"You're weird," Ethan had to say that aloud, apparently. "Like, really… really weird."
Charlotte couldn't hide being taken aback, as it was sudden considering they were talking about deep-cleaning Vanessa's unit just moments before.
"What?" she asked as she took another dress in the basin and started to wash it. "I'm not sure I understand."
Ethan rolled his eyes playfully. "I mean, you're literally the first person I've met who isn't, like… curious about me."
Charlotte stopped and looked up at him. "I actually am. I just figured that you needed to take a minute with yourself… to breathe, I mean."
Ethan blushed, biting his lower lip, hiding his shy smile.
"Have you ever met someone like me before?" Ethan asked when Charlotte busied herself with the laundry.
She paused for a second and then looked up at him. "You're going to have to clarify that further."
Ethan couldn't believe what was happening, but it was happening to him, so it had to be real.
How could Charlotte just not care about everything?
His curiosity was piqued though. "Gay… a drag queen…?" Elaborated Ethan pointing at his make up and his little high ponytail. He did look cute.
Charlotte frowned. "Are you paranoid or just being defensive?"
Ethan blushed hard. "I'm just curious... how comfortable you are around me and..."
"Ethan…" Charlotte called out, interrupting his awkward speech. "Can I call you that?"
Ethan nodded. "Yes. I'd actually prefer it to 'hey, dude'… since I'm only a few years older than you."
"Five years older," Charlotte pointed out. "Hardly an age gap."
Ethan beamed at that but he still needed to know.
"That still didn't answer my question."
Charlotte sighed aloud. "So, I'm from a small town but we also have the internet there… and I do enjoy some queer novels now and then."
Ethan smiled at her, getting invested. "What's your favorite?"
Charlotte blushed. "I can't tell you that…"
"Come on! I'm, like, dying here from the suspense."
Charlotte scoffed. "No, you're not."
Ethan shrugged. "Was it spicy at least?"
Charlotte blushed even more, hiding her face.
Ethan gasped. "How old were you when you got roped into it, and what got you into it?"
Charlotte shook her head as if that would make her brain function again. Not a chance.
"I was thirteen? Maybe fourteen?" Charlotte started, the dirty laundry forgotten. "I heard my dad on the phone one day, yelling about how corrupted the boys in my generation were, and that's when I first heard the term 'gay.'"
Ethan blinked. "Wow… you signed up on a gay fiction cruise just from that?"
"I was curious, okay? And I was really bored with my history textbooks," she countered defensively.
Ethan felt something strange brewing in him. "You're such a smart young woman… why are you here, Charlotte?"
It wasn't more about the words, but the way he said them that made Charlotte's heart break.
She really was smart. Top of her class, captain of the girls' football team, class representative, and an active member of the debate club.
She was that good. Still is.
Charlotte shrugged. "I don't know, Ethan… I was angry? I needed to break his heart? That I was scared of my dad killing me?"
Ethan frowned. "Do you think you made a mistake coming here?"
Charlotte considered his question. "Do you think you made a mistake running from yours?"
Ethan smiled sadly at that. "I wouldn't call it running but… no. I need this distance between us."
Charlotte looked down at her wet hands. "I… my dad was fun to have around when Mom was alive."
"I'm sorry about your mom," Ethan said sadly.
She just shrugged. "He would randomly cook different cuisines or take us out into the wild, and there were times when he would just spend the whole day under a blanket with us and do nothing…"
And then silence.
Ethan coughed a little. "So that means your feelings about him are complicated?"
Charlotte blinked away her tears.
"No. It means that now, he's being an asshole for no reason!"
Ethan flinched. "…So what about school? I take it that you're still in school, right?"
Charlotte studied Ethan for a while, and whatever she saw in him told her that it was okay to trust him.
"I quit."
Ethan was stunned. He never knew that people could just quit… school.
Charlotte continued, "So I liked one of my teachers, and I decided to confess to him and stuff."
Ethan was sympathetic enough. "And you got rejected by him?"
Charlotte snorted before it turned into an ugly, bitter laugh. "I wish! He straight up reported me to the principal, and then the news got to my dad. The rest is me being here."
Ethan blew out a breath.
He could understand where Charlotte was coming from, but he also felt bad for the teacher. It was an awkward situation for sure.
"For what it's worth, I think schools in the city are much better," Ethan said, with some excitement in his voice.
"I'm not planning to go back to school."
"Okay… then what's your plan?"
"Getting married to a wealthy man and having his babies."
Ethan was visibly disgusted by her idea. "Uh… that's not a plan, and more of a wish, honey."
He continued, "A plan consists of possible things to be done to get you to that goal."
Charlotte felt so stupid at that point. About what exactly? Nobody knows.
"So what do you think I should do?" Charlotte asked softly.
Ethan regarded her seriously before letting out a tired sigh.
"Sadly… it's not my question to answer."
Charlotte felt more confused than ever that day.