"Charlie! Wait up!"
Charlie came to a full stop when he heard her voice. What was she doing? Why didn't she stay at the campsite?
"Hey! What's up? Charlie asked her
"Nothing, I just wanted to join you" she said panting as she had to really sprint to catch up with him.
"Ok, well, we need about twelve large long rocks, some dry grass and dry sticks to build a proper fire. I'll go look for the rocks, you look for the other stuff." He said.
"Sure thing" she said as she wanted to walk of to find the items required.
But Charlie was in her way trying to walk to the opposite direction making them bump into each other. As their bodies collided they seemed glued instantly with their faces no more apart than a few millimeters, their lips nearly touching. Charlie couldn't move. Amita didn't want to move and closed her eyes. They stood there frozen for what seemed to last an eternity breathing each others breaths. Then she felt Charlie's hands on her hips… leading her away from him.
"Let's go get those rocks and twigs for that fire" She heard Charlie say as he walked away from her.
Amita's mind gave up; her heart had won the battle. Nothing had made more sense to her ever before when she finally came to accept what she had been denying for so long. She just had to have him. Every fiber in her body agreed that she just simply had to have him….
As Charlie walked away from Amita his heart gave up; his mind had won the battle. Nothing could have made more sense to him ever before when he finally came to accept that what he wanted was never going to become reality. He was never going to have her. Every fiber in his body knew that he just simply was never going to have her…
Megan was nearly ready unpacking everything as Larry had stalled out all the ingredients needed to build the telescope. Don sat down observing the two, wile waiting for Charlie and Amita to return with the rocks and wood to build a fire. He was actually getting a bit cold as it got darker.
Finally Charlie came back with his arms full with rocks followed by Amita carrying sticks and dry grass.
"Good going guys. And just in time might I add. It's getting cold and dark." Don said while taking over some rocks from Charlie.
Charlie started building a circle with the stones as Amita put down the grass and sticks and sat down next to where Megan had just finished unpacking.
"Hey Megan" Amita turned her head towards her. "I meant to apologize for this morning. I wasn't exactly on my best behavior."
"Hey no problem. We all have off days from time to time." Megan replied.
"Yeah…. Off day…." Amita repeated absentminded as her eyes turned back to Charlie.
That was it. Every intuitive alarm bell Megan had went off inside her head as she looked from Amita to Charlie and back. Something was indeed off… If anyone was more ready to commit, it was Amita at this point while Charlie seemed to have let go. Megan had to jump in.
She walked up to Charlie who was just done building the fire ready to sit with Larry to assemble the telescope.
"Charlie, could you help me out with something" She asked.
"I'll help" Don jumped in.
"No, I really need Charlie to help me on this one." Megan said trying to make eye contact with Charlie.
"Sure, what can I do to help?" He finally asked while getting up.
"Just come with me, I'll show you" And she grabbed Charlie by the arm while walking away from the others.
When she thought they were far enough out of hearing distance she pulled out a map as if to show it to Charlie when she let him know what she wanted from him.
"Ignore the map Charlie; this is just to throw the others off on the wrong foot so that they won't know what we're really talking about. Now start telling me what is going on with you and Amita" Megan came straight to the point.
Charlie almost felt attacked but the way Megan fired the question at him when he had his guards down caused him to spill everything.
"I'm in love with her but she's not ready to commit. I was afraid if she finds out she'll feel staying friends would not be fair. I thought I was going to lose her Megan. But that's ok now. I've accepted it. I believe her friendship is worth much more to me than anything."
"That I already knew Charlie, Don told me. Still, thank you for confiding in me. But that is not what I wanted to hear from you. Charlie, please tell me that you have not given up yet."
Charlie looked genuinely stunned.
"How did you know?" He asked her softly
"You know Charlie. Taken aside the math genius aspect of you as a person, you are just as any other male on this planet" She said and patted him on the shoulder. "Pushing your own feelings aside in attempt to keep things the way they are almost always results in the opposite. Things happen for a reason, even when you don't want them to, just simply because they have to. Change means progress and progress is good, you of all people should know that Charlie. Just trust yourself and your feelings towards someone and open up to change. You might even be pleasantly surprised. Just never ever give up again…. On anything"
Charlie nodded. She was probably right.
As they turned around and walked back they saw Larry had already started to assemble the telescope enthusiastically cutting and duct taping with his tongue sticking out of his mouth. Charlie forgot all his sorrows at the sight of the eldest in the group behaving like he was the youngest.
Don took charge of cooking again as he was absolutely starving and since nobody mentioned food he just took it upon himself to get started.
Charlie walked straight up to Amita and reached out a hand.
"C'mon, let's go tell Larry that he's building it all wrong and show him how it's really done" Charlie said with a devious grin
She grabbed his hand as he raised her to her feet to accompany Larry at building the telescope.
Megan sat down
"What were you two talking about?" Don asked Megan.
"None of your business. You promised to butt out remember." Megan replied.
"That's not fair and you know it! Come on!" Don complained.
"Just be patient and give your brother some space. Oh and Don. I know you said no more match making. But just to be sure… What do you think? Should we leave the big sleeping bag for Charlie and go to sleep early tonight? I have a feeling the stars are set just right." Megan asked in with a devious smile
"What do you know that you aren't telling me" Don asked sly.
"Actually, nothing to be truthful… Just my female instincts talking" She replied.
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Larry was looking at his watch. Any moment now and they would be able to see the meteor shower. Charlie had calculated exactly where the lenses should be positioned to be able to get the most out of the home made telescope and Amita had been very helpful providing cut up pieces of duct tape.
When the five had just finished up eating dinner they had walked away from the fire as it provided too much light. They wouldn't be able to see the shower from the campsite. It had to be as dark as possible to be able see the meteorites.
They had found a great open spot where they had sat down to watch. Don and Megan sat next to each other while Charlie and Amita were helping Larry making some final additions to the telescope.
That's when it began. It happened right over their heads. Even with the naked eye they all could see a glimpse of what looked like a pack of falling stars. Larry was the first to look through the telescope and let out a long aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh.
Megan went second but had a little trouble focusing on where to aim the telescope. When Larry helped her finally get the hang of it, it was her turn to let out a long ah. Then it was Don's turn. He looked through the telescope and saw great balls of fire slowly move through what must be space. With his head tilted all the way back and his mouth wide open he looked a bit silly.
Don passed the telescope to Charlie. He too had some trouble aiming right at the shower. Amita leaned in on him and adjusted the angle he held the telescope in a bit by putting her hands over his as she whispered pointers in his ear. Don, Megan felt they were becoming too much of a crowd and gently got up to walk back to the campsite. This time however Charlie caught up on time.
"Where are you guys going?" He asked.
"I'm feeling tired and my neck hurts from staring at the sky." Megan yawned massaging her neck.
"I'm not really a meteorite showers type of guy I just realized." Don replied. "But you kids have fun"
Larry was now the only one left along with Charlie and Amita and Larry was as oblivious as anyone could be that night not picking up on the real reason why Megan and Don had left so soon.
It was Amita's turn to look at the blazing meteorites and she leaned her head against Charlie's shoulder for support to avoid a neck cramp.
"Maybe you would be more comfortable laying down on you back?" Charlie suggested not at all minding that she was leaning against him but gathered a horizontal position would be most comfortable.
As Amita lay down on her back with the telescope up at one eye Larry felt something hard hit his head. He managed to keep from letting out a painful scream just rubbing his head when he saw Don waving and gesturing he should leave them.
"Uhm… I-I think I'm going to head back to camp and get some more duct tape. It looks like one of the lenses might fall out." Larry said while shuffling towards Don.
"Fine" Both answered in unison without turning heads.
Larry quickly walked towards Don who seemed to have disappeared from where he had been earlier.
Charlie leaned back on his side, supporting his head with his hand. He looked at Amita holding the telescope taking in every little detail he could see. She was absolutely breathtaking.
She noticed he was watching her, and she turned her head offering the telescope
"Do you want to have another look?"
Charlie shook his head. He wanted to say his view was just fine the way it was, but merely smiled.
She smiled back at him. He had a gorgeous smile.
Amita stared at the meteorites a little longer when they had begun to disappear. She was starting to get a bit cold too.
"Charlie, there almost gone. You want a last look?" Amita asked as she sat up right again.
Charlie again shook is head again and also sat up right arms folded around his knees.
"It's getting a bit cold. And Larry's probably forgotten all about the duct tape. What do you day we head back to the others" Charlie said
"I think we should"
As both tried to get up from a different angle, they bumped into each other again. Same as before when their bodies collided they again seemed instantly glued. Faces only millimeters away from one another, lips almost touching. However this time it was different….
Charlie's lips finally found hers. Charlie felt the earth move beneath his feet as she returned his kiss and felt her hands slowly move up his chest, around his neck ultimately burying them in his hair. With both hands moving from her side to the small of her back he pulled her closer fully savoring every movement of their ecstatic kiss.
Oh how he longed for this kiss, for her touch.
Charlie had to exhaust every ounce of willpower he possessed not to go any further and gently broke off their every more intensifying kiss. He needed to tell her something he had wanted to day for so long.
He wrapped his arms even tighter around her as if almost to prevent her from running away in case she might not like what he was about to say.
"I need to tell you something" He started.
Amita kissed him.
"If it's the same speech you gave Don this morning you can save yourself the trouble as I had a front window seat during the whole of it." She said playing with his curls.
Charlie looked startled at first after this confession, but pulled himself together quickly.
"That was Don's version. I would you like you to hear the one only meant for you." He said.
Amita smiled.
"If there is ever something that can make me feel like a normal person, know that it's you. If there is anything that makes me the happiest man alive, know that it's you. And if there is one thing that can make me forgot all about numbers; know it's most definitely only you. I love you Amita, you make me feel like I have never felt before. You complete me.
"I love you too" she whispered as she planted little kisses on his cheek and in his neck.
"I hoped you would" Charlie said closing his eyes fully enjoying her soft lips caressing his skin