Sing While You Can

Smiley Faces

After I had rung the clamp company from Josh’s, then rung Charlotte to see if she was in, I travelled back to the mall to collect my car.

I thanked the mean grumpy clamp man and waved bye to Josh.

I arrived home with the car and was welcomed by a very bitchy Charlotte.

“Where the hell have you been? The car got clamped and I couldn’t get in the apartment.” I yelled at my sisters slouched figure against the sofa.

“Chill. They loved the song so I had a little party at Ken’s house that’s all,” she grinned mischievously.

“By a little party what do you mean?” I asked knowing what she was like.

“Well, we called around loads from the record company and we all got drunk and I did something which I shouldn’t have done and will regret. Actually 2 things,” She said quitter matter of factly.

“What did you do,” I asked putting my hand on my hips and tapping my foot like I only ever did when I was angry. Very angry.

“Calm down. I err… we er…. We may have slept together,” She said looking away as if she was embarrassed.

“WHAT! YOU LOST YOUR VIRGINITY TO SOME SCUM!” I told myself to calm down and once I had, I inquired

“What was the second,”

“Oh that well come here,” I edged closer to her and she began to unbutton her shirt.

“Why are you taking off your shirt?” I asked then I saw the small tattoo on her shoulder.

“WHY ON EARTH DID YOU GET A TATOO OF A SMILEY FACE?” I screamed.

“Well before Ken was in the music business he was a tattoo artist,”

“Oh this infamous Ken took my sister virginity AND tattooed her with something as stupid as that? I will kill him. Any way last night, did you um…. You know…. Use protection,” I nervously waited for the answer.

“Well we aren’t sure. Everything is blurry and we cannot remember anything about the party,”

“WHAT! You could be pregnant Charlotte,” I said.

“I know and I didn’t mean for it to happen but I doubt that I will be,” she blubbered out, her eyes filling up with tears.

“Hey, we’ll get a test and see okay? It will be fine I promise,”

I’m not sure why I said that because I really didn’t know it was. And I was so wrong.

It turned out that Charlotte was pregnant.

She cried and cried all day and night, leaving me with no sleep or tops that weren’t drenched in tears.

“I.. I don’t know what will happen. K..Ken won’t want to help it w..w..was a one night stand. A mis..mis…mistake!” she burst into a fresh bout of tears.

“Hey it’s okay. But you do need to tell him,”

“Okay,” She sniffed and looked up at me.

We didn’t really do very much that weekend – there was no point.

On Sunday morning, Charlotte rose bright and early and got dressed. She put on her best jeans and a navy chiffon shirt. She asked me to do her make-up to which I obliged and spent ages making her eye shadow and eyeliner perfect.

I then pulled on a dress and tights and paired it with those 'goddam awful trainers' (words courtesy of my Mother) and we headed out to Kens house.