Rating: PG-13 for coarse language
Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Chapter 4
Charlie waved Katie over as she looked around for him. Katie had well and truly settled into Eden Hall, which Charlie found quite amazing since she'd only been there for two weeks.
He was still worried about her because of her admission after she scared Linda off. He'd tried talking to her about it again that night, but she'd ignored him and started talking to Julie. After that he'd decided to try and talk to her in private. He made a mental not to go and see her on Saturday - she was staying in the dorms, even though her parents only lived ten minutes away.
"Hello,Charles? I s anybody home?" Katie waved her hand in front of his face. He'd been zoning out a lot the last few days.
"Yeah, what?" He snapped back to reality.
"Just making sure you were still here," she replied, shoving some fries into her mouth. The two of them had quickly settled into a comfortable routine - Katie had virtually become one of the Ducks, except for the fact that she wasn't on the team, she couldn't ice skate, she'd never tried. So when the Ducks had practise, Katie would go off most likely to her room and write.
"20 minutes guys," Luis warned them.
"Hey, do you wanna come and watch us practise? Coach won't mind," Charlie suggested to Katie.
She considered this for a minute before nodding. "But I have to go back to my room and get some stuff first."
"I'll go with you now," Charlie said, standing up. "See you guys out there."
"See ya."
"So what are we getting?" Charlie asked her as they walked down the dorm corridor.
She stopped and unlocked her door. "After you," she gestured inside the room.
Whoa, Charlie thought. She had a private room, and she was completely set up - computer, TV, VCR, everything.
Charlie's eyes, if possible, widened even more in shock. "A microwave? You have a Microwave? Whay the hell do you have a microwave?"
"For popcorn," she replied, shuffling through the junk on her desk. "And this," she said, grabbing a thick, once blank book, "is what we're getting. Could you hold this for me? I'll just be a minute," she disappeared into the bathroom.
Hesitantly, Charlie opened the book to the first page. "A Life Of Regrets, by Katie Gold," he murmured to himself. He flicked through the pages, stopping when he noticed his name.
"Well I just met Charles Conway. He lives next door, and he's pretty nice. He plays ice hockey, he won the championship last year he told me. He already offered to teach me to ice skate, but I had to refuse. I can only imagine what my 'father' would say - no, DO if he found out that I went out with a boy--"
"You ready?" Katie asked, coming out of the bathroom.
"Uh, yeah," Charlie replied, closing the book and hoping she didn't notice.
As she sat in the stands, Katie wondered if she'd done the right thing by asking Charlie to hold her book. Did she really want him to know about how bad her life had been? Had he even wanted to read it? Truth be told she was terrified of what may happen in Charlie read her life story. Not because of Charlie, but of what would happen if her father found out! No, she decided, she had to let Charlie read it. She owed him that much.
She was so consumed by her thoughts that when Charlie tapped her on the shoulder she almost shed her skin.
"You OK?" He asked.
"Yeah, yeah I;m fine. Um, Charles?" she asked hesitantly.
"What's up?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light because he'd picked up on her hesitation.
She exhaled, trying to calm herself. "Did you... did you happen to read any of this?" She held up her book.
Charlie gulped nervously, but he couldn't lie to her. "Yeah. I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I only read a couple of lines, I-" he rambled.
"Slow down. Would you, uh, like to read the whole thing?" She looked down, suddenly extremely interested in her blue sneakers.
Charlie smiled "I'd love to."
She looked at him. "OK. I'll have the first chapter typed for you for tomorrow."
"Sure," Charlie nodded.
"Do you smell something?" She asked, suddenly alarmed.
"No, what is it?"
She leant towards him and started laughing. "Never mind, it's just you. You stink!"
"Oh you're in for it now!" Charlie grabbed for her, but she darted out of his reach, and he chased her all the way towards the dorms. But he almost crashed into her when she stopped suddenly, staring at the man who was knocking on her door.
The man turned suddenly, sensing she was there. "Katie," he smiled.
"Hey Tony," she replied. "Tony, this is my friend Charlie. Charlie, this is my brother Tony."
Charlie's face hardened but he managed to keep his temper in check. "Nice to meet you," he muttered.
"Yeah, you too." Tony turned to Katie. "Dad wanted me to come and see how you were, and to give you this." He handed her a roll of notes. "Actually it's from me and Lisa, should last you a while."
"Thanks," she smiled.
"How are you? How's your arm?" He asked concernedly.
"We're both fine. Thanks for dropping by." She gave him a hug. "Oh, can you not tell father about Charlie? It's just I know he'll get angry at me again, and you know what he did last time."
Tony nodded. "My lips are sealed. Don't worry. And I'm relly sorry about your arm, I never knew it would happen."
"All has been forgiven, don't fret. And you'd better get back, although your the favorite, he'll believe whatever you tell him."
"OK, I'll see you later. Bye Charlie."
"Yeah bye," Charlie replied as Tony walked off. "So that's your brother?"
"Mhm. He's pretty cool... I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. See ya."
"Bye Charles."
Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Chapter 4
Charlie waved Katie over as she looked around for him. Katie had well and truly settled into Eden Hall, which Charlie found quite amazing since she'd only been there for two weeks.
He was still worried about her because of her admission after she scared Linda off. He'd tried talking to her about it again that night, but she'd ignored him and started talking to Julie. After that he'd decided to try and talk to her in private. He made a mental not to go and see her on Saturday - she was staying in the dorms, even though her parents only lived ten minutes away.
"Hello,Charles? I s anybody home?" Katie waved her hand in front of his face. He'd been zoning out a lot the last few days.
"Yeah, what?" He snapped back to reality.
"Just making sure you were still here," she replied, shoving some fries into her mouth. The two of them had quickly settled into a comfortable routine - Katie had virtually become one of the Ducks, except for the fact that she wasn't on the team, she couldn't ice skate, she'd never tried. So when the Ducks had practise, Katie would go off most likely to her room and write.
"20 minutes guys," Luis warned them.
"Hey, do you wanna come and watch us practise? Coach won't mind," Charlie suggested to Katie.
She considered this for a minute before nodding. "But I have to go back to my room and get some stuff first."
"I'll go with you now," Charlie said, standing up. "See you guys out there."
"See ya."
"So what are we getting?" Charlie asked her as they walked down the dorm corridor.
She stopped and unlocked her door. "After you," she gestured inside the room.
Whoa, Charlie thought. She had a private room, and she was completely set up - computer, TV, VCR, everything.
Charlie's eyes, if possible, widened even more in shock. "A microwave? You have a Microwave? Whay the hell do you have a microwave?"
"For popcorn," she replied, shuffling through the junk on her desk. "And this," she said, grabbing a thick, once blank book, "is what we're getting. Could you hold this for me? I'll just be a minute," she disappeared into the bathroom.
Hesitantly, Charlie opened the book to the first page. "A Life Of Regrets, by Katie Gold," he murmured to himself. He flicked through the pages, stopping when he noticed his name.
"Well I just met Charles Conway. He lives next door, and he's pretty nice. He plays ice hockey, he won the championship last year he told me. He already offered to teach me to ice skate, but I had to refuse. I can only imagine what my 'father' would say - no, DO if he found out that I went out with a boy--"
"You ready?" Katie asked, coming out of the bathroom.
"Uh, yeah," Charlie replied, closing the book and hoping she didn't notice.
As she sat in the stands, Katie wondered if she'd done the right thing by asking Charlie to hold her book. Did she really want him to know about how bad her life had been? Had he even wanted to read it? Truth be told she was terrified of what may happen in Charlie read her life story. Not because of Charlie, but of what would happen if her father found out! No, she decided, she had to let Charlie read it. She owed him that much.
She was so consumed by her thoughts that when Charlie tapped her on the shoulder she almost shed her skin.
"You OK?" He asked.
"Yeah, yeah I;m fine. Um, Charles?" she asked hesitantly.
"What's up?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light because he'd picked up on her hesitation.
She exhaled, trying to calm herself. "Did you... did you happen to read any of this?" She held up her book.
Charlie gulped nervously, but he couldn't lie to her. "Yeah. I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I only read a couple of lines, I-" he rambled.
"Slow down. Would you, uh, like to read the whole thing?" She looked down, suddenly extremely interested in her blue sneakers.
Charlie smiled "I'd love to."
She looked at him. "OK. I'll have the first chapter typed for you for tomorrow."
"Sure," Charlie nodded.
"Do you smell something?" She asked, suddenly alarmed.
"No, what is it?"
She leant towards him and started laughing. "Never mind, it's just you. You stink!"
"Oh you're in for it now!" Charlie grabbed for her, but she darted out of his reach, and he chased her all the way towards the dorms. But he almost crashed into her when she stopped suddenly, staring at the man who was knocking on her door.
The man turned suddenly, sensing she was there. "Katie," he smiled.
"Hey Tony," she replied. "Tony, this is my friend Charlie. Charlie, this is my brother Tony."
Charlie's face hardened but he managed to keep his temper in check. "Nice to meet you," he muttered.
"Yeah, you too." Tony turned to Katie. "Dad wanted me to come and see how you were, and to give you this." He handed her a roll of notes. "Actually it's from me and Lisa, should last you a while."
"Thanks," she smiled.
"How are you? How's your arm?" He asked concernedly.
"We're both fine. Thanks for dropping by." She gave him a hug. "Oh, can you not tell father about Charlie? It's just I know he'll get angry at me again, and you know what he did last time."
Tony nodded. "My lips are sealed. Don't worry. And I'm relly sorry about your arm, I never knew it would happen."
"All has been forgiven, don't fret. And you'd better get back, although your the favorite, he'll believe whatever you tell him."
"OK, I'll see you later. Bye Charlie."
"Yeah bye," Charlie replied as Tony walked off. "So that's your brother?"
"Mhm. He's pretty cool... I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. See ya."
"Bye Charles."