Amelia pushed the apartment door open and moved over to the couch, tumbling over the back of it. She stayed there pondering the ceiling for a long moment, the tornado of thoughts spinning through her head overwhelming her. Charlie looked at her with a surprised expression.
"Aims, you're home," he said.
"Good to know that you are aware of the world once you look at it," Amelia said.
"When did you get back?"
"About a minute ago. Where's Natalie, I half expected her to be here?"
"She was having dinner with her parents tonight. How was rehearsal?"
"Good."
No more words needed for the moment, Charlie fell back into writing, the tapping of the keys pushing away a slice of the silence. Eyes closed, Amelia waged a battle in her head, one side pushing her to move and do the homework. The other side stubbornly enjoying the comfort of the couch. A small buzzing eventually put her into motion. She dug her phone from her pocket.
"Hello?" she said, tiredly.
"Aims, are you okay?" Sebastian asked.
Amelia's eyes flew open and her mind was suddenly awake.
"Hey! Yeah. I'm fine. A little tired, but fine. Hey,"
She hit her forehead with her hand and groaned inwardly. Sebastian's laugh was small with an amusement.
"Hey," he said, the word sounding slightly mocking.
"So why'd you call?" Amelia said, in control of her words again.
"It's been the first free moment I've had lately and its been awhile since I've heard your voice. Since I can't drive across the city in ten minutes, I decided I would have to settle for a phone call instead."
"A week is defined as awhile to you? Good to know."
"Well I thought a day later was awhile, but I wasn't even able to find two minutes to pull together to call you. Besides you're worth more than just a minute call here and there."
Amelia got a floating feeling in her chest.
"Good to know. So what meeting or event are you avoiding by calling me?" Amelia asked.
"My photographer was delayed for half an hour. So now I am sitting in a chair with people storming around me and nothing but the night sky over head."
"How very artistic of you. Where's your photo shoot taking place?"
"I'm on top of some building in Brooklyn. We wanted the city sky line to be behind me."
"Are you cold?" Amelia asked.
"I would be but I'm in a jacket designed for someone climbing the Himalayas, so instead I feel like I'm in an easy bake oven."
"At least you're not cold. What do you have planned next?"
A deep sigh rattled through the phone, and a faint voice called out to Sebastian asking him to please not touch his hair. A smile spread wide across Amelia's face.
"All next week are the final preparations for the tour and a few more rehearsals," Sebastian said. "Then I leave Tuesday for the West Coast where I will travel doing radio and TV interviews promoting the album. Then end up in LA for the release party."
"Sounds like a lot. Do you get a moment to breath at all in there?"
"Yes, if all goes according to plan I should have two days off before I leave Tuesday. If you weren't constantly wrapped up in rehearsals I would stop by. But I know you're almost just as busy. Who knows maybe I'll drop by to see how rehearsal with Danny is going. Or come by Juilliard, Monday?"
Amelia's mind flashed to Monday and her throat went suddenly dry as her mind reminded her of what date it was. She tried to respond but no words were forth coming.
"Aims?"
She swallowed hard.
"Yeah, maybe you could stop by rehearsal. If you're free," Amelia managed to say.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't hate seeing you."
"You really know how to make a guy feel wanted."
"You have a million and one screaming fans who would kill to see you. I don't think you need me to make you feel wanted."
"Ah, but it's from only you that I want to be wanted."
All thought on how to respond vanished from Amelia's mind.
"How are rehearsals going?" Sebastian asked, quickly smoothing over his comment, a hitch in his voice saying he was suddenly embarrassed by his own words.
Amelia coughed.
"Good," she said. "We were rehearsing on a temporary stage today and working with the backup dancers. It was long but it seems to be going well."
"Good," Sebastian said. "Have you figured out when you'll be flying into LA for the release party?"
"Yes, finally. I'm coming in pretty much at the last possible moment. I'll be in Friday, sometime in the late afternoon. I have one final I'm taking in the morning and then I leave for the airport."
"I'm glad you're coming Aims. I find I like parties a lot more when you're there."
"I feel the same way."
"At least at..."
Sebastian stopped talking and Amelia could hear the faint sound of voices talking close to him and his distant confirmations in reply.
"Aims?"
"Yeah, still here."
"Look, I'm sorry. I have to go, my photographer just showed. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I appreciate you calling, I didn't think I was worth a phone call."
"Aims, you're worth a lot more than a phone call. I'll see you later. Night."
"Night Bash."
Amelia dropped the phone to her lap. She stared out on the city, building lights pushing at the night's darkness and arguing against its statement that the day was ending.
"How is Will doing?" Charlie asked.
Amelia was pulled from her reverie at his voice and she looked at him.
"What? Oh, it wasn't Will, it was Bash."
Charlie stared at Amelia with a questioning expression that she didn't notice. Her thoughts were carrying her across the river to Brooklyn and a building covered with a hair stylist, photographer and eager assistants.
"Aims." Charlie said, settling into the chair beside her.
"What's up Charlie?"
"Aims, what's going on with you and Sebastian?"
She laughed and pushed on his shoulder. "Nothing."
His expression stayed serious.
"Aims, he's Sebastian Colfax," Charlie said, emphasizing the name.
Amelia tossed her hands up in exasperation.
"You don't think I know that?" Amelia said, her voice suddenly frantic. "You don't think I know how many girls out there like him. Every girl with eyes is in love with him. A million people on this planet would do anything he asked for. He could seriously have any girl in the world. You do you honestly think I don't know exactly how completely meaningless it is for me to even think of caring about him, let alone like him!"
Amelia ran her hand through her hair, desperately trying to calm herself down.
"It terrifies me to even admit that I do care about him. Even more so to think that I have hope in liking him. Charlie, I know exactly who he is and it scares me because what's the point of liking someone so completely unattainable."
Amelia paused, taking in a deep breathe, slowing her racing heart. She dragged a hand down her face.
"I don't know what to think anymore," she said, slowly. "All I can honestly say right now is he's my friend. Someone I have come to trust. He gets me like you and Will do. Part of that scares me even more because if he didn't it would be easier to convince myself that I shouldn't like him."
Charlie looked at her in surprise, the tirade of words leaving him speechless. Sighing, Amelia crossed her arms over the side of the couch and rested her head tiredly on them.
"I wish mom where here. She could tell me what to do. Or at least help me figure out what I'm even feeling and make sense of it," Amelia said.
Charlie just stared at her.
"Say something," she said.
"I didn't know he meant that much to you."
"Me either. Its probably been one of the things taking up the majority of my thoughts lately. That and of course rehearsals."
"Do you think he likes you?"
"Yes. No. Maybe. Yes. I don't know. He sometimes says things that makes me believe he does. But lets face it I'm probably the most inexperienced twenty-one year old there is. I don't know if I'm reading into things. But part of me knows that he does and in someways that worse. How could someone like him possibly like me?"
"That part I can easily understand. You're pretty amazing Aims. I'm surprised the guy hasn't already asked you out."
"Thanks, Charlie." She laughed. "We make an interesting pair. Too terrified to see the people standing before us, convinced that they can't really be there offering what they are."
"Speak for yourself, I have a complete handle on my love life," Charlie said, defensively.
There was a brief pause before they both burst into gales of laughter that left them clutching their stomachs and gasping for air.
"What are you going to do?" Charlie asked, after he caught his breath.
Amelia shrugged.
"Wait for my feelings to sort themselves out. By that time he'll probably have moved on and I'll deal with the aftermath then."
"Or he'll be waiting."
"And somehow my option sounds the safest."
"True, but the loneliest."
"Thanks for talking to me Charlie, I love you. That at least I will admit."
"And I love you."
The door banged open as they were pulling apart and Poppy bounded in shouting.
"I got the summer internship to London Ballet Conservatory! I'm going to London!" Poppy said
"That's my cue to get back to work," Charlie said, walking back to the dinning room table.
"Pops why don't you sit down and I'll make tea. You can tell me all about London and the internship," Amelia said, her tone calming.
"Alright," Poppy said, "Oh! I have to tell William!"
Smiling, Amelia moved into the kitchen and put the kettle in to boil, pushing thoughts of Sebastian away for a later time.
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Hey!
Okay! What advice would you give Aims! Go! I want to hear it all! On top of that let me know your favorite item of clothing! It's difficult for me but it's between jeans and a baggy sweater!
Vote, comment, follow, what is the cutest outfit?