Charlie looked momentarily guilty. She knew that there was slightly more to the tree story than she’d let on to Matt, so she decided to change the subject. Although just as she opened her mouth to do that, he said; “he should’ve visited you more though.”
Charlie smiled and said; “well at least I’ve had you for company.”
“Glad I make a good substitute,” Matt said feigning mock hurt.
“That didn’t come out right,” she said apologetically.
There was silence between them again, but this one lasted for a few seconds longer than the last, and it was only finally broken when Charlie’s awkwardness made her feel nervous about the glances that she and Matt were trading with each other.
“Come on, you need to help me out of this sodding dress. Can you undo the buttons at the back for me please?” She asked standing up, and putting all of her weight onto her good leg.
“I’d be happy to,” Matt said with a glint in his eyes and a hint of mischief in his voice.
Charlie rolled her eyes at him, and then turned her back to him unsteadily. He undid the buttons on her dress, but noticed with embarrassment that his hands were shaking the whole time.
“There, all done,” he said sounding calmer than he felt.
“Thanks. Can you chuck me that top and then turn round?” Charlie asked.
Matt threw her the top that she’d just pointed to, and then turned his back to her. Although as he did, he made sure that he was positioned so that he could still see her in her mirror.
Charlie put the top on her bed, and as she leant forwards her long dark hair fell in front of her heart shaped face. She quickly swept it back behind her ears with her fingers, and Matt watched her pull her arms out of the stiff material of the dress before lowering it to her waist. He felt his face flush as he saw more of her body than he’d seen before, and he momentarily looked away from the mirror.
As Charlie struggled to keep the dress around her waist, put her top on, and not put any weight on her broken leg, Matt couldn’t help but smile. Yet as he did Charlie lost her balance, stumbled, and fell over. He turned around quickly, but he knew instantly that she was alright by the sound of laughter that was coming from the other side of the bed.
He walked around to where she’d been stood, and saw her on the floor. Her top was over her head and one arm, the dress that she’d had on was trapped around her cast, and she was trying desperately to untangle herself whilst stand up.
“Here,” Matt said reaching out his hand and hoisting her up onto her good leg.
As she stood up though, the horrible blue dress that she’d had on fell to the floor in a heap. Yet it took Matt a full second to notice. He had, as like so many times before, been distracted by Charlie’s beautiful face. He’d been sidetracked by her kissable lips, her sweet button nose, her flushed cheeks, and her big brown eyes that always seemed to pull him in and make him lose his train of thought.
“Thanks,” Charlie said with a trace of embarrassment in her voice. She also put her other arm into her top, and pulled it down around her to cover the top half of her body. She then quickly shifted her weight so that she could bend down and hoist the dress back up around her waist, to cover the bottom half of her body, but as she bent forwards her bedroom door swung open.
Matt who was stood just inches in front of Charlie, stared uncomfortably and somewhat guilty at the person who’d just walked into her room. Charlie though, who was still bent double, simply looked through her legs to see who it was.
There in the doorway stood her boyfriend and Matt’s other best friend Rich. Charlie smiled awkwardly, but she saw that the grin that had been on Rich’s face when he’d opened her door had quickly disappeared. He also wasn’t looking at her. He was staring daggers at Matt.
“Nice,” he said angrily to his best friend as his face turned to thunder; “real nice!”
Part One – Fifteen years later
Charlie
She was stood in her kitchen scrolling through the old messages on her blackberry, and hoping as she did that this would prompt a new one to be delivered. Unfortunately whilst no