233 New beginnings, changing times, and culinary crimes

When Beluga left, Chuck squinted at Monica, wondering why she took responsibility for the scream. 

Seeing this, Monica smiled. "So this is why you were so shy and panicked last night..."

Chuck looked at the ground, then spoke with a pitch that was a little higher than yesterday. It was her natural voice. "Sorry… Yea, I've…never actually gotten this far with a girl."

"Why dress up as a guy?"

Chuck sighed. "It's a long story…"

"Well, I'd love to hear it."

After hesitating for a few seconds, Chuck decided to share a little. "I get lonely…but…something happened to me once, and I couldn't trust men after. No, I became terrified of even touching them… So I thought maybe…I'll try dating girls, but...being reserved, I didn't know how to approach them either. Then, I found a group of guys online, who I could hang out with, and with whom I could speak to women."