Charlotte's Tangled Web: L.B. Pavlov

by L B Pavlov

  “Sounds great, I’ll see you in a few.” He winked.

  chapter 11

  surprise! surprise!

  I stopped at the mailbox on my way to the house, but it was already empty. Someone had beaten me to it. I walked in the door calling, “Hello, I’m home!”

  “Hi, sweetie. I’m just in the kitchen making some potato salad to take over for dinner,” Lenora replied.

  “Did someone get the mail?” I asked, curious about the empty box.

  “Yes, honey. I was out talking to the gardener when the mailman showed up. It’s all on your dad’s desk,” she hollered back.

  I ran into Dad’s office and fumbled through the pile. There it was: a letter addressed to me from Notre Dame. Thank goodness Dad wasn’t home. That would not have been a good thing. I tucked it in my backpack, gave Lenora a hug as a passed through the kitchen, and raced upstairs. I tossed everything on my bed, and my heart began to race. I mentally prepared myself for the rejection and reminded myself that whatever happened was meant to be. At least I had tried. I tore the envelope open and stared at the words on the page:

  Dear Miss Charlotte Ford,

  Congratulations. You have been accepted to the University of Notre Dame.

  I stopped reading. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had actually been accepted. I could go to school with Daniel. We could stay together. I would be close to home, and I could keep an eye on my dad. I could see Lenora all the time. I would be at school with all three of my brothers. I would be able to drive to see Kathleen and Steph. I hadn’t realized how badly I wanted to go there until I got the acceptance letter. I read the rest of the letter, and found that I had a few weeks to get payments made and fill out some final paperwork. I folded up the letter and hid it behind my bookshelf.

  I thanked my mom for showing me the path that I should take. I had always felt like she was steering me in the right direction throughout my life. I wasn’t going to tell anyone yet. I had some time to get my ducks in a row, and I wasn’t up for a big fight yet. I would wait until after the state meet and then talk to Dad, Daniel, and, of course, Coach Little.

  I showered quickly and pulled on one of my favorite cotton sundresses to be comfortable. I let my hair air dry wavy and swiped on a little mascara and a dab of lipgloss. Then I ran down to get Lenora. “You are awfully jolly this evening, Charlotte, are you getting excited for prom?” she asked sweetly.

  I couldn’t tell her why I was so happy. I couldn’t tell anyone. I had to do this correctly. I would have to handle this properly to make my dad understand why this was a good decision. “Yes! I can’t wait for prom!” I beamed.

  I grabbed the tray of brownies that she had made, and she grabbed the potato salad, and we walked over to the Hollingsworths’ for dinner.

  Dinner was wonderful. I got up to clear the table, and Daniel insisted that I sit down and rest while he cleared. Everyone was laughing. Daniel had a way of charming his mom and Lenora into doing things for him, so this act was impressive. I was sitting in the kitchen, watching him load the dishes in the dishwasher. He was talking and laughing, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how happy I was that we would get to be together next year. I couldn’t wait to tell him. I wondered how he would handle the news. I hoped that he would be happy. I know that he wanted us to be together, but he was also extremely supportive of me attending and running at Stanford. I thought I could convince him that this was a better plan for us—or at least I hoped that I could.

  My dad and Coach Little would be the tougher ones to sell. I hoped that everyone would understand. I would wait until after the state meet when my brothers were home and there were more distractions.

  “What are you thinking about over there?” Daniel asked, smiling at me. His green eyes twinkled when they met mine.

  “Just thinking about life I guess,” I said vaguely.

  Daniel dried his hands and came over to sit by me. He was wearing loose-fitting, faded jeans with a simple, fitted, white T-shirt and flip-flops. His hair was longer than usual because school was almost out and he wasn’t cutting it. His face was tanned from the warmer weather, and his cheeks were rosy. He looked at me with his amazing green eyes. His weren’t typical green eyes; they had golden speckles in them, and they would change from dark to lighter shades of green depending on what he was wearing. I could stare into them all day. Daniel had absolutely perfect teeth—no braces needed. He was just born looking that good. His lips and smile were mesmerizing. It was difficult for me to be this close to him and not pull myself into his lap and press my lips to his.

  “Hellooooooo?” he crooned, looking at me and cocking his head to one side, trying to figure out why I was so distracted.

  “Oh gosh, I’m sorry. My mind was wandering,” I said shyly.

  “Where was it wandering to?” he asked in his dulcet voice.

  “Um, well, I was actually admiring how beautiful your face is,” I said, feeling my face blush.

  Daniel beamed at me, pulled me into his lap, and wrapped his arms around me. “Really?” he said flirtatiously. “Well that’s just fine with me,” he said, laughing, and he kissed the side of my neck.

  This simple contact sent a rush through my body that made my heart race and my face flush. He laughed and stroked my hair. “So, have you started your valedictorian speech yet?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “Yes, it’s all done! I couldn’t handle not having it finished, so I got it done today during Spanish class because we were watching a movie,” I said, laughing.

  “Of course you did,” he said proudly.

  “I will practice it a few times next week. I’m dreading reading it in front of everyone, though. I am not a good public speaker,” I said with my hands over my face, already dreading the thought of giving this speech.

  “You are an amazing public speaker. Everyone gets nervous, Charlotte. You’re going to be incredible,” he said sweetly. “OK, let’s get you home. You have regionals and prom on Saturday. You need to get your rest,” he ordered, lifting me up to my feet.

  “I can’t wait for prom,” I said, and I planted a kiss right on his perfect lips.

  “Neither can I, and I can’t wait to see you in that dress,” he said mischievously.

  Saturday I spent most of the day at Charlotte’s track meet. Her brothers would be coming next week for the state meet. They stayed at school during regionals to study for finals. My parents were there, and Jack Sr., Lenora, and Carl came for a few events. Even Bruce and Debbie came for her last event to see her run.

  Charlotte was very touched that they made that effort to come see her race. I hung out with Edward and Jacob, who for some reason I was now calling “Fave” as well. We had teased him so much about being called Fave that now we were actually calling him that. We laughed all afternoon about that one. We decided he must be our favorite boyfriend for Steph too.

  The girls’ relay team had won regionals, and they had qualified for state, which they were stoked about. Charlotte was so happy to get to share that moment with her two best girlfriends, but she had a full day. She raced and won all four of her events, and it was a lot of events for her to compete in. The state meet would be run over two days, which would be better for her; however, the competition would be steeper. I hoped it wasn’t too much for her to now have to get dressed up and go to prom.

  “Hey!” Charlotte came running up to me, smiling.

  Before I could say a word she jumped in my arms. “I’m excited for tonight! You aren’t too tired from sitting in the stands watching your girlfriend all day, are you?” she teased.

  “I’m excited too, and I’m really proud of you. You ran great today,” I said, smiling at her. I truly was proud of Charlotte in every way. She was such an amazing runner, and she was really humble about her achievements. People stared at her as she walked through the stadium, and she appeared clueless that people were pretty awed by her. She was a brilliant student, and she worked really hard for everything that she had achieved. Most o
f all, she was the kindest person that I knew.

  “Thank you! You are a patient boyfriend to sit here all day in this heat,” she said. “I hope you’re hungry because I’m starving!” she said, laughing, and grasped my hand to head to the truck. We ate a quick lunch, and then she was off to get ready for the dance. I decided to take a quick nap because it would take me a whopping twenty minutes to get ready.

  I went out to pick up the corsage when I woke up from my nap. My mom had of course gone with me to order it a few days ago, and she requested every possible upgrade. When I saw it, I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Wow! I thought it was going to be a flower on some ribbon,” I said, laughing.

  “Well, you upgraded to the ‘bling’ package, sir,” the girl said nervously.

  “Oh no, it’s great. I just didn’t know they made them like this,” I said, reassuring her that I was pleased.

  The corsage was basically a rhinestone bracelet with a couple of roses that appeared to also have jewels attached to them. Charlotte would love it, and my mom knew that. When I got home, jumped in the shower, threw on a little hair gel and cologne, and slipped into my tuxedo.

  “Daniel,” my mom called from downstairs, “your friends are here, and we need to head over to the Fords’ for pictures, honey.” I could hear the excitement in her voice.

  When I got downstairs, a large group was coming through the door to meet me: Sean and Morgan, Edward and Kathleen, Fave and Steph, and Gomez and a girl he had liked for two years and had finally asked out named Krista,. In addition, there were a few friends from the team: Stefan and Alexa, Liam and Hannah, Chase and Sophia, Ashok and Irene, Logan and Nicole, and Luke and Sara.

  The limo waited outside while we went over to Charlotte’s for pictures. The Fords’ house had the best backyard for pictures, and it could accommodate a large group. Lenora had made lemonade slushies and tons of appetizers. Jack Sr. greeted everyone at the door as tons of parents started arriving to take pictures. Everyone was steered out back to shoot photos, eat, and visit.

  Lenora and I waited at the bottom of the stairs. Charlotte yelled down that she was on her way. When I looked up and saw her walking down the stairs, I stopped breathing momentarily. She was absolutely breathtaking. Charlotte was a strikingly beautiful girl when she wore no makeup and her hair in a ponytail, but this was a more dramatic and jaw-dropping look.

  She had curled her hair and then pulled it back into a loose, low bun. She had loose curls that fell around her face and around her delicate neck. Her eyes were lightly lined and smoky, and when her gaze met mine, I was mesmerized by her stare. Her cheeks were shimmery and looked like they had been kissed by the sun. Her lips were shiny and plump and covered in a light pink color that begged to be tasted. Her dress fit her perfectly, and clearly there was a reason she had been drawn to this gown. It was elegant, feminine, and gorgeous, just like her. It hugged her tiny curves. A gasp finally escaped my throat.

  She smiled at my reaction. “You look awfully handsome tonight,” she said demurely as she approached me.

  I was actually speechless, and it took me a moment to pull myself together.

  Thank goodness for Lenora. “Oh, Charlotte,” she exclaimed, throwing her hands over her mouth, “you are a vision, honey,” she said, and she walked out back to check on the guests so we could have a moment alone.

  “You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen,” I said quietly. “You are absolutely breathtaking,” I whispered, and I leaned over to kiss her cheek.

  “Good, that’s what I was going for,” she said, laughing, and continued, “Daniel, I love this dress so much. Thank you for making tonight so special for me,” she said so sincerely that it made me love her even more, which I didn’t think was possible.

  I looked down to touch her hand and noticed that she was wearing her pink diamond ring and her charm bracelet. The bracelet may not have been something that most girls would have worn with a dress like the one Charlotte was wearing, but she loved it and so she would wear it. That was one of the things that made her so special and unique. I escorted her out back for photos, and I saw every head turn and admire her.

  “Charlie Ford, you sure clean up nicely,” Sean yelled out, and Morgan slapped his arm. Everyone laughed. I noticed Steph and Kathleen staring, satisfied that their friend looked so beautiful.

  Jack Sr. walked over to hug her. “Wow, Charlotte, you look gorgeous. You are the spitting image of your mother,” he said proudly, and I noticed his eyes welled up just a little bit, but he quickly pulled himself together.

  My mom and dad rushed over, and my mom started clapping and spinning Charlotte around to admire the dress. “Honey, you look like something straight out of a magazine!” my mom said, jubilantly. Charlotte and I laughed.

  “You look beautiful, honey,” my dad said, hugging her.

  We all lined up for pictures and smiled until our mouths were frozen and uncomfortable. Finally the photo shoot came to an end, and we headed to the limo. Charlotte had her hand intertwined with mine the entire time, and she kept gazing into my eyes, causing my heart to skip a beat several times.

  The dance was wonderful. They served a great dinner, and Charlotte and I danced nonstop. “You’ve got to be tired from your race today,” I said, concerned.

  “I’m not tired at all,” she beamed, and we continued dancing.

  When we took a break to eat a little bit more, I asked, “Are you having a good time?” as I tucked one of her loose curls behind her ear so I could see her beautiful face.

  “The best time ever!” she proclaimed.

  Charlotte was the happiest I had ever seen her—confident and relaxed and having a great time. She talked, laughed, and danced until the doors closed, and Kathleen and Steph had to pull us both off the dance floor.

  As we were walking to the limo, I said, “Sean is having an after-party, but if you’re too tired, I can take you home. You tell me what you want to do.” I wanted to make sure that she knew she could choose.

  “Let’s go to the party. We only go to prom once. Well, I guess ‘I’ only have prom once!” she said and burst out laughing.

  How was I possibly going to say good-bye to her once summer was over? The thought made my stomach knot up, and I quickly pushed the thought away.

  At Sean’s house, it was the same group of people, laughing, talking, dancing, and having fun. Charlotte was sitting on my lap on the couch in her fairy princess gown, looking more beautiful than ever. The room was loud, but she turned and just stared at me. Her eyes were so intense and sincere. I gazed right back at them. She was telling me that she loved me without speaking a word. She leaned forward and touched her nose to mine. “Thanks for a great night, Daniel,” she said in my ear.

  “Are you ready to go home?” I asked, stroking her face.

  “If you are?” she smiled.

  We said our good-byes to everyone, and I couldn’t wait to get her home and have some alone time with her. When we got home, she asked if I wanted to change into more comfortable clothes and then come hang out in the game room and watch movies. “Absolutely,” I said, squeezing her hand.

  I walked her to her door and told her that I would be back shortly, and then planted a kiss on her pink, perfect lips. When I came back, she was waiting at the door. She was in cute, pink sweatpants and a tank top. She had washed her face, and it was clean and beautiful. She had taken the clips out of her hair, and it was somehow falling around her shoulders and down her back as if it had been styled like that all night.

  How could she be just as stunning in sweats and a tank top, I wondered in amazement.

  “You look cozy,” she said, intertwining her hand with mine and leading me to the game room.

  Jack Sr. and Lenora were asleep, but we could close the door so we wouldn’t wake anyone. We chose a movie, but I couldn’t tell you what it was. I couldn’t stop staring at her, and after watching her all night, all I wanted to do was kiss her. She grabbed some blankets and curled up
on the couch with me.

  We started the movie, but within minutes our lips were pressed together. Our tongues were almost desperate to find one another. They were twisting and tangling together as if they had been waiting all night for that moment. She pulled herself onto my lap, straddling me to face me. I looked up at her for a moment, her hair falling all around her beautiful face, and I looked into her eyes that were burning through me, and I pulled her to me.

  We kissed each other for what seemed like hours. Our hands began wandering, and our breathing grew more rapid. I had slipped my hands under her tank top, running my fingers along her soft skin. Her hands were under my shirt and rubbing my chest, and I began kissing her gently down her neck. She lifted my T-shirt up and over my head.

  I stopped momentarily to look at her. “I just want to feel your skin against mine,” she said, looking desperately into my eyes.

  I found my hands at the bottom of her tank top, and she lifted her arms above her head to let me know that it was OK for me to take it off. My heart was racing, my breathing was growing fast and furious, and I was definitely losing all hope of self-restraint. I slowly lifted her shirt over her head. I had never seen Charlotte bare like that before, and I calmed my breathing because I wanted savor the moment.

  She smiled at me. “I love you, Daniel,” she said in such a soft voice that it actually made my heart heavy.

  “I love you too. Are you sure this is OK?” I asked, concerned.

  “I’m sure,” she said as she pulled my lips to hers again.

  We were lying facing one another, and her hands were pulling me against her, and she was gently stroking my back. Her chest was pressed against mine, and I could feel her heart beating rapidly.

  I pulled the blanket on top of us so that our bare chests were covered. I ran my hands up and down her back, and she pressed herself against me with a moan. I was definitely in trouble now. If she didn’t stop this, I didn’t think that I was strong enough to. She wrapped her arms around me and began rubbing her hands down my back and then around to my chest. We started kissing once again, and our hands were exploring one another tenderly.