Young & In Love

‘Jeanie slowly trudged along the rocky path and felt tears in her eyes.

She shouldn’t be crying, today was no different to any other day.

The kids in her class at school never changed.

Today, even her best friend Betty hadn’t defended her.

Betty had been the only friend Jeanie had ever had, until now.

Today, while the other kids had thrown grass at her, Betty threw tomatoes.

When the other kids mocked her and jeered at her, Betty laughed and agreed with them.

If the other kids stole her stationary, Betty would scribble all over her desk with her new pens.

The only kid in the class that wasn’t mean to her was Charles.

Charles was a quiet, shy boy that most people ignored.

Jeanie sometimes wondered if he felt as hurt as she did.

Leaving the day’s events behind her, she pushed forward and made her way home.

>>>>

Charles walked at a steady pace down the path through the woods towards the cottage where he lived. He hated those kids for bullying Jeanie like that.

Every time they hit her or jeered at her, he felt so helpless, so powerless.

He couldn’t do anything but sit there and watch, wishing there was something he could do to help.

Jeanie was a nice girl, the only person that didn’t seem to ignore him completely.

In fact, the other kid’s latest scheme had been to write her name on the wall with his.

Charles didn’t mind, but he wasn’t sure what Jeanie thought about it.

The kids at school had done much worse things than simply writing names on a wall.

Charles shuddered and left his thoughts on the road, waiting to collect them again the next day. This way he could sleep without worrying about Jeanie.

>>>>

Jeanie tried to sleep, but her thoughts drifted to Charles and what she could do to make sure he wasn’t so alone. She didn’t dare befriend him, in fear that the other kids would do more than just write their names on the wall.

Jeanie remembered the time the other kids had played a game of truth or dare, a game of which Jeanie wasn’t invited to play.

Betty had been forced to kiss Jeffery Waters or loose the game. She did it eventually, though she put up quite a fight.

The irony was that Betty and Jeffery were now ‘a thing,’ so of cause Betty no longer regretted that kiss.

“I actually didn’t care about that dare, but I made it seem much more complicated because it wasn’t ‘cool’ otherwise.” Betty had said this to Jeanie once when they were still best friends.

Betty was friends with everyone, though Jeanie always thought Betty liked her best. Clearly she was mistaken.

>>>>

The next day, Charles walked to school with a spring in his step.

He’d made up his mind; he would confront these bullies. And maybe, just maybe, Jeanie would be his friend.

Charles entered the classroom and sat at his usual place at the corner of the classroom. He buried his face in his hands, as he did every morning. He did this so he wouldn’t catch the mocking stares people shot at him.

He felt a movement beside him and looked up.

>>>>

Jeanie walked to school with a air of finality. She was going to sit with Charles today.

He always seemed so alone. Another thought rose to the surface.

Maybe Charles would be her friend after this?

>>>>

Charles gaped in amazement, Jeanie was sitting next to him.

She smiled at him and and Charles smiled back. “Good morning,” she murmured softly. Charles smiled at her again.

“You don’t say much do you?” Jeanie asked. Charles shook his head sorrowfully. “Is it because you don’t want to, or because you’ve got no one to talk to?” Jeanie pushed.

Charles looked down at his lap sadly. Jeanie smiled sympathetically.

“Well, I can talk to you,” she said. Charles looked up in surprise.

Nobody ever wanted to talk to him. “Do you really mean it?” He asked. Jeanie shouted in triumph. “See! I knew you could talk!” Charles grinned shyly.

>>>>

Jeanie couldn’t believe it. Charles actually wanted to talk to her! It seemed very childish to be acting like this at the age of fifteen years, but Jeanie simply couldn’t help it.

Charles was two years older than her, which seemed very old to Jeanie.

Her parents were always telling her to keep an eye out for ‘the one,’ which Jeanie felt repulsed by.

“We want you married and out of the house by the time you’re seventeen Jeanie. It’s high time you started acting like a proper young lady.’

Her parents had married when they were about her age, and Jeanie was doing her best not to fret whenever they brought up the subject.

Jeanie was still smiling at the fact the Charles actually wanted to talk to her.

Maybe she wasn’t as weird as people made her feel?

>>>>



Charles was overjoyed that he’d found a potential friend to hangout with.

He didn’t know why the other kids didn’t want to be friends with her.

Jeanie was pretty, intelligent and friendly. The full package!

She made him feel like he was a someone after all, not like a weirdo that had nothing to do with other people.

Charles had spent all almost all of his school years without a friend. In year one to three, he’d had a best friend called Jonathan. They’d been so close. But then Jonathan caught pneumonia and had passed away.

Nobody had ever been his friend again.

>>>>

Jeanie sat alone on a bench at the edge of the school eating her lunch. She was surprised to see Charles walking over to her.

“Hey Jeanie,” he said. Jeanie smiled. “Hey!” Charles smiled back before continuing.

“I was wondering if you wanted to maybe go riding Saturday evening?” Charles smiled again, awkwardly.

Jeanie felt dazed. Surely this boy didn’t want to take her out courting! She shook her head. “You don’t mean it. Someone must’ve dared you to do it. Nobody ever wants to go out with me.

Jeanie wiped a tear from her eye. Charles’s smile faded away.

“Jeanie… I wasn’t dared to ask you out. I do want to go riding with you! Please believe me!” Jeanie took a few moments to consider his proposal. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go riding for half an hour…” Charles smiled. “half an hour it is then!”

This time it was Jeanie’s turn to smile. Something was actually working out for her for once.

>>>>

Charles arrived at Jeanie’s doorstep on Saturday evening and knocked on the door.

Jeanie’s father greeted him and looked him up and down.

“So you’re the one Jeanie’s been going on about, are you? A fine specimen I must say! Do come in!” Charles grinned.

“If it’s alright with you Sir, I’d like to take Jeanie now, if that’s okay with you?”

Jeanie’s father replied, “Of cause son! I’ll get her down here now.” Jeanie’s father disappeared from the doorway, and a few moments later Jeanie appeared, looking beautiful as always.

Jeanie smiled sweetly as Charles took her hands and helped her up into the carriage.

>>>>

Jeanie felt her heart beating wildly as Charles helped her up into the carriage.

She was hoping Charles hadn’t just asked her out riding for a dare, it would be so humiliating.

Charles turned to her and asked, “So, where do you want to ride to?”

“Wetland Creek please, if it isn’t too much trouble.”

Charles raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure Jeanie? It’ll take more than half an hour.” Jeanie nodded. “I’m sure.”

The ride to Wetland Creek was very pleasant, and Jeanie thoroughly enjoyed herself.

When they arrived at the creek some forty minutes later, she asked if they could go for a walk. Charles took her by the arm and lead her down to the riverside.

They walked around the lake and tried finding hares and beetles along the way. Eventually, it was time for Jeanie to return.

Charles stopped the carriage outside Jeanie’s cottage and helped her out.

“Thanks for the wonderful evening Charles,” said Jeanie.

“Thank you for coming,” Charles replied.

>>>>



Charles made an effort to invite Jeanie riding to Wetland Creek every Saturday.

He liked Jeanie’s parents, especially her father.

After a few months of courting, Charles made his way to Jeanie’s cottage one Friday when he knew Jeanie was away at her aunt’s for the day.

“Excuse me Mr Muller,” He said to Jeanie’s father.

“I have enjoyed every moment I’ve spent with your daughter, and I love her very much. Sir, if you would grant us permission, I would like to ask Jeanie to marry me tomorrow.”

Mr Muller grinned. “Charles, I would be honoured to have you as my son in law.

You may ask Jeanie to marry you.”

>>>>

The next day, Jeanie counted down the minutes until she could see Charles agin that evening.

When the time finally did come, she answered the door herself. Charles took her arm, as he always did, and helped into the carriage.

They enjoyed their time at the creek.

Jeanie suggested playing tic tac toe in the dirt, and Charles suggested playing ‘I dare you.’

Jeanie was slightly hesitant about playing ‘I dare you,’ after what her old friend Betty had to do, but she consented to play anyway.

Jeanie won the first round, and dared Charles to catch a fish with his bare hands. He tried, but after falling into the creek, they both decided to call the dare off.

Charles won the next dare.

“What are you going to dare me to do Charles?” asked Jeanie.

Charles considered it for about minute. “Jeanie, I dare you to let me kiss you.”

Jeanie jumped back in surprise.

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to…” said Charles.

Jeanie shook her head slowly. “No… It’s okay…”

Charles gently lifted Jeanie face and pressed his lips on hers.

>>>>

Jeanie closed her eyes are Charles leaned forward and kissed her. She’d never been kissed before, and it felt wonderful.

Reluctantly, Charles eventually pulled away, then he lowered himself onto one knee. “Jeanie,” he said, “will you marry me?”

Jeanie tried to grasp the meaning of what he’d just said.

Charles wanted to marry her.

She shook her other thoughts away and focused only on the sound of Charles’s voice.

“Yes Charles! I’ll marry you!”

Charles beamed with joy and kissed her again.

Jeanie knew she would always be happy as long as Charles was here.’

>>>>

Jeanie set the table with her favourite chinaware. She’d recently found herself thinking about how she and Charles had first met. 

She heard Charles’s voice coming from the foyer. “Mm, something smells good!” 

Charles walked into the dining room and over to Jeanie. He embraced her and kissed her like he had all those years ago. 

They were in their last years now, but still, undeniably young and in love.