Chapter 6
After they pull into the driveway, it's another mad dash to the house. Amita isn't crying this time but she is wet and still not happy about the storm picking up again.
"Come on Amita" Charlie said taking her hand and leading her upstairs without explaining
"What-"
"You're going to take a warm shower, then put on the clothes I left on the bed for you and then you'll come downstairs for dinner"
"And after that?" Amita asked timidly
"After that we'll see what happens. Go, you know where the bathroom is" Then Charlie turned into his room, leaving the door open. Thinking that Amita had listened to him, he took off his shirt and kicked off his pants revealing his lean body. Amita quickly turned and went to the bathroom. Better get to that shower before he looses the rest of his clothing.
After the nice warm shower, Amita walked back to Charlie's room. She paused briefly at his door trying to catch what the men downstairs were talking about downstairs but it was too hard, shed only catch a word here and there. She turned the knob and laughed to herself. Almost as messy as always. At least he cleared off his bed. Amita walked over and found a pile of clothes on the bed. How did he get-? Amita started to thinking holding up a box containing women's undergarments. Don't want to know, she decided as she started to change. After she was done changing, she wrapped her arms around herself and inhaled deeply, he always smells so good. She looked around his room, it was so familiar to her but also so foreign. She had spent many hours in this room but she had never looked at it. She walked to the bookcase and looked all the math books and biographies on famous mathematicians. The men that Charlie admires. Though for the first time she noticed the little trinkets in front of the books. A little box with a little fairy on it, no doubt containing his baby teeth, a picture of Don in a baseball uniform. A baseball, on it Don's scribbled autograph. A picture of Charlie and a woman, probably his first girlfriend.
"My cousin" Charlie spoke softly, making Amita jump
"God Charlie you scared me"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to" He answered crossing to stand by her looking at his bookcase
"This is snooping isn't it?" Amita asked slightly embarrassed
"Yeah but I don't care" Charlie's eyes lingered over a few things. It seemed to Amita that it was the first time in a long time that he bothered to look at these things "Have you ever seen my and Don's high school graduation picture?" Charlie asked looking back at Amita
"No, I haven't" Amita answered, finding it hard resisting the urge to give him the kiss she's been waiting to give him for a long time when they were this close to him
"It's on my dresser" Charlie answered, took Amita's hand, and they walked over to the dresser
"That's a really cute picture" Amita commented. Don was smiling and had his arm around Charlie, who looked quite small in his gigantic robe and very big cap. The best part of the picture though was the pride shining in Don's eyes, which Amita knew was meant for Charlie
"That was one of the best moment of my life" Charlie said still looking at the picture. Amita couldn't quite place the look in his eyes "Come on, lets eat" Charlie said walking towards the door, still holding her hand
"You didn't eat?"
"No, I decided I'd wait for you" Charlie said smiling. She was beautiful. Her hair is curlier then normal
"Feel better Amita?" Don asked politely as she watched the two of them came down the stairs
"Much better. Thank you for driving us Don"
"You're more then welcome" Don answered smiling, noticing their hands for the first time
"That was excellent Mr. Eppes" Amita exclaimed putting her spoon in the empty bowl, which until a few moments ago had been full of beef stew
"Amita, how many times must I tell you to call me Alan" He called back from the living room
"Ok…Alan" She agreed. Standing up taking her and Charlie's bowls to the sink
"You're not going to wash those are you?" Charlie asked standing beside her
"I was planning to. Why should I just put them back into the cupboard dirty?" She teased
"No" Charlie answered her giving her a light shove "I was going to wash those"
"I'll do them, I don't care"
"You're a guest in the house, I'm not letting you wash the dishes. Now, I think the love seat is still unoccupied and Don is probably debating which scary movie he wants to watch" Amita eyed him "Go. I'll be in when I'm done" Amita eyed Charlie one more time before walking into the living room
"So what are the choices Don?" Amita asked noting that Don did have three DVDs in his hand
"Thirteen Ghosts, Halloween, or Nightmare on Elm Street"
"Halloween" Amita said after a moment. It was just scary enough. That and she wouldn't have to worry about being killed in her dreams
"Dad?"
"Nightmare on Elm Street"
"Charlie?" Don asked seeing his brother had just joined the group "Thirteen Ghosts, Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street"
"Halloween"
"Sorry dad, you're out numbered" Don said placing Halloween in the DVD player
"Its fine. I've gotten used to after the years of seeing children's movies instead of the romantic foreign film you and your mother would have rather seen" Alan answered turning off the light
Don took his place stretched out on the floor, holding his head in his hands looking like a very tall ten year. Alan settled into his chair prepared to watch the movie intently. Charlie and Amita moved to the couch seeing no one was going to occupy it. Charlie put his arm on the top of the couch, and thought about leaning against him, hoping that his affection hadn't disappeared with the dark library. She looked at Charlie, hoping that she wouldn't have to say a word, and for the first time that Amita could remember he read her look perfectly and pulled her towards him.