small world

chapter 1

I sat alone in the graveyard hours after the service had been performed. The weather reflected my emotions; the clouds a dreary grey that were spilling raindrops lightly over the town of Doncaster as tears streamed down my face.I stared at her name engraved in the marble headstone six feet above her, Kathleen Parker, my mother and only family I have left since my dad left us - or had I should say. I began to shake my head, I, Charlotte Parker was eighteen and had no family to my name, nowhere to go.  I looked around me and realized how alone I was, not just in this moment but now in this world. Suddenly a faint panting interupted the sound of the rain and my own thoughts racing through my mind.

"Charlie!" a firmiliar voice called after me. I turned around and half-smiled at the sight of my best friend, the only companion I had left, Louis Tomlinson. He plopped down beside me in the grass and we sat in a comfortable silence. "I'm so sorry I missed it," he said genuinely as he put his arm protectively around my shoulder "I tried to get out of the record meeting early but there were so many decisions to be made."

I looked up at him and sighed. I almost forgot. My best friend would be leaving for London soon to start recording an album. He and his four best mates had just got back from their journey on the x-factor. I routed them on the entire way, I was Lou's biggest fan and his best friend. They came in third place and I remember him calling me absolutely gutted but I promised him that this wouldn't be the end of One Direction. And I was right. They got signed the very next day, despite the fact they came in third. I was so proud of him, but at the same time I realized that now I really would be alone.

"When do you leave?" I asked softly, my voice cracking from the tears I was holding back. "Tomorrow" he whispered. I would have been even more distraught but I realized I myself would be leaving Doncaster tomorrow as well. "But I won't be in London til next week. I'm going to be staying at Harry's family home to bond with the boys before we move into our flat. I'll call everyday though, Charlie" he promised, "I'm sure your mothers friend will be so good to you, everything will be fine."

I sat silently recalling that tomorrow I would be heading to Cheshire to be staying with my mothers best friend, a woman who I haven't seen since age seven. My mother had written a letter to me when she was sick, and in it she said she had spoken to Anne about how if anything were to happen to her that she would take me under her wing. When they called Anne at the hospital she didn't hesitate to offer up her home to me. Back before my dad left us and we lived as a family in Chesire, I remember Anne being like a second mother to me. I was always playing with her son, my first crush, Haz. I wondered if he would be there when I arrived or if he would be off with his friends for the summer.

"I'll miss you" I admitted as I looked up at him, breaking the silence. "London is so far away, what will I do without my best friend?" I complained. He looked down at me with his bright blue eyes that were glossed over in tears "Charlie I promise everything will be fine, we will make this work." I smiled and hoped that he was right.

xoxo

note: just to clarify, this takes a step back in time to right when the boys came off of XF, but they are the ages they are currently. that means lou is 20, zayn is 19, and li nialler and hazza are 18.