Matt was sat on the window ledge of Charlie’s bedroom. He had his feet on the large chest that she kept beneath her window, but for what purpose he had no idea, and he had his forearms resting across his thighs. He was leaning forwards, and he was laughing loudly at her expense.
Charlie was one of Matt’s two best friends. She was also the girl that he’d been harbouring a crush on since he was seven, and he’d found her sat on the curb outside his house nursing a cut on her knee. What was currently causing his amusement now though, was the sight of her in what had to be the ugliest dress that he’d ever seen. The moment was being made all the more comical by the fact that she kept wobbling and nearly falling over, but this was largely due to the fact that she was trying to balance on just one leg.
In fairness Matt knew that Charlie couldn’t actually stand up properly given that her left leg was currently broken and in a cast, but he was still finding the scene in front of him hilarious.
He’d been with her at the hospital when she’d had her cast put on. She’d initially wanted a blue one, but had ended up with the unsightly black cast that she had on now, and hated, because she’d obstinately refused to have a girly pink one or the traditional white. Sadly though these had been the only other available alternatives that the hospital had had to black, blue hadn’t been available.
“Matt, you’re not supposed to be in my room! If you keep laughing,” Charlie said sternly; “my dad’s going to hear you and kick you out.” Her voice though had still had a lightness to it that had made her tone difficult to take seriously.
“Sorry,” Matt said still laughing; “it’s just you look ridiculous!”
Charlie looked crestfallen, and for the slightest moment Matt felt guilty. That was until he was about to say something to make up for his comment, and Charlie started laughing again. She also began swishing the ugly blue metallic coloured puffy dress that she had on from side to side.
“This is just stupid,” she said dropping the handfuls of dress that she’d been holding and hobbling back towards her bed. “Plus this sodding leg! I can’t believe that it’s still broken.”
“Yeah, who’d have thought that after two whole weeks in a cast it wouldn’t be fixed by now? Plus I’m not sure the leg can be blamed for that hideous dress,” Matt said before laughing again.
“And sodding Rich has gone into Bristol without me,” she said; “and I bet Bex will be all over him.”
“Is sodding the word of the day or something?” Matt asked her sounding amused. “Oh and congrats on the prize for the most random and unconnected thought of the day,” he added catching the pillow that Charlie had just launched in his direction.
She smiled seeing him catch it, and he couldn’t help but smile back at her.
“Rich is an idiot,” he said throwing her pillow onto her bed. He also firmly believed, as he kept his eyes on hers, that what he’d just said was true. Charlie was beautiful, funny, great company, and he couldn’t understand why Rich would want to spend his time with any other girl.
Rich was Matt’s other best friend, and they were both in the year above Charlie at school. Everyone in their year, and in the year above them, had been eager to ask Charlie out. So when the rumour mill had circulated that Rich had gotten to Charlie before anyone else could, nearly all of the boys at their school had been jealous. Yet none quite so much as Matt, who’d been wanting to ask her out for long before Rich had ever shown any interest.
“No he’s not,” Charlie said defensively.
“Yeah he is,” Matt said looking at her pointedly.
There was the briefest silence between them before Charlie smiled and said; “you’re right he is. He broke my leg, and he’s not been an attentive boyfriend for the whole time that I’ve been cooped up at home. Plus there’s every chance that he’s cheating on me right now with my arch nemesis.”
“I don’t think you can blame him for the fact that you lost your balance climbing into Claire’s window and fell out of a tree,” Matt said grinning. He then added; “er, also since when has Bex been your arch nemesis? I thought you two were best