Chapter 12

   6:59am.
   I roll over in my bed and try to close my eyes. Immediately Charlotte appears in my head. I open my eyes.
   The door opens and blinding light shines in. I shield my eyes. "Get up Jude, it's time for breakfast."
   I gulp back my fatigue and get up as Drew closes the door to turn on the light. I walk over to my dresser and get dressed before walking out into the horde of boys and girls walking towards the cafeteria. When I get there I look around, expecting to see Charlotte. All of the other high school interviewers are there waiting for their partners, but I don't see Charlotte anywhere. I quickly look away from the tables and grab a muffin before sitting down at an empty table. I am immediately greeted by Alec.
   "Hey man, how is the whole project thing?"
   I don't answer.
   "All right, well how is Charlotte?" He opens his milk. "She is totally hot. You should bang her."
   I look up from my muffin. "I'm not going to bang her."
   He looks at me incredulously. "Dude, why not? I will if you won't."
   I grab my muffin and begin to unwrap it. "Don't f*****g touch her."
   Alec puts down his milk. "Why not?"
   "Don't f*****g touch her, Alec."
   "Why, because you want her so bad?"
   I don't reply.
   "You do, don't you?"
   "F**k off."
   Alec digs into his food. "Whatever. But I'm gonna try and bang her."
   Before I know what has happened, Alec is on the floor, blood coming from his nose. His tray is on the ground and our food is everywhere. I'm breathing hard and my fist is hurting.
   "Don't f*****g touch her." I don't feel well.
   "What the f**k man?" Alec doesn't look too happy. Everyone is looking at us.
   "She is not a s**t. She is not a hooker. She is not some hot girl to bang. She's-," someone you make love to. But I don't say that. I grit my teeth. "She's a human being, and if you f*****g touch her I'll hit you again."
   "Jesus Jude! She's just a f*****g girl! You don't go hitting people for talking s**t."
   "I do."
   I feel hands grab my arm. It's Drew. He sighs. "Come on Jude, I told you I wouldn't let another one go. Time to go to therapy."

   I sit in my therapists office looking at the floor. I'm making small circles on my leg, trying to slow down my breathing. My therapist is looking at me over her glasses with her hands set one on top of the other in front of her. She opens her mouth but there's a knock on the door.
   "Come in," she calls.
   The door opens and Charlotte steps in. She looks over at me and smiles but I look away.
   "I'm sorry to interrupt. I was a bit late and I couldn't find him in the cafeteria, so I thought maybe Jude would be here."
   "Yes, come in Charlotte."
   Charlotte closes the door behind her and sits down next to me on the couch, a little closer than she usually would.
   "Jude and I here were just discussing his latest fight."
   "What? What fight?" Charlotte looks over at me. "You got into a fight?"
   "Yes, Charlotte. I got into a f*****g fight. Big f*****g deal."
   She purses her lips.
   "Jude, we're going to bring in Alec."
   I roll my eyes. "What is this, elementary school? You should have just let me work it out myself."
   "Obviously you were acting like a 3rd grader with the behavior you chose to work it out with."
   The door opens and Alec is led in by Drew. Suddenly he breaks out laughing. "Wow, look there's the culprit now!"
   I glare at him.
   "Calm down f****r," Alec says, glaring back.
   "Shush, the both of you. Now Alec, why don't you tell your side of the story first."
   "All I did was come over to eat breakfast with him. I asked him how the project was and how Charlotte was and he got all pissed."
   "F**k you," I say. "That's not how it went."
   "I'm not done yet hot rod," he fires back. "I told him Charlotte was hot." He winks over at her and she cringes back into her seat. He looks over at my therapist. "I think the rest is inappropriate."
   "He said he was going to bang her," I interrupt.
   "Excuse me?" Charlotte says, her fingers digging into her legs.
   "You said, you were going to bang her?" My therapist confirms with Alec.
   "Yeah, only because he said he wouldn't. Then he got super pissed at me and told me not to f*****g touch her and dove across the table to hit me."
   I turn my hands into fists, clenching my teeth. Alec points.
   "See? He's getting all pissed again."
   I take a deep breath and look at Alec. "I will f*****g kill you in your sleep."
   "Hey!" My therapist shouts. "Watch it Jude. Threatening is a serious misdemeanor."
   "Anyways," Alec continues. "He then said that she wasn't a s**t or a hooker or someone that you banged and that she was a human or some s**t."
   Charlotte looks over at me but I don't return the look. I feel her fingers brush my leg. My chest pangs. I close my eyes.
   "Can I please leave?" I say, opening my eyes.
   "No you cannot leave, Jude. We aren't finished here."
   "Whatever, give me a punishment or some s**t. I just need to leave."
   "Jude, that isn't how it works." I hear the strain in my therapists voice.
   "Maybe Charlotte should leave," Alec cuts in. "I bet that's why he's acting all freaky. He likes her, that's why he said he wouldn't bang her."
   I stand up and partially raise a fist. I take a deep breath and then turn and walk out the door.
   "Jude!"
   I don't turn at Charlotte's voice. I keep walking.
   "Jude, please stop."
   I hear the sadness in her voice and I slow my feet to a stop. But I don't turn around.
   "Did you really say those things? That I wasn't a hooker and that I was a human being?"
   I still don't turn around. "Yes." I feel her fingers interlace in mine and I bite my lip.
   "Thank you." She turns in front of me and I am now forced to look at her. "I'm sorry I was late. But I have something I want to show you."