This piece is another transition chapter that should help explain what is going on with Connie and Charlie, since they are not the main characters but I do want to include them. I'm a little happier with this chapter than the last.

Chapter 5: Believe Me

Julie had asked Connie to stay with her that night in the hotel so they could catch up on the past 2 months. Julie was eager to see how things were going between Charlie and Connie. Connie plopped her bag on the floor after the girls had said goodbye to Portman and Charlie, who were headed off to the makeshift rink where they had spent so many days playing roller hockey. The girls had wanted to spend some time together, so they had decided to skip the game and hang out at the hotel instead, pampering themselves with spa items.

"Okay, Connie," Julie began, slipping off her shoes and socks to paint her toenails with a light shade of lavender, "You're first. Spill it all about Charlie… what's going on with you two?"

Connie's face was a little red as she pulled out her own blue toenail polish and a bottle of mud mask. As she pulled off her shoes, she began, "Well, nothing really happened these entire past few months until last night. Adam and I kind of had that fling going, like I told you about, and although he's a really good kisser, he's not really boyfriend material. He likes his space and he likes to date around. It got annoying after the second or third week of it, so I told him that I was seeing someone else. I really wasn't, but he didn't have to know that. Besides, my heart wasn't really in it anyways. I just needed a rebound thing I think. We agreed that there were no hard feelings… it just didn't work out. And we also agreed not to advertise the fact that we dated."

Julie offered her a chocolate from the box of candy that she had purchased in the Bangor airport, knowing that a "girls only" night always had to involve chocolate. Connie took a caramel and continued, "The whole time, Charlie and I had been hanging out in the evenings because he took one of his math classes at University of Minnesota so that he wouldn't have to take it back at Loyola. So, he's horrible at math, and I'm not, so I'd been helping him with his homework. The class ended a few weeks ago, but it was just a habit for us to hang out every night, so we just kept meeting up at Mickey's, or the mall, or his house. His mom is really awesome."

"So what happened last night?" Julie prodded, finishing her left foot and going on to the right.

"Well, I'm not really sure exactly how it happened. We went skating at the rink in the mall since I hadn't been on the ice since about Christmas. Before I knew it, we were holding hands on the ice. The lights were twinkly and he had this hooded sweatshirt on that was totally hot. I have no idea why, it just was," Connie laughed, reaching for another piece of chocolate, "and I don't know if he did it or if I did it, but pretty soon, we were standing in the middle of all these skaters, our arms around each other, and we were kissing. And then when we stopped, he just kind of held on to me for a few seconds. People were staring, but I didn't really care."

Julie laughed excitedly and reached over to hug Connie. "That's so awesome! Finally!" Julie said, popping a piece of chocolate in her mouth, "So what now?"

Connie smiled, capping the toenail polish, "Well, we didn't really say anything about being boyfriend and girlfriend or anything, but I'm hoping things carry on this week while you all are here. And it's good that we go to the same school, so there's no reason for us not to get together." Julie nodded, somewhat sadly, at Connie's last comment, and capped her own toenail polish.

"Okay, what's next, mud mask or hair mask?" Julie asked, holding up the two bottles.

"Hair mask," Connie said, flicking on the light in the bathroom, "And your story on Portman."

Julie smiled almost sadly before saying, "Well, there isn't a whole lot to tell."

Connie looked over at her with a frown. "You're not the only one who talks to him on a regular basis, you know," she said, setting the bottle of protein mask on the sink and turning on the water.

"You talk to him too?" Julie asked, trying not to act surprised.

"Yes, I do. And he told me all about the conversation you had a couple weeks ago, the one about how you guys had liked each other forever but you were afraid to go out with him because you lived too far away and it would be too hard and blah blah blah more excuses," Connie said, beginning what Julie knew would be a Goldberg-sized rant.

Julie frowned, squeezing a huge glob of the greenish protein hair mask in her hand, "Connie… I'm afraid I'll fall in love with him and I'll turn into some sad little girl, waiting by the phone for her boyfriend to call, and he never does."

Connie smiled, taking the bottle and squeezing out another blob, "That's the risk you take when you date someone. To have the wonderful feelings of love and all that yack, you have to experience some bad feelings like fear, jealousy, and general unease. But in the end, when things work out and we graduate and you move to the same city, you won't take the little things like doing laundry together for granted."

Julie chuckled, starting to spread the gooey mess into her long blonde hair, "That's assuming we fall in love."

Connie shook her head, "Well, aren't you already? I think you are, you just can't stand to think that someone else has an impact on your happiness. I know you Jules… you like to be the one who is in total control."

They silently spread the goop throughout the length of their hair and wrapped the mess up in towels. Julie plopped down on the bed to eat more candy while Connie tweezed her eyebrows at the bathroom vanity. "You know," Julie said, breaking the silence, "I've never really been in love before. There were people I thought I was in love with, and Scooter was probably the closest, but this thing with Portman feels different. Like somehow, deep down, I know it's going to work out. And it scares me. Because for some reason, I know that we're going to get married and he's going to be the last person I date. Is that crazy?"

Connie looked over at her best friend with a smile, "No, it's wonderful."

Julie sighed, shoving more candy in her mouth, "I think so too."

After all the beauty treatments were over, their outfits for the next day were selected, and the candy was devoured, Connie and Julie laid on their beds in silence, reflecting on the summer. "I just can't believe that we're going to be 21 this fall… and that clinicals begin in school soon…" Connie began, looking up at the ceiling.

"And that I'm in love with Dean Portman," Julie added, giggling slightly before sighing nervously.

"It's going to be okay Jules… we're going to be okay," Connie said softly, "And if it doesn't work out, life goes on. Believe me."

To be continued…