Mismatched Forks: Chapter 12

 

Chapter 12

School started a few days later, and Alex became immersed in the tedium of classwork.  He thought it would take his mind off Charli, but the memory of leaving her alone in the café haunted him.  He kept scanning the crowds of students as he changed classes, hoping to spot her to no avail.  His cell phone remained silent, and when he stopped by the café, Phoebe would sadly shake her head.

 

Two weeks passed.  William walked into the magazine office and came across his art director, sitting at his desk, idly twirling a pen in his fingers.  He stared at his friend.  “We’ve heard from Leah and Adam.  Anything from Charli?”

Alex shook his head.  “Nothing.”

William started to pace the floor.  “We need to know if she’s coming back to work on this next issue.  Call her.”

“No,” he spread his hands in defeat.  “She asked me not to call or text her.  I have to respect that.”

William looked puzzled.  “Wait, what?  Did something happen between you two?”

“N-n-not really,” he stammered, avoiding his friend’s glare.

William smacked his head and groaned.  “’Not really’ covers a lot of ground.  You didn’t like -” he bumped two bunny hands together.

“No… NO!”  Alex shook his head vigorously.  “We hung out together, that’s all.”

“No disrespect intended, Alex,” William smiled, “but you haven’t hung out with a girl in a while.”

“Hey, there was that girl back in January,” Alex said defensively.  “I talked to her a lot.”

William shook his head.  “Dude, it was because you hit her car and had to get it repaired.  Exchanging car insurance information isn’t quite the same thing as hanging out.”

Alex sank back into his chair.  “Yeah, I know.”

“So, what happened between you two?” William asked.

Alex sighed.  “I promised to show her around town, so we hung out together.  Nothing happened, nothing was going on, but one night we feel asleep together on her sofa while we were watching a movie.”  William raised an eyebrow.  “Nothing happened!” Alex continued, “Totally innocent.  Anyway, her roommate found us sleeping and Charli freaked.  Then she decided that we needed to not spend so much time together.”

“Damn.  And you didn’t -”

“NO.”

“Okay, okay,” William raised his hands defensively.  “Anyway,” he mused, “what are we going to do?  We need Charli and her mad design skills.”

Alex rubbed his face in his hands.  “I’m not sure but I have an idea...”  He grabbed a piece of paper from the desk and started writing.  “I just hope this works.” 

 

A week later, Alex was studying on the rooftop patio of the Communications building.  He heard the door to the patio open behind him, and a moment later, Charli was standing in front of him, an envelope grasped in her hand.  She shook it at him angrily, “You freaking sent me a letter.”

He looked up at her and pursed his lips.  “A note really.”

“Handwritten,” she continued, starting to pace in front of him.

“Typed seemed impersonal,” he countered.

Her teeth were clenched.  “You sent it through the mail.”

“I didn’t think a text or e-mail would be suitable,” he reasoned.  “Besides, you told me not to call or text.”

“Who writes letters now days?”  She stopped walking and stared at him.

He shrugged apologetically.  “It seemed appropriate.”

She sat down across from him and said, accusingly, “I freaking stared at this envelope for days before I even opened it.  Days.”  She pulled the note from the envelope and read it aloud, “’Dear Charli, Please come back. Respectfully, Alex’” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him.  “Seriously?”

“Charli, I -” he began.

She raised her hand, “Stop.  Just stop.”  She took a deep breath.  “We can be professional about this…  We can work together.  We can be work friends.  We can do this.”  Full of mixed emotions, she sat back with a heavy sigh.

“Okay,” he said simply.

She studied his face for a few moments before responding.  “Okay.”  She returned the note to the envelope and put it in her pocket.  All business, she looked at him and asked, “When do we start working on the next issue?”

Alex allowed himself a small sigh of relief.  “Come in tomorrow when you’re free,” he replied.

Charli stood up and nodded.  “I’ll see you tomorrow after class.”  With that, she walked to the door.

He closed his eyes happily and gave a little fist pump.  It was going to be okay. 

“I saw that,” she called out as she stepped through the door to leave.

 

Mismatched Forks: Chapter 11

 Chapter 11

It wasn’t until three days later that Alex got a call from Charli.  “Alex, we need to talk.  Can we meet at the cafe?”

“Sure,” he replied, “I can pick you up in fifteen minutes.”

“No.  I’ll meet you there.”  She paused.  “Is twenty minutes okay?”

“That’s fine.  I’ll see you there.”  He ended the call and stared at his phone, an uncertain look on his face.

 

When he arrived at the café, Alex spotted Charli through the window, her chin in her hand.  He gave her a tentative wave and she motioned him to join her.  He made his way inside and joined her at the table.  “It’s good to see you, Charli.”

She gave him a troubled look.  “Alex, I feel so guilty.”

He knit his brow.  “About what?” he asked.

She took her napkin and twisted it in her hands.  “Sleeping with you the other night.”

“Nothing happened, Charli.  We were just asleep.  I know it was a bit awkward to have Julia walk in on us but it’s not like -”  He stopped himself, then continued, “We didn’t – you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It’s just that Julia and I had this agreement that neither one of us would have boys sleep over,” she explained.

“It wasn’t like I was really sleeping over,” he countered.

She tried to look him in the eye but failed.  “That’s what Julia said, but I still feel bad.”

“You shouldn’t feel bad,” he said, but she just shook her head.  “It’s not that big a deal, Charli.”

She shot back, “It is to me, Alex.  It’s a big deal to me.”

“Okay,” he sighed.  “I get that you’re upset.  What can I do to make things better?”

“It’s not up to you really.  It’s on me.”  She bit her lip, tears in her eyes.  Several seconds passed.  “I think maybe we shouldn’t hang out together for a while.”

He sat back in his chair, confused.  “Charli, we didn’t – I -” He stopped and rubbed his face with his hands.  After a few moments, he said, “We still have to work together, Charli.”

“I’ve been thinking about that -” she started.

“Oh no you don’t,” he said forcefully.  “You have to stay on staff.  It’s a good opportunity for you, and we need your skills.”

She hesitated.  “I – I don’t know.”

“Look,” he argued, “we have a month or so before we work on the next issue.  Take that time and think about things.”

Charli sniffled and she nodded as she looked down at the table, a single tear ran down her cheek.  Alex fought the impulse to go to her and put his arms around her to console her.  Instead, he said to her, “We can talk about this later.  You have my number.”

She rubbed her face and sighed, closing her eyes.  “Please don’t call or text me.  I’ll let you know about the magazine.” 

There was a scraping of a chair across the floor and then, he was gone.

Mismatched Forks: Chapter 10

 

Chapter 10

Phoebe came to the table and asked, “Well, how was it?” 

Alex gave a satisfied sigh and pushed his plate away.  “It was the best stack of pancakes I’ve ever had.  Until the next time, that is, and then THAT will be the best stack.”

“Everything here is perfect, Phoebe,” said Charli, smiling.

“You’re so sweet,” Phoebe responded.  “Y’all let me know if you need anything else.”

As she walked off, Charli leaned over the table and whispered, “She’s really nice, Alex.  Thank you for introducing me.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied.  “I was just trying to help you get settled here in town, showing you around, if you recall.”

She laughed, “I remember.”

“So, we’re running out of time,” he said.  “This is the last week before school starts.”

“Yes, I know.”  She sat back with a sigh.

Alex nodded.  “What are your plans for this week?” he asked.

She played with her napkin as she spoke.  “I signed up for the campus walking tour on Monday.  I figured that would help me learn my way around and I could find where my classes are.”

“That’s a good idea.”  He smiled, “When I was growing up, if I had a new situation, my mom would take me out beforehand so I could see where I had to go.  It made the first day a lot more comfortable.”

“I know, right?” she exclaimed.  “I was afraid that looking around early would make me look like a freshman – even though I am one – but it makes me feel confident when I know where I’m going.”

“Nothing wrong about that.  A little confidence goes a long way.”  He looked thoughtful.  “You know, the campus tour is helpful, but it’s kind of impersonal since it’s usually a large group of people looking at general campus stuff and tourist things.”  He snapped his fingers.  “I have an idea!  Do you have your course schedule?”

“I’ve got it on my cell…”  She pulled out her phone and showed Alex her schedule.

He looked up from the screen and grinned, “This is perfect.”  He stood up from the table.  “Let’s go.”

“Wait, what?”  She scrambled up from the table, grabbing her things.  “Where are we going?”

“A personalized campus tour specifically designed for one Charli Guillory.”

 

Thirty minutes later, Alex was leading her into one of the auditoriums in the Communications building.  “This is where your first class is, one of those freshman cattle classes.  This building houses the campus TV studios, campus newspaper offices, and the new campus magazine offices, (yay!).  That’s the typical tour information.”  He grinned.  “Now here’s what the tour guide won’t show you.”

They walked up the stairs to the next floor.  “This one you probably would’ve found on your own.”  He pointed to three large conversation pits with TV screens.  “People gravitate here in the afternoons to catch up on their soap operas.  Quite the social hangout.”  He crooked a finger and motioned down a hallway.  “This one though, not too many people know about.” 

They made their way to a small elevator, and once inside, Alex pushed the button for the top floor.  “Faculty offices,” he explained.  They arrived at the floor and when the doors opened, he led Charli down a hallway to a door marked ‘Roof Access.’

“Are we allowed up here?” she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders, “Well, we’re not prohibited from being here.”  He pushed open the door and they stepped out onto a surprisingly well-maintained rooftop patio.  Wooden pergolas provided shade for several tables and chairs and a number of potted plants decorated the terrace.  A railing prevented them from going all the way to the edge of the building, but at that height, there was a still a pleasant breeze and a beautiful view of the campus.

Charli took it all in and nodded, “I can see why this is kept a secret.  This is really nice.”

Alex chuckled, “And this is just the first stop.”

By the end of the day, not only had she found all her classrooms, but she learned of the quiet study spots behind the stacks in the undergraduate library, the small, secluded café by the creek at the edge of campus, the out-of-the-way ‘Underground’ at the student center with ping-pong and pool tables, and the stunning sculpture garden at the art building.

The sun was starting to set when Charli sighed happily, “What’s next?”

“This way…” Alex replied, and they walked off campus and down a side street.

Mouth-watering smells wafted down the street.  “Food trucks!” she exclaimed. 

Small groups of people wandered around each vehicle as customers made their choices.  Alex nodded.  “Not the selection that you’ll see next week when school starts, but not bad for a Sunday evening.” 

She considered the variety of foods.  “What do you recommend?”

“To be honest,” he said, “they’re all good.  But for the money, I’d go with some egg rolls and fried rice.”  He pointed to a nearby truck.

“That sounds really good.”  It wasn’t long before they each had a heaping plate of rice and an egg roll balanced precariously on the side.  Drinks in hand, they made their way to a nearby table where Charli sampled her food.  “Oh, this IS good.”

He gave her an amused smile.  “Would I steer you wrong?”

She pondered that for a moment.  “You haven’t yet,” she said with a smile.  Her tone turned serious, “And I don’t think you ever would.”

“I’ve seen you smack Adam,” he said solemnly, “I’m not getting on your bad side.”

She chuckled, “And don’t you forget it.”

He raised a hand reassuringly, “Not a problem.”  He played with his food for a second, then looked up at Charli, “How did you like the tour?”

“Oh, five stars definitely, and dinner is a nice touch.”  She gave him a sideways glance, “Dessert’s on me though.”

“What did you have in mind?” he asked.

“I was going to bake some cookies,” she said with a smile.

“Don’t let it be said that I ever turned down fresh baked cookies,” he stated with mock seriousness.

 

Forty-five minutes later, hot chocolate-chip cookies were sliding out of the oven.  “I’m sorry these aren’t homemade,” Charli apologized.

Alex smiled and took in a deep whiff, “You’ll get no complaints from me.”

She slid the cookies onto a plate and the two of them moved to the living room to settle onto the couch.  “Alex, thank you for showing me around campus,” she said.

He helped himself to a cookie.  “You’ll have to let me know how it compares to the official tour tomorrow.”

She leaned over and bumped shoulders with him.  “I think it will ‘no contest.’  I can’t imagine that many people know about those spots.”

“Four years of wandering aimlessly on campus got me those.”  He continued, “Since I’m graduating this year, I thought I should pass the secrets to a new generation.”

She made a motion to zip her mouth shut.  “Your secrets are safe with me.”  She paused for a moment as she nibbled on a cookie, then gave him a little bit of a sideways glance.  “Would you like to watch a movie?”

“Oh, dang.  Cookies and a movie!  How can I resist?” he asked.

She laughed, “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t stay just for the cookies.  Would you get us some milk while I turn this on?”  She turned to the television as Alex went into the kitchen, and by the time he came back, Charli had queued up the movie.

He settled onto the sofa next to her.  “What are we watching?”

She looked at him nervously as she answered.  “It’s kind of a chick-flick.  ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s.’  Do you mind?”

“This isn’t a chick-flick,” he exclaimed, “This is an American Classic!  Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, and Cat in New York City.  I love this movie!” 

As the strains of “Moon River” drifted from the speakers, Charli leaned against Alex and put her head on his shoulder.  She murmured, “A small town girl moves to the big city to make a new start for herself.  How classic is that?”  She pulled her feet onto the couch.

It wasn’t long before the long day and the warm cookies caught up with them, and they both drifted off to sleep.

 

He heard a door open and close, then some footsteps that stopped short.  Julia’s voice purred, “Dang, I wish someone would hold me like that when I sleep.”  The footsteps receded and he heard a door close.  He lay there with his eyes closed; her words bumping around in his semi-conscious mind.  Half asleep, he rubbed Charli’s shoulder as her head rested on his chest, her arm and leg draped across him.

Suddenly, Alex jolted awake as he realized that Charli’s sleeping body was snuggled against him, and his arm around her holding her close.  “Charli!” he whispered urgently as he began to disentangle himself from her.

“Hmm?” she answered sleepily.

“Charli!” he repeated.  “I should go.”

Her eyes stayed closed; a small pout played across her lips.  “Don’t go…”

“Charli!  I think I should go!  It’s late and Julia caught us sleeping on the couch!” he explained.

Charli’s eyes flew open.  “What??”  She quickly sat up and looked down the hallway, her hand flew to her mouth.  “I need to apologize to her.”  She turned back to him.  “You should go-”

“-I should go-” He stood up and made his way to the door to put on his shoes.

Charli watched him open the door; her face was a mix of emotions: regret, gratefulness, sadness, confusion.  She made her way over and leaned against the doorframe.  “I need to talk to her.”

He smiled, “It’s okay.  Go.”

She bit her lip as he turned to leave.  “I’ll call you later,” she said with a small voice.

He turned to look back at her, then nodded slowly, “I know.  I’ll talk to you later.”

She answered with a sigh, “Okay.  Bye,” and her door closed.

Alex stared at the door for a moment, took a deep breath, and gathered his thoughts.  After a moment, he slowly walked away.

 

 

Mismatched Forks: Chapter 9

 

Chapter 9

Alex’s phone buzzed in the dark.  He fumbled for it and looked at the time.  He sighed, shook his head, and then, without checking, answered the call.  “Hi, Charli.”

Her voice floated from the speaker.  “You left.”

“I did.  You fell asleep.”

“I’m awake now,” she said, accusingly.

“Well, so am I.  Someone called me,” he responded.

There was silence from the other end, then a whispered, “I’m sorry.”

He chuckled, “It’s okay.  Anyway, Charli, you have a roommate, and I didn’t think it would be proper for me to be sleeping there.  So, yes, I left.”  He stretched then told her, “Get dressed.”

“Alex, it’s 5:30 in the morning.  Where are we going?” she asked.

“For a walk.  I’ll be there in half an hour.”

“A walk??”  There was a pause.  “Can you make it forty minutes?”

“That’s fine,” he smiled, “I’ll see you then, Charli.”

 

She answered right away and slipped out when Alex tapped on her door.  “Julia’s still sleeping.  I didn’t want to disturb her,” she whispered.  “In fact, I don’t think anyone in this complex is awake.”

He laughed softly.  “Six o’clock in the morning on a Sunday?  You’re probably right.”  They made their way out to the car and got in before Charli broke the silence.

“I want to thank you for taking me to that office building…” she averted her eyes, “and for taking care of me last night.”  Alex nodded, and she continued.  “I guess I owe you some kind of explanation.”

“I kind of wondered.”  He glanced at her, “But if you’re not ready to talk about it, we could do it later.”

She bit her lip, then started.  “We sang that song in choir when I was a senior.”  She hugged herself.  “A lot happened that year, and it just brought back a lot of memories and emotions.”

“Ah…” He stared straight ahead and gripped the steering wheel.  “Was there a guy?”

The answer seemed to come from far away, “Just some difficult family stuff really.”  The tone in her voice changed.  “There was no guy,” she said.  “Dating was-” she struggled to find the right word. “-problematic.”  Before Alex could ask, Charlie changed the subject.  “Where are we?  Are we downtown?  Is this Independence Lake?”

“It is,” Alex confirmed, parking the car.  “There’s a great hike and bike trail that goes around the lake, and if we hurry… Well, I don’t want to spoil a surprise.”  They got out of the car and took off up the trail, passing a group of people with yoga mats, and being passed by joggers and people on bikes.  Finally, they arrived at a pedestrian bridge that spanned the lake.  “Here we go.  This way.”  He led her to the middle of the bridge and turned her to face the east, where the sky was already starting to glow.  “Just in time,” he said.

Within a few minutes, the sun peeked over the horizon and rays of light exploded over the surface of the lake.  Charli gasped and she turned to Alex, her face glowing.  “This is… It’s… Ohmygod…” and she turned back to watch the sunrise.

He watched the innocent exuberance on her face and nodded.  “Yes, it is,” he murmured.

 

The early morning hues gave way to the brightening day, and the two started their way back to the car.  Charli looked at Alex as they walked, and she mustered up the courage to ask him something that had been on her mind.

“Alex?  A lot of the things you do are things you do just by yourself.  Why is that?” she asked.

He stared off into the distance as they walked.  “I don’t know really.  There are all sorts of reasons, I suppose.”  He took a deep breath and continued.  “I was an only child, so I usually played by myself.  My dad was… distant.  We never played catch or anything like that.  I don’t think he really knew how to be a father.  I understand he didn’t have a good relationship with HIS dad, so maybe that explains it.”

Charli looked at him.  “Do you see him much?”

“No,” Alex shook his head.  “He passed a few years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.  We weren’t that close, so.” He reassured her.

“Still.”

“Thanks.”  The crunch of gravel under their feet was the only sound for a few minutes.

“What about your mom?” Charli asked, breaking the silence.

He smiled, “She moved to California to be close to Grandma.  And she travels.  She’s doing okay.”

Charli smiled, “That’s good.”  She pursed her lips.  “Was it hard growing up?”

“It had its moments.”  He seemed lost in thought.  “I wasn’t social, I guess.  I was in the gifted class, kind of nerdish, not one of the popular kids.  So, I kept to myself a lot.  It was just normal for me.”  They walked without speaking for a while, until she bumped him with her shoulder.

“Thanks for sharing,” she said.

He bumped her back.  “It’s all good.”

About that time, they had returned to the car, and Charli had one more thing to say.  “Alex?”

He gazed at her across the roof.  “Hmm?”

“I’m hungry.”

He looked at her solemnly, “We need-”

“-Pancakes!” they said together.

 

 

Mismatched Forks: Chapter 8

 

Chapter 8

[Hey Butterfly LOL] Alex texted.

            [hey Turtle 😊] Charli replied.

[OMG I better rethink this]

            [LOL]

[Hey Charli]

            [LOL hi alex]

[The city tour continues at 8:30 tonight if it’s ok with u]

            [np.  ive things to do today, so ill cya then]

[Ttyl]

 

Later that evening, they pulled up to a building in the downtown business district.

“Where are we?” asked Charli.

Alex smiled.  “This is the Harris Office Tower.”  He got out of the car and went to open her door.

“And why are we here?”

“There’s something I want to show you inside.”  They walked through the glass doors, and Alex gave a small wave to the security guard in the lobby.  When they got past the elevators, they stopped, and Charli whispered, “What is it that you want to show me?”

“Just this,” Alex smiled impishly and gave Charli a pair of socks, “These long halls are polished marble…and are perfect for sliding.”  He pulled off his shoes, gave her a grin, and took off running down the hallway.  Halfway down, he set his feet and slid the remaining thirty feet to the atrium in the back of the building.  He turned and looked back, waving his arm.  “Come on!”

She grinned, took off her shoes, and slipped on the socks.  She set off in a sprint, then gracefully glided down the passageway.  Her soft laughter echoed delicately toward the upper floors. 

Alex was about to take another run when he noticed the security guard smiling and gesturing him over.  Alex’s shoulders drooped a little as he made his way over to the guard who looked at him calmly.  “Hi,” said the guard.

“Hi, officer.” Alex replied.

“I’m going to have to ask you two to leave,” he said pleasantly.

“Could we just have a few minutes?  She’s new in town and I was showing her some fun stuff to do,” pleaded Alex.  He glanced at Charli who was standing in the middle of the atrium.   She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  He suddenly remembered her howling at High Ridge Park and started to scramble over to her.

“Hey, I’ve got to lock the building,” the guard explained, but stopped short when Charli, instead of wailing, began to sing.

“I'm trying to hold my breath.  Let it stay this way, can't let this moment end.”  Her soft, clear voice filled the chamber with a song from The Greatest Showman.  “You set off a dream in me, getting louder now, can you hear it echoing?” 

Both Alex and the guard stood transfixed as she continued.  “Take my hand.  Will you share this with me?  Cause darling without you, all the shine of a thousand spotlights, all the stars we steal from the night sky, will never be enough.  Never be enough.”  Her voice turned wistful.  “Towers of gold are still too little.  These hands could hold the world but it'll, never be enough, never be enough, for me.  Never, never.  Never, never.  Never, for me, for me.  Never enough.  Never enough.  Never enough, for me.  For me, for me, for me…For me.”  Her voice broke as she finished, and her hands flew to her mouth, holding in a sob.  Suddenly, she realized where she was, and her eyes flew open.  Then, when she spotted Alex, she bolted from the building.

“Son, go after her,” said the guard, and he gave Alex a little push.  “Good luck.”

 

She was almost to the car when Alex caught up with her.  He called out her name and she spun around, wild-eyed, and held up her hands as if to ward him off.  “Charli!  It’s me, Alex.”  Momentarily confused, she eventually dropped her hands, but before he could reach out to her, she spoke.

“Can you take me home?” she asked tearfully.

“Sure.”  He unlocked the car and held the door for her, then closed it behind her.  She was staring straight ahead when he got into the car, and when Alex asked her if she was okay, she hesitated.

“No,” she said softly.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.  Her only response was a quick shake of her head.  Clueless as what to say next, he stayed silent for the rest of the drive to Sutton House. 

 

When they arrived, Alex turned off the car and turned to speak to Charli, only to find that she had already slipped out of the vehicle to make her way to her apartment.  But she stopped at the front of the car and stared blankly at him through the windshield.  He shifted uncomfortably until she took a few steps where she stopped again and looked over her shoulder at him.  He was puzzled for a moment, then opened his door to get out.  As he did that, she walked away, leading the way toward her door. 

He followed behind her and when he got to her apartment, Alex found the door ajar.  Uncertain as to what to do next, he cautiously walked in and closed the door behind him, only to find that Charli was nowhere in sight.  He shook his head, and after a moment, decided to take a seat on the sofa to wait.  A minute later, a bedroom door opened, and Charli shuffled out.  She had changed into her pajamas and had a blanket thrown over her shoulders.  She stopped when she saw Alex, blinked a few times, then moved to sit on the couch next to him, wrapping the blanket around herself.  She leaned against him, and incredibly, within seconds of sitting down, she was fast asleep.

It wasn’t an unpleasant situation, but Alex was definitely puzzled about what was going on. Several thoughts raced through his head.  First of all, there was all that crying in the office building and the running away.  It wasn’t the first time she had suddenly left him; there was that time at High Ridge Park.  And now, what was THIS about? he wondered.  It was apparent that she had wanted him to follow her, and he was pleasantly surprised that she had changed into her pajamas, but then to fall asleep so abruptly?  He was confused with her behavior and just didn’t quite know what to think of her.  She was… different.

As for now though, he wasn’t the type of guy to take advantage of a girl, so he slowly edged away from her sleeping figure.  She gradually fell over, and he gently lay her head on a sofa pillow.  Then he carefully lifted her legs onto the couch and made sure she wouldn’t fall off.  Satisfied, he turned off the lights, except for a lamp on a desk so he could see his way to the door.  He turned and looked at her for a moment, then shook his head and left, locking the door behind him.

 

 

Mismatched Forks: Chapter 7

 Chapter 7

Two days later, the design staff took a long look at their finished work.  “What do you think?” Leah asked.

Alex looked at their layouts on the computer monitor, clicking from page to page, nodding his head.  “It’s good.”  He looked up at his team.  “Y’all did some terrific work here.”

Andy grinned, “Oh yeah, I know I did.”  Leah and Charli exchanged glances before they both whacked him on the back of his head.  “Ow!  Dang!  Well, of course, you two were solid.”  He laughed, “Are y’all gonna hit me all the time?”

Leah grinned, “Only when you’re an ass.”

He chuckled, “Then I don’t have anything to worry about!  - Ow!” 

Alex laughed, “That didn’t last long.”

Charli looked up from across the table.  “So, what happens next?”

“Well, William has to sign off on the files,” he explained.  “Then hopefully, the faculty advisor will okay it and forward it to campus printing.  Then it gets distributed to the campus bookstores and other retailers.  School starts week after next and the business school has people to sell around campus for the first few days.”  He shrugged and said, “After that, we have to hope the subscriptions take off.”

He saw the look of concern on everyone’s face.  “Hey, first of all, your positions here are guaranteed through the end of the semester,” he assured them.  “Second, you all did a great job on this.  And third…” he smiled, “this will look good on your resume.”  They all smiled and seemed to relax, so he continued.  “I thought we could all celebrate tomorrow night.”

Leah smiled and ruefully shook her head.  “Sorry, Friday night is date night.”  Adam held up his hands.  “I have to pass.  I’m going out of town this weekend.”  Charli smiled, “I’m free.”

Alex nodded and said, “Leah, Adam, we’ll find a time next week.”  He pointed at Charli, “And you, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

The nest day, Alex and Charli pulled up to a storefront.  Puzzled, Charli read the sign and looked at Alex.  “Glazed?  You’re taking me to a donut shop?”  They got out of the car and approached the store.

Alex laughed and held the door open.  “Not that kind of glaze.”  As she stepped inside, a look of understanding spread over her face.  They walked up to an earnest looking woman behind the counter and Alex said, “We’d like to make some mugs.”

The woman smiled.  “Are you two a couple?  There’s a discount for couples.”

Charli started to stammer, “N-n-no…”

“We’re co-workers,” Alex interjected.  “This is a team building activity.”

“Oh, of course.”  The woman looked disappointed for a moment and then brightened, looking over Alex’s shoulder.  “When is the rest of your team getting here?” she asked.

“Oh,” he said smoothly, moving his finger between the two of them.  “we’re it.”

Charli nodded solemnly, looking the woman in the eye.  “It’s a small team.”

 

As they looked over the selection of cups and mugs, Charli whispered to Alex. “I think she was going to cry.”

“I didn’t lie,” he whispered back.  “This IS a team building thing.  Or at least it was supposed to be,”

“We’re a good team,” she mused, thinking of the two of them, but then quickly panicked, shooting a quick look at Alex.  “I mean the four of us.”

“Mhm.”  He didn’t seem to notice Charli’s momentary slip, and she breathed a sigh of relief.  “What kind of mug should we get?” he asked.

She looked at the selection and shrugged.  “What do you like?  What did you have in mind?” she asked.

“Well,” he picked up a sturdy looking mug, “I’m thinking a style that you won’t mind living at your house.”  Her mouth opened in surprise, and he quickly said, “Only because if I come over for tea, I thought I should have my own mug.”

She smiled and nodded her head.  “Of course!  And to be honest, I like that one,” she said, pointing to the mug he was holding.  “It’s a good size for hot cocoa, too.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Charli, we’re in Texas.  Hot cocoa?”

She rolled her eyes.  “People drink hot coffee all the time.”  Then she fixed her gaze directly at him.  “WE drank hot tea the other night.”

He looked thoughtful.  “Good point.  I will not disparage the idea of hot cocoa.  Now, how should we decorate these?”

Charli bit her lip and looked evasive.  “I’ve been giving it some thought.  Don’t hate me.”

“Don’t hate you?  Well now I’m worried,” he said, laughing.

She took a deep breath.  “I thought your mug should have a turtle on it.”

His eyes opened wide with surprise.  “A turtle?  Because I’m slow?”

She smiled, “Noooo!  Because you’re coming out of your shell!”

“Ah!  Well, that’s not so bad.  How about you?  What’s yours going to be?”

“I was thinking a butterfly coming out from a cocoon.”

“Metamorphosis,” he nodded knowingly, “changing from one form to another… Hey wait, that could be me!”  Charli looked at him with a blank stare.   “What?” he exclaimed, “I could be – Oh, right…”

“Mhm, I didn’t think you were the butterfly type.”

“Um, yeah.  Excuse me, I’m a little-”

Charli burst out laughing.  “Slow?”

 

 

Mismatched Forks: Chapter 6

 

Chapter 6

Later that day, Alex called Charli with a question.  “Remember how you said that I should show you the town?”

“I remember,” she replied.

“If you have some good walking shoes, I think I have the perfect place to start.  But we have to hurry.  The sun is going to set in a little bit.”

 

A short time later, they were driving toward the edge of town where a rocky ridge dominated the horizon.   Alex brought the car to a halt in a small parking lot at the beginning of a walking trail.  “Let’s go.  We should be able to get to the top if we hurry.”  The sun had already disappeared behind the ridge.

As they hastened up the trail, Charli asked, “Where are we?  What is this place?”

“We’re on the edge of town,” he explained.  “This is High Ridge Park and it’s the highest natural point in town.”  The canopy of trees that they had been walking under disappeared and they emerged onto a rocky clearing.  “We’re just in time.” 

He climbed onto a large rock and pulled Charli up to join him.  He took her by the shoulders and turned her to the west.  “You can catch the last light of day here.”  The sun had turned the Texas sky into layers of pink and red and had thrown deep green shadows into the hills below.  They watched in silence as the last bit of the sun winked out.

Alex leaned close to her ear and said softly, “And if you turn around,” he gently steered her to face the other direction, “you see that.” 

She gasped as she took in the twinkling lights of the city in the distance.  She spoke softly, “That is beautiful, but that-” she turned to face the western sky, “- is heavenly.”  Her face was bathed in the last rosy glow of the dying sunset as she closed her eyes, taking in slow deep breaths.

Alex watched as a faint breeze stirred, and it brushed a wisp of hair from Charli’s face.

Suddenly, she let out a bloodcurdling scream that seemingly lasted forever.  The silence that followed was punctuated only by Charli’s gasping for air.

“What the-” He stared at her, a shocked expression on his face when she suddenly began to cry.  She glanced at him and only shook her head, offering no explanation as she climbed off the rock and ran down the trail back to the car.

By the time Alex got back to the parking lot, Charli was just a shadow leaning against the car.  When he unlocked it, she climbed in and leaned her head against the window.  She was silent for a few moments until she said, softly, “Can we go to the café?”

 

Phoebe greeted them warmly but shot Alex a questioning look when she saw Charli tear-streaked face.

Charli gave her a weak smile.  “I’m okay.  I’m just going to wash my face real quick.”  As soon as she left, Phoebe turned to Alex.  “What happened?  Did you do something?”

“No!” he raised his hands defensively.  “I took her out to High Ridge to see the sunset and she started to cry.”

“You be nice to her, Alex,” Phoebe warned.  “I like her.”  Just then Charli returned to the table.

She sat down and turned to Phoebe, “May I have a chocolate shake?”

“Sure thing, hon.”  She looked at Alex who nodded and said, “I’ll have one too.”

Charli played with her napkin as they waited.  “I’m sorry if I startled you back there.”

“Well, it was a bit surprising,” he said.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“You don’t have to apologize,” he replied.  “Are you okay though?”

“It’s just-” she started but was silent for a moment.  “Sometimes,” she resumed, “things are just a bit overwhelming, and I have to let it out.”

The shakes arrived and Phoebe raised a questioning eyebrow at Alex who nodded reassuringly.  She took a moment to rub Charli’s back before she returned to the kitchen.

Charli beamed.  “I like her.”

“She’s the best.”  Alex paused before changing the subject.  “I have to admit, what you did was a bit unexpected.”

She stirred her drink with her straw and thought for a few moments before she continued, “It might seem unexpected because most people wouldn’t do such a thing under normal circumstances.”  She looked at him, “But I’m not most people.  Sometimes, I have an impulse, or an urge to do something, and I think about whether or not it would hurt someone, and if it won’t hurt anyone, sometimes I just go for it.”  She took a long drink of her shake before continuing.  “Life can seem so constraining.  Sometimes I just feel smothered by the weight of expectations.  I just have to remind myself that there are other realities out there.”

Alex thought about what she said, then said, “It just seemed so hard on you.”

She stared out the window before she spoke.  “Sometimes it’s not easy to break free.  Sometimes it’s a fight and you feel like dying.  But if you don’t fight, the alternative, the consequences of the status quo…”  Her voice trailed off.

“Hey, if you ever want to talk…”  He patted her hand.

She noticed his worried expression and smiled shyly at him.  “You’re the one who’s supposed to be doing the talking.”

He started to say something several times before finally saying, “Give me a moment to try and think of a witty comeback…”

She laughed and smacked him on the arm.  “Next time, Alex, it will your turn to howl at the moon.”

He looked at her wide-eyed.  “Oh god.  Well, I guess I’m never going to go up there again.”

“You’re just-” and Charli smacked him on the arm again.

“Ow!”   He rubbed his arm.  “Nerdish?”

She rolled her eyes.  “I was going to say ‘impossible.’”

“I can’t tell if that’s an improvement,” he murmured.  He stood up and smiled at her.  “I think I better take you home before you hit me again.”

She stuck her tongue out at him “Lucky for you, it’s a short drive.”

 

In the parking lot of her apartment, Alex returned Charli’s goodbye wave and sat for a moment as he watched her leave.  “The consequences of the status quo” reverberated in his head.