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December 23rd, 1987 -- Salem, MA 6:31 PM, EST
The Everetts lived in a large, Cape Cod style home with a pristine white picket fence and pretty blue shutters.
Mrs. Everett wore expensive pearls and perfect curls in her blonde locks. She looked like the kind of woman that would be standoffish to those outside of her country club, but she welcomed Shelby inside with open arms, even giving the girl a hug.
"It is a pleasure to meet one of Robert's friends." She announced, smiling at Shelby as she took her coat. "Celia, will you put this in the coat closet?" She called out to a girl behind her.
Celia Everett was a beautiful girl of age fourteen and looked exactly like her brother. His same brown eyes stared back at Shelby as the younger girl took her coat and walked away with it.
Shelby turned around, watching as "Robert" entered with her suitcase. He winked at her as he set it down, then unzipped his coat to reveal a polished dark blue blazer and plaid dress shirt. He was certainly not the same boy that played beer pong back at MIT.
"I had Anna make up one of the spare rooms for you before she left. Robert can show you up there." Mrs. Everett stated with a warm smile.
Shelby deducted that Anna must have been the housemaid. The Everetts really appeared to be a picture-perfect family.
"Yeah, come on, Shelbs." Robbo said, grabbing her suitcase as he lead her through the large house, passing through the parlor and the kitchen before they finally reached the staircase.
After her failed attempt to contact Tony, Shelby's grandmother had caught her by the phone and had yelled at her so much that Shelby had no choice but to flee. She'd packed up her things and made it to the bus station, where she had hoped to catch a bus back to Boston. Unfortunately, the last bus had come in and no more would go out until after Christmas.
That had left Shelby momentarily homeless.
Thankfully, she'd had Robbo's home phone number written down in her notebook, and she dialed it from the payphone outside the station. There she'd sat until he'd come and got her. She hoped Salem would have a train or a bus or something that could get her back to school.
"Well, here's the room." Robbo announced, gesturing towards a very large guest room. Shelby walked in and glanced around, seeing that her window overlooked the beach adjoining the Everett property. The bed was a large queen size and had a warm-looking quilt patterned with soft pastels and flowers.
"Thank you, Robert." She teased, a smile playing on her lips as she looked over at the boy.
Robbo flushed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Rob will be just fine, thanks." He grinned. "Oh, and I'm just across the hall." He winked as he pointed across the large landing to a door that was adjacent to the bathroom.
