"Here's your change, Charlene, don't forget to tell your mom that her orders are coming tomorrow," Mrs. Cooper handed out the money she took from the register.
"I will, Mrs. Cooper," she replied.
"It's so good to finally see you out and about, your mom finally let you go and do groceries ... huh?"
Charlene smiled, "Yeah, I'll be seventeen in two weeks, I think it's about time she let me do some errands by myself."
Mrs. Cooper laughed, "Well ... your parents are just being protective of you ... you're such a fine young lady, no wonder they've been keeping you locked up in that big ol' house o' yours."
Charlene laughed softly and tucked her hair behind her ear, "Alright, Mrs. Cooper, I'll see you tomorrow, then," she took the groceries off the counter and walked toward the door.
Just when she was about to open the door, it was opened from the outside. A boy walked in, ice-blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair, his big nose slightly crooked, and his thick red lips gaping, staring at her, speechless. Charlene smiled at him, "Excuse me," she said and walked past him.
"You better close that mouth o' yours before the flies come flyin' in," Mrs. Cooper broke his astonishment, "Don't even think about it, Tom, you don't go near that girl," she said.
Thomas Raven walked over to the counter, still dazed with what he just saw, "Who was that?" he asked.
"Not of your concern, that's who she is ... now what do you want?"
"A pack of Marlboro Lights." Mrs. Cooper took a pack and put it on the counter.
"That'll be $3.50," she put the numbers on the register. He paid for it. "Shoot! She left her eggs," Mrs. Cooper muttered and took the eggs from under the counter.
Tom grabbed the eggs and ran, "I'll take it to her."
"Hey!! Tom! No! Tom! You stay away from that girl, you hear?"
But he was already out the door chasing the girl with the sweetest smile he had ever seen.
"Miss! ... Miss!" he called out to her. Charlene stopped her steps and turned around. Tom was panting when he got to her, "You forgot your eggs."
"Oh! I did, didn't I? Thank you," she said as she reached to take her eggs.
"Let me carry those for you," he said clutching the eggs.
Charlene hesitated, "That's okay ... I can do it myself," she declined.
"Please ... I insist," he said. He couldn't stop staring at her up to a point where it was uncomfortable for her, "I'm sorry ... I just ... I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
She blushed, "Thank you," she shied away from his gazing eyes. "I don't know ... I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," she said. Tom wiped his hands on his shirt and offered her a handshake. "I'm Thomas ... Thomas Raven."
She shook his hand, "I'm Charlene ... Ludlow."
"Well then, we're not strangers anymore ... Charlene Ludlow, you're Bill Ludlow's daughter?" he asked. She nodded. He took a deep breath and realized why Mrs. Cooper had told him to stay away from this girl.
Everyone in Bluebridge knew who Bill Ludlow was, he was the main contributor in town. He was a very successful businessman who used to be a prominent lawyer and a District Attorney. He was very well connected with the town's Mayor and was rumored to run for the Office the following year. "I'd like to walk you home Charlene, may I call you Charlie?"
She smiled, "No one's ever called me that before."
"Perfect, then I get to be the only one," he said as they started walking.
"I've never seen you around before, I'm sure I'd remember you if I had," Tom knew almost everyone in town, especially the girls.
She shook her head with a faint smile, "I don't get out much, ... this is actually the first time I've ever met anyone in town, aside from Mrs. Cooper, she's been our grocer forever, ... do you live around here?"
Tom smiled, "Yeah ... I live around here, just ask anyone, they'll tell you I live around here," he was being vague, he couldn't possibly tell her that he was pretty much homeless.
She furrowed her brows but quickly dismissed it, "Where do you go to school?"
He never felt so nervous being asked that, he never cared if people knew he was out of school, until that day. "I've been working for the past 3 years now," he wasn't lying.
"Really? How old are you?" Charlene was surprised because despite his boyish look, he might be older than she thought.
"Nineteen, what about you? Are you still at school?"
She nodded, "Yeah, Easton High, I'll be graduating next year."
Of course, Tom thought, where else would Bill Ludlow's daughter go to school. Easton High was the only private school in Bluebridge where all the 'better' kids go to. While the rest of the people go to public schools, which they only had two in that very small town. He knew he was in way over his head with this girl, but something made him kept walking.
"So ... where do you work? What do you do?" she asked.
"Anything ... everywhere ..." he cleared his throat.
She looked at him funny, "That's not fair, I've told you where I go to school, you're walking me to my house, but I practically don't know anything about you other than your name."
Tom scratched the back of his head, "The idea is to keep you talking to me as long as I can ... if you know things about me, you might never want to do that again," he was being honest.
He kept his head down, she stared at him and caught a glimpse of nervousness behind his bold approach. When he looked up, she was caught up with those ice-blue eyes, his boyish frame, his nose, lips, everything combine in breathtakingly good looks, "I highly doubt that," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. If he didn't know any better, he would mistake her comment with flirting.
"Anyways, that means I get to tell you more about me some other time ... like tomorrow?" he was hoping.
She didn't reply to that. As they were approaching the gates of her house, she stopped walking, "I think you shouldn't go further than this ... my parents don't allow me to be friends with boys," she told him.
Tom looked at the big white grand building a few hundred meters from the gate, so out of reach, so intimidating. He looked at Charlie, his heart was melting, "Can I see you again tomorrow?" he had to ask.
She tilted her head as she took her groceries from his hands, "I don't know ... maybe ..." a half-smile curved on her lips, "If you promise to tell me more about yourself?"
He rubbed his hand on the side of his neck, and put the other hand in his pocket, "Okay," he said reluctantly.
She giggled on her way walking backward toward the gate, "Thank you, Tommy, I have to go now ... it was nice meeting you," she walked in through the gate of her mansion and didn't look back.
'Tommy', he never liked it when people call him Tommy, but on her lips, it sounded appropriate, like it belonged there. He knew his way around girls, if she asked anyone around town, she would hear about that too. But for the first time in his life, Thomas Raven felt lightning had struck him straight in his heart, and her name was Charlene Ludlow, the only girl in town he was not supposed to lay his eyes on.
Dinner was served at 7 PM every night. Bill Ludlow liked his meal warm and ready for him when he arrives home. He liked it even better when his wife, Catherine, and his two daughters sat at the dining table, waiting for him to have dinner together. They greeted him with a perfect smile and the courtesy of ladies from an upper-class family.They exchanged stories of how they go about their day with Bill usually dominated the conversation. He meticulously laid out his plans and rules so each and every member of the family know who's in charge and what they have to do. Obedient is the key to Bill Ludlow's heart, the girls had learned that if they obey their father's rules, they can ask for almost anything."I've invited my good friend,Lloyd Friedman to your birthday party, Charlene," her father said.She nodded even though she didn't know who it was."Lloyd is coming all the way from Gastonburry?" Catherine asked.Bill nodded, "He's coming with
"A Ludlow girl?? Oh man ... you're out of your mind, bro, there's no way ..." Samuel commented. Tom had been with almost every girl in town, but he never crossed to the other side of Bluebridge where the better halves were living, let alone Bill Ludlow's daughter. "You don't wanna mess with Bill Ludlow, he's got grip on this town, don't wanna know what he'll do to you if he found out you're messing with his daughter," Ryan agreed.He wasn't planning to mess around with this girl, though, not really. The moment he laid eyes on her, it was pure attraction. He'd never been attached to anything in his life after his mom left, he learned to mend for himself from such an early age. He explored his sexuality by having casual sex with many girls, but never really have a steady girlfriend before. When he saw Charlene, something inside him felt tamed, withdrawn from his usual wild ways of approaching the opposite sex, it was a feeling he didn't recognize.His family fell apart a
He was good with his words, but then again, Charlene was not allowed to go to the store again after that day. After a few days, she had accepted that she might never see him again. She walked to and from school with her friends, always looking around to see if she can find a familiar face along the way. But she never did.There are many walk paths to get from one place to another in Bluebridge, most people go by bike or motorbike, the most common was by foot. The only time people go by car was to go out of town, or if you're a Ludlow or the very few upper-class families in that very small town then you get to go around town by car with a driver.She was walking home from school that day, she and her friends Mandy and Kayla took the usual route past the lake near the woods. There were people swimming in the lake, they heard them laughing, jumping into the lake and splashes of water. They were teenagers, a bit older than them, not from their area, sure enough, her eyes w
Despite what her mother said to him, he couldn't resist the urge to see her again. She was the only thing he could think about when she's not with him. He waited behind a big tree, not far from her school, biting on a toothpick with his back and a foot up against the tree and one hand in his pocket.He has a noticeable appearance, other than his visible good looks, he has a presence that distinct him from a crowd. She was starting to get familiar with him that her eyes would easily find him. She had butterflies rushing to fly away from inside her stomach as he was approaching her. She knew when he came to her school that day, he was pursuing her. Something most boys wouldn't dare the soonest they found out she was Bill Ludlow's daughter. He had a devil-may-care attitude that was most attractive to her, yet the minute he was in her presence, he would shrink into an awkward harmless little boy that made it hard for her to believe that he was as bad as the things she heard about
The house was transformed into a party venue. Workers have been working since morning, putting up lights, flowers, setting up tables, inside and outside the house. The lawn had been mowed, tents were hoisted. The kitchen had been cooking non-stop, caterers have arrived with more variations of dishes to serve throughout the night.Her parents had invited 150 guests aside from Charlene's friends. The caterers provided 20 waiters and waitresses to make sure the food and beverages were prepared and served properly. There will be at least 250 people crowding the party. She looked stunning in a white halter neck dress that her mom had chosen for her. She put on some make-up and earrings. She brushed her hair casually because her naturally wavy hair looked gorgeous on any occasion. She finally came downstairs with Mandy and Kayla when it was almost dinner time. The guests were already gathered up under the staircase, having hors d'oeuvres and champagne. They all looked up to see her
Landon emerged from the crowd and came over to where Charlene was sitting with her friends. Inside, the music was playing, and people started to make room for a dance floor in the center of the main hall. "Hey, Charlene ... it's time for your dance, your dad asked me to look for you here and do the first dance together," said Landon, extending his hand to Charlene."Oh, my ... I'm not very good at dancing," she looked at her friends to bail her out, but they were actually encouraging her to go for it."I can help you out with that, don't worry," he assured her.She took his hand and nervously walked inside. The guests were clapping for them, Landon turned her around to face him, they touch palms, and put his other arm around her waist. He put her other arm around his waist, their faces almost touched. She had never been that close to a guy before, she turned her face to her right, and saw her parents smiling widely looking at them starting to sway on the dance f
"Okay ... it's time to get you back home," Tommy said after she finished her second beer."What? No!!" his friends shouted."Oh, come on, Tommy! It's not that late," Charlie whined.He laughed, "It is for you, Birthday Girl," he stood up, extended his hand to her. "Come on, you're not supposed to be here in the first place, you're putting me on the spot here," he said.She took his hand and stood up, "Well, okay, fair enough," she agreed. She felt a little light-headed but managed to walk straight after she said goodbye to everybody."You comin' back here, man?" Ryan asked."Yeah, I'll be back."Tommy put his hands on her waist when she wobbled, "Are you okay?"She nodded, "I'm okay, it's the beer, I guess?" and then she laughed out loud. He lets her go as soon as she managed to steady her walk. "I never drank before in my life, I didn't know it had a really funny side effect, I mean ... I knew but I never experienced it before
The dilapidated cabin looked gloomy amongst the towering elms. He ascended the front steps toward the door, already had ideas of what he was going to do with the steps and the small veranda. He put the key in the keyhole and turned it. It still smelled like old tobacco and wet wood. He entered carefully, the floor creaked, the hinges squeaked. Everything was still at its place, nobody had been in there since old man Bob's funeral.He sat on the two seated ram shacked sofa, he took a small picture frame from the side table next to it, a picture of the old man and him when he was about 15 years old. He remembered how Bob used to show him magic tricks that were obvious to him, but he kept his mouth shut, pretended that it was the cleverest trick he had ever seen.Bob asked him one day, "Do you believe in magic, Tommy?"He said, "No."Bob smiled and said, "You will ... when you see her," with a pat on his shoulder.He never really understood what it me