User blog:Cdc1998/A New Face at Bullworth: Part 6

It's been about three weeks since I last spoke to Charlie. I have nothing against him, but he is the one who doesn't want any contact with any of the group. Me and Michael have tried to contact him, although Bradi and Jimmy are still angry with him. Me and Michael have tried talking to him in class, during lunch, after school, yet he doesn't even acknowledge us and just walks away. We even went to his Aunt's house in Old Bullworth Vale, where we knew he was staying, to try to talk to him, but the same thing happened.

This has really made me start to wonder, is this the same Charlie I met on my first day? The same guy who was nice enough to invite me into his circle of friends? Now I'm unsure. If you cut off all contact with your friends all due to a fight, it really makes me wonder who you really are. Honestly, it's hypocritical what Charlie is doing. He claims he is one of the nicest people, yet he's ignoring his friends. It's childish.

Then again, Jimmy and Bradi are also in the wrong. Yeah, I get it Charlie flipped out on them, but he was hungover, Bradi did make remarks and then Jimmy started arguing with Charlie just because he was arguing with Bradi. Also, it's been three weeks and you're still holding a grudge? Charlie has been your friend way before I met you both, and this is how you treat him over one fight? Both parties are in the wrong, but you're really just going to throw away a friendship over that?

Basically, it's absolutely ridiculous. I like all of them, but this has to stop. I'm going to try my best to reunite everyone.

As I make my way towards the football field to go see the football team practice, since I'm going to go hang out with some of the other Preps due to my boredom, I see Charlie sitting in the bleachers with some of the members of the other cliques. They're also playing some song from the '80s (at least, that's what I think of), which seems to be annoying the Preps.

"Turn that off!" Gord yells in their direction.

"Bite me. You can't appreciate good music, then don't listen to it," Charlie retorts.

"Charlie, what exactly are you listening to?" Lefty asks.

" It's 'Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before' by The Smiths. It's Alternative music," Charlie responds.

"Doesn't sound like it," Casey responds.

"Well not all Alternative music is bands like Green Day. There's The Smiths, Pixies and Sonic Youth just to name a few. Then again, I listen to a lot of genres," Charlie says.

"Like what?" Lefty questions.

"Indie, Alternative, Classic Rock, Grunge, Post-Grunge, Indietronica, Chillwave, Punk, Rap, Hip Hop, Psychedelic, New Wave, Glam Rock, Britpop, Garage Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, some Jazz, Instrumental, some Reggae, I could go on. I don't call myself a music guru for nothing," Charlie elaborates.

"Well look at you, you fucking walking encyclopedia," Casey jokes.

I stare at Charlie for a few seconds before going to go sit down with the Preps. As we watch the poor excuse of the football team's practice I mostly tune out what all the Preps are saying, since it all basically involves 'Daddy's fortune' this and 'I'm richer than you' that. Towards the end of practice I hear something interesting from where Charlie is sitting, so I decide to listen in.

"So how's things with you & your friends?" Lefty asks.

"What friends? They all hate me," Charlie responds.

"Michael & everyone hates you?"

"Well, not Michael. I think he's forgiven me for what happened. Edgar I'm unsure about. But Bradi and Jimmy still definitely hate me. They hate me because I defended myself when Bradi was making remarks and Jimmy initiated a fight because I yelled a his wittle girlfriend. Yeah, I know I fucked up. I fucked up bad and now they hate me for it, but I have the right to call people out if they want to make remarks about me."

"Well you were hungover and she did egg you on, so you had a right to."

"Yeah, I did, but I was in the wrong too. I know I'm not a perfect person, but that doesn't mean she should point out my faults all the time. But hey, they don't want to talk to me, I don't have to talk to them."

When the football team is done we all get up to go head to our respective areas. As I'm walking towards the stairs I end up coming face to face with Charlie. As I stare on at him, I notice he's different from the last time I saw him. His (slightly longer) hair falls over his bloodshot, puffy, blue eyes. He's smoked marijuana recently. His stubble has become slightly thicker, making him look slightly older. His clothes are wrinkly. Doesn't even look like he bothered to look nice. He looks at me with a look of confusion, possibly wondering what I'm going to say.

"Charlie-" I begin to say, before I get cut off by Tad.

"Edgar, don't associate yourself with this bum. It makes our prestigious clique look bad, talking amongst lower class students," Tad says to me.

"What was that? 'Bum'? Big talk coming from a fucking trust fund baby who's afraid of what Daddy will do if he doesn't acquire power in school," Charlie retorts.

"At least I don't look like I came out of the gutter," Tad fires back.

"At least I have pride within myself and don't need to surround myself with other people of my caliber to feel 'big'. Got a Napoleon Complex, don't you Tad?"

"Well, at least I know I'm guaranteed to have income after I graduate. What will you do? Write? Here's something, how about you write my food order, pauper?" Tad remarks, which causes Charlie to now have an angry look on his face.

"Hey, Charlie, I need-" I try to say, before I am cut off yet again. This time, it's by Charlie himself.

"How about you go fuck yourself? Just stay away from me. All you rich kids are the same, feel you're better than everyone just because you have more money. Feel you're entitled to everything. Go take your stock broker daddy's money and shove it up your ass," Charlie angrily says to me, and walks away. The Preps chuckle at him as he walks away.

"Don't mind him, Edgar. You know those poorer folks are quick to resort to anger," Tad says.

I look at Tad in disgust. Sure, Charlie may not be as rich as you, but you're stereotyping him. You were the one who started with him by calling him a bum. You expected him to just be fine with it? I swear, some of these students live in their own fantasy worlds. Also, even though I know the anger wasn't directed towards me, what Charlie said honestly did make me slightly angry. I need to go talk to him. I'm hoping he'll be calm and I can try to get him to come back to the group (Group of friends, not the Preps. I'm pretty sure if he walked back here it would not end well).

"Hey, Edgar, where are you going?" Gord questions me.

"What's it to you? It's none of your business," I respond.

I first stop at the Boys' Dorm, although there is no sign of Charlie. Then again, why would he be there if he left. Next, I walk outside the gate and begin making my way towards Old Bullworth Vale, since Charlie will most likely be making his way towards his Aunt & Uncle's house. It has also begun to downpour. Great, I love looking like a wet rat. When I reach the pier I notice the waves crash up against the shoreline as the rain begins to pepper the ground, causing people to run towards buildings for shelter. However, there is one lone person out on the dock. I'm gonna go on a hunch and say it's Charlie.

When I make it to the end of the dock closer to the person, I find out my suspicions were right. It is none other than Charlie. When he sees me, he has a look of anger on his face. Looks like he didn't calm down.

"What part of, 'Stay away from me,' don't you understand?" Charlie asks me.

"Charlie, I really need to talk to you," I say to Charlie.

"About what? If you expect me to come back to the group, you can kiss that goodbye."

"We miss you, dude. You should-"

"'We miss you?' 'We' as in Michael and possibly you? Jimmy and Bradi hate my guts, so I'm not coming back. I know I fucked up, but I'm not going to just stand there and act like everything's okay just so you and Michael feel as if the group is back together. Now, why don't you just go and fuck off, rich boy?"

"I don't see what your problem is with me."

"All you rich kids are the same. Have the perfect life, have the money, have all the opportunities, while people like me just have to actually work to try to be successful, yet we end up failing anyway."

"You're just stereotyping us."

"It's not a stereotype if it's true, kid."

"You know, you're a real asshole, you know that?" I bluntly state. Damn, hearing that from my own mouth sounded harsh. However, Charlie chuckles at his.

"Tell me something I haven't heard before," Charlie responds.

"What's happened to you, Charlie?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're not the same Charlie that I met on my first day. You're not the person who openly welcomed me into a group of friends. You're not the person who helped slightly break me out of my shell. You're not you. Or was that all a charade? Did you just put on an act in order to look nice? Who are you? Who's the real you? I don't know if I've even ever met the real you! I mean, after all, you abandoned everyone after that one fight! Michael and I tried to get in contact with you but you just ignored us! Cut off all contact, over what? Because you didn't want to be around Jimmy and Bradi? You all have been friends even before I met you, and the fact that you all threw away that friendship over one little fight is idiotic! Then again, it could've all been a charade! Your friendships could have all been a charade for all I know. I want to know, Charlie, who is the real you?!"

(unfinished)