Her Story

December 10, 2010

"Are you almost ready?" He asks knocking on the apartment door.

"Almost," I answer half heartedly. I fix my red dress again looking in the mirror. I look on the desk at the picture of Charlie and I, just before homecoming. We're both grinning with me on his back. "I love you." I whisper to Charlie before grabbing my clutch and heading to the door.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asks hugging me. I hug him back and breathe in the rich cologne scent. While pleasant, it's nothing like the scent of the baseball field and laundry detergent.

"I'm fine Jason." I tell him, "Let's go." He walks me out his hand wrapped around mine. Jason's my newest bodyguard/boyfriend. He's a trained bodyguard, but management thought it was a good idea to have us date, that way he'd be able to be close to me without rumors. "Where are we going tonight?" I ask him curiously.

"Dinner and a show," He answers. "Sorry it's not fancy, but it's all I've got."

"It's fine." I assure him as we get into his black jeep wrangler. "I never liked big dates anyway. Small dates do keep me out of the spotlight."

"True that," Jason says. No matter how long we go out I don't think he'll ever measure up to Charlie. "I know I'm not Charlie, but we should at least pretend this is real." All the fans seem to know this whole thing with Jason's a set up. I'm not great at hiding my feelings. Jason's great, he's a great friend, but no one will ever be able to replace Charlie.

"I know I just miss him. A lot." I admit. I hadn't been back to Avalon since our break up. Management had me transferred to a private school. I am now enrolled in a prestigious academy where we have to wear this stereotypical uniform. The navy blue, white and grey pleated plaid skirt with the white button down blouse, and a navy blue blazer. With the schools crest on it. I haven't seen Charlie since our break up. I still talk to him over the phone, but I cannot contact him any other way. By force of management. I try to contact him in person or via social media or video chat I break the contract and my sentence is a no singing of any kind until my contract expires at the end of February. I'm not saying he's not worth it, because he is, I'm just a bit torn; I love to sing almost as much as I love Charlie.

"I have an awards show I have to go to, since you're my fill in boyfriend, will you come with me?" I ask Jason.

"Of course, I'd be there anyway. I'm one of your bodyguards remember?"

"Right," I say with a half smile letting him wrap his arm around me. "How's your sister?" I ask him trying to make easy conversation.

"She's doing better now." Jason says, he opens the door to the diner and I see Charlie sitting with the baseball team in the back corner.

"Charlie's here." I whisper to Jason. Jason looks up.

"I know." Jason says, "I talked it over with the management team. They're letting you talk to each other again."

"Bethy." Charlie says standing in front of me.

"Char." I almost start crying as I throw myself into his arms his arms wrap around me tightly.

"Oh I missed you so much."

"I missed you too Charlie." I tell him quietly hugging him tighter. "I'm so sorry I haven't been able to come to your games like I promised."

"It's not your fault Bethy." Charlie assures me. "I'm just glad to have you back."

"As friends," I finish.

"I'd rather be stuck in the friend zone and have you than have to be apart from you forever." Charlie says. "How's Jason treating you?"

"Fine as can be expected for a fake boyfriend I suppose." I whisper to him still holding onto him. "Soon I'll have to renew my contract with Management and you and I can be together again. No exceptions." I promise him. "Otherwise there are plenty of other companies that would sign me. Kaitlin and Sam don't work for the label, so they can come with me."

"Oh, I have something for you." Charlie says he pulls out Tate's high school class ring and hands it to me. "It's brought me a lot of good luck, even though you weren't there at the games. The team managed to win every one. It would've been cooler to win the district tournament with you rather than without you."

"I'll be there when you and the boys go to play the state games."

"I hope so." Charlie says with a smile, "Any tours anytime soon?"

"Not that I know of, but Winter break is coming, so I'll be heading to the big cities to perform, so I guess it's kinda a mini tour. I'm performing New Years at Time Square!" I tell him. "Kaitlin is amazing; I was so excited when she told me. I wish you could've been there."

"Are you coming back to Avalon?" Charlie asks me.

"I hope so." I admit, "I don't like the private school I'm at now. It's a little too pretentious."

"You and your humble beginnings, you belong there just as much as any of those guys."

"Aw, thanks Char," I tell him. "But I don't want to be there. I'd rather be at a school full of crazy baseball loving Angels."

"I love you Annabeth Grace Kennedy, nothing's going to change that."

"And nothing is going to change how I feel about you Charles Jonathan Sinclair." I promise him. I give him a final hug before walking back to Jason.

"You're smiling." Jason says, "And it's a real smile."

"Youdon't realize how much I missed Charlie, and seeing him again, it's justreminding me I can't be with him anymore. Until the contract is renewed atleast, it's been so long since I've been able to see him in person."