Anne918: thanks for rewriting your lost review for chapter 17 (I don't
think it's the only lost review as my one of my other stories had 24
reviews and I read them now two are missing). Anyway I'm glad you love the
story and what I'm doing with the characters relationship.
C-chan96: Your review made me laugh. Very entertaining. I hope you like this chapter just as much.
Banksiesbabe99: Well you'll get to find out who was walking in on them just not at the begining of the chapter. Glad you're still enjoying the story.
Rachel: Can't say I blame you for getting bored. I thought the story was dragging a bit too which is why I skipped a few weeks in between chapters at one point. I'm so glad you gave the story another chance and that you're enjoying it again.
Crazy4nc128: You can stop guessing now! I'll let you know who is walking in the door just read this chapter. Glad you are enjoying the story.
Note: If I'm missing someone sorry. One thing says I should have 77 reviews but only 75 are showing up. I also think I read one that was emailed to me as a review alert that isn't showing on the review page but I can't remember who wrote it. Thanks to everyone who is reviewing I really like to read reviews. Enjoy the story.
Adam's POV:
Figure it out. If I could do that I would've never asked the question, I thought miserably as I went back into the common room and sat down in an easy chair in the corner. I would've rather gone up to my room but to do that I would've had to follow Charlie upstairs and I knew that if I went upstairs right now I would be knocking on his door. Hell that was probably what he expected me to do, run after him and start apologizing for something. I wasn't even sure what he expected me to apologize for.
All I had done was ask him if he wanted to hang out the next afternoon after he was done with hockey practice. His reaction had been to say, "yeah right" and started walking out of the room. I had followed him but we hadn't had much of a conversation. All I could think of was that my fears I had talk to Jesse about a few weeks ago were true. Charlie had his sister, the sibling he had always wanted, he didn't need me. He didn't want me around, he had just proven that. I didn't know what to do.
If Charlie was going to act like this then living in the same house as him was going to be impossible. I started contemplating asking my grandparents to take me in for the summer again. I mean I had a place here at Eden Hall during the school year. I'm sure they would let me stay with them and then Charlie wouldn't have to share his family with me and maybe he would stop hating me again.
"I didn't steal her from you," I heard Jesse's voice come in from the hallway out side. "The two of you were never going out nor would you ever have been even if Alisha and I hadn't gotten together."
"What are you saying, that no girl in her right mind would go out with me," I heard Russ tell him as the two came around the corner and into the common room. They didn't even notice me sitting in the corner.
"I never said that," Jesse told him. "Its just that Alisha is not your type Russ."
"And that means what?" Russ asked him his voice only slightly lower than it had been moments earlier.
"You need someone who shares your sense of humor Russ. Alisha isn't like that. I'm not even sure she likes comedy."
"Nice try," Russ told him. "You knew I liked her. That's why you went after her. You just wanted to try to be better than me because we all know I'm better at hockey than you are."
"Yeah, you wish," Jesse said giving up trying to be diplomatic. "You're just a sore loser and not just over girls either."
"I hope she dumps you," Russ told him and then stormed out of the room.
With a sigh of frustration Jess turned around. He picked up a throw pillow off the couch and threw it. Unfortunately it was in my direction.
"Hey watch it," I told him putting my arm up to deflect the incoming pillow. I saw Jesse jump at the sound of my voice. He obviously wasn't expecting me.
"What are you doing over there?" Jesse asked. I guess the fact that he just threw a pillow at me didn't much matter to him.
"Feeling sorry for myself," I told him tossing the pillow back at him. Jesse caught the pillow and put it back down on the couch. He pulled one of the chairs from the one table at the side of the room and pulled it closer to where I was sitting.
"What's going on?" he asked me sitting down in the chair. I looked at my friend. Part of me wanted to just tell him to get loss. That I didn't want to talk about it but I didn't. I knew Jesse. He wouldn't let it go and unfortunately he was my roommate so it wasn't like I could go lock myself in my room and get away from him. He had a key to the room. So I told him about the very short conversation I had just had with Charlie.
"I told you he wouldn't want me around now," I told Jesse referring to the conversation we had a few weeks ago- right after Charlie and Alex had found out they were brother and sister.
"I don't think that's the problem, Adam," Jesse told me but didn't say anything else.
"Oh, don't you start with me too. I have no clue as to what Charlie was getting at I don't even want to try and figure out what you're saying," I told him.
"Adam just think about it for a second," Jesse started. If looks could kill there would've been one less Duck at Eden Hall. "Okay, bad choice of words," he said quickly. "Adam I think that it isn't that Charlie doesn't want you around but that he feels as if you've already pushed him away so he's doing the same. You have been spending a lot of time with Larson and Alex lately."
"Then why did he just push me away when I suggested we spend time together?" I asked him not really buying what Jesse was saying.
"Don't give up on him Adam. You two are too good of friends to let this blow up into something major."
"I think its too late already," I told him as I got up and slowly headed out of the common room. I definitely had no intentions of trying to be a friend to Charlie anymore until I got an apology for blowing me off. I was sick of people just taking me for granted. I had been spending time with Larson and Alex because everyone else had been busy with other stuff, things I couldn't participate in because I was still getting over the mono. Most of the time I had been spending with Shane had been during roller hockey practice and half the time Alex and I weren't alone. Someone, and quite a few times it had been Charlie, had been tagging along with us. What right did Charlie have to decide when, who, and how much time I could spend with my other friends.
"Adam, where are you going?" Jesse asked.
"For a walk," I told him. "I need some time to myself." With that said I left the common room, walked down the hallway and out the front door. I don't know how long I ended up walking in circles around campus but when I got back I could hear familiar voices in the common room. I could tell most of the Ducks had gotten together.
On my way by, I glanced in. The Ducks were gathered around the tv but from the looks of it the tv had been forgotten. I noticed Charlie and Connie cuddled up close together on the couch. I guess we had a new couple among the ducks. Now maybe Charlie would understand why I had been spending time with Alex lately.
I almost went in and joined them but instead I headed upstairs to my room and got ready for bed. I wasn't really tired but I also didn't want to have another conversation with Jesse tonight. If I was already asleep when he came up to the room than he would leave me alone.
Guy's POV:
Debbie and I went out for a walk after we ate dinner in the school cafeteria with most of my friends. It was the first time she had eaten with us and I was glad that Connie hadn't shown up. Julie and Alex weren't there either so we all just figured that they were still out with Mrs. Conway. How girls could spend that much time looking at dresses I will never figure out.
Debbie and my friends seemed to get along pretty well. Even though she wasn't at all athletic herself she knew a little bit about sports which was nice. She already knew Ken from the school play. Debbie was working on the sound and light crew. More than likely she already knew Connie but I still wasn't sure if I wanted the two of them around each other.
After our walk I walked Debbie back to her dorm building and then headed back to my own. As I walked in Russ was on his way out. He didn't look at all happy.
"What's wrong Russ?" I asked him as he went by me.
"Ask Jesse," Russ told me vehemently. As soon as he said that I had a feeling I knew what it was. I knew Russ was not at all happy about Jesse and Alisha going out. It just proved to me that I was better off keeping Debbie away from Connie.
As the front door slammed behind him I started down the hallway toward the stairs. I heard voices coming from the common room. It sounded like Adam and Jesse and the two of them seemed to be having a serious conversation so I didn't say hello to them. I walked by the common room and headed up the steps to the room I shared with Charlie.
When I opened the door to our room I saw the last thing that I expected. Charlie and Connie were kissing. For just a fleeting second I wanted to rush over and punch Charlie for kissing my girl but the thing was, Connie wasn't my girl anymore. Just a few hours early I had told Charlie that I wouldn't care if he went out with Connie. After all I was happy with Debbie, why shouldn't Connie be happy. I guess I just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
At the sound of the door opening. Charlie and Connie had both looked up in my direction. When Charlie saw who it was he quickly jumped to his feet. His mouth started moving but no words came out. As long as I had known Charlie, this was the first time that I had ever seen him speechless. Connie just stayed sitting in the desk chair looking down at the floor. This was definitely the most awkward situation I had ever been in. Somebody had to do something to break the tension and it looked as if that someone was going to have to be me.
"Hi guys, sorry to interrupt," I said trying to put a smile on over my shocked expression, like the two of them kissing was exactly what I had expected when I opened the door to my dorm room.
"Ah, this wasn't exactly how we wanted you to find out about us, Guy," Connie said awkwardly.
"It's not a problem," I said walking over to my desk and picking up the book we were reading in English class. "I had a feeling something was going on between the two of you," I said casting a glance over at Charlie to let him know that I wasn't going to say anything about our earlier conversation. We both knew Connie wouldn't take it well if she found out that Charlie had already more or less asked my permission to date her.
"So you're cool with this?" Charlie asked playing along with my little charade.
"Yeah," I told them, as I sat down on the edge of my bed with the book, although part of me really wasn't. Part of me missed Connie despite all of the arguments we had been having lately. We were probably better off apart though. "Besides, at least now I won't have to watch Connie go out with all sort of alien life forms," I commented with a smile getting in a jab at some of the guys that Connie had been going out lately with.
Connie picked up Charlie's pillow and threw it at me. The pillow hit me right in the face but when I saw Connie's face afterward she was smiling. It was a purely genuine smile, that I hadn't seen on her face in a long time. I knew then that letting her go was exactly the right thing to do. I wanted what was best for her and right now letting her go, and just being her friend was the best thing for her. Maybe it was the best thing for both of us, for all three of us.
"So did either of you even understand this chapter we were suppose to read tonight?" I asked holding up the book and changing the subject. The three of us ended up talking about our English assignment for awhile. It was going to be awkward for a little while but I think the three of us were still going to be able to keep our friendship which I think we were all happy about.
C-chan96: Your review made me laugh. Very entertaining. I hope you like this chapter just as much.
Banksiesbabe99: Well you'll get to find out who was walking in on them just not at the begining of the chapter. Glad you're still enjoying the story.
Rachel: Can't say I blame you for getting bored. I thought the story was dragging a bit too which is why I skipped a few weeks in between chapters at one point. I'm so glad you gave the story another chance and that you're enjoying it again.
Crazy4nc128: You can stop guessing now! I'll let you know who is walking in the door just read this chapter. Glad you are enjoying the story.
Note: If I'm missing someone sorry. One thing says I should have 77 reviews but only 75 are showing up. I also think I read one that was emailed to me as a review alert that isn't showing on the review page but I can't remember who wrote it. Thanks to everyone who is reviewing I really like to read reviews. Enjoy the story.
Adam's POV:
Figure it out. If I could do that I would've never asked the question, I thought miserably as I went back into the common room and sat down in an easy chair in the corner. I would've rather gone up to my room but to do that I would've had to follow Charlie upstairs and I knew that if I went upstairs right now I would be knocking on his door. Hell that was probably what he expected me to do, run after him and start apologizing for something. I wasn't even sure what he expected me to apologize for.
All I had done was ask him if he wanted to hang out the next afternoon after he was done with hockey practice. His reaction had been to say, "yeah right" and started walking out of the room. I had followed him but we hadn't had much of a conversation. All I could think of was that my fears I had talk to Jesse about a few weeks ago were true. Charlie had his sister, the sibling he had always wanted, he didn't need me. He didn't want me around, he had just proven that. I didn't know what to do.
If Charlie was going to act like this then living in the same house as him was going to be impossible. I started contemplating asking my grandparents to take me in for the summer again. I mean I had a place here at Eden Hall during the school year. I'm sure they would let me stay with them and then Charlie wouldn't have to share his family with me and maybe he would stop hating me again.
"I didn't steal her from you," I heard Jesse's voice come in from the hallway out side. "The two of you were never going out nor would you ever have been even if Alisha and I hadn't gotten together."
"What are you saying, that no girl in her right mind would go out with me," I heard Russ tell him as the two came around the corner and into the common room. They didn't even notice me sitting in the corner.
"I never said that," Jesse told him. "Its just that Alisha is not your type Russ."
"And that means what?" Russ asked him his voice only slightly lower than it had been moments earlier.
"You need someone who shares your sense of humor Russ. Alisha isn't like that. I'm not even sure she likes comedy."
"Nice try," Russ told him. "You knew I liked her. That's why you went after her. You just wanted to try to be better than me because we all know I'm better at hockey than you are."
"Yeah, you wish," Jesse said giving up trying to be diplomatic. "You're just a sore loser and not just over girls either."
"I hope she dumps you," Russ told him and then stormed out of the room.
With a sigh of frustration Jess turned around. He picked up a throw pillow off the couch and threw it. Unfortunately it was in my direction.
"Hey watch it," I told him putting my arm up to deflect the incoming pillow. I saw Jesse jump at the sound of my voice. He obviously wasn't expecting me.
"What are you doing over there?" Jesse asked. I guess the fact that he just threw a pillow at me didn't much matter to him.
"Feeling sorry for myself," I told him tossing the pillow back at him. Jesse caught the pillow and put it back down on the couch. He pulled one of the chairs from the one table at the side of the room and pulled it closer to where I was sitting.
"What's going on?" he asked me sitting down in the chair. I looked at my friend. Part of me wanted to just tell him to get loss. That I didn't want to talk about it but I didn't. I knew Jesse. He wouldn't let it go and unfortunately he was my roommate so it wasn't like I could go lock myself in my room and get away from him. He had a key to the room. So I told him about the very short conversation I had just had with Charlie.
"I told you he wouldn't want me around now," I told Jesse referring to the conversation we had a few weeks ago- right after Charlie and Alex had found out they were brother and sister.
"I don't think that's the problem, Adam," Jesse told me but didn't say anything else.
"Oh, don't you start with me too. I have no clue as to what Charlie was getting at I don't even want to try and figure out what you're saying," I told him.
"Adam just think about it for a second," Jesse started. If looks could kill there would've been one less Duck at Eden Hall. "Okay, bad choice of words," he said quickly. "Adam I think that it isn't that Charlie doesn't want you around but that he feels as if you've already pushed him away so he's doing the same. You have been spending a lot of time with Larson and Alex lately."
"Then why did he just push me away when I suggested we spend time together?" I asked him not really buying what Jesse was saying.
"Don't give up on him Adam. You two are too good of friends to let this blow up into something major."
"I think its too late already," I told him as I got up and slowly headed out of the common room. I definitely had no intentions of trying to be a friend to Charlie anymore until I got an apology for blowing me off. I was sick of people just taking me for granted. I had been spending time with Larson and Alex because everyone else had been busy with other stuff, things I couldn't participate in because I was still getting over the mono. Most of the time I had been spending with Shane had been during roller hockey practice and half the time Alex and I weren't alone. Someone, and quite a few times it had been Charlie, had been tagging along with us. What right did Charlie have to decide when, who, and how much time I could spend with my other friends.
"Adam, where are you going?" Jesse asked.
"For a walk," I told him. "I need some time to myself." With that said I left the common room, walked down the hallway and out the front door. I don't know how long I ended up walking in circles around campus but when I got back I could hear familiar voices in the common room. I could tell most of the Ducks had gotten together.
On my way by, I glanced in. The Ducks were gathered around the tv but from the looks of it the tv had been forgotten. I noticed Charlie and Connie cuddled up close together on the couch. I guess we had a new couple among the ducks. Now maybe Charlie would understand why I had been spending time with Alex lately.
I almost went in and joined them but instead I headed upstairs to my room and got ready for bed. I wasn't really tired but I also didn't want to have another conversation with Jesse tonight. If I was already asleep when he came up to the room than he would leave me alone.
Guy's POV:
Debbie and I went out for a walk after we ate dinner in the school cafeteria with most of my friends. It was the first time she had eaten with us and I was glad that Connie hadn't shown up. Julie and Alex weren't there either so we all just figured that they were still out with Mrs. Conway. How girls could spend that much time looking at dresses I will never figure out.
Debbie and my friends seemed to get along pretty well. Even though she wasn't at all athletic herself she knew a little bit about sports which was nice. She already knew Ken from the school play. Debbie was working on the sound and light crew. More than likely she already knew Connie but I still wasn't sure if I wanted the two of them around each other.
After our walk I walked Debbie back to her dorm building and then headed back to my own. As I walked in Russ was on his way out. He didn't look at all happy.
"What's wrong Russ?" I asked him as he went by me.
"Ask Jesse," Russ told me vehemently. As soon as he said that I had a feeling I knew what it was. I knew Russ was not at all happy about Jesse and Alisha going out. It just proved to me that I was better off keeping Debbie away from Connie.
As the front door slammed behind him I started down the hallway toward the stairs. I heard voices coming from the common room. It sounded like Adam and Jesse and the two of them seemed to be having a serious conversation so I didn't say hello to them. I walked by the common room and headed up the steps to the room I shared with Charlie.
When I opened the door to our room I saw the last thing that I expected. Charlie and Connie were kissing. For just a fleeting second I wanted to rush over and punch Charlie for kissing my girl but the thing was, Connie wasn't my girl anymore. Just a few hours early I had told Charlie that I wouldn't care if he went out with Connie. After all I was happy with Debbie, why shouldn't Connie be happy. I guess I just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
At the sound of the door opening. Charlie and Connie had both looked up in my direction. When Charlie saw who it was he quickly jumped to his feet. His mouth started moving but no words came out. As long as I had known Charlie, this was the first time that I had ever seen him speechless. Connie just stayed sitting in the desk chair looking down at the floor. This was definitely the most awkward situation I had ever been in. Somebody had to do something to break the tension and it looked as if that someone was going to have to be me.
"Hi guys, sorry to interrupt," I said trying to put a smile on over my shocked expression, like the two of them kissing was exactly what I had expected when I opened the door to my dorm room.
"Ah, this wasn't exactly how we wanted you to find out about us, Guy," Connie said awkwardly.
"It's not a problem," I said walking over to my desk and picking up the book we were reading in English class. "I had a feeling something was going on between the two of you," I said casting a glance over at Charlie to let him know that I wasn't going to say anything about our earlier conversation. We both knew Connie wouldn't take it well if she found out that Charlie had already more or less asked my permission to date her.
"So you're cool with this?" Charlie asked playing along with my little charade.
"Yeah," I told them, as I sat down on the edge of my bed with the book, although part of me really wasn't. Part of me missed Connie despite all of the arguments we had been having lately. We were probably better off apart though. "Besides, at least now I won't have to watch Connie go out with all sort of alien life forms," I commented with a smile getting in a jab at some of the guys that Connie had been going out lately with.
Connie picked up Charlie's pillow and threw it at me. The pillow hit me right in the face but when I saw Connie's face afterward she was smiling. It was a purely genuine smile, that I hadn't seen on her face in a long time. I knew then that letting her go was exactly the right thing to do. I wanted what was best for her and right now letting her go, and just being her friend was the best thing for her. Maybe it was the best thing for both of us, for all three of us.
"So did either of you even understand this chapter we were suppose to read tonight?" I asked holding up the book and changing the subject. The three of us ended up talking about our English assignment for awhile. It was going to be awkward for a little while but I think the three of us were still going to be able to keep our friendship which I think we were all happy about.