#int: charlotte halloway.

[gracland]

closed starter for @czrsed / plot linked in source muse: charlotte halloway ( sydney sweeney. twenty five. florist. )

it was the way charlotte lost her cool around them, any shred of dignity stripped away from her in their presence. that was how deep this infatuation ran. strange how so much and so little can change in the span of a decade. she grew into her own over the years, but reverted back to a school girl with a silly crush whenever she came to stay at her best friend's vacation home over the summer. all for one person. "oh, i didn't have much planned... maybe a dip in the pool and dinner out tonight." she replied with careful nonchalance when they directed a question to her about what her day looked like. "what about you? are you staying in or going out?"

[gracland]

she eases her gaze from his, unsteady from the revelation that there was nothing about them that was real in the end. a summer full of sneaking around, entwined in each other's arms, and he could care less. "...right." charlotte mumbles out, feeling foolish and wishing she never came over. "guess i was just a convenient stand-in for your girlfriend for the last three months."

open to females. plot: our muses spent all summer in their hometown, secretely hooking up while cameron's girlfriend was away, and now summer is over and it's time to face reality.

"it was just a summer thing, remember? " dark hues shift away from the windshield, focusing instead on the empty street ahead. "you knew that going into it."

[gracland]

one of the traits charlotte enjoyed most about romeo was how flexible he was, never one to make a fuss whether it was about something as trivial as dinner or something else on a larger scale. "sushi it is! ordering in sounds perfect to me." she beamed, heart fluttering at the idea of them being in this vast summer house alone for the first time since she arrived. "do you have a movie in mind? the remote control's all yours." leading him into the living room, she plopped down onto the cozy sofa before taking her phone out and scrolling through potential sushi restaurants.

"sushi sounds great," romeo said, his smile as warm as the summer sun. "but if you're not in the mood to go out, we could always order in and hang out here. maybe watch a movie or just enjoy the quiet before the chaos returns." he chuckled softly. "your call, charls. i’m good with whatever makes you comfortable." his tone was easygoing, but there was a genuine warmth in his eyes as he looked at her, as if her happiness in that moment was all that mattered.

[gracland]

the thought of spending time alone with romeo sent a slight chill down her spine, the prospect an exciting one, albeit nerve-racking at the same time. "yeah, i'd love the company." charlotte replied, making an effort to keep her tone light and airy. "how does sushi sound to you?" she originally planned on asking his sister to go with her if they came back in time from their outing, but he was frankly the preferred choice of date between the two. not that this was a date, she reminded herself. he was supposed to be off-limits, and she found it highly improbable that he saw or would ever see her as anything but renée's best friend.

romeo liked summer because it meant spending time with family he didn’t get to see during the school year due to their hectic schedules. but for the past few years, summer also meant a chance to see charlotte — who had become a woman worth admiring. "i have the same plans," he replied casually. "looks like my parents are taking renée shopping later, so it’ll be just the two of us." his tone shifted to something a bit more upbeat, happy at the idea of some time alone with her. "we could grab a bite together, if you’d like. if you have nothing better to do. or someone to do it with."