Chapter 2
Chapter Two
S he tied the curtain up and took a step back. Then, she took the pin out of her mouth and stuck it to the fabric in an attempt to keep the shawl in place. While she knew the mannequin in front of her didn’t do the character justice, it was the best she could do on short notice.
With most of the kids gone for the summer, Charlotte was left to improvise.
It was how she found herself spending the better part of a Sunday alone in the auditorium, nibbling on her leftover chicken panini and humming the songs to herself. She’d been in here hundreds of times; it was one of her favorite places to go to at school, but she couldn’t deny how empty it felt. How heavy the air was without anyone else there.
Sometimes, Charlotte could swear ghosts and memories were lingering around every corner, the kind she wanted to avoid. Over the past few days, she’d been going over her discussion with Savannah, but she kept coming to the same conclusion.
She was hard on her sister— harder than she should be.
But what choice did she have?
Charlotte didn’t want her sister to settle, not in a career she didn’t want, and definitely not when it came to her life. But she also didn’t want Savannah to blink and find that her entire life had gone by while she was too busy chasing a mirage. Ever since they were little, Charlotte had kept an eye on Savannah, taking great pride in her accomplishments.
It kept her from dwelling too much on how her own life turned out.
Savannah was right that Charlotte had taken the easy out, but after her father’s passing, she didn’t know what to do with herself. Like Savannah, she’d spent a while floating from one project to the next, from one interest to the next, and in the end, it was teaching that made her feel grounded and kept her from floating away altogether.
Teaching had given her life purpose, meaning, and order during a time when she desperately needed it. Granted, it wasn’t the kind of life she’d envisioned for herself growing up, but now that she was knee-deep in it, she couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Or being anywhere else.
Still, now and again, Charlotte did find herself wondering how different her life would’ve been if she hadn’t clung to the first thing that made sense.
Would she have been as fearless as Savannah?
Would she have created a whole new life for herself outside of Falmouth?
Sighing, Charlotte realized she’d been holding her script in a vicelike grip against her chest. Slowly, she pulled it away and tossed it onto an empty chair. The low thudding sound echoed back to her as she fished her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her contacts. When she reached her sister’s number, she paused and took a deep, steadying breath.
Savannah knows you love her. She knows you want what’s best for her. So what if the two of you don’t see eye to eye?
Savannah answered on the sixth ring, her tone clipped and measured. “What?”
Charlotte sighed. “Are you still mad at me?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Am I still dragging you along for the ride? I thought my schtick was getting old.”
Charlotte winced and curled her free hand into a fist. “Sav, I—”
“You what? Want to lecture me some more about how I’m wasting my time and my life just because I want to be sure this is what I’m going to commit to? Yeah, I get it already, Char. You think I’m a loser.”
No, no, no. It’s not true, Sav. Come on.
But she understood why her sister thought that way. Growing up, Savannah had always been the first to cry, the first to get worked up over things, and even now, that hadn’t changed. As much as Charlotte hated to admit it, she’d known exactly the kind of effect her words were going to have.
But at the moment, she hadn’t cared, at least not enough to stop herself.
Charlotte grimaced. “I didn’t mean it like that, Sav. I just meant that—you know what I mean. You’ve got so much potential, and I don’t want to see you waste it—”
“You know, I’m getting a little tired of you trying to sound like Dad.”
Charlotte reeled back as if she’d been slapped. “I’m not trying to sound like Dad. It’s how I feel.”
Except they both knew that wasn’t true.
Out of the two of them, Charlotte clung to him harder because of how close they were and how unsettling it felt to no longer have him around. Years later, Charlotte still reached for him; she still imagined all of the conversations they could’ve had together.
Savannah snorted. “Yeah, sure. You keep telling yourself that.”
Charlotte counted backward from ten and waited for her heart to stop racing. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you. I don’t know if it’s nerves because you’re supposed to be going to med school in the fall, or maybe you’re just having a hard time seeing Mom with someone new, but don’t take it out on me.”
Because Charlotte had no interest in being anyone’s punching bag, least of all her sister’s.
“Stop trying to psychoanalyze me,” Savannah snapped, her voice rising toward the end. “And stop acting like you have the answers to everything because you don’t.”
Charlotte’s stomach tightened into knots. “I never said I did.”
“Oh, but you sure do act like it. I told you before that not everyone has to follow the same path you did, and I meant it. So, if you’re calling to chew me out again, let me stop you there. You’re wasting your time. Just because you’re not happy with your life doesn’t give you the right to rip mine apart.”
Each word felt like a dagger piercing through Charlotte’s armor.
As usual, her sister knew exactly where to strike to make her bleed.
As Charlotte stood in the middle of the empty auditorium, heart pounding in her ears and bile rising in the back of her throat, she realized she had no idea what she was supposed to say next. Or how she was supposed to make things better between them.
Charlotte opened her mouth and snapped it shut again.
Savannah’s words were still ringing in her ears as silence stretched between them.
Was her sister right?
Was she unhappy in her life?
It made her feel like she was all alone in the world, like no one knew her at all.
Savannah released a deep, shaky breath. “I shouldn’t have said that. That was out of line.”
Charlotte’s ears were still ringing. “I said some things you didn’t like either.”
Savannah’s just lashing out. That’s why she said those things. You know what she’s like when she’s angry, and you do know how to push her buttons.
Savannah made a low noise in the back of her throat, and Charlotte heard a door open. A loud cacophony of voices rose, and then the door clicked shut. When Savannah’s voice came back on, it was garbled and unclear. Charlotte pulled the phone away from her ear, stared at it for a few seconds, and then placed it back against her ear.
Nothing changed.
Not the tightness in her chest, not her nails digging hard into her palms, and not the hollow ache she felt as she stood there, turning Savannah’s words over and over in her head. By the time Savannah’s voice came back on, still distorted, someone was calling out to her.
Once the call ended, Charlotte dialed Addison and waited for her to pick up.
Savannah was wrong.
She had to be.
“Hey, how are preparations for the play coming along?”
“Do you think I’m unhappy?”
Addison paused. “What?”
“Do you think I’m unhappy? Do you think that’s why I try to control everything around me and why I’m so hard on Savannah?”
Addison sighed, and Charlotte heard running water in the background. “Are you two still fighting? What happened? I thought you were going to call her to smooth things over.”
Charlotte ran a hand over her face. “I was, but then she started saying all of these things about how I’m not happy with my life, and that’s why I’m criticizing hers.”
Addison exhaled. “You’re tough on her because she needs it. Savannah needs some structure and discipline, and there’s nothing wrong with trying to give her that.”
“Ad…”
“Hmm?”
“You didn’t answer my question.” Charlotte switched the phone to her other ear, and her stomach lurched. “Do you think I’m unhappy?”
Addison was quiet for so long that it made Charlotte wonder if the line had cut off. She lowered herself onto the floor, tucked her legs under her, and gripped the phone tighter. Before Addison could respond, the doors to the auditorium opened, and a vague silhouette appeared, with hunched shoulders and a hoodie pulled over her head. Charlotte squinted, and a few moments later, she recognized Annie Baker walking toward the stage, her movements sure and precise.
Inches away from the stage, she lifted her gaze and froze when she saw Charlotte sitting there.
“I’ve got to go,” Charlotte whispered. “There’s a student here. I’ll talk to you later.” With that, she rose to her feet and dusted herself off. “Hey, Annie. How are you?”
Annie’s eyes darted around, listless and unfocused. “I’m sorry to interrupt you, Ms. Ricker. I didn’t know anyone would be here.”
Charlotte smiled. “It’s okay. How’s summer school going?”
Annie sank into the nearest chair and buried her face in her hands. “Great. Other than the fact I don’t think I’m going to pass the seventh grade.”
Charlotte climbed off the stage and sat down next to Annie. She draped an arm over her shoulders and squeezed. “Don’t say that. You’re a smart kid, and I’ve seen how hard you work. You’ll get there.”
Annie lifted tear-stained eyes to Charlotte’s. “You really think so?”
Charlotte nodded, and her smile grew wider. “Absolutely. Here, why don’t I walk you to the parking lot, and you can tell me a little more about what’s bothering you?”
Together, they made their way outside, with Annie talking a million miles a minute. Once they reached the parking lot, and she spotted her foster mom getting out of a dusty, old, silver sedan, Annie grew quieter. Annie’s foster mom wore a wrinkled coat thrown over a pair of jeans with mud caked on the hem, and her hair was piled into a bun on top of her head.
When she reached them, Annie inched away and glanced at an unmarked spot in the distance. “Libby, you remember my drama teacher, Ms. Ricker.”
Libby stuck her hand out, and her purse slid down her arm. “Hi, Ms. Ricker. It’s so nice to see you again. Of course, I remember you. I loved last year’s production of Wicked .”
A flush crept up Charlotte’s neck and cheeks. “Thank you. I’m really glad you enjoyed it.”
“We both did. Didn’t we, sweetheart?”
Annie folded in on herself and said nothing.
Libby cleared her throat, and her smile faltered. “Well, anyway, I look forward to this year’s production. What are you doing this year?”
“It’s a surprise,” Charlotte replied, pausing to shift from one foot to the other. “You know, sometimes, we can get volunteers from the older classes to help out. I’m sure Annie would be perfect for the job.”
Poor kid.
She needed the distraction, and Charlotte had seen the way her eyes lit up and the spring in her step whenever she was in the auditorium.
While they stood in the middle of the parking lot making small talk, Charlotte couldn’t help but glance between Annie and her foster mom and wonder why they were leaning away from each other.
What kind of demons are the two of you battling?