THE CREST • DPS

ii. the pit

A time long ago departed, Knox Overstreet's love lay in somebody else's hands. Before Chris, there had been another resident in his mind, one that made him have butterflies in the stomach and gave him sleeping troubles during the night. But those feeling were inevitably unrequited, and with shifts in time and changes of people, everything remained to be hopelessly the same. No one ever returned Knox's love.

What Charlie and Neil told him the other night, to stop being so blind, stormed away inside him. He didn't know what they meant when they threw the words at him, but he put ruining effort into deciphering them.

Perhaps Charlie was right. Knox hadn't any odds with Chris. She was of much higher worth, living her life in extreme excellence. Why would she ever consider leaving her boyfriend for an unconventional pathetic idiot like Knox Overstreet?

I'll do it. Knox decided. I'll stop chasing after. However hard it may be, I'll be doing the right thing.

But can love be so easily discarded?

*

For the following few days, Charlie avoided Knox. There was no agreed on conflict between the two, but deep inside there was tension strong enough to make them casually find excuses not to be involved with the other in anything, at any time.

Neil didn't waste a second before he went running over to Charlie the next day. "Well, maybe you should tell him."

"Don't be stupid, Neil. It isn't cute." Charlie frowned scornfully, suddenly tensing and sitting up straight in his bed.

"How else would he know then?"

"I just have to accept that he never will."

"Is that what you want?"

"Maybe!" Charlie said harshly. Neil looked worn and Charlie crossed his arms. "No. That's not it at all."

"Then tell him, you fool."

A battle ran inside Charlie's head. A dispute between harmless rationality and the temptations to be dangerously courageous. While both his pride and Neil were present, reason won.

"Why would I? That's so stupid. What has gotten into you today?"

*

Word seemingly does get around. Fast and without a single ounce of shame.

It took a mere day for the entirety of the Hell-ton to know that Charlie Dalton fancies Knox Overstreet. How that happened went beyond everyone.

Conclusively, It was a matter of open doors and unawareness. Neil presumed that someone might have overheard when he and Charlie were talking in his room earlier that morning. That was until they came to a conclusion and Cameron was outed as the originator of the situation. He walked by the room at the right moment and his big mouth spread the news around.

Charlie, aside from burning with indignity and rage, focused on avoiding Knox completely.