"So, Willow, where are you from?" Annette asked politely, "America, I presume?"
"Yes, ma'am," Willow replied as she wiped her mouth. "I'm just here for a little while visiting a relative. I heard Charlotte needed some help in school, and I volunteered."
"Oh, are you still in school?"
"No, I graduated from college a while ago. But I was always a good student in school."
Charlotte listened to the exchange, quietly pushing her food around her plate. She thought about all the ways she could possibly bring up the fact that she was supposed to go out and kill vampires to her mother. Was there even a way to do that? She rubbed her temples tiredly. With that one confession would no doubt give way to a whole slew of other questions that she would have to answer.
"Charlotte, honey, are you alright?" Annette asked with concern, patting her hand.
"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine. I've just got a bit of a headache," she mumbled. "I'm gonna go out and get some air." She wiped her mouth and walked out to the pool, sitting on the edge and dangling her feet in the water. Charlotte looked up to the sky, where the nearly full moon shone down brightly, and glanced down at her toes, wiggling them a little. A small part of her still hoped that they would turn into a beautiful orange tail, but of course it never did.
"What are you looking at?"
Charlotte looked up to see her mother walking out to her. "Nothing, Mom, just thinking about some stuff."
Her mother took off her heels and sat down next to Charlotte, letting her legs dangle in the pool too. "Charlotte, I know it's been tough ever since you and Lewis broke up, but you can talk to me, you know that, right?"
Charlotte nodded. "I know, Mom."
Annette put her arm around her daughter. "Sweetie, I wasn't going to say anything, but I know something is going on with you. Ever since you broke it off with your friends, you've been…" she sighed. "You've been really quiet, and you don't do anything but go to school and come home."
She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm fine, Mom, really. It's been just really hectic these past few days."
"You're not doing drugs, are you?"
Charlotte laughed, "No, I'm not doing drugs."
Annette laughed along with her. "I don't have to worry about you, sweetie, do I?"
"No, I don't think so," Charlotte replied honestly. She looked back to the house, where she could see Willow on the phone. "Willow's helping a lot too, you know."
"I'm glad about that. But who is she, Charlotte? I mean really?"
Charlotte looked into her mother's eyes, murmuring truthfully, "I don't think you'd believe me."
"And why's that, sweetie?"
'I could do it now,' Charlotte thought optimistically. All the lies could end now, quick and easy. "Mom, I-"
"Charlotte? I'm leaving now."
Charlotte and her mother both turned to see Willow standing in the doorway, phone in hand.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she flustered. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Actually, yes-"
And just like that, her confidence popped.
"No!" Charlotte exclaimed, swinging her legs out of the pool and standing up, trying to ignore the look of surprise on her mother's face.
"But, Charlotte-"
"C'mon, Willow, I'll walk you out." Charlotte went to the door, her legs still dripping, and nodded for the red-haired witch to follow her.
"Are you sure? I mean I can leave myself-"
"Yes, I'm sure," Charlotte cut in quickly.
The two girls walked to the door, where Willow turned to Charlotte. "Listen, I just talked to Buffy, and we both agree that I need to move on, find more Slayers."
"Oh," was all Charlotte could say.
"Yeah," Willow murmured.
"When are you leaving?"
"In a day or two."
They stood in silence for a few minutes, staring into the night.
"So, where does that leave me?" Charlotte asked quietly.
"I'm not sure," she responded honestly, shrugging. "Buffy and Giles mentioned possibly opening a school or something for the new Slayers, but I don't know. We still have loads to figure out."
Charlotte nodded in understanding. "Well, I guess I'll stay here, fighting vampires, protecting the innocent then?" She gave a hollow laugh. Should've figured.
Willow looked away. "I don't know, Charlotte, I'm sorry. I wish I could give you some kind of direction."
"I know you do."
Willow sighed. "I'll see you before I leave, okay?"
"Alright," Charlotte replied. She looked up to the sky, and got an idea. "Tomorrow's a full moon, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
Charlotte smiled. "Come to my house tomorrow night, we'll go to Mako Island. I think you'll like what happens," she explained vaguely. If Willow felt powerful magic during the day, Charlotte couldn't even imagine what she'd find during the full moon.
'The girls might not like it,' she thought, 'But they don't necessarily have to know.'
Willow raised an eyebrow, but nodded all the same. "Okay, I'll meet you there."
"Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow."
Willow walked away, and Charlotte quickly walked in her house and up to her room, trying to avoid her mother's questioning stares, and maybe get some sleep.