Charlie and Gavin (#SPKSADcontest)

It was cold.

Charlie didn't mind. Or maybe he did mind; either way, he didn't look like he minded, which worked well for him, because no one tries to help you when you don't look as though you need help. And Charlie didn't like help.

In fact, he hated it.

That's probably the reason he snapped at caring strangers, scoffed at kind teachers, and glared at- well, everyone. He didn't want help, he didn't want pity. He didn't want to be known as the kid without friends.

He just didn't want to be known.

Charlie was perfectly content to walk home alone after school each day. He didn't mind sitting all by himself at lunch. It wasn't a big deal if he just skipped over silly holidays like Valentine's Day (even if the sight of lovey dovey couples everywhere he looked made him green with an emotion that could only be described as subconscious envy). He liked being alone.

At least, that's what he told himself.

"Hey, Charlie! Charles, Charlster, Mr. Char-lay, wassup? Wait up, I'll walk with you!"

Charlie gritted his teeth and dug his nails into the palms of his hands, blatantly refusing to pay the bouncy male behind him any attention whatsoever. He made sure each of his steps was an obvious stomp. Maybe the annoying boy would go away if he realized Charlie didn't want company.

"Geez," the boy panted. "You walk fast!"

Yeah, he didn't go away.

"Maybe I have a reason to walk fast," Charlie grumbled, still not looking at the other teen.

"Well, yeah, everyone has a reason for their actions. It's, like, a thing we humans do," the boy shrugged, smiling. "So, what's your reason?"

"I'm trying to avoid someone."

"Who? Is someone picking on you at school? Are you skipping detention? Did you make someone mad?"

"You. I'm trying to avoid you."

"... Oh."

"Now leave."

"Why?"

Charlie turned to face the boy, an enraged expression covering his face. "Because I don't want to talk to you! I want to avoid you, what do you not get about that?"

The boy shrugged. "I get it, but why are you trying to avoid me?"

"I don't know. I don't like people."

The boy rolled his eyes, and the bounce came back into his step as Charlie started off down the path again and he followed. "Why don't you like people?"

"They irk me."

"Seems to me like everything irks you," the boy giggled.

Charlie sighed. "Why are you following me?"

"I wanna be your friend! You don't seem to have many of those."

Charlie glared at him even as he subconsciously unclenched his fists. "Ha, right. What's the real reason?"

"No, really! Can we be friends?"

"I don't like people."

"You'd like me!" the boy insisted, smiling a warm smile. "Anyways, you need at least a little human interaction."

"No one likes interacting with me."

The boy scoffed. "I like interacting with you, silly!"

Charlie took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. "You know what? Fine. I'm Charlie, but somehow you already knew that. What's your name, Stalker?"

The boy giggled, and a goofy grin spread across his face. "I'm Gavin. And I'm not a stalker."

"Then how'd you know my name?"

"Some girl in English class was babbling to her friend about her crush on you. I think she's gonna ask you out this Valentine's Day."

Charlie, surprised that anyone could feel any emotion towards him other than hatred or indifference, fought to keep up his tough, uncaring facade. "I don't do Valentine's Day."

"Me neither. Those things never work out for me."

"Forever alone."

Gavin smiled just a little bit, nudging his new friend. "Could we be forever alone... together?"

And Charlie failed to keep the slight grin off his face as he mumbled, "Fine."