Thin Line- Charlie Dalton Love Story

Chapter 25: The Bet Happened

{Valerie's POV}

I had just finished with my so-called punishment and my ass was sore as hell. It was dark out by the time I was finished with detention. I'm gonna have to hover over the toilet seat for a week or so. My right hand was cramping like hell from doing lines all day but all that pain didn't bother me at all. My first priority now was to look for Charlie. I had made up my mind to never tell him about the bet. Or maybe I'll tell him when we're old and wrinkly and such truth won't matter to him then. I'll just pay off Stacey, Jamie, and Lily. I'm sure they would have some human decency to keep their mouths shut.

I ran to the dorms and made a sharp turn to the boys side. Didn't even knock, I burst open Charlie's dorm room and the only person in it was a very pissed off Cameron. He had a headset on, his pants lowered and in the middle of pleasuring himself.

He turned to me red faced and shouted, "It helps with my studies!"

"Whatever you do on your own time, Cameron." I managed to say back.

I had my eyes shut at this point and was feeling for the door knob somewhere. I closed the door with much too many regrets on the essence of knocking. I travelled across the corridor and, having learned my lesson, knocked on Neil and Todd's room door.

Neil opened the door and immediately smiled. He opened the door revealing a party of people. The usuals, Todd, Meeks, Knox, and Pitts. They all cheered loudly as soon as they saw me. I scanned the room for the only person I hoped to find but he wasn't anywhere.

"Appreciated guys." I shouted over them, "but do you know where Charlie is?"

They all looked at each other with the same clueless faces when Knox said, "We thought he was with you."

"Yeah we saw him running to your room an hour ago." Todd nodded.

I smiled and turned to leave, "Thanks anyway."

Where was he?

I returned back to my room to ask Becky, but even she didn't have an idea as to where he might be. I thought he might be at the cave, so I snuck out of the school to check. In nothing but my school uniform, the air was incredibly cold. The only source of light was the light fade of the school street lights and the moon shine reflecting on the river. I peered through the darkness at the thick forest as I made my path to it. But before I could even step out of school territory, I saw Charlie sitting under a tree. My crying tree.

I slowly approached him and cleared my throat and said, "Hey."

His eyes were open, staring intensely at the forest ahead. He had a knee up which had his right arm resting on it. I said hey again but still he didn't bat an eye. What was his problem?

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Charlie scoffed.

"Are you okay?" He asked me with a serious tone in his voice.

"Yeah, I mean I might suffer from carpal tunnel before we graduate but I'm alright." I said smiling, then felt the need to add, "There's nothing that can ruin my mood now."

"Nothing huh? I can think of one thing that can ruin mine." Charlie replied, the serious tone remaining still and cold.

He got up but did not look at me once.

"Charlie are you-"

"Just be honest Chase!" He raised his voice and was now staring directly at me with those cold eyes.

Chase? Why was I Chase to him now? I'm Valerie. Val. V. Not Chase.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him nervously.