everything has changed ➺ charles leclerc

twenty-nine - angeli & charles

— september 24th, 2008

ANGELI FROWNED AS SHE WALKED PAST, Amelie Schumacher immediately realizing something was off with her daughter. The 10 year old girl had just returned home early from the Leclerc's, where she was supposed to spend the night.

Charles had just returned from a Karting event in Italy, and Angeli was to have a sleepover with her best friend. The two best friends were inseparable, and when they were separated, would always have sleepovers when they saw each other again.

Amelie's brows furrowed when she heard her daughter slam her door loudly. The older woman got up from where she stood and walked up the flight of stairs to her daughter's room.

"Sweetheart," She spoke gently, knocking on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Geh weg, Mama. Ich möchte nicht darüber reden." The young girl replied sadly. (Go away, mum. I don't want to talk about it.)

Amelie knew that her girl was upset because she never replied in German. Whenever she was upset, Angeli would get too tired of switching between German, English and French, settling on speaking German.

Amelie sighed and decided to let her daughter be, walking back down to the living area where she was previously sat. She grabbed the home landline and dialed the Leclerc's number.

Putting the phone up to her ear, she waited as it started to ring in her ear. After a few moments, a young voice she recognized as belonging to Lorenzo, came through the speaker.

"Bonsoir! C'est la résidence Leclerc. Puis-je demander qui appelle?" The teenager asked politely. (Good evening! This is the Leclerc residence. May I ask who is calling?)

"Lorenzo! C'est tante Amélie." Amelié replied as the young boy gasped in realization. (Lorenzo! It's Aunt Amelie.)

"Tante Amélie ! Comment ça va?" Lorenzo excitedly spoke. (Auntie Amelie! How are you?)

"Je vais bien Lorenzo, merci d'avoir demandé." Amelié responded, Lorenzo was always the polite one. "Votre maman est-elle à la maison?" She asked. (I'm okay Lorenzo, Thank you for asking. Is your mum home?)

"Oui, elle l'est, je vais l'avoir." Lorenzo spoke, momentarily placing the phone down to call for his mum. (Yes she is, I'll get her.)

Moments later, Amelie smiled as the familiar voice of her best friend came through the phone.

"Amelie! What's wrong?" Pascale Leclerc asked worriedly.

"Did something happen between Charles and Angeli? I didn't expect her to come home so early." Amelie frowned sadly.

"Oh! I didn't realize she had left, Charles and Pierre said they were all playing hide and seek." Pascale replied in shock.

"Angeli came home pretty upset, Pascale. She's locked herself in her room and is only speaking in German now." Pascale gasped at the revelation.

"Let me ask Charles if something happened, it's very unlike her to leave a sleepover early." The Leclerc woman said as she called out for her middle child.

"I know, I usually have to physically drag her out of here." Amelie chuckled softly.

Moments later, Pascale returned to the phone with a heavy sigh.

"I think Charles and Angeli had a fight," Pascale said."I overheard them arguing earlier, and it seems like Charles was spending more time with Pierre than with Angeli. I didn't realize it bothered her so much."

Amelie's heart sank at the news. She had always seen Charles and Angeli as inseparable, and the thought of them having a disagreement saddened her.

"I'll talk to Angeli," Amelie said determinedly. "Thank you for letting me know, Pascale."