ALL MY LIFE
PART EIGHT
"Do you have a picture of this Charlie guy? I just have to see him!" Olivia asked excitedly.
Jody shook her head. "Not with me… unless…" Jody dug through her purse. "Nope, sorry."
"Oh. You wanna go back to your apartment?"
"Sure." Jody smiled and picked up her purse. Slinging it over her shoulder, she grabbed her keys out of it. "Have you ever been there?"
"Yeah, once, but I don't know how to get there."
"Ok, well, get in your car and follow me there." Jody said as she opened the door to her friends apartment.
The two friends left and drove to Jody's apartment. Scott was there waiting for Jody.
"Scott! What are you doing here? How did you get in?" Jody asked when she saw him on the couch.
Scott held up a small silver key. "Spare key… you gave it to me about a year ago. I, uh, just wanted to see you. You seemed really sad last night, but if you're busy…" Scott looked at Olivia. "I can leave. Hey Olivia."
"Hi Scott." Olivia waved friendly.
"Uh, Scott, this is really sweet and all, but you know…"
Scott stood up and nodded. "That's cool, I understand. See you tomorrow." Scott kissed Jody and then left.
"He's so sweet!" Olivia shreiked.
Jody smiled and fell onto the couch. "I know. So, you wanted to see a picture of Charlie?"
"Yes!" Olivia smiled.
Jody smiled and shook her head. She went into her room and came back out a minute later with a few large photo albums. She sat down and slammed them down on the small coffee table. "Here we go. Uh…" She flipped though the top one. "Oh! Here's one from… ABA. This was the day he first asked me out, but I said no because I was dating Cooper Neilson. It was our friend Erik's birthday."
Olivia took the photo album and looked at the picture. "Which one is him? Is this him? He's cute!" She said, pointing to Jim.
Jody smiled. "No, that's my friend Jim. He and Maureen (points to her in the picture) got married last year. This is Charlie." She said, pointing to Charlie's smiling face.
Olivia looked at it and laughed. "Well, that's one interesting face."
"Yeah… he was being weird, I guess. Let me see if I can find a better picture…" She took the album back and flipped through it some more. "Oh look! It's the back of his head!" Jody joked. "No more in this one. Let's try this one." Jody picked up the next heavy book. "Oh my God!" She exclaimed after a moment.
"What is it??"
Jody placed the photo album in Olivia's lap and leaned over to look at it with her. Pointing to the middle picture, Jody smiled. "This is Charlie Simms."
Olivia's jaw dropped. "Oh my God, Jody! He's absolutly gorgeous!!"
Jody smiled and remember the day of the picture.
()()^^^()()
Jody sat at the table, eating dinner with Charlie.
"And he said, 'Take it all bitch!'" Charlie exclaimed.
Jody choked on her food, trying not to laugh. 'Did you know, Maureen told me that joke in ABA."
"Oh… really?" Charlie smiled and took a bite of his salad. "Well, I just thought it was sorta funny."
"Yeah… one of Jim's friend's told it to them one their first date. How romantic." Jody joked.
"Yeah, I love you."
"I love you too, but that was sorta random."
"I know, but I still love you."
"Aww… I love you too." Jody said as she stuffed a large bite into her mouth.
"Well, if that isn't sexy, I don't know what is." Charlie smiled.
Jody cracked up as a tall mad with a beard walked up to them. "Would you two like your photo taken? Curtosy of Kodak and this here restauraunt." The man said in a weird accent.
Charlie shrugged. "Sure, why not. What's it cost?"
"It's free… smile!" The man said as he positioned his small camera."
Jody giggled and Charlie flashed one of his famous heart-melting smiles. The picture came out the slot of the bottom of the camera and the man yanked it out. "Here you go. Enjoy your dinner!" He said nicely and then walked to the next table.
"Thank you!" Charlie called and looked at the picture as it developed.
()()^^^()()
Jody broke out of her memories and looked up at Olivia. "Yeah… that's Charlie alright." Jody said dreamily. "So, wanna see another pic?"
"Oh God, yes! He's gorgeous… to bad he's getting married!"
Jody smiled. "Hello?"
"Oh, sorry! I forgot! I mean… it's to bad he's getting married because… you still love him… and he's gorgeous. You guys look so cute together!"
"Thanks… so? Now what? What am I supposed to do?" Jody asked as she looked through more albums. "I can't go and see him get married! That would be like… actually taking out my heart and… ripping it to shreads."
Olivia looked at her friend sympathetically. "You have to get over this guy. He's in love with someone else. You are too! You both have new people and if you try to go back with him, you'll mess up all 4 of your lives."
Jody sighed. "Yeah… I know. But do I have a choice?"
"Scott with no Charlie or No Scott and no Charlie."
Jody sighed again and looked at the pictures on the page she was opened to. It was of her and Charlie during their last week together.
"Well, I have to go home now." Olivia announced. "Get up early for class tomorrow. Quoting Ralph: 'I love the ballet. I ache the ballet. Sometimes I even get ballet aches.'" Olivia said, pronouncing 'ballet aches' like 'belly aches'.
Jody laughed. "Where did you hear that? It's hilarious!"
"Ralph from Happy Days. I thought it was pretty funny to… never forgot it." Olivia smiled. "Bye." She opened the door.
"See you tomorrow!" Jody called as her friend left.
Slouching into the couch, Jody looked at the pictures of Charlie. She missed him… and hadn't even realized how much she still loved him. The phone rang, breaking Jody's memories again.
"Hello?"
"Jody? It's Charlie."
Olivia rushed back into the room and sat down next to Jody. She smiled at Jody, who shook her head happily.
"Hey… Charlie, what's up?"
"Not much, I just have something really important to tell you."