Daylight - Taylor Swift

Chapter 74

...Covid!

March 11th, 2020 / March 13th, 2020 (2008)

"Did you hear the news?" Jo knocked softly on her younger sister's bedroom door. The seven year old looked up from her dollhouse and frowned at her older sister.

"What news?" Charlotte asked the sixteen year old, setting down the dolls. Jo could feel her heart thumping in her chest knowing she was about to break her little sister's heart again.

"Why don't you come over here and I'll braid your hair, we can talk?" The brunette sat down on the bed after grabbing the comb, patting to the spot next to her.

Charlie looked concerned, sensing something off in her sister's voice, "Can you do two braids?"

"I most certainly can," Jo smiled warmly. Charlie came over and Jo began to comb the slightly wavy hair in front of her, "You know how we moved here last year and you made a lot of good friends at school?"

"Yup! Even Jamie and Krissy... and Hannah!" Charlie boasted proudly, picking up the comb as soon as Jo set it down so she could play with it.

"You had fun getting to make your room back up, and we printed those pictures for you to decorate and I took you to the new park, got you some ice cream," Jo continued, starting the braids.

"Mhmm," the younger girl hummed, sniffing the hair comb inquisitively.

Jo ignored the weirdness there, it wasn't the first time, "This morning Dad found out that we need to move again. We're going to go to Nevada, you know where Nevada is?"

"No," Charlie's voice grew meek.

"Well, it's a few hours away, so you'll go to a different school. It's usually very sunny and warm, I hear there's some really nice pools we can swim in. There's lots of people to make friends with, and of course, there's still ice cream and we are going to bring all your pictures and dolls and decorations. How does that sound?" Jo tried to make it sound like a fun adventure but she knew the child wouldn't fall for it.

"I don't want to," the grey eyed girl pouted, "I'm going to miss my best friends and my school! I'm not going. Nuh-uh."

"We don't have much of a choice, Char," Jo sighed, "When you grow up, you can live wherever you want to and move as much as you want, but for now, 'cause we have to live with Dad, you need to go with us."

"But Daddy always makes us move and I hate it! I want to stay here," Charlie began to cry just as Jo finished the second braid.

"I know," Jo rubbed her back comfortingly, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"No!" Charlie shouted, standing up and stomping towards the closet. She opened the door and stepped inside, slamming it with all her might, which wasn't very much.

Jo inhaled and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, elbow pressed against her knee. She waited, and waited... a grand total of thirty seconds.

"I hate you!" Charlie shrieked as she melted into full sobs within the dark closet.

"That's okay," Jo replied, looking at the mess of things she would need to pack from that room alone.

"I mean it! I- I am not moving to Nebada!"

"It's Nevada," Jo corrected. She decided to pick up a little while she was in there, beginning to tidy the bed up and open a window to air out the place, "With a v, like velociraptor."

"No!" Charlie yelled. There was a thump that sounded just as Jo managed to force the window open. Someone had painted over the sliding part of it once before and it had made it difficult to open.