✓ | THAT'S SO US ! ( NOAH SCHNAPP )

xiii. a bunch of questions

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
[ xiii. a bunch of questions ]
/ IRL /

"CHARLEY, CHARLEY?" THE concerned girl asked as she tried to get her attention, making the blonde snap out of her thoughts. "You've been wiping that same spot for the past five minutes, what's up?" Charley looked down at the rag she was holding and weakly smiled.

"Oh, guess I was," the blonde nervously chuckled. "Nothing's wrong."

"Char, you're lying to me. Is it because of Noah?" Macen asked hesitantly, making Charley huff her breath.

"No, it's not because of Noah," she lied, not making eye contact. Macen continued to eye the girl till she finally gave up. "Yes, yes! It's because of Noah."

"He's coming back, ya know," her friend reminded with a caring tone, making the distressed girl sigh and nod.

"I know he's coming back, but it's just . . . I don't know," Charley groaned and looked everywhere but here, looking for anything that can change the subject. She wasn't the one to talk about feelings. "Mace, this diner has been opened for hours and nobody has came in. It's been like this the whole week." Macen turned around and saw all the empty tables and seats.

"Weird. Why's that happening?" Macen asked as she turned back around to face the girl. Charley shrugged and continued to wipe down the counter.

"I don't know and I'm getting kind of worried. Dad has been picking me up earlier and earlier and the workers rarely come to work anymore," Charley explained truthfully, her voice getting softer. "I asked my dad about it, but he refuses to tell me," she huffed and sat her rag down.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Macen asked, genuinely concerned for her friend's future.

Charley slightly shrugged and sighed. "I honestly have no clue right now. I'm just so stressed with everything and I'm way behind on my schoolwork."

"Then quit," her friend chuckled. Charley groaned and leaned on the counter.

"I can't quit, Mace. It's not that simple."

"For me it is."

"Probably. But me and you are two totally different people," Charley stated as she took off her apron. "I'm working here till I go to college and actually get a job."

"Wow, you're very passionate," the brunette smirked as she played with her bracelets. The blonde hung her apron in the hallway leading into the back. She walked behind the counter and nodded.

"Yes, in fact. I am," she let out a soft chuckle. Macen shook her head with a smile plastered on her face.

"What are you gonna do about Noah?"

"What about him?"

"You're not allowed to date, remember?" Macen reminded, making Charley's smile drop.

"We aren't gonna date. There's no way I'm dating a celebrity," Charley laughed as she grabbed the keys to lock the diner doors. "I miss him."

"I know you do, but he's coming back," the girl smiled reassuringly as she got off the stool and stood by the blonde.

"Yea, I know. It just hurts because I know he doesn't like me and I have to go through the torment of seeing him and missing him," Charley sighed as she started to walk towards the front doors. "It's depressing, really."

"Never gone through it." Macen started to turn off the lights in the diner.

"Be lucky you haven't." Charley glanced over and saw the jukebox. She smiled at the memories that came coming back to her. Remembering them stupidly dancing and acting like idiots, hiding from her father on the side of the diner, and even spilling that damn milkshake all over an innocent bystander. She shut the doors and started to lock it. Macen put her arm around the girl's shoulders and they started to walk away from the building, smiles both on their faces.

"You really like him, do you?" The brunette asked her friend, making her blush.

"Yea, I really do."

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DONT TOUCH ME IM SOFT. THIS IS COMING TO AN END AND IM CRYING.