Chloe (Chardonnay Series Book 1)

by Hollye Davis

  I sit in my lonely bed late at night, cold. Everything is empty without him here. I smell him, I imagine his voice, I imagine his touch but they are only thoughts. Worthless pitiful thoughts that consume me like a flesh-eating disease. –Chloe’s diary

  Chapter 4

  Unexpected Ally

  The bus was rambunctious as usual. She wasn’t in the mood to be surrounded around a bunch of babies who actually enjoyed going to school. Kim seemed to feel the same way as they both rode silently when all of sudden her phone rang. It caused both them to jump.

  She recognized the number and answered immediately.

  “Hallo sweetheart, I’m in a hurry but I wanted you to know that I left you something in your backpack. I’m on the way to the airport. I’ll call you when I can, I Love you,” he sighed, “Chloe, I love you so much, I don’t know how I am going to survive the next month. Please forgive me for leaving you, this will be the only time, I promise.”

  She barely choked out a, “I love you, too,” before the tears began to fill her eyes again, “Edwin, I can’t talk right now, I’m afraid I won’t be able to function if I do.”

  He was quiet, only a slight intake of breath, then he said, “I’ll talk to you later. Please be careful darling.”

  “Okay,” was all she was able to say, a lump impeding any further words. She waited until she heard the click disconnecting their call before pulling the phone away from her face.

  Kim touched her arm, “Hey, what’s wrong? Was that your aunt?” Chloe shook her head trying to stop the tears, unable to answer without bawling.

  When she was finally able to get herself under control Chloe explained, “My boyfriend is heading out of the country for a month or longer.”

  Remembering that Edwin told her about something in her backpack, she quietly unzipped the top. Inside laid a prettily wrapped box and a card. She slowly opened the card. A beautiful photograph of an ocean sunset was on the front reminding her of all the sunsets Edwin and she watched nestled together on the deck. She shakily opened the inside. His familiar bold scrawl greeted her with:

  I love you more than life itself. Please take care of my heart. Edwin.

  Kim peering over her shoulder gave a lovelorn sigh. Chloe placed the card in her lap and opened the little package. It was a keychain of a golden heart. Inscribed on it was simply EC.

  “Wow,” Kim said breathlessly, “You’ve got one heck of a boyfriend, who is he?”

  “Edwin Corbin, we met over the summer.”

  Kim repeated his name and said, “His name rings a bell, but I don’t know why. Well anyway, he sounds very cool.”

  “Yeah, he is.” She clipped the heart on her backpack and they disembarked from the bus walking together into school.

  For the next week no one really bothered her, which allowed her to relax. Maybe they had already forgotten about her, maybe they found some other poor soul to torture, but whatever their reason, she was fine with it. She could almost handle school.

  Her art friends were really cool, and slowly one by one they joined Jody, Kim, and her at lunch. It was a strange high to have multiple friends at school, an experience she never had before. She was beginning to feel…liked.

  When Friday came around and no one was bothering her, she felt confident she had overcome the horrors of school. Now if she could only fill the hollow place in her heart from missing Edwin, things would actually be good for once. It would be like it was before school started.

  The last bell rang and she waved bye to Jody in the hallway. It was one of rare moments she was walking without one of her friends in tow. Kim had to rush back to her locker to get an important assignment and everyone else had already departed to their bus or car.

  When she got outside hoards of people milled around the entrance making it difficult for her to proceed forward. She had a feeling something wasn’t right as claustrophobia began to settle in her bones. The people kept getting closer and bumping her, squeezing her. Her breathing became labored, panic rising in her throat, spots darting behind her eyes, then suddenly someone grabbed her, disorienting her further. She thrashed trying to break the grasp, but more than one hand, more than one person was holding her. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out, panic tightening her throat. Trying to turn around, she wanted to see who had her, but she saw nothing but bodies, indistinguishable bodies, as they dragged her backwards, shoving her in an alcove that she didn’t even know existed. A sack of some sort was placed over her head instantly blinding her. She struggled, kicked, swung but never connected with anything. Several girls, by the sound of their laughter, started shoving, kicking, and hitting her. Every time she would swing, another person behind her would turn her, disorienting her further. She was crying, so scared, clawing at what ever she could grab. They kept pushing her, turning her, making her sick. She hit a wall, turned, she was shoved into someone else where they would pinch, hit or kick her, turning she stumbled. She was dizzy and it became impossible to maintain her balance. The shoves and pinches were coming from all different directions, harder, faster. They taunted her calling her a loser, a slow-witted southerner. They said, “Losers who can’t speak right don’t belong in this school,” and “ Why don’t you just die or better yet kill yourself.”

  It was a solid kick in the legs with a simultaneous push that caused her to finally lose her balance. She hit what felt like a brick wall bruising her cheekbone. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. Her hands scraped the cement as she tried to stop her fall. She scrambled to stand up but someone kicked her in the stomach. Pain exploded everywhere and she curled up into a ball, whimpers emerged from her mouth. She never screamed. Her father taught her to never scream, she would be beat worse if she did. Their deranged laughter slowly dissipated or maybe she just lost consciousness, whichever didn’t matter, as long as their taunts couldn’t be heard anymore.

  It was a few moments later, or maybe longer, when Kim found her.

  “Oh my God, is that you Chloe? Are you okay?” she had asked but it sounded far away. Kim took off the sack a gasped, “We need to get you out of here.”

  Kim helped her up, but by the time they got back out to the bus, it had already taken off. She thought about calling her aunt, but she couldn’t speak. She was in such pain. She really couldn’t function. Somehow Kim got her to the public bus station that was situated right off the school campus across the parking lot. She didn’t remember the walk, nor much of the wait as she drifted from blessed blackness to semi-consciousness.

  When they boarded, the bus driver glanced at her, alarmed, but Kim waved him off. She probably looked a mess. She could only imagine what the bus driver thought.

  Clutching her stomach, afraid she was going to throw up, she began reciting the first passage of Beowolf to take her mind off the pain. The pain increased and after a few minutes she didn’t remember anything. She didn’t know how they made it to the cottage, but they did. Kim helped her lay on the couch then disappeared. A few moments later, she came back with a damp rag and began cleaning the blood that was dripping from her sore busted lip.

  “Ouch” Chloe exclaimed softly, when Kim applied pressure to it.

  “Oh, Chloe, I’m so angry.” It sounded as if Kim had tears in her throat, but that couldn’t be true, Kim never cried. “I can’t believe they did this to you,” Kim said.

  “I was stupid Kim, I should’ve known when the harassment died down that they had a plan.”

  “I wish I could understand why Britney hates you so.”

  “It’s a chemical thing.”

  “What?” Kim frowned at her.

  “I have often thought I must emit some chemical that makes people hate me. Like a perfume or something.”

  “That is ridiculous, Chloe. I’m your friend and you have a boyfriend.”

  “I think you guys have some immunity to it.”

  “You’re so weird,” Kim said as she rolled her eyes.

  “So I’ve been told.”

  T
he pain was beginning to subside as Chloe relaxed. The next hour they entertained themselves by talking about impossible plans to get even with Britney until her phone rang. It was Edwin. She looked down at the number, her heart beat uncontrollably.

  “Hallo Love, how are you doing today?”

  She wasn’t going to tell him but it all came rushing out of her mouth by the mere sound of his voice. When she was done purging all she heard was silence.

  “Are you there?” She asked thinking the call might have dropped.

  “I’m here.” Then nothing.

  “Don’t worry Edwin, I have friends at school. I will figure out something.”

  He ignored that statement. “I’m going to make a few calls.” He sounded very professional almost like a stranger. “I need to go. I love you.” His words were definite and final, and so was the phone call when she heard it disconnect.

  She pulled her phone away from her face stared at it dumbfounded.

  “What did your boyfriend say?” Kim asked.

  Still shocked he hung up like that, it took her a moment to get her bearings. After a few moments she answered, “Well he said he had to make some phone calls and hung up.”

  Unsettled, she slowly stood and went to her room.

  Kim followed behind, “Man, you’re so lucky to live here. This place is awesome. You guys have so much privacy, but it’s like right on the beach. I guess that is the privilege of living at one of the most exclusive beach communities.”

  Exclusive? Well that makes sense. It would explain why there weren’t a lot of people around, ever.

  Kim continued, “Did you know that most of these cottages are owned by movie stars and such? Although I have never seen very many because I think they come here to escape. Some keep them for their relatives who visit.”

  Since Chloe didn’t follow that stuff, like ever, she wouldn’t know if someone famous lived here or not. She shrugged.

  The truth was Chloe really didn’t care who may or may not own property here. She was just happy that she lived here..

  Feeling slightly better but still very sore, she decided to take a shower. She told Kim, “make herself at home,” and walked into the bathroom shutting the door.

  After the shower she felt better, not well, but better. She walked into her room expecting Kim to be lying on her bed but it was empty. When Chloe called Kim’s name she answered from her closet.

  “Sorry,” Kim said, “I got bored.”

  Kim waved her hand at her clothes and continued, “You have every major brand of clothes in here. You must be loaded.”

  “Actually, no. I’m quite poor. My aunt and friends have given me everything. They’re just clothes, nothing special.”

  “You don’t have a clue do you?” Kim looked at her as if she was crazy.

  “What do you mean?”

  “These clothes are to die for,” Kim said reverently, touching her silky blue dress that caused her virginity to be lost.

  Chloe was surprised by Kim and her obvious appreciation and knowledge over clothes. Kim wore nothing but solid black.

  “Well Sandra picked them out for me,” Chloe added, “You’re right though, I don’t have a clue.”

  Kim shifted her view to Edwin’s things. He had brought over or left shirts, shorts, and on the shelf a few boxer shorts since he had stayed over so often. Chloe went over to touch one of his shirts and her heart felt as if it was being squeezed in a vice.

  “Geez, why do you have so many guy things in here?”

  “Oh, that’s Edwin’s stuff. He stays here often.”

  Kim’s head swung to hers, she stared with wide eyes, “Your aunt allows that?”

  “Yeah, she says she would rather know what is going on than have us sneak around. She trusts me. Edwin is very good for me.” Chloe looked back at his shirt again when adding, “I’m a bit damaged.”

  “You seem normal to me, however you do have an affinity for making people hate you.”

  “You aren’t telling me anything I don’t know. It’s a talent,” Chloe smiled.

  “So I take it that you and your boyfriend…ummm, like sleep together and everything.”

  Chloe glanced forlornly at the bed and simply responded, “Yeah.”

  Kim looked at her hands and then said, “What’s it like?”

  Surprised by the question, Chloe glanced back at Kim. She had always been the inexperienced one and for someone to be asking her was different. She felt her cheeks burn from embarrassment.

  “The first time it hurt really bad and I was terrified. Edwin was very gentle, I realized later. It’s unlike anything I have ever experienced, but I think that is because I am so in love with Edwin. I can’t imagine doing that with someone who is anything less or for recreation. I remember hearing a girl in Germany talk about how much she hated being alone with her boyfriend because all he wanted to do was have sex and it was ‘sooo overrated’. That was why I wasn’t in a rush to lose my virginity. Why did I want to do something that girls avoided? But with Edwin, it isn’t like that. We aren’t just having sex. We were friends first and we fell in love. Edwin never pressured me or anything. He waited for me. I always thought the right thing to do was to wait until we got married, but we are a bit different from kids our age. It is hard to explain but I don’t regret it.”

  Kim sat there absorbing everything Chloe was saying. It was probably as clear as mud but she hoped Kim got something out of it.

  Finally Kim cleared her throat, “I don’t think I’m ready. I’m not in love with anyone, and I think that I’ll wait until marriage.”

  Chloe nodded.

  Abruptly Kim changed the subject, “Do you not have a TV?”

  “No, I don’t watch TV,” Kim looked so shocked that Chloe laughed out loud, “I never got into it, first I didn’t have time or channels because we lived so far out in the country. We only picked up two channels and one was Spanish. Then I lived in a foreign country where we didn’t have a TV and if we did, I wouldn’t have been able to understand it. Now I just prefer to read novels.”

  “You are like the weirdest chick I’ve ever met. You own clothes most people would die for, yet you don’t know anything about them. You don’t watch TV when most of the nation is having an epidemic of obesity because they can’t seem to unglue themselves from it. You have a very southern accent that some people might think you’re an airhead, but you are actually quite smart. Your boyfriend practically lives with you, and you think that’s normal. You’re an anomaly.”

  “I don’t have a southern accent,” Chloe said. Kim shot her a “you’ve got to be kidding” look. Chloe laughed and clarified, “I have a Texan accent. Big difference! Texas is in the southwest, not the south.”

  “Oh Excuuuuuussee me,” Kim said sarcastically and they both busted out laughing. It hurt her stomach, but it felt good anyway.

  “Yeah, I’m different, I’ve been told enough by people. I can’t help it. It must be some genetic defect. God knows with my derelict parents anything is possible.”

  Kim looked at her oddly and asked tentatively, “Is that why you live with your aunt?”

  “Like duhhh,” Chloe said lightly.

  Kim laughed again. Chloe soaked up all the laughter, it felt good, different, something that had been sorely lacking in her life for so long.

  “I know what you mean. My parents aren’t going to win any parent of the year prizes,” Kim said as she plopped on Chloe’s bed.

  Chloe joined her, leaning back against the headboard crossing her ankles. It took a surprisingly amount of effort not to holler in pain.

  “Tell me about it,” Chloe prompted.

  Kim looked wearily but spoke anyway, “Well let’s see where can I start? My dad’s in jail for putting my mother in the hospital. My mother is a waitress at the local pancake joint and has been in rehab twice. My Uncle is a creep who I think if he could get away with it would rape me, but is too afraid of my brother. Thank God Earl has his own home, and I only have to deal with h
im at the grocery store.”

  Kim shot her an embarrassed look, as if she was remembering something.

  “Hey, I’m sorry for giving you so much shit when you came into the grocery store. I guess I thought you were another person like Britney. I had no idea that you were…you know…cool.”

  Wow, Kim thought she was cool. No one ever thought she was cool.

  “That’s okay, I’m used to people giving me crap,” Chloe patted Kim’s leg.

  A smile played on Chloe’s lips when she asked, “So, umm, your brother, is he big?” Maybe he could be her bodyguard at school.

  Kim laughed, “Yeah, but unfortunately he’s already graduated.”

  “Bummer.”

  “Yeah it would be perfect if he still was at school. He was very popular and no one would bother his little sister’s friend.”

  It wasn’t long before her aunt walked through the front door. She and Kim slowly rose from her bedroom and walked to the living room. She had almost forgotten about the fight.

  But when Aunt saw her face, she went ballistic. Chloe and Kim sat stunned as they watched her aunt ranting and screaming at apparently no one. Aunt picked up the phone and began making phone calls. When she was satisfied she finally calmed down enough to walk over and give her a hug.

  “I’m sorry darling, but this is just too far,” she paused, then asked, “You didn’t tell Edwin did you?”

  Chloe looked off not wanting to lie.

  “Oh, darling, he’ll go crazy and he can do nothing about it.”

  “He didn’t sound angry, Aunt. In fact, he sounded calm.”

  Aunt looked off and said, “Honey don’t underestimate your boyfriend.” At that odd statement she got up and went to her room.

  Kim asked, “What does she mean don’t underestimate your boyfriend?”

  “I don’t have a clue,” Chloe answered truthfully. Kim didn’t press but sat there as if she was trying hard to figure out a puzzle.

  After a few minutes of silence, Chloe slowly got herself into a standing position and started making supper.

  She was pulling some chicken out of the freezer shouting over her shoulder to Kim, “Do you want to stay the night? It’d be cool if you could.”