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I glance in Charlie’s direction, finding her scowling at Josh. Shaking my head, I try to go back to work, but I find myself staring at the same drawing, unable to turn the page.
“This whole thing is stupid,” Josh announces.
“I know it’s annoying, but it’s half our grade,” Lauren replies quietly.
“Ms. Weaver is such a stuck-up bitch.”
Silence.
Charlie slides my portfolio back to me as she nods toward the door. Library? she mouths.
I nod, quickly stuffing my portfolio back into my bag while Charlie takes her own. She grabs her coat, tossing it over one arm, not wasting any time as she steps toward the door.
“Oh, I know,” says Lauren, her hand resting on Josh’s, a soft smile on her lips. “We could do something on love.”
Josh wrenches his hand away from her, rolling his eyes as I pass him. “Oh, my God, Lauren. Don’t you have an original idea in that little brain of yours?”
“Well, I don’t hear you coming up with anything,” Charlie says while opening the door.
Josh jerks toward her, scowling, while Lauren’s head bows. She looks so broken and defeated. I don’t understand why she stays with him, why she allows him to talk to her like that.
“Nobody asked you,” Josh says as he looks between us.
Charlie laughs bitterly. “Well, excuse me for having an opinion. Maybe I wouldn’t, if you weren’t yelling at her the entire time we were here.”
Josh scowls. Thankfully, his mouth remains shut. I watch Lauren, wanting to ask her if she’d like to join us, but she refuses to look at us, refuses to say anything.
“You okay, Lauren?” Charlie asks.
Lauren sniffs, wiping at her eyes. “Leave me alone,” she murmurs.
Charlie groans, rolling her eyes and stalking out of the room. I follow her, running to keep up with her long strides as the door swings shut behind me.
“I don’t know why I even bother!” Charlie shouts as she shoves the door open and steps into the cold, snowy air.
I rest a hand on her shoulder and Charlie immediately turns to me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“It’s okay,” I say while patting her back, hearing her sniff and stifle her cries.
“How can she stay with a jerk like him? Did you hear the way he was yelling at her?”
I nod. “I know. I know.”
I hold onto Charlie, allowing her to cry into my neck. This whole situation sucks and I wish there was something I could do, something more than I have been. But how can I help someone who doesn’t want it, who keeps pushing me and Charlie away?
