Charlie

Introduction To The Crawford Family

My name is Charlotte Ann Crawford. I'm nineteen years old and I've basically been the primary caretaker of my family since I was 13. Yes, my parents are still alive and well, but they're never around. They're out and about traveling the world for "business purposes", or so they say. Personally, I think they just didn't want the responsibility of their creations. So, as soon as I was old enough to change a diaper, they booked it.

They're both world renowned photographers, in very different fields of interest. My mother, the phenomenal Kennedy Renee Crawford, is a brilliant wildlife photographer. She has the guts to get up close and personal with beautiful white tigers and terrifying lions, just for a shot at the cover of National Geographic. As if her shots haven't made the cover a whopping seventeen times. My father on the other hand is the ravishing James Lee Crawford, known for his good looks and ability to swoon filthy rich bride-to-be's. He enjoys spending his time chasing down wealthy, greedy over-the-top bride-zilla's who will pay anything short of their first born for the "perfect picture". Last I heard, they were traveling South Africa together, capturing wildlife and dream weddings all in one. Of course, that was four years ago. I haven't heard from them since.

I used to have great admiration for my parents, as any young girl would. I would lay in bed, and while other girls were dreaming about what color they'd want their princess castle to be, I was dreaming about my first trip to Australia and what it would be like. How close I'd get to a wild kangaroo, before he hopped away, his tail drooping behind him. My mother always told me how great her trips were, but my favorite to hear about were always to Australia. She promised we'd go, just her and I, for my sixteenth birthday. However, I spent my sixteenth birthday taking Andrea to ballet, dropping Aiden off at soccer practice and going to watch Blake play his last football game of the year. I spent my sixteenth birthday being a mom. However, a shiny, new Jeep Cherokee was delivered to our house, with a big bow and a small note. It read, "Happy B-day Charlie. Big enough for the whole family. -Mom and Dad."

Big enough for the whole family. Big enough to not have to wrangle three kids, along with myself, on a city bus for extra curricular's. Big enough for me to take care of the family they'd abandoned. Though, I am thankful for the age gap our birth-givers blessed us with. The only other sibling that is remotely bothered by our parents going A-wall, is Blake.

Blake Alexander Crawford, the oldest of the "kids". Blake's only a year and five months younger than I am, so we've always been pretty close. He's been my biggest helper and strongest support system, though not always the easiest child to deal with. When we were growing up, it was hard to tell Blake what to do and where to go because we were so close in age. But now, with the twins about to enter their "tweens", I'm more than thankful to have someone to help out. Blake is a straight-A student, top of his class, captain of the football team and sweetest guy in school. And yes, ALL the girls swoon over him. He's got pretty steady girlfriend right now. Her name is Mackenzie, Mack for short. She's very sweet, very pretty and always there to cheer Blake on.. literally. She's Bradford High's Varsity Cheer Captain. She also is a phenomenal dancer, as well as a dance instructor, which is how she and Blake met. She's Andrea's dance teacher.. which brings me to the twins.

Andrea Rose and Aiden Conner. They had only just turned 5 when Mom and Dad split, not that they were in their lives very much when they were here. Dad left shortly after they were born, at first for just a week. Then he came back and stayed for a few days, then he was off again for a week and a half that time. This went on for a while, each absence being a little bit longer. Mom stayed in the house with us until the twins were a year old, then she called Raina. Raina was the nanny that watched (raised) Blake and I before the twins were born. And Raina stayed for six more years, until The Blood Day happened.  I'll get to that later, I promise.

        Back to the twins, which will be the death of me, I swear. Aiden and Andrea are about to turn thirteen. Which means I, at just nineteen years old, am raising not one, but TWO pre-pubescent, hormone raging, sex-ed questioning, sassy, explosive, beautiful confused preteens. Oh, what fun. I wouldn't trade them for the world, but in all honestly I have no idea what I'm doing... and it shows. Andrea, bless her, has been trying to figure out what is happening with her body and her hormones all on her own. I heard her discussing with her BFF Willow about how her leotard is fitting differently and how she thinks it shrunk across the chest. Willow responded with "Eh, it's probably whatever Charlie washed it with. Mine never shrinks."

        Andrea has always been the shy one, so I've been trying to reach out or at least let her know I'm open to talking to her. I even went as far as "accidentally" leaving a copy of  "Just Around The Corner For Girls" on her night stand. I bookmarked the page titled "Don't Be Afraid To Talk To Your Mom", hoping that she would come to me and not actually try to contact our birth mother. I'm, the one raising her after all. One awkward, jittery, hormone-infested conversation at a time.

     Aiden has been a bit easier. He's mostly just obsessed with Axe body spray, which turns out is NOT better than the stench of preteen BO. You'd think, right? The entire house smells like a locker room that threw up gym socks and tried to cover it up with stupid-strong cologne. Although, I'd rather deal with his Axe obsession, than his girl obsession. Unlike Andrea, Aiden is not too confused about puberty to stop thinking about the opposite sex. Every day he's chattering about a new girl who he walked to class with, or one he wants to. If he's not careful he'll end up with a baby on the way in his senior year of high school, just like his big brother.

    Oops, did I forget to mention that Mack is pregnant? She doesn't know that I know, neither does Blake. I Found the test in the garbage and she's the only girl that comes around here other than myself and Andrea. And I KNOW it's not either of us.

Oh yeah, my life just got a whole lot more interesting.