Chapter 10

Charlotte

The next morning, I woke before Juan did. This didn’t happen often, as Juan enjoyed the mornings, and I enjoyed the nights. Juan only slept late if she partied too much.

I hadn’t slept well and wondered if I was stressing subconsciously. I got out of bed and headed directly to the tumble dryer.

I removed my sheets and put them back onto my bed while trying not to look at the gashes in the floor. I also tried not to think about the Red-eyed Lady who had stood in my sister’s room last night.

I was hungry and went to the kitchen. When I saw my parents there, I wanted to turn around and return to my room, but they saw me before I could go.

“Good morning,” Ned said.

He did not stay angry for long and never held grudges. He gave me a friendly smile, and I knew it was sincere. I greeted him and made my way to the cereal cabinet.

Andrea was making coffee, which filled the room with its bitter scent. She did not greet me, nor had I expected her to.

“I quit my job,” I told them.

My parents looked at me, and I couldn’t tell if they were surprised or worried.

“Why did you do that?” Ned asked.

“I got bored with it.”

“You are going to be even more bored at home,” Andrea warned me. “We should find you another job.”

I had no idea what else I could do. I ate my cereal fast and spoke around a full mouth. “I’m going to visit a friend today.”

“What friend?” Andrea asked.

“Just a friend,” I said, and got up.

Dimitri had not invited me to come over, but during his visit, he had told me his address. I’d decided to surprise him. It was not like I could text him and ask if I could come visit.

“Have fun,” Ned said.

He and Andrea exchanged a pleased smile. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at them. Ned had already forgotten that he had grounded me yesterday. I went back up to my room and opened my closet.

I wanted to wear a dress but it was too cold outside. I spent more time choosing an outfit than usual, and then I braided my hair. I checked myself in the mirror before I got my GPS ready and drove to Dimitri’s house.

He lived in Canal Winchester—a thirty-five-minute, comfortable drive from Blacklick on the freeway. Although it was not warm, the sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day.

I reached Dimitri’s big, luxurious house. It was painted a cream color and had neatly trimmed bushes that formed a small hedge.

I parked next to the postbox, on the side of the road, and went to the front door. It was open, but I knocked anyway.

“Dimitri!” I called.

It was a Sunday morning, and I wondered if he was at church, but someone had to be home because the door was open. I knocked again, and when no one answered, I took a step inside.

It felt a bit weird to enter a strange house. I reminded myself that Dimitri and I were friends. He should be pleased to see me. Maybe he was just sleeping late.

“Hello?” I called.

“What are you doing in my house?” a woman with a screechy, French-accented voice yelled from the kitchen.

She resembled Dimitri and was tall, too skinny, with dark brown hair. She was undoubtedly his mother. In her one hand was a bottle of whiskey.

“Hi . . . ” I managed. “The door was open—”

“Get out!” the woman said.

She stumbled around, and I knew she was drunk.

“I am a friend of Dimitri.”

“Dimitri isn’t here anymore!” she cried, and advanced like an angry lioness.

There were tears in her eyes, and I felt unwelcome.

“I’ll just go.”

I was out of that house as quickly as possible. The drunken woman slammed the front door closed. I hesitated before I got into my car and returned home.

As I drove, I pictured the angry, out-of-control woman. Poor Dimitri... He had to live with her.

***

When I arrived at my house, I was alone. I did not know where my parents had gone and assumed my sister was out with friends again.

I went to my room, where Amore waited for me. The dog jumped up and down from excitement and kissed my feet.

Something on my desk caught my eye. Next to the notebook Dimitri had given me was a brochure which read: MODELS WANTED.

I smiled to myself. My mother must think I was prettier than I was if she wanted me to be a model. Who else would have left the modeling brochure there? It must have been her after the conversation we had this morning.

I decided to look into it later, although the idea of being the center of attention did not thrill me. I’d be so uncomfortable if I were surrounded by strangers and their cameras.

I spent the day home alone. I lay on my bed and read peacefully. Nothing strange or out of the ordinary happened.

When my parents returned, they had bought groceries for dinner. Ned cooked chicken, rice, and veggies. Juan was also home earlier than usual. We all sat in the kitchen and talked while Ned was busy.

“Did you have fun with your friend?” Andrea asked.

“He was not home,” I said.

“What friend is this?” Juan asked with a naughty smile.

“You’ve not met him.”

“Him?” Ned asked. “I have not met him either.”

“You don’t like boys, Dad,” I reminded him.

“I don’t like their intentions,” Ned corrected her. “He is welcome to visit as long as the hours are reasonable.”

“Alright,” I said, “but don’t scare him away.”

Ned smiled. “I would never.”

“That goes for you too,” I told my sister.

Juan shrugged unconvincingly. “I won’t.”

I was not planning to introduce Dimitri to my family anytime soon. They would swarm him with questions. I did not want to make him uncomfortable, and I did want him to come back.

“Mom, I saw the brochures you left me. I don’t think modeling is my thing.”

“What brochures?”

I frowned. “Did you not leave modeling brochures on my desk?”

“I did not.”

“Don’t look at me,” Juan said. “I didn’t do it, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea either. It will keep you busy.”

“As long as the photo shoots are appropriate, and as long as you wear proper clothes,” Ned added.

I left it there. I was tired from not sleeping well the previous night. I hoped the ghost would leave me in peace so that I would be well rested for school the next day.

“Dinner is ready,” Ned told us.

We ate together, and the food was delicious. I ate more than I had planned, and after dinner I was ready to go to sleep. When I checked my watch, I realized it was just past ten. How had it gotten so late so fast?

“You look tired,” Ned pointed out.

“I am,” I said.

“Maybe we need a weekend away,” Andrea suggested.

“That sounds fun,” Juan said.

“I’ll see if I can find a nice weekend destination,” Ned said.

“Please don’t choose one in the middle of nowhere again,” I begged.

“We are not going to New York for a weekend,” Ned told me. “The big cities are too expensive.”

I groaned, then excused myself and went to my room.

I was surprised to find a dark-haired boy sitting on my bed. Amore refused to sit next to him. She stood next to the bed and glared at him, as if he was a threat.

“Dimitri!” I said. “Hi!”

“Hey.” He smiled lazily. “I did not mean to intrude . . .”

“Nonsense, you are welcome anytime.”

I looked to the window through which he had climbed. He was stealthy and had done an excellent job of not being seen by my parents.

“You are welcome at my house too,” he said.

“Am I?” I asked. “I went to visit you this morning. I wanted to surprise you, but I ran into your mom instead.”

“Oh no.” Dimitri’s face fell. “What did she say?”

“She said that you weren’t there and that I had to leave.”

Dimitri looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry. My mother has a drinking problem, and she can be very rude. We fight a lot. This morning I felt like it was best if I stayed away from the house for a while.”

“You don’t have to explain,” I said, and closed my room door.

I switched on my night light and switched off the main light before I sat down on the bed. I felt like there was too much space between Dimitri and me. Neither of us moved closer to each other.

Dimitri glanced at the brochure on my desk. “You will be a great model.”

I blushed. “I have no intentions of becoming one. I’m not even sure how that brochure got there.”

Dimitri studied it and frowned. There was a photo of several girls, standing next to each other, on the brochure.

“What is it?” I wondered.

He was not looking at the girls in an admiring way. “This girl,” he said, and I leaned over the bed so that I could see better. “She looks familiar.”

I tensed as I saw the tall, thin woman with her blow-dried blond hair. It was the Red-eyed Lady. I clenched my jaw. The woman I watched die had been a model for this agency.

“Are you alright?” Dimitri asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “It’s nothing.”

“You can tell me,” he said.

But I could not tell him. I could not tell anyone without sounding like a crazy person. What if the Red-eyed Lady was the one who left me the brochure? Did she want me to go to her work?

“Charlotte?” Dimitri said, and I looked at him. “I did not mean to upset you.”

“It’s not your fault,” I said. “I’m just tired.”

“Should I go?”

“No, stay.” I lifted Amore onto the bed, and the dog immediately lay down on the far side.

“She hates me,” Dimitri said.

“She will get used to you.” I yawned and kept to my side of the bed. It was chilly, so I got under the blanket.

To my surprise, Dimitri did the same thing. There was a lot of space between us, and Dimitri did not try to touch me. I smiled at him, and he returned it like a favor.

“The flower you drew me is beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

A knock sounded on the door, and Dimitri immediately pulled the sheets over his head. A person was obviously lying there, and my father would be furious if he found a boy in my bed.

Before I gave permission for the person to enter my room, the door opened.

Luckily, it was Juan. She stuck her head in. “Have you seen my red shirt with the silver beads on?”

“No,” I said.

Juan groaned. She looked to my side, then smiled at me and left the room without saying anything else.

“You can come out,” I said. “She is gone.”

Dimitri peeked as if he were a mouse. I laughed and pulled the sheets away from his face. “Was that your sister?”

“Yeah,” I said. “She won’t tell on us.”

I lay awake for a long time and talked to Dimitri. I was quickly growing fond of him. I hoped he liked me as much as I liked him.

I fell asleep, and when I woke for school the next morning, he was gone. Although I was tired, I was also happy and ready for the day.

I stuck the brochure in my schoolbag and decided that I would go to the modeling agency. Maybe that would make the Red-eyed Lady leave me alone.

I went downstairs, and Juan greeted me as if I had not had a stranger in my bed. I was happy that my sister did not confront me about it. I did not feel like answering questions anyway. Both of us acted as if it had never happened.