wouldn't expect either of you to understand." I cross my arms over my chest.

Cordelia blinks. "Yeah, we don't."

I run my hands through my hair in exasperation. I guess they have a point. Caroline and I not really being friends anymore won't be much different than when we were friends. But it's not that I'm upset about, it's the fact that I've been straight-up dumped.

"Okay, we'll, while you're freaking out about that, let's talk about school," Whizzer suggests. "You guys, my grades are getting higher than Marvin was at the mixer last year when he ate the wrong kind of brownies."

Cordelia stares at him. "I remember that! That was Marvin?"

"Yeah." Whizzer nods, to my girlfriend's astonishment. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, my grades have been going way up. It's like, I don't even hate college anymore."

"That's good," Cordelia says slowly.

I look at both of them. "Can we please get back to my problem now?" I ask.

"No, because your problem is stupid," Whizzer answers. Cordelia elbows him and gives him a dirty look. He rubs his arm and replies, "What? You said that Charlotte barely talked to her anyway."

"No, you're right." I sigh. "You're both right. I should just get over this. Caroline and I were never really that close anyway."

Cordelia examines my face, probably to see if I'm really okay with this, and then turns back to Whizzer. "All right, let's talk about Marvin and the brownies."

"Well—"

"You know what, guys, I'm going back to my dorm," I interrupt, getting up from the couch. "I'm not in a really good mood right now."

"Because your friend who you never talked to anyway dropped you for her own good?" Whizzer asks.

I look at him, annoyed. "Yes."

Whizzer

Since Trina got her new job, we've been talking a lot and she's been updating me on what it's like. I've never sold clothes before, although now I'm thinking that's a better fit for my career path than working customer service at a retail store. It's not very fun, anyway. Do you know how many missing children I've had to find? And then some of the moms hit on me. It's weird.

Anyway, all is well. Even though Mendel and I only really know each other through Trina and Marvin, I try to get to know him better too. We talk sometimes in the library, but most of what I know about him is just that he's a psychology major.

Today, I'm hanging out in Marvin's dorm with him, and it's pretty laid-back because we're not putting pressure on ourselves to study when we know we're not going to anyway.

"So what's going on with us?" Marvin says out of the blue. "You know. Are we going fast or slow? Because it's been two months since we last talked about it and I still don't know when I'm going to meet your parents."

I raise my eyebrows. "And back in December it was me who wanted to meet your parents."

"Well, yes, but we've already established that I don't want you to do that until I come out to them."

"Duh. But when's that going to happen."

"I don't know. Don't rush me, Whizzer." He leans back on his bed and sighs. "Anyway, that's why I was talking about meeting your parents, who know all about your romantic life."

I nod. "Okay. I'll set that up. What about summer break?"

"That's three months from now."

"Yeah, but I need some time away from them after last time," I remark. "Don't get me wrong, they're amazing. But my last visit made me remember why I chose a school that was far from my hometown."

He smiles. "Okay, let's talk about something else now. How has it been going with Trina?" he wants to know.

"Don't get jealous," I tell him immediately.

"I'm not jealous. I'm just asking. You know I'm totally fine with you guys being friends."

He sounds sincere, but I still don't believe him. It's not every day you and your boyfriend become friends with your ex— unless of course, you're in a mediocre sitcom, which we're not.

We sit there for a while, on his bed with our backs against the wall. I don't know why we're here so often instead of going to my apartment all the time. Then again, Charlotte's over, and I like giving her and Cordelia their privacy when that happens.

Marvin takes my hand in his. "It's kind of peaceful here, isn't it?"

"Not really," I answer.

"Oh."

"I like spending time with you," I assure him, patting his leg. "There's just so much going on right now. Oh, did you know Charlotte stopped talking to Caroline the other day?"

"Who's Caroline?"

"I don't know either."

"Oh, okay," he replies. "It doesn't seem like much is going on in my life."

I turn to look at him. "You should start talking to Mendel more," I suggest.

"Hmm. No."

"You never want to do anything." I rest my head on his shoulder.

"I like just sitting here and hanging out with you," he says.

"Aww. That's nice."