Chapter 3
Jody couldn't fall asleep. She tossed and turned, but she just couldn't sleep. She and Charlie had had a fight. Charlie was hardly speaking to her before the fight, now he was barley even looking at her. Jody got out of bed and put on her ballet shoes.
She looked at the clock, and it was 2:26 am. She warmed up and then began to dance. At first she thought she was just making up the steps, they just came so easily. After a while, Jody realized where the steps were coming from. Cooper Neilson's ABA workshop ballet. She sighed.
Jody sat back down on the bed to think. Suddenly she got up, grabbed her cell phone, and went out into the main room. She saw Charlie siting on the couch, thinking. She ignored him and went out into the hallway. She closed the door and sat down against the wall.
She took out her cell phone and dialed a number. She quickly just hung up and then called a different number.
"Hello?" Eva answered, yawning.
"Eva? It's Jody."
"Hey girl! I heard you were in New York, but why are you calling so late?"
"I'm at Charlie's. We had a fight and I can't sleep."
"Whoa, wait! You're staying at Charlie's? Charlie Sims's? Are you really?" Eva asked.
"Yes. And it sucks. He would hardly even talk to me before the fight. Now he won't even look at me. Oh, Eva, I just feel awful."
"Well, what happened?"
"He loves me."
"Huh?" Eva asked confused.
"He loves me. I love him too."
"So then what's the deal?"
"He's engaged."
There was a pause before Eva started screaming into the phone. "What?? How could he?? Is he insane?? Who is she??"
"Jamalee Willkenson." Jody said.
"Oh." Eva said, suddenly calm.
"What?"
"They were dancing partners in that new ballet."
"I know."
"So, what happened?" Eva asked again.
"I made them have a fight. Not on purpose. I just don't know. Charlie told me to wait outside his apartment while he checked my room. So I waited. For 6 minutes. So I yelled if I could come in and Jamalee thought I was like his secret girlfriend or something. So now she's really pissed at him."
"Oh, wow." Eva said, "Then what?"
"We went out for lunch today, and then, I don't know. It just all exploded."
"But he loves you?"
"Oh yeah. Defiantly. He won't say it, but I know he does."
"How do you know?" Eva asked.
"Well, you know Charlie, his eyes and body language tell every thing about him."
"Oh yeah. Well, what are you going to do?"
"I don't know." Jody said wearily, "I have no idea."
"You wanna have lunch tomorrow with me? Maybe we can hang out afterwards too."
Jody smiled. "Ok."
After working out the details, they both hung up. Then Jody gathered all her courage and went back inside.
"I'm sorry." Charlie said from the couch.
"Don't be." Jody said.
"I can't help it."
Jody sighed and went to sit down next to him. "Charlie, I think it's great you're engaged. You're happy. You're in love. And I think that's great."
Charlie turned to Jody and shook his head slowly. "No." he said.
"Huh?" Jody asked.
"Look, Charlie, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever hurt you. And I did, so many times. On Erik's birthday, yesterday, today, and on our…. Wedding day. I'm just sorry."
Charlie turned away and didn't answer.
Jody closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know."
"You know what?"
"About you, about me, about everything."
Charlie turned around and looked at her. "What?"
"Oh come on Charlie, you know exactly what."
Charlie looked into her eyes and then stood up. "I need some air." he said and then stormed out the apartment.
Jody sank onto the couch and fell asleep. When she woke up the next morning, Charlie wasn't there, and neither was the photo album that Jody hated so much. She ate some breakfast and then changed into a blue mini skirt and orange tank top.
She drove around for awhile, looking at all the buildings. When it was time for lunch, she went to the restaurant to meet Eva.
Eva was standing inside, waiting, They hugged and greeted each other, and then they got their seats. After they got their food, they talked for a while about different things until Eva brought up Charlie.
"So, what's happening with you and Charlie? She asked.
"I have no idea." Jody said as Eva looked at her sympathetically. "I tried to tell him last night that I was sorry for hurting him, and that I knew he loved me. It didn't work out to well though. I think that now he's even more mad at me."
"Damn that sucks." Eva said.
Jody nodded. "So, any guys pissed at you?"
Eva smiled. "Nope. I don't even have a boyfriend now, just Eric."
Jody smiled, "So, how is he?"
"Oh, you know. Sweet, funny, the usual.
"So," Jody said, "how are Maureen and Jim?"
"Good. Maureen's a lot better, thank God. And they got married about 2 months ago."
"Good for them." Jody said.
Eva nodded and they talked a while longer. After lunch they went shopping and Jody had the best time she had in a long time. After the shopping spree was over, Eva went to ABC for rehearsal and Jody went back to the apartment. When she got there, she sat down on the couch and watched an hour of tv before Charlie came home.
"Jody, I'm sorry about last night." Charlie said, "I just…. splotchy."
Jody stared at him for a minute before smiling. Then she got up and hugged him. He actually hugged her back this time. Then there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Charlie yelled, still holding Jody.
Jamalee walked in and looked at them. She screamed and then threw something at Charlie head before stomping off. Charlie let go of Jody and bent down to pick up the object. He stood back up and looked at it.
It was a gold ring.
Charlie threw it at his door. "Shit!!" he yelled, and went into his room.
Jody frowned and picked up the ring. She cautiously entered Charlie's room and placed it on his dresser. "Here." she said softly.
Charlie looked up at her. Jody sat down next to him and hugged him.
"Look, Charlie, you have to tell me. You have to tell me anything. Even if you don't think it's important, tell me. If you don't, you could lose Jamalee and me. Both of us, forever."
Charlie sighed and nodded. "Where do I begin? UH, ok, here. Let's start with this. You ripped out my heart, stomped on it, chewed it up, threw it back up, and then flushed it down the toilet."
Jody was speechless.
"When you called off the wedding," Charlie continued, "it hurt so bad. I thought I was going to die it hurt so much. But then I met Jamalee. She helped change everything some, and I care for her a lot. The end."
"You care for her a lot? That's all? I know there is more to this story."
Charlie swallowed. "What are you, a mind reader?"
"No."
"Oh, well then. Uh, what more is there to say? I care for her a lot and we are engaged."
Jody shook her head. "That's not all."
Charlie looked around the room hopelessly. "But what if I don't want to tell you the rest?"
Jody smiled. "To bad. You still have to. I already know, you just have to admit it."
Charlie looked at her and began. "I proposed to Jamalee, and she never looked happier. She was so in love with me, I thought she would explode. But….. I don't. I don't love her. I never can. I care for her, but I just can't love her. I tried, believe me, I really did. I just can't."
Jody sighed. "Com on Charlie! If you don't say the rest, I will!"
"I love you." Charlie said, and then turned away.
"Don't be ashamed Charlie, please. Really!"
"I love you." He said again.
"I know." Jody said quietly, "I love you too."
Charlie turned back to face her. "What?"
"I love you." Jody said, smiling.
Charlie leaned in and kissed her.
He pulled away after a second and said, "What about Jamalee? Am I really going to have to be engaged 3 times before I get married?"
Jody smiled and then frowned. "I'll be right back." she said, and left.
She returned after a minute with Charlie's cordless phone. She handed it to him. "Call her." She said, and left his room.
She went into her room and dug around in her backpack for a few minutes. When she knew that Charlie wasn't talking anymore she went back into his room.
He was sitting on his bed smiling. "She took it really well."
"Really?"
"No." Charlie said, laughing.
Neither said anything for a moment. Eventually Charlie glanced at Jody's hand. "What's in your hand?" he asked.
Jody handed him the small box, smiling. Charlie opened it and saw a silver ring with a small emerald on it. "You kept the engagement ring?"
"Of course." Jody said.
Just then Jody's cell phone rang. She reluctantly excused herself from Charlie and went to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Jody, please don't-"
"Cooper?" Jody exclaimed.
"Yes, but please don't hang up. Please, won't you give one more chance?"
"No, Cooper, you blew it. Please stop calling me."
"Please, I love you."
"Fine. I don't care, Cooper. I don't love you. I love someone else. You can't keep on calling me like this!"
"Please?"
"No!"
"Come on. Please. I'll do anything."
"No Cooper. Good-bye.'
Jody hung up and heard the front door slam. "Great! Just great!" Jody yelled to herself.
