Disclaimer - I do not own anything even remotely related to The Mighty Ducks. I only wish I had thought of them first…
Italics indicate character thought.
"So, Rachel and Fulton are still doing really well. She's living up in Asheville, North Carolina doing forestry conservation projects. You know she loves that. She's such a tree-hugger that little shrimp." Beau laughed, thinking about her friend up in the canopy of the leaves. "They are talking about sending her on a project in the Amazon for two months next year, which she hasn't told Fulton, so I'm sure he's going to throw a shit fit." Beau was folding laundry as she talked. "And Fulton is…Fulton. Taking names and kicking ass for the Hurricanes." She paused, thinking. "Although I'm sure you know that what with being in the same league. And you guys must talk, huh?"
It was the third time in a week that Charlie had called. At least she hoped it was Charlie. She hadn't star 69'd him. She had thought about it, but she felt like it was his turn to make a move. She also hadn't told anyone about the hours she had spent talking to him without a single response. She knew it was strange, but she had to believe that Charlie had a reason. If not, what did she have to look forward to?
"Rusty, my agent, tells me things are going well on the movie. They say the hockey scenes look great, so I'm assuming that means you're doing a good job. I also…" She trailed off, knowing that everything she could say would require a response from him. "Charlie, I…" She exhaled noisily, dropping her head. "I can't do this anymore today. It's too hard." And she hung up.
Beau had been trying to write all day but every time she attempted to immerse herself in the world of the Ducks she found her thoughts stuck on Charlie. What is he thinking? What is he doing? She shoved back from her desk. "Damn it!"
Cole was wandering by her room and stopped, one brow arched. "You all right in there, Mayland?" He sauntered two steps into the room, leaning against the wall and watching in amusement as she pulled on her hair.
"No! I've got a deadline on this draft and I can't concentrate." She dropped her head before looking up at him pathetically. "Heeeeelp, Cole." She whined and drug her hands down his shirt, shaking him. "Heeeeelp."
He shoved her gently away before going over to rummage in her closet. As his butt was all she had to talk to while his head was in her space she booted him gently. "And you're helping me by pawing through my clothes?" She mocked a valley girl voice. "No you can not borrow my pink cashmere shrug again, Muffy!"
Cole looked over his shoulder, glaring, and gave her an unceremonious finger. It was not the thumb. "Look, you asked for my help. You're getting it, so stop complaining." He bent back into the abyss and finally emerged, a smile on his face, Beau's roller blades hanging over his arm. He shoved them out to her. "Put on your shit, Mayland. We're going out."
Since their final hockey season had ended and their senior year was drawing to a close with graduation in a few days, Beau had not really made the time for skating and she hadn't even realized how much she missed it. As she moved slowly across campus, following behind Cole, it was hard not to reminisce. That was where she had first talked to Fulton and Charlie on that fateful workout. She slowed almost to stopping and let her hands rest on her head as she thought back to how those first few days had changed her life. Tears started to spring to her eyes and she was more than grateful when Cole turned around, saw her moping, and skated back to tower over her.
"Jesus, Mayland. You're such a girl." He yanked on her hair. "What's the problem?"
Beau moved over to sit on a bench, trying hard not to think too much about a time when she had sat there talking to her brother. She stifled another soft sob. She looked over at Cole sheepishly and dropped her head. "It's Charlie. You don't want to hear about it." Just thinking about it she rested her head in her hands and groaned.
Cole dropped down beside her and rubbed his hand awkwardly over her damp shirt. He had never been great at the comforting-emotional part of his close friendship with a girl. He liked checking her into the boards during hockey practice. He liked picking on her. He liked asking her to do his laundry with hers. He most especially liked pulling her hair. He did not like watching her cry. It made him feel…helpless.
"I'm not going to lie. I never know what to say when you talk about Charlie." He gulped, knowing she was a good friend and that he owed her more. "But I'm here," he flicked her chin with his finger, making her raise her eyes to meet his. "Whenever you need to talk about anything." He sighed. "Even Charlie."
She smiled - a real smile. "You're a sweet guy, Cole."
Cole shrugged. "It's true."
She blinked watery eyes up into the sun, watching the clouds roll by over them and thinking about the fact that in two weeks time she wouldn't live with him. "I've spent a lot of time over the past two years talking about Charlie, haven't I?" Without waiting she looked back at him. "Don't answer. I know I have. I'm such a pain in the ass, aren't I?"
Cole laughed, and leaned over to bump his shoulder against hers. "It's true."
Beau laughed out loud, smacking his leg as she rolled her skates back and forth beneath the bench. "I've been talking to him every day this week." She said it matter-of-factly. She couldn't help but notice, through her peripheral vision, that Cole's jaw dropped.
"You've been what?" He said it in shock, his ice blue eyes widening as he turned his lanky frame to face her.
She grimaced and nodded. "Oh, it's true."
Cole clapped her hard on the back, earning a hard stare. "Beau, that's great! I didn't know you guys were…"
She cut him off, rolling her eyes. "We're not. I am. He's been calling all this week and I've been talking and he's just been," she tried to think of a way to say it. "Hanging out on the other end listening." She couldn't believe she was confessing. And to Cole. Oh Lord, what have I done?
He seemed confused. Big surprise. "He's just been listening? How do you know it's him?"
She shrugged. Oh man, I'm a shrugger now too. "How do you know the perfect angle to get the puck to Davidson? How do you remember to breath?" She shrugged again. Stop with the shrugging! "I just know. It's him."
He seemed skeptical. "That's weird that he hasn't said anything. Creepy, really. Very…un-Charlie." He thought about what he had said when Beau only raised her eyebrows. "Well, dark and brooding. Maybe that is very Charlie of him. I'm surprised you're letting him get away with that."
She turned to him. "What do you mean?"
He laughed hard. "Beau, you haven't met a man, woman…tree stump…you couldn't start a conversation with. You get big bad hockey players to share their deepest darkest secrets with you. And now you're letting Charlie just…be silent? C'mon."
She thought about it, considering. He saw a light spark behind her eyes and felt a sense of accomplishment. She stood up, rolled forward slightly on her skates and looked back at him. "You are so fucking right, Cole. That is the end of this crap."
The phone rang promptly on time and Beau took several deep breaths, steeling herself for what she was about to do. She had rushed home from her abbreviated skate with Cole and hopped on the computer making plans. It had taken only a half hour to seal what she hoped was her fate. Well, we'll see.
She picked up the phone, standing by the dark window as she had come to do. "Hello?"
Nothing.
She smiled. "Hi Charlie." Beau ran a hand through her hair and took a very deep breath, hoping to say everything in one string of talk. "This has got to stop Charlie. I can't spend the rest of my life talking to an empty phone line. I need resolution. We have to face this." She sighed. "I have to face this."
She walked over to look at the confirmation email on the screen of her laptop and tried to imagine Charlie listening intently, wondering what she would say. It had been so long since they had seen each other. It was getting hard. It scared the shit out of her.
"I'm coming to LA. I have a flight on Friday. I get in to LAX at 3pm. I've got about five days I can spend." She tried to sound sure, but knew that she probably sounded pitiable. "Look, Charlie. I can't…this has to end. I'll be there at 3. Flight 1587. If you're there then we can talk. See what we're doing here. If you're not then…well then." She dropped her head, suddenly unsure. "Well then I guess we're not doing anything at all."
Beau touched a picture on her shelf. The first one ever taken of her and Charlie when they had started dating. She was sitting on the boards of their bench in the hockey rink wearing jeans and a jersey and Charlie stood behind her, arms around her waist, chin resting on her shoulder smiling that smile of his. As her finger slid over his face she was afraid to hope that she would be touching the real thing in a few days.
"Goodnight, Charlie."
Aradia-rising: Thanks! I guess we can get a bit weird and creepy in relationships. We never know how to act normal. Sorry for making you cry but glad you liked it!
Joank: Well then I hope you have a good printer! Thanks for taking the time and I hope you enjoy it on a later read. Sweet Valley length…hmmm!
BellaLou: Glad you like as always! I'll keep trying to keep them in character.
Cc: Nope. Still no Charlie talking. Sad. Thanks for the review! And yes, still working TONS! Bleck.
sween: Wow, thanks. I like the compliment of it being "beautiful." That's really nice of you to say. You called it. Charlie did keep calling and not talking. He's an enigma that kid.
Hockey-girl90: Thanks! I'll try to keep updating!
Duckfluff: Thank you! We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed that they talk, right? Think he'll show up at the airport? I haven't made my mind up yet.
TygrLily: Um…she reviewed on here on 4-2 and updated her story on 4-11. Are you sure we're talking about the same person?
Sinbin05: SO flattering. You're too nice! I liked your comment about ending when my characters were ready for it to. You're so right. They have taken on a life of their own inside my head!