Charlotte Read Online Free

afterwards. My dad works a lot so he doesn’t get a lot of time to spend with me…"
    More silence.
    Mike took his front steps two at a time.
    "That's Mike. We've been friends for years."
    Another silence followed. Amy listened. "No, he's just a friend. We don’t really talk much; we met because our parents are friends."
    Mike noticed Amy on the grass and leaned his bike against the fence. A quizzical smile crossed his face. He started walking towards her. A breeze picked up, hurtling red and orange leaves into the air.
    "A boyfriend? Gross! I'm way too young to have a boyfriend . He's too old and he's a teenager. They get hair and body odour at that age too. Major boy cooties!"
    Another silence. Amy laughed. "Don't be silly." The smile disappeared from her face almost instantly. "Sorry, I didn’t mean it. I won't call you silly again."
    Mike started along the path at the front of Amy's house.
    Amy bit her lip. "He's harmless, okay?" A concerned look vanished from Amy's face as Mike ambled over to her.
    "Hey, stranger. Where have you been?"
    Amy smiled and climbed to her feet. "Hi, Mike." She gave her childhood friend a gentle hug and moved back a step when finished. "Around. Busy with school and stuff. You?"
    "Yeah, I feel you. School's a fucking bore, isn't it?"
    Amy nodded. "Your school is better than mine though."
    "It's a private school. So no, not really. I swear all the teachers are gays and queers."
    "Aren't they the same thing? You should really pay attention in class."
    "Yeah, I suppose. Anyway, were you just talking to yourself?"
    Amy didn’t respond immediately. She blushed and gazed down at her feet. "No."
    "It's okay if you were…"
    "You going out?" Amy pointed to the bike, changing the subject.
    "Yeah, popping down to the football field for a kick about. You can come if you want?"
    Amy sat down. "Nah, you're okay. I'm busy here."
    Mike looked down at the rumpled picnic blanket and two plastic cups. "Tea party, huh? What are you, five?"
    "No, I'm nine. Fancy a cup of imaginary tea?"
    Mike narrowed his eyes. "You serious?"
    "Of course." Amy smiled, her innocence betraying her.
    "You want me to drink fake tea?"
    "It's a tea party. You can't drink anything else, the clue is in the…"
    "What happened to you?"
    "Huh?"
    "You used to be so cool, Amy. Now, look at you…drinking fake tea. You know there's a kitchen in your house, right? You can have real tea anytime you want. And what's with the chair? I think you left the doll inside. Drinking imaginary tea with toys is fine, I suppose, but alone? That's just sad."
    Amy said nothing. Mike's sudden change in tone startled her.
    "You need to grow up, Amy Brunswick. Sorry, but that's the truth."
    Mike didn’t notice the glaze cover Amy's eyes as she peered down to her left, listening. He started to turn and chuckled to himself.
    Amy glanced up at Mike, her supposed friend, and smiled. "Off you fuck then. Careful climbing on the bike, you don’t want the seat ramming you in the arse. Or do you enjoy that now?"
    Mike turned around, astonished. "What did you say?"
    Amy smiled. "You heard. Get out of my garden. You're mean."
    Mike chuckled. "Is that all you got? Mean ? My God, you're so fucking lame."
    "You don’t think I'm cool?" Amy stood up, her hands inert by her side.
    "You're basically room temperature. Such a fucking loser."
    "And you are?"
    "What?" He took a step forward.
    "Cool?" Amy sneered.
    "I'm cool, yes. Get with the times, Amy. I have an iPad and an iPhone Six. Six, not five or four. My father brings home a hundred g's a year. It costs a fortune to go to my school. Yours is free and open to any scum on the street."
    "I'm sure if you ask your teachers, one of them will show you what it is to be 'cool' in an all-boys school. You call them gays…look at you."
    "You're so…"
    "Maybe if you ask nicely, one of them can give you a nice creamy facial. You'd be cool then."
    "What does that mean?"
    "Do you not watch porn? Better yet, ask your mum."
    Mike said