now or never - charlie gillespie

chapter eighteen

"Lake?" I heard my name being called. It was a female voice. I turned around to see who it was.

We were currently on the set, waiting for Owen to show up.

As she got closer to me I recognized her. "Madison!" I said, my inner voice screaming.

"I knew it was you girl! Charlie is always showing you off!" She said. "It's nice to finally meet you," she said giving me a hug. I just smiled and introduced her to Ava and Sawyer.

"LAKE!" Another girl squealed from behind us. I turned around and sure enough, Sophia was skipping her way over to me. She gave me a big hug, squeezing me tight. She pulled away and looked around in awe. "Isn't this just the coolest thing ever?" She said jumping up and down in her place.

I could see Charlie walking up to us from behind her. I quickly darted my eyes away, not ready for another rude conversation that would just get on my nerves.

"Soph, baby," he whispered once he reached us. "Let's go, I wanna show you my trailer now," he grabbed her hand and yanked her away. She turned back, giggling and waving goodbye at us.

Sawyer and Ava just shook their heads.

"Girl to girl," Madison whispered to me, getting closer "I like you more," she winked at me. "I mean she seems nice and everything, but Charlie just isn't him around her y'know?"

"Tell me about it," I said staring at them as they walked away.

"There you are!" Owen yelled as he finally approached us. "I've been looking for you guys everywhere. Hey! You finally met Mads," he said wrapping his arm around her shoulder. I just nodded my head.

I really didn't want to be the girl who was such a downer, but it was really getting harder by the second.

"Uh, Mads, you're on break right?" Owen asked her and she nodded. "Would you mind showing them around? I wanna show Lake something," he said pointing his head towards the door.

"Yeah sure. Come on guys," Madison said waving for them to follow her. "This way."

"Oh my god, this really is exciting," I heard Sawyer say to Ava as they walked off behind Madison.

"So this is my trailer," he said letting me in and closing the door behind him. "I saw the look on your face back there and thought you could use a break from reality. It's really quiet here," he said looking around the room.

I took a seat on the couch opposite him and let out one long sigh. "I just don't get it!" I whisper yelled, exasperated. "Why is he being like this?"

"I really don't know what his problem is," Owen said looking at his feet. "Can I ask you a question?" Owen asked looking up at me. I nodded my head.

"Shoot."

"You like him right?" He asked.

I immediately broke eye contact, and chewed on the inside of my cheek, thinking about my answer.

"I'll take that as a yes. Why didn't you just tell him?" He asked coming closer to me.

"I don't know. In a way I'm glad I didn't. He's someone else completely now. I'm glad I know it now. Better late than never," I said turning my face to Owen shrugging my shoulders.

"You know what always makes me feel better?" He asked me.

"What?" I said slouching back in the couch.

"Writing. A poem, a song, a journal entry. Anything. It's very cathartic," he said getting up and searching for something. "Ah ha! I knew I had one in here somewhere," he said coming over to me with a pen and a bunch of scraps of paper.