Washed Up ≫ A.I

Chapter [17]

FLASHBACK CHAPTER

[Charlotte Kendall]

California is a hot land. It has crisp breezes near the ocean and warm green grasses. Southern California in particular was a place where everyone wanted to live. And I was part of the 'everyone' crowd.

Growing up I lived in Arizona, the state closest to the dreamland and yet still too far from heaven. Now Arizona was a really hot land with no ocean breeze or green grass. After my mother moved out when I was only in the second grade she moved to California. I wanted to go with her but not if it meant never coming home to my father ever again. California was my dream but Arizona was my home.

Once I graduated from high school I planned on finally leaving Arizona, but I also planned to come back someday.

Now it's been two years exactly and I haven't gone back home to my hot land Arizona. However, my plans are still valid.

It is the last day of our summer break and Emma and I have just finished our list for our last day. Emma has a list of names in her notebook as she jots down phone numbers and other lists of grocery items. I'm sitting in the front room of our apartment scrolling through my very own contacts of friends and considering the best kind of people to come to our very last party of the summer. Brian's name quickly scrolled past my screen and my stomach turned as I decided to avoid his name and appearance at this party.

"Any luck?" Emma suddenly called across the room causing me to look away from my phone.

"No, not really," I say back loudly enough for her to hear before slumping back down into our small, ugly, purple couch. The itchy material cut into the back of my legs as I adjusted for comfort again for the millionth time.

"Well, no worries I already sent out a mass text to everyone and anyone." She chirped up with a smirk and polished posture.

"There you go again always outshining me Em." I tease sarcastically as she rolls her eyes before closing her notebook. She practically hopped out of her chair making her striped skirt whirl underneath her before walking over to plop down beside me on the two person couch.

"We really need to hide this hideous thing so people don't judge us." Emma mocks a disgusted look as her hands run over the fabric slowly.

When she laughed at herself and looked up at me her attention snapped directly to me. I knew it was my face because I could feel my lips frowning for no reason.

"Oh come on you know this thing screams bad 80's clearance."

"Em I don't care about the couch. We can move it into my room for the night." I sigh before smiling a bit from the corner of my mouth.

"Then why are you looking at me like you are about to puke?"

I didn't even realize that I had such a sour face. My mind had been elsewhere this whole day and I could never put my finger on it. "When you sent out that mass text, you didn't invite Brian Stevens did you?" I ask in a hushed tone while trying hard to keep my eyes away from Emma's concerned stare.

"What, I thought you liked Brian? The cute tall one who wears the baseball caps all the time right?" Emma was immediate to protest which only meant that yes, yes she did invite my crush.

"Emma are you kidding me! Yes I like him but I'm such a-" I couldn't bring up the words.

How do you describe a mute nimrod who only pronounces vowels like she's speaking underwater when around Brian Stevens? Let's just go with a train wreck aka me.