Char

by Amare, Mercy

  “Well, I was a day late for my period. I’m like never late, so I took one of those early response tests, and it’s positive,” she answers. “I just found out Saturday.”

  “So you haven’t went to the doctor to confirm it yet?”

  “Not yet. But I will,” she says. “I have an appointment in two weeks to have everything checked out.”

  Part of me wants to smack some sense into Chloe. She’s twenty four years old, she’s been dating this guy for three weeks, she’s already engaged to him, and having his baby. Why didn’t she use protection? And the other part of me is excited that she’s happy. I’m excited she’s having a baby. After all, she is twenty-four. If she wants to have a baby, she should. I just wish she would have planned better.

  I remind myself that I said I’d be a better sister. I force a smile. “I’m really happy for you, Chloe. Congratulations.”

  She smiles. “Thanks.”

  “I also think you should tell Dad. In person. But maybe leave out the part that you’ve been dating Phillip less than a month.”

  “You’re right. I should tell him before it’s on the news.”

  “Definitely,” I say. “So what did Mom and Candice say about this?”

  “I actually haven’t told them yet. I wanted you to be the first to know. You’ve always been there for me. And even though we had a stupid fight, you’re still the most important person to me. You actually support me. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  Her words make me feel happy. It feels good that I’m the first person, besides Phillip, that she has came to. “Things are going to change now, aren’t they?”

  “Yes,” she says. “But it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Change is good.”

  I look at Chloe and Phillip. They are holding hands under the table, and I can tell by the way they are looking at each other that they really are in love. Will it last forever? I don’t know. But even if they dated one year, or five years, how could they know for sure? Why wait? Neither of them want to. And either way, they are kind of stuck with each other for the next eighteen years. So I will be here for Chloe, and I will support her. I know that if the roles were reversed, she would do the same for me. Besides, I am kind of excited. I’m going to be an aunt.

  Chloe is right. Maybe change is a good thing.

  SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

  5pm

  Scarlett Ryan Concert

  Since dinner last week, Chloe and I have talked everyday. Usually just a couple minutes on the phone, but it’s been nice. She went to her first doctor’s appointment yesterday, and it went well. She found out she conceived the first night they had sex, and she is due on May nineteenth. I can tell she’s very happy about it, and I am happy for her.

  Last Saturday, Chloe and Phillip flew back to New York and told my dad their happy news. I was surprised at how supportive he was, though I guess I shouldn’t have been. He’s been different since I’ve been here. He’s not just an absent father anymore. He’s just… my dad. I like it. Chloe and Dad’s relationship still needs a lot of work, but it’s better than it was.

  Candice is coming next week for my birthday, which I am excited for. I haven’t seen her in two months now, and I miss her. They are filming Shores of Malibu right now, so she can’t leave until it’s finished. I think she is ready for the season to be over. She said something about not doing it next season, but I bet she will. She always gets tired of her co-stars, but then on off times she misses them.

  I’ve talked to my mom everyday this week. We actually have something good to talk about now — Chloe, Phillip, and the baby. Chloe is letting my mom completely plan the wedding, so she calls me sometimes multiple times a day asking my advice on something. I’ve decided that I will go there for Thanksgiving break and help her with all the finishing touches. I can’t wait to see the finished results. The wedding is going to be gorgeous. I get why Chloe is letting mom plan it… Who knew Mom was such a good wedding planner…

  In two weeks, we are getting fitted for dresses — Vera Wang, of course. Everybody is flying to New York, and we are going to make a weekend of it. I’m excited to see Chloe’s dress, and I’m excited about my own dress. Since the wedding is December 21, she decided to go red for Christmas. I’m just glad I don’t have to wear a big puffy green dress, or something equally hideous.

  Tristan and I have hung out practically every night, as usual. But things haven’t progressed past kissing, and since our first kiss on the beach, his hands haven’t been all over me. I’m a bit frustrated, but he’s sticking to his one month until sex rule. And I am marking down the days on my calendar.

  Tonight we are going to see Scarlett Ryan and Alec Torch in concert. I have a new appreciation for Scarlett since she changed her sound, and even Tristan is a fan. We stream her documentary every Wednesday, and we are very excited about seeing her live.

  It is officially cold in New York — or at least it is for this California girl. The low tonight is forty-seven, so I finally get to wear my new black Ugg boots. I’m wearing them with a pair of skinny jeans, a thin white sweater, and a black scarf. It’s sad how excited I am about accessorizing for the cold. When I come down from my room, my dad is in the living room with Tristan.

  “You look nice,” my dad tells me. “What are you two doing tonight?”

  “Concert,” I answer. When I lived in California, I went to concerts all the time. I miss the thrill of it. Nothing is better than the excitement you feel after seeing your favorite band live. It’s magical.

  “Have fun,” he says.

  I grab Tristan’s hand, and we get on the elevator.

  “You look beautiful,” he tells me as the elevator doors shut.

  “And you look extremely sexy.”

  Tristan always looks sexy. His dirty blonde hair is messy, but it’s an intentional mess. I can’t wait to run my fingers through it. He’s wearing a nice pair of jeans. They’re just tight enough to make his butt look good. I can tell he hasn’t shaved today, so his face is a little scruffy, but it looks good on him.

  The concert doesn’t start until eight, so we head to dinner first. We eat at a nice din sum restaurant, and then head to the arena. His dad’s company has a box, but ended up getting four front row tickets. Tristan got two, and Christian got the other two. We get there about ten minutes before eight, and I am surprised to see who Christian has brought.

  “Hey, Layla,” I say, taking the seat beside her. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

  “I was going to tell you, but I thought I would surprise you,” she says. “Plus, I didn’t want you to talk me out of it.”

  She’s right — I probably would have tried to talk her out of it. I like Christian, but he’s a major player. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  She looks to make sure Christian isn’t paying attention to our conversation. “Just because I’m a social hermit doesn’t mean I am going to get hurt. I know how Christian is, but I wanted to come tonight. I am a big fan of Scarlett Ryan and Alec Torch. Plus, I could touch them from here. These seats are ah-ma-zing.”

  “I know, right? I wish we could meet everybody from her documentary.”

  “Especially Scarlett’s husband, Stephan” Layla says. “Oh em geez, he’s hot.”

  “I always thought her and Alec Torch would get together. I’m kinda sad they didn’t,” I tell her.

  “I’m cheering for him and Scarlett’s twin sister. It’s like — when is she going to realize she’s in love with him?”

  This makes me giggle. “Yeah, she better get on that before some other girl does. He won’t wait forever.”

  “I’d totally date him.”

  “Layla Torch,” I say. “I like it.”

  “A girl can dream…” she sighs.

  “Do you really like Christian?” I ask her.

  “Well, I don’t know if I like him as anything more than a friend. To be honest, he’s not really datable,” she answers. “But he’s definitely fun to hang out wit
h, and he knows where all the good parties are.”

  “Has he tried to make a move?”

  “Actually, no. I think it’s because he know if he does, you will kick his ass.”

  “True. I would.”

  “Plus, it’s not like I want any kind of relationship while I’m still in high school. I have a plan. I will go to Harvard, I will meet my dream guy my senior year of college, after we graduate we will get engaged, we will both get good jobs, and after a few years we will get married. We will get a house, and we will wait until I’m twenty eight and have two children.”

  “That’s very specific.” Too bad life can’t be planned like that. At least most people’s life can’t be planned. I have a feeling if anybody could plan their life, it would be Layla. “I’m pretty sure any plans I had regarding my love-life went out the window the second I met Tristan.”

  Layla smiles at me, and for a second she looks jealous. “Well, not everybody will meet their one true love. You’re lucky. Tristan and you are perfect for each other.”

  I look at Tristan, who is talking with Christian. He sees me watching him, and he smiles. My heart skips a few beats, and I realize Layla is right. I don’t know if I love him yet, but I do know that I could never find another guy like Tristan. Nobody could ever make me feel the way that he does, and I definitely don’t want to lose that.

  11pm

  Sixteen Days. Twenty-three minutes. Twenty-nine seconds.

  Scarlett Ryan and Alec Torch were awesome live. Christian, Layla, Tristan, and I were so pumped after the concert, we decided to go grab a coffee and chill for a little while.

  “I didn’t know that Scarlett Ryan played guitar,” Christian says once we sit down at the booth.

  We all turn to look at him. I’m pretty sure we all have the same shocked expression on our faces. “Have you not seen her documentary?” Layla asks him.

  “Nope.”

  “Well, all the episodes are available for streaming online. You and I are going to spend all day tomorrow catching you up,” she tells him.

  Christian puts his arm around Layla. “Me and you spending all day in my room? I think I’m definitely alright with that.”

  She rolls her eyes, and moves his arm. “Or we could watch it in your media room.”

  “Where anybody could just walk in?”

  “Yep.”

  “Kinky.” Christian looks over at me. “Thank you for introducing me to your friend. Her and I are truly kindred spirits.”

  “I’m pretty sure you introduced yourself.” I remind him. “Besides, you’ve went to school with her your whole life. You keep forgetting that.”

  “Hey, I was just trying to be as cool as my brother,” he says. “The last time Tristan dated a high school girl was when he was in junior high. Ninth grade, I think. In high school, he only dated college girls. Kind of ironic considering that now he’s in college, he’s dating a high school girl. And just one. I don’t think Tristan’s ever dated one girl at a time. It’s just… weird.”

  Tristan squeezes my hand under the table. “That’s because I haven’t found anybody I wanted to be in a relationship with before Charlotte. She’s special.”

  “What makes her so special?” Christian asks, then looks at me. “No offense, Char. You’re hot and all, I just don’t see why you’re any different than any other hot girl.”

  “She just is. It isn’t just what’s on the outside. Sure, Charlotte is hot, but it’s a lot more than that.”

  Christian laughs. “Right, the inside is what it is. She must be hot in bed. I’d like to get inside…”

  “Dude, no,” Tristan says, cutting Christian off. “You can’t talk about my girlfriend like that.”

  “Sorry, Char,” he tells me.

  Christian must really respect his older brother.

  “It’s okay,” I say. “I’m used to it, considering who my older sister is.”

  “What is up with Candice?” Layla asks me. “She has changed on Shores of Malibu a lot, especially since her sex tape came out. She hasn’t brought one guy home. It’s really weird.”

  “I’m not sure,” I answer. “I stopped watching the show at the beginning of season two. They showed Candi bringing home a new guy every episode, sometimes two, and I hated seeing my big sister like that. But she has been nicer. She’s actually coming to New York on Friday, and she’s staying all weekend.”

  “So she’ll be here for your birthday?” Christian asks.

  “Yep,” I say. “How do you know when my birthday is?”

  He shrugs. “Tristan told me.”

  “What are you doing for your birthday?” Layla asks me.

  “I don’t know yet,” I answer. “I’ll probably hang out with Candi, Dad, and Tristan. Dad will probably take us out to eat at some ridiculously expensive restaurant, Candi will take me clothes shopping, and I’m not sure yet what Tristan and I will do, but I hope it involves being naked.”

  Tristan coughs. “One month. I am pretty sure your birthday won’t be one month yet.”

  “ONE MONTH?” Christian asks. “Seriously, you’re going to wait one month before having sex with her?”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s none of your business,” Tristan says.

  “She is basically offering to spend the whole day with you… naked… And you’re turning her down. Are you mad? Or blind? Or…” Christian drops his voice to a whisper, “gay?”

  “No, I’m not gay. And trust me, I see how hot Char is. But I think we should wait a month,” he says. “I want to actually take the time to get to know her. Sex just complicates things.”

  “I think that is a great idea,” Layla says. “It gives you time to get to know one another before it’s all about sex. But really, why a month? Why not wait six months?”

  “Let’s not give Tristan any ideas.” I give Layla a look that says shut the hell up. “One month is definitely long enough.”

  “How many days are left?” Christian asks.

  I look at the time on my phone. “Sixteen days. Thirty-three minutes. Twenty-nine seconds.”

  “I don’t know how you resist her, bro. One look with those hazel eyes, and I’d be a goner.” Christian shakes his head at Tristan. “You are absolutely crazy.”

  “I have always had a thing for green eyes,” Tristan says. “But, considering I am going to marry Charlotte one day, I don’t see a need to rush. I want to take everything nice and slow.”

  When Tristan says stuff like that, I don’t know if I should be excited or scared. Maybe I should run. But I kind of like it.

  After we finish our coffee, Tristan takes me home. He walks me to the elevator, gives me an earth shattering kiss, and then leaves — as always… The next sixteen days are going to be absolute torture.

  FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

  2pm

  Selfish bitch.

  Absolutely nothing could ruin my good mood today… There are only two days left until my birthday, Candice’s flight is supposed to come in later today, and it’s Friday! On my walk home from school, I can’t help but dance just a little. Sure, people are staring at me like I’m crazy, but I don’t care! It’s a marvelous day!

  When I’m on the elevator to the penthouse, I even sing.. very badly. I took singing lessons as a kid, and not even a vocal coach could help me. When the elevator doors open up, I walk into the kitchen where I see Candice standing in front of the stove… and she’s cooking. I’m not sure if I am more surprised to see her here early, or to see her cooking. She never cooks. And the few times she’s tried, she’s either cut herself, burnt herself, or burnt the food. Sometimes all three. In fact, one time she set the entire kitchen on fire. It took months to get the awful burnt smell out of the house, and about twenty thousand dollars in repairs. Since then, mom kind of banned her from the kitchen.

  “Candi!”

  She turns around. “Hey, Char.”

  “You’re cooking?” I ask, walking towards her.

  “I have been taking lessons for a few months n
ow,” she says, giving me a hug. She doesn’t feel quite as boney when I hug her. When we step back, I see that she has put on a little weight. She’s not fat, obviously she still weighs less than me, but at least her face has filled out a little. She was beginning to look anorexic.

  “You look good,” I tell her. I’m definitely not going to say anything about her gaining weight, because one — I’m sure she knows, and two — it’s the end of the world if anybody mentions her weight to her.

  “I put on some weight,” she says. “Only ten pounds. The doctor wants me to gain ten more, and then I can maintain.”

  “The doctor?” And now I’m worried, because maybe Candice has been sick.

  She turns to me and smiles. “Don’t worry. I am healthy. I just had a little bit of a scare while filming Shores of Malibu. I passed out, so I went to the doctor. He told me that I hadn’t been eating enough, so we changed my diet and exercise routine. Apparently being one hundred pounds when you’re five foot eight isn’t good. He says I need to be at least one-twenty, so that’s what I’m working on now. Besides, as my trainer always says, it’s not really about the number on the scale. I just wish I would have listened sooner.”

  “Why didn’t you call me when you passed out? I would have come back home,” I tell her.

  “It happened when we weren’t talking…”

  Right. When I called her a whore. Which makes me feel that much worse about how horrible I acted. “I’m really sorry about what I said. I was mad, but I had no right to say that about you.”

  “No, you did,” she says. “I’m only nineteen, but sometimes I forget what high school was like. I remember some people only liked me because of who my older sister was. And I know it has to be worse for you, having not one but two sisters in the spotlight. Especially with me being… me. And me, well, I should have known better. Now I have a reputation as a whore, and there isn’t anything I can do about it.”