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2001

“Charlie!”

“God, Liz! You scared me!”

Charlie pressed her hand to her chest, where her heart was beating wildly. Oh, that Liz with her habit of sneaking up silently!

“What are you hiding there?” Liz craned her neck, trying to see the inside of the closet behind her sister.

“I'm not hiding anything! Will you stop snooping around here?” Charlie got angry.

“You are hiding something.” Liz narrowed her eyes. “If you don’t show me, I’ll tell our mother!”

You are such a snitch!” Charlie stamped her foot, but she stepped back from the closet.

“Wow! What a beauty, Charlie!”

Liz gazed admiringly at the soft peach dress of silk and lace. Charlie was not afraid that their mother would see the dress. It’s quite opposite, she would only be happy to see her daughter in something other than pants and shorts. Charlie did not want too much attention, because the family would certainly make a big event out of it.

“What is it for you?”

Liz stared suspiciously at a blushing Charlie.

“Liz, don't even bother!”

“Does it happen to be connected with the ball this Saturday and one shaggy guy?” Liz asked with a smile.

"It’s none of your business," Charlie grumbled as she put the dress back in the closet.

Liz is so annoying!

“Hm. It just got weird.”

“What?”

Liz slightly arched her thin brows.

“Melissa Matthews said her little sister had already asked Oliver Scott to come to the ball with her.”

“Ollie?” Charlie's eyes widened. “My Ollie?”

Liz shrugged.

“Maybe not yours already.”

Charlie gave her sister an angry look and ran out of the room. She had to find out immediately what Liz was talking about.

Ollie invited some girl to the prom? What is this news?! Yes, they did not agree that they would go together, but Charlie did not think that this was required.

The girl wheeled her bike out of the garage and headed towards Ollie's house, which was on the next street.

Ollie's room was on the second floor, but Charlie had no problem climbing a tree whose branches reached the roof, and she climbed onto one of them, and from there she had to whisk through the window. Once she was in the room, Charlie saw that it was empty.

Charlie paced the carpet with her hands on her hips, breathing loudly in anger. Well, where was he? His lacrosse practice was supposed to end half an hour ago. It would have been easier if she and Ollie had cell phones, almost everybody at school had cell phones, but her parents together with Ollie's parents thought it was too much.

Charlie was on her fifteenth lap when the door opened, when Ollie walked into the room with boots over his shoulder.

“Damn it, Charlie!” The boy shuddered, he was not expecting to see anyone.

“Oliver Scott, did you invite someone to the prom?” Charlie attacked him without wasting time on greetings — they saw each other today already.

“Um… Yes.” Oliver hesitated, feeling blood rush to his cheeks. Only after he invited Holly Matthews he realized Charlie might not be thrilled about it.

“Did you fall in love with her?” The girl asked sullenly. She was confused at first, but then she got angry. She tried on a mountain of dresses like an idiot until she found one she thought he would like.

“Charlie, don't be stupid!” Ollie opened the closet doors, tossing his boots into the depths of the closet. “Listen, this is just a ball. You said it yourself that these gatherings suck.”

Charlie rolled her eyes: the bastard is using her words against her!

"Yes, it sucks, but I thought we'd go there together to make fun of the fools who care about it," Charlie lied without faltering.

“We will! The only thing that will be different is that I will come with Holly. Is that a problem?”

Ollie stared at her, waiting for an answer. Charlie wanted to show him her tongue, but then she remembered that they were already fourteen. It is impossible to express all manifestations of feelings through sticking a tongue out.

But what an idiot Ollie is!

How could he think that she was ready to have fun if Holly was gonna be there, who, of course, finds him attractive. Not that Charlie herself thought he was that handsome, although Ollie had gotten so tall over the past summer and his shoulders had become wider from playing lacrosse. He also wore long bangs, even though she teased Ollie about resembling a poodle.

“As you wish. If you want to come with Holly, then come.”

Charlie's words and appearance did not match. She didn't know what to say to discourage him from going with another girl, and she was especially annoyed by that.