Chapter 2

Charlotte looked from one to the other as they all sat around the breakfast table. She couldn't understand these boys at all. For breakfast they were eating the pizza they had last night.

Micky offered her a piece of the reheated, chewy comfort food but she declined wrinkling her nose a little.

"Have some Charlie, you won't get nothin round here if you have manners, it's every man for himself," Davy grinned at her.

She could understand that they didn't have help like she did in her home. The cook gave the boy the order and he took the van to town to buy the food. She could understand that they didn't have that kind of service but couldn't they go shopping for themselves?. Their cupboards were nearly bare. She had taken a large glass of milk for breakfast meaning the boys had to make do with black coffee. She didn't feel bad about that, they should have gone shopping.

Once they were finished eating the boys scrambled to get ready for their days work. They worked a ten hour shift in the local pizza parlour.

Micky pulled Charlotte aside for a quick pep talk.

"You ok?" he asked her.

"Yes I'm fine, you didn't tell the others about me did you Micky?"

"No, I promised. I didn't tell them anything. They think you're some kid I used to work with. But Charlotte I think you'll need to cut that hair. No offence, I mean it's groovy hair but you can't wear that hat forever and boys don't usually have hair that long."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it Micky."

Micky nodded "There's a scissors in the drawer. I'm sorry Charlotte but it's best if you want to avoid your father."

"I do," she nodded, "And Micky, it's best if you call me Charlie," she smiled.

Micky winked at her as he made his way over to grab his jacket.

Mike came up to her then, "Here's a key if you want to go walking or something, just remember to lock the back door. The key is in the lock," he told her.

"Thanks," she took the key from him.

"There's not much food in the house," he went into his pocket and fished out five bucks. "This'll buy you a burger and fries at the stand by the beach but don't go to the first vender. His burgers have been sitting out in the sun all day, go to Larry's further up the beach. His stuff is fresh."

She nodded as she took the money. Micky's friend sure could go on and on, he sounded like her governess.

"Ok, will you be alright here on your own, you can watch television," Mike told her.

"I'll be fine. I'm used to being on my own. My mom worked a lot of long shifts."

Mike patted her shoulder in sympathy before he headed off with the others.

~o~

'Ugh, I thought they'd never go,"

Charlotte firstly headed over and had a riotous time on Micky's drums. She had been dying to do that since she got here. But soon more important issues came to the fore. She headed out into the street and found a reasonable restaurant. This wasn't a great district but the place looked reasonably clean. She had a full breakfast of bacon egg's, pancakes and syrup. Those boys could keep to their Monastery diet all they liked but she was going to eat well. After that she headed to the hair salon and got a short cropped hairstyle. The stylist was most annoying, constantly asking her was she sure she wanted her hair like this and did her parents approve but finally she did what she was supposed to do and she cut Charlotte's hair.

Finally she took a trip to an expensive clothing store and bought new jeans and a shirt and jacket, much like Micky and his friends would wear. Oh and she had to have that darling red baseball hat. Now she really looked the part.

Her parents could send themselves to that local commoners day school because she wouldn't be going. If she couldn't go back to her boarding school in Switzerland then she wouldn't be going anywhere.

Finally she took a trip to the post office. She bought note paper and stamps. That done she headed back to the beach house to begin composing the ransom note she was going to send to her parents, after all, she was going to run out of money sooner or later.