Erp. Oops. Heh...sorry for the wait, guys. o.O I'm a bad, bad person...but I had three books to finish and four papers to write before school started, and I just started yesterday. And then the RPG interfered some more, but I greatly apologize! I hope it's suitable...I'm feeling insecure about it...I dunno if it turned out right...::sighs:: Oh well...o.O Hope for the best.
Jizzzzz- I'm so glad you like it. ::smiles:: It means a lot to know it isn't getting boring or anything.
Banksiesbabe99- Hee...I'm glad you liked it. I'm on a Connie kick lately. In fact, I'm actually on a Connie/Charlie kick because of the RPG I'm playing in...it's unfortunate for Julie. Lol. But I still heart Charlie/Julie, so the story's safe. :P I just can't help but find them both cute...Aww, poor Julie! So unloved! Lol. Seriously! I'm totally onboard with Connie and Charlie being closer than people think. That's why I chose her for the part...hee...no problem. Thanks for the review as ALWAYS! ::big grin::
Sarah- Whoo! Glad you liked. Lol. I agree; Connie is indeed cool.
Brnnttebabe12- Hehehe...I'm happy that you liked the chapter. Hehe...errr...about that. Lol. I've lacked inspiration lately...It's coming back now that school is starting again. I think that (unfortunately) inspiration comes only when I have little time to write it down. --
Adriana- I'm so glad you like it! I'm sorry that it's gonna end soon. ï ::giggles:: Yeah...the review make me smile dumbly and walk around with people wondering what's wrong with me...I feel so loved...As of this very second, I'm on 37 people's author alert lists. ::blushes and bites lip with a grin:: I feel so loved...Hee. Thanks again!
MDSWitter26- ::pouty face:: Yes, it's ending in a matter of chapters. I feel like the end is kinda rushed and corny, but I'm sure you guys will forgive me. Hee. I'm bad at endings. I could go on forever. XD Oh, at the end he was just walking off and she was chasing him. Nothing serious; don't worry. Thanks!
Preciousbabyblue- ::giggles:: Shh, you can't tell.
Nebula- Ummm...shush you with all your technicalities! ::sticks out tongue::...::laughs:: :P Lol...you'll see. And I'm glad you liked that part. Julie would be more likely to say something than our little Charlie...lol...thanks bunches!
French Chipmunk- Whoo-hoo! Yes they do!
Allie- ::giggles:: Thanks for the review, hun. Short and odd. Lurve you dearly.
Warrior of the shadow- Hehe. Thanks for the review.
Rachel- I know...it's so sad that it's gonna end. ::dramatic wiping of eyes:: But all good things must come to an end...or something like that. Lol. I'm glad you've liked it so far. Yeah...Ronnie and Julie wasn't made to win awards, but it was cute and had Josh. That equals good movie in my book. XD Thanks for the review!
DodgerMcClure.aka.Drama-Queen- ::grins:: I'm glad you liked it, and thanks bunches for the review.
Spunky-hyper-girl- I'm glad you liked it! Ooh, a song all for me? ::perks up and grins:: I feel so special! ::squees:: Now I'm all excited! Lol.
Disclaimer- ZzZzZz...twitches in sleep...
-Chapter 69-
When Charlie and Connie arrived back at the house, he walked up the stairs as usual and crawled back onto the roof. It was his new thinking place.
And he definitely had a lot to think about.
What Connie had been saying...could she be right? Would it all be okay? Is it POSSIBLE for something in his life to go remotely smooth?
Only one way to find out...right?
He let out a semi-content sigh and leaned against he rough texture of the brick house, folding his arms behind his head. It had been such a long time since he had spoken with Connie. Heck, it had been a long time since he had spoken to anyone but Bombay, Julie, Adam, Fulton, Shane, Shane's buddies, and Dr. Shrink.
Well, and the police officer...but he felt better when he didn't think about that.
He drummed his fingers on his leg, staring blankly forward.
Okay, so he had decided he was going to apologize.
One problem.
HOW was he supposed to apologize?
Despite his conversation with Connie and her obvious lack of understanding for his situation, he still didn't know how to apologize...at least not the way he should. He still didn't think a simple 'I'm sorry' would cut it.
Another important question.
WHEN and WHERE did he apologize? Would it just be somewhere random? At a specific place? A specific time?
Was he over-thinking this a bit much?
He shook his head, trying to clear the raging and clashing thoughts. It wasn't helping.
A sigh escaped his lips as he watched the man who lived across the street mow his lawn. Crazy psycho adults...Who really CARES what your lawn looks like?
But at least Bombay hadn't asked HIM to mow any lawns all summer...
Though that definitely would have been the LEAST of his problems.
He laid out flat on the roof, glad that it wasn't as slanted as he would have first thought. It was actually quite comfy.
Charlie wouldn't really mind just laying there forever, not having to care about anything else.
Or...at least until winter. For winter he might needs some serious coat/blanket action going there...
But back to the original dilemma.
What was he going to do?
= = =
After a few hours of fidgeting and debating, Charlie climbed back into his room with a resolution.
But first he was going to find Julie. Moral support was needed whether or not he was willing to admit it out loud.
Creeping out of his room and checking downstairs, he found that they were all gone again. Just him and Bombay.
Well, he was ASSUMING Bombay was there.
He grabbed a cordless phone off of a table in the hall and dialed Julie's dorm room number and walking back into his room, closing the door shut with his foot.
It rang two times before Julie's cheerful voice came over the line.
'Hello?'
"Hey Jules...It's Charlie," he said, sitting on his bed and leaning against the wall.
He could've sworn her saw her smile through the phone.
'Hey Charlie! Didn't see much of you today. How did your inspirational talk with Connie go?' she asked lightly.
He let out a soft laugh. "Oh, it was ever-so-inspirational. So inspirational that I decided I might attempt an apology. Yes, shocking...I know. But I came up with a plan of strategy to do this..." he said, kicking his socks onto the floor with each foot.
'And what is this plan of yours?'
"Asking YOU to come up with the plan," he said cheekily.
He could see her raising her eyebrow skeptically in his mind's eye.
'This is your plan? Asking me?'
"Yep. That's the plan. You see, I thought it over, but no matter WHAT I came up with, it didn't seem like it would work. So I decided, hey, Julie's good at this kind of stuff. Why not ask her?"
'And what kind of stuff am I good at?' she asked.
"Umm..." he started. "Being nice?"
He heard her sigh over the phone. 'I'll be right over.'
"Thanks Jules," he said sincerely, smiling over the phone.
'No problem, Charlie.'
It wasn't long before she arrived back at the house for the second time that day.
Charlie let her in and they walked up to Charlie's room, completely ignored by the middle-aged man sitting in the kitchen.
When they arrived in Charlie's room, they both sat on the bed silently.
"So...you're actually going to apologize?" she asked with a half smile.
"I guess," he said with a shrug. "Why not?"
She grinned at him. "Well, I guess that will just have to work. So what do you mean you couldn't think of anyway to do it? It isn't like you've never apologized for anything before."
"Not like THIS I haven't. This is FAR past the realm of uncomfortable. I don't know WHAT it is, but it's PAST uncomfortable," he said, causing Julie to nod in response. He only hoped they could think of a tactful way to go about it...
Not that it could really get any worse.
"So...are you just going to flat out say you're sorry? Are you going to tell them why? Most of them don't even know anything about Montana. It could-" she started saying before he seemed to cut her off.
"I'd rather not. Maybe another time, but I don't want forgiveness out of pity."
"Charlie, it might help them understand why things happened the way they did." When it seemed he wouldn't budge, Julie let out a sigh and shrugged. "Alright. You don't need to say anything. Just a straightforward 'I realize I was wrong, and I'm sorry' might work. If it needs more, just take it from there. It'll be okay; it doesn't have to be completely scripted," she said, giving him a half smile and leaning her head on his shoulder, causing him to smile in return.
"Only a little bit scripted."
"Exactly," she said with a smile, just glad that he seemed to be doing better. Maybe things would work out after all.
= = =
Julie squeezed Charlie's hand when she felt him grow nervous. She could tell he really didn't want to apologize, and she wished it could just happen and be fixed without them actually having to do it. She knew it would be hard for him; admitting he's wrong never was a strong point of his...
"It'll be okay," she said softly, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Of course it will," he said, though it sounded like he was trying to reassure himself as well. She saw him put on a mask of confidence though she knew he was likely a wreck inside. There was just no telling the things that went on in his brain...
They were sitting in a pizza place that was in between Charlie's house and the basketball court most of the Ducks had been at. Luckily Adam had his cell phone turned on...
Charlie looked up, hoping the jittery, sick feeling he had in his stomach didn't show on his face. He could do this...It was going to be okay...It's just apologizing. Not so hard...
He had to swallow a lump in his throat as all those words floated right out his ears and disappeared...They were there...and he had lots of explaining to do.
This was going to be fun.
Julie gave him one last comforting pat on the hand as most of the team walked over, not sure what was going on.
When Connie made eye contact with Charlie and Julie, they nodded, confirming the thoughts in her mind. He was actually taking her advice! Well, okay...the advice of most of the people who had talked to him...but minor detail!
Charlie suddenly starting to feel light-headed, but he simply blinked away the feeling as best he could and tried to calm his nerves. What was he getting so worked up about? This wasn't a big deal. They weren't going to do anything. It was going to be fine...
Fine.
Not bad.
Just fine.
He took in another deep breath and hoped time wasn't passing as slowly as it felt to him. Time seemed to be molasses as he tried to think of what to say. 'Oh yes, we interrupted your lives so say I'm sorry! Forgive me?'
Nope.
'Hey, hope you weren't doing anything important. I'm sorry for berating you and telling you that you're all a bunch of morons.'
No, that wouldn't work either...
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for this summer. For a lot of things...I know I've been far from decent, and I really am sorry you had to go through my little...whatever it was. I snapped at a lot of you when it wouldn't have been better just not to say anything at all, but I guess I'm a slow learner. I realize I don't really deserve forgiveness, but I do know that you guys deserved an apology...so I just wanted to say it before I lost the nerve. I'm sorry. I wish I could take it back, but I can't," he said, not even truly noticing he was talking until several sentences into it, but he couldn't stop. "I've treated you like dirt, and you were only trying to help. The only thing was that I wasn't ready or willing to accept that, so I took it out on you guys. There really is no excuse for my being a jerk to you, so I hope an I'm sorry will work."
The silence that came after Charlie's little 'speech' was far more unnerving and uncomfortable than anything he could have dreamed up of anything he had prepared for while thinking it through.
No one said anything.
It was really starting to make Charlie want to throw up...He suddenly felt really crowded and sick.
And maybe even a little hurt that no one said anything.
Standing up, he nodded and them and started for the door to the diner. When Julie held up a hand to stop him, he shrugged it off and kept walking.
He really did not feel like messing with anything right now.
On second thought, he was more along the lines of REALLY hurt by this point.
He walked the rest of the way home, clouded in his own thoughts as the scene played over and over in his mind.
Why hadn't they said anything?
Sometimes silence speaks volumes.
And it was a volume he had definitely not wanted to hear.
He had been so sure it would work. Connie and Julie had said it would be okay...
But it wasn't okay.
It didn't work.
Why didn't they say anything?
Did they not forgive him? Could they not give him the courtesy of at least SPEAKING?
Did they not want to fix anything?
He walked up to his room and collapsed on his bed, emotionally exhausted and worn.
Why didn't they say anything?
