"Hey, Greg, have you seen Charlie? I can't find him?" I asked.

"No...but he's probably coming to sit with us," Greg said.

"That or he's planning on ditching school again,"

"Not helpful, Jade," I told her. She just shrugged her shoulder in response.

"Why are you asking, anyway? Something wrong?"

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Probably because you look like my aunt when she doesn't have coffee in the morning," Greg commented "How's Aunt Cherry doing, anyway?" Jade asked, steering away from the main point.

"She's good. She's excited about her art gallery thing..." "Really? when's it opening? Maybe we can go check it out!"

"Ahem, guys: Charlie! Art stuff can wait," I suddenly had a frustrated outburst.

"Dude, will you just relax? He can take care of himself..." was the blonde boy's response.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"I don't know about 'take care of himself' but he clearly doesn't want anyone to help him..." Jade said. "We can't force our help onto him even if clearly needs it. The last thing I need to deal with is his tough-guy act. Honestly, he's so stubborn sometimes..." she sighed.

"I just think he needs a bit more time,"

"Greg, he's had plenty of time and all he's done with it is become even more reckless. He's more impulsive than before!" Noah complained. "I mean, seriously: between skipping school, the detentions and now getting into fights—" I said.

"Hold on there, what fight?" Jade's eyes narrowed at me intensely.

"Charlie...sorta got it in a fight,"

"Yeah Noah, I get it—what happened?"

"Jade...I kinda don't wanna talk about that,"

"Too late. You wanted to talk about Charlie so we're talking about Charlie. Spill it, what happened,"

I turned to Greg looking for some support. All he gave me was a shrug and a look of curiosity.

"You heard the lady: start talking," he said.

"ughh...Okay fine. Earlier today in first period, Danny kinda started messing with me again—"

"Wait, again? how long's he been bullying you?" Jade narrowed her eyes at Noah.

"I wasn't being bullied...he was just being a prick and I was handling it. But Charlie ended up finding out and kinda got...pissed and punched his face. Then Charlie got sent to the principal's office and got detention..."

"Of course he did! Seriously, one of these days he's gonna get himself expelled," Jade groaned out.

"To be fair, it isn't his fault...Danny was being a prick to Noah, either me or you would have reacted the same way,"

"Me and you haven't been skipping classes, being rude to teachers and straight up skipping school! He's gonna get himself into serious trouble that gonna end with him hurt!" Jade cried.

"Exactly my point!" I said.

"That's why we gotta help him out! I think if we try talking to him together, it would absolutely do nothing, Noah!" Greg interrupted calmly.

"Seriously, if he doesn't want our help we can't force it! We just have to wait till he's ready to come to us,"

"So we'll be waiting until he gets himself in some real deep trouble and then comes crawling back" Jade groaned.

Just as I was about to defend my friend I heard loud noises.

A large crowd was gathering by boy's bathroom. I narrowed my eyes and tried getting a closer look and even though I couldn't see clearly with t

he people around, I could make out familiar auburn red hair.