Chapter Twelve

The next morning, Charlie woke, feeling like she had cotton wool instead of a brain. Her mouth was dry and sleep was trying to keep her eyes shut. And she wasn't alone. Blinking, she looked at the body curled up beside her and blanched as flashes of memory came flooding back. She remembered drinking. And laughing. A lot. She also remembered downing a pint of water rather messily. But she didn't remember getting to bed. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the blankets and was relieved to find that she and Joey were both clothed. Resting back on the pillows and sighing, she closed her eyes again.

"We didn't do anything, don't worry," Joey said beside her.

Charlie turned, surprised to hear the coldness in her voice. She'd thought they had had a good time the night before. Unsure of what to say, Charlie watched Joey jumped out of bed, wobble a little and then head in the direction of the door.

"Joey?" Charlie said.

Joey turned back to her and glared.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked anxiously. "I thought we had a really nice evening."

"Yeah, we did. Until I saw the abject horror on your face when you thought we might have slept together."

She turned and stormed through the door and into the bathroom. Charlie listened to her brush her teeth and then climbed out of bed herself. She appeared behind Joey in the bathroom.

"I just panicked because..."

"I'm a girl and you're not gay and I've heard it all before, Charlie," Joey said, having rinsed her mouth with water.

"Because what you said last night really meant a lot to me," Charlie told her.

Pausing in washing her face, Joey turned around to face her, her expression curious but sceptical. Charlie shoved her hands in her pockets and tried to explain.

"You know, about not rushing things. And... and being together because we love each other, not because I'm messed up and trying to make myself feel better. Not jumping into bed with you straight away. Doing things right."

Joey wiped her face on a towel and studied Charlie's face, wondering if she was really being honest or if she was just a very good liar.

"And also... if we had made love then I would be seriously pissed to have missed it because that would have been hot!"

She grinned. Joey smiled back, despite herself.

"You mean it?" she asked.

"Seriously hot!" Charlie smirked.

"I mean, what you said before," Joey chuckled.

Charlie nodded. Joey turned and rummaged in the medicine cabinet for a spare toothbrush. She handed it over to Charlie, apologised for doubting her and told her she'd make them some breakfast.

Ruby was getting ready to go out with Nicole when Charlie finally wandered home. Ruby followed her into her bedroom and stood at the door.

"And where on earth have you been?" the teenager asked.

Charlie looked up, a little startled. She'd been in somewhat of a dream world on the drive home and floated into the house.

"Rubes! I just, uh..."

"Did you make up with Angelo?" Ruby asked, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Angelo? No, I uh... we broke up."

"Well, I figured that much out when he ran out of here clutching a bloody nose and you were nowhere to be seen."

Charlie felt a little guilty. She chewed her lip and hoped today would go slowly. She was not looking forward to facing the music tomorrow. She was too happy right now to want to cope with the stress of her normal life.

"What happened?" Ruby asked. "Did you hit him?"

Charlie nodded.

"He came on a little strong," Charlie said. "And I..."

She made a punching gesture. Ruby shook her head, bemused.

"Why did you break up with him?" she asked.

Charlie sighed heavily and leant back against her pillows.

"It just didn't feel right," she said. "It's never felt right, to be honest."

"Then what on earth have you been doing for the last year?"

"I don't really know," Charlie said. "I guess that's what I have to figure out. I... I need to figure out who I am and what I want."

She smiled, knowing exactly what she wanted. Joey.

"Is this a sexuality thing?" Ruby asked cautiously.

Charlie sighed and licked her lips. She looked directly at her daughter.

"In a way, I guess it is," she admitted.

Curious, Ruby scooted up the bed so she was sitting beside her guardian.

"Charlie, what is going on?" she asked.

"I bumped into Joey yesterday," Charlie admitted.

She just couldn't stop smiling. Ruby's eyes widened.

"Joey? As in your ex-Joey? Who lived here? Who's a girl?" she asked.

Charlie nodded, still smiling.

"Are you...?"

"We're friends," Charlie said. "We pretty much spent the whole day together yesterday and it was amazing. But we're taking it slowly. We'll probably... hopefully get together at some point but for now it's just friendship and... Ruby, I'm so happy."

Ruby stared at her. She seemed like a different person than she had been for a long time. Well, since Joey had walked out on her.

"Wait, is that where you stayed last night?"

Charlie nodded. Ruby raised her eyebrows.

"And you're telling me you're just friends?" the younger girl remarked.

"We are," Charlie said certainly. "I mean, we did kiss but then we had a talk about where we stood and... Ruby, she was so lovely. I pretty much threw myself at her, told her I loved her, offered myself up for the taking and she turned me down."

She continued to smile happily.

"And that's a good thing?" Ruby queried.

"Yes, because that's never happened before. As much as I love her, right now, I don't know how to be in a relationship. And I go from one to another, or, as in the case of the last year, I break up and make up with the same guy over and over again because I don't want to be with him but I don't want to be alone. But Joey... she saw through everything. She knew where I was coming from. She understood me. And she loves me enough to call me on it and tell me that it's not how things should be."

Ruby grinned. She didn't think she'd ever seen Charlie so elated over something like this before. She'd never been the kind of girl to be so in touch with her feelings. But she seemed excited and happy and Ruby was pleased for her.

"I'm happy for you, Charlie," she said. "I hope it will work out this time."

"Me too," Charlie admitted. "I want to get things right this time. I love her so much and I stuffed up so badly last time. But I know how I feel, I don't care what people say and I want to make this work."

She reached into her bedside drawer and rummaged around noisily. Pulling out a framed photograph of herself and Joey from their time together the previous year, she set it on the nightstand.

"Wow!" Ruby remarked. "A year with Angelo and he never got put on the bedside table! A night with Joey..."

Charlie flushed.

"I swear, it wasn't like that. We just slept side by side and..."

"Wait!" Ruby squeaked.

Charlie looked anxious.

"You slept with her?"

"Not like that!"

"But you slept in her bed? With her?" Ruby asked.

Charlie nodded and mumbled that Joey hadn't had any spare bedding.

"And why didn't you come home?" Ruby wanted to know.

"I was very, very drunk," Charlie admitted. "No cab would have taken me. I tried."

Ruby laughed.

"So you spent the night all snuggled?"

Charlie grinned and nodded.

"It was awesome!"