Hello, everyone has been so greatly appreciated my story and I am just SOOOO happy people have started seeing Charlotte in a whole new light!
So, we have over 300 reviews (WOOHOO!) I am proud to announce that we are getting pretty close to the end of the story.
And by close, I mean a third.
ENJOY!
Previously...
(Coves)
When Jonathan came in, heavily drenched from head to toe, he quickly ushered inside Ms. Williams and Mr. Byrnes, who were also sporting raincoats for this dreary weather.
...
And then Ms. Williams elaborated. "After the...incident, Char got her revenge pretty quickly on those involved. Including me-"
"With good reason," he interjected.
"-SHUT UP! Anyways, we were all told to come to the principal's office and, of course, we were nervous that Charlotte ratted on us, which we totally deserved. But when we first walked into the office, we didn't see him. Instead, there was a not on the desk saying: PAYBACK'S A BITCH! xoxo Charlotte. I was probably one of the few that ran out of the room before, like, a hundred balloons fell from the ceiling and hit the others. That balloons weren't exactly hot water, but it was hot enough for them to get the message. And it turns out, according to the receptionist, the Principal was nowhere near his office all day nor did she call for us.
Charlotte is taking this revenge waaaayyy too far."
...
(Charlotte)
"I don't know what you're talking about. Unless you mean about meeting up, sure," she stated.
"Emma, the jig is up! Lewis spilled that you guys are doing something for the anniversary!" I exclaimed while giving myself a small smile.
...
I was just about to ask something when suddenly...the feeling came back. It came over me so quickly that I dropped the phone to the floor and instantly curled myself into a ball. I found myself rocking back and forth as the feeling of dread coursed through my body as if it was trying to spread its misery right through my internal systems. I felt a headache coming on, along with nausea and the faint urge to cry my heart out.
...
(Marana)
He caught up to me. "Well, it is a date, per se, but you don't have to get dressed to go anywhere fancy. It's just me coming over and making you dinner. Clean, cut, and clear."
I gave the land-boy an annoyed look. "And what if I don't want you to come over?"
"Easy: I'll tell your mother my plans and I'm sure she'll leave us alone for the night, with the requirements that we don't end up anywhere near your bedroom or- preferably- your bed," He said, a cocky gleam in his eyes that made me want to wipe that happy smirk off his face.
...
"Alright," I gave in, "Just 1 date. One. But screw it up forget about dating me altogether because I won't be interested!"
Just when I thought I had him, he gave me that confident smirk and I detected a little mischievous in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Mademoiselle, you won't be regretting it."
October 25th, 2009, Monday Evening...
At the Watsford Residence...
3rd POV
Riley couldn't help but be nervous. He had practically ransacked his closet to find some of his more decent clothes and, without being caught by his bear of a father, stole some cash from his wallet.
He was so dead if the old man found out, but sitting outside Charlotte's front door seemed to give him some strength. But still...
That didn't mean he liked the idea of being the spy.
Flashback...
Riley's POV
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You-you want me to spy on Charlotte!? Are you crazy? She'd never trust me again!" I exclaimed when the Coves told me their idea.
In its rights, it was a suicide mission without the suicide part! Not to mention, even this new Charlotte barely tolerated me at times, she at least acknowledges my romantic gestures.
"Yeah, and it's not real!" Alaine retorted.
Crap, I said that out loud.
"All I'm saying is that this-this whole, the big plan of yours- isn't going to end well for me!", I stated, "from what I'm hearing, Charlotte trusts me more than anyone of you right now. And what if she finds out then? Then, she'll shut me out too! And then we're back to square one."
Karen then took ahold of my hand. "Riley, the girl Charlotte was before...she's gone. This new personality of hers isn't healthy for anyone. I know this is a big stretch, asking you to do this, but if we had any hope of breaking through to Charlotte, it has to be you."
"Even if she hates me for the rest of her life?" I asked.
There was a nervous silence filling the air.
I shook my head. "I guess so."
In all honesty, I agreed with them, but I just couldn't bring myself to use Charlotte like that, even if everyone at school thought otherwise.
Charlotte Watsford was different from the other girls I met, let alone, knew. Without trying, everything about her drew me in. Perhaps it was because more than her beauty that caught my eyes. After all, while most girls had no problem putting on putting on bare or the majority amount of makeup on their face, Charlotte had that natural beauty going on. While most girls either looked (naturally) skinny or fat, Charlotte managed to make looking muscular and athletically-builts look amazing and gorgeous.
And she can be the most stubborn person I've ever met, but at the same time, she had an air around her that could only be described as:
A Tragic Storm.
I couldn't put a nail on it at first, but after our first date, I knew I needed to be better. She's already had her heartbroken by a guy that shouldn't have used her in the first place and, generally, this is why most guys can't get a girl. Someone already damaged them beyond preparation and can't even let the right guys in!
But she wasn't broken to me. She just needed a big...a huge lot of love and care to feel whole again. Like I told her before, I wasn't in love with her, but I knew that I cared about her more than I did myself.
And with that, I wasn't going to throw her remaining trust away like that.
I started to get up from my seat when two strong hands grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me down again, jolting me in surprise.
How the Hell does Jonathan move so fast!?
"Listen, Byrnes, I get it: You love her and don't bother denying it. My whole family can see it. But here's the thing: The girl you're in love with is NOT the person you spend your life with. Do you care about her? Then you need to wake her up, because, as of now, she's getting too dangerous to be around. You get that!?" Jonathan practically growled in my ear.
Flashback ends...
With that in mind, Riley was brought back into this plan he called Operation Madness.
And with that thought in his mind, he nervously knocked on the front door.
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
A few minutes later, his nerves were slightly taken down-slightly-when Annette Watsford opened the door. Riley gave his best smile and noticed the woman was eyeing him up and down with a nod of approval.
"You dress nicely...for a simple dinner," Annette told him, well, more like reminded him.
"Ms. Watsford, I am keeping my promise: Nothing will go down between us. Though if she kisses me, I had no part in that except for enjoying it!" Riley laughed. He could try to be a gentleman, but he wasn't going to forfeit all his touch.
But Charlotte's mother just snorted and scoffed. "Yeah, and that better be it. Listen, are you sure you don't want me to help you before I leave or maybe order takeout in case you decide to burn the house down cooking?"
"Ms. Watsford, I am fully capable of cooking a simple Italian dinner. After all, I'm part Italian on the side of my mother's cousin's sister's mother's twice removed," Riley said, lightening the mood.
"And with that, I left $25 on the fridge for pizza," Annette concluded as she walked passed him. "I'll be home by 8 pm. Call me if something happens. OH! And Charlotte isn't here yet, but she will be soon. Where she's spending her free time nowadays, I don't know."
She wasn't at home already? Well, that just made his plans better! Riley couldn't help but smile as he watched the mother of his somewhat-maybe-more crush get in her car and drive off, he wasted in time getting inside and heading towards the kitchen.
...Or he was until he noticed Thomas sitting outside, pawing at the glass door to be let in. Riley wasn't a complete idiot and went and opened the door for him.
He almost lost his footing as the pit bull jumped all over him, pawing him with his tongue sticking out.
"Alright, alright, alright! I get it You're Welcome!" Riley sated with a smile. "Listen, I'm making dinner for your owner. And I need you to stay out of sight for a while, okay?"
To his surprise, the dog seemed to growl at the utter mention of his owner, but he seemed to agree since he got off him and went upstairs. Riley looked outside and could see a lot of mulch and unplanted flowers on the side and was glad to see the wooden flower boxes were now filled with dirt.
Looking around the partially-finished garden, he spotted a bunch of solar lights that he saw Annette buy the last time he was previously. And then, it hit him!
He had an idea.
Charlotte's mindscape...
Charlotte's POV
I was sitting in my bedroom, watching TV with a bowl of popcorn, staring at the TV.
I had done my normal routine for the day: Spent some time swimming after school, got home from school, and did my homework. But my mom was working the night shift at the restaurant, so it was just me.
The girls were still being secretive about the anniversary and add in the fact that will be in 6 DAYS...well, I'm getting anxious!
I was tempted to invite Lewis over, but I felt that I've been a little too clingy to him lately (though he said otherwise when I voiced him about this.) Besides, he was working on a science project (not Mako-related), so I didn't want to bother him.
So, to bring to a conclusion:
I'm bored on Monday night.
Man, I'm weak.
Suddenly, TV screening came back on from commercials.
"And now," the TV announcer said, "It's time to get back to our segment, 'Love From Underneath the Sea'".
Marana's POV
By the time I got to the house, I noticed it was almost dark all over, except for light illuminating from the backyard. I noticed Annette's car was gone and I felt the most delightful drop of dread fill in me.
It was my sister's "date" with Byrnes tonight.
It's bad enough I can't swim to my cave directly, and pretending to be Ane'lie to the Human World was becoming exhausting and it was finally taking a toll on me. As well as keeping Annette in the dark.
I have to give it to her: the woman knew something was amiss since the moment I first saw her after I took over.
Flashback...
The first thing I had to do was open my eyes.
Well, they were Ane'lie's eyes, but they still needed to be open. I was done staying in the dark.
Staying in the dark...funny for a mermaid that's been doing that for millennia now.
It took a little adjustment at first- seeing as It's been the first sight of light I've truly seen, and it wasn't even natural light. Just light from the lightbulbs. I squinted a little at first, then lifted my head out of the water and looked at my tail.
As Ane'lie, her tail was blue and her dorsal fin was red. But I guess it can tell I was in control, her tail was now indigo and the dorsal fin was violet.
I like it.
Now, was the hard part: Getting legs.
I whispered an incantation that I spent a LONG time creating under my breath. The first part was difficult seeing as it was in a different language and older.
Then, I felt it. The pain. Unlike what the others think, it was painful seeing your tail liquefying into the water, especially when it's in its rightful element. But I kept continuing the incantation until the pain increased, almost to an unbearable level, until...
It stopped.
Looking at my lower half, I almost gleamed in delight to see, after a long time of practice, instead of a tail...
I had legs.
I managed to raise myself out of the tub and nearly fell to the floor had I not caught onto the sink to steady me.
Alright, so just because I hadn't used legs before in a long time, doesn't mean I'd have instant control either.
The spell was a success and I raised my body out the tub and placed my legs on the floor. Though it wouldn't be my first time walking, I had a majority of things to do.
I started to place one foot in front of the other is repeated steps- not easy to do in a small space- until I quickly got the hang of walking around and my lower-side no longer felt wobbly all over.
Hesitantly, I walked over to the bathroom mirror and looked at my reflection. Or rather, Ane'lie's.
Like our dreamscape, she had long, brown hair- a darker shade than before now- and an oval-ish face, and brown eyes. I smiled inwardly.
She does take after her first life. Just missing the red hair.
I turned off the running water from the faucet, emptied the bathtub and dried myself before going into her bedroom and finding a dress to put on. Bellator did me a favor of showing me her room before he was forced to retreat and I couldn't have been more prouder.
But I was brought out of my reverie by the obnoxious sound of noise playing from behind me.
And the next thing I did was turn off that blasted music maker! It wasn't like Ane'lie could tune me out if she tried.
And to fully start my plans, I first need to fix some damage that my sister foolishly instigated before my arrival.
Starting with apologizing to Annette.
Admittedly, that was my fault! I underestimated my sister's self-control. But I had a lot of work to do and I needed to be able to get out of the house.
Plus, I didn't feel like hurting the one human that hasn't spurred righteous anger from Ane'lie, or me, which is a record.
Opening the door, I started walking downstairs until I heard the sound of vicious growling behind me. I turned and scowled at the beast my sister had taken a liking to and who in which seems to be able to see me.
Funny, Humans have always known for animals to be more of a "sixth sense" that could smell beings like me from a mile away. Thankfully, a good deed on my sister's part managed to bring him in as an ally for inconvenient times, he hated me.
And likewise, to the beast that hurt Bellator!
"Dumb mutt," I muttered.
But he heard me because he started barking up a storm as I walked downstairs, where he followed me and continued so.
Oh, I was tempted to boil his insides, but alas, I cannot and not in front of Annette...
...who I found sitting at the dining table.
Alright, time to do this routine again.
"Hey mom," I said quietly.
She looked up at me but didn't say a word.
"Look, I know I'm not a your...favorite person right now. And I completely understand! But just hear me out. Okay?" I asked, trying to sound sincere.
Annette stared at me, almost quizzingly, but nodded.
"Alright, first off: I'm sorry I skipped school. I know it's important and all, and I had every intention of staying when I got there. But, I've been having a bad day- no, a bad week and I had a lot on my plate. With school, work, and Alaine, I just needed a breather. And though skipping didn't help my mood, I couldn't go back either. Secondly, I'm so, so sorry I blew up on you and slapped you. Ever since we moved here, I've been trying to forget my past and Georgia was the worst possible time in my life I want to forget. I didn't want to hurt you, but I can't stand any mention of it. But that was no excuse to slap you. So, I'm sorry. And, for everything else I have to apologize for, I am truly, deeply sorry for hurting you," I stated earnestly.
It wasn't hard to voice this, seeing as I have watched Ane'lie struggle between her and her clear love for her carrier, but I also needed her to believe my words as well.
I feel like I'm waiting hours to hear a response until she got up from her seat and took my hands- or rather, Ane'lie's hands.
"Charlotte, I know you've been having a tough time lately, and I don't blame you. But you can't always run from your problems. Just like many things, you can't run from Alaine and her problem. And like her, you can't run from your problems like Georgia. Eventually, you're going to have to face them, and you will, whether you like it or not. It will always follow you until you face it. Like a child finally facing darkness without a nightlight. And I can't help you, no matter how much I wish I could. In a few months, you'll be finishing high school and next year, college. You need to be able to face your hardships before moving forward. You understand?" she asked.
"Yes, I understand," I answered affirmatively, though inwardly, once I was done, the idea of college was redundant, especially me and Ane'lie won't be here when it's all over.
Nodding, I headed back to my room with a smile on my face. Great, my plan worked perfectly...
Now, time to get to work.
Flashback ends...
Since then, I had to keep an eye on her and continuing my plan, but I didn't like that Byrnes' was issuing a date in my territory!
Groaning, I walked into the house and was surprised to see the sudden darkness covering the place. I started to look for a switch when I saw light coming from the backyard.
Being conscious, I had my hand curled in a ball as I walked towards the screen door- now opened, I noticed- and saw what looked like solar lights illuminating forming into two circles around a table covered in white cloth and there was a vase of flowers on it, as well as a plate of food.
I stepped outside to get a further inspection until I heard a voice:
"Hello, Beautiful."
I was enthralled with how romantic the garden scene looked and couldn't help but wonder if Lewis would go the extra mile to go somewhere like that. The girl on the show was...gorgeous, but seemed a little on guard when she saw it.
"Hello Beautiful," a rough yet smooth voice called from behind the girl.
Spinning around, I turned to see Riley standing behind me, surprisingly well dressed, with a genuine smirk in his expression.
"Well," he started, "I'd say that you arrived late, but seeing as this is your house, you're excused."
I snorted. "Exactly. In all honesty, I didn't think you were being serious."
Riley stuttered in mock surprise. "Me? Not serious? Well, I'll have you know that I can be quite the Serious type and seeing as I made Italian, I was hoping you'd be more courteous about the evening."
I snorted. "With our current track record, when are we ever courteous?"
"Good point."
We just stood there for a good few minutes before we made excuses to be out of each other's presence.
"I'll go put on something nice for this evening," I started, already halfway past him into the house.
"And, well, I'll go get the food," Riley said, already behind me.
And once again, I was reminded that sometimes Silence was awkward. I couldn't help but laugh as I saw how flustered Riley looked, and felt the urge to compare him to a puppy.
One cute, big-eyed puppy.
I practically ransacked Ane'lie's memories trying to find out anything more about Byrnes while I quite literally ransacked her bedroom to find the perfect dress for tonight.
It was bad enough that lately I've been forced to reveal my personality through Ane'lie on more than one occasion, and I swore she felt me then after what that land girl nearly accomplished that day. I swear I can only hold that incantation for so long before I have to do something to better my conditions.
And now, though I have to be more careful now than ever, the only Saving Grace I have is that I also have a group of girls now fearing me too much for their good.
And that was just how I liked it.
With that thought in mind, I simply decided on a black, tiered mini dress with black boots, small black flower earrings, a choker necklace and put my hair into a clip. I didn't even bother with makeup. It just seemed unnatural.
I looked into the mirror. Usually, I spent this time checking in on Sister Dearest, but that's not going to happen any time soon.
Seeing as I looked decent enough, I walked out of my bedroom and headed downstairs where I, once again, found myself face to face with the dog. AGAIN!
This time, he wasn't growling or barking at me. Instead, he kept motioning his head from me to below the stairs where I could hear Byrnes preparing to bring dinner outside.
To me...
Then Byrnes...
To me...
Then Byrnes...
To me...
Then Byrnes...
"Let me guess: You want to see how long I can keep this charade going. Isn't it?" I whispered.
He gave me beady eyes that told me that though he wouldn't outwardly express it, he knew I was a fake from the moment he saw me.
And he wouldn't hesitate on ruining tonight if I tried anything.
Well, Game On!
After watching the strange stare-off between the main girl seemed off, yet for some reason, in the back of my head...
It seemed familiar.
The scene switched to Riley placing two plates full of pasta with white alfredo and..basil? Along with breadsticks too. Overkill, but Go Big or Go Home, I guess. But I'd give him an A for effort. The girl didn't seem interested in his attempt to be romantic.
Suddenly, I couldn't help but feel jealous. Lewis hasn't gone that far for one of our dates before. I know that sometimes- alright, a majority of the time- I'm planning the picnics and stuff, but Lewis can be romantic in his ways too.
But still, I couldn't help but feel envious of the girl right now.
A few minutes later, after I came out fully dressed and caught Byrnes off guard, once again, he politely pulled my chair open for me and we started eating.
And to give him credit where it's due, he's a . . . decent cook.
I decided to let him ramble on and on and do all the talking. Surprisingly, he can put a tale on the more mundane aspects of human life and could brighten the mood between what I would call a tense atmosphere.
Why did I say that? I might be able to see what Ane'lie sees in him. Or more like: What she tries NOT to see. And then, add in that rather detailed rumor about his home life she heard...
Perhaps now's time to shed some light on the Mystery of Riley Byrnes.
"You know, you have quite the story running around at school," I stated.
He looked up from his food. "Really? Does it make me sound like a badass?"
"Depends, if you count rape, abuse, and murder into it," I said, staring at him.
I notice his expression suddenly turn blank and he looked down again. Perhaps now he knew what I was talking about.
"How much did you hear?" he asked quietly. I was surprised at how low he asked, seeing as I barely heard it.
"Well, the story goes that you were conceived by rape in a tale of unrequited love between two gang leaders," I started. "The one your mother was with found out, but not necessarily about the rape, and abuse her and tried to get her to miscarry you. There was a raid, your dad found her, and he protected her. Fast forward a few years later, your mom was trying to get her life together for you and your dad fell in love with her. You were hiding in the closet the night he confessed his feelings for her, but she didn't feel the same way. She was thankful for being there, but she wasn't into him romantically. The tale ends with his murder-"
"-murdering her in front of my eyes and somehow, I remain in his custody of what he did." Riley looked up at me. "Do you believe it?"
I, for one, don't. The rumor was way too dramatic and detailed to be the real thing. Either he made it up for some reason or someone made it up for him.
Looking into his eyes, I saw a flash of unbearable pain in them and I felt my heartache out to him in response.
"In all honesty, I don't know what to think," I admitted. The rumor always felt far-fetched to me and though there is some truth in myths, rumors were another story itself. Fabrication of the Truth twisted in such a way to meet someone else's amusement.
I watched Byrnes play with his food for a bit and decided to take actions into my own hands and do something my nor Ane'lie would do:
I took his hand in mine.
I wasn't usually a fan of Human affairs, nor tolerated it, but as heartbreaking is the life my little sister lived, so was the entertaining parts of it as well.
"Can you tell me the truth?" I asked.
It took a few moments before he took a deep breath and opened up his mouth.
"A...the vast majority of what was said is false. There were no gangs, no abuse, and no murder. My mother did die, but it was in an accident. A pure, complete accident on a rainy night," he voiced. "The only truth behind it was that...I am a product of rape. But my situation was completely different. My parents...they lived in a trailer park at the time. My mom was kicked out by her family for reasons my Old Man won't say and was trying to get her GED. My dad worked in a car garage and made a decent living out of it. One night, my mom was walking home from a friend's when she was attacked, practically ambushed by 3 guys...An old couple driving by found her on the ground and took her to the hospital. They did the Rape Kit, the interviews and everything by the book, but they never found the guys who did that to her.
And it didn't help the case when she found out she was pregnant. Even now, if my DNA was in the system, there haven't been any hits, so the likeliness that my mom was their first and only rape is possible and they're probably outstanding members of society! But, between carrying me and my dad pushing for abortion, it's still a surprise that I'm not adopted. But up until she passed, I knew she loved me unconditionally, you know? 'Told me I could do, be or have anything in the world if I set my mind to it...Just as long as I didn't go down any dark paths to get there. My dad, well, he became an alcoholic sometime during the pregnancy. He blamed himself, thinking that had he been there that night, it wouldn't have happened. Hell, I heard that argument a lot growing up and it always ended with her saying that she wouldn't have had me," Byrnes confessed.
"...And it didn't help the case when she found out she was pregnant. Even now, if my DNA was in the system, there haven't been any hits, so the likeliness that my mom was their first and only rape is possible and they're probably outstanding members of society! But, between carrying me and my dad pushing for abortion, it's still a surprise that I'm not adopted. But up until she passed, I knew she loved me unconditionally, you know? 'Told me I could do, be or have anything in the world if I set my mind to it...Just as long as I didn't go down any dark paths to get there. My dad, well, he became an alcoholic sometime during the pregnancy. He blamed himself, thinking that had he been there that night, it wouldn't have happened. Hell, I heard that argument a lot growing up and it always ended with her saying that she wouldn't have had me," Riley confessed.
And now, I was a blubbering mess as I had tears running down my eyes and was constantly blowing my nose into tissues that now littered my bed as I had my eyes glued to the screen.
And once again, in a very long time, I am surprised. I kept grasping his hand to give him false comfort as I was silently debating on how Ane'lie finds these types of men.
"I'm surprised you're not crying," I stated silently.
He sniffed. Maybe I spoke too soon?
"I knew I'd had to have this talk eventually. You told me about your past, so it only made sense to tell you about mine," he said, "besides, there's more. The night my mom died, she fought with my dad over me. He still saw me has some parasite that forced itself into his life and he hated my guts for just being born. She just left and drove off because...well, she wasn't a violent person, but for me, she would go there. I-I personally believed she had all intentions of coming home that night and she just went to clear her head. But it was storming, raining so hard she probably could see straight until she hit a deer and swirled off the road. We found out when the police came the next morning. 'Said it was a quick death, that she most likely didn't feel anything when she died. That's when my dad went off the deep end. It was like the night she was attacked, only he felt like he instigated her death. And he took it out on me."
"Riley, are you saying you found out about...your conception through some drunken rage or something?" I asked, curious.
He shook his head. "It was later. I didn't want to be at home with him, so I spent more time on the streets. And you know the story: A street rat gets caught by the police, and then he gets a record. It was by overhearing the cops from my cell during a stunt I pulled that I found out. Practically had a nervous breakdown when I found out. When my dad picked me up, he was probably at the height of his sobriety when he confirmed it. Told me that she went through Hell for me and died for me. After that, I lost my mind and as a result, well, you know how I and Laguna met. Up until now, she's the only one I told this to. And now you, Beautiful."
"...And now you, Beautiful."
Beautiful...
That word hit me like a ton of bricks fell on me. I suddenly felt like I was having an attack, but this felt different. Like I was inside a bubble for months and I was getting a breath of fresh air for the first time.
And that's when it all fades to black.
I suddenly felt chills go down my back and I fell off my chair and onto the ground with a hard "THUMP!"
The last thing I saw was Byrnes kneeling and him calling out for my sister...
For those who got confused while reading: the italicized was Charlotte's POV and the non-italicized was Marana's POV. Just to be clear!