Charlotte
Dedicated to Jacob, for giving me a chance to know what love is. “If I know what love is, it is because of you.” - Hermann Hesse
I padded down the stairs and into the kitchen. I open the fridge to get my daily smoothie and granola bar.
“Dad?” I call out to the silent house. I look around, the house is empty. Then I remember that my dad left a letter on Monday saying he was going to be gone for a week. Inside the envelope, he left money for food, shopping, and extra, just in case. I sigh, another week I’m alone in my huge house. Well, it seems huge, with all the empty lonely space. I only live in a 2 story house and my bedroom is just a normal room, it’s not big or anything like that. I check the date. Friday July 20th, 2018. Dad should be home tonight.
I get ready for school by putting on a red Hawaiian crop top and blue jeans. I look at myself in the mirror and decide not to put make-up on. I’ll just put a face moisturizer on and leave it at that. I get ready for my mall day with my girlfriends: Juniper and Blake by packing lots of money from my dad’s drawer. He wouldn’t mind, he has too much money for his own good.
I walk to the bus stop and wait for the bus. My best friend is already on the bus. Her name is Hedia and we’ve been best friends all the way from 4th grade. We live on the same road but she gets on first. I sit next to her and we laugh and smile.
“Hey hon!” I say, and bump my shoulder to hers.
“Hey, Char. How’s it going with your dad?”
“Not really good. He’s on a business trip. He’s supposed to be home tonight, I think.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She bumps my shoulder back. “Isn’t it crazy that today is the last day of school? Then we have summer!”
“Really?”
“Yeah! I can’t wait!” She dances in the chair.
“Me either,” I smile.
We arrive at school and we link arms.
“Are you coming to the mall spree?”
“No, I’m sorry. I have a hot date with Dustin!”
“The Dustin?” I squeal. She nods and bites her cheek. She looks so cute when she does that. Dustin is like the most popular and cutest boy in our school. But he’s not for me. I hug Hedia and laugh, she has her own ways of attracting guys. Something I’ll never understand. She’s amazing like that.
After school, I hug Hedia and I go find my other friends, Juniper and Blake. They love shopping sprees. Blake drives me and Juni to the mall and we just go to store to store, buying things we love.
“Look at these cute phone cases!” Juni says, picking one of them up. They were different colors and I love the purple one. Juni was picking up the pink one. And Blake was eyeing the blue one. We were in Macy’s and we saw these really cute phone cases.
“I want one!” Juni squeals.
“Me too!” Blake looks in her wallet. “Aww, I don’t have enough!”
Juniper looks in her purse. “Me too, damn it.” Then they both look at me.
“It’s fine, Juni,” I say, bringing out my wallet. “I’ll pay for all of them. My treat!” I pay for all three phone cases. And the cashier puts it into a bag.
“That’s like 200 dollars, Char!” Blake says. Although, she holds the blue phone case to her heart.
“It’s fine! I have money, guys!” I say, grabbing the bag.
“We know, Charlotte. Never mind, then. Let’s go get some Starbucks.”
“Yeah, totally!” Blake laughs and hooks her arm with mine.
“Let’s go!” I hook up my arm with Juniper’s.
When I get home from the mall, I lay out my new outfits and purses and shoes and my new purple phone case. I bring out my laptop and start to continue to write my story. I check my Instagram every now and then to see what Hedia is doing with Dustin. She told me that she’ll text me in the bathroom.
I hear my dad’s car pull in and the lights flash on the house. I open the garage door.
“Hey, dad!”
“Hey, sweetie, how was your day?”
“Oh, it was boring when I was home but I had fun when I went out with my friends.”
“That’s great. I got to talk to you, Charlotte,” Dad said. I hope it’s not about the money that I took. He barely went into his room at all.
“Okay? What is it, dad?”
“Let’s talk over dinner, I brought pizza,” he says, opening the back of his car. He pulled out a pizza box and motioned me to follow him inside the house. I get plates and cups and we sit down to eat. I get 2 cokes from the fridge. I know that my dad and I love coke, it’s what we have in common. After a second piece of pizza, my dad starts to talk.
“Honey, I need you to go to camp,” He sighs and looks at me. “It’ll be good for you. It’s a Christian camp and it’s for a week. That way, I can focus on work.”
“Dad! I don’t want to go to a stupid camp!”
“Charlotte, you have to go.” He sighs heavily, looking tired. “That same week, I have to fly to Florida. Besides, Corynn is going too,” Corynn is my cousin. We’re very close, we’re like sisters.
“What? I wanted to spend some time with you before you’re next assignment.” I basically throw down my pizza onto my plate. There’s no way I’m going to a camp when I can stay home and spend all his money. It’s where I find validation.
“And you are, sweetie. We’ll have tomorrow to spend the whole day together. But you better pack tonight because we’ll be getting home late,” He eats half a pizza.
“I don’t want to go, Dad. Please don’t make me.”
“Charlotte, you’re going. Don’t fight with me on this. Okay?” He looks up at me, pleading with his eyes.
“Fine.” I say, and inside, I’m crushed. I finished the rest of my dinner. I love my dad but I was mad at him for making me go to a camp. At least Corynn will be there to help me. I know that she always goes to this camp every year and I know I only have tonight and tomorrow to spend time with my dad. So might as well make it worth it.
