While I did warn that there was a lack of togetherness in this chapter, alexwilliamson101 begged in a very convincing manner, so here's an extra chapter.

After tomorrow I'm afraid I won't be updating as regularly for a couple of weeks as I have a friend staying and thus have to participate in this thing called a 3D world - *shudder*. But I will update each of my four stories as and when I can. When I get back to my regular updates, I'll be bringing you a new story called "The Waiting Game" and IN THEORY, depending on how fast I can write, I will start updating Forbidden daily. For now... enjoy. IJKS xxx

***

Chapter Twenty-One

The only thing that was keeping Charlie going was Ruby and she was dreading her going back to the city in a few days time. Since their return from visiting their parents, Hugo had been on his best behaviour. He'd been tidier and even cooked dinner a few times. He'd sent loving text messages and offered her genuine cuddles and kisses without demanding more. In many ways, he had been the perfect boyfriend and she had no cause for complaint. Unfortunately, in his plight to be good to her and interested in what she was doing, it meant that he was making the effort to join in with her activities. That in turn meant that every time she saw Joey around town, she was with him. She knew it was hurting her and Charlie hated herself for it. The way the younger girl's brown eyes searched hers out was heartbreaking. All Charlie wanted to do was ditch Hugo and be with Joey but then Hugo would do something sweet to confuse and surprise her. Sitting in the Diner with her boyfriend and her sister, Charlie looked up to see Joey walk in and then walk out again.

"I'll just be a second," Charlie said, excusing herself.

Ignoring their confusion, she got to her feet and escaped the confines of the restaurant. Outside, she looked frantically around and spotted Joey heading towards the beach.

"Joey!" she called, jogging up to her.

The teenager refused to turn around but Charlie managed to catch up. When she touched her arm, Joey jerked away looking angry.

"What? Shouldn't you be having a romantic dinner with your boyfriend?" she snapped.

"Joey..."

Charlie looked and felt helpless.

"What? You can say my name as much as you like but it doesn't stop the fact that you've spent the last week swanning round town with your beloved boyfriend."

"Joey, it's not like that."

"Then what is it like?" Joey asked, desperate for some kind of answer. "Because one minute we're at a dance kissing and you're telling me everything I've dreamed of hearing since I met you and the next you're playing happy families. I don't understand you, Charlie."

"I can't just ditch him."

"Why not?"

The question hung in the air like a bad smell. Why couldn't she leave Hugo? Because she was tied into a tenancy with him? Because they'd shared a life together? Because she'd be deliberately pulling the rug from right beneath her own feet?

"Look, it's just for now," she said. "He's trying to make it up to me for being such a jerk. But he'll go back to normal again soon and then you won't have to put up with..."

"With knowing that you sleep with him? That you lie beside him every night? That he gets to live his life with you and I get nothing?"

Charlie looked down, hating herself even more.

"Charlie, I can't do this," Joey said sadly. "I think you're amazing. You're beautiful in every single way that it's possible to be beautiful but this is impossible. I never get to see you and whenever you're out now, you're with him. And it just makes me angry. And I don't like being angry with you. I adore you too much for that."

"I don't like you being angry with me either," Charlie said.

"So leave him," Joey pleaded.

"He hasn't done anything wrong, Joey," Charlie sighed. "I can't just walk out on him for no reason."

"He cheated on you, he makes you miserable..."

"But he's trying now."

"You want to be with me..."

Charlie sighed and closed her eyes.

"But you obviously don't want it enough," Joey concluded.

She began to move away but Charlie desperately pulled her back.

"I do!" she insisted.

"So what, I have to hang around for eight and a half lonely months and then when I graduate you'll dump him then? Is that how this is going to go?"

Charlie ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She had no idea how this was going to go.

"I can't do that, Charlie. It's hard enough waiting for you if I think you're waiting for me. But if you're not... what's the point?"

Joey broke contact and headed off down the beach. With tears in her eyes, Charlie watched. Unhappily, she returned to Hugo and Ruby.

***

Sinking down onto the sand, Joey wondered if she was being too hard on Charlie. To dump Hugo, whether he was a waste of space or not, was a big deal. Charlie had been with him for ten years. They'd gone through all the highs and lows of puberty together. Just to end it, even if she was unhappy, wouldn't be an easy task. She would be uprooting herself and changing everything she knew. And it wasn't as if it was easy for Charlie to accept that she was attracted to Joey in the first place. And on top of that, if she were to dump Hugo and she and Joey were to wait eight and a half agonising months for each other, it wasn't as if they could even be close. They couldn't comfort each other, take care of each other, hold each other and love each other even in private while they waited to come out. They couldn't do any of the things they wanted to do. Maybe Joey was being selfish demanding that Charlie be alone while she waited. I'm alone, Joey reminded herself. And I'm the sucker who has to hang around and watch her hanging on his arm. No, she decided. I'm not being unreasonable at all. Still, tears stung her eyes. She furiously wiped them away and pulled out her phone.

"Aden," she said when her friend answered. "We're going out."

***

"Are you alright?" Hugo asked.

"Sorry?" Charlie asked, snapping back to attention.

They'd left the Diner and come home to pack. It was Saturday afternoon and they were getting ready to take Ruby back home. They would stay for one night with Charlie's parents and then travel home on the Sunday ready for Charlie to start work again on Monday morning.

"What's wrong? You've been quiet since the Diner."

"Oh, I just don't want Ruby to go home."

It wasn't really a lie. She had thoroughly enjoyed her sister's visit. Ruby came with a bundle of vibrant energy and never failed to make Charlie laugh. Even with her despair over Joey, Charlie had smiled every day. Without her, everything would be harder, especially considering she had to see her daily at school. She didn't want to fight with Joey and she didn't want to lose her. She just didn't know how to fix it. It didn't feel right to just dump Hugo. If she was going to end their relationship, shouldn't she have done it one of the three times she'd caught him cheating? Or while he was being a selfish pig? He was being nice now. It didn't make sense to end things so harshly, even though that's what her heart was telling to her to do. He moved across the room and hugged her.

"She'll be back before you know it," he said, kissing the top of her head.

***

Joey, Aden, Shane, Angel, Chris and Philip were all crammed into Joey' bedroom. Music was blaring as they got ready to go clubbing. Joey was feeling unusually serious and she was dressed to kill. Even Shane stared when she presented her outfit of a long, black, rock chick t-shirt which almost covered the length of an impossibly short black, leather skirt.

"Close your mouth," Angel warned.

Joey had completed the outfit with black stiletto heels that she only pulled out for special occasions. She bent over to apply mascara and lipstick and to fuss with her hair in the mirror, keeping it long and loose. Shane and Aden couldn't stop looking at her legs and backside. Shane was rewarded with a swift kick from his girlfriend. He apologised immediately.

"Got big plans tonight, Joey?" Chris asked.

Joey fished a wide, bronze cuff from her jewellery box and fitted it onto her wrist. She turned around and smiled triumphantly.

"Yep," she said. "Are you all ready?"

***

Charlie had looked out of the window for most of the journey back to the city. She deeply regretted never having got Joey's phone number. At least if she had that, they could keep in touch with each other and try and sort things out. But she didn't. So they couldn't. When she'd arrived at her parents' house, she'd been all smiles of course and she, her Mum and Dad, Ruby, Hugo, Gina, Xavier and Brendan had enjoyed a meal together. Looking at her watch, Charlie wondered how early a night she could get away with. Joey was never far from her mind.

***

Joey had spent most of the night dancing and drinking. All she wanted to do was forget about Charlie Buckton although she'd figured out fairly early that it was unlikely, if not impossible. Still, the alcohol was helping and the fact that she was certainly being noticed was also numbing her pain. Chris had been hobbling about on his crutches a little but most of his time had been spent making out with Philip. Shane and Angel were closer than ever, holding hands and smiling goofily at each other. Earlier in the week, Angel had taken Joey out for lunch and told her that she and Shane had 'done the deed'. She'd spent over an hour saying how amazing it was and how in love they were. Joey had been happy for both her friends, although it compounded her own sadness. And Aden was her ever faithful friend and dance partner. Joey turned when she felt hands on her hips. She came face to face with a beautiful woman with brown hair and blue eyes. The woman ran her hands up Joey's sides and down again and Joey rested her own hands around the woman's waist. Without speaking, they kissed.

***

At eleven, Charlie yawned and stretched, excusing herself to bed. Hugo followed and they said their goodnights to everybody. Behind the closed door of Charlie's old bedroom, Hugo encircled Charlie's waist. He bent his head to kiss her.

"Have I been a good boy?" he asked hopefully.

He had. Not once had he pressured her for sex or been unkind to her. He'd worked hard to be the perfect boyfriend. Still, she didn't want to give him what he wanted. It made her feel mean. Finally, she smiled and kissed him.

***

Joey followed the woman, who she now knew to be called Cheryl, into the bathroom of the club. Holding hands, they fell into a cubicle. Joey wrapped her arms around the woman's narrow shoulders as she felt her lips hot on her neck.

"You're so beautiful," the woman said, her hand roaming over Joey's body.

"So are you," Joey said, her voice sounding distant as she felt Cheryl's hands slip up her skirt, stroking her legs.

***

Charlie lay back on the bed, having faked an orgasm. She didn't usually bother and he didn't usually care but tonight was different. Tonight he had really tried and she didn't want to disappoint him. Also, she had figured out that he wasn't going to achieve what he was so desperately trying to so she thought the kindest thing to do was finish quickly and make him think it was a job well done. Sweating, he landed on top of her, kissing her neck.

"Was that okay?" he asked hopefully.

She hugged him.

"It was great," she lied.

All she'd been able to think about was Joey.

***

Joey and Cheryl climaxed together against the wall of the cubicle. Joey had kept her eyes shut the entire time, allowing the sensations to flood her body while her mind took her far away. She'd come out tonight to do exactly this. And she'd wanted it in order to forget about Charlie. But Charlie was all she'd been able to think about the entire time. And she didn't think that was ever likely to stop.