High School Sweethearts// Charlie Gillespie

seventeen

As Valentines Day approaches this week, Charlie struggles to figure out what he wants to do for Eliza.

"Dude, she is a simple gal. It doesn't take much to please her. I mean she's dating you." Owen says as they lay on the bean bag in Jeremy's garage.

"I know, but it's the first Valentines Day we are together. I want to make it special." He sighs.

"Why don't you decorate her attic all mushy gushy, and have a picnic with all of her favorite foods?" Jeremy says looking up from his art history textbook.

"Dude, that's genius!" Charlie says getting up, walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Owen calls.

"I need to ask Oliver if I can even do this, I mean it's her house." Charlie says as he walks out of the door.

The two boys left look over at each other and laugh.

"When did he become such a simp?" Jeremy chuckles.

"That's what love does to a man." Owen laughs suddenly going cold. "Oh my God dude. He loves her. That's why he wants to make it special. He's going to tell her he loves her!" Owen springs up from the bean bag. "We gotta go help him."

"I'm driving, Owen." Jeremy says following Owen out to the car.

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Meanwhile, at Amelia's, the three girls talk about their ideas for what they want to get for the boys.

"Do you think it would be too forward?" Eliza asks.

"I mean he lives by himself anyway. He practically lives there." Amelia says popping popcorn. "Plus, it was your dad's idea. If he is cool with it, which most dads wouldn't be, I say take it and run with it." She says sitting down next to Carolynn on the couch.

"I agree, E. It's not like you will have to share a room with him. Your dad cleared out the guest room just for him." Carolynn says as she paints her nails.

"I know, but we haven't even said I love you yet. And I'm asking him to move in?" Eliza says buffing her nails.

"Wait, you guys haven't said I love you? Jeremy and I said it like three weeks into dating." Carolynn giggles, making the other two girls look up at her. "We have been dating since freshman year. It's fine."

"Well, it's been a month. It's now or never." Amelia says hearing the microwave go off. "Just tell him when you give him the key."

"You're right." Eliza smiles putting down the buff. "Wait how are you and Jackson?" She asks looking up at Amelia.

"Oh, we're good. He asked me to be his girlfriend this morning." She smiles.

"Really, that's awesome!" Eliza says with wide eyes.

"You two are so stinking cute." Carolynn giggles.

"Thanks guys." She laughs setting down the popcorn. "I told Owen this morning." 

"Oh how did that go?" Eliza asks taking some popcorn to her face.

"I mean, he was upset, but not angry upset. Like the I'm gonna get replaced upset." She says. "But I told him, nobody can replace the big brother title. I mean we shared a womb." Amelia laughs. 

"Put the movie on already! I'm dying to watch it." Carolynn says sitting up on the couch.

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As Valentine's Day finally arrived, Charlie missed school. Of course, everyone knew where he was, except for Eliza. She went through the day worried sick something happened to him. He wasn't answering texts or calls, until after school. He sent a quick text message to meet her at her house. This of course made her stomach fill with butterflies.

Eliza drove home thinking of how she was going to give Charlie her present and what to say to him. When she pulled into the driveway, she saw that his car was already parked. Owen and Amelia got out of their car and smirked over to her.

"Have fun." Owen says before quickly grabbing Amelia and running inside. Confused, Eliza walks into her home, seeing her father was not home. Strange. Her father was alway home. She walked up the stairs into her room calling for Charlie. She noticed a box on the bed, attached with a note.

"Put this on and meet me in the attic. <3" 

She opened the box to see a Valentines Day lounge set, along with heart fuzzy socks. She giggled over the strange gift. Eliza looks up to see Amelia and Owen, casually being nosy, per usual. She showed them the clothes Charlie had gotten and smiles plastered across their faces.

"Charlie?" Eliza says walking up the stairs to the attic in her new set with her small box in her hand.

"Up here, E." He says a little bit away.

When Eliza reaches the top of the stairs, her eyes were in awe of the well decorated room. Lights were hanging around the room, with a mattress Charlie and Oliver managed to get up there. On the opposite side of the room was a projection screen and right in front of the mattress were all of Eliza's favorite foods; sushi, Mexican, pizza, fruits and veggies. 

"Charlie, what is this!" She says walking over to the boy who was matching the girl. "Matching sets!" She squealed.

"I wanted today to be special. I spent all day, with the help of your dad setting this up." He smiles as he embraces her in a hug. "Come on, I have all of the Harry Potter's pulled up to watch." Charlie says guiding her to the bed.

Charlie pulls up the movie, while Eliza puts all of the food onto the bed. She takes a moment to look at all of the food. "This had to have been really expensive, Charlie." She says looking at him. "You didn't need to get all of this." 

"I wanted to, E. Now shut up and eat." He says picking up a taco.

After two movies, and almost all of the food gone, it was time for Charlie and Eliza's gift exchange.

"Here, open mine first." Eliza says picking up the box and putting it in his hands. "I know it isn't a lot, but it's how I wanted to show I, uh. Just open it." She nervously laughs. Charlie smiles at her and opens the box to expose a sticky note.

"You have the key to my heart, so here's the key to my home."

Confused, Charlie lifts the note to expose a silver key. "Baby." He says picking up the key.

"Move in with us?" She asks looking at the key. "Dad decked out the guest room for you and everything." She smiles. "I mean you practically live here any way so-" 

"I love you." Charlie blurts out, his eyes go wide. "I, oh, I mean I love this! Yeah, this." He says trying to fix what he said.

"I love you too, Charlie." Eliza giggles. Charlie's eyes shoot to his girl.

"Wait, really?" He smiles.

"I've been trying to figure out how I wanted to tell you for the past couple of weeks, Charlie. I love you." She says letting the 'you' linger.

Charlie jumps onto Eliza smothering her with kisses, making Eliza laugh. "I love you, Eliza. So so so much." He says looking down at the girl. "I have never felt the way I feel when I am with you." He smiles.

"I love you. So so so much too." Eliza smiles back, pulling the boy close to her for a kiss. However, this kiss was different from the ones before. This kiss, was pure love. The kind of kiss when you haven't seen someone in a long time and you are just aching to feel them close to you. The kind of kiss that makes your entire body melt, just by the touch. It was a long awaited kiss that the both of them needed. 

They love each other.