Chapter 6

I open and close my mouth repeatedly, like a dazed goldfish. Completely mesmerised by his alluring, good looks, I hardly notice when as pulls away again almost immediately, creating a reasonable amount of space between us.

"I asked you a question." he repeats, his voice clearer this time, and again I'm unable to respond properly. What am I supposed to say?

I inhale a deep breath, abruptly bending to quickly snatch up my satchel, which had fallen during the collision. "I am so sorry, it was a simple misunderstanding... God I'm so stupid." I muttered sheepishly.

"You think?" he raises an eyebrow, and I clench my fists, trying my best to hide my humiliation. What I did was wrong, and stupid, but he could at least make this conversation the slightest bit easier for me, surely? However, there's no need to create an unnecessary argument over this.

I'm worn out, and all I want to do it go home and sleep. "Sorry." I mumble again, lowering my head slightly, waiting for him to walk away. But he doesn't.

He rolls his eyes. "Well I'm glad you realise how useless your brain is, after all." he says flatly. And with that, he shoves both hands in his pockets and strides right past me, continuing down the alleyway.

Wait... seriously?

Forget what I said about causing an 'unnecessary argument'. This guy is an absolute dickhead. Seething with newfound rage, I grit my teeth in annoyance and yell after him, clenching my fists. "What the hell is your problem?"

I watch as he pauses in his tracks and turns around again slowly, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yes, I'm talking to you." I nod. "And on second thought, I think you should really consider wearing a condom over your head. If you're going to be a dick you should at least dress like one." I sneer, with irritation.

"I'm not a dick. You're just insignificant."

I narrow my eyes into deadly slits. His good looks are completely wasted on this disgusting, ugly personality. If I keep staring at that face any longer, his beauty will distract from the complete douche bag within.

"Grasp your ears a firmly pull; you just might be able to get your head out of your ass." I say sweetly. "It's not my fault somebody pissed in your cornflakes this morning. You make me internally sick with your pathetic attitude. Your dick belongs to your body, not your personality, so do the rest of the world a favour and sort yourself out."

He says nothing, listening to my rant with an amused smirk on his face. When I finally stop talking, there is a dead silence. I don't move a muscle, awaiting his snarky comeback or irritating response. But nothing happens. Instead, he turns away from me and strides away, slowly disappearing down the alleyway.

If I never see that face again, it'll be too soon.

Ah. Saturday.

Lovely, Lovely Saturday.

The only day of the week when you're allowed to willingly sleep in late, without a care in the world and stay in your pyjamas for the whole damn day. Sure, you could also do that also on a Sunday, but I personally prefer Saturday since it's farther away from Monday.

But instead, the next day, I wake up to the sound of Mum running up and down the house, bustling through doors, muttering frantically under her breath. She's waving around a duster, cleaning everything in sight. I groan, turning on my side as she hurries into my own room and attacks my bedside drawer with a duster.

"Oh, get up Charlotte, for goodness sake! Help me clean this house before they get here- Your room is a right mess!"

"Five more minutes." I groan, muffling my voice with my pillow. "It's practically the middle of the night."

I feel my duvet, being removed from my body, and the cold descends on my body, forcing me to curl up into a little ball, letting out a petrified squeak.

"I told you last night! I invited our neighbours over for the afternoon! How on earth did you forget?" she shrieks hurriedly plumping my pillows and rearranging my unopened boxes into a neat pile.

"I've slept since then." I deadpan, narrowing my eyes into a reproachful glare. "Now can I please have my duvet back?!"

"Get up from that bed and go hoover the downstairs living room. This place is an absolute mess, and I need all the help I can get!" she orders, tying her long blonde hair into a tight ponytail, looking much younger than she really is.

"No."

She gives me a flat look, placing both hands on her hips. I don't really think I really have a choice. With a heavy sigh, I heave myself out of my bed and stagger out of the room. As I enter the bathroom, I splash a handful of cold water on my face.

There, I'm now fully awake.

Thinking back to my little encounter with Aaron Johnson last night, I can't help but clench my fists. His attitude, his snarky rude words, never mind his breathtakingly good looks. I don't see how someone so impertinent and ill-mannered, could be brought up by such a lovely person like Mrs Johnson. It makes no sense, whatsoever.

He really needs to get his head out of his ass and realise that the whole world does not revolve around him. I've never been as aggravated by someone before, in my entire life. Something about him... I'm not sure if it's just his attitude, his good looks or his snarky words that make me want to rip out his lungs.

"Charlotte!"

"I'm coming!" I yell back, kicking open the toilet door and hurrying down the stairs, two steps at a time. She grabs the hoover and shoves the dreaded thing into my arms, gesturing towards the floor. "I want this place spotless, before they arrive."

"Why did you have to invite them over, in the first place?" I grumble, switching the hoover on and attacking the back of the sofa. "You don't even know them."

"This is a chance for us to get to know them, Char." she sighs, placing a hand on her forehead. "I really want us to make some friends in the neighbourhood. You never know when you'll need any neighbourly help. Or if something were to happen to me-"

"Stop it, Mum." I mutter, shaking my head gravely. "Don't upset yourself by thinking like that. Look, I was just asking. I've already met them and I don't really like their kids that much..." The lie slips off my tongue before I can help it. I don't usually enjoy lying but I'm willing to do anything, just to avoid certain people.

"You don't? Mrs Johnson said that her youngest daughter, Lily, took quite a shine to you! I suppose she also has a son, around your age?"

"Yes, Aaron." I say through gritted teeth. "One of the many reasons as to why I'm not particularly looking forward to this little visit. He's a right pain in the ass."

"Well, you're going to have to get used to him." Mum says firmly. "And concentrate on what you're doing, Charlotte! You missed both corners!" she points towards the area in which I'm hoovering and I sigh, moving the dreaded hoover more vigorously.

"They're due over, in about an hour. I'm going to rush upstairs and take a shower. God, I reek. Then I want you to arrange your bedroom for me. It's a pig sty."

"Might I remind you that we literally just moved in under a week ago!" I snap angrily switching off the hoover and tossing it to the side. I storm up the stairs, and reach my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I remove my tank top and replace it with a white t-shirt, before pulling off my baggy trousers and replacing them with skinny white jeans, perfectly outlining my tiny figure. I rake my hand through my tangled dark hair and screw up a face in my little bedside mirror, fumbling for my brush before catching sight of something outside my window.

Fortunately, I notice that my own bedroom is right next to Aaron's next door, enabling me to see right into to his own window. The curtains are drawn apart and he's just entering his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Dazed for a moment, it takes a moment for me to process that he's shirtless... and just out of the shower.

Good lord, sweet baby Jesus. This guy has the body of a Greek god. My jaw automatically drops open and I pause, my hand still in the air in mid- brush. I'm not sure whether to draw my curtains shut or continue watching the show. I mean, it's not every day you get to see a guy shirtless. Never-mind a guy with the most perfect, toned six-pack.

Geez, Charlotte, get it together! You have a boyfriend!

My eyes bulge out of their sockets, and I'm practically frozen to the spot. My body refuses to move, forcing my eyes to rake through his every gorgeous feature. It's only when I hear Mum moving around just outside my bedroom door, that I snap to my senses and screw my face up into a disgusted scowl.

I lift my hands and pull my curtains closed, completely blocking my view of Aaron. I breathe out a sigh of relief before sitting back down in my desk-chair and dragging the brush through my dark locks.