Charlotte's Tangled Web: L.B. Pavlov

by L B Pavlov

  Did you leave pink roses, pink balloons, and Charlotte’s Web at my door on my birthday?

  Yes.

  Did you have someone set it there?

  No, I set it there myself. I will explain on Wednesday. Good luck at the NCAA championships Saturday. You have had an amazing season.

  I can’t believe you came here and didn’t see me. Let me guess, you will explain on Wednesday? You didn’t remove Stanford news updates from your phone?

  Of course not, Charlotte. I have followed all of your races. Your times are insane! I am really proud of you.

  You are? Well, it looks like Wednesday is going to take a while. I didn’t think you would care about my season. I have followed all of your games. You have had an impressive season yourself, Mr. Hollingsworth.

  I have a lot to say to you on Wednesday. I hope you will be patient with me. I miss you.

  I miss you too, Daniel.

  Are you going to be OK today?

  I’m better now. Good luck at your game Saturday. If you go to the Rose Bowl, maybe I can come to your game because it will be out this way.

  Well then, I am going to have to make sure that we go to the Rose Bowl. Will you be able to sleep tonight?

  I will wear my headset with you reading Charlotte’s Web. That’s the only way that I sleep every night. So I think I will sleep, Daniel.

  You just broke my heart.

  You broke mine a long time ago. I need to go to class. I will see you on Wednesday. Bye.

  See you on Wednesday. Remember, no taxis!

  I thought that went way better than I had expected. She missed me as much as I missed her. I could tell by her words. I felt so good. Just texting with Charlotte made me feel hopeful again. For the first time in six months, I felt somewhat like myself. Wednesday I would explain everything. I could have her back in my arms in a couple of days. I felt like I could conquer the world. I just needed to get through the next few days. I wondered if she would text me again before Wednesday. My mind was racing. I had to get to class and stay focused.

  chapter 19

  hope

  I was in absolute shock over my morning. I was sitting in class and filling Misty in on the entire conversation. She was giddy.

  “What do you think it means?” she asked, whispering so that Professor Thompson didn’t hear us.

  “I don’t know. But I don’t see how he can explain cheating on me. Could I have misunderstood him? I keep replaying that conversation over and over again. None of it makes sense. I’m just ready to have some answers,” I said quietly.

  “Absolutely. And, Charlie, you obviously still love him,” she said cautiously.

  “Well, of course I do. I will always love him,” I said firmly.

  At practice I was on cloud nine. How could a few simple texts do that to me? It had been so long since I had had any communication with Daniel, and I literally ached for him. Every part of me missed him. The thought that I would be seeing him on Wednesday was very exciting, but it didn’t change the fact that I couldn’t be with someone who had cheated on me. But at least I could get some answers. I didn’t know what I wanted to hear, but we definitely needed to talk.

  I woke up in the middle of the night screaming. Misty came running into my room and woke me up. I was soaking wet, shaking, and crying.

  “Charlie! Charlie! Are you OK?” she asked, panicked.

  I sat up, and it took me a minute to focus. I apologized for waking her, and told her I always had these nightmares on the eve of the anniversary of my mom’s death. She hugged me tightly, and she offered to stay with me. I told her that I would be fine, and she went back to her own bed. I hadn’t told Misty the truth about my nightmare. It wasn’t the nightmare where I wake up and my mom is gone, which I had had so many times. This nightmare was about Daniel. It was the eve of my mom’s death date, and I was sleeping in my old room with him as I always had on that night. But when I woke up screaming, Daniel had left me. I was alone. I missed him so much. I felt for my bracelet and my ring under my pillow, and I squeezed them in my hand. I pretended he was there with me. I put on my headset, and it got me through the rest of the night.

  I was relieved when I woke up Wednesday morning. I had survived the night alone. When I picked up my phone, I was shocked to see another text from Daniel.

  I just need to know if you made it through the night OK. Please just tell me that you’re OK.

  I’m OK, Daniel. Thank you.

  No nightmares?

  I had a nightmare.

  Same one as always?

  No, it was different.

  It wasn’t the one with your mom?

  No.

  What was it?

  I don’t think you want to know.

  What was it?

  You and I were asleep in my room in Indiana, and I woke up scared, and you had left me.

  Oh my God. Charlotte, I’m so sorry.

  I know you are.

  I’m sorry that you were alone.

  Maybe you can explain why I’m alone on Wednesday? Sorry, that wasn’t very nice.

  Actually, I hope I can explain it to you on Wednesday. And I deserve anything you want to throw at me. I’m sorry about your nightmare, Charlotte.

  I know you are. Thank you for checking on me. I’ll be fine now. I made it through the night. See you Wednesday.

  Just concentrate on your race now. Good luck, Charlotte!

  Thank you, good luck at your game. Oh…I’m on flight 354 out of San Jose, and I arrive at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday.

  I can’t wait to see you.

  Add that to the list of what you will explain, please.

  I will. I promise.

  My gosh, he was so confusing. I didn’t even care though. I was so happy that he cared enough to check on me. He seemed like the Daniel that I had known my whole life. I missed him so much. But right then, I needed to get through my race on Saturday. My season would be over, and I could start to think about Wednesday. I was hoping to get in the top ten and end my season strong. Our team was trying to get in the top five, and we all needed to do our part to make that happen. The competition would be the strongest that I had ever faced.

  We left for Idaho on Thursday. We would get settled in our rooms and then run the course. We would have Friday to get more familiar with the course. I was excited. Everyone teased Connor endlessly about making sure that he had his racing flats. Then they went over every single item that I should have because I was the only freshman. I loved my team. They were lots of fun.

  Nick sat with me as we drove from the airport to the hotel. He was asking me all about Daniel. I told him how he had been texting me, and he seemed happy for me. He told me to be cautious, but he was happy I would finally get some answers. When we got to the course, Coach Little came up and jogged the course with me.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “I’m really good, Coach Little,” I said happily.

  “You seem good,” he replied. “I know you are only a freshman, Charlie, but I think you can do some great things on Saturday. I believe in you. You are our lead runner. You set the bar for everyone else, so go out there and give it everything you’ve got. The top ten runners are all within a few seconds of one another, so don’t lose sight of that front group, OK?” he advised excitedly.

  “OK, I can do that,” I assured him with a smile.

  “How’s the heart doing?” he asked.

  “Well, Daniel and I have been texting, so that helps the heart a little bit,” I said softly.

  “Of course it does. I’m happy you are getting that resolved, Charlie. You deserve it,” he said as we finished the course.

  Saturday morning when I woke up, I had butterflies in my stomach. I looked at my phone, and there was a text from Daniel. It made my heart flutter.

  Good luck today, Charlotte! You’re going to do great! I am always proud of you.

  I’m so nervous, Daniel. I wish you were here with me. Good luck at your game. I really want to go t
o that Rose Bowl, so you have to have a great game!

  I was actually surprised by what I wrote after I had sent it. I couldn’t believe had I told him that I wished he was here. But the truth was, I did wish he was here. And I didn’t care if it was right or wrong to say it. I was scared, and I wanted him with me. That would never change.

  We were at the starting line, and I was terrified. It was a huge meet. Every good team and every good individual were at that race. My teammates were the best. We were in our huddle, and we did our chant. We all hugged, and Amelia turned to me and said, “Lead us to victory, freshy,” and we all laughed nervously.

  The gun went off. It was an aggressive start. There were so many girls, and everyone was clustered together. I had learned to maneuver myself and get out of the way. Misty was to the right of me, and I almost got cut off at the turn, and she yelled, “Go,” letting me know I should turn in front of her to make the corner. I was off.

  There was a large pack up front—maybe twelve girls in the pack, and I was in the back of it. I told myself to stay with that group of girls. It was a blazing pace, but I told myself to stay with them for as long as I could. With one mile to go, there were only maybe eight of us in the pack at that point. I was so fatigued. My legs were growing numb. Then I heard her voice. It was my mom. She told me to stay calm, and to relax my breathing and my arms. I suddenly felt peaceful.

  With eight hundred meters to go, I heard Coach Little yelling at me to move to the outside and start kicking now. I thought I was kicking already. I didn’t know if I could go any faster, but I did what he told me to do. He knew what I was capable of. I moved to the outside, and I started to go. A few more girls started to fall off, and we were in an all-out sprint now. I could see the finish chute. I was pumping my arms as hard as I could. There were maybe five of us in the sprint-out, and I just kept pushing with all that I had. I had no feeling in my legs anymore. Only adrenaline was carrying me by then. I leaned into the chute. I looked up as I grabbed hold of the ropes, and I was dumbfounded: I had finished in third place.

  I wondered what our times were. A girl from Oregon had won, and I couldn’t believe that I had sprinted it out with her because she was my idol. I couldn’t believe I was standing in the chute even near her. I felt so good. I turned around frantically to find my teammates. As soon as I made it out of the chute, I ran back to cheer. Misty was coming in next, and she was doing great. Amelia was close behind her, followed by Jen, and then Pearl. Our top five girls had all finished in the top sixty. Our score would be good. I could finally relax, and I had made it through my first college season.

  Everyone was celebrating. We had finished in third place as a team. The boys had finished in second place, and Nick was the overall winner. I met his family, and they were all so sweet. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my father. I jogged over. He had tears in his eyes. “Wow, Charlotte, you are amazing in every way,” he said.

  “Thanks, Dad! It was a good day for everyone,” I said, smiling.

  “You’re coming home Wednesday, right?” he asked.

  “Yep, I’ll see you on Wednesday,” I said.

  “Do you need a ride from the airport?” he offered quietly.

  “No, Dad, I’m good. A friend is picking me up. But thank you,” I said, and I hugged him. It was the first time that my father and I had hugged in a long time.

  “Charlotte, do you think we could find some time over Thanksgiving weekend to talk? There are some things that I need to talk to you about,” he said nervously.

  “Yes. Is everything OK?” I asked anxiously.

  “Oh yes, just some wrongs that I need to right,” he said.

  “Oh OK, sure, Dad. I better get back to my team. Thanks for coming,” I said, smiling at him.

  “Sure, sweetie,” and he winked at me.

  My dad almost seemed recognizable. Something had happened. He seemed like his old self, before he had gone absolutely crazy. I ran to get my bag and checked my phone. He was there again. My heart started to race. Maybe Daniel and I really could get back on track somehow.

  I’m about to start the game. Please text me with your results right away. The Stanford news takes a few hours, and I can’t wait. Don’t be nervous. You’ve got this! I know you are biting your lip! So stop it!

  Lip is released, thank you. It went well, Daniel! I got third place, and my team got third place! Yahoo! I can’t wait to hear about your game. Please text me after! I will be anxious. Oh, my dad came to the race, and he actually seemed like he was somewhat back to normal. Maybe things are turning around.

  I was truly happy. Our season had come to an end, and my team had finished well. I was happy with how I had done this season. I took a deep breath because I had survived. When I had come here six months ago, I was so scared and so sad. And I had made it. I was going home on Wednesday, and I was actually excited to go home. Life was returning to normal.

  We had rushed back to the airport, and we were on our flight home. I hadn’t heard back from Daniel, and I hoped his game was going well. I had to turn my phone off until we landed.

  By the time we got off the plane, we were all exhausted. Misty, Nick, and I had loaded our stuff into her car, and we were driving home. I was so tired; it had been a long day. I turned my phone back on during the car ride home. There was a text from Daniel.

  Congratulations! You are unbelievable. I’m so proud of you. We won our game. It went really well. I can’t wait to see you on Wednesday. I have so much to tell you, Charlotte. And I’m really happy you spoke to your dad.

  Yahoo! I’m so happy for you. I have a lot to tell you too. Mostly, I just really, really, really need to see you, Daniel. It’s been too long, and I’m so lost when I am not with you. Can you tell that I’m really tired because I’m so emotional? Sorry. See you Wednesday.

  I like when you tell me how you feel. I am completely lost without you. Get some rest tonight. Sweet dreams, Charlotte.

  Can I ask you something?

  Anything.

  Are you dating Crystal Bryant?

  Absolutely not!

  Now I can have sweet dreams. Thank you.

  I will explain everything Wednesday.

  I hope so. Good-night, Daniel.

  Good-night.

  My heart was pounding. I couldn’t believe how much I had missed him. I was so happy just to have him in my life again. And I was anxious to find out what he had to say on Wednesday.

  Misty and I both slept most of Sunday, and when we finally got up, we ordered pizza and studied the rest of the night. Monday came and went in the blink of an eye. I had to get a lot done before I went home on Wednesday, so I was busy. Daniel and I had texted just a few more times on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday morning when I woke up, I checked my phone. I was becoming so dependent on those texts from Daniel. I loved hearing from him. But this time, when I looked at my phone, I knew right away that something was wrong. Daniel had texted me early in the morning.

  Charlotte, something has happened. I can’t explain now. Please know that it isn’t true. I’m so sorry.

  What? I don’t understand what that means. Are you OK?

  I didn’t understand. What was this? Did he mean to send this to me? Was there more that he had to explain now? I looked down at my phone. I had a notification from Notre Dame news. I clicked on it, and there it was. The headline read “Pregnant Freshman Accuses Hollingsworth of Fathering her Baby.”

  My heart felt like it had stopped beating as I read the article. Are you kidding me, I thought. It was not a dream; it was for real. The freshman girl was none other than Crystal Bryant from our very own St. Viator’s High School. She claimed that she and Daniel had an ongoing affair and that she had become pregnant with his baby. Notre Dame would now have to investigate, and Daniel would be suspended and lose his scholarship if he was found guilty. Being a Catholic school, Notre Dame would not allow the student to remain at the school if the allegations were true. The article went on to say that these accusations had hug
e ramifications for both Hollingsworth and the Notre Dame football team as they prepared to head to the Rose Bowl in the next couple of weeks. Head Coach Lee Armsworth said, “Daniel [Hollingsworth] maintains his innocence, and he has the support of his coaches and teammates. Daniel is a good kid, and I have no reason not to trust him.”

  I was beside myself. Is that what he wanted to meet with me about on Wednesday to tell me? That Crystal was pregnant? After he insisted he wasn’t dating her? What did the text from him mean? Why did he say it wasn’t true? Did he mean the pregnancy wasn’t true? Or that he would be kicked out of school? Did he just not want me to hear about it this way? I couldn’t even comprehend what I had just read. Daniel would be a father. It was officially over. There would be no turning back now. He would be officially attached to Crystal Bryant for the rest of his life. I fell back on my bed, and the tears started coming down my cheeks. I was done. This was officially too much for me. And he had just lied to me when he told me that they weren’t together.

  I had known Daniel for most of my life, and he was the most honest person that I knew. Daniel never lied. He was a straight-shooter, and I counted on that from him. Had he completely changed? I decided to throw on my running shoes and go for a run. I ran for a long time, and I tried to clear my head. I decided that I would not be going home tomorrow after all. I would stay here at school. I couldn’t go home now. I needed to stay away from Daniel, and he obviously had plenty on his plate right now and far too much to possibly explain to me on Wednesday at this point. Hadn’t I been hurt enough? Why was this happening?

  I went back to my room, and I e-mailed Lenora. I told her something had come up, and I wouldn’t be able to make it home for Thanksgiving. I asked her to please let my father know that I wouldn’t be coming home after all. I called the airline and canceled my flight. I would stay on campus; I was sure that other students stayed on campus too. I wouldn’t even tell Misty because she would just feel bad for me. She and Todd were driving to her parents’ house late that night. They wouldn’t even have to know I was staying here because I wasn’t supposed to leave until the next day. I took a shower, put on some cozy sweats, and slipped into bed. I couldn’t think about it anymore.