Chapter Eleven

I had just finished scraping the charcol cookies into the garbage when I heard a knock on the door. I wiped my crumbs off my hands and stepped down into the foyer. I pulled open the door and made a face.

"You are such a stupid girl!"

"What are you doing here?"

Vanessa shook her head and laughed. "Do you know that my parents are pretty much forbidding Adam from seeing you?" She asked, laughing.

I felt the blood drain from my face. "Why?"

"Because he is forcing you to have sex, silly!" Vanessa pushed past me and walked up the stairs to the kitchen.

What?

I followed Vanessa up the stairs. "What are you talking about?" I asked her, sitting down at the table. My legs felt like jelly and I couldn't stand anymore.

Vanessa drummed her fingernails on the top of the table. "My parent's asked me if I knew what was going on with you guys." She replied. "They weren't very impressed when Adam came in at nearly five am. They asked me if I knew what was going on. I might have told them a white lie."

"What did you say?" I asked, barely able to get the words out. This bitch was sitting in my house, telling me that she lied about me, and is expecting not to get pummeled?

Vanessa grinned, this weird, evil grin, and raised her eyebrows at me. "Well, when one stays at ones house until five in the morning, ones might assume that one and one are hooking up. So one might have told ones parents that one and one were definitely sleeping together. And one might have also added that one overheard one talking to some other one, and said that someone was making one have sex, even though one didn't really want to!"

"Cut this 'one' shit, Vanessa!" I snapped. "Are you seriously telling me that you told your parents that Adam was forcing me to have sex with him?"

"Yep." Vanessa replied. "Because that's what you told Haley."

"I didn't tell Haley shit!" I cried.

"Oh really?" Vanessa looked smug. "Cause it's kinda your word against ours."

I felt hopeless and angry. How could Vanessa be such an evil bitch? And in my own home too!

"However." Vanessa continued. "I could be willing to tell my parents that it's not true. There's a catch though."

"Of course there is." I muttered.

"Stop seeing my brother and I'll quit being a bitch." Vanessa said, so simply, as if that was the end to all of life's problems.

I glanced up at her. "Do you think I'm a fucking idiot?" I snapped. "Do you really think I am going to let you bully me into not seeing your brother anymore? Quit acting like a fucking selfish bitch and live your own life! You spend way too much time and energy butting into other people's lives. Grow the hell up!"

Vanessa stood up. "Fine." She said, lips pursed. "Have it your way."

She stood up, kicking her chair back against the wall. She stomped to the front door and pulled it open.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." She said spitefully, before walking out and slamming the door behind her.

I set my head in my arms on the table and groaned. Why did this relationship have to be so hard? I liked Adam, he liked me, that's all that should matter. Vanessa shouldn't matter. Haley shouldn't matter. Haley. That bitch. I knew meeting with her was a mistake.

I pushed back my chair and ran upstairs. I had to call Adam. I had to find out what Vanessa told his parents.

I grabbed my phone off my desk and flipped it open. I pressed Adam's button and sat down in my desk chair. After it rang a few times, he picked up. Or at least I thought he did. It stopped ringing, but it was quiet on the other end.

"Hello?" I tried.

"What?" It was Adam's voice, and he sounded pissed off.

"Um... hi?"

"What do you want, Charlotte?" I think that was the first time he called me by my full first name. I felt a nervous knot brewing in the pit of my stomach.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked nervously.

Adam sighed. "No, you can tell everyone, including fucking Haley, lies about you and I, but no, that's okay, I'm not mad at all!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, knowing full well that somehow, he believed what Vanessa told him.

"You told Haley that I was pressuring you to have sex?" Adam exclaimed. "Come on, Char, that's pretty fucking ignorant, don't you think?"

I could feel the tears starting to well up. "I never told her anything like that!" I protested. "I swear, I wouldn't ever do that!"

"I really don't know if I can believe you." Adam told me.

"Why?" I demanded. "Cause I've lied to you so many times before? Oh, wait, I haven't! Maybe you should look at your sources!"

"My sister swore she wasn't lying about this." Adam told me quietly.

"Well, maybe Haley was!" I practically shouted. "You yourself told me it was a bad idea to meet with her-,"

"Yeah, and you did anyway!" Adam shot back. He was quiet for a minute, then I heard him take a deep breath. "Char... I like you a lot. I really do. But this is getting to be too much."

"It's not my fault, or your fault!" I told him. "It's Vanessa's!"

"I know." Adam answered. "Fuck, Char, I don't know. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to believe."

"Don't end this because of your sister." I pleaded. "I care about you so much, and I know we have something good going, and I don't want her to win!"

"I just really don't know what to do." Adam said again. "I don't want to end this, but I'm not really seeing any other alternative.... Look, I'd better go. I need to think some things over."

"Kay." I said, barely audible.

"I'll call you later."

"Kay."

"Bye."

"Bye." I said, hanging up the phone. My tears finally spilled over. I pulled my knees up to my chest and started bawling. Why would one person want to spend so much energy on making another persons life hell? I still found it so hard to believe that I once considered Vanessa and Haley two of my best friends.

I wiped my eyes and turned on my computer. After the start up loaded, I logged onto my Facebook account. There was one person I knew I could talk to about this, someone who has dealt with their fair share of bitches, and someone who could maybe get though to Vanessa, albeit though a third party. I clicked on her name and then clicked on 'send a message'.

Hi Stacey:

How are you? How are the kids? I bet they're getting excited for Halloween! What are they going as?

Stace... I need help. Vanessa has hit a new low. She told her parents that Adam is forcing me to have sex with him! They believe her (cause we all know Vanessa is a friggin pricess), and Adam isn't sure who he believes! He says that Haley told Vanessa that, said that I told her when me and her went for coffee the other day. I friggin KNEW it was a bad idea, but I went anyway. I don't know what to do, or how to deal with her. I like Adam sooooooo much, and I don't want this stupid bitch to ruin it.

What would you do?

Love you much

-Me

I hit send, then clicked around a bit more. Carolyn had posted a few new pictures from last night, so I stole one of Adam and I to make my profile picture. Vanessa could kiss my ass.

"Charlotte, what are you doing?" I looked up and saw my mom in the doorway.

I hit the X and stood up. "I was just sending Stacey an email." I told her.

"Are you done cleaning up?"

I walked past her. "Almost." I answered, walking down the stairs.

"Well, get on it!" Mom exclaimed. "We need to have a talk still."

I sighed as I started tossing empty beer cans into a bag. "Mom, please." I pleaded. "You know me, you know I'm not a stupid girl. I've had to deal with enough already this morning. Can we just not have this talk? I know what you're going to say, I'm not having sex, Adam won't spend the night here. He probably won't even be here much anymore, considering he wants to break up with me!"

"He does?" Mom looked shocked, then sympathetic. "Why?"

"Like you care." I spat, feeling horrible for snapping at my mother. I grabbed the bag of empties and stormed into the basement, tossing them in the recycling bin. I stomped back up the stairs, completely ignoring my mother who was still in the kitchen, and continued up to my room. I logged onto Facebook again, hoping Stacey answered me already, knowing that she is a bit of a Facebook-aholic.

Sure enough, I had a reply from her already. I clicked on my inbox and read.

hi kiddo- im sooooooo sorry youre dealing with all this bullshit from vanessa. i can talk to mal about it if you want. i know she has a way of dealing with vanessa that no one else really does. let me know if you want me to. other than that... all i can really say is just hold your head up high and dont let her get to you. and if adam is stupid enough to let his sister dictate who he dates- well then you dont want him anyway!

it sounds like you need a break away from the 'brook. ethan has a business meeting in philly this coming up weekend. do you want to come keep me company while he is gone? i would pay for your train ticket and everything- you wouldnt have to worry about a thing! it would be a great chance to catch up and relax! i can talk to your mom for you too if you want! let me know!!!!!

love you!

me

A weekend in New York with Stacey? I was suddenly elated! She was right, I needed to get away and clear my head a bit. Before I replied, I would talk to my mom first. I was hoping that my sass-bag remarkes wouldn't have her automatically tell me no.

"Mom?" I asked, coming down the stairs. She was sitting at the table with a coffee and the newspaper. She looked up when I called her.

"Yeah?" She asked, setting her cup down.

I sat down beside her and took a deep breath. "Before you say no right away, just hear me out, okay?"

"Okay." Mom answered, her face looking suspicious.

"Stacey invited me to come stay with her for the weekend." I told her. "She thinks I need to get away from here for a couple days, and I think so too. Please? She said she would pay for my train ticket too. Please? Please?"

Mom was quiet for a minute. Then she said. "I don't think so, Charlotte."

"Why not?" I demanded. "It's Stacey! You let her babysit me! She's a mom! She's trustworthy!"

"I trust Stacey." Mom told me. "It's you that I am having issues with right now. You haven't exactly been proving yourself lately."

"Lately?" I scoffed. "One night, Mom, one stupid night! That's the only so-called bad thing I have done my entire life! I have never, ever done anything to not have you trust me! I have never skipped school, never done drugs, never smoked a cigarette-."

"I caught you in bed with your boyfriend, whom, I might add, has only been your boyfriend for a week." Mom interrupted. "What would have happened if I hadn't walked in?"

"Umm, we would have kept sleeping!" I exclaimed. "This is so ridiculous, Mom! Why do you insist on being so mad at me for something I didn't even do!?"

"Because you could have done something wrong." Mom answered. "And I don't want anything to happen."

"I could have had sex." I told her. "I could have done drugs with Haley and Vanessa. I could have cut school and went to Stamford with Becca. I could have slacked off and not give a crap about school and my grades. But the point is, I didn't. Doesn't that count for anything?"

"Of course it does." Mom told me. "But it scares me, Char. You're growing up so fast, and... I don't want you to make a bad decision."

"Don't you know me at all?" I protested. "I'm not a bad decision kind of girl! And even if I did make a bad decision, it's mine to make. I'm sure if I asked Grandma, she'd tell me a few 'bad decisions' you made when you were in high school."

Mom's face reddened slightly. "Until you turn eighteen, your decisions are my decisions. End of story."

I glared at my mother, the most unreasonable woman I knew, I stood up. "Fine, Mother." I snapped. "Have fun living my life."

Rather than going up to my room, I grabbed my sweater and headed out the front door, being sure to slam it behind me. I cut across the yard and up the steps of Becca's back porch. I pulled open the patio door and stuck my head inside.

"Hello?" I called.

"What are you doing here?" Becca poked her head around the doorway from the kitchen. "I was just about to call you."

I kicked my shoes off and walked into the kitchen where Becca was mixing up a salad. I sat on a stool at the island and sighed.

"Uh, oh." Becca said, turning around. "That's not a good sign." She grabbed two bowls, split her salad up, handed me a bowl and sat down. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, you mean, besides everything?" I muttered. I sighed again. "Vanessa came over this morning."

"Are you serious?" Becca asked. "Jeez, can't she get a life?"

I shrugged. "Apparently not." I answered. "She told me that Haley told her that I told Haley that Adam was forcing me to have sex."

"What?" Becca looked furious. "Are you fucking serious? Are you serious?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I said. "I don't know if Haley really said that or if Vanessa is just saying she did. But regardless, Adam is pissed off at me."

"What did you do?"

"Apparently told Haley." I answered with a sigh. "He doesn't know what to believe."

"What a dumbass." Becca replied. "Obviously he should believe you. He knows his sister is full of shit and completely psycho."

I nodded. "I know." I answered. "So now, he says he's not sure if we should break up or not. He says that it's getting to be too much."

"That's fucking bullshit!" Becca fumed. "If he needs to be mad at someone, it's Vanessa, not you!"

"I know." I said again. "So, I emailed Stacey, just for some advice on what to do, and she invited me to come to her place for the weekend."

"Ooh, how exciting!" Becca squealed.

"Mom said no."

"Fuck, your mom sucks." Becca sighed.

"Yeah, Stacey said she'd pay for my ticket and everything." I told her. "And, I mean, Stacey has the kids. It's not like she'd be trying to get me into clubs. We would probably just hang out at the apartment."

"Why don't you go anyway?" Becca suggested.

I nearly choked on the cucumber I was swallowing. "Or why don't you just shoot me now and save my mother the hassle?" I suggested sarcastically.

Becca laughed. "No, I'm serious!" She exclaimed. "If Stacey is paying for the ticket, I could cover for you, and you could go! Fuck your mother!"

I was quiet for a minute. My mother already thought I was a 'bad kid', and I haven't even done anything bad. If I was going to get in shit for it, I might as well do it. But still...

"I don't know, Becca." I said slowly. "I mean, my mom would kill me. Maim me. Slaughter me. I would be in prison the rest of my life."

"Yeah, maybe." Becca said. "But at least you'd get a fun weekend! It would be like your last supper."

"Not funny, cause it really would be." I told her.

"Or maybe it would prove a point to your mother." Becca added.

I snorted. "Yeah, right." I laughed. "My mother would never see it that way. She is as stubborn as they come."

"I still think you should go." Becca commented. "She'll get over it."

I laughed. "You've never met my mother, have you?" I asked. "Anyway, I'll think it over. I might get mad enough at her this week and go."

"You better." Becca teased.

"When are you meeting Jake?" I asked.

Becca glanced at the clock. "He's picking me up in half an hour." She answered. "Yikes, I'm kind of nervous. Isn't it funny, in a not so funny way, that Haley has messed or is messing with both of our relationships?"

"Hilarious." I answered dryly. "I'm going to leave you to get ready then. I don't think you need to be nervous. I mean, it's Jake."

"Yeah, but I don't know what to expect." Becca answered, as we walked into the family room.

"If you did, there would be no point in going." I reminded her.

Becca shrugged. "True." She agreed. "Okay, I'll call you later. And try not to worry about Adam. I don't think he is going to break up with you."

"I'm definitely not going down without a fight, that's for sure." I said, pulling the door open. "Have fun with Jakey!"

"Oh, I will." Becca joked. "Bye dearie."

"Bye." I answered, shutting the door behind me. I was still mad at my mom, and I really didn't want to go home, but I really had nothing else to do, so I reluctantly walked back across the yard and into my house. I heard the shower running upstairs, so I quickly hurried up to my room and shut the door. My phone was flashing, so I opened it up to see who had tried to call me. It was Adam. I immediately felt nervous and sick, but I called him back anyway.

"Hey." He answered after a ring or two.

"Hi." I answered back, not sure what to expect.

"You busy right now?"

I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me. "No, I'm at home."

"Want to go for a drive?" Adam asked me.

"Okay." I agreed.

"Can I come pick you up in about... fifteen minutes?"

"Yeah, I'll be here." I replied.

"Okay, see you in a bit."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

I hung up and flopped onto my bed. Going for a drive must be a good thing! Adam must have talked to his sister and realized that she was, yet again, lying. I really hoped that this was the end of it, the end of Vanessa harassing us.

I paced back and forth in my room, waiting impatiently for Adam to ring the doorbell. Finally, exactly fifteen minutes later, I heard the chime from the doorbell. I grabbed my purse, ran down the stairs and pulled open the door. Adam was standing on the front stoop, and he grinned at me when he saw me.

"Hey." He said. "Ready?"

"Yep." I answered, walking with him towards his truck. He opened my door for me and I climbed in. Adam climbed in his side and started his truck up. He backed out of my driveway and drove down the opposite direction of town. We hadn't even been driving for two minutes when Adam cleared his throat and glanced at me.

"Char?" He began. "We need to talk."