...continued from previous page

After dinner, Sherri found Charlotte doing her homework in the girls' room.

"Charlotte," began Sherri, closing the bedroom door so her parents wouldn't hear, "I found your suitcase, packed and ready to go." A cold sinking feeling came over Charlotte. Here was Sherri's chance to get even. Charlotte half expected to see Sherri run out the door and tell Angela and Mark.

"What are you going to do?" asked Charlotte, staring fearfully at Sherri.

"When are you leaving?" asked Sherri.

"Tonight, when everyone is asleep," replied Charlotte, wondering why her cousin wasn't already spilling everything to her parents.

"Where are you going, and how do you intend to get there?" inquired Sherri.

"Southern California... a place called Twin Yucca. I thought I'd hitchhike," replied Charlotte, realizing her scheme sounded lame when spoken out loud.

"Hitchhike across the United States?" laughed Sherri, incredulously. "You are so stupid! You'll be picked up by the police and sent back here before you've even started!"

"What do you care?" asked Charlotte, defensively. She knew it sounded stupid, but she had no other choice. Her father needed her!

"Oh, I care. When you leave, I get my life back," replied Sherri, going to her collection of Barbie dolls in the closet. From a bag containing doll clothes, Sherri procured an envelope. "If you want to actually get where you're going, you'll need money," stated Sherri, opening the envelope.

"I have money," retorted Charlotte. Sherri rolled her eyes.

"You are so juvenile. I checked your purse, yesterday. You only have thirty dollars. Do you honestly expect to travel thousands of miles on thirty dollars?" Charlotte was incensed that she had been going through her things, but the success of her escape was more important than her privacy. It wouldn't do to make Sherri angry, for it looked like she was going to help. Swallowing her pride, Charlotte listened quietly. "I'll make reservations for a one way ticket to Southern California, in your name," continued Sherri. "I can use my telephone and do it right now, without Mom and Dad knowing. I'll do this on two conditions," said Sherri. Charlotte nervously gulped. "Number one, you don't come back. Two, if you get caught, you keep me out of it. I'll deny that I had anything to do with it. I'll even say you stole the money from me. Agreed?" Charlotte quickly agreed. To promise to never return was easy. To not say that Sherri had helped her run away was a little harder. If she got caught, she would look like a thief. At any rate, a way was opening for her to leave, and she was going to take it.

Later that night, after everyone but the two girls had gone to sleep, Sherri and Charlotte silently left the house. Since Sherri had Providentially just gotten her driver's license, she started the family car and drove Charlotte to the airport. Sherri paid for Charlotte's ticket and handed it to her. It seemed too good to be true. Charlotte sensed that this one ticket would change her whole life. Even though Sherri had resented her presence from the start, she could not help but feel grateful.

"Thank you," said Charlotte, the excitement of seeing her father again, racing through her blood. The last few weeks had been filled with the pain of separation from her father, the loneliness of being unwanted and unloved, and the guilt of Darren's death. But, right now, nothing else mattered more to Charlotte than to see her father again.

"Since they won't sell a ticket to a minor, unaccompanied, on the last flight of the day, I told them you were eighteen. Remember that if anyone asks you," instructed Sherri. There was no hint of felicity in her voice. She had been willing to pay hundreds of dollars, money she had been saving for over a year, just to finally be rid of this thorn named Charlotte. It was with relief instead of regret, that Sherri parted company with her cousin. To make absolutely sure that Charlotte really was leaving, Sherri watched as Charlotte boarded the airplane and taxied down the runway. When the airplane disappeared into the night, Sherri happily returned home. The deed was done. Charlotte was going home.

"Surely the wrath of [Sherri] shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain."
~ Psalms 76:10 ~

"Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
~ Isaiah 55:12, 13 ~

end of chapter

<< Love Stories Last PageLove Stories Next Page >>