AS SHE WOKE UP WITH A pounding headache to a string of dings from her phone at 6 in the morning, Charlie swore to never drink again, well at least until she was twenty-one. She had unlocked her phone to see a few text messages from Robby and Macy, and her friend from New York.

She doesn't remember how she made it home either and from the money, she found in her wallet, she didn't use an Uber or Lyft. Maybe Robby had dropped her off at home in Sam's car.

Macy was asking if they could FaceTime before remembering the time difference, and Robby, who was surprisingly up, was asking that when she woke up, to text him back followed by asking if Sam was acting weird before he had met back up with them.

Huh, I was with Sam?

She did not remember a single thing from last night. She was lying, of course, she did remember receiving looks of horror from Sam and, if she remembers correctly, Miguel. Had she done something weird, or terrible? So terrible that they looked so scared when they saw her.

۪۪۫۫

Sending a text back to Robby, she asked him to call her. She was still tired from last night and she hurt too much to physically text him any more than she had already done. The message went from delivered to read and a couple of minutes later a call from him came through.

"Hey, sorry if I woke you up," she could tell that he had been awake for some time by his voice, "We can talk later at school, instead?"

"No that's fine, I should be getting up anyway. My mom has to get to the school anyway." Liza had gotten a job at the high school as an English teacher for juniors.

"Huh?" Oh, that's right, Charlie had forgotten to tell him that her mom was a teacher now.

"Yeah, she's a teacher," Charlie continued to tell him about her job.

"That actually explains all the paperwork I saw yesterday when I dropped you off," Robby told her, "Liza looked like she was going crazy with all the paperwork and looked happy to have a distraction from it."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that trouble," She felt bad, he could have been spending more time with Sam but he dropped her off instead,  "To see me drunk and having to deal with me." 

"So what did you need to talk about, all I got from that text was something about Sam?"

"Oh, yeah. What happened last night? When the police showed up, Sam kept saying sorry to you and then wouldn't let me take her home," he had rambled on, "so we had to stay at Johnny's."

Over the phone, you could hear Charlie choking on the air. The last time she remembered Robby willingly going to Johnny was when they were five and they needed a ride to the park because both moms couldn't take them. Sam must've not wanted to go home, for Robby to go to him.

Though she is starting to remember some parts of the night, she still doesn't remember what happened after she found a spot to relax by the pool. She remembers gossiping with someone, playing beer pong with Moon, and being glared at by her ex-boyfriend, Eli or better known as Hawk. He had been so intense that she had to take a break from the game and go outside to get some fresh air.

On the way out, she bumped into Tory who looked her up and down before she blurted out, "You are so pretty." Tory looked shocked, then Charlie proceeded to sluggishly move towards the outside.

Oh god, what is it with her and pretty people? They just are a weakness to her.

"—Charlie?" Right, Robby!

"I— don't remember much." It was the truth so she told him that. She wasn't going to tell him that she called the so-called 'enemy' cute. She is taking that to the grave. Giving up that piece of information would probably cause Robby to question her, to ask her questions she wasn't exactly fully awake to answer.

It wasn't that she was not out as bisexual but having to come out constantly was tiring. Sure she was fine with people knowing, she wasn't ashamed of liking what she liked but she just wanted to directly tell the important people in her life in person. She knows that he wouldn't judge her, he was a good person.

"Charlie probably it would be better if we talked at school?" He tell through the phone that she was distracted enough as it was, she probably didn't need him questioning her. Though he did want to know why Sam kept saying sorry, he didn't want to cause Charlie any more pain. Hangovers are the worst especially if someone waked you up when you are not ready to be woken up. Never mind it being her first hangover, which would make it even worse.

۪۪۫۫

Johnny had dropped him off at the front of the school, giving him a red backpack filled with supplies. Before Mr. Larusso had stormed off with Sam, she had said that she wanted to talk to him. Was she breaking up with him because of her dad or was it about last night? He hoped that Charlie remembered what happened, she seemed to be pretty out of it when he helped her up and tried to carefully put her in the back of Sam's car.

It's been a while since he's been at school, and he hopes he has some classes with Miyagi-do students, he wasn't able to compare classes before but he does have Charlie's mom as his English teacher so that's great and even if he is not Mr. Larusso's favorite person right now, he's thankful to him.

He had seen Charlie waiting in the spot they agreed to meet at and walked toward her. She was biting her fingernails. He remembers that when she was really nervous she would cross her arms, and tap her bicep with her fingers, and when she wasn't as nervous, mainly concerned, she would bite her fingernails.

Why would she be concerned? Before he could say good morning, she had seen him and in a pleading tone she said, "Don't do anything stupid, please."

He gave her a look before realizing that she remembered last night. So whatever happened between her and Sam had to do with him, that's not concerning at all.

Not at all.

Charlie was still looking at him, trying to get him to promise. He would, how could he say no to her, but not before knowing why, why would he do something stupid when he was just beginning school?

"Talk to Sam," was all she said before continuing with a fake smile, "So what classes do you have?"

۪۪۫۫

When arriving at school, Charlie encountered Miguel with his friend, and that's when her memories returned. Sam and Miguel had kissed. Sam, Robby's girlfriend, and Miguel, Tory's boyfriend had kissed. Both of who had significant others kissed each other. Not even a day into the new school year and there is already drama.

Miguel had looked like he wanted to walk up to her before his friend pulled him back by his shirt. Charlie liked her, she looked like the responsible type. Before he could escape her grasp, Charlie sped the opposite way to the meeting spot where she would meet Robby.

Coincidently, Charlie's locker was a couple of away from Sam's. During the break, she had to change her books for the next class she was having when she saw Robby making his way toward them. He didn't see her when she ducked behind her locker door. She is not an eavesdropper but if people are talking next to her, she is going to hear what they say. So since the couple is like three lockers down, she listened to them.

She hopes Sam tells Robby what happened at the party. As he leaned against the locker, he greeted Sam with a cheesy line as the 'new lost student'. Sam didn't find that as funny as he did, responding with a somber, "Hey."

"Oh. It's that bad, huh?" After dropping off her last night, Robby tried to take Sam home but she kept saying no so he had taken her to Johnny's to sleep off the alcohol. In the morning Daniel Larusso stormed in, fought Johnny, and then proceeded to say mean things to Robby. Hearing Robby tell her the things Mr. Larusso said to him filled her with contempt.

How could a grown man bring his problem with his 'rival' and throw them at a kid who was stuck in the middle? At the moment, even though charlie didn't like violence, she wanted to smack the older man.

"I feel like an idiot," Sam didn't look Robby in the eyes, probably from the guilt, "We should've just gone to my house and been honest with my parents." He nodded and thought they should but what's done is done.

She apologized.

"Miguel gave me the medal of honor and I put it in the backyard so someone could find it." Oh that medal, wait was it the medal that caused them to kiss? It was the medal's fault? Maybe she still was missing a few memories from last night.

"—We had just kissed and I guess I felt insecure." Robby and Miguel kissed too? Wow, this love square is loving from all sides.

On second thought, Robby was probably talking about his and Sam's first kiss. She really should start paying attention and stop monologuing in her head.

  Sam looked like she was gearing up to say something. Again Charlie hoped that she was going to tell Robby. She had wanted to tell him but thought it would be better if it came from Sam, though it was hard keeping it from him. It was hard keeping any secret that involved other people, that's why hardly anyone told her any.

  "Robby—" Sam was cut off by the bell. Stupid bell.

  "Well— Can't be late on my first day." He leaned in and gave her a peck on the lips. When he started to walk past her, he saw Charlie for the first time since arriving.

  "Hey Charlie, see you later." He patted her on the shoulder as he walked by. She could see Sam tense up before turning around to look at her. Her blue eyes looked guilty.

  "Charlie—" She didn't hear what Sam said as she speedily left, trying to avoid her.

  She felt like crying, it was too much for the first day.

۪۪۫۫

  "And finally, as we embark upon another academic year, it's important to remember to be tolerant and accepting of all of our peers regardless—" the announcement was cut off with a high pitch screech. Charlie looked up from the page she was drawing on.

  "Samantha LaRusso," Tory's voice came through, she had a bad feeling something was going to happen, "You know what you did, and now you're gonna pay for it"

  Oh shit.

  "I'm coming for you, bitch!" Tory had finished. Conveniently the school bell rang, signaling the end of class. Charlie hurriedly pack her stuff and ran out to find Robby.

  As she ran, she bumped into Miguel who was probably trying to find Tory. She flipped him off as she continued to run, confused as to why she did that. Normally she would never do that but something about him makes her want to pick on him.

  In the middle of the hallway, a group was formed. She was Tory and behind her Robby. Sam must be on her side of the hall. All of a sudden oohs were heard from where she was. Robby's heartbroken face told her all she needed. As she tried to go unnoticed, she moved about the crowd to get to him.

  Just before she made it to him, the crowd spread out as Tory through the first punch. Luckily she made it across without getting stuck in the middle of the fight. If she had, she would be down in the first swing.

  "Robby—" she was cut off.

  "Did you know?" He questioned her, he didn't look angry at her, just disappointed. Disappointed that she didn't just tell him.

  "I—yes but I told you to talk to Sam," she tried to justify her reasoning, "it wasn't my place to interfere with your relationship, especially after just meeting again!"

  "That's not—," he took a deep breath trying to keep his voice from cracking, and continued, "I would have told you if someone you were seeing cheated on you, even if you were a stranger. I would have told you."

  He didn't let her say anything else when he ran to stop the fight from getting any worse. As he pulled the girls apart, Charlie picked up his bag that he dropped. He had slammed Tory a little too hard into the locker and the crowd of instigators oohed again.

  "Stop!" He was trying to get them to stop when Charlie saw Miguel. Oh no. For a guy who kissed another girl, he seemed pretty angry that Robby was touching Tory.

  Robby didn't see him as he was trying to defuse the fight, Miguel ran with an angry yell and tackled him. The karate kids took that as a sign to fight each other.  

  Turns out Miguel's friend from earlier was not as responsible as she slammed a kid into the lockers as Moon had appeared next to Charlie.

  "Come on guys, can't we all just get along?" She said in a loud voice trying not to actually yell. Charlie had seen the two guys fighting coming towards them and pulled Moon out of the way so she wouldn't get hurt. After Moon had screamed, she hugged Charlie as thanks before grabbing her hand and pulling her, getting to a spot with fewer people fighting.

  "God, this is such a mess!" Moon said. She nods her head in response, too shocked to talk. They made it to the front of the school where the stairs were at. Moon looked at her in concern, noticing that even though her hands were tucked underneath her arms, she was shaking.

  "I'm fine, really. I just don't like fighting and violence in general." That seemed to calm Moon done a little before the fight moved toward them. More students seemed to have gathered and no teachers were present.

  Where were the teachers?

۪۪۫۫

Sam and Tory continued to fight, using the stairs as a tool for their fight. Miguel and Robby are right behind them, both trying to get to the girls but still fighting each other. They had moved the fight upstairs, which was bad. So bad, with how they are fighting, someone was bound to fall. Robby could still be seen by Charlie which she was thankful for, just seeing him was making her feel better but he ended up running upstairs.

  Charlie could see Sam being dragged by Tory down to the middle of the stairs. A weapon? A weapon! Tory made her spiked bracelet a weapon and sliced Sam's arm. The sight of blood dropping after Sam had kicked Tory down the stairs made her want to throw up. One fight was over.

 
  All of a sudden the voice of Miguel rang out, "She doesn't love you, she loves me!"

  "Did he really just say that?" Charlie said to Moon. She nodded. They could now see them as they were next to the rails of the second floor.

  "What a dick! His girlfriend is right there, hurt and he's saying that about another girl." Miguel was moving higher on her list of people she doesn't like, which only contained three names, including his.

  And Robby, poor Robby yelled in response and kicked him in the stomach. Ouch, that must of hurt. They had moved away, disappearing once again. She could hear the cheating of the students, not indicate who it was for.

  Suddenly a body when flying off the rails, and her heart dropped to her feet. It was Miguel. The sound of his back cracking rang through, she had no idea it could be that loud.

  Turning away from the sight, Charlie found a trash can and threw up, from the fighting and the blood it was a surprise she hadn't either. When she finished, Moon rubbed her back and gave her some water and gum.

  Charlie could see Robby standing at the edge of the rails, looking down with horror and guilt. Tory trying to get up and Sam looking at Miguel.

  "Robby, what did you do?" Sam yelled out. He looked toward her then at the crowd finding Charlie.

  She could see the gears moving in his head and could tell he was going to do something dumb. She shook her head trying to stop him from doing what he was going to do. It didn't work and he did something stupid, he ran.

  No Robby, don't do that!

authors note
chapter is kinda late bc
i fell asleep last night 😅
tho happy late thanks
giving to those who celebrate
it, this chapter is almost 3k

charlie does things she
thinks that are better
for the person she is
helping, sometimes it's
not always the right
the thing to do like.
she has good intentions

if you notice charlie not
talking as much, anything
to do with violence makes
her silent due to trauma
which is going to be explored
around season 4.

just a warning, if you do
follow my tiktok for my
fanfic edits, there are spoilers!!