Montana Mansion

Unrecognizable

Philby's POV:

I gasped. Bloody hell, what had they done to her? That wasn't a fourteen year old. She looked 23 three easily. A gorgeous 23 year old. She was pretty before, but man. I hardly recognized her. Maybeck would have killed me if he knew what I was thinking about her right now.

"What do you think?" she asked quietly.

"I think that, that, wow."

Charlene laughed, tossing her head back. Now I recognized her. That was the Charlene that we all knew and loved. "Thanks."

"Let's go home?"

Charlene nodded, taking my arm as we walked out. "Let's go home."

"They pierced your ears!" I exclaimed.

Charlene winced. "I know. They didn't tell me before they did it and it hurt like nobody's business."

"You look fantastic," I assured her as we started home.

"Thanks. I think so too."

Then I said what I knew she wanted to hear. "Finn will love it."

"You think so?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

"Yeah. I do."

"I hope so."

We drove the rest of the way home in silence, unless you count the music Charlene insisted on blaring. I let her because I knew how nervous she was. Ticking me off was one of her ways of coping.

"We're home," I announced, getting out.

"You'll walk me in, won't you?" Char bit her lip, which was painted in a shiny, natural pink lipstick. She wore no other makeup. I suppose they wanted the attention to go to the rest of her. She was still gorgeous, even without makeup. I'd never seen her without it before and I hate to say that I was surprised.

"No," I replied sarcastically, opening her door for her. "I was planning on going in the back door."

"A little help?" she asked. "I can't really walk in these. 4 inches is kind of my cap out."

Biting my lip, I took her by the waist and swung her up down out of the SUV. "They're going to be surprised, you know."

"Duh," she snapped, tightly gripping my arm. I doubt it was entirely for balance, more for stress relieve. I had been downgraded from computer nerd to human stress ball. Or upgraded?

Before walking inside, I looked down at her. "It'll be OK. They know you're the same girl."

Charlene swallowed. "I think I'm going to throw up."

"On Maybeck, right? I think everyone else in there has been through enough."

That made her laugh. She was howling as we walked inside and quickly broke away from me when she saw Finn. Apparently she'd found her high heel legs.

"Found a girlfriend already, Philby?" Maybeck asked from the kitchen table with the others. He walked over to me and whispered in my ear, "She's even hotter than Charlene. Most gorgeous girl I've ever seen. Selena Gomez will be jealous."

I turned bright red, but Charlene found it hilarious that no one recognized her.

"Where's Charlene?" Willa asked.

"She decided to spend the night in town," Charlene shrugged. "Said she needed some space." She held out her hand to Finn. "I'm Katrina, by the way." She'd modified her voice, it was now a bit lower, kind of like the gypsy voice she'd used last night.

Finn took it cautiously. "Finn."

Charlene/Katrina let go and smiled. "The press says that you and Jess are dating now that you and Amanda are done?"

I gawked. Cruel, yet smart girl. There was no cell reception or internet out here. Everyone was going to flip. Amanda sidled up to Finn. "Nope. He's dating Charlene, actually. They're pretty tight. No one could yank them away from each other this morning after the breakup." Amanda good naturedly punched Finn.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Hard. Amanda was trying to play with the poor girl. Willa was sitting at the table with Jess, still, trying to keep from laughing too. Charlene/Katrina was doing a pretty good job at looking convinced, though. She should've won a Gramy.

"Hm." Charlene/Katrina seemed to ponder this a moment before grabbing Finn by the shoulders and locking lips, a firm hold on the back of his head. When she finally let up, she pressed a finger to Finn's lips, whose eyes had gone wide with surprise. He's recognized her kiss, knowing she was Charlene, but apparently she wasn't done playing around yet. The other girls had turned green at the heat of the kiss. Charlene/Katrina shrugged. "Hope she's not jealous."

Calmly, Charlene/Katrina strode over to Maybeck, who was sitting up on the counter. He looked perplexed. "You dating someone?" she asked casually.

"No," he replied carefully. Smiling, Charlene/Katrina climbed up into his lap, straddling his legs. Innocently, she took his chin in her fingers and pulled his face towards him, brushing her lips on his before climbing back down to the floor. Everyone looked dumbfounded, but Charlene/Katrina wasn't fazed. "I'd hoped to steal a kiss from each of the DHI guys. Hope it's not a problem." She winked at me. "I've already gotten his earlier." She walked back towards Finn as I turned a vicious shade of red. "But I have to say," she gestured to Finn. "His was my favorite."

Like nothing was awry, she walked over to Willa's chair and pulled out her cell phone. "I'm a huge fan. Can I give you my snapchat?"

Willa blinked several times. "Sure, I guess."

Charlene smiled wickedly. Finn and I met eyes, trying not to fall on the floor laughing. Everyone else's attention was on Charlene and Willa. "It's KKCharlene." Charlene flicked off her cellphone and dropped it into her new bag.

Maybeck, Jess, Willa and Amanda wore matching horrified expressions, their jaws dropped. Charlene smiled and jabbed her thumb back over her shoulder at me. "I didn't kiss him, by the way."

After the initial horror phase was passed over, compliments were passed around and then Finn walked back over to her, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to himself so that their bodies touched. Leaning down, he kissed her and it was even more heated than the last because it was real. A sick feeling filled my stomach and I walked back out the front door so that I wouldn't have to see it anymore.

Oh, heavens. Did I seriously have a crush on Charlene?