Wilted Dandelions Over Roses

Chapter 1

September 5th 6:15 am

  The sun crept over the dark horizon as the trees created black cracks against the warm spread of color in the sky. Beep Beep Beep! Charlotte Winston's eyes shot open as light purple bags swelled under her water blue eyes. She sat up and her facial expression was pure dread. Fucking hell, I knew I shouldn't have stayed up, Charlotte thought to herself. While stretching and letting out a loud yawn, Charlotte slide off her messy tangle of covers.

        The gentle patter of the teenagers feet against the dark wood floor was the only noise for about fifteen minutes as she began to get herself ready for school. Applying makeup and running her fingers through her dirty blonde beach curls. Charlotte stared at herself in the mirror for a minute, almost as if it would be the last time she'd ever see her own face again. Her wavy curls fell to just above her shoulders, blue eyes that were accessorized by long lashes, and full plump pinkish lips. Charlotte never thought she was ugly or unattractive from her looks, it was always how she acted or her hobbies that strayed people away from her, in either a relationship or friendship sense. She never truly cared if people from her town liked her or not, but sometimes it did edge her.

While finishing up her routine, she swung her backpack onto back and walked downstairs into the kitchen, only to find her father gone for work and her mother was having her normal morning coffee. "Good morning." her mother said before she sipped from her mug. "Morning." Charlotte and her mother didn't have the dream mother-daughter relationship, but it sure as hell was something not many girls have with their mothers. Charlotte's mother, Dina, wasn't a hard worker. Dina had Charlotte when she freshly turned 20 and had to put off college to care for Charlotte while her father worked. Not a day goes by where Charlotte doesn't remember all the times in her childhood where she came home from school and found her mother asleep in her bedroom or locked away smoking either cigarettes or pot. She never quite let go on her life as a teen. As Charlotte grew into a young teen, that's when the storm finally blew in. Dina and Charlotte had arguments practically each day, whether it be over small petty things or over how they other has no respect for the other. Charlotte's father decided to stay out of their issues years ago.

Mark, Charlotte's father, on the other hand was the foundation of the family's financial support. He's been working his ass off since he was a young teen and when he found out Dina was pregnant, he dropped the alcohol, drugs, and partying. Mark is constantly working to fill the gap that Dina's job down at the local store doesn't fill. Dina's money barely goes to bills while Mark's all goes to supporting the two women.

Charlotte grabbed a poptart and slipped it into her bag to eat at school, petting their cat Steve as she zipped up the bag. "Bye." Charlotte stated as she opened the front door. Dina didn't have time to even say a syllable before Charlotte had closed the door and made her way out to the street corner to wait for the bus. The fall chill had slowly began to set in, the leaves had changed color and the winds had picked up. Scrolling through her phone, Charlotte sighed. Another day closer to being done.

A few of kids aged from six to ten crowded the corner, waiting for the bus. Each of them either keeping quiet or fooling around as their parents tried to stop them. One girl who must of been starting her first day of prekindergarten began to cry softly as the bus arrived to our stop and opened it's doors. Her mother bent down and kept trying to calm her down, telling her there's nothing to be afraid of. Don't get fooled, stay young, it doesn't become fun. Charlotte wanted to say but she knew it wasn't her place to scare the poor girl. With puffy eyes, the little girt got onto the bus and waved goodbye to her mother. Charlotte walked the aisle, found an open seat near the back, and sat down against the window.