Authors note: I would just like to say ... I have always felt that the Charlie & Ruby scenes throughout the Charlie/Joey storyline were excellent - so well written and acted. H&A should be very proud of them. Too bad about the premature ending, and the most recent development with Angelo. Did you all see that on Youtube? I mean ... what the hell? Kate Bell please come back soon. H&A needs you. Anyhoo ...
Chapter 2
Charlie opened the back door. Leah was sitting in the kitchen with VJ. They looked as though they were dressed to go out.
"Aw ... hey", Leah greeted her enthusiastically. "How was the trip?"
Now it was Charlie's time to put her cover story into practice. She was nervous.
"It was ... nice." Charlie said, smiling weakly. Damn, I'm trying too hard to play it down. She'll see right through me.
"Nice?" Leah enquired, raising an eyebrow. "Well what did you guys get up to?"
"Err ... nothing ... much." She felt herself starting to blush and she was beginning to panic. "We just chilled for a few days ... caught some rays ... y'know ... the usual stuff." She was hoping that her acting skills were being effective. "How have you guys been?" she said, trying her best to change the subject.
"Great, actually", Leah replied. "Veej and I are about to head out for the night. We're going to see a movie. Sorry we can't stay for a chat but it starts in about 20 minutes. We'll catch up later, okay?" Charlie smiled and nodded, a little relieved. They stood up, ready to make their way outside.
"Well ... have a great one", said Charlie. "Hey is Rubes home?"
"No ... but ... she should be here soon. She's out with Xavier, I think", replied Leah.
"Okay, thanks ... see you later", she said, waving to them as they left the house.
She went to the fridge to make herself a fruit juice drink. If Ruby really was going to be home soon she wished she could have had something stronger to help her muster up some courage. The house was silent as she sat down at the table. Her mind drifted off as she thought about the last few days with Joey. They had been so amazing. If she could have turned back the clock and relived it all over again she would have done so in a heartbeat. She found herself smiling broadly just thinking about the time she had spent with the woman she loved.
"Charlie is that you?" A familiar voice interrupted her train of thought.
"I'm in here!" she shouted. Ruby entered the kitchen and hugged her big sister tight.
"I saw your car outside. When did you get back?"
"Just now." An image flashed into Charlie's head of her and Joey together naked, lying beside the window at the side of the pool – such an unforgettable moment - right before they had to scurry into the water to hide from the mailman outside.
"How was it?" Ruby asked.
Charlie snapped out of her daydream and began to blush. "How was what?" She could feel her cheeks burning red hot. Could Ruby read her thoughts? No that's ridiculous, Charlie ... get a grip! She's asking about the trip, ya dummy ... not the passion! This was not going as easily as she had planned, and she hadn't even broken the news yet.
"Duh ... the beach trip, Charlie. How did it go?"
Charlie tried to compose herself and gather up her courage. "It was great ... in fact ... there's something I want to talk to you about."
Ruby looked perplexed. "Sure ... what is it?"
"It's about me and Jo-" Her sentence was cut off by the ringing of a mobile phone.
Damn, thought Charlie! Ruby took her phone from her pocket and answered the call.
"Aww hi Xavi ... yeah ... sure ... tomorrow at 2? Okay ... see you then. Bye." She hung up. "Sorry Charlie ... what were you saying?"
"Can you sit down ... please?" Charlie was determined to spill her heart out to her little sister. If nothing else it would make her feel better. One less thing to worry about.
Ruby's eyes widened. She suddenly realised it was going to be a serious conversation - and she began to fret.
"Charlie is everything okay? Are you alright? Is dad alright? What's wrong?"
"Shhh ... no ... it's not tha- ... dad's ok. I have something that I want to tell you. It's important."
Ruby sat down, not taking her eyes off her sister for one second, trying to figure her out. She had no idea what was to come.
Charlie didn't know where to begin. She had thought a lot about what her first words to Ruby should be, but now that the moment had arrived, everything she had planned to say suddenly seemed inappropriate.
"It's about ... me and Joey." She hoped those words would help soften the blow. Her heart pounded in her chest and she could hear it thumping.
Ruby frowned. "Is everything okay between you two? You haven't fallen out with her again, have you? My god ... y'know you two act like you're a couple of lovestruck teenagers sometimes. One minute you're together ... then you're not ... then you are ... then ..." Ruby began to realise what her own words were implying.
Charlie looked away for a few seconds, then stared her younger sibling straight in the eye again and took a deep breath. Ruby's eyes widened. That look of Charlie's couldn't really mean what she thought it meant, could it? She thought for a few moments, and suddenly all the pieces began to fit together. Their closeness over the past few weeks – the falling out – their absence from the bay for a few days.
"No way!" she exclaimed, jumping up off the chair. She put her hand over her mouth.
Charlie didn't know what to say. Was this a good reaction or a bad one? She was about to find out.
"Charlie ... are you telling me what I think you're telling me?"
She looked deep into her little sister's eyes, breathed deeply and said in a calm voice "Yes ... I'm in love with her, Rubes." A gentle smile broke across Charlie's face as she said the words out loud. She really did love Joey very much and it felt so good to say it to someone. I did it! I told her! Feelings of relief washed over her, quickly followed by more fear.
Ruby's hand dropped away from her mouth, which was still agape. Her eyes widened even further. She realised her legs were shaking and she needed to sit back down quickly. She dropped into her chair again with a thud.
Charlie looked at her. All of a sudden she felt strangely calm. She had done her bit. Now it was Ruby's turn to deal with it.
Ruby began to laugh, her eyes darted around, but it was less like laughter and more like random noises of utter shock. Her mind was trying to process everything. How long had Charlie been gay? Why didn't she notice before? What did it mean? Will it change their relationship? Will Joey be coming to stay with them again? Will they be sleeping in the same bed? Will she have to listen to them in the middle of the night?
Her mind raced. Charlie sat quietly, allowing Ruby time let the news sink in properly.
"Charlie ... how? ... when? ..." Ruby didn't know where to begin. She had a hundred questions.
Charlie began her explanation. "I've never ever fallen for a woman before ... not until I met Joey. It just happened." A smile spread across Charlie's face as she thought more about Joey. "My feelings for her grew every day ... and I realised I wanted us to be more than just friends ... even though I kept trying to tell myself it wasn't true. I was afraid of what it would mean."
"Did she come on to you?"
"No ... no it was nothing like that. She was just being ... Joey ... kind ... caring ... thoughtful."
Charlie's eyes hazed and wandered off for a few moments as she thought about the time they spent on the boat – then looking back at Ruby again she said, "I was the one who turned it into something more."
"But Joey must have had feelings for you too, right?"
"Well ... yes ... but honestly ... she didn't even tell me how she felt until after she realised I felt the same way about her."
Ruby was still stunned. "Charlie ... I had no idea you liked girls ... I mean ... you've always had boyfriends."
Charlie had been waiting for that sentence to come, and Ruby didn't disappoint.
"I know ... I guess I never met anyone I liked enough to make me want to ... explore that part of myself ... but it was always there. I just kept it to myself ... I guess." Charlie frowned. She was sure Ruby wouldn't understand.
Ruby slumped in her chair, her body relaxed into a heap and she rested head on her arms. She looked at her sister and felt as though she didn't really know her at all. Straight Charlie was gone – a figment of her imagination. A new Charlie was in town. She suddenly realised that the new Charlie – the one she had seen laughing and joking with Joey over the past few weeks - was much, much happier than the old one. Her shock was beginning to subside.
They looked at one another, their faces expressionless. Charlie hoped Ruby was having one of her more mature days as she awaited judgement.
Ruby grinned. "If you're happy, Charlie ... then I am happy for you ... and Joey." She stood up and came around the side of the table be beside her big sister, hugging her tight.
Charlie could feel tears of relief beginning to well in her eyes.
To be continued ...