CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER FIVE

Charlie looked into Jody's eyes and smiled. She was looking at everyone around them, and laughing. She had dry tear runs on her face and her eyes were red. He looked up at Erik, Eva, Sergei, and Galina. They were all grinning at him. He smiled back and put his arm around Jody. She began to laugh.

"Guys! Stop staring at us!" Jody laughed.

"Jody!" Galina laughed back.

Jody smiled and shook her head. "You guys are insane!"

Galina made a face at Jody and Jody turned to look at Charlie. Charlie smiled at her and she smiled back.

Charlie waited for everyone to go on talking among themselves and then turned to Jody. "So, what about Dirk?"

"It's not serious. I mean, we've been going out for a year, and I'm sure he thinks it's serious, but it's not. He also probably thinks love him, but I don't."

Charlie's face fell. "You've been going out for a year?"

Jody sighed. She knew she shouldn't have told Charlie all the details. "Yeah, but I told you, I don't love him and it's not serious."

Charlie nodded. "So, what are you going to tell him?"

Jody shrugged. "I dunno, I'll tell him when I get back."

"You're not gonna tell him now?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because it would hurt him too much. As much as it would hurt him to have me break up with him in person, it would hurt him more over the phone. While I'm a billion miles away, kissing my new -who used to be my ex- boyfriend."

"But I can't go out with you if you haven't broken up with Dirk."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't!"

"But I can't dump him while I'm here!"

"Then I can't be your boyfriend!"

Their voices had grown louder and the others stopped talking and turned to listen.

"Charlie! Then what are we supposed to do?"

Charlie stood up. "Nothing!" he walked into his room.

Jody turned to look at her 4 friends staring at her. "Galina…" Jody began.

Galina rushed over to sit next to Jody. They talked quietly for a while and everyone else ran out for lunch. Charlie didn't come out of his room the whole night. Jody and Galina stayed up all night talking and didn't fall asleep until almost 5am.

When they woke up, it was already almost 12noon. Jody stretched and ate a sandwich. Galina woke up a little after Jody and did the same. Jody peeked into Charlie's room. He was sleeping on top of the covers.

She grabbed her cell phone and went out to the parking lot. She leaned up against Erik's car (they had taken Eva's to go to lunch) and dialed.

"Hello?"

"Hi Dirk."

"Jody! What's up?"

"Not much."

"Oh. I miss you."

"I miss you too. Look, I have something to tell you?"

"Can't it wait until you get back?"

"I wish it could, but it can't."

Dirk frowned. "What? Did someone die? Are… are you pregnant?"

"NO!!!"

"Then what?"

"I, uh, we have to break up."

Dirk paused. "What?"

"I'm sorry. But you love me, and you think this relationship is serious, and that it will go somewhere."

"Yeah, so?"

"I don't love you. And this isn't serious, and it won't go anywhere."

"What?"

"I'm sorry Dirk. I just, I still love Charlie."

"CHARLIE! THAT LITTLE FREAK!"

"Little Freak? Charlie isn't a little freak! And what kind of insult is that anyway?"

"It's a perfectly fine insult and he is a little freak."

"Good-bye Dirk."

Dirk sighed. "Good-bye Jody. I love you."

"That's not gonna change anything. Bye." Jody hung up.

She could not believe she had just done that. She knew Dirk would be heart broken and would never talk to her again. She knew he wouldn't be able to find another girl for at least a year, that was just the kind of person he was. Jody flicked her cell phone shut and leaned against the car. She ran back up to the apartment. She knocked loudly on Charlie's door.

Charlie stumbled over the door and opened it. Jody was standing there, smiling uncontrollably.

"What?"

"I did it!" Jody squeaked.

"Did what?"

"I broke up with Dirk."

Charlie looked at Jody and smiled. He kissed her and Galina watched them from the couch.

"Please let that be the last time you two have a fight!"

Charlie and Jody laughed.

~*~ GALINA'S BRIDAL SHOWER ~*~

~*~ THURSDAY NIGHT ~*~

~*~ AFTERWRD ~*~

Jody sat on the couch remembering the night's events. She had had the best time of her life talking with Eva and Galina, and all her old friends. But then the party ended and they all went home. Jody had gone back to the apartment to find Charlie sleeping on the couch, the news was on the tv. Jody smiled and covered him up with a blanket. Then she went into Charlie's room and fell asleep.

~*~ SERGEI'S BACHELOR PARTY ~*~

Charlie sat at a table in a chair. His arms were on the table and his chin was resting on his wrists. He was watching the dancing girls that Brownie Johnson had insisted they hired. As if Charlie didn't get enough dancing girls. Brownie Johnson was girl crazy, and he had never had the same girlfriend for longer than 1 month.

Charlie rolled his eyes and looked over at Erik. He was watching the girls dance, but was obviously as bored with them as Charlie was. Charlie looked over at Sergei. He was tapping his foot to the music, but the expression on his face was one of boredom and displeasure.

Charlie glanced back over at the girls. The one in the very middle looked a lot like Jody. He sighed and looked over at Brownie. He looked like he was having the time of his life. Charlie rolled his eyes again and turned back to the dancing girls. He felt like falling sleep. Some party this turned out to be.

~ LATER THAT NIGHT ~

Charlie, Erik, and Sergei walked into the apartment. Jody, Galina, and Eva were sitting on the couch. They all turned around.

"How was the party?" Eva asked.

Erik shrugged. "It was ok."

Sergei and Charlie ignored Erik and grinned. "Great." They said at the same time.

"I call shower!" Sergei said as he walked off into the bathroom.

"I call it next!" Charlie said.

Jody looked at Eva and Galina. They all shrugged and went back to looking at their magazines.

Later that night Jody was sitting on the bed reading a book. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Jody called, placing her book on the small desk next to her side of the bed.

Galina walked in and shut the door. She sat down next to Jody. "Do you have any idea what's up with Charlie and Sergei?" She asked.

"Nope, why?"

"They are just acting really weird since the party. You know, with the showers and nervousness and just freaking out."

"You're right. That is weird. The last time Charlie was this nervous, he was proposing…… oh my God! Galina!"

"Jody! Jody, oh my God!"

"Galina!!!! I think I'm gonna faint or something. He can't! He just can't!"

"Why not? I thought you loved him."

Jody waved her arms around. "HELLO?? Yes, I do love him. But I haven't talked to him a year and I just saw him for the first time 4 days ago!"

"Oh yeah. But you're gonna break his heart again?"

"I don't know. I mean, I can't say yes. But how can I say no, to Charlie?"

"Jody, you have a major problem here!"

"I know! I just-"

Just then Charlie walked in and saw them. "Uh, hey guys, what's up?"

"I was just leaving." Galina said as she got up.

Jody gave her some looks but Galina left anyway.

Charlie sat down on the bed and kissed Jody on the check.

"So," Jody asked, "What did you do at the party?"

Charlie sat up straight. "Not much."

"You have no idea how easy it is to tell when you're lying. So what did you really do? Come on, you can tell me!"

"Nothing. You know, just guy stuff."

Jody made a face. "Ok, you don't have to tell me."

Charlie began to relax. "Thanks." Charlie looked into Jody's eyes. He smiled.

"Charlie…" Jody began. She didn't know what to say.

"What? Is something wrong? You look sick. What happened?"

"Are you going to propose?" Jody blurted out.

Charlie stared at Jody for a minute. "What?"

"I dunno. I'm sorry. Me and Galina were talking and she said hoe nervous you and Sergei were. And all I could think was that the last time you were that nervous, you were proposing. So…"

"No. I mean, I love you, but I'm not gonna propose. I saw you for the first time after a year four days ago! I'm not ready for that."

Jody smiled and kissed him. Charlie waited until she fell asleep before running into Sergei's room. Galina was in the bathroom so they would have a little while to talk.

"Jody just asked me if I was going to propose." Charlie said.

"What? Why?"

"She said the last time I was this nervous was when I proposed."

Sergei laughed but shut up when Charlie gave him a dirty look.

"Look, Sergei, they know something's up, what do we do?"

"Nothing. It's fine."

"Are you sure?"

Galina walked in wearing a towel. Charlie smiled and left while Sergei nodded at him. Charlie shut the door and went back to his room. He fell asleep.

The next morning Jody woke up and rolled over. Charlie was lying next to her, smiling. She smiled at him and kissed his nose.

"Good morning beautiful." Charlie said.

Jody laughed. "'Morning."

They got dressed and went out to the kitchen to get breakfast. They were sitting on the couch, eating breakfast. Eva was sitting next to Jody, and everyone else was sitting in a chair or sitting on the floor. Charlie finished his cereal and put his bowl in the sink. He came back to Jody and kneeled down on one knee. He pulled a small black ring box out of his pocket and snapped it open.

"Jody…"