Where is Louise Bauman? + Original, Book 1 ✔

35

- Nightmare; Halsey - 

Charlie walked inside her house, silence greeting her almost instantly. She looked around for her mom, worry filling her almost instantly as her mother - who usually sat in the living room until she left for work - was gone. 

"Mom?" She called out, dropping her backpack to the floor as she walked through the foyer, glancing further into the living room and into the kitchen. "Mom!" She called out again, worry then filling her tone, her speed picking up as she walked down the hall and toward her mother's bedroom.

Just as she was about to open her mother's bedroom, she practically rammed into someone, that someone being her mother.

"Whoa!" The older woman exclaimed, surprised to see Charlie. "Is everything okay?" Carolyn asked, concern filling her features as she gripped onto her daughter's arms, looking at her worriedly.

Charlie got ahold of herself, clearing her throat as she stood up straight and brushed her hair behind her ear. She glanced around her mother's shoulder and into her room, just to assure herself that it was just the two of them in their house. "Uh, yeah." She then looked at her mother, "Just didn't see you when I got inside was all, I was starting to get worried."

"I'm fine, Charlotte." Carolyn brushed her daughter off, walking past the blonde who just let out a deep breath.

"I know, I just-" Charlie stopped, realizing that she was overreacting. She knew she was just on edge because this not only was the first time she and her mother were at her house alone without Ren but also this was going to be the first time she was going to be at home alone at all by herself without anyone there to protect her.

Not that she really needs anyone with her, but she likes the company. The chance of someone breaking in again was highly unlikely unless someone was watching her. But she didn't want to take the chance and neither did her mother nor her group of friends. She didn't want to feel like a bother and have to have Ren with her all hours of the day, and she didn't want to have one of the others with her whenever Ren wasn't with her. She wanted to be capable of being by herself whenever one of the others wasn't with her, and whenever they were off by themselves.

And being home alone for a couple of hours should be more than enough for her to handle.

Charlie followed her mother back into the living room, where Carolyn sat on the couch and turned the volume down on the TV. She sat down next to her mom, letting out another deep breath as she glanced around nervously. She was obviously paranoid, but she honestly couldn't help it. Without Ren there, she just didn't feel safe. She was just so used to having him around that the one second he wasn't around, she suddenly felt vulnerable, as bad as that sounds.

"Plans for tonight?" Carolyn asked, bringing up something to talk about with her daughter.

"Just some boy from school is coming over for some homework, then after Ren's probably coming over. He had some stuff to do so he couldn't come over right away." Charlie told her with a shrug.

"Some boy?" Carolyn lifted an eyebrow.

"Not like that, mom." Charlie rolled her eyes.

"Right, because you like Ren," Carolyn smirked.

"Shut up," Charlie said.

"Has Ren... You know," Carolyn spoke with a nudge. "Asked you to be his girlfriend yet?"

"That's none of your business." Charlie stood up, "I'm getting something to drink."

"It is totally my business, you're my daughter!" Carolyn called from the living room as Charlie entered the kitchen. Charlie shook her head with a smile, grabbing a water bottle as her phone dinged from her pocket.