Chapter 3

2003

“Father said that she had an affair with that man a long time ago,” Oliver said, inhaling and puffing out the smoke.

"And Mr. Scott knew about it?" Charlie's eyes bulged and her mouth opened, she was looking like a washed-up fish. Her whole body and mind were softened from smoking weed that Ollie had got somewhere.

“He says no, but I don't really believe him.” Ollie's face twisted.

Charlie was mad at Mrs. Scott because Ollie was suffering, and when Ollie was suffering, Charlie was also suffering.

“Ollie,” Charlie moved closer to him, grabbed his biceps, and pressed her cheek against him, “Everything will be fine.”

“You can't know that, Charlie.” Ollie took another drag, suddenly aware of the nearness of the girl next to him.

Their relationship with Charlie over the past year has become… strange. They were still friends, but Ollie suspected that not all friends were as close as he and Charlie were. Over the past year, Ollie has been thinking a lot about girls and sex. Sometimes about sex with Charlie. These thoughts disturbed the boy. But gotta admit: he thought for a long time that Charlie was something more than a friend.

There were more touches. They gave each other looks behind which there was something hidden, but no one spoke about what was happening.

“But I know!” Charlie lifted her face and looked stubbornly at Ollie, not knowing what thoughts he was having.

And at that moment, Ollie later justified it by saying that weed gave him courage, he leaned over and kissed Charlie's lips. It was a little awkward and rushed, but as soon as he tasted it … Charlie (Charlotte) Pierce was forever firmly rooted in the heart of Oliver Mason Scott.

"Olly," Charlie whispered fearfully as Oliver pulled away from her, panting, "Did you kiss me?"

“Yeah.” That was the only thing that Oliver managed to say out loud. He felt ashamed, and not for the kiss, but for the fact that he was aroused because of the kiss.

Damn these hormones!

“So how is it?” Charlie asked slyly, biting her lip. It wasn't that she was surprised by the kiss, everything was leading up to it, but she wasn't expecting it right now.

“Are you angry?” Ollie was worried.

“Why should I be angry? Ollie, it would have happened anyway,” Charlie smiled condescendingly.

Ollie looked dubiously at the remains of his joint and stubbed it out on the rooftop.

“So… hmm, now what?”

He pretended to be very busy looking at the deserted night street.

"Ollie," Charlie called out with a soft drawl. "Do it again," She said when Oliver looked at her again.

Charlie smiled at him with a new, gentle smile, and her eyes were shining with expectation. Ollie was worried, but he dared to put his hand on her cheek. He put his hand on her cheek and realized how soft and tender it was, and repeated the kiss, but not so hastily this time. He was afraid of doing it the wrong way and scaring Charlie away. Ollie gently slid over the girl's lips, praying she didn't notice how aroused he was.

To Oliver's surprise, Charlie threw a leg over him and straddled his knees.

Now she will definitely feel everything!

Charlie knew Ollie all too well and saw that he was too cautious. At this very moment, their friendship broke. It won't be the same as before, but it could be much better. Or vice versa, but Charlie didn't want to think about it.

She showed him that he should not be afraid, and that she liked what he was doing. He could be bolder. And Ollie got the message right. Emboldened, he parted her lips with his tongue, plunging into the warmth of the girl's mouth.

Charlie was not the first girl that Oliver Scott kissed, but she was the one who will always be the first in his heart.

Charlie

I used to think that the day of the funeral must necessarily be cloudy, cold and rainy. How can the sun shine and the birds chirp when you are experiencing a loss?

This is wrong, but if such a conclusion were true, the sun would never come out from behind the clouds, and the ground would not dry out. Every day someone loses someone. Everyone is going through their own little drama at this very moment. This is a process that equals the sign of infinity.

Mom bursted into tears during the cemetery. Right during the speech of the Reverend. Liz hugged her trembling shoulders, and I felt relieved. It kept me on my toes more than I thought.

My father was buried, and many people said so many nice things about him, and I... I was angry at the sun, because it had no right to shine today! The sun should have been in mourning because my dad was worthy of it.

When Liz tossed her handful of earth onto the lid of the coffin, I stepped forward and did the same, silently asking my dad for forgiveness.

"You deserve a better daughter than I was."

The last part of the ceremony was condolences. I know that all these people sincerely mourned his death, but I wanted to escape from the stream of sympathetic phrases. Are they really that helpful?

Of course not.

“Thanks.” I forced my lips into a sad smile, and Mrs. Harris finally moved away.

Desperate, I glanced over the hill, dreaming of hiding behind it.

I forgot how to breathe for a moment, but my heart was beating at a double speed.

“Charlie!” Liz called me, but I was already running towards this hill, but not because of the forgotten desire to escape. I was catching up with my past in Oliver Mason Scott.

I will recognize Ollie anytime and anywhere, even if I can only see the back of his head.

The heels were sinking into the ground, and I regretted not wearing flat shoes.

“Ollie!” I called when the distance between us was close enough so that I didn't have to yell at the whole cemetery. “Oliver!”

I didn't know what I should call him now, so I used both names. I have always preferred Ollie.

My Ollie...

Although he was not mine for a long time.

He stopped and turned around, and I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. It was the Ollie I knew, but he had changed during the time we hadn't seen each other. His hair has gotten a little longer since we last met in LA, and there was a little stubble on his face. And Ollie has definitely matured. A real grown-up man was standing in front of me. And I loved him the same way I did ten years ago. Loved the same as always.

And I always will.

It was strange to see Ollie wearing a white shirt. The last time he was wearing it was probably on our wedding day. But who knows, maybe he likes wearing them now? I've missed so much of his life since I left Langley.

“Hi!” I said as his lips curled into the smile I knew so well.

“Hi.” He came closer to me, and I became even more nervous, like a shy girl. “How are you?”

My Ollie's eyes looked sad, and I wanted to tell him the truth. I never liked to lie to Ollie. I wish I could say that I didn't.

“Shitty,” I replied, nodding. “You know…”

I didn't talk, and I didn't need to.

“I'm sorry, Charlie. Mitch was a good person.”

“Thanks.” I said in one breath, I felt the tears were welling up in my eyes. “And thanks for coming.”

Ollie shrugged.

“How could I have done otherwise?”

I suddenly felt embarrassed and didn't know what to say. Ollie always did the right thing. Sometimes it seemed to me that all our old tricks happened only because of me. I pushed Ollie to do them, and he agreed, because he could never refuse me.

I felt ashamed because I thought that he might not come today. I guess Ollie stayed aside because I didn't notice him, and because of my frustration, I couldn't even feel him.

“Are you coming over tonight?” I hopefully looked at him. “People brought so much food, I don't know what we're going to do with it…” I trailed off because that wasn't what I wanted to tell him. “Come on, Ollie. I would like it very much.”

I feared he would refuse when hesitation appeared in his eyes. It wouldn't have happened before, but I had to remind myself that it was my fault that our relationship turned this way.

“I don't know, Charlie.” Ollie ran a hand through his hair, and for the first time his restraint betrayed him.

“Please, Ollie.” I stepped closer to him. I almost had to beg him, but I didn't care, because I wanted him to be there during this difficult time for me.

He took a deep breath and nodded.

“Okay. I'll be there, Charlie.”

I smiled, and this sad day became a little brighter.