Project GoldCrest ✓

Chapter 1

Charlotte

"So what happened really when I picked you up? You seemed... angry."

"My mom happened."

"I get the feeling that you don't really get along well with her,"

I grimaced, "You're right, I don't." As I admitted this, I thought I'd feel some kind of sadness. But I felt nothing. It wasn't the first time I felt like this. Sometimes, I just didn't feel normal.

"I'm sure she loves you," Chrissy said softly. I guess she realised that I was stuck dwelling on that little fact. I mentally boxed it up for when I'd unpack everything later. Maybe when I was older.

"As I was saying. Yesterday I went to the park for my date thing with my boyfriend. Then I waited a long time, but he didn't show up. I went home late."

"Okay, so?"

"My mother mentioned that at breakfast, in front of my dad."

Chrissy started a laughing fit. She knew how dramatic my dad could be. That one time she went to a family dinner at my house last week, was where she'd gotten a glimpse of that. We'd been chatting about the stuff we learned about in school, and Chrissy mentioned one of the teachers. Mrs Winters. She'd complained about her because she'd give us homework every single day.

My dad had gasped and then became very serious. The expression on his face was like someone had been severely injured. He'd said something about how people never change. We'd asked what he meant and he explained that he used to date her in high school. That was so hard to imagine, considering how much of a goof my dad sometimes was. Maybe opposites did sometimes attract.

Anyway, as soon as we'd changed the topic he changed moods and became very cheery. It was as if we had never mentioned Mrs Winters. My mother had been awfully quiet, and I'd learned when Chrissy left that it was because she didn't like my friend. Because she wasn't much of a lady. I didn't tell Chrissy that.

"I bet your dad looked like he wanted to cry or murder someone." Chrissy breathed out after she had calmed down.

"He did. But thankfully you came and here we are." I said and smiled. I was thankful to have Chrissy as a friend, even if she was a bit crazy. It's only been two full weeks and counting, but I feel like she'll become my best friend soon.

We've been friends since the day schools opened. My friendship with Keeley was failing, and I was lonely. We had been trying to be friends ever since the twins, Corinne and Candace, moved away. But we were drifting apart. On that day, Keeley switched schools.

I found that out when I didn't hear her name from the register in the morning and heard she switched from comments around me. I was sitting alone, since I'd kept the seat next to me vacant for her. I don't know why, but Chrissy chose that moment to sit with me and we've been friends ever since.

"Okay, let me go look for my boyfriend. I'll see you in class." I said, remembering that we didn't meet like we were supposed to yesterday.

"Okay, see you."

I closed the passenger door on my way out, then walked inside the school building. He was usually at school way earlier than me. He hung around his friend, Blake. Blake wasn't a good influence on him (he smoked), but it's not like I could just tell him to stop being friends with him.

I searched the hallways and didn't find him. He has to be here somewhere. There were only a few people around.

As I was looking through the not-so-crowded hallways, I bumped into someone. When I looked up, I was kind of annoyed to find that it was Blake. But my boyfriend was nowhere to be found.