10 Steps to Being a Lady

A Lady Should Always Follow the Rules

“Charlotte Rose Hastings!”

I awoke suddenly, shooting up in bed. I rubbed my eyes and the vision of my mom standing in the doorway of my room came into focus. I inwardly groaned and resisted the urge to let my head fall back onto my pillow and close my eyes. My mom had her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed in my direction. I knew right away I was in some kind of trouble.

“It is nearly eleven in the morning,” she snapped, walking over and ripping the sheets off of my body. “Even though it is summer, I expect you not to sleep the day away like this. Truly careless.”

Truthfully, the reason I had slept in so late was because I had snuck out with Riley to go night surfing with Chase and our friends Lucas and Tyler. We hadn’t gotten back until two in the morning. Riley and I had both gotten away from our mother’s grasps for the night and even though I was still tired that morning, it was worth it.

The only thing that would’ve made the night better would be Noah’s presence. Lucas said he had invited him, but Noah was busy. Riley used my disappointment as something to made fun of me about later.

“I thought you went to bed early last night,” my mother remarked, narrowing her eyes. I knew she hadn’t heard me, I had checked her room to make sure she was sound asleep when I left and again when I got back. She was just naturally suspicious of everything I did.

“I got caught up in the book I’m reading. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

“Come join me in the dining room, Maria has made breakfast.”

Maria was our chef. She’d been with us since before my dad left. She helped raise me, hell, I considered her more of a mother to me then my real mom ever was. Maria even helped me with my first period, because my mom was organizing a charity event and was too busy. Of course, my mom just considered her ‘the help’.

I got dressed in one of my mother appropriate outfits and joined my mom for breakfast. She was reading the newspaper, scanning the articles for her name. Once she didn’t find herself, she scoffed in distaste and had Maria take it away. I didn’t have anything to say to her, so I ate my fruit salad in silence.

“Will you be joining me at the country club this afternoon?” my mother asked as she dabbed at the corners of her lips with her napkin.

“Yeah, I guess.” My mother narrowed her eyes and I took a deep breath to calm myself down before I got too irritated at her superior attitude. “Excuse me, I meant to say: yes, mother.” She nodded and went back to eating.

Once breakfast was over, my mom drove us over to the country club in town. The only reason I was going with her was because I knew Riley would be there. Our mothers were both working on the same charity event at the moment and they were having lunch to discuss it.

Sure enough, I found Riley by the pool checking out the pool boys as they worked. I lay out on the chair next to her and waited for her to look away from the guys and notice my presence. “Hey Char,” Riley finally said, beaming at me. “Fancy meeting you here.”