Charlie turned off the tv after watching Claire say, "I've never met him." He buried his face in his hands, feeling lower than scum. "Wow, baby brother," Liam's voice broke the silence. "Didn't you say you liked her honesty?"

"Yeah." Charlie mumbled from his hands.

"Congrats, then," Liam snapped.

Charlie looked up at his brother who sat in an armchair beside him. "WHat?" Charlie asked, scowling.

"You got her to lie for you. Fan-bloody-tastic." Laim clapped his hands three times.

"I didn't have a bloody choice, Liam!" Charlie grumbled.

Liam laughed bitterly and stood.

"Wher are you off to?" Charlie questioned, eyebrows raised.

"To find my brother, cuz he isn't here." Liam stated.

"Are you high?" Charlie accused, thoroughly puzzled.

Liam brushed off Charlie's question. "I didn't have a chooiice." Liam droned in a whiney voice. His voice went back to normal when he commented, "That's all you say lately, mate."

"Really?" Charlie unsteadily asked.

"Yeah. It's your life, so it's your choice. What do you want?" Liam asked.

Charlie frowned, looking at his shoes.

"You want that bird, right?"

"Yeah," Charlie agreed.

"So, let's get her back." Liam replied.

"What?" Charlie was shocked at his brother's statement.

"C'mon, Charlie, let's get you your girl back." Liam restated. "I have recently found love with my Karen... And I think that's what you have with Claire."

"I only knew her two days." Charlie pointed out.

"So? I've only known Karen two weeks and she's changed me. In fact, I haven't used since we met. But you've been so bloody mopey, you have failed to notice." Liam proudly announced.

"That's great, Li!" Charlie jumped up and hugged his brother.

"Thanks, baby brother." Liam hugged him back. "Now, let's talk love songs."

Claire moped in her room, listening to Taylor Sift songs. She flopped facedown on her bed as "You're Not Sorry" echoed throughout her bedroom. April came in, dresses in hand and rolled her eyes. She walked over to Claire's iHome and turned off the Taylor Swift song. Claire sighed into her comforter. She lifted her head and looked at April with puffy eyes. April smiled at her friend. It was a challenging smile. "What?" Claire sniffed, reaching into her tissue box. She blew her nose into a Kleenex before returning her gaze to her friend.

"This moping of yours... It's really getting old."April smiled at her friend.

Claire weakly smiled back.

"Cheer up, Claire. I mean, who cares about Charlie Pace?" April scoffed.

"You do." Claire pointed out.

"Not anymore. I am pleased to inform you that I have quit DriveSHAFT cold turkey. Just for you." April beamed.

"No, you haven't." Claire sat up.

"Well, no, I haven't... But I have stopped obsessing over them!" April exclaimed. "Give me some credit, Claire."

Claire chuckled. "Alright," she mumbed, fiddling with the hem on her pajama pants.

"Good." April nodded. "So, there is a dance tonight at the Depot. Please go with me?"

"A dance at the Depot? For what?" Claire asked.

"You know Chelsea and Megan from work? They are throwing a party just for the heck of it." April squealed. "The theme is like... A ball room or something! It's going to be sooo romantic!"

"You only want to go because Mark is going to be there," Claire remarked.

"True... But it'll be really great fun, too."

"But Chelsea and Megan think I lied about Charlie." Claire exclaimed.

"Who gives a crap what Chelsea and Megan think?!" April almost shouts. "They're just paying for us to have a good time!"

"I guess,"

"Will you please go with me?"

"When is it?" Claire asked, wiping her eyes.

"Tomorrow night. So, you'd better stop crying or your eyes will swell shut and no one will want to dance with you." April chastised her.

"Alright, alright," Claire laughed.

"That's more like it!" April cheered.

The next afternoon, Claire shimmied into a short, white dress. She curled her hair to perfection and put on just enough makeup. April, on the other hand, wore a hot pink dress, did her hair up in an elegant bun that managed to look messy, and wore copious amounts of makeup. Claire and April headed to the dance at eight o'clock and arrived in time for the first dance. April danced with Mark while Claire loitered by the punch bowl, wrapping her arms about herself self-consciously. She was aware that nearly everyone here thought she was a liar. She sipped her punch daintily, watching April dance with Mark. Claire swayed with the next song until it mysteriously cut off. "Hey!" Chelsea yelled at no one in particular as the lights dimmed and a single spotlight appeared on the previously unoccupied stage. Screams soon rang from Chelsea's, Megan's, April's, and various other women's throats as the spotlight focused on Charlie Pace who stood on the stage, Liam in the background with a guitar.

"Claire Littleton?" he asked into the microphone.

The crowd of people grew completely silent and they parted like the Red Seas until Claire was in Charlie's sights.

"I, uh, forgot to tell you some stuff back in Cali..." Charlie said into the mic before Liam began to strum out a tune on his guitar.

"Cant blame you, for thinking

That you never really knew me

At all.

I tried to deny you.

Nothing ever made me feel so small..."

Charlie detatched the microphone from the stand before walking through the crowd of people to resume his song face-to-face with Claire.

"Here I am,

With all my heart

I hope you understand.

I know I let you down

But I'm never gonna make

That mistake again.

You brought me closer to who I really am.

So come take my hand,

I want the world to see

What you mean to me."

Charlie finished the song up and Liam strummed out the ending chords. Charlie lowered the mic and gazed with starstruck eyes at Claire. "I'm so sorry... I was wrong... About everything. Especially about us." he took her hand in his just as the woman interviewer barged into the room, mic in hand. She shoved her mic in Charlie's face and had the cameras rolling in a split second. Charlie looked annoyed at first, but then, he released his microphone and grabbed the woman's.

Looking into the camera, Charlie confessed, "I lied about knowing Claire... I know her. She's got a horrible temper, she loves the band Kiss, and... I'm crazy about her." Charlie turned to face Claire. "Please, Claire, forgive me? I'm so sorry I hurt you and... Please forgive me?"

The camera zoomed in as Claire nodded, teary-eyed. Charlie grinned from ear-to-ear. He tossed the mic back at the lady, telling her, "Go away... Now."

The woman and her camera man left promptly. Claire let her tears spill over. Charlie wiped them away with his thumb as her murmured soft apologies into her ear. A soft song by Mandy Moore came on again and Charlie held Claire close and they swayed to the tune of the song. Claire buried her head in Charlie's tuxedo and sniffed up her tears. Charlie gently took her chin in one hand and tilted her face up so that she was gazing into his eyes. "I'm sorry." he mumbled once more.

"It's ok." Claire whispered.

"No, it's not... I feel bloody horrible." Charlie kept his voice low.

Claire shook her head. "It's really okay, Charlie," she persisted.

"I mean, I--" Charlie was cut off by Claire as she pressed her lips to his. The kiss was gentle and soft.

Charlie sighed into her. Claire deepened the kiss, offering her whole heart to Charlie, offering her whole heart to him. Claire and Charlie maintained their swaying dance as they kissed. Finally, Claire drew back, ending the kiss. She hugged Charlie close as they dance. He held her tight and kissed the top of her blonde curls. Claire knew that she loved him. Charlie knew he loved her. And they were each other's only hope in this infinite world. And they had each other starstruck...