by L B Pavlov
The week before Christmas break, we were driving home from school, and Daniel was teasing me about my gifts and what he was getting me that year. “Do you think I should sneak in your window on Christmas Eve so that we could wake up together on Christmas morning?” he said, smiling at me with a mischievous look that I found adorable.
I blushed at the idea. My dad and my brothers would all be home on Christmas Eve, so it would not be an easy task, but the idea still thrilled me.
“Oh, that would be the best gift ever!” I said, beaming. “By the way, I have something special planned for your Christmas gift,” I stated proudly.
“The only gift that I want is sitting right next to me,” he said with a wink. He could make my stomach drop just by the way he looked at me.
“It’ll be nice to have two weeks off together. Tell your brothers that Sean is having a party over break, and they are all invited. There will be a lot of older kids from St. Viator’s there who are home for break,” he said, “and you will be my good-luck charm because we are going to play poker.”
“You know I’m a card shark, so you may not want me playing,” I said, laughing.
“Charlotte, Go Fish does not count!” he said, and we both burst out laughing. He wanted me to come over to his house so that he could take a quick shower before we went over to my house for a few hours. I was going to bake cookies with Lenora, and we both needed to study for finals.
While Daniel was in the bathroom taking a shower, I pulled his letter of intent out of my backpack to slide it back in his pile of papers that always sat on the right side of the desk. I could return the letter without him noticing. I lifted the top half of the stack of papers to slide the letter in the middle of the pile and was shocked when I noticed the Stanford letterhead. Why would Daniel have a letter from Stanford?
My heart sank when I began to read it. It was a letter explaining that due to his late application and the fact that he had a 3.8 GPA, they could not accept him at this time. What did this mean? Daniel had applied to go to Stanford? What about his scholarship to Notre Dame? Stanford already had a strong quarterback who was only a junior. Daniel knew that because we had joked about him playing football there. Would he give up playing football to be with me? My heart sank further. I slid his Notre Dame paper back into the pile and set the papers on top. I sat on his bed thinking about what I had just read.
A thought that had sat heavily on my mind every day for the past five months was now front and center. What if I were to go to Notre Dame? The major problem with that idea was that Notre Dame did not have a women’s cross-country team. They had a women’s track team, so I could just run track and train throughout the fall on my own. That would not sit well with my father or with my grandfather. I would be applying very late at that point but having a good GPA, being a strong runner, and having a lot of extra-curricular activities made me wonder if maybe it really was possible?
I lay back on his bed, thinking about how wonderful it would be to go to college with Daniel. It would be wonderful to be at the same school as my brothers, and Preston and Devon, and tons of friends. I would be going to California all alone. The thought was suddenly unbearable. Maybe I would just apply and let fate decide. I always felt like my mom was my guardian angel, so I knew that she would help me make the best decision. I wouldn’t say a word to anyone. Daniel would never agree to let me give up Stanford. I would have to do this all on my own. My dad would be very upset as well, and the thought made my stomach wrench. I didn’t like to disappoint him. My dad had had enough disappointment for a lifetime. I probably wouldn’t get in anyway, and I would need to submit an essay, so this was not something that I could pull together quickly. It was a long shot at best. I would keep it to myself. Nothing would probably come of it. But the mere thought of staying with Daniel was enough to leave me no option but to try.
The door swung open, and there stood Daniel with drops of water all over his perfectly sculpted chest, a towel wrapped around his waist. My eyes were as wide as saucers, and a gasp escaped my throat, which made us both giggle.
“Oh. My. Gosh. You are,” I inhaled and paused, “so beautiful,” I said quietly.
He cocked his head to one side. “Do you really think you should bite your lip right now?” He chuckled, and then he leaned over me, droplets of water dampening my clothes. “No one is more beautiful than you, Charlotte,” he said in that raspy, sexy voice.
I fell back. I couldn’t breathe. He kissed me, but he pulled away quickly because we needed to get over to my house. He knew I couldn’t resist him, and he was such a gentleman. It made me want him all the more. He came out of the bathroom with clothes on this time, smelling wonderfully, with his big, bright smile.
He scooped me up off the bed and planted a big kiss on me. “Let’s go bake some cookies, Mrs. Claus!” he joked. Lenora and I always baked in Santa caps with Christmas music blaring.
It was the last day of school before Christmas break. I was so ready to be done with school. I was waiting for her at the truck and thinking how if I had tried just a little harder, I may have had a 4.0 and that just may have made the difference for me to get into Stanford. My parents were the only people whom I had told that I was applying. The beauty of my parents is that they are completely in love, and for them, that is the most important thing in their lives. They are all about family and the people whom they love. So they understood my desire to go to Stanford. They even understood my choice to red-shirt one year of football if I had gotten in and then attempt to play football for Stanford the following year.
I didn’t want to be separated from Charlotte. I thought I could live a year without football, but I didn’t feel like I could live a year without Charlotte. I was mad at myself for waiting so long to realize that was what I wanted. Getting accepted to Stanford as a late applicant was next to impossible, but I took a shot. I could never tell her. She would be crushed. We would just have to make it work. I would apply again for the following year. I would work really hard at Notre Dame to get a 4.0 and be a more desirable applicant. I would also need to shine on the football field because that could definitely help me. I would need one year of collegiate ball to get noticed by Stanford.
But I wished I could have gone with her freshman year. The thought of her out there alone, with no one to look after her, made me sick to my stomach. How often could we really see each other? We would both spend our weekends at races or games. Our training schedules would be very intense, not to mention the academic workload that came with both universities. I felt a knot form again in my stomach.
I looked up, and there she was. Her wavy, golden-brown hair was bouncing around. Her bright smile was so large. Her dark-brown, beautiful eyes were actually smiling too. My stomach immediately felt better. She had a way of fixing everything.
“Yahoo!” she yelped. “We’re done with finals!” she exclaimed and planted a big kiss on my lips.
“Are you OK?” she suddenly asked, noticing my mood. “You look deep in thought.”
“Oh no, I’m good. Just happy to be done and hoping I did OK on my finals,” I said, helping her buckle in. “Are your brothers going to Sean’s tonight?” I asked as we drove off.
“Yes, I think they all decided to go. Let me check my phone,” she said, smiling at me.
“Oh, UGH! Blane texted me. He is so weird. We haven’t talked in weeks. Now he wants to be friends?” she said, confused.
One of Charlotte’s best qualities was her innocence. She saw the good in everyone, and I loved that about her, but it also made me feel the need to protect her. She really had no idea that Blane didn’t want to be her friend. He was a douche bag pig, and he wanted to get in her pants. She had rejected him, and he didn’t like that. He wasn’t going to give up.
“I don’t think he wants to be your friend,” I said tentatively.
“Daniel, please, he knows that you and I are together,” she said confidently. “He probably just feels ashamed about how badly he acted at that part
y and wants to make amends,” she said naively.
Did she really think that prick felt ashamed? He would do it again if he had the chance, which he would not ever again.
“Oh no,” she exclaimed, “I know why he is texting. He’s going to the party tonight with Crystal. He probably just wants to make sure that we aren’t enemies.”
“I think he just wants to see if you’re going,” I said, annoyed. “I can’t believe Crystal would bring him. Sean doesn’t like him. No one does,” I said, the anger rising in my voice.
“Well, let’s just ignore him. He’s not worth ruining a fun night over,” she said, and she was right. That guy was a waste of time.
“So, I finished your big gift,” she said with the excitement of a young child in her voice.
“You finished it? Does that mean you made it? You know those are my favorite kind of gifts,” I said, laughing.
“I hope you like it,” she said sweetly. “I just can’t wait for Christmas!”
“Uh oh! Look what we have here,” and we both stared out the window at the beautiful, fresh, white snowflakes that had started falling from the sky.
Charlotte was squealing as she put her window down and stuck her head out to catch the flakes on her tongue. We pulled into the driveway, and we both ran outside to play in it.
Eric and James came outside to check out the snow. “Looks like we may be able to have a snowball fight tonight when we get home!” Eric said, smiling.
“Where’s Jack?” Charlotte asked.
“Where do you think? He’s with Sydney,” James said, laughing.
“Hey, do you think it’s cool if I bring Abi to Sean’s tonight?” Eric asked.
“Absolutely!” I said.
“What time are you guys heading over?” James inquired.
“Probably around eight or nine,” I said as I watched Charlotte playing in the snow.
“Cool! We get to be out with little Charlie tonight,” James teased.
“Hey, I’m almost a high school graduate!” she shouted as she hopped around playing in the snow.
chapter 8
the battle
We were all ready to go to Sean’s house. Jack and Sydney were going to drive with Daniel and I. Eric and James were going to pick up Abi and meet us over there. When we got to the party, there were tons of people at Sean’s house. The music was loud, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Sean yelled and flagged Daniel and I over. Jack stopped to talk to everyone. I waved at him, and he said he would find me in a little bit. Sydney waved as we walked away. She and Jack were adorable together.
I gave Sean a big hug. “Dude, why the hell would Crystal bring that asshole to my house!” Sean shouted above the music angrily to Daniel.
“I know. He’s got a lot of nerve showing his face here,” Daniel said, and I could hear his increasing anger.
“We will just keep our eyes on him and hope he doesn’t get out of control,” Sean said and continued, “Charlie, you can put your purse and coat in my room if you want,” and he pointed me down the hall.
As soon as I got back, Daniel led me to the basement. A bunch of football players were waiting for him at a huge table that was all set up for poker. “Oh, I see, he needs a good-luck charm, does he?” Gomez exclaimed, laughing when he saw me. He winked at me, and said, “Charlie, you better be good luck tonight because he didn’t win a hand last time,” and everyone laughed.
Daniel scooped me up and said, “She’s the best luck I could ever have. You better watch out!” He sat down and pulled me onto his lap. We were all having lots of fun. Jack and Sydney were downstairs talking and watching the poker game. Eric, Abi, and James had showed up, and they were catching up with everyone too. It was a great party.
Daniel was winning, and everyone was teasing him that he would never be able to play without me now. He was being so adorable. There was no sign of Crystal and Blane, so I hoped that they had not felt welcome and had decided to leave.
Steph came running up and hugged me. She was with Jake. “Fave, come say hi to Daniel and Charlie!” she gushed, pushing him toward me. I gave him a big hug, and he and Daniel started chatting.
“Hey, where’s Kathleen? She left her house to come here before I did. Have you seen her?” Steph asked.
“No, not yet.” I said. “Check your phone,” I continued with a little worry in my voice.
“I forgot my phone at home. Do you have yours? She may have called you,” she said with a little bit of concern in her voice too.
“My phone is upstairs in my purse in Sean’s room. I will go grab it and call her upstairs where it’s quieter,” I said, hopping up.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Daniel asked sweetly.
“No, I’ll be back in a minute,” I said, and I gave him a soft kiss. He swatted my behind playfully.
Everyone was teasing, and James yelled, “You better hurry back. Your boyfriend is going to be broke if you stay away for long.” Everyone laughed and howled.
I looked back, and Daniel was beaming at me. He gave me a wink, and I headed up the stairs. I hoped Kathleen was OK. It was always a little scary driving the first time it snowed. The roads would be icy. I would feel better once I talked to her. I walked into Sean’s room and went over to his desk to find my purse. I heard the door shut behind me, and I turned around quickly.
“Hey there, stranger,” Blane said in a creepy voice as I watched him lock the door behind him.
“Oh, hello, Blane. Um, why did you shut the door? I’m just grabbing my purse, and I need to get back downstairs,” I said nervously. I could feel my heart starting to race, and I was trying to figure out why he had locked the door.
“To your boyfriend?” he barked out angrily.
“Um, yes, Daniel is here with me,” I said, and now I could hear my voice shaking.
“Do you know that your boyfriend is the reason that I don’t have a football scholarship? Did you know that?” he yelled at me.
“No,” I said quietly.
“Well, it’s true! He wouldn’t throw the fucking ball to me!” he continued, coming closer.
I backed away to try to leave space between us, but my back was pressed up against the wall. My heart was racing even faster now.
“I’m also wondering why you were a bitch to me when I spent sixty bucks on dinner and put up with your prudish shit,” he wailed in my face. He reeked of alcohol, and he was spitting on me as he yelled.
“I want you to back away from me now, or I’m going to call for help. Do you understand me?” I said, attempting to shout, but my voice was too shaky.
He could hear my fear, and he seemed to enjoy it. “Oh really? You think he is going to come and save your virgin ass? He is probably out trying to get laid right now while you’re up here!” he cried and laughed loudly. He thrust his forearm against my throat, pressing me harder against the wall. I couldn’t breathe. I tried to lift my arms to pry his arm from my throat, but he had me pinned with his other arm. I started panicking.
I tried to think about what to do. No one would hear me up in this room. I remembered what Daniel had said, to kick him between the legs. But I could barely move because was pressing so hard against my throat.
“Please stop,” I tried to say, but even I could barely make out what I had uttered.
“Oh, now who’s begging for it, bitch!” He pressed his mouth up against mine. He was disgusting. I closed my lips as tight as I could, and I turned my face away. I tried with all my might to lift my leg to kick him.
I heard someone yell my name from the other side of the door, “Charlotte! Charlotte!” and I heard a scuffle and voices outside. My knee came up and hit him between the legs, but I could tell there wasn’t enough force to hurt him because he had all of his body weight pressed against me. Blane fell forward from my kick, but it just seemed to make him angrier.
Someone came flying through the door as it flew off its hinges. Before anyone could get across the room, Blane grabbed a fistful of my
hair and literally threw me across the room, slamming my face into a wall.
I was on the ground, and when I looked up from my daze, I saw Daniel, Sean, and Jack on top of him. James and Eric were beside me. I was completely in shock. I heard Sean screaming for someone to call the police. Jack and Sean were now pulling Daniel off of Blane.
“The police are on the way, Daniel. You need to let them deal with this piece of shit!” Jack shouted.
Daniel turned to look at me. He ran over to me and grabbed me. “What did he do to you?” he said with absolute horror in his voice.
I couldn’t speak. He yelled for someone to grab a towel because Eric was dabbing me with the sleeve of his shirt. I looked down and realized it was soaked with blood. I touched my face, and my lip was bleeding pretty badly and maybe my cheek, I couldn’t tell. My whole face hurt. My head hurt where he had grabbed my hair. My poor brothers looked so upset, and Daniel was beside himself.
“Charlotte, what did he do to you?” he demanded.
“Nothing she didn’t want!” Blane screamed from the floor, where he had two football players sitting on top of him to keep him from moving.
Daniel charged at him again, and Sean stopped him one more time. “Dude, the cops are almost here. You’ll get arrested if you’re fighting with him when they get here. Let’s get Charlie into my parents’ room.” He motioned to my brothers.
I still couldn’t speak. What had just happened? And what about Kathleen? Had Kathleen made it here? Is she OK, I wondered?