𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 ᵍⁱˡᵇᵉʳᵗ ᵇˡʸᵗʰᵉ

25

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

"I hate him."

- charlotte wells

---

"What do you think about this?"

Ruby turned to Charlotte, glancing between her and Diana before looking at the words Charlotte was showing the two in her notebook.

"It's beautiful," Diana gushed, looking at the page. "When you're finished with that you need to stick it on the wall of our hut. Where's Anne, by the way?"

"She tripped on the chicken coop earlier and the eggs she was collecting fell into the fox trap," Charlotte informed the two. "Then she ran off. I don't know where she went."

Diana nodded, frowning as Billy walked towards the three. "What're you girls looking at?"

"Nothing of your concern," Diana replied.

"I shouldn't have even asked, I suppose you were reading one of Charlotte's love poems."

Charlotte whipped her head around to face him, her blood running cold. "What are you talking about?"

Billy pulled out a small paper from his pocket, followed by several more. "I found these when I was hunting. Have you shown these to the class yet?"

"Give it to me." Charlotte jumped up from her chair, stepping forward to snatch the sheet out of his hand. "Billy, I mean it, give it to me now!"

Billy sneered at her, opening his mouth to read her words out loud. "I choose you, again and again..."

"No, stop." Charlotte jumped forward, one of Billy's friends grabbing her wrists to hold her back. The scene had drawn attention, all eyes shifting to the middle of the room.

Diana stood from her seat, stepping towards Billy, snatching several of the papers from the desk behind him and his hands. "You have no right!"

"At the start and the finish of single every day-"

"Stop- don't read it out loud!" Charlotte yelled, her voice beginning to tremble out of embarrassment and the fact when your works get read out loud for everyone to hear, they sound more stupid than they did in your head. "Billy, please don't."

"No matter the season..." Billy smiled down at her, continuing to read loudly to the class despite Diana shouting, Charlotte close to tears. "No matter the age."

Charlotte spun around as the boy holding her was shoved away, Gilbert shoving him to the ground and moving to stand behind her. "Leave it alone."

"No I like this love poem," Billy chuckled. "Who are these about, Charlotte? Huh? You think anyone would feel this way back at you? You, of all people."

Charlotte's eyes glassed over, tears threatening to fall. The words stung more than lemon juice on a fresh wound, cutting deep into her flesh, reaching her hard, and stabbing it over and over until the blood rushed to her face, her skin flushing of embarrassment and rage.