1983 c.h. (au)

9: new york minutes

Charlie and Calum were sitting close together half cuddling and half not. Calum's eyes were crinkled and Charlie's were entirely shut as they laughed like hyenas. "So wait. Then what did you say." Charlie asked in between laughs trying to calm herself down.

"I said that I'd shove a stick of butter up his ass. And I did."

"You got suspended in 10th grade for shoving butter up his ass?" Charlie couldn't believe it. "Lies."

"Believe it baby girl. That's why no one bothers me anymore because I'm known for shoving weird items up people's asses."

"Where did you even get the butter from?" Charlie furrowed her eyebrows clearly confused.

"Mike carries weird things around with him." Calum shrugged then stretched and placed his hands behind his head. "Like this one time Luke and I were going through his stuff and we found, a fuzzy pink pencil case but we call it a dildo, a picture of Ashton's mom, a half eaten pack of pretzel m&ms, and a huge plastic freezer bag full of condoms."

"Wait he had all this stuff in school? That's weird." Charlie crinkled her nose.

"Yeah I think he sells all this stuff. Like we also found a huge wad of cash. It was under the condoms." Calum laid back down on his bed and pulled Charlie down with him.

"What did he do when you guys got caught?"

"Oh he was hella pissed. But then I bought a condom from him because it was Friday. It was totally worth it because I got the friends and family discount." Charlie laughed again. And Calum smiled at his silly story. He liked it when Charlie laughed. It was like a breath of fresh air. "I like it when you laugh."

"Really?" Charlie looked into his big brown eyes with doubt nibbling at her. Calum nodded slowly and brushed the hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. "How many girls have you told that to?"

"I've said that to 3 girls in my entire 17 years. My mom but she doesn't count because she's my mom. My girlfriend but she doesn't count because she is literally 6 feet underground. And now you."

Charlie wasn't sure what to say next. So she didn't say anything. And they just laid there in silence listening to the sound of their steady breathing. It was a good silence. The kind of silence that people shared when there was nothing left to say. When it was okay with just their presence. They both lost track of time just laying there together studying each other. Seconds. Minutes. Hours.

Calum rested his hand on her cheek and bit his lip. He wanted to kiss her again. And she wanted him to kiss her. But they both knew that they shouldn't. "Can you stay the night?" Calum asked after a while.

"I can't. It's a school night." Then they both fell silent again with the same thought running through there crazed teenage heads. I'm in love with you. Charlie's phone rang uncontrollably in her jacket pocket. She pulled it out and groaned when the caller ID read mom. "What time is it Cal?" She declined her call knowing there would be hell to pay.

"Relax it's only," he paused looking at his phone screen. "Charlie. When do you have to be home by?"

"Five."

"It's 11:30." Charlie sat up promptly.

"What! It felt like we were here a few measly New York Minutes. Oh my God I'm in so much trouble. My parents are going to have my metaphorical balls." She tugged on her hair from the roots. "Oh what am I gonna do?"

"Relax baby girl. I'll explain it your parents. Let me drive you home."

"No that will only make it worse. They're gonna think I was doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing. I am so royally fucked."