I am homesick for a place I am not sure even exists. One where my heart is full. My body is loved. And my soul understood. - Melissa Cox.

Before I go further, I'll just like to say a big shout out to zenzaynzhaxian for the amazing cover below! I'm absolutely in love with it!!!!!! Who wouldn't be?

Chapter Twenty-Four: Problems and Best Friends.

Charlotte ran passed her street. She'd decided to run, again. She seemed to enjoy it which was weird because she hated anything sport-related and she wasn't really fit. As she ran, she thought of her Dad. During the past few weeks, he'd been undergoing treatment. She hadn't been able to talk with Daniel about it and she made it a point to do that. As much as she was happy that her Dad was showing positive improvement, she was also scared that something could go wrong at the last minute.

Her dad was a strong man, no doubt, but even the strongest of men fell. Her dad was no exception. At this point she knew positivity was a necessity and Daniel had already told her he was going to be fine but she couldn't help it.

She plugged her ear phones in and selected Fireworks by Katy Perry. As she sang along, her relief slowly came.

“Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind,
wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin, like a house of cards,
one blow from caving in?”

She sang melodically, smiling as an old man with gold teeth winked at her as she passed him. Immediately, her smiled dropped and she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Creepy men were not to be taken for granted. When she was sure she was at a safe distance, she slowed and continued her singing.

“You don't have to feel like a waste of space,
you're original, cannot be replaced.
If you only knew what the future holds,
after a hurricane comes a rainbow.
Maybe you're the reason why all the doors are closed,
so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road.
Like a lightening blot, your heart will blow,
And-”

“Your heart will blow? That's some messed up shit.” Char unplugged her earphones and  looked her left to see Daniel, running along with her, smiling.
She looked around her. She was a few miles from home and she wondered how the hell he found her.

“How did you know I was here?” she asked.

”I followed you.” he shrugged like it was nothing. Char rolled her eyes. Nobody liked being followed.

“So you saw tha-” she trailed off.

“The old man? Yeah. He was really hot and he seemed interested in you.” he smirked.

“That's disgusting.” she scrunched her face up.

Daniel chucked as he remembered the speed with which Char had ran when she noticed the ugly looking man wink at her. He had to stop himself from rolling over in laughter when he saw her frightened face because he didn't want her to look back and see that he had been following her. He saw when she ran out her house and he figured it was a way to spend some time with her.

“So you wanna tell me why you decided to run today?” he asked.

“Nothing. Just felt like it.”

“Come on. Race me.” he said before speeding up.

Char increased her speed. She knew she could never outrun Daniel but what the hell right? There was no harm in trying.

Char ran until her legs wore out. Which was exactly two minutes. She stopped in her tracks, leaned on her thighs and panted.
Daniel stopped when he couldn't hear footsteps behind him. He looked back and saw Char leaning on her self like she just ran a marathon. He laughed at the sight. Char couldn't run for the life of her.

“You are seriously unfit.” he stated.

“Hey, its not easy. I exercised once, but found I was allergic to it. My skin flushed and my heart raced. I got sweaty and short of breath. Very dangerous!” panting, she stood up straight and went to sit on the bench across the street.

Daniel trailed behind her, laughing. “What did the ocean say to the other ocean?” Daniel asked her.

“Oh no. Not again.” Char already knew where this was going.

“Just answer me.”

She rolled her eyes. “What?”

“Nothing. They just waved.”

“Oh.”

“Do you sea what I did there?” he asked again, wriggling his eyebrows.

This wasn't the first time he'd attacked get with ocean jokes. She knew all about it.

“No.”

“I'm shore you did.” he chuckled.

“How in God's name do you have friends?” she asked.

“Don't be such a beach.” he said.

She massaged her forehead. “You know when I think about you, I touch myself.”

Daniel did a double take. What? That was not the response he expected.

“Whoa. Really? That's a bit extreme, don't you think? Why do it yourself when I could just help you out?” he asked.

“Not that way, you idiot! Meaning I touch myself because you give me a fucking migraine.” she yelled, hitting him at the back of his head

“Just so you know, if you leave the sexual innuendo door open open even the slightest bit, I will come crashing through it like the Kool Aid Man.” he shrugged.

“Somedays the supply of available curse words are insufficient to meet my demands.”  she sighed.

“I really need to find a new best friend. You're so mean to me.”
He said as he wiped a fake tear from the corner of his eye.

“If I haven't slapped you, cut you, or cussed you out yet, please just know that the Lord is working in my life.”

Daniel burst out laughing.  He sat beside her, staring at her. She was sweaty but still beautiful. He had to fight the resilient urge to grab her and kiss her right there. He knew why he wanted to kiss her. She was beautiful. And before that, she was kind. And before that, she was smart and funny. She was exactly the right kind of smart and funny. Because he could imagine taking a long trip with her without ever getting bored. Because whenever he saw something new and interesting, or new and ridiculous, he always wondered what she'd have to say about it—how many stars she'd give and why.

Daniel chuckled to himself. This was getting serious. Now he was daydreaming about her. What spell had she cast on him? Why in the world couldn't he get her out of his mind? What was this feeling that was growing inside him?

Not only have you taken over my very thought early in the morning, during my entire day and late at night, you've also taken over my dreams.

“So I got a joke for you.” he said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah?” she smiled. She hoped it would be another one of his lame jokes because she really needed a good laugh.

“Yeah. Check this out, Roses are red, romance is an art, a high school teacher allegedly told a student to ‘lick me where I fart.’” he said with a smile.

Char laughed. Daniel was such an idiot. “That's absolutely disgusting.”

“I know, right!” he laughed loudly, wondering where the hell that came from.

“Okay, I got one. Roses are red, Violets are blue. I have five fingers, the middle one is for you.” She smirked.

“Now why do I feel like I just got insulted?” he asked, raising a brow.

“Because you just did.” she answered.

“Oh, shit just got real.” he said, stretching his arms.

Char laughed at his reaction. This was exactly what she wanted.

“Okay. Here's one. You're the sun to my moon, the yin to my yang; there's no one else I'd rather bang.” he looked at her, smiling.

Char starred at Daniel. Why did she feel that pull in her heart? Was Daniel really hinting that he wanted to have sex with her? She wanted this. Whatever ‘this’ was, she wanted it. For ten years she'd been wanting, needing but never getting. This was her chance at making a difference and she was taking it.

“Roses are red. Violets are blue, blah blah blah, I heart you.” she replied.

Daniel studied the look on Char's face. She seemed.. uncertain. Like she wanted to take something but didn't know how to. Their faces were close. Really close. All he had to do was lean in and take her lips in his. Easy as ABC. But what if she rejected him? What if he tried to kiss her and she turned away? This was Char we were talking about here. She wasn't like those other girls. She wasn't someone that deserved anything less than perfect. He definitely wasn't perfect. His failed marriage was a proof of that.
If he tried to kiss her and she rejected him, it was going to be a big blow to their friendship. Was he willing to take that risk?

“Ahg! Just kiss me already.” Char said, before slamimg her lips onto his. She was scared he wasn't going to kiss her. She couldn't live with that. The minute her lips touched his, her heart skipped.

You know that feeling where all the butterflies in your stomach are competing for the 2016 Gymnastics Olympic Gold medal? The feeling you get when Simone does that amazing backflip? Yup. That one. That was exactly how Char felt as she kissed Daniel.

She heard him groan throatily and that only fueled her eagerness. She fell onto his lap, her legs on each side of him, completely oblivious to the weird stares they were getting from passersby.

The moment was lost when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

She cursed silently as she got off his lap. She quickly took her phone out to see that it was a message from her mom. They'd gone to visit a sick friend at a hospital and her food was in the microwave.

She sighed heavily. She glanced up to Daniel and saw him looking at her. Her cheeks burned as she recalled what happened a few moments ago. She'd just lost her first kiss.

Daniel was amazed. If this was how kissing Char felt like, then he could live off her kisses. He stared at her, his desire building up. He really needed a cold shower. And by cold, he meant ice.
If they didn't leave here now, he was going to take her right there.

An old couple that had witness their activities walked passed them, shaking their heads. “Young couples these days! They can have sex anywhere. Even on the highway. In our days, couples don't even get to hold hands until they were married. This generation is completely corrupt.” the old woman said to her husband, disappointment clearly written on her face.

Char looked to Daniel and they both brust out laughing, not bothering to correct the woman.

“Come on. I see an icecream stand up the road. Let's go get some.” Daniel said to her as he got up to his feet. He offered her his hand and she took it.

They walked and chatted all the way to the stand. Anybody who saw them would think they were newly married. The look written on both their faces was proof enough that they were happy together.                             

*****************

“I want the banana flavoured one.” Char said to Daniel, pointing to the icecream show glass.

“Okay. We'll have the chocolate and banana flavors.” Daniel slipped a fifty dollar bill to the guy behind the counter.

“Coming right up.” the guy said.

“Oh yeah, I was meaning to talk to you about something.” Char said as they waited on their order. “My dad.”

“What's wrong with your dad?” Daniel asked, knowing that Char was still very jittery about the whole thing.

“I-I th-think that h-he—” she stammered, lookin at her feet. She didn't know how to tell him that she was having negative thoughts about his illness, which by the way was slowly impairing.

“I have told you over and over again that he's going to be fine. He's fine. Everything is going slowly. His medication and rest. In no time, he'll be good as new. Stop worrying, alright?”

Char sighed. She trusted Daniel and if he said her dad was fine, then she'd believe him. “Alright.” she gave him a small smile.

“Banana and chocolate flavors right up.” the guy behind the counter said, drawing their attention to him. He handed Daniel the chocolate flavor and made to give Char her banana flavor when he caught her eye. She was really pretty.

Char looked up, wondering why she hadn't been handed her order when she saw the amazingly hot guy holding out her icecream in mid-air. If he didn't have the apron around him, she wouldn't have guess he was the person handing out orders. She collected her cup from him, brushing her fingers against his in the process. “Thanks.” she said shyly, tucking a hair behind her eye. She looked around, there were people around the park but no one in line for icecream. That meant more time to talk with him.

Daniel watched the exchanged between the two and his brows shot up immediately. He found that the like the guy more when he wasn't looking at Char, smiling at Char, talking to Char, or at a 50 miles distance from Char.

Don't thank him! It's his job!

“Wow, you're probably the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” the guy looked at Char in awe, smiling slightly.

Daniel grimaced. I said that!

Char's cheeks flamed. The only person that had ever called her beautiful was— oh shit Daniel! She looked to her side, gazing directly into his eyes. He didn't look to happy.

She cleared her throat. “I'm Charlotte.” she extended her hand to the guy. He took it, gently running his thumb over it.

“I'm Ian. Pleasure to meet you.” he smiled.

“Wish I could say the same.” Daniel muttered quietly, but Char caught it. She looked at him in confusion. He shrugged.

“Same here.” Char replied, smiling at Ian.

“I like your name.” Ian said, trying to make a conversation. He wanted to keep talking with her.

“Thanks, I got it for my birthday.” Char replied sweetly, making Daniel laugh.

This Ian guy is so stupid.

“This is Daniel, my best friend.” she introduced him, resting on hand on his shoulder.

Daniel winced when Char introduced him as her best friend. He'd thought after the kiss they shared, things were a little bit intimate.

What did you think? She'll say you were her boyfriend??

“Ian.” he extended his hand to Daniel, who reluctantly took it. “Daniel.” he replied, immediately drawing back his hand. Ian didn't seem to notice this action.

“Are you from around here?” Ian asked Char.

“Yeah, just a couple streets away.” she smiled, looking at him for a reply.

“That's good. I live downtown.”

“Maybe if we wait a little while, a fuck will fall into my hand and I can give it to you.” Daniel muttered quietly again, much to Char's hearing. This time she didn't hide her expression. She elbowed him in the stomach gently, making him laugh quietly.

“I hope it's not too much to ask but I'd like us to be friends.” Ian said, oblivious to the exchange going on in front of him.

Daniel decided he really liked the guy when he wasn't in the same state as Char.

“Sure. I love making new friends.” Char beamed. She didn't really have much friends so making a new one was a good thing.

“Really?” Daniel asked her, slightly angry.

She turned to look at him. “Yes.” she answered firmly, aware that Ian was watching them.

“Uh...” Ian let out, carefully observing the two friends as they bickered. He had a weird feeling that this Daniel guy didn't like him too much.

“Hey there! When you're done with flirting, could you help us with some icecream?” a young woman with a girl of about three stood behind Char and Daniel, her lips twitched up in a smile.

“Uh yes.” Ian replied, sheepishly smiling.

“Finally.” Daniel rubbed his temple with his index finger, finally happy to leave.

“Here, take this.” Ian handed Char a tissue paper as she turned to leave. She looked at the tissue in her hand. Tissue for icecream? She flipped the tissue then saw it written bolding in ink. A number. His number. She lifted her head to him and he gave a grin. A very beautiful grin. She smiled back before turning to leave.

Daniel trailed behind her as they walked back to the bench they had previously sat on. He lifted his spoon and groaned as the icecream dripped from the spoon. It was completely melted. “You know, the reason they call it icecream is because it's supposed to be ice when eaten.” he sat on the bench next to Char, still a little bit mad that Ian guy had completely ruin his perfect morning.

“What was that all about?” She asked Daniel angrily as she placed the tissue paper between them.

“What was what all about?” he asked her.

“You being a real dick in front of Ian,”

“Oh so now you talk about him like he's your friend.” he threw his face away from her and chuckled.

“Actually yes, because he is.”

“He definitely wants to be more.” he mumbled.

“What was that?” she asked, raising a brow.

“Jesus Char, you only met him a few minutes ago.” he explained.

“A few minutes is a hell of a time to make a new friend.” she replied.

Daniel looked at anywhere but Char. A few minutes ago, they engaged in a very heavy make out session. Had she forgotten about that?

“He's not good for you.” he stated.

“Oh?” she heaved in a breath. She was getting really angry.

“Yes.”

“Then who is?” she asked quietly, silently wishing he'd say ‘me’.

Daniel hesitated. Who was good for Char? Him? But they were just best friends.

Uhg! There you go again with that word!

One thing was for sure, he didn't like Char with that Ian. Ha, he didn't like Char with any guy. He didn't want to think about how selfish he was being. When you bought a lollipop, tasted it and appreciated its taste, you usually don't share it with others.

“I don't know. Maybe he hasn't come along yet. But it's not that guy.” he replied, internally face palming himself for that very stupid answer.

Char's anger was one sentence away from exploding. He didn't know? He didn't know? That was his answer? What was he, stupid? Why didn't he just ignore the question instead of giving a very idiotic one.

Daniel jerked as he felt something sticky on his thigh. He glanced down to see the melted cream dripping on his shorts. He groaned. This is not how this morning was suppose to go. He grabbed the first thing he saw and wiped his shorts with it. He'd almost wiped it all off until the realisation hit him.

Char noticed Daniel jerk. She looked down to see him wiping at his shorts with a white paper. The melted icecream had spilled at a spot and he moved his arm frantically, trying to get the stain off. She was about to look away when something caught her eye. She pulled her eyes down to find that her tissue was nowhere to be found. Then she dragged her eyes to the white paper Daniel was swiping at his shorts with. Her eyes widened as she searched for words but they didn't come out.

She closed and opened her eyes a few times, praying it was just a dream. She glared at Daniel and found that his eyes were already fixed on her.

She stood slowly. Shaking her head, she lifted a finger to him.

“Y-you... Ia-Ian’s ...n-nu-um...” she shook violently, taking several steps back from him to aviod bashing his head against the bench.

“Uh... Char, I'm sorry.” 

Char glared. She might love shopping but she wasn't buying it. He didn't look even remotely repentant. In fact, he looked elated. Happy. His face held nothing but his eyes gave it all away. They were lit up like it was Christmas.

“I grabbed the first thing I saw and I didn't realise until the paper was all squeezed and dirty. I'm sorry.”

Char tried to calm down. She thought he didn't know that Ian had written his number there, but as he apologized, she knew that he knew. And she had this feeling he'd done it purposefully.

“Are you out to get me?” She asked him, completely aware that she was seconds away from breaking all 206 bones in his body.