CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
"Charlie? There are some people here to see you."
Charlie sighed and kissed Jody quickly and went to the front door. Jody watched him leave, hoping this wouldn't be like when Jake acme to visit her. A few minutes later she could hear laughter coming upstairs. She recognized Charlie's laugh and smiled. She went up the long staircase and into Charlie's room. She saw him standing in there with 2 other guys and she smiled at them.
"Jody!" Charlie exclaimed. "Hi, uh, can you go get the bag out of Kyle's room?"
"Sure." Jody nodded and left.
One of Charlie's friends turned to him. "Man! Who was that? She's beautiful! She single?"
Charlie smiled. "Nah, we're engaged."
Charlie other friend gasped. "No way!"
Charlie nodded happily as Jody returned. She placed their bag on the floor and looked back up at Charlie. He smiled sweetly at her.
"Jody, these are my friends, Brian and Todd. Guys, this is my fiancee, Jody Sawyer." Charlie introduced them all.
Jody shook their hands and smiled at them. "It's nice to meet you."
"How long are you guys here for?" Brian (the one who asked if Jody was single) asked.
"Just until Monday. We have to get back to New York then." Jody explained.
Todd nodded. "You guys live together then?"
Charlie smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, and also with two of our friends, Eva and Erik. It's the 4 of us."
"Oh." Brian sat down on the bed. "So how's New York?"
"It's great." Charlie said.
"Dancing ballet?" Todd asked.
"Yep. Me and Jody… and Eva and Erik too."
Brain laughed.
Charlie rolled his eyes and turned to Jody. "Don't pay attention to him. He's in the circus."
"Oh really?" Jody raised her eyebrows. "You like a clown or what?"
"No. I'm doing this gymnastics thing for Ringling Bros and all them. It's called the Angles of Fire. It's pretty cool."
Jody nodded. "That's awesome. But how come your not on tour or whatever?"
"I broke my leg a while back and it's still pretty sore. But I can go back soon.
Charlie smiled. "Anyway…"
Jody sat on Charlie's bed for the next hour, not saying anything. She listened as Charlie and his friends carried on about this and that. She was getting pretty tired and she checked her watch. It was almost 10pm. Jody stood up and looked at Charlie.
"I'm gonna go to bed now Charlie. It was nice meeting you though, Brian, Todd." Jody announced.
Charlie stood up and followed her into his brother's room. She sat down on the waterbed and looked up at him.
"They seem nice." Jody said.
"Yeah, they are. Sorry I kinda ignored you in there, I just haven't seen these guys since before ABA."
Jody nodded. "That's ok. I'm really tired, ok? Good-night."
Charlie kissed her softly. "Good-night. I love you."
"I love you." Jody mumbled as she pulled down the covers.
Charlie went back into his own room and sat down on his old bed.
"She is hot!" Todd exclaimed.
Charlie nodded. "Yeah… she's great."
Jody rested in the bed, unable to sleep. Brian and Todd finally left an hour later and she went back into Charlie's room.
Charlie looked up at her from where he sat on the bed and smiled. "Hey, I thought you went to bed."
Jody shrugged. "I can't sleep." She said and pulled her stuff out from their suitcase and went into the bathroom. She came back a few minutes later dressed in her sleeping shorts and an old tank top. She sat down next to Charlie and sighed. "I just don't think your parents like me very much." Jody frowned and sighed again.
Charlie shook his head. "Sure they do."
"No, Charlie, they don't, and you know it."
Charlie sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Don't take it personally or anything… they've never liked any of my girlfriends."
"Oh. Will they ever like me?"
"Sure. They just need some time."
Jody smiled. "Ok."
"It's pretty late now…"
Jody nodded and got up. "Night Charlie."
"Good-night Jody." Charlie called as she walked down the hallway.
Another hour went by and Jody stumbled back into Charlie's room. She saw that he too was still awake and sat down on foot of the bed.
"Couldn't sleep?" Charlie asked.
Jody nodded. She had moved into Charlie's room back in New York and Jody had taken her room back. Jody was used to sleeping next to Charlie, his arms wrapped around her, in their own bed.
He smiled. "Me neither." He patted the empty bed space next to him and Jody crawled under the covers.
"But your parents don't want us sleeping in the same room." Jody said as she rested her head against the pillow.
Charlie shrugged and put his arm around her. "It doesn't matter."
Jody smiled and rested her head on his chest. "I love you."
"I love you too." Charlie looked down and saw that she was already asleep. He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Good-night." He whispered and then closed his eyes.
Early the next morning Mrs. Sims went to wake up Jody, but saw that she wasn't in Kyle's room. She checked in on Charlie and saw him lying in his bed, Jody curled up in his arms. She frowned in on them and shook her head. Her son was in love, with a ballet dancer, and there was nothing she could do about it. She knocked on the doorframe and Charlie woke up. He smiled at his mom, who just went back to her own room.
Charlie kissed Jody awake and she giggled.
"Charlie!" Jody exclaimed as she hoped out of the bed.
Charlie smiled and pulled the covers up around his face. "Is it just me or is it really cold in here?" He asked.
Jody nodded. "It's cold." She said as she dug through the suitcase. She found her clothes and went back to Kyle's room to change.
She met up with Charlie downstairs a few minutes later and they had breakfast together. Charlie got changed after that and ran back downstairs before his parents could get to Jody. He grabbed their coats and hurried them out the door.
"Mom, Dad, We're gonna go out and drive around for a while. I'm taking the… I dunno… some car. Bye!" Charlie called.
Charlie and Jody walked out side and Jody saw 3 cars in the driveway. "You have a lot of cars."
"Yep." Charlie said and pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. He unlocked a blue car and they drove off. "Now you get to see where I grew up." He smiled at Jody and pulled out of the driveway.
