Chapter Text
"Do you hate me?"
The question had take Nathan completely off guard.
It was late. Jackie, Quintin, & Arrio had already left. Charlotte stayed as she didn't want to go home(something Nathan was going to ask about at some point). She seemed off the whole day, not even looking at him.
Charlotte was a terrible judge of character. It might actually stem from her concerningly low self-esteem(something quite near the top of the list he had of things he needed to discuss with her, that along with her home life).
"Why do you think I hate you?" Nathan asked. In all honesty, he didn't really know what to do in this situation. This had never been a problem before.
"Because I'm annoying, & I cause problems, & I struggle to follow simple orders." Charlotte replied simply.
Sure, it's kind of annoying when she starts playing heavy metal in the mornings, but it didn't disturb his sleep patterns to the point where it was a problem. However, it didn't mean that she probably wasn't sleeping, which he also needed to discuss with her at some point.
& sometime his orders just don't work with her brain. The way she thinks is very different, but that isn't a valid reason to hate someone in the slightest.
"I don't hate you." Nathan said bluntly. Charlotte didn't seem to believe him. He doubled down. "Look, if I did hate you, I wouldn't be letting you come here."
Charlotte looked at him for the first time that day.
"You don't cause problems. You're just... figuring things out."
Charlotte was quiet for another moment. "Okay." She said finally, "Just checking."
The silence was more comfortable after that. A while later, Charlotte shifted closer, so their shoulders were nearly touching. Nathan didn't move away.