Chapter 40: The arrest
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Music recommendation : Running by NF
(Author's POV)
Lin, 19 years old.
Terribly proud.
Believes in herself, Naughty, and gets away with it, a nuisance to everybody and loved by everybody.
Ambitious.
Has a command of acting, understands it accurately.
Silently cries. Suddenly acts terrible.
Charlotte, 17 years old.
Awfully quiet.
Have hard time believing in herself, Sweet, and loved by people who meet her.
Has good command of Japanese and French, speaks it well.
Acts nice but is a silent devil.
******
(Author's POV)
'Did I step on a bug in my past life because I don't understand why Levi's after me?' Charlotte whisper to Matty seated next to her at the dinner table. The Wright's dinner table. The party was over and Cindy decided they should all have dinner. Don't worry. The adults have a separate table from the teens.
Matty guffaws, his entire face laughing. 'That's true love. Deal with it.'
Charlotte groans silently and lifts her fork to pick a diced carrot when she felt a hand on her shoulder. The grip on her fork tightened and she turned to see who it was.
'Oh Jacob.' She smiled.
'Hey.' He pulls up a chair and sits beside her.
'Hi.' Charlotte eats silently.
Cindy walks into the room. 'Charlotte, honey, I need your help.'
'Okay.' Charlotte pushed back her chair and follows Cindy to the kitchen. To her surprise, she sees Michael there.
'Hi. Charlotte, right?' Michael's long hair is pulled back in a messy bun and he stirs the pot of stew slowly.
Charlotte feel heat creep up to her cheeks and walk up beside him.
'Help me dice the carrots, sugarplum.' Cindy tells Charlotte. 'The food didn't go round.'
Charlotte nods silently and watch her leave the kitchen. Walking up to the counter, Charlotte takes up the knife and begin to dice the carrots she find on the chopping board.
'Ouch.' Charlotte dropped the knife.
Michael rush over to her. 'You okay?' He looks at her finger. She has a cut. 'Wait here.'
After a few seconds, he returns with a band aid.
'Come.' He takes her hand and lead her to the sink. 'It's gonna hurt.'
He turns on the tap and the water runs down. Charlotte wince when she feels the lukewarm liquid flown down her fingers.
'I'm so sorry.' Michael apologized.
Charlotte was impressed. He's not only got soft features but got polished manners too. Husband material.
He takes her finger and takes a handky from his trouser pocket, wrapping it around her finger. Taking it off, he placed the bandaid on the cut.
'Thank you.' Charlotte smiled at him.
'I'm chuffed.' Michael chuckled. 'I got that English part, right?'
'100 percent.' Charlotte gives him a thumbs-up.
Lin walks in. 'Hey, you guys seen Levi?'
'No.' Michael shake his head.
'No.' Charlotte shook her head.
'Okay.' Lin nods. She's about to leave then she stops for a moment. 'Hey, Charlotte.'
'Yeah?' Charlotte asked.
'You know what? Never mind.' Lin turns away.
'She okay?' Michael goes to dice the carrots and put them into a green bowl.
'I don't know.' Charlotte shook her head.
'No matter how I look at it, she and Levi are not the same.' Michael takes another carrot and gives it a scrape.
'You think?' Charlotte replied. It was obvious that both Levi and Lin were the same - Crazy.
'They're fools.' Michael's comment was a bolt from the blue.
'But how can they be different if they're both fools. Isn't it the same thing?' Charlotte asked confused.
'Well, Lin's a quiet fool and Levi's an active fool. They're different.' Michael laugh and Charlotte can't help but join him.
'Lemme guess. You didn't tell Levi he and his girlfriend are fools.' Charlotte says between laughter.
'Hell no.' Michael, with easy grace, diced all the carrots and put them all in the bowl to be delivered in the pot.
Watching silently is Levi. He walks to the kitchen.
'Hey, man. Mom wants you serving the adults upstairs.' He says.
'Sure thing, man.' Michael gets three servings on and tray and heads out.
Levi pulled up a chair and angled it so he can watch her.
'Oh it's you. What do you want? I'm busy.' Charlotte alights the stool and walk to the gas cooker.
'I want to talk to you.' Levi begins slowly.
'You know repeating the same task and expecting a different result isn't a great life plan.' Charlotte goes to stir the pot.
'I don't know about you but a certain scientist failed a hundred times before he got what he wanted.' Levi crossed one leg over the other.
'You mean Thomas Edison?' Charlotte heaves a lazy sigh.
'Eggxactly.' Levi smile. 'What are the odds, man?'
'Can you leave this poor, unattractive girl alone?' Charlotte turns to him. Her pretty all distorted by a frown.
'You're definitely not poor. That's for sure. And who says you're unattractive.' Levi winks at her and Charlotte looks away.
'My birthday's coming up.' Levi is chirpy today. She noticed.
'You mean you and Jacob's birthday. You say it like you were the only one born.' Charlotte rolls her eyes.
Levi replied by blowing a raspberry.
'I'm sure you're waiting for me to ask what you want for your birthday.' Charlotte begins to serve the plate. Michael returned.
'Thanks, plum.' Michael takes the plates and heads out again.
'I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear him call you plum.' Levi scoffs.
'You want a 45 - piece orchestra?' Charlotte asked and Levi smiled that she's still focused on their conversation.
'No.' Levi shook his head.
'A firework extravaganza? Bad boys like you like explosive stuff.' Charlotte turns off the cooker to wipe her hand.
'Nope.' Levi shook his head.
Charlotte still has her back to him when she asked. 'Me?'
'Absolutely. You'd be the best birthday gift I'll ever have.' Levi smiles.
Charlotte whips around to look at him. 'You want me for your birthday?'
'I want you everyday, baby.' Levi smiles.
(Li's POV)
I hide behind the jamb of the door and find Levi laughing at what Charlotte just said. What the hell were they talking about?
'It's rude to eavesdrop.' I hear Michael say behind me.
I turn to the face him. 'I'm not eavesdropping. I was about to walk in.'
'Okay.' His face brighten up to a smile. Where the hell does Levi find Michael? He's dropdead gorgeous.
I walk into the kitchen. 'Levi, can I talk to you for a sec?'
'No.' Levi takes to his feet and I follow after him.
'Levi!' I manage to get ahold of his arm when we got to the staircase. 'Babe, what's going on? You've been out of sorts since morning. What's wrong?'
Levi grabs my wrist and shove it off his sleeve. 'Don't talk to me.'
I'm yelling now. Why shouldn't I? He's the one making me upset. 'What? I shouldn't talk to you? Tell me what the hell I did for you to treat me like this! Is it Charlotte?! Huh?!'
Cupping one hand over my mouth, he shoves me to the wall and I wince beneath his palm.
'You're a little vixen, Linda. But I guess you forgot how ravenous a wolf like me can get. I called your manager. You're leaving New York first thing tomorrow.' He still has his hand held tightly over my mouth.
Tears run down my cheeks. 'No' It came as a muffle.
'I know what you did to Charlotte and I'll do far worse what Lenin did to you if I see you remotely near Alan Institute tomorrow.' Levi let go off me and I slump to the floor crying. Cursing. Hurting. Was it all my fault?! No, it wasn't. It's that bitch's fault. I'll get back at her and him too.
(Author's POV)
The party is over and I watch the crowd thin till it's just Charlotte, Jacob, and a few of mom's friends.
'Your face seems familiar to me.' A woman said in a dulcet voice.
The question was to Charlotte.
She murmured, faintly smiling. 'I've got a familiar face, ma'am.'
'Okay. Well, how old are you really?' asked the raven black haired woman.
'I'm 17 going on 18.' Charlotte was clearly uncomfortable with the questions the woman asked.
'I'm sorry if it sounds offensive but which one of your parent is black?' She asked.
Charlotte spoke softly. 'My father.'
'Wow. No wonder you're so pretty.' She turns to the man seated next to her. 'I'm gonna marry a black man and get cute mixed babies.'
'Yeah.' I say out loud. 'Charlotte, let's go.'
'What?' Charlotte looks at me with confusion in her eyes.
I didn't have the patience to explain so I walked over to where she sat and grabbed her wrist. 'Heading out.'
While we got a few feet away from the house, she pulls her hand away.
'Thanks for saving me back there. I needed it.' She said softly.
I smile. 'No worries, honey. Sandy's got a degree when it comes to making folks uncomfortable.'
'Maybe she got it from you.' Charlotte walks toward our garage and I follow her.
'Me?' I scoff. 'There's no way I make people uncomfortable.'
'You're doing it right now.' She gives me a stern look as she reaches for her brother's bike. He had used it to run errands for mom. Apparently, mom forgot to buy candles for Layla's cake.
'I'm lovely.' I roll my eyes.
'You're a sassy little animal. Oh, I've got a better compliment. You're a hardened sinner whose heart can't be touched.' Charlotte gets on the bike.
'I admit I'm a hardend sinner but a sassy animal? Please, I'm wild not sassy.' I made a beeline for my bike and sit on it.
Charlotte glares at me. 'What are you doing?'
'Sitting on my bike.' I put my legs on the pedal waiting for her to take my bait.
She did. 'If you think you're gonna race me and win then you're wrong.'
'Race ya.' I challenge her, hurrying to my bike and peddle down the street.
'Oh no. You don't!' Charlotte pedal behind him.
The sun's about to set and the wind is in her hair. She had never felt so free. Tears pool at the ends of her eyes and she begins to laugh. Levi can't help but join her. Together, they race to the park.
Sitting on the bench, they both lick icecream and engage in a convo.
'You're pretty when you laugh.' Levi smile at her.
'Don't start now.' Charlotte rolled her eyes.
'I just gave you a compliment. It's only right you return it.' Levi wink at her.
'Well, you're crazy.' Charlotte winks at him.
'Woah woah. And handsome. Please, if you're gonna insult me be fair.' Levi pouts his lips and Charlotte laughs.
'My bad. Mr handsome big bad wolf.' Charlotte's face contorts to a frown.
'Yeah. You got the title right.' Levi blows her an air-kiss and Charlotte scrunch her nose.
'You're proud of a silly combo of adjectives?' Charlotte shook her head as though she pitied him.
'Honey, let's bring the sass down to a 4.' Levi laughs. 'Now, I'm starting to not like you anymore.'
'Aww. Don't give up now. You're doing great.' Charlotte laughs and he joins her.
Glass animal's heatwaves echoes in the empty space. Levi realise it's his phone.
'Excuse me.' He reach for his pocket and answer the call. 'What is it?'
After a few silent moments, he set his lip and exhale. 'I'm on my way.'
When he ends the call, Charlotte knew something was wrong.
'Let's head back.' He stood up and reach for his bicycle.
'Okay.' Charlotte reply silently.
They both paddle home. In the distance, Charlotte could hear sirens. Was the police here? What happened?
Levi gets off his bike and runs to their house.
'Levi!' Charlotte gets off her bike and follow him.
'There he is.' One of the officers says. 'Levi Wright, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do will used against you…..
Charlotte felt so light headed that a sudden whisper of the wind threw her off balance.
'Charlotte!'
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