Adam's P.O.V.

I knocked on the door, not knowing if Charlie was in his room or not. I heard a bang then a moan of pain, then Charlie's husky voice. "Hang on." He called from where ever it was he was. "Hey, Banks." He opened the door to let me in.

"Hey, Charlie. You okay?" I asked noticing him holding his left hip.

"Just peachy. Fell off the bed." He explained and I stifled a laugh. "So, what's up?" He asked me sitting back on his bed.

"What's up? Hmm… Why don't you tell me?" I asked accusingly.

"What? What do you mean?" He asked.

"Why did you tell me you were going to college?" Where do I get off yelling at him?

"Because I am." He answered. Oh, that just got to me even more.

"What? No you're not. Deirdre told me what she saw. I know you're not going." I sat down next to him, trying to ignore my rapid heart beat and fast breathing. Something gave me the feeling that it was because I was sitting with Charlie on his bed. "Why did you lie to me?" I asked calmly, almost positive that he could see the hurt in my eyes and in my voice.

"I wanted you guys to think I was smart." He sounded like he was ashamed. He spoke while turning to face the wall on the other side of his four-walled room, leaning his elbows on his knees for support to hold his head.

"Charlie, you are smart."

"Huh." He breathed in and out quickly, pushing away my compliment.

"Look at me. Charlie." I reached over and grabbed his face with my hand and turned him to look at me, but he avoided my eyes. "You are very smart. Smarter than everyone I know. Just because you didn't get into the colleges of your choice doesn't mean anything. Look me in the eyes, come on." I pulled at his face, determined for him to look into my eyes, until his crystal blue ones locked with mine. Blue to blue. "Thought about community college?" I asked hopefully.

"Uh-huh, but I want to get out of this godforsaken town. I'm sick of it here in Minnesota. I'm going to New York with or without college." He said stubbornly. That's my Charlie. Wait a sec, MY Charlie?

"It's good that you feel that way, but do you have any idea of what you'll do when you get there? Are you going to apply to a college there? Are you going to live in the city or the suburbs? Have you thought about any of these things?" I asked letting go of his face when he stood and walked to his computer.

"I have a job waiting for me, and I already went once to look at apartments in the city. Until I find one I like, I'm going to live with my uncle. I know what I'm doing and what I'm going to do. I'm going to wait a year before I try college again." He said. Good, at least he knows what he wants to do and what he's going to do.

"Will I be able to come and visit?" I asked hopefully. I don't think I could wait till the ten-year high school reunion.

"You better, every time the Devils are in New York. You'll live close enough." He laughed.

Charlie's P.O.V.

I can't believe I just told Banksie all that. I'm not going to be living with my uncle, hell I don't even know if I have an uncle. The job? There is no job. I'm just going to be New York City scum. I don't think there's a job more perfect for me than that.

I just, I don't want him to look at me differently, act differently around me. I love this man and I don't want anything to ruin what we have now, friendship.

Uh, can't he see I can't live without him? This guy almost always catches my hidden meanings, my confessions, and my lies. Can't he just see now that I can't live without him, that I need him to survive?

"Thanks for coming to talk to me man, I appreciate it." I walked back over to where he was now standing and patted him on the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow." I said. Ah, graduation.

"No problem, see ya, Charlie." He called leaving my room, the door slamming shut behind him.

I threw myself on my bed and buried my head in the pillow. How can I lie to him? God, I just want him to see how much I love him. I just want to tell him that I need him. That I could fill the hole in his heart, cover the longing, making him feel like he's not complete.

I believe that everyone is one soul split into two, and the other half is there soul mate. I believe that if you can find that other half, you've found the ultimate love; you've made yourself complete. And I have never felt as complete as I do when I'm around Banks. I know he's my other half.

Great, now I'm crying.

Adam's P.O.V.

I winced as I heard the door slam shut behind me. Why do I have the feeling Charlie's not telling me the truth? Uh, I can forget it now; it's his life he has to live, not mine.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets and left the school grounds, walking anywhere and everywhere I felt like being. I was wrapped up in my thoughts when I found myself at our old elementary school playground. I walked up to the swings and sat down, swinging ever so slightly. It must have been more than two hours since I left Charlie's room.

"I remember when we were in pre-school. Before Hockey, before Hawks, before Ducks, we were friends. Up till fourth when you joined the Hawks and I didn't make the team. But, when we were younger, we always came to each other, to talk about whatever we needed to or wanted to talk about. So please, let me talk to you now." I turned around at the sudden voice. The man walked around the sandbox, coming up to sit on the swing next to me.

"Charlie." My words were caught in my throat. He put his hand up to stop me from talking.

"I'm not going to New York for a job, for anything for that matter. I was just upset because both you and Julie were accepted to colleges and were both drafted, so I lied about college since I very well couldn't lie about being drafted. I felt like I got dealt the short hand of the deck. You see, all I've ever wanted to do, was play hockey with you, and now, you're going off to the New Jersey Devils and I'm going to New York, for nothing." He explained, swinging slowly.

"There's no job? No uncle? No apartment?" I asked. I was upset that he lied to me again, but I wanted to know the truth about everything.

"None of it's true. I have no where to go." He whispered.

"Then you'll have to stay here, at least till you find a place." I spoke to him. I felt so bad now, I knew something wasn't right before but I so desperately wanted to be wrong about what it was.

"My mom gave me a plane ticket to New York for my graduation gift, I'm using it to go there. I'm gonna spend as much time as I need till I find a job and an apartment, then I'll come back to get my stuff and graduation money, and I'm never coming back. I have everything planned out, but I just couldn't say it back there. I needed to think for a little while."

"I'll give you all the time you need to think, just don't lie to me, please." I begged him. It hurt me when he was hurt and it hurt me even more when he lied to me. He had been shutting me out; he hasn't done that since I was placed on Varsity in freshman year.

Charlie's P.O.V.

"I won't." I can't.