Everyone was excited for the show on New Year's Eve. Bill Ludlow had funded a full blown Bluebridge entertainment at the Town Hall and the fireworks at the bridge. It was part of his campaign strategy. Being the richest member of the community, he wanted to sway the people with his money. The Mayor delivered the year end recap before the show, a small town delight for everyone to see.
Landon made his presence known. He never left Charlene's side the whole night they were at the Town Hall. He knew how small town people talk, he wanted to make sure everyone saw him with Charlene. He sat among her school friends and befriended them, especially Mandy and Kayla. Tommy's friends watched from a distant, Landon was not the kind of guy who can blend in with their lot.
They speculate who Landon was. Charlene always say 'My friend from Gastonburry' but even a blind man can see he wasn't there to be her friend. Charlene seemed to be out of reach now that Landon was shadowing her every move. But Tommy was still nowhere to be found. They couldn't blame her for moving on, if she hadn't already. All they can do was talk, and they would talk even more after the clock struck midnight.
"Happy New Year!" everyone shouted. Auld Lang Zine was sang by the crowds, trumpets blared, fireworks shot out at the Bluebridge sky. For those who were lucky enough to have someone to share a kiss that night, they kissed. Landon had his arms around her waist as they enjoyed the fireworks. She turned to him and thought, 'I want my New Year's kiss'. She hated Tommy for not being there, because otherwise, she would've been kissing him.
Landon lingered on the kiss. She was doing it for show, she wanted Tommy to hear about the kiss, if anyone could find him and tell him about it. The kiss went on, he was enjoying it more than her. He wasn't letting her go. She broke the kiss, "Landon ..." she was about to explain something. "No ..." he said. "Don't say anything ... it was a good kiss, let it be what it is," he added. So they left it at that.
**********
He doesn't usually do that, getting a girl has never been that hard. He was smart, good looking and super rich. He's never been rejected before in his life. If he had the slightest doubt about a girl, that she might not return his affections, he would immediately turned around and find another. That was not the case with Charlene, she was a task from his dad that he gradually started to have feelings for.
When she walked him to his car a couple of days after the New Year, he had to stop and asked her, "Am I wasting my time with you?" It took her by surprise, he had maintained the 'we're just friends' persona and that question came out a little rude. "I know your boyfriend is not in the picture anymore ... I'm not sure what the story is, but he's definitely not around," he opened up his car door and leaned on it.
"No ... he's not around anymore," she replied sadly. She looked away, not wanting to say anything else.
He took her hand, "You're still trying to get over him? Is that what it is?"
She shrugged, "Maybe ... I'm not really sure," her eyes swollen up. She tried hard to fight back the tears.
"Okay ... I get it ... you know I can help you with that?" he made her laugh a little. "I'm not joking, you're an amazing girl ... you shouldn't get too hung up with a guy who doesn't show up."
It was an advise she kept telling herself for the past month or so. "It's hard to explain," she said simply. But he didn't want to know, it was better for him not to know how she really felt. Knowing that 'the boyfriend' is in the past was enough for him. He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and softly pinched her chin. He leaned forward. Realizing what he was going to do, Charlene didn't flinch, she let him kiss her, without any occasion to mask it this time. It was a genuine kiss to express that he wanted her to be more than his friend. She closed her eyes, thinking to herself whether she should give this a try, or is he just wasting his time on her.
"I'll be back when I get my term break," he told her. She nodded with a faint smile. "I'll call you when I get back," he added. He got into his driver's seat, closed the door and drove away. She stood there on her lawn, still unsure what she was feeling for Landon. The only thing she was sure about, even though she was hurt by what Tommy had done, she still felt like she was betraying him with that kiss.
Catherine was looking out the window and saw the kiss. She knew it was bound to happen, sooner or later. "Are you together now?" she asked when Charlene came through the door. She lifted her shoulders and pursed her lips. "You shouldn't make any decisions when you're sad," her mom said.
"I'm not sad ... angry maybe, disappointed ... but I still miss him," the tears that she tried to hold back was pouring out of her. Catherine took her in her arms as she collapsed her head on her mom's chest, sobbing. It finally dawned on her, Tommy's no longer her boyfriend. Without any closure of their brief instantaneous head spinning love affair, she had to accept that it's over between them.
Bill saw her daughter crying in her mother's embrace and thought she was sad over Landon's departure, "Oh ... he'll be back sweetheart, I asked him to come back whenever he's got his term break," he told her as he walked pass. Catherine slapped her husband's arm, shoed him away. She was glad that man had no clue of what was happening. She cupped her daughter's face and wiped her tears.
"Concentrate on your study, you'll be graduating soon ... a new chapter of your life is about to begin, it's gonna be exciting, I promise," her mom tried to cheer her up. She nodded slowly, school was going to start again the next day, it was the only thing that can get her mind off the blue eyed boy that had broken her heart.
**********
She hadn't been to the cabin after Tommy left, she decided to go up there after school to convince herself of something she already knew. It was over. He didn't come back, he never called and she had to move on. But the first thing she did when she got there was opening the closet. Some of his clothes were still there. She took one of his sweater and put it on. She climbed up to the bed, hugged herself and cried.
She couldn't even smell him in that place anymore. She looked down at the fireplace and remembered the first time they made love in front of it. All of the firsts she had with Tommy had left her broken into pieces because he had lead her to believe that it was real. She was tired of crying, tired of trying to figure out why, it was over, it had to be.
When she left the cabin, she was startled by Samuel who had walked up to the porch. Her face was still swollen, there was no smile, just a blank dead look in her eyes. "I was just about to go home," she said and handed over the keys to Samuel. "Keep this, I won't be needing it anymore." Tommy said he had fixed the cabin for her, and now she's giving it to Samuel.
He didn't know what to say. He took the keys, he wanted to say something to comfort her, but he couldn't find the words. "I'm sorry Charlene," he managed to get that out. "I'm sorry too, ... I'll see you around Samuel," she said, and then she walked away without looking back.