Bad Boy Chemistry

15. Beach Date

Charlie's POV

"Are you okay, Charlie?" Principal Haas asked me concernedly as I sat on the opposite side of her desk.

I was picking at my fingernails, again.

"I'm fine, are you okay?" I quipped.

Principal Haas sighed, clicking her pen in a slow and almost calming rhythm.

"I understand that you've been through a lot the past few weeks. I expect this behavior from other students, but I've never expected it from you. You're a good kid, a nice and kind kid."

Being nice only gets you so far. Being bullied repeatedly seems to change one's perspective on the matter.

"I'm willing to take it easy on you, and let you off with a warning. But, if you continue down this road of bad behavior, I'll have to call your parents."

"Sorry, Principal Haas."

"How about you take the rest of the day off? Maybe you could visit the new Break Room across town and use your anger there?"

Was my high school principal seriously suggesting a rage room to me right now?

"I'll think about it." I said, taking my leave.

I'm still getting used to using crutches, it's annoying.

"Uh oh, what did you do?" Ryan asked as I left the principal's office.

"I punched someone in the face." I answered.

He chuckled, clearly not believing me.

"No seriously, what'd you do?"

I looked at him in all seriousness.

"Oh, you're being serious?"

I nodded my head as I slowly continued towards the front lawn.

"Did you get suspended?" Ryan wondered.

"No, Principal Haas said I should take the rest of the day off."

"How are you getting home?"

"I was just going to wait until school ended so Ella could drive me home." I said.

"I can drive you, I have two study periods."

"I also kinda don't want to go home early. My parents will know i got in trouble."

"And you don't want them thinking that you're secretly a bad boy?"

I laughed at that. If anything, I'm just a nerd with developing anger issues.

"Maybe we could go the beach?" He suggested, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants. "There's a nice cafe near the pier, we could grab a bite."

"Like, as a date?" I paused in the hallway.

He pulled his hands from his pockets and nervously scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah?"

I smiled. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay, sounds good."

He smiled, reaching over to grab my messenger bag from my shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Helping you." He popped the bag over his right shoulder as we continued the walk to the parking lot at the front of the school.

A fifteen minute drive later, we were now seated on a bench near the pier, eating loaded fries.

"This is my favourite food! I order it all the time." Ryan stated, taking another forkful.

"I can't believe I've never tried this before."

"So, who did you punch?"

I set my fork down and turned to face him. "Ace Caldwell."

He laughed. "Serves him right."

"Yeah, he's annoying."

A sudden breeze whipped past, smelling of saltwater, seaweed and hot sand. It was nice to be out and about.

I hadn't been to the beach in awhile.

The sound of the waves overlapping against the shore always seemed to soothe me.

We talked for another hour before he kindly offered to drive me home. His car had a sweet tropical smell to it, and it wasn't messy like I expected it would be. It was rather tidy.

The radio played some indie song I had never heard before. I didn't entirely hate it.

When we came to a stop across the road from my house, Ryan was the first to speak.

"So... Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, much better than my last date." Which probably wasn't even classed as a date, considering Stanley moved back to London without mentioning it to me.

I mean, it's not like he was obliged to tell me, It would have been nice, though.

"I had a good time, too." He smiled, turning to face the front of the vehicle.

I was quite nervous, just as much as he was, I'd guess.

"Maybe we can do it again sometime?" He asked.

"Yes, definitely."

I opened the passenger side door before turning to the backseats, reaching my arm over the center console to get my crutches.

"Wait, let me get them." He hastily exited the vehicle to bring me my crutches.

God I hated having to use crutches.

He ran around my side of the car and handed me my crutches. I took them and used them to stand up.

"Thanks."

"Anytime, Charlie."

I smiled.

"See you tomorrow." I said.

"See ya." He waved, going to hop back into his car.

My cheeks were starting to slightly burn with how much I was smiling. I crutched my way onto the porch, struggling to open the front door when all of a sudden it swings open.

"Where have you been?!" My mom shouted loud enough to wake the dead.

"I was with a friend." I made up an excuse.

"I know you weren't with Ella or Clayton. I was worried you might've been hurt again." She gave me a once over to make sure I wasn't hurt.

"I'm fine. Was just hanging with a friend."

She paused, a smile creeping onto her face.

"A 'friend', huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, a friend."

"You should have texted. Your father and I were worried sick, we were about to call the police!"

In case you hadn't noticed, my mother tends to be an overly dramatic person.

"I'm sorry." I frowned.

She ruffled my hair. "Oh, I almost forgot. Your friend from school came to drop off something, I told him he could wait in your room."

What?

I walked up the stairs on my crutches and entered my own bedroom to find Ace Caldwell sitting on my bed, petting Cinnamon.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked him.