27 I see myself in you

"Hey, Charlotte, what are you gonna eat for lunch?"

Trixie sprang and wrapped her arms around Charlotte. It's lunchtime and they are deciding on what to eat. With the two girls beside her, she clung to the girl's arms. "Are you on your diet today?" As usual, her blonde hair was in a bun.

Charlotte smiled and nodded her head. "I won't be eating lunch. You guys should go ahead." She waved her hands and sat down on her desk, opening a book upon putting on her eyeglasses.

That annoyed Trixie that she even clicked her tongue. "You gonna read books the whole lunch time?" She let go and tapped the two girls beside her. "Let's go, she said she's not eating with us," she hid the scowled face with her hands, brushing her cheeks as they exited the classroom.

Charlotte stayed inside the classroom. She really wanted to eat lunch, but after seeing them, she felt a little discomfort. She flipped through the book and read to let her mind relax. Charlotte's not that hungry though, so she can still hold herself.

The girl loves to read, and she wanted to experience someone who'll follow her into the library to read together. She also wants someone with the same vibes as her. Recalling this someone she wanted so much made Charlotte sad. She fixed her eyes on the last page of the book and made a bitter smile. 'I shouldn't have confessed to you,' she thought.

Charlotte stood up with the book in her hands. She already finished the one she's been reading for days, so she'll borrow a new one. It's only been 30 minutes since the lunch break has started. She still has a lot of time in her hands.

"What? Who said that I'm going to force her to eat lunch with us?"

She paused right in front of the half-opened door of the bathroom. She didn't mean to get nosy, but she recognized the voices. It was Trixie and her—friends?

"She's annoying and boring, I thought she's interesting because she's a celebrity"

"Yeah, you're right, I only stay by her side because she gave us everything we want"

"You are so loud. What if someone heard us?"

"I don't care. Even if that boring girl heard us, nothing good will come to her. People will use and befriend her because of her status. She should be thankful that I'm considering her,"

The laughter from the girl's bathroom resounded into the enclosed area as it echoed towards Charlotte's ears, who's standing right beside the door. She's expecting it though, that some of her classmates will just flock around her because of her status in the school. She can endure it, for now. Charlotte didn't want to be an outcast.

The feeling of excitement going to the library disappeared from her heart. Only the heavy feelings remained to her with a heavy footstep. She needed to control her emotions if she didn't like to get embarrassed in school.

The library was quite far from their building. It is located at the back of the first building on her right side. So she'll be passing by the gym and washrooms for athletes.

"Excuse me!!!"

Charlotte turned her head, and before she could make a move, another figure stumbled onto her. They fell on the grassy land as they both hit each other. The water bottles and the sodas in cans rolled over beside them.

"I-I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean to b-bump you," the girl who seemed to have the height by her shoulders apologized as she immediately picked up the beverages. Charlotte was startled for a minute before her hand moved and picked the last soda. With her surprised expression, she handed the soda to the girl. "Here" she said.

The girl grabbed the soda back and bowed her head, "Thank you and I'm really sorry, I will treat you some time if I see you again" she was about to head first when Charlotte got the urge to pull her hand. "W-Wait!"

The girl turned her head. "Eh? What?!" she exclaimed, looking down at their connected hands. "Y-You need something?" she asked.

Charlotte blushed from embarrassment, so she quickly let go. "Eh?!" she blurted out, retracting her hand and putting it on her chest. "I-I'm s-sorry! I'm sorry!" she abruptly bowed her head a couple of times.

The girl got more shock from her actions so she took a step back. "Ehh?!! Please don't apologize over trivial things!" she said, waving her right hand in the air while the other was holding the bottles and cans.

It made Charlotte even more anxious. "I j-just w-want to know--" her words were cut when three girls yelled meters away from them.

"Hey! Why are you taking too long?!"

"Hurry! We're already thirsty!"

"Did you buy my soda?"

The girl looked at Charlotte and then at the group of girls alternately. Her face turned anxious as she panicked. "Y-Yeah! I bought it! I have it" She was about to take a step again when she remembered Charlotte.

The girl smiled at her and said. "I'm Addison, nice to meet you," then she trudged to her classmates waiting for her who's wearing a P.E uniform.

Until she was left there, Charlotte didn't move. She grasped her hands, which were still on her chest. Feeling the different emotions lingering in her from that encounter, she became speechless. Her heart felt a little excited and nervous at the same time.

Addison seemed like running an errand for her classmates and she's not even wearing her P.E uniform even though it was their P.E class, and they all headed to the gym. That expression she made when they bumped. That nervous look on her face when she saw her classmates. Those small words and low tone of voice. And those clumsy actions around her.

All of it reminded Charlotte of someone. Someone who's still scared of coming out until now. She made a bitter smile and clenched her chest. 'Why am I feeling like this? Is it because we're the same?' she thought.

'I see myself in you, are we both pretending?'