Olivia walked swiftly down the corridor, to angry to speak. How dare he?! Say he liked her, kiss her even, and then be to embarrassed to let other people know! Was she really that hideous? She passed a looking glass and caught her reflection. Her eyes were red from crying and her eyebrows pinched together in an angry line. She knew without these things, she was reasonably pretty. She hadn't really given much thought to if she was pretty or not, that is, until she had met Charlie.
She remembered the first time she saw him. He had helped her after she had fallen. His hair was in hopeless disarray and his eyes were full of concern and uncertainty...his eyes. So warm. She had had dreams about them, smiling down at her...telling her things she most desperately wanted to hear. Every look he gave her had been preciously stored away in memory. Of course she had never let on, she was far to good of an actress for that...and yet....she almost wished he did know. That she could let herself tell him exactly how much he meant to her. She shook her head, shoving those thoughts in the back of her mind. She was angry at him, she had to remind herself. It wouldn't do to daydream...
~~~***_***~~~
Charlie sat, numb, hardly believing what had just happened. He had shared something he hadn't even realized he had been longing for, with Olivia, and then...he ruined it. Why did he have to be angry?! Why did she have to ask about other people, though?! Wasn't he enough?
As if on cue, Fidelio Gunn began walking towards him, carrying an awkward looking case with him; no doubt some new instrument. When he spotted Charlie, he waved with his free hand, and quickened his pace as much as he could with the case. His smirking face was clearly visible, and it made Charlie nervous.
"Hey Charlie!" Fidelio practically sang, "Have you talked to Olivia?"
Could this conversation become any more uncomfortable?
"I saw her inside, and she looked like she was crying..." Apparently it could. Charlie shrugged glumly. Fidelio went on, "You know, she likes you...a lot. You should go find her..."
"What business is it of yours?!" Charlie practically shouted, but then checked himself. It wasn't Fidelio's fault that Olivia had already told him, and the things that happened after. "I already know. She told me. Along with...other things..." he swallowed. Why was talking about this so difficult.
"...and?" Fidelio prompted, thinking Charlie was just being shy.
"And what? We're not getting married or anything okay? She told me and that's all!" He hated lying like this, but what choice did he have?
"Oh," Fidelio sounded disappointed. "I felt sure, though. But oh well, it's not to late. Go find her. Tell her how you feel."
"And since you seem to know all about it, how is it I feel?!" Charlie was fuming, trying to calm himself, before he betrayed how wretched he was feeling. He missed Olivia's comfortable confidence, even her wild hair, her loving eyes.
"It's kind of...obvious. You like her...go. Talk to her. You'll thank me..." he laughed at the expression on Charlie's face, "...eventually." Charlie said nothing, but got up. "Bravo, no wait! The school's that way!" He gestured with his hands towards the old buildings, but Charlie was already setting off quickly in the opposite direction. Fidelio shrugged, "Such drama!" He chuckled to himself, opened his music case, and began to play gaily as the afternoon clouds drifted over the sun.