Charlie settled down for the film and watching his new 'friends' become absorbed by its story made him promptly fall asleep. He cocked an eye open as the credits rolled up only to half tune into a conversation of psycho-analysing and a long healthy debate between Dawson and Joey.

"Glad you could join us," Jack smirked, "Believe me, dude, I felt exactly the same way."

"What time is it?" Charlie squinted, rubbing sleep from his eyes with his knuckles and straightening up on the computer chair. Dawson snapped the alarm clock from his bedside cabinet, "Eight."

"Oh God, I forgot to phone home."

"Mister Witter already phoned about half an hour earlier, he said he'd come by later to pick you up."

"No, my mom." Charlie elaborated. "I haven't talked to her since yesterday morning." Dawson handed him a phone lying discarded under his pillow. "Are you sure? I mean…"

"Go for it."

Charlie nodded and keyed in the familiar number, he smiled over at Dawson gratefully and the teenagers came to a hush, "Sophie?" He held the receiver from his ear and winced as the child yelled 'mommy' without covering the mouth piece. "Cheers for that. Is she there? Oh, hey."

He stopped to pretend to listen to a regurgitated lecture his mother had delivered at the airport the previous day. "Yes, yes. I haven't seen him yet, he's been busy. Well… yeah. No actually, I'm in a friend's house. Nah, they don't play. No."

He stopped talking again and rolled his eyes to his friends as Casey launched into another mini-lecture. They giggled at him. "Yes, I'll be on my best behaviour. I start school on Monday… I won't fall back on my homework, I was just making conversation. It can't be worse than Eden Hall, right?" He sighed, "I was joking, I know school's important. Look I have to go; Dawson's got another call on the line. Tell everyone I'll phone them during the week at some point. Later."

"I don't have another call on the line." Dawson frowned as he accepted the phone back. Charlie pouted innocently. "Aw, that's unfair."

"But necessary." Charlie enforced. "So Joey, we've watched the movie, what else is there to do?"

Andie brandished a second tape, "Watch another."

Charlie yawned and leant back in his chair, "Goodnight." He closed his eyes to an eruption of infectious giggling.