Something You Won't

In those same five minutes, Michael had also been able to whip up some salt popcorn, pour some Vegemite into a dip bowl, and grab two cans of Diet Coke from the fridge. Hesitantly, as to save himself some time to think, he poured the popcorn into a bowl, placed it onto a tray next to the Vegemite and soda cans, and leaned his back against the counter with his hands planted either side of him. He let a breath come out upwards from his lips, shaking his bangs out in front of his eyes. Out of habit, he swiftly placed them back to the side of his face. You’ve got to tell her. Stop being a pansy.

Deciding he was probably taking too long, he grabbed the tray and walked into the living room with a look of confusion slapped across his face. Once he reached Charlotte’s side, he bent over and set the tray on the bed next to her Pokémon pajama legs. He straightened up to speak, his voice shaking. “Charlotte, I…” He brought a clenched fist to his mouth and uttered a cough. “I need to talk to you.”

Quickly finishing the kernel she had popped in her mouth, Charlotte looked up to Michael, gave him a half-smile, and patted the spot next to her where she set the two large penguin pillows. Slowly, he brought his legs to walk him to his spot. He flopped down and crossed his legs Indian style, burying himself and his short-shorts in the quilt and pillows. With slightly trembling hands, he reached over to the tray and opened a can of soda. He took a quick sip, making sure not to spill any of the drink on the quilt that looked oddly familiar.

“Wait, is this your baby quilt?” he asked as he separated his soda from his lips. Setting the can on his knee, but keeping his hold on it, he let his other hand glide over the ripples and threads of the blanket underneath them. The faded pink background and yellow lilies were dotted here and there with tiny spurts of off-white yarn bunched together.

“Yeah, sure is.”

Michael shook his head and ran his hand through his hair instead of through the quilt‘s lumps. “I’m getting off task here.”

“Are you alright, Michael?” Charlotte took the can from his hand and gingerly set it on the tray. After scooting it to the foot of the bed, she muted the sound of the DVD’s menu, crossed her legs like Michael, and turned her body to face him with a look of countenance on her face. Quickly and securely, she took his now empty hand in hers and gave it a quick squeeze. “Go on,” she quietly urged.

Heaving an anxious sigh, Michael started to stutter:

“Charlotte, we’ve been best mates f-for, how long? I-I know it’s definitely been more th-than fifteen years, for sure. W-We were ten, right? Er… In that time, I… I’ve…”

“Michael?” Charlotte switched her grip and let her other hand hold his while she draped her free arm over his back to scratch it. Immediately, his back shrunk away from its tense arch and he breathed a few deep breaths. Reaching up, he needlessly flattened his bangs once again and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Charlotte bent her arm and smoothed some hair behind his ear, returning her hand to continue scratching his back.

“Let me finish,” he whispered. “I need to finish.” He still kept his gaze ahead as he continued.

“You’re my best mate. Some fellas would never say that 'bout a girl, but it’s true. You’re my best mate.”

“I know, Michael. You’re mine, too.” She lightly let her knuckles graze his shoulder blades as he licked his lips. At this moment, she was completely lost. She didn’t know where Michael was going with his words, but she hoped it wouldn’t be anything detrimental. Anything was good as long as it didn’t tear them apart.

“I guess I’ve felt this way, for a while, at least. I-I don’t know how, but… I…” He took one last shaky breath and licked his lips for a final time. “I-I think I’m falling for you, Charlotte.” Michael took his left hand and scratched the side of his head and let it plop down in his lap. He could feel his foot falling asleep under the weight of his knee. Charlotte kept on caressing his shoulder blade like he had said nothing.

Taking a small breath of confidence, he repeated in a quiet tone, “I think I’m falling in love with a beaut 'uva Sheila. She makes me smile every time she posts me, every time she rings. I think about her a lot. She's no whinger and we're capable of talking for hours on end. I've known her longer than anyone else, and she’s still more fun to hang out with than any other guy I've known.” He licked his lips as the heat in his cheeks rose. “And not to mention she's quite the spunk.”

Now shaking like crazy, he turned his head to look over at Charlotte with a hopeful grimace planted on his face. He noticed her rub his hand with her thumb as she scooted closer to him to bring their hips and knees touching. Abandoning his shoulder and wrapping her arm around his waist, she gave him a kiss on the cheek while keeping her gaze away from his eyes. Looking down into her lap, a small smirk grew on her lips.

Michael, still confused and helpless, noticed her shake a little as small goose bumps erupted on her forearms. Lightly pulling his hand out of her grasp, he brought his arm around hers and started slowly rubbing it. He brought his lips to her temple and brushed them against it gently, then guided his voice near her ear in a whisper. “Well, Charlotte, are you going to spare me and say anything?”

Her smirk grew wider as Michael’s hope started to fade. While he brought his head around to stare at the Back to the Future menu, Charlotte snaked her knuckles over his shoulder blades once again and brought her mouth to his ear.

“Chizzy, just kiss me already.”

He knitted his eyebrows and turned his head slightly to see Charlotte’s bemused expression. The right side of his face pulled up into a small smile that read an expression of disbelief.

Charlotte bit her lip as they tritely looked into each other’s eyes and inched closer. Michael, being the more outgoing of the two since they were younger, captured his lips into hers in a small and simple, but charismatic, kiss. He moved his hand to her neck as they separated and ran his fingers over the strands hair gathered behind her ear. Giving him a wide smile, Charlotte bent over and grabbed the remote.

“You love me?” she asked while nervously fumbling with the plastic and continuing Michael’s back-scratching.

Reaching over and placing his hand on her twitching one, he gave her another delicate kiss on this lips. This one was slightly longer and poignant, but modest and empathetic. He separated their lips, took a deep breath, and brought his face to her neck. Balancing his nose on its crook, he whispered, “Yes, I love you. And please don’t be nervous. I’m sure you feel the same way.”

Turning her head to place a small kiss on his stubbly chin, she quietly spoke back, “I’ve been falling for a while now, too. It’s gotten to the point where I might as well get a plane ticket from China back to LA.”

Michael chuckled lightly, causing Charlotte to slightly shiver from the breaths coming out of his lungs. Rubbing his hand over her arm once more, he took his face from her neck and brought up her hand to his chest. Even though she was still tightly clenching the remote, he bowed his head down and kissed her knuckles tenderly, feeling her muscles slightly contract under his lips.

Smiling a little bit more while looking at their hands, Charlotte added solemnly, “Do you want to start the movie now?” A smirk rose to Michael’s face as he bit his lip.

“I’d like that.”

Setting their hands on his knee, he distractingly gave her a final, lingering kiss on the cheek as he did on the beach almost ten years ago. While she closed her eyes in serenity, Michael successfully pried her loose fingers from the remote in their hands and pressed play.