The Virginity Bet [#Wattys 2015]

Chapter 21

Charlie stared at the bars of the jail cell as she glared at Caleb from the corner of her eye. She felt tired and her body was sore. "This is all your fault." She whispered under her breath. She impatiently tapped her finger and the officer approached the two. "Looks like you two rascals are are gonna be sittin' in that cell for quite some time."

-----12 hours earlier-----

"What do you mean 'dad called?'" Charlie gritted her teeth as she hurtfully stepped farther away from Crystal.

Crystal tried to grab her hand, but she yanked it back. "I'm sorry. I don't..."

Their mother interjected with a shaky voice, "Crystal Vanessa Harper, you have some serious explaining to do."

"Okay, just listen to me." Crystal begged with pleading eyes. "Dad called the home phone. It was a few weeks ago. He asked me... Charlie? Is that you? And I was all like who is this? And then he said. Charlie, I've missed you so much, and for some reason I didn't correct him, I just said who are you? And then he said, It's your father, and then I choked out Dad? And then he told me he wanted to meet with me. Because he knew my birthday was coming up in a month. Well- your birthday, I mean. And then I said okay and hung up. Guys, I'm sorry, I just couldn't find the right way to tell you."

"He called for... Charlie?" Their mother squeaked. Before waiting for an answer, she stormed off to her room, slamming the door shut.

Charlie swiveled around and started to run away. "Charlie, please." Her sister croaked.

Charlie held up her hand and said, "Don't talk to me, Crystal." And she ran out slamming the house door behind her. She burst into tears all over again. Charlie couldn't believe the turn of events. Caleb loved her, she couldn't love him back, her father called for her. How does he even remember my birthday after he left me? She thought.

She was so out of it, she didn't notice Caleb sitting on her porch with his head in his hands. He was now looking up at Charlie, and she was staring back down at him, wiping her tears away.

"How much of that... did you hear?" Charlie whispered, looking away and up at the sky, thinking about how she wished the walls of her house weren't so thin.

Caleb looked up at the sky too. "All of it." He answered after a few moments.

"Why is everything in my life so fucked up?" She asked him, not really expecting an answer.

"I can't even begin to answer that question." Caleb sighed.

"Did you hear... what I was saying... about you?" She asked, biting her lip.

Caleb blankly stared at her before he slowly nodded. "I did." He said.

"Oh, alright.. okay... wow." She said, her mind jumping from one thought to another. She defeatedly sat down next to him on the wooden floor of her porch. The two sat in silence for a while. Charlie could hear Crystal's cries from inside as well. When her cries were finally muffled and no longer audible, Caleb said, "What's going on in your head right now?"

Charlie thought about her answer, "A lot." She stifled a laugh.

He put his arm around her shoulder and she stiffened, but finally relaxed, realizing that he wasn't trying to put a move on her. He was just trying to be a comforting friend, and she did really appreciate that.

"I just dont know what to do, Caleb." She whispered. He nodded, waiting for her to elaborate.

"About you and... Luke... and the rest of my friends. I messed everything up. And now I don't know if I can even forgive my sister. And now. My dad called asking for me? He wants to see me on my birthday? Can I even call him that? Dad? Does he even deserve that title, Caleb?"