Becoming Ready

Chapter 24 - That's A Wrap... Party

The wrap party for The Outlaws was absolutely brimming with alcohol. As if Charlie wasn't miserable enough. She sat in a booth in the corner alone, sipping a non alcoholic Shirley Temple. Professor Roth had rented out the back of a restaurant with a bar, and everyone was on a liquid diet.

Shawn hadn't called her all day. She had really, truly been expecting him to. They weren't technically broken up. He said there was an explanation for what happened, so even if it was stupid, why not at least try to tell her? She had so many questions. Why didn't he call her right away? Why did he even put himself in that situation if he knew Kaley was interested? It was almost like he led her on. At some point, he should have made it clear to her that he was not interested, if he wasn't. Maybe he was and he just didn't want to say.

The last person on the planet that she wanted to talk to slid into the booth next to her. He was probably the only other sober person at the party though.

"How're you doing?" River asked her.

"Epically terrible," she answered, keeping her eyes forward.

"I take it things didn't go so well with the boyfriend?"

"Oh no, he proposed," she answered sarcastically.

River sucked his teeth and sat back. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not."

He put his hand on her leg. "You're right. I'm not."

She pushed him away. "You've got to be kidding right now."

"I'm sorry," he put his hands up in surrender. "Let's start over."

She sighed. "I wish I could. Maybe I never would have auditioned for this stupid movie."

He leaned forward, looking serious. "I hope you don't mean that. You were amazing, Charlie. Roth is saying he's actually going to send it to film festivals, for the first time in ages. This could be really great for both our careers."

She looked at him sideways. "Really?"

"Yes, really," he insisted. "Opportunities like this are the whole reason why aspiring actors go to the Art Institute in the first place. Breaking into the industry is almost impossible. If our film gets any attention at all, and trust me the festivals really love indie films, we have an actual chance of being working actors."

Charlie thought about how Cassius had scoffed and threw the bleak statistics in her face when she said she wanted to act.

"Then I guess this hasn't been a total waste," she agreed.

He put his hands on her shoulders and shook her lightly. "That's the spirit!"

"Okay, okay, relax," she said. "I didn't say you could touch me."

He laughed, sitting back. "Remember how badly everything started off on the first day? We had that huge fight, and everyone thought the movie was over before it started."

"You never did tell me why you were so late," she reminded him.

His expression darkened. "Oh yeah."

"So what kept you? Did you have a wild date the night before, or something?" she cajoled him. Now that time had passed it was easier to joke about it.

"No," he sighed, seemingly resigning himself to something. "I was in the hospital actually. My little brother overdosed the night before the first day of shooting. He was in bad shape when I found him."

Charlie's face fell. "Oh god..."

Charlie knew all about finding a sibling in that situation. Her older sister Courtney had relapsed several times before she got sober this time. The last time was actually when Charlie found her. She went straight back to rehab.

"He had been going to meetings, sort of. Not taking sobriety seriously at all. I was trying to make him go to more. I was hovering over him so much I almost missed my own meetings and classes sometimes," River continued.

So that's why he was always late to things. "River, I'm so sorry," Charlie said.

"It's ok," he waved off her apology, leaning his elbows on the table. "How could you have known? And I didn't tell you, I was just a jerk instead."

She pursed her lips for a second, thinking of what to say. "You were, but now I understand... Is he okay now?"

"He's in rehab, for the first time," River answered. "It's been nice, actually. Knowing that professionals are doing the hovering, for now. I've been able to focus on what I want in my life, and this movie."

Charlie nodded. "That is a relief, I'm sure."

"You kind of remind me of him, sometimes," he looked at her intently. "I mean, I definitely don't feel a sibling type of connection with you, or anything. But you're about the same age, and you're both stubborn. Knowing that you're sober, that you took your near-death experience seriously, gives me hope for him."

"Well, good," she said softly, at a bit of a loss for words.

"I'm really glad I met you, Charlie," River said, his voice dropping lower.

She couldn't help but look at his mouth, just for a moment. There were a lot of reasons why she wasn't glad to have met him, but then again, there were a lot of reasons why she was. They did have chemistry, that was hard to deny, no matter how much she pushed him away. And sometimes she felt like she'd known him forever.

The way she was positioned in the booth, he had her boxed in. She was between him and the wall. As she they stared at each other, she felt almost hypnotized. She wasn't drunk, but for some reason, the moment was intoxicating. He put one arm behind her and leaned forward.

"I can't stop thinking about kissing you," he said. 

***So that's where River was the night before filming! Also, he's about to kiss Charlie, so...