The Virginity Bet [#Wattys 2015]

Chapter 7

Charlie sighed as she realized Logan's house was much farther away than she thought it would be. She texted Caleb: Caleb! So srry, won't be home for awhile. House is 2 far!

She smiled at his immediate response: U owe me big time, prude. I'll b waiting for that ice cream!!

She had said back to him: Don't w@it up, asshole. Might decide 2 stick around for round 2 at the party. (; 

About an hour and a half later, Charlie parked in her driveway and ran to the front door. She placed her keys on the nearest table and grabbed a pint of strawberry ice cream from her fridge along with two spoons. She crept up the stairs so not to wake anyone up. It was still really early in the morning. She remembered Crystal and felt bad, so she walked to her room and poked her head through the door. 

Charlie winced as she saw her sister with her dress ajar. She still had her heels on, and she looked far from peaceful. She walked over and pulled her sisters shoes off. Then she rolled the blanket up to her shoulders and quietly tiptoed out of her sisters room.

She smiled giddily and walked to her room, expecting to see Caleb sitting in his room listening to music, waiting for Charlie. 

Her pint of ice cream fell and two spoons clattered on top of it as she looked through Caleb's open window. 

A girl in only her bra and underwear was laying on the bed in a seductive position. Charlie heard a door open and a grinning Caleb stepped into his room wearing only boxers. He walked up to the girl in his bed and licked his lips. 

Charlie could feel her heart racing. 

Caleb joined the girl on his bed and he started unhooking the straps of her bra. She laughed, "You're really good at unhooking bras."

He smirked, "It comes with experience."

Charlie suddenly couldn't bear to watch anymore of this and she pulled her blinds back to cover the scene unfolding and slipped on her headphones. As much as she tried to hold them back, a stream of tears ran down her face. She told herself she didn't care. She told herself that she didn't even like Caleb, even though deep down, she knew she was lying to herself.

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Later in the afternoon, Charlie lay on her bed staring at the cieling above her. There were fake glow-in-the-dark stars arranged on her cieling. She smiled sadly at the memory of her father sticking those stars up there.

"Dad! I went to Miranda's house and like, her room had little stars on the roof!" Charlie had pouted. Her dad chuckled, "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" He teased. Her cute little glare widened and she said, "Can you put stars on my cieling too, daddy?"

Then she went back to a time in eighth grade. Charlie had been dating Luke for 2 years. At the time, they were both stretched out on Charlie's bed, and her head was on his chest while his arm was around her shoulder. 

They had looked up at the stars and Luke had nudged her. "You see that one in the corner?" Charlie nodded. Luke smiled, "I'm naming that one Charlie. Because it's the brightest." 

Charlie shook the troubling thoughts away. It was all a lie anyway, she told herself. He never really loved me, she thought.

Charlie glanced at her phone, and to her dissapointment, there weren't any missed calls or texts from Caleb. Not that she would talk to him anyway.

There was a knock on the door and Crystal came in uninvited. "Charlie." She mumbled.

Charlie sighed, "I'm so sorry for yesterday, Crys. How did you and Luce get home?"