Edge of Campus (Wall) - Friday Afternoon

[kawalsky]

After handwavily calling Sam, Charlie headed down to where they'd agreed to meet. The wall separating the school from the rest of the town had stayed in good condition despite the troll invasion. He ran his fingers over a distinguishable crack in the stone. This was where they'd climbed over that weekend to get into town

Comments

[carter_i_am]

Sam walked up a few minutes later, carrying two cups of coffee. "Hey." She handed one to Charlie. "Everything okay?"

[kawalsky]

"Hey!" he greeted with a smile. "You brought me coffee. How could things be less than okay?"

[carter_i_am]

Sam just gave him a look.

[kawalsky]

"Things could be less than okay because I called you out here in the middle of nowhere where no one can find us?"

[carter_i_am]

"I was going to go with things could be less than okay because it's us, but what you said is just as accurate." She sipped her coffee and checked for squirrels.

[kawalsky]

Charlie nodded. "Don't worry, it's no big deal, but I wanted to talk to you before I did anything because it might wind up affecting you too."

[carter_i_am]

"What's up?"

[kawalsky]

He blew on his coffee to cool it down. "I want to tell Alanna everything."

[carter_i_am]

"Wow, that's pretty serious." Sam couldn't help the smile, happy that Charlie had found someone. "You'll let me know how it goes?"

[kawalsky]

"'Course," he nodded. "Sure you're okay with it?"

[carter_i_am]

"I told Jack a while ago," Sam told him, "though just about me. And yeah, I'm sure. First, I trust Alanna. Second, in this place, it's just not that big a deal, y'know?"

[kawalsky]

"Yeah, I know. Well," he shrugged. "For most people anyway. Could be different with her because it's not a 'now I've gotta live with you' thing, it's more. But I can't not tell her. I know she's gonna go home in the summer, and she'll probably end up with Jon or George, but I've got her now and I want her to know me for me."

He was talking too much.

[carter_i_am]

"So, this is really serious, then," Sam said quietly. "And I don't think you should count yourself out of the running just yet, Charlie. There's parts of her only you know and understand now. That's important."

[kawalsky]

He suddenly didn't feel like the coffee. "Yeah. You know, I'd almost convinced myself that it'd all work out, but after being there? Meeting everyone?" Charlie shook his head. "She's got a future. She's got a daughter. I'm not a part of that. But I knew all this was gonna be temporary, and I'm okay with that."

He really wasn't. Well, he had been when it first started out, because it was harmless friendship, then harmless attraction. But now? Now he was getting in deep and denial was the only thing letting him keep his head above water.

"I'm okay with now. That's enough for me."

[carter_i_am]

Sam made a face. "Sometimes what seems temporary ends up being anything but," she said, thinking of herself and Jack as well as Charlie and Alanna, "and there you are, knocked on your ass, and more surprised than ever."

"Charlie," she hesitated, since this really wasn't her area, but then added, "How do you know you're not a part of her life? Of her daughter? Have they told you?"

[kawalsky]

Charlie looked at Sam, and the look on his face made it clear that the answer was no. "You're the one who said as long as I don't know anything about the future, I can't screw it up. I can't know, so I'm assuming the worst without giving up what I've got now."