Turning pages ~ Charlie Jones (stereo kicks)

Chapter 26

Charlie's P.O.V

"Have you written that down?" Annabelle's voice cut through my day-dream and pulled me back into reality. I glanced up and noticed her dark-green eyes weren't sparkling as happily as they usually were. Perhaps it's got something to do with what happened at the cafe on Saturday... She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to answer her. The problem was, I hadn't written it down, and I didn't know what subject she was telling me to write about.

"I'm sorry, what was it again?" I chewed on the end of my pen and watched as Annabelle let out a frustrated huff, flipping her notes over again. She must have had about three stacks of notes. Each one had a different topic. There was the pile on characters, the pile on story and theme and the pile on the message Romeo and Juliet brought across.

"You're hopeless, Charlie," She gnawed on her bottom lip before sighing again, I watched her mouth as she talked. "You really are. In fact, are you paying attention to anything I'm saying?"

"Of course I am," I was lying, and it was obvious.

More like you were staring at her lips.

"Whatever you say," Annabelle shot me a wary look before licking the lip of her thumb and using it to flip through the pages and pages of notes she'd written. Taking a brief look at me own measly pile of notes I felt guilty and a little underachieving. However I knew it was my fault, I'd gone out playing basketball with Reece and Casey a lot, sometimes even Nolan and Mitch. I'd also been watching ice-hockey (and playing a little) instead of collecting notes.

Kicking my feet up onto Annabelle's coffee table, I leaned back into the couch. "I don't understand why you don't like the actual story of Romeo and Juliet," I stated, Annabelle looked up. Her gaze traveled to my SUPRAs that were propped against the oak wood and shot me a firm stare. Hastily, I pulled them off the table. "I mean, you're a girl-"

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'll like it," Annabelle retorted, before looking back to her sheet of paper and scribbling down a few more notes. Most of the notes she'd written down were for her own sake, she wasn't actually going to read them all out, it would take all day she'd written that many.

"But you're a girl-"

"You keep saying that, Charlie," Annabelle let out a little breath of air before continuing. "I've not suddenly changed gender. Now could you write something down instead of vandalizing my furniture." I swiftly moved my hand away from the fraying material on the arm of the sofa. "Thank-you."

I leaned over her to see what she was writing down and saw she'd written something in Latin. Sed bonum amoris est difficile. My lips parted slightly and my eyes drifted to her neck, little strands of her light-brown hair was tickling my cheek. "What does that say?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Shadowhunters, looking better in black than the widows of our enemies since 1234." Annabelle stated casually. I gave her a strange look but shook my head.

"I'm being serious." I looked at her solemnly. The look she returned but soon the corners of her lips twitched and I started to laugh, Annabelle joining in soon after.

Annabelle was the first to stop laughing she managed to calm herself. "I'm just kidding, sed bonum amoris est difficile means 'love is hard but good'."

"What were you talking about before with Shadowhunters, looking better in black than the windows of our centaurs since 1234?" I questioned, after sending Annabelle a soft smile. What I'd said sent Annabelle into another laugh attack. This time I could hear the relaxing melodies of her laugh as it filled my ears.

"It's widows of our enemies not windows of our centaurs." Annabelle correct, taking a smooth breath. "It's from a book that I adore, Clary asks what a piece of Latin means and Jace responds with it."

I nodded slowly, not fully understanding, I knew not to question her on her book knowledge because she would win any argument. "Why have you written that down?"

"Well for Romeo and Juliet, their love is hard. So difficult that they die for it. However after their death their own families reunite." Annabelle explained. She took a glance at my concerned face before adding on. "I know, it seems a bit harsh that they would have to die in order to get the families to live in peace."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Yeah, no kidding."

Annabelle paused for a minute and looked at me. I noticed this and looked back at her. Expecting her to divert her eyes, I was ready to do the same, but she didn't. She stayed where she was, her head tilted to the right slightly, her dark-green eyes darting around my face. Her eyes fell to my lips, lingered there for a moment before she turned around, a sad look overcoming her.

"What's wrong?" I questioned, sitting up straight on the couch and moving closer towards her. My cheek was just a few millimeters away from hers. "Did I do something?"

"It's not so much you," Annabelle confessed, turning her head so our noses were just moments apart. "It's more me."

"Why?"

"In fact, it's more how I feel towards a certain person." A weird sensation bubbled in my stomach and I blinked.

"What are your feelings towards this 'person'?" I questioned, my hands finding her hips. I thought Annabelle would flinch away, but she didn't.

"Strong feelings, though I'm not sure if they're good or bad." Annabelle did sound genuinely troubled but she didn't move away. We were so close I could feel the warmth of her breathing leaving a tingling feeling on my lips.

"Annabelle,"

"Hmm?"

"Who is the person you're talking about?" My voice had gradually turned into a whisper. I moved so Annabelle was directly in front of me, she didn't protest either.

"You."

Without thinking I leaned forwards and placed my lips onto Annabelle's, sending me oblivious to everything around me. Annabelle brought her hand up to my cheek and I pushed my head closer to hers with a gentle force. Slowly I leaned over Annabelle, her sinking below me, our lips moving gently against each other's. Right now it was only her and I in the world and if I was being honest, I wouldn't have wanted to kiss anyone else.

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