If the past few days had taught Charlie anything it was that his friends were ridiculously hard to hide from. Of course the fact that he lived in the same house as the vast majority of them kind of made it difficult to avoid them all the time and add to that the fact that the vast majority of his female friends were dating his roommates made it nigh on impossible to stay out of their way.
Charlie had never spent so much time in the library in his life. He was fairly positive that his latest assignment for history of music was going to kick ass but he still wasn't entirely comfortable surrounded by all the musty books.
He was pawing his way through a dense looking volume whose cover had pretty told him he wouldn't be able to understand when he heard a familiar sounding voice.
"Charlie?" He span round to see CJ leaning against the end of the row of books, an amused smirk on his face. "You still hiding out in the library?"
Charlie grinned. "I'm just working, not hiding." He pointed at CJ with the book. "You guys are just far too paranoid."
"Then why haven't you been hanging with us all week?" CJ pointed out pragmatically. He held up his hands to ward of Charlie's answer. "And don't say it's because you're working. Because nobody can work that much." He paused and then added. "Except maybe Joey."
Charlie sighed, exasperated. "I just wanted some time alone, that's all, man. I'm fine."
CJ stared at him for a moment and Charlie nearly groaned. He could practically see him clicking into counsellor mode. "You know I get it, too."
Charlie looked at him incredulously. "Get what? And don't do any of that psycho-babble shit on me, will you?"
CJ shrugged and grabbed a book off the shelf. "They're a tough group to be friends with, that's all."
"Yeah, but you date Jen."
"Yeah I do," CJ started to flip through the book. "And sometimes it's really hard knowing that they all probably know her better than I do," he grinned wryly and held up his book, "I gotta go work. But I'll see you later?"
Charlie shrugged in response and CJ walked off. He let his head thump back against the wall. He felt bad about the fact he was still going to have to avoid them for a while when everything CJ had said was true. But he'd overheard enough conversations to know that Rory was becoming a fixture of their little group, Dawson, apparently, even had a crush on her. And that meant that he couldn't run the risk of running into her.
*
Charlie's alarm clock rang shrilly in his ears at far too early an hour on a Saturday morning but he'd learnt that the only way to avoid his friends in the morning was either to be up late or up early.
He normally went for the late option but it being a Saturday he knew that the others would all follow the same routine. Running a hand over sleep-mussed hair Charlie stumbled out of his room in search of coffee. Bashing a toe on the guitar he'd left leaning against the wall in the hallway, he was too busy cursing to notice the two people sat in the kitchen straight away.
Rubbing his bruised toe and squinting against the sunlight streaming through the windows Charlie barely raised a hand in greeting before shuffling over to the coffee maker. Sighing in contentment at the fact a pot was already made he happily poured himself a mug.
"What Charlie? Did you decided that shirts were too passé to bother putting one on before ambling down to the kitchen?" Joey's acid tones broke into his coffee-filled happy mood.
Smirking Charlie spoke as he turned around. "What, Jo? Is my naked chest too much for you to take?"
Joey glared at him from her position at the table but Charlie's attention was held by the pretty brunette sat next to her. Even if he hadn't looked up her yearbook picture Charlie was fairly positive that he would have recognised Rory Gilmore straight away. She really was still pretty, her hair a bit shorter and her expression slightly more shocked than he was used to seeing but that wasn't exactly unexpected when Tristan DuGrey walked into a room.
Rory's eyes were wide and her mouth had fallen open slightly. Charlie just kept staring at her, unable to summon any words. Joey suddenly seemed to notice them watching each other. "Oh, right! You guys haven't met. Rory, this is the elusive Charlie. Charlie, Rory."
Rory tore her attention away from Charlie to turn to Joey. "Charlie?" She asked weakly. Charlie let out a low groan.
"Yeah, he normally wears clothes, though," Dawson said jovially, wandering into the kitchen, trailed by the others.
"Morning, Rory," Jen said perkily, dropping into the seat next to her, "you sleep okay on the couch?"
"Yeah, it was fine, thanks," she croaked out, barely sparing a glance for Jen, her attention fixed on Charlie.
"Really, Charlie, could you put a shirt on?" Dawson said, sounding annoyed as he followed Rory's eyes. Charlie distinctly saw Pacey hide a smile behind his hand.
"Yeah, you're distracting innocent Rory over there, man," Jack said, laughing. He noticed Charlie's expression. "She stayed over last night after we hung at the coffee shop, that's okay, right?"
It took Charlie a moment to register the question was aimed at him. "Yeah, fine. Why wouldn't it be?" He mumbled.
"Charlie?" Rory asked again, this time her attention fixed on Charlie's face. He stared at her.
CJ noticed the tension. "Yeah, that's his name. Everything okay, Rory?"
Rory continued to watch Charlie, her expression challenging. Charlie looked away. "Sure, everything's fine," she stood up and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, "I'm just going to call my friend Paris."
This galvanised Charlie into action and he dropped his coffee mug on the counter and ran to face Rory before anyone even realised what was happening.
"Rory, please," Charlie started.
Her eyebrows raised. "So, it is you!" She exclaimed sardonically.
"Rory."
"I'm surprised you don't call me Mary."
The rest of the kitchen stared at them as they faced off in the small space between the table and the oven. "That was a long time ago."
"Well, I suppose if you call yourself Charlie…"
"Rory!" Charlie interrupted her, his hand shooting out to grab her wrist, "Please don't call Paris."
Rory looked down in disdain at the hand on her wrist and Charlie quickly withdrew it. Charlie looked at her imploringly as she folded her arms and moved the disdainful look from his hand to his face.
"What the hell is going on?" Dawson's voice interrupted the moment though for all the movement the two made they might as well have been the only people in the kitchen.
"Why don't want you want me to call her?" Rory asked suddenly, her arms dropping to her sides.
"Guys?" Jen's tentative voice cut in.
"I…" Charlie flailed, "I just don't want anyone to know."
"She was worried about you, you know," Rory rolled her eyes, muttering, "God knows why."
"Excuse me, guys?"
Charlie ran a hand through his hair. "I just…I just can't deal with people like Paris and then just…just everyone knowing where I am."
"But that was your life," Rory sounded truly confused. "You know? King of the school. I just don't get it."
"King of the school? You two know each other?"
Charlie watched her for a moment. "We were never friends, Rory. You don't have to get it," he looked away from her, "I'd just really appreciate it if you didn't tell Paris, that's all."
"Paris is my friend, Charlie."
"Oh come on, Rory! Since when were you and Paris Gellar that great friends anyway?" Charlie practically yelled.
"Hey! You've been gone a hell of a long time!" Rory actually yelled back.
"Please!" Charlie yelled, the sarcastic tone he was aiming for actually sounding sincere.
All of Rory's anger seemed to deflate. She threw up her hands in defeat. "Fine," she grabbed her things off the table, turning away from him, "but she is still my friend. So, tell her," she poked him lightly with her phone, "Or I will." She turned to the others and smiled hesitantly. "Thanks for letting me crash here. I'll see you later." With a small wave she left the room.
Charlie sighed and slumped against the oven, dropping his head into his hands.
"Um, Charlie?" Opening his eyes slowly, Charlie was confronted with a group of very confused and slightly pissed off people.
"Yeah?" he said slowly, moving round the kitchen to retrieve his coffee mug, suddenly very aware of the fact he was only wearing his boxers.
Pacey barked an incredulous laugh. "Charlie! What the hell, man? What just happened?"
Charlie downed the contents of his mug and turned to stare at them. He blinked slowly, only slightly annoyed when they were all still there. "Nothing happened."
Jen raised her eyebrows. "Nothing happened? Whatever, Charlie."
"Yeah, tell us the truth, Charlie," Dawson demanded, sounding far more annoyed then everyone else. Charlie belatedly remembered that he had somewhat of a large crush on Rory. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, he hated to imagine what their little confrontation must have looked like to him.
"Look, guys," Charlie suddenly felt very, very tired as he moved across the kitchen, pushing past all his friends, "I'm going to go an put some clothes on and then I'm going to tell you once again that nothing happened." Just before leaving the room he fixed them all with a pointed glare, "Because nothing did."