Chapter 20:
"That was incredible." Kate said jumping on Charlene's back as she walked out of the girls locker room. She'd just won her first varsity soccer game and it was close to time for spring break, Kate was all sorts of excited at the moment.
"Chocolatte you are heavy get off." Charlie laughed. Kate released her and started walking next to her as they joined the group.
"Did you see that final goal kick though?" Kate asked enthusiastically. "It was pure gold!"
"I didn't see it, I did it." Charlene laughed. "Come on it wasn't that fantastic."
"Oh yes it was." Reid said putting his arm around her shoulder. They started walking to the dorms to ready for another Friday night at Nicky's.
"No it wasn't." Charlene said growing embarrassed from the praise.
"She's blushing!" Sarah pointed out.
Charlie looked up at her and glared playfully. "Am not shut up!"
"Awe!" Reid cooed pinching her cheek. "You are blushing. Someone doesn't like to be complimented."
"No I like it just fine. I'm just not use to it." Charlie said. Smacking his arm in the process of pulling her duffle strap completely over her head. "Do you want to drive to Nicky's?" Charlie asked Reid with a grin.
Reid smirked. "Can I?"
"If you're nice to me." She said sweetly.
Reid groaned. "Damnit." He mocked.
Sarah and Kate both gave each other looks that no one else caught and then went about what they were doing. "So Charlie talk to Derrick in a while?"
"Yes actually." Charlie said looking over at them and Reid arm around her shoulder pulled her a little closer. "He might come for a visit, during SAAS' spring break next week, but I doubt it."
"That painting he did of you, was absolutely incredible." Sarah said.
"Eh, could've been better." Reid butted in. Charlene looked over at him and smiled.
"Reid don't be jealous it's unbecoming." She teased him.
Reid glared at her and then looked ahead to watch where he was walking. "I'm not jealous." He muttered under his breath.
Charlie shook her head and rolled her eyes. "He always had a thing for the old fashion pin up girls and vintage cars. He's good with his…" Charlie thought for a moment about what she was going to say and grinned. "Hands." She finished. "Very good with his hands."
"Ok let's not go there shall we." Reid said snappishly.
"Anyways while he might want to come and visit I asked him not to. It'll just make this harder on both of us."
"You broke up mutually right?" Sarah asked.
Charlene nodded. "Well yes, but we were together for three years and while sometimes our relationship sucked it was the only real relationship either of us had. You never forget your first love."
"Awe…" Sarah and Kate cooed.
"So you're afraid you'll jump each other if he comes around?" Reid asked bluntly.
Charlie looked over at him and frowned. "No." She said rolling her eyes. "I'm more afraid of seeing him right now because we're stuck in that 'I miss you' phase and it makes me a little apprehensive to have him around when I'm not completely happy or grounded because I'll want to give us another shot. Long distance or not."
"That's ridiculous." Reid muttered.
"So Reid are you saying I should let him come visit?" She asked smugly.
"That wasn't what I said." Reid glared at her slightly.
Charlie smiled at him. "Uh huh thought so." She said playfully. None of the others were in on the joke between them and just decided to ignore it. "I guess it doesn't matter anyway because he does what he wants."
"Does it annoy you when we think for ourselves?" Pogue joked.
Kate, Sarah and Charlene shared looks and nodded. "Yes." They said matter-oh-factly.
"Get use to it." Reid replied smirking at Charlie.
Charlie grinned back at him. "I don't have to. You'll be someone else's problem when you find that right girl."
"Moi? Yeah right." Reid said laughing bitterly.
"You will." Sarah and Kate said at the same time.
Reid rolled his eyes. "Right." He muttered before reaching his dorm with Tyler.
"Out front twenty minutes. I'm driving." Reid said.
"Thirty, I have to shower." Charlie told him.
Reid groaned. "Fine." The guys went in to Reid and Tyler's room to wait for the girls to get ready and the girls continued on to their dorms.
Nicky's:
Charlene was playing pool with Reid when Aaron came over and slipped his arm around her waist. He looked over her and grinned. "Woops thought you were Kira." He said sarcastically.
"I don't have bad hair." Charlie said removing his arm from her waist. "Go bother her."
"Or I could bother you. And then we could head back to my dorm." Aaron said trying to be hot shit.
Reid walked over putting his pool que down on the table and stepped between Aaron and Charlene. "She said leave her alone Abbot." Reid said snidely.
Aaron smirked at him. "Hey I was just talking to her."
"And she told you to go away. Now leave."
"Reid, come on let's just go. It's not worth it." Charlene put her hand on his forearm and ran it down along the bare skin of his arm, as his sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, and slipped in to his slowly unclenching fingerless gloved fist.
Reid looked over his shoulder at her and she smiled resting her chin on his shoulder and he nodded. "Fine." He growled and looked at Aaron. "You better feel real lucky Abbot." He said it and turned away from him and he and Charlie walked back over to the group. They'd been at Nicky's for a few hours and while the others were content to stay Reid had to get away from Aaron or he might just beat him to within an inch of his life.
Letting Charlie's hand go somewhat uncomfortable touching her like that he reached forward grabbing her the jacket she'd brought sitting on the back of the chair and he slipped it around her shoulders. "Thank you. You're such a gentlemen." Charlie giggled smiling at Reid.
Reid grinned that cocky ass grin and shrugged. "They don't come like me these days." He joked.
"You guys headed out?" Tyler asked coming over from the foosball table with Caleb.
They nodded. "I'm tired and I don't want to drive back to grams place by myself." Charlie said softly with a yawn to accentuate her point.
The other's said their goodbyes while Reid slipped on his black hoodie and then the two left Nicky's.
Car Ride:
"So should I just drive you to your grams' house and walk home from there?" Reid asked as he drove the BMW towards Pinehurst, the street they both lived on.
Charlie looked over at him and shook her head. "No. You can pull off at your gate and we'll switch places."
"She still hates me?" Reid asked laughing.
"Do you blame her? You tortured her for years, with no reason as to why." Charlie said looking over at him and smirking.
Reid grinned. "You make it sound like I'm the devil or something."
"Aren't you?" She teased him.
"Oh come on that's not very nice." Reid said sarcastically. He pulled up to the large iron rod gates before Charlene's home and she sighed and nodded. He hit the small button on the clicker attached to her visor and the gates opened for him to pull threw. "so do I get formal introductions?" He asked jokingly.
Charlie laughed softly as her head turned to look away from him and she saw something strange going on in the drive around. A taxi. "Who could that be?" She asked herself.
"It's almost midnight." Reid thought aloud following her gaze to the taxi. As they pulled up and parked behind the running yellow vehicle, the taxi door opened and a figure stepped out. Charlie gasped and climbed out of the car quickly walking up to the figure laughing.
Reid watched on feeling a pang of resentment to whomever was giving her such joy. He shut the car off and climbed out. "I'm gonna head home Legs. See you tomorrow for coffee with the others?" He asked.
Charlie released the figure walking over to Reid dragging him with her by the arm. The guy Reid saw was from a photo he'd seen in Charlene's dorm. He knew who it was. "Reid, wait. This is Derrick."
"Nice to meet you." Derrick held out his hand to Reid.
Reid looked at his hand then at Charlene and finally shook hands in greeting with Derrick. "You too." Reid said his insides turning in to knots seeing the smile on Charlene's face. "I thought you said you told him not to come?" Reid asked.
Derrick looked at him confused and Charlie smiled. "I did. He just doesn't know how to listen." She said laughing lightly. Derrick turned to her hugging her and lifting her feet up from the ground.
"It's the reason we broke up so many times." He joked spinning her around.
As he set Charlene down she looked over at Reid and he saw the twinkle in her eyes and he wasn't sure why it hurt as much as it did to see her so happy, he'd had a chance, his opportunity and he'd blown it. So why was he so upset now. "Reid?" Charlie waved her hand in front of his face.
Reid snapped from his thoughts and looked at her. "Yeah?" He asked.
Charlie smiled. "You ok, you looked like you were in deep thought."
"Fine. Just tired. I'm gonna head back to my place. Don't' forget coffee tomorrow and you, promised to help with the party set up Sunday."
"I haven't forgotten Reid. Promise I'll be there." Charlie tiptoed up kissing his cheek and then stepped back on her heel. "See you." She said as Derrick put his arm over her shoulder and pulled her in close to him.
Reid nodded and turned to walk back to his house. The walk was silent and he couldn't get his brain to shut off. He kept thinking about Charlene and Derrick spending time together. And the more he thought the more pissed off he got at the situation, but he kept telling himself he'd wanted it that way. When he got home he laid in his bed and soon fell asleep.
Charlene's Room:
"I told you not to come." Charlene said but she couldn't help smiling. It was nice to see and old face.
"I never did listen well." Derrick replied flopping back on her bed tucking his arms under his head. Charlie sat down at her desk chair and spun it to face him. "So where's your infamous grams I keep hearing about?" Derrick asked looking up at her ceiling.
Charlie sighed. "On another business thing or other. She doesn't sit still for long. She's here one weekend gone the next."
"You seem disappointed." Derrick said.
"No, no, don't get me wrong it's great that she's still very active and having fun, it's just it gets a little boring." Charlene said.
"Poor Char, all alone is this big ass bedroom by yourself." Derrick mocked her.
Charlie threw a magazine at him and he quickly moved to catch it and smirked at her. "So what are you really doing here?"
"I told you I came to visit."
"I said not to."
"You're really pushy on that whole listen to me thing." Derrick joked. "Look I wasn't gonna let you saying no stop me. We're going to have to see each other at our next high school reunion I figured I'd get the awkward part of our separation over with before then." He said sarcastically.
Charlene couldn't help it she laughed.
Derrick grinned. "That was definitely a smile."
Getting up Charlene made her way over to the bed and sat next to Derrick. "You're right. We're friends and I'm glad you didn't listen to me." She said sweetly. Derrick grabbed the sleeve of her long sleeved black thermal hoodie and pulled her down next to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
Instinctively Charlene rested her head on his chest and leaned in to him. "So that guy, was he the one, the one that didn't want to be with you?" Derrick asked flatly.
Charlie sighed and nodded her head a little. "Yeah. But he honestly believes he wouldn't make a good boyfriend. Apparently some girl hurt him really bad and he blamed himself."
"Well he doesn't know what he's missing." Derrick said kindly his fingers running smoothly through Charlie's hair.
"Look D, would you just be nice to him while you are here this weekend. He's a friend and we're good right now I don't want that to change." Charlene said to him lifting her head and turning it slightly to look at his eyes.
Derrick looked at her indifferent and nodded. "Ok, I'll be nice."
"Thank you." She yawned. "I'm tired."
"Show me a guest room and I'll go so you can sleep." Derrick said.
Charlie shook her head and moved in closer to him. "No you can stay right here." She said softly. "If that's ok?" She added.
Derrick smiled slightly. "Yeah, it's ok." He said lightly and Charlene reached down to the end of her bed and grabbed the extra blanket she kept there and pulled it over them before cuddling herself back in to Derrick's side and letting her eyes fall shut.
Next morning:
Reid knocked on Charlene's door and it was answer by David. "Mr. Garwin." He said unenthusiastically.
Reid grinned. "Dave, where's Charlene?" He asked.
"Upstairs, hasn't woken yet." David said as King came running over to Reid and barked. Reid knelt down and he pet the dog for a few moments while David walked off and then he headed upstairs to wake Charlene.
Knocking on the door he got no answer, so he tried again, but this time he got something he didn't want. "Reid right?"
Reid looked at the still wet from a shower Derrick, a baggy pair of paint splattered jeans slung low on his hips, showing just an inch and a half of black boxers. "Uh yeah, Charlene up?"
"Charlie's sleeping still, I'll tell her you came by." Derrick went to close the door and Reid stepped in looking at him and shaking his head.
"I'll just wake her up thanks." He said lightly.
Derrick frowned. "She's exhausted can't you just let her sleep."
"We have plans this morning, Charlene's a part of those plans, so no I won't let her sleep." Reid smirked and started towards Charlie's bed
"Fine whatever." Derrick threw his hands in the air. "Your funeral."
Reid rolled his eyes and stepped up to Charlie, she was still clothed so he knew nothing had happened between the duo. "Legs?" He whispered in her ear. "Legs wake up it's time for coffee." He continued to whisper smoothly in her ear.
Charlene started to steer and her eyes opened a little landing on Reid. "Morning Reid." She said holding back a yawn.
"Come on time to get up and go get coffee." He said gently.
Charlie sat up a little and nodded. "Ok."
"What? If I woke you up you practically threatened to murder me." Derrick said amused at the seen. He could see it in her eyes that Charlie was taken with the Garwin, guy. It was hard not to see it when they'd spent the entire night in close proximity and she hadn't made a move on him at all. She'd muttered Reid's name once or twice in her sleep and that was all Derrick needed to hear to know her feelings for him were long gone and nothing more then friendship.
"You poured water on my head, what the fuck did you expect?" Charlene snapped playfully. "Mary fucking poppins? Reid's at least nice about waking me."
"That I am." Reid said smirking triumphantly at Derrick. "You're more then welcome to join us for coffee." He said.
Derrick grinned. "Love too." He said sarcastically and grabbed a shirt from his suitcase and slipped it on.
"While you two have your pissing contest I'm gonna go take a shower and get dressed." Charlie said getting out of bed and heading in to her adjoining bathroom and closed the door behind her.
"Tell her I'm downstairs waiting." Reid said smirking and walking out of the room.
"No problem." Derrick muttered and watched him walk out. If making her happy is getting him to admit his feelings, that's what I've got to do. Derrick thought silently with an mischievous grin.