Chapter 6: The Wedding

Chapter 6: The Review

Charlie packed up 2 suitcases for the trip. He was going to go visit Jody, and to see her get married. He picked them up and put them into his car that he had bought last time he went to visit Jody, three years ago. He didn't like thinking about that trip very much, so he shook off the memories he was every time he looked at his blue car. He went back and left a message on his mother's answering machine.

"Hello. You have reached Diana at home. I'm not home but you know me! I'll call you right back if you leave your name, a message, and your number. Bye now!….. BEEP!!"

"Hey Mom. It's Charlie. I won't be home for a couple of weeks. I'm going to go to a friend's wedding. I'll call you when I get back. Love you. Charlie."

Charlie hung up the phone and grabbed his coat. He locked his apartment door and went to his car. He drove 20 minutes to the airport. He parked his car in the long-term parking lot and took his bags out. He got the keys out and locked his car. He dragged his bags to where the little trolley thing picked you up and took you to the airport. He only had to wait 2 minutes before the trolley thing pulled up. He and another man with only 1 suitcase went on with their bags.

He got off at the second stop and went inside the enormous airport. He got his ticket and waited for his plane to be called. When it was, he boarded and sat down in his first class seat. He and Jody had arranged to split the cost of his seat, because he had to fly 3 hours on one plane.

He waited about 45 minutes, for everyone to board, for the plane to lift off. The seat next to him was empty. He listened to music when they said the passengers could turn on their electronics.

More than 3 hours later, he got off the plane. Eva and Erik, who he hadn't seen in almost 6 years, greeted him. Eva was black and had been one of Jody's old roommates, along with Maureen, and she was very independent. Erik was also black. He was gay, and been one of Charlie's roommates, along with Sergei. They all hugged each other. Eva explained that Sergei and was at Jody's apartment with Maureen and her husband, Jim, Jody, and Jody's fiancée. Charlie smiled and they went to get his 2 suitcases.

They hailed a cab and got in. When they reached the apartment building they got out and stood outside of it. Charlie looked up the building, his mind suddenly flooded with memories. Eva smiled at Charlie's nervousness and grabbed his free hand. "Come on!" she said. Charlie followed her, carrying one of his suitcases, Erik followed him, carrying the other.

They took the elevator up to the 6th floor. When they reached Jody's door, Eva took Charlie's bad from him. Charlie took this opportunity to turn around and run. He ran down the hallway and all the way down to the first floor. He ran outside and sat down on the sidewalk curb, trying to breathe. After about a half an hour later Jody sat down next to him.

Charlie stood up and looked at her. She wasn't wearing any make-up, but her face shinned and her eyes sparkled. "If you only knew." Charlie thought. Jody stood up and hugged him. Charlie hugged back and said nothing.

"How are you?" Jody said.

"Ok. I haven't seen you in so long though."

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that. I meant to call you, but so much happened to me. I didn't have any time to call you. I did miss you though."

"That's ok." Charlie said. "So, what kept you so busy?"

"Well, about 4 months after you left……………

"Cooper, please don't go!" Jody called from her room.

"I have to. My company is moving, and I have to move with it. Besides, I don't love you anymore. Not like that at least. You know that."

"I know! I know! I don't love you anymore either. But you are my friend, and I will miss you."

Jody and Cooper met out in the main room and hugged.

"I'll miss you too." Cooper said.

Jody helped Cooper load all of his stuff into his car. They hugged and kissed a painful good-bye, and then Cooper drove off. Just like Charlie.

Jody went back to her apartment and sat down on the couch. She sighed. She had enough money to pay the rent on the apartment for the next 2 months. But by the end of that time, she needed either to find a cheaper apartment or find a new roommate.

She couldn't ask Maureen, because she was married to Jim. She couldn't ask Eva, because she and Erik lived together. Jody sighed again.

She had already auditioned for a new ballet company, and had gotten in.

She thought of Sergei. She could ask Sergei to be her roommate. Jody decided not to, because she figured he was probably living with, if not married to, his girlfriend Galina. That was if they hadn't broken up. Jody hadn't spoken to Sergei in several years, so she called him.

"Hello?" Sergei's sweet, familiar Russian accent answered.

"Sergei? It's Jody."

"Jody? Hey! How are you?"

"I'm good." Jody said.

"Are you still going out with Charlie?"

"Uh, no. We broke up. Then I went out with Cooper. But we broke up about a month ago. So, are you still going out with Galina?"

"No. We broke up 2 years ago. It was pretty harsh."

"Oh, sorry about that." Jody said, sympathetically.

"No, it's ok. Really."

Jody smiled. "So, who are you living with now then?"

"No one. I had to move into a smaller place, and I hate it."

Jody smiled more. "Well, Cooper moved out today. So, I have an extra room, if you're interested."

"That sounds great!" Sergei exclaimed.

The two talked for a couple more hours, working out the details.

4 weeks later, Sergei pulled up into the parking lot. Jody raced out and hugged him. They unpacked all of Sergei's stuff that day, and talked away at dinner.

Sergei and Jody were roommates for 3 months before they started dating. After a year, they fell in love, and after another year, Sergei proposed. Jody said yes.

……… 2 moths later I called you and presto!" Jody said.

"Oh." Charlie said.

They got up and went back up to the apartment and greeted everyone. Charlie hugged Maureen (who had beaten her anorexia with the help of Jim, and looked much healthier) and Jim. Then he went over to Sergei. He hugged and congratulated him. All 7 of them went out to dinner and talked forever about memories.

"Oh, oh!" Eva said, "Remember Erik's birthday?"

"Yeah." everyone said, starting to laugh. Suddenly everyone shut up, remembering the whole Charlie/Jody thing that was going on at that time. Charlie knew why it got silent so fast and looked down at his soda.

"But remember that night we went to the club?" Eva asked.

"Yeah." Jody said. She looked over at Charlie and blushed. Then she looked over at her fiancée and laughed. "Hey Sergei, remember that night?" she teased.

Sergei blushed, remembering the older woman he had danced with all night.

"Oh, and remember the day after?" Erik added.

Everyone laughed except for Maureen and Jim, who had missed out on the water fight, and Charlie. Charlie excused himself from the table. Jody got off of Sergei's lap and chased after him. Sergei stood up and moved to follow, but changed his mind and sat back down.

Charlie walked into the mens' bathroom and locked himself in one of the stalls. He put the lid down and sat. Jody saw him and stood outside the door waiting. After 10 minutes she knocked on the door. When no one answered, she walked in. She checked under the stalls, only one had a person in it, Charlie.

"Charlie?" Jody asked as she locked the main door.

"Jody?" Charlie asked, surprised.

"Yes. Look, Charlie-"

"What?" Charlie asked, coming out of the stall. When Jody didn't answer right answer right away he unlocked the door and left. Jody followed him out and saw him leave the restaurant.

She walked over to where he was sitting on a bench out on the sidewalk. "Look, Charlie-" Jody began again.

"No, Jody. I can't do this. I can barley stand being around you as it is. I don't know if I could stand you getting married. I have to go home. Now."

"Again?" Jody asked, looking sad.

"What else is there to do? If I stay, everyone will get their heart broken, we all know it."

"You know what Charlie?" Jody asked, "I'm glad you're leaving. I invited you because you make me happy. You are supposed to make to me happy! But all you've done is made me miserable. Go, leave, now! I don't care!" Jody shouted. She got up and went back inside

Charlie got up a few minutes later and looked in the window. He saw Jody sitting comfortably on Sergei's lap, laughing her head off with everyone else. He sighed and started walking to Jody's.