Becoming Better

Chapter 20 - The Cherry On Top

As she approached the address Shawn gave her, Charlie sent him a message to tell him she was there. She waited outside, noticing it seemed like a small party was going on inside. Shawn came out quickly. He looked gorgeous. His dark hair was slicked back on top, and he was wearing tight jeans. His short-sleeved shirt showed off his arm full of tattoos. Charlie scolded herself, internally. She wasn't supposed to be thinking things like that.

He walked up to her, smiling.

"What are you smiling about?" she frowned.

"Sorry, it's just so good to see you," Shawn said, unable to wipe the grin off his face.

Charlie shook her head. "You're the reason why I'm alone on a Saturday night and half my school won't talk to me. There's nothing good about any of this."

"I'm so sorry," Shawn said genuinely. "I never meant for that to happen. I just... I really like you, Charlie. I couldn't stop thinking about you after your birthday party."

Charlie held up her hand to stop him. "I came here so you could tell me whatever it was about Mara. Not confess your feelings."

"Right, I'm sorry," Shawn apologized. "Look, when I said Mara was a psycho, I meant it. She did some serious damage to this girl at the last school she went to. She was violent toward me when we were together. I'm just really worried she's going to try and hurt you now."

Charlie scoffed. "Is that all? That's not new information to me. She threatened me on Monday when I tried to apologize."

His expression darkened. "She did?"

"Yeah, she did." Charlie bit her lip nervously. "Listen, I was actually hoping you could help me. I know you're broken up, but maybe you could tell her you're the one who kissed me first? Cause I mean, you did. I know that might make her angry at you, but I have to go to school with this girl. I need her to back off."

Shawn nodded. "I did tell her that. I told her it was entirely my fault, and that I went after you."

"When did you tell her that?" Charlie asked.

"Right after it happened. She stopped screaming, and I told her." Shawn held up his hand in defeat. "But obviously that didn't help. Which is what I was worried about."

Charlie rubbed her face in frustration. "My friends think she's all talk, and that she just said it cause she's angry. They said I'll make myself look bad if I tell people she's violent."

"This is worse than I thought," Shawn said, looking pained. "And I bet all your friends are at her party right now, aren't they?"

"Gee thanks for the reminder," Charlie said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Shawn ran his hand through his hair. "This is what Mara does, ok? She uses her money to manipulate people into being her friends. Her parents used it to pay Bridgeport High off so the incident wouldn't go on her transcript. She is a sick person, and she gets away with it time after time because she's rich."

"Why would you continue to date her if you knew all that?" Charlie asked. She didn't understand why anyone would put up with that kind of behavior.

Shawn shrugged. "I have low self-esteem, I guess. There were times when it was good... being together with her. She made me feel special. I was in love with her."

Charlie thought about her relationship with Cassius. Although they never hit each other, there was the emotional abuse. Her therapist had brought it up more than once. Hearing Shawn talk about his relationship with Mara suddenly gave Charlie a different perspective. If someone asked her why she stayed with Cassius, would she sound just like Shawn right now?

"You don't have to explain any more, I get it," she told him.

"Toward the end I knew I wanted out, though. And when I met you, there was something about you that just seemed... good, if that makes sense. I knew I wanted someone like you instead of her."

Charlie laughed bitterly. "I don't feel like I'm all that 'good' at the moment."

"Well, if you want to, you can come inside and hang out. My friends and I are a no judgement zone," he offered.

Charlie considered the offer. It was either that, or go home and think about all the ways she had ruined her own life. First, it was giving up on her future for Cassius. Then it was everything she did after losing Cassius. It was calling Ms. Anderson a bitch at school. It was drinking, despite how Courtney warned her about their family history of alcoholism and addiction. Last but not least, it was Shawn. Hooking up with him and pissing off his ex, the richest girl in town, was the f**ked up cherry on top of her downward spiral.

"Sure," she accepted. "Things couldn't get much worse."

*** Turns out Charlie and Shawn are more similar than she realized! Do you think he's going to be good for her? Or is this just another bad idea?