Another chapter for you all! I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! I've done some planning and you might like to know I am six chapters away from tying in the movie with my story! How exciting!

My Name is Alice: You might see where this is going, but uh, are you sure? Do you not think I'd have another twist up my sleeve? ;)

hwillson: I felt happy writing that! I just miss them together! However, happiness never lasts long right?

Happy reading!

October 1st

"And done," I muttered to myself and I finished writing the last paragraph on my assignment for Fine Arts. The book Jeremy had given me was full of information and everything I'd needed. Needless to say, I owed him, big time.

I looked over it, happy that my first ever college assignment was finished, three days before it was due. It would've been finished earlier if it wasn't for Danny taking away a whole weekend. I didn't care, how could I when I'd missed him so much and was dying to see him?

"Charlotte right?" a familiar accented voice asked.

"I'm surprised you even had to ask," I replied. "Nice to see you Jeremy."

"Likewise. How's that assignment coming?" he asked, taking a seat across from me.

"Finished, thanks to you," I told him, flashing the papers before I slid them into a folder.

"Well, I guess you owe me," he joked.

"Maybe I do," I told him. We were both innocently flirting, I knew nothing would come of it, but was it right to do so, knowing Jeremy could get the wrong impression of me?

"Well, how about you and your friends let my friends and I take you out dancing? It could be fun," he smiled.

The girls wouldn't want me to say no and I hadn't been dancing since the one during the Summer. "That sounds fun."

"Well, next weekend then? I've got a lot of homework the next few days," he explained.

"We'll expect you at 7," I told him.

"Can't wait," he said standing from the table. "Good luck with the grade for that," he motioned to the assignment.

"Thanks, good luck for this weekend," I called out as he backed away. He waved a little and turned, walking out into the sunny day.

"These books will be the death of me!" Abbie complained as she set them down. I moved away my assignment and started on my next piece of work.

"It'll be okay Abs, maybe try carrying one instead of five though?" I joked.

"Ha ha," she said taking a seat. "Who was that?" she asked casually.

"Uh, the guy?" I asked.

"Yeah, who else?"

"That was Jeremy," I told her.

"The guy that helped you out with books for that Fine Arts assignment?"

"Yeah, him."

"You looked awfully chummy," she gawked.

"Yes, well, that's how friends usually are," I said rolling my eyes.

"What were you talking about?" she asked, flipping the pages of her textbook.

"He invited you, Shellie, Milly and I out dancing with his friends next weekend."

"Dancing huh? I like that," she smirked.

"I know you do."

"How do you feel about going dancing with someone who isn't Danny?" she asked, squinting to see the words on the pages.

"If you're implying I have feelings for him you're wrong," I told her, a little shocked she could think I was capable of cheating on Danny.

"Well, are you excited at least?" she asked.

"Yes."

"How would Danny feel if he knew?" she asked. It was becoming rather infuriating. She knows I would never start anything with someone else when I had Danny.

"Enough with the third degree," I huffed. "You know I would never cheat on Danny."

"I know, I just like seeing you flustered," Abbie laughed. I sighed in frustration, collected my books and left her sitting by herself in the library. "Love you!" she called out after me.

October 11th

"Mail," Abbie called out as she entered our dorm. She threw two at me and when I noticed Danny's hand writing I practically ripped it open.

My beautiful Char,

I'm glad that we spent that weekend together. I don't think I'd be able to stand more days alone at the shop without you or the recent memory of your touch. I'm counting down the days until winter break so I can see you once more and shower you with gifts, for your birthday and Christmas.

That reminds me. Any plans for your big day? Abbie surely will not let you spend it in your dorm since you're in the Big Apple.

Not much has changed here, yet so much has. Your family squeals (your mother more than your father) when they receive a letter. Dinners at the McCawley household are the same except for the stolen glances.

The worst thing of it all, is that my Dad'd sick. It started off as a cold when I returned. But it's getting worse. I don't think the doctors now what it is either. But they say it's nothing serious for now. I can't help but feel like all his drinking has finally caught up with him rather than the usual hangover.

Anyway, enough sad stuff. I want to hear about the new places you've discovered for our list. So far we're travelling to Italy and India.

Miss you and love you with all my heart,

Danny.

"Danny?" Abbie asked after I lowered the letter and stared out the window.

"Yeah."

"What's wrong?" she asked, noting the sadness in my voice.

"His Dad's sick. They say it's not serious, but Danny thinks it's more than a cold," I told her.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Abbie said placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Honestly, I don't think it surprised anyone." A silence passed between us. Danny's dad went M.I.A after Danny's mum, Belle died. However, I have vague memories of him joining us all for dinners and outings. Sometime, it wasn't the best thought, he'd bring Danny up to the McCawley house, bruised and battered. We all knew what had happened, but he just left him there for the day and got him at night.

Still, he was Danny's father and it had appeared as if he'd changed. Before I left, he joined my parents on outings or took part in life again, but it seemed as if it were a little late for him to properly live his life. I felt sorry for him, a war survivor and widower all in two years. I don't think I'd be able to face life if that was my destiny.

"No crying tonight sweetheart. We gotta get ready before Jeremy comes," Abbie reminded me. I nodded, slipped the letter into my draw and followed her lead.

It was not ten minutes later a knock came. "They can't be here already," Abbie said shocked.

"Who is it?" I asked walking up to the door.

"Us!" exclaimed Shellie and Milly. I opened the door and let them in. They had obviously run from their dorm for their hair was still in curlers and they were carrying their make up and dresses in hand.

"Finally! People were giving us strange looks!" Shellie said making herself comfortable on Abbie's vanity.

"Maybe because you're half dressed," I said laughing.

"Hush up. You two have boyfriends, but we don't. So any outing where you guys can give advice on how to look and what to wear will be taken advantage of."

"Dinner's on us," said on of Jeremy's friend Steve. He led us over to a street cart that sold hotdogs.

"I've never eaten from one of these before," Abbie said, a little snobbishly but excitedly too.

"New York's finest," Jeremy told her. They ordered hotdogs for all and we sat on a nearby street bench and ate.

"These are good," Milly smiled.

"If you think these are good, you should taste my pastas," Jacob said, clearly flirting with Milly.

"You'll have to invite me for dinner one day," said Milly as she batted her eyelashes.

"Alright you lot, let's get going. The bands playing our song," James smiled. We followed him down to one of the clubs and skipped the cue.

"Where are we going?" Shellie asked him.

"My cousin owns this place. Free entry every time," he smiled back to her. Shellie skipped to his side and the men at the front let us through. Once we stepped inside we were all wowed.

The club was a run down old speakeasy, renovated to perfection and looked exactly the same according to James. The 'cigarette' girls rolled around on skates wearing pin stripped pinafores and he liquor flowed freely.

"This is amazing!" I breathed out. Jeremy turned to me and smiled.

"I knew you'd like it," he commented. "Come on, lets go to our table." James led us once again to a secluded booth where we ordered drinks. Before they even got to the table Jeremy had pulled me up to dance.

We started the foxtrot, a series little steps, quickly turning round the dance floor. My hair flew out of it's pins as Jeremy spun me and led me along. By the end of the song I was puffed out but grinning from year to year. This was a first, dancing with someone else had never been fun until now.

"How about another one?" he asked, breathing fast.

"If you get me another drink," I joked.

October 21st

"You will never believe it!" I exclaimed as I walked up to Abbie at lunch that day.

"What, you love Jeremy?" she joked. She still hadn't let go of it even though we went out all together as friends. She still thought to remind me of him as I hadn't told him about Steve yet.

"No," I said ignoring her question. I slid the envelope across the table to her.

"What's this?" she asked flipping it over in her hands. I was awfully nice paper for just a letter.

"You'll see," I said sing songing. She opened the letter and I waited for her reaction. Her eyes practically bulged out of her head.

"You can't be serious!?" she asked me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"It's your brother!" I replied. "You didn't know either?"

"That he was proposing to Lindy! No way! He'd never tell me!" Abbie said grinning.

"Who would've thought huh? Becoming a doctor and getting married in one year," I said opening my own lunch.

"Next year actually," Abbie said placing the letter back inside the envelope and slipping it into her bag.

"Who cares! We get to go to a wedding!"

"We get to go home."

"I get to have a full week with Danny," I sighed happily.

"Unfortunately, that's my life everyday with that brother of yours," Abbie joked.

"Oh, your life is so hard!" I said rolling my eyes.

"Well, I have a few more months here before I transfer," Abbie said, playing with her salad.

"You're set on that?" I asked her. This was the first time we'd addressed the subject since she'd told me the summer before.

"Yeah, I am. I mean I love Sarah Lawrence, but I love Matty too."

"Gosh, you make me sick."

"Love sick," she winked.

"Anyway, do you think we'll be bridesmaids?" she asked. Just like that we'd been transported to a entirely different conversation about weddings and how we'd kill Ethan for not telling us sooner.

October 23rd

The phone rang from the other side of the room. I groaned internally as I had to leave my bed to go get it. Abbie was out running errands of some sort before our big night and t would bug me if I just let it ring out, not knowing who it was.

"Hello, this is Charlotte," I answered politely.

"Hey Char," Danny's voice came from the other side.

"Danny!" I exclaimed excitedly.

"Happy 19th birthday baby," he sang.

"I can't believe it's you! This must be costing you a fortune! You could've just written!" I chastised him.

"Don't worry about it! It's my girls birthday. So, how has it been?" he asked.

"Well, beside the rude awakening from Abbie, pretty average. Handing in assignments, boring class, blah blah blah," I drawled on.

"There's that accent," he joked. "You get lazy and stop trying to hide it."

"I do not hide my accent! It's just not as strong as yours!" I yelled down the phone line.

"Do not knock my charming twang Miss. I could very well hang up from all these insults," he joked.

"You wouldn't dare," I said darkly yet with humour.

"You're right, I wouldn't," he laughed. "So, you going out tonight?"

"Um, yeah, I think we are. Ethan and Matty are taking me for dinner with Abbie and them I'm meeting the girls and Jeremy and his friends and we're going dancing."

"Jeremy huh?" Danny asked clearing his throat.

"Yeah, you know, the one I wrote you about. He helped with my fine arts assignment?" I asked him.

"Jeremy, how could I forget? You write about him in all of your letters," Danny said rather sarcastically.

"I'm sensing a hostile tone, what's wrong? You jealous?" I joked.

"As a matter of fact I am."

"Danny," I started but was cut off.

"No Charlotte, this guy doesn't even know about me. Maybe if he did it'd ease my state of mind."

"He does know about you," I began.

"Cut the crap. Abbie told Matty, who told Ethan, who told Rafe, who told me that he doesn't."

"Wow, do we now attend an all girls catholic school? What's with all the gossiping?" I asked feeling a bit offended my brother and best friend ratted me out.

"It's not gossip. It's fact Char."

"Danny, you have to trust me. You know I love you and would never do anything with someone else because I'm with you," I told him.

"I do trust you, I don't trust him."

"He's my friend."

"A friend that takes you out an awful lot and helps you voluntarily," Danny remarked.

"That's what friends do Daniel."

"Not twenty-one year old males. I know what men are like Char, nothing is done without a motive."

"What are you trying to say Danny?"

"He's hoping he'll get more than friendship from you Charlotte."

"Grow up. He's my friend and I can handle it if it turns anywhere near dangerous territory. Thanks for the call, I've got to get ready." I slammed the phone down, fuming. Steam was practically shooting out of my ears.

Was I not allowed to have male friends? Was I not aloud to live my life, going out and having fun with them? If that was the case then I'd prove to Danny I was allowed and didn't need permission from him. He wasn't my husband yet.

Please don't forget to R&R!

Much love! xx