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[Charlie's POV]

The air in the taxi cab was crisp and cool. All the windows were sealed shut in hopes of keeping out the heat just on the other side of the glass. My leg bounced up and down nervously as my eyes searched the town I used to call home. It was like nothing had changed. Like once I stepped out of the cab, it would be as if I was back in high school again. I didn't know if anyone I used to be acquaintances with would still be here though. Yet again I was back in the town where everyone knew my name, but no one cared who I was.

The 90 degree, dry heat hit my face like a ton of bricks. I had grown so accustom to the temperatures of California, that I almost thought about getting back into the taxi to escape the heat of the late morning. It was just barely passed 11 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday, which meant most people had been out at the bars last night to celebrate another end of the week and wouldn't come out of hibernation for another few hours. It was nice to know that I'd be able to move freely about the town without having any unwanted attention thrown my way, even though I didn't except anything. I just didn't want to deal with the unwanted, judgmental stares of the locals, which I could no longer call myself.

My father was practically bouncing on his toes as he stood on the porch, while my mother came down the front steps to greet me. I grimaced as her loud but loving voice yapped in my ear about how much they had missed me and how talking on the phone twice a week wasn't enough. My father took my large army green duffle bag from my hands, setting it in the front hall, before he stepped forward to give me a long awaited hug. My father had always been my biggest supporter and even though it had broken his heart to see me go, he just wanted me to follow my dreams. I knew I always had a home to come back to if anything ever went wrong.

My mother had prepared a glorious dinner for my homecoming. Forkful after forkful of chicken cesar salad was shoveled into my mouth as I groaned out another complement towards my mother about how good her homemade dressing was. I really had missed home cooked meals. In California, I was on a very strict diet and now that I was back home and away from all the dietary restrictions, I was going to take full advantage. I'd probably end up going out tonight around 12:30 to drive over to the McDonalds on the other side of town and get a chocolate milkshake. I was that deprived.

"Lets go out for brunch, honey!" My mother took another sip of her morning orange juice. "How does that sound?"

I had just dragged myself out of bed no more than ten minutes ago. My head rested upon my arms as I stretched them out across the table to steal a sip from my father's coffee mug. He swatted my hands away playfully, going back to reading the local paper. I had really missed mornings at home.

"Well?" My mother's voice ripped me from my tired state.

"Huh?" I lifted my head to stare over at her, totally missing what she had said all together.

"Bunch! You and me!" She sounded too excited for me to even think about declining.

It didn't take very long for me to get dressed in a plain t-shirt and shorts before pulled on the closest pair of black slip-ons I could find. Now when your mother tells you that it's going to be just the two of you, you'd expect just that, right? I should have known better.

So instead of what my mother insisted would just be the two of us, soon ended up being her and her two friends chatting away about the latest gossip, which incidentally was that I had arrived back in town. The new rising star as one of my mother's friends had explained it. I just sat back in my chair, stealing small sips of my mother's mimosa when she wasn't looking. Sure I was 21 and could easily buy my own drink, but I didn't think my mother liked seeing me drinking, so I didn't.

My eyes traveled absentmindedly about the outside patio area we sat in, a few other groups of people doing exactly what we were doing. Cars passed by on the street just on the other side of the white picket fence the acted as a barricade between the sidewalk and the restaurant itself. I tilted my head toward the clear blue sky, letting the sun's rays beat down on me at full force. As I sat there for another moment, I realized I had kind of did missed this place. My eyes searched the grounds once again, moving to look across the street toward the old music store that had been there since before I could remember.

There inside that very store I saw someone I never thought I would see in this town again. His whole body, that had seemed to have grown more toned over the years, leaned against the counter at the front of the shop. The giant windows that pointed out toward the street made it very easy to see him. His hair was still the same dirty blonde that I remembered, but had grown out a bit, which I only noticed as he pushed it back out of his vision, turning to the next page in the book he was reading. I hesitated at first, but eventually stood from my seat, telling my mother and her friends that I would be back in a minute.

Even though the road was deserted, I still took the time to look both ways before I crossed the street and over to the other side, where the music store stood. To be totally honest, I had only ever been in this store once or twice my entire time of living in this town. I think that was only because this was where the 'bad' kids in my high school used to hang out and I didn't want to be associated with that label back then. But now that I was older, it really didn't mean anything to me.

The bell above the door rung out loudly as I entered the surprisingly large music/book store. The boy had been so enveloped in his book, that it took me clearing my throat for him to actually look up and acknowledge my presence. The expression on his face through me a little. It was a mix between a deer in headlights and an overly excited five year old who had just been offered a lollipop.

The Offspring played at a low volume throughout the store. The song 'I Want You Bad' reminding me of my teenage years as I started to recite the lyrics over in my head.

"Hi," I finally spoke up, seeing as he hadn't made a move since I had gotten his attention.

"Hello," His accent making my cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink. I had forgotten that he was not originally from here, from America even.

"I-I'm Charlie," I pointed up at myself, feeling like a totally idiot. "In case you don't remember, we went to high school together. You're Ashton, right?"

He finally stood to his full height, which was yet another thing that I had forgotten about him. He was quite tall. A pleasant smile appeared on his face as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

He nodded his head to answer my question. "Oh, I remember."

"So, how've you been?" I took a tentative step toward the counter.

"Good, good," He nodded his head again, fiddling with the pages of the book he had been reading. "And you?"

"Good, yeah," I ran a hand over the back of my neck, feeling oh so awkward. "I've been good too."

We stood there quietly for a second, letting the awkwardness of the introduction settle in and then after a moment, we both came to grips with it.

"Would you like a cup of coffee or something?" He gestured toward the back of the store.

"Sure!" I nodded my head and watched carefully as he came around from behind the counter, allowing me full view of his body.

Tall, yes he was definitely tall, the black skinny jeans he wore accentuating that fact. I trailed behind him, watching the flannel he wore around his waist swish from side to side as he walked. His shoulders were broad and the cut off Misfits shirt he wore only made his tanned skin that much nicer to look at. He has definitely changed since high school.

It was obvious with one look that he held himself differently than he used to. He stood tall, proud almost, like he had no doubt in his mind about the person he is now. I wish I felt the same way about myself.

I sipped on the freshly made cup of coffee, letting the heat envelop my throat. I hummed happily as a subconscious smile formed on my lips. I wasn't going to lie, I was very much addicted to coffee. My head snapped up at the sound of the light giggle that escaped Ashton's lips.

There was an amused look on his face as he leaned back against the fold-out table pushed up against the far wall of the tiny break room. "You like it?"

"You make a mean cup of coffee, sir," I took another sip.

"Sir?" He questioned as he giggled once again and it only made me smile more. How such a girlish sound could come out of a guy like him was beyond me, but it just seemed to add to his charm.

"You know, it's kind of funny running into you today," Ashton spoke from his spot behind the front counter once again, eyeing the teenagers in one of the many aisles. "I don't normally work on weekends."

I raised my eyebrows in question as I placed yet another CD back down on the shelf it had come from. "What made you work today?"

"Oh, you know, because I'm to nicest guy in the world and took the shift from one of the teens that works here. She had some school trip to go on," He rested his head against his hand as he leaned further against the counter top.

"Yes, so nice of you," I rolled my eyes playfully as he clicked his tongue in fake annoyance, but laughed anyway. He seemed to be an all around happy guy.

I had been relatively surprised that he hadn't asked me about how living in California was going and if I had ever actually achieved what I set out to do while I was there. But it was also kind of nice. I had already gotten sick of talking to people about business because that's what it was now. Something that I had loved my entire life had turned into work rather than me actually being excited about what I was doing.

Before I could say another word, the bell above to door rang out once again and in entered my mother. I hadn't realized that I had been in here that long. My mother eyed Ashton for a moment before a bright smile appeared on her face, her friendliness toward him confusing me.

"Hi, honey!" She gushed at him. "How are you doing?"

I watched as he bit at his lower lip nervously and I swear his cheeks were starting to turn red as he glanced my way for a brief moment. "Very good, Mrs. Brennan. How are you, how's Mr. B?"

"Oh, I'm good and he's just great!" She turned her body fully toward him, completely forgetting about what she had initially come in here for. "Busy with work, but you know how that is."

He chuckled, slightly nodding his head. "Yes I do!"

"You should come by for dinner some night while Charlie is still in town," She kept the conversation going for another minute.

Yet again Ashton glanced in my direction and I began to feel awkward, not understanding why it seemed that both my parents were quite friendly with this boy I used to know.

"I don't want to be a bother, ma'am, really," He tried to politely decline and I could see that there was a real reason for it hidden behind his bright eyes.

"No, I insist! Charlie..." Her voice pulled me from my wandering thoughts.

"Yeah, mom?" I finally stepped up next to her.

"Take down this boys number so you can give him details later," She said it like it was nothing.

By the looks of how red Ashton's face was, I suspected that mine matched it quite well. I couldn't believe my mother found nothing wrong with embarrassing the shit out of both of us. What if he didn't want me to have his number? What if this was a one time only interaction? Also the question as to why my mother seemed so adamant of having him over was odd to me as well. But thankfully Ashton was kind enough to scribble his number down on a notepad, ripping the tiny piece with his handwriting on it from the rest of the page.

"Bye, Ashton," I waved as my mother led me out of the store once I had safely pocketed the slip of paper.

"Well isn't this wonderful!" My mother clapped her hands together excitedly. "I'll have to go to the store for ingredients-"

"Mom," I tried to interrupt her.

"I wonder if he likes-" She kept up her train of thought as we headed back toward the car.

"Mom," I tried again to get her attention, the question I wanted to ask her on the tip of my tongue.

By the time I had a chance to speak, we had finally made it to the car. I climbed into the passenger seat, my mother doing the same on the driver's side, starting up the engine.

"Mom, how do you know him?" I finally questioned as I reached for my seatbelt.

"Well, he was the boy who came by the house looking for you the day you left for California," She turned around in her seat as she reversed out of the parking space.

"You never told me that," My eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Are you sure?" She questioned like it wasn't really important.

"I'm sure," I kept my eyes on her.

"He seems to be a very nice boy," We pulled out onto the main road, heading in the direction of home. "He always says hello whenever your father or I see him at the store. He's a very pleasant young man."

"Hmm," I didn't say anything to her after that.

My mind was swirling with thoughts about the boy I had gone to high school with. How could it be that my parents never told me about him coming to our house? The real question weighing on my mind, was why had he come to our house in the first place. But that was over three years ago. Whatever he had wanted to tell me was probably long forgotten by now.

. . . . .

A/N: Woah, I feel like it's been forever since I've posted anything! Hope you liked it, finally some awkward interactions between Ashton and Charlie.

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