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- Generation Why; Conan Gray - 
- Idle Town; Conan Gray -


"There she is!" Jade exclaimed with a smile as she saw Charlie heading her way. "And she looks like Walden High threw up on her..." She added, looking slightly disgusted. "What the hell happened to you, Charlie?" 

"Well, Ren wanted me to wear his jacket, and I let Kiya do my face paint." Charlie shrugged, "I actually kind of like it."

"If you like it, then fuck it." Jade shrugged, "But it's just- weird. I'm not used to seeing you like this. You're like, one of them." She whispered the last part, looking at her best friend weirdly as Charlie stepped in between her and Mikey. "It's different."

"I'm not one of them," Charlie assured. "I'm still me. I'm just having fun, remember? Tonight's about us."

"Right. Having fun. Not giving a shit that shit's hit the fan." Jade crossed her arms.

"Okay, Miss Grouch." Charlie sighed, "I know you're still sad about what happened between you and Trystan, and it was wrong of me to even have the idea about going to him. But we would've eventually had to go to him whether it was now or later."

"No no, you're right. I would've eventually had the idea of going to him, too. And he has to get over the fact that it was going to get out anyway. He can't keep shit like that to himself. People knew and I'm sure Louise told people, too. More people probably knew than he realizes, he's just lashing out on us 'cause he's hurt." Jade shrugged, "It's just that everything is so fucked up and I hate it. Why can't we be a normal town?"

"What exactly is a normal town?" Charlie asked.

"Anything but Walden, that's for sure," Tyler spoke as he stepped to the other side of Jade.

"Oh, hey Tyler." Jade pulled out some popcorn that was in his hands and took a bite.

"Hey, Tyler." Charlie leaned forward, waving. "Where were you? I thought you two rode together?" She questioned as she realized he'd been missing when she got there.

"Was getting some popcorn," He said as he held the bag up. "We winning yet?"

"Haven't even started," Charlie commented.

"Right, I knew that," Tyler said.

"Charlie, do you even know anything about football?" Kiya asked from the other side of Mikey.

"Nope." Charlie shrugged, seeing that her blue-haired friend had nachos. She reached over and grabbed one, taking a bite. "But I'm here anyway."

"For Ren." Kiya and Jade said at the same time, the two looking at each other awkwardly for a moment.

"Well, at least that you can agree on," Tyler spoke up.

"Shut up, Wyatt," Jade grumbled, stealing more of his popcorn.

"Whatever, Hunt," Tyler replied.

"Anyways," Charlie spoke up loudly. Just as she was about to change the subject, she looked over to see none other than Nadia Joseph strut by with Ocean Green walking next to her.

They were on the track just on the other side of the chain-link fence, but they were so close. So close for Charlie to talk to, of course. Standing with the other cheerleaders in their Walden High School cheerleading uniforms, their hair in high ponytails with bowties in them, bright smiles on their faces as they smiled back at the crowd.

"Charlie, you okay?" Jade asked as she realized that Charlie had stopped talking.

The blonde didn't reply, and instead just pointed a finger at the newest student at Walden High School, doing some high kicks next to Nadia Joseph. She smiled a crooked smile, waving at people who she made eye contact with, yelling out as she cheered the crowd on. "Ocean," Charlie finally said, her eyes never leaving the girl. "She's here."

Where is Louise Bauman? + Original, Book 1 ✔Where stories live. Discover now