Chapter Six (I know, it's a bit short)

In my opinion, Monday was always the worst day of the week. I mean, it’s like you enjoy a relaxing or even maybe an amazing weekend, and then you have to start going to school again. It upset me a lot, but I forced myself up nonetheless.
School was never fun. But I was starting to love it. Working on the project with the Great, talking and reading books with Damien, having someone listen to me for the first time in my life.
Sometimes the only reason that I didn’t like my life was because I had a voice but no one ever listened. I mean, you always have something on your mind, but sometimes you have no one to listen. It’s like you’ve given up on the entire human race because it seems they hate you or something.
I also met up with the Great instead of Damien at lunch. It would’ve been a lot better, but Chrissy was back, and she had a cast on her arm.
“Hi, Paige,” Alexander greeted me.
I smiled at him, and then greeted Chrissy in attempt to stay polite. She just smirked at me.
We didn’t really talk that much, the Great and I, because I felt awkward having one-armed Chrissy constantly watch me. It turned out all right, though, because we finished the project that still wasn’t due until the end of the week.
“I’m glad we finished it early,” Alexander told me. “I would’ve hated to procrastinated.”
I smiled. “Yeah.”
Alexander kept the poster and told me he’d bring it on Friday when it was due. I felt bad because I felt he was doing more work than me even though we practically did the same amount of work.
After school, Damien and I drove to Wal-mart to start our shifts together. I was silent the entire ride. I didn’t know why, but I started feeling awkward around Damien. There was just something a little different about him, I couldn’t tell what, though.
Even when we got to work David noticed.
“Hey, Damien and Paige. How was school?”
“It was great, thanks David,” I said, smiling.
Damien shrugged, and went straight to work.
“Say, Paige,” David whispered to me. “What’s gotten into Damien?”
“I don’t know, David. He’s been really quiet, but I really don’t know.”
He frowned, and let me get to work.
Only then did I realize how insular Damien was. He barely even looked at me, and he didn’t speak much, and we didn’t work together like how we used to. I felt I should’ve been worried, but I just left him alone.
I decided to just take my break even though Damien didn’t tell me to. I just had a feeling he wouldn’t be talking to him much.
“Hey, guys,” I said coming into the break room, since I knew at least Angela and Katie would be in there. Charlie was in there, too.
The three of them sort of looked at me a bit awkwardly. Charlie cleared his throat, and looked away. Angela smiled, and Katie just starred.
“I’m going back to work,” Charlie said, getting up. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“Bye, Charlie,” Katie said.
“See ya,” I said, smiling.
He smiled briefly, and left the room.
I turned to Angela and Katie. “Is it me, or have all the guys started acting really weird?”
They looked at each other.
“Um,” Angela started. “About that…”
“What?” I asked. “Do you know something?”
“I know Damien’s been acting weird, and we have no idea about that,” Katie explained. “But you see, we know what’s up with Charlie.”
I raised my eyebrows at them. I didn’t particularly care about Charlie because he wasn’t as close to me as Damien, but I felt like I should ask.
“What’s wrong with Charlie?”
They looked at each other again. “I don’t know if I should say.”
“You don’t have to,” I said, and sat down.
“Charlie likes you!” Katie exclaimed.
“Katie!” Angela snapped at her.
Katie sat down by me. “He does, Paige, he really does. Don’t tell him I told you, but he thinks you’re cute and nice and funny and stuff like that!”
Whoa. This was new. “Wait, what?”
“He. Likes. You,” she said, emphasizing each word.
“I-I don’t…” I couldn’t even get any words out.
Katie frowned. “This isn’t rocket science, Paige! He likes you!”
At first I couldn’t think properly, then I thought of what to say. “Well, what am I supposed to do about that?”
“Do you like him?” Katie exclaimed, starting to jump up and down in her seat.
This was a surprisingly hard question to answer because I really liked Alexander. I really didn’t know Charlie all too well, and I wasn’t really sure.
“Katie, stop being so—” Angela started, but Katie cut her off.
“Angela, I’m playing match-maker. Shush!”
“I-I really don’t know…” I told her.
“How do you not know if you like someone or not?”
I shrugged.
“Ugh!”
“Hey, Paige, no pressure, ‘kay?” Angela told me.
“I don’t get what you guys mean,” I said, because I really didn’t.
Katie frowned again. “Just told tell Charlie I told you. And don’t talk to him about it unless he talks to you about it first, because if he finds out that you found out then he’d know that it was because of me.”
“Uh… sure, I guess, Katie…” I mumbled.
“Great!” she exclaimed, all perky again. “Thanks!”
I was so confused about all this, but the thing is I really didn’t process anything that they told me. Charlie what me?
“Wait a second, someone explain something to me,” I said.
“Paige, I’m not going to make this anymore clear,” Katie said. “Charlie, that kid who works with us, likes you. ‘Like’ as in he wants to be more than friends. He has a crush on you. He wants to grow up with you and start a family and all that stuff!”
I raised my eyebrow at her.
“Don’t push it, Katie,” Angela said.
My guess was that I really didn’t understand this whole “someone likes you!” business because no one had ever really liked me before. I mean, I think there was this one time, but then he found out what a nerd I was and then dumped me. You can never really count on people like that.
“I guess I get that,” I told her. “But what am I supposed to do about it?”
“Do you like him or not?” Katie snapped.
“I don’t know!” I yelled back.
She pouted at me just in that same manner she pouted at Charlie.
“How about this,” Angela started. “You can just hang out with Charlie and what not and find out if you like him or not.”
“I’m still not sure,” I said, my voice quiet again.
“Like him now, or like him later!” Katie yelled again.
I frowned at her. “I think I’ll just think about it,” I said.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Angela said.
The door opened again. It was Charlie. You have no idea how relieved I was that the conversation ended when it did.
“Charlie boy!” Katie exclaimed.
“Don’t get excited yet, Katie girl,” he said, smiling. “I’m just here to get my keys. I forgot ‘em.”
He smiled at Katie, and then smiled at me. Only then did I just notice how good he looked with that smile. His long dirty-blond hair pulling off the perfect skater look. And he did seem to be very sweet, especially from what I’ve seen him with Katie, and also very funny.
After Charlie left the room again, Damien came in. He didn’t say anything, but he opened a drawer, and started rummaging through it.
“Hey, Damien!” Katie’s perky voice greeted, a little too loudly.
“Get to work, Katie,” he said, bitterly. “Seriously, every time I see you, you’re in the break room. I’m tired of it, let’s see some work out of you. I don’t want to have to fire you, okay?”
Katie looked like she was about to burst out into tears, but I didn’t say anything.
“Dude, that was a bit harsh,” I told him. “She just said ‘hi’ to you.”
He looked at me, and then at Katie. “Oh. I’m sorry. I’ve had a long day, I guess.”
“Don’t sweat it, Damien kid,” Katie said, all perky again. “I was about to go to work anyway, just chill!”
He glared at her for a second, closed the door, and then left the break room.
I looked at Angela. “Do you see what I mean? Like, he’s acting kind of strange and all.”
Angela sighed. “I’ve noticed.”
“Well,” Katie started, slipping on her Wal-mart vest, “Damien kid said I’ve got to get to work!” And she left the room.