At what she figured was early morning, Charlotte walked into the kitchen-- of which she was a guest of presently. Hoping not to run into any of the house residents, she was a little surprised to find the pretty blonde of the house at the counter making eggs and sausage before 8:00. 

"Good morning, Charlotte." Pattie greeted cheerfully.

"Hello." She responded. Not as peppy, but still casual, as she took a seat at the table next to Pattie.

"Would you like some eggs?" Pattie offered refering to the food in her pan.

Charlotte nodded her head, though absent mindedly. Her mind somewhere else at the moment. Since she entered the room, she had tried to not look Pattie too much in the eye. She couldn't help but have this feeling that the girl cooking in front of her had some (unrealized) connection to her current dilemma. She had been spending the weekend at George and Pattie Harrison's estate Kinfauns. An impromptu move after her serious, guitar genious boyfriend of two years, Eric, had suddenly just expressed his love of another on Charlotte without any warning. Not quite sure how to handle the new weight laid on her, she ran (which she knew was what he was asking anyway). Somehow or another in the trip, she made it to Eric's best friend (George's) place. Too tired to not play along with the irony, Charlotte spent the night in what she was sure to turn into a fool's paradise.

"Hello, Charlotte." A male British voice spoke behind her. Startled for half a second, having been broken from her thoughts, Charlotte saw the other half of the Harrison name walk across the kitchen and go next to a now smiling Pattie. When he made it to her side, he gave her a kiss on the mouth (to which she returned). Rather than be uncomfortable in front of the scene, Charlotte chose that moment to study how the couple behaved with each other. Could they really be that happy as their image let on? She thought she and Eric were happy until now. When Pattie went back to the food, George tossed the side of her hair he was next to over her shoulder softly and kissed her cheek slowly. A little surprised at his suddeness, Pattie turned her face and said,

"George, one person is still considered a guest." She regarded toward Charlotte, while trying to hide a blush. At that, Charlotte stopped staring at the two, and quickly moved her head to study table top in front of her as a fake substitute. Running his hand through Pattie's long hair, George then moved to sit next to Charlotte at the small kitchen table. 

"I hope we didn't keep you up much last night." George then said after sitting.

"What?" Charlotte asked slightly perplexed at his question. 

"You know, with the noise." It came out casually, but his eyebrow and sideways grin gave her another suggestion.

"Oh, George, not now. She's barely awake." Pattie reprimanded, rolling her eyes. "He's talking about the record player."

George let out a laugh to Pattie. "Oh, come on, she knows I'm joking," and looked back at Charlotte. Pattie speaking again, only brought her to flashback on her own relationship (or lack there of now). She really couldn't hold Pattie against anything, as she had nothing to accuse her of but her gut feeling. She and Eric had been spending almost every outing with the Harrisons-- Eric always managing to find a way to be next to Pattie and mingle the most with her. And the fact that Pattie's younger sister Paula had been calling their house every other night for Eric (and Charlotte almost always hearing her older sister's name mentioned at least once on the receiving end). And him asking her once if she ever thought of coloring her red hair blonde--

"I have to go." Charlotte spoke suddenly and began standing up from the table. "I'm sorry, I just have to...get out." She explained shortly and hurriedly walked out the kitchen's back door that lead to yard without saying or doing anything else. 

Surprised at her sudden movement, the couple looked at each other bewildered. 

"What was that about?" Pattie asked curious. George just shrugged as he looked out the window, watching Charlotte close the door on the oppostie end.

Outside, Charlotte had barely stepped away from the house when she heard--

"Hey!" 

Turning around, she found George leaning against the door. Calmly.

"Oh, George." She said, then exhaled deeply. "I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to have how I leave be so rude. I think I just need to be with myself now...and think..." Her French accent ended with an uncertain linger.

"I figured." George said. "I came out to ask if you were going to be all right before you left."

Running her hands through her shiny hair. (Eric once siad he loved it's dark red color. Now she couldn't remember the last time he mentioned it), Charlotte began, "Yeah, I'm all right....No, you know, I'm not all right. My 'lover' has informed me that he's in love with someone else. And for quiet some time! George, I'm a basket case, if you haven't guessed by now. You two have really been sports for letting me sulk around your house for two days." She exclaimed.

"Well, it's a big house." George responded nonchalantly.

She gave a small laugh. Even while she was on the verge of breaking down, he still could be cool.

"So you think you and Eric are going to really end it now?" He continued.

"I don't expect him to still live with one girl still when he wants another." She explained shortly, rubbing the bridge of her nose while closing her eyes. "I'm so tired of thinking about this. I don't know how to end it. I don't even know where to go to when I leave." She pondered rhetorically.

"You can stay here longer--"

But Charlotte cut him off. "No, it's fine. I'll think of something eventually. Thanks though." Then she began again. "You should stay here more too."

Creasing his brow, he asked. "What do you mean?"

"Just stay around more...You don't have to socialize all the time. You could be home more and with...Pattie..." The last word almost a struggle for her to say.

"Charlotte, I think I know what you're saying." George informed her.

"You do?" Taking Charlotte aback then.

"Yeah, you're afraid Eric's going to do the same to me what he did to you." He explained. "And just drop our friendship."

Not expecting this reaction, Charlotte was speechless for a moment before replying carefully, "Yes. Yes, that's it. I'm worried for your friendship." And tried to keep her reactions cool, while he just kept to himself. When neither of them furthered on the conversation after about a minute, Charlotte spoke before it could get awkward. "Well, I guess I'll see you guys around..." And turned to walk away again. 

"I mean it you know." George shouted before she was far into her walk, and she looked back at him. "You can come over any time still."

Secretly sensing doubt in reality that was going to be any time soon, Charlotte just smiled and said appreciatively, "Thanks, George. Really." And once again, she tried to make it across the lawn and over to her car.

"What about your stuff?" George asked over to her once more loudly.

"Already in the trunk." She answered as she unlocked her car door. "I brought it down here last night."

"Planned it, have you?"

"Yeah, for once." She said dryly and took a seat in the car, closing the door behind her.



A/N: The title comes from the Cream song Anyone for Tennis? Which was influenced by Charlotte.