The Diary of Charlotte Blair

Chapter Seven

Yeah

We're happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time

It's miserable and magical

Oh, yeah

Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines

It's time

(22 by taylor swift)

December 31st, 2014-

Today was filled with my British and Texan cousins arguing back and forth with the British insulting everything we Americans are known for, from football to apple pie. Meanwhile, the Texans insulted everything from the undying Queen to One Direction- most of which in a terrible British accent (which sounded more Australian). Brooke slapped my cousin Joe in the head when he stated, "One Direction are a bunch of Justin Bieber wanna-be's with autotuned voices". She claimed her and Harry Styles were meant to be, that is, if her and Brady ever broke up. 

"Ermagerd, Charlie! Mallory's New Years Eve party is tonight! What are you gonna wear?" She asked me. I shrugged.

"Clothes." I said sarcastically. But in reality, I was having an inner panic. I wanted to wear something nice because Marcel was going to be there... After all, it was his house. 

Yes, I did miss Marcel. Before we had met, he was just the loner and the nerd. But since that day of the cancelled soccer practice, I realized Marcel is a cool, fun, easy-to-be-around guy who isn't so bad looking (at all) after all. But, I wondered if things had changed since then, for he hadn't spoke to me in a while and I hadn't spoken to him. 

"Charlie, I will be your slave forever if you just let me pick out your outfit. Please?" She dragged out, getting down on her knees and cupping her hands as she begged. 

"Fine. I mean, it is a party." In reality, I was glad that Brooke had begged me. It saved me from begging her. 

Brooke ran out of my room, screaming. I heard her patter down the stairs and then I saw her from my window hop into her tiny smart car and drive off. Within ten minutes, it was like I reversed a tape; she came screeching back into the driveway with thousands of dresses and shoes that looked impossible to walk in. 

"We are doing this together." She said, dragging out "together" like a therapist. But first, she showed me her outfit; a purple dress with a silver strapless top, a champagne colored shrug, a pair of sparkly purple stilettos, tons of dramatic jewelry/accessories, and even a new rose themed phone case. Just for the party. She showed me a picture of Mallory's outfit as well; a red and black lacey dress with tons of black jewelry and stilettos. Her minions would probably wear the same red as Mallory had in her dress because they always coordinated to match with Mallory. Seriously, it's like she mind controlled them. 

Eventually, Brooke and I picked out an outfit for me. It was a strapless, teal dress with a pair of tan, beaded boot heals and some gold jewelry. I wore a shrug alike to Brooke's so that the cold didn't bother me. We said goodbye to our families and the still arguing cousins with promises to come home soon after the ball dropped. We hopped into her smart car and, only getting lost once (because Brooke is that kind of driver), arrived at Mallory's mansion. Marcel's mansion, too, I reminded myself. Speaking of the adorable nerd, my stomach knotted at least twenty times through in hopes of seeing him tonight. Like deja vu, we were waiting at Mallory's doorstep again, waiting for Mallory to open the door. After about a minute, we heard the door unlock and Mallory was standing in front of us in her promised gothy get up. Behind her were Missy, Mandy and Mary, standing there in their Mallory-red dresses with black accents, which were not identical but extremely similar. Mallory glared at us, probably because of the fact that we had broken the unspoken dress code.

"Oh, hey, guys." She said darkly.

"Hey." echoed her minions. I waved awkwardly as Brooke exclaimed,

"Hi! Happy New Year's Eve!" We walked into her house, the heat instantly warming my body from the cold snow flurries. Brooke immediately spotted Brady and went to pull him into a kiss/dance/whatever she would call that, although nobody was even dancing to the music. I spotted James through the crowd, who gave me an attempted but failed seductive wink, and I decided to find a place to hide. I remembered my first encounter with Marcel, strange, it always seemed to happen when I was running from James. Panicking, I stuffed myself into a nearby closet. I heard breathing from behind me, and shrieked an unspeakably high pitch until a hand smushed itself over my mouth.

This is it, I thought, Goodbye, life. You were awesome. Someone tell Brooke I love her, and Marcel- and, oh, my parents too.

"Shhhh, don't give me away!" I heard Marcel whisper, sounding terrified. I pried his hand away and turned around to face him, having to look up more than last time. Huh, I guess he grew. His expression was full of terror as he put a finger over his lips.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked him. It was odd that him and I always ended up alone, hiding from everybody else.

"Hiding!" As though it was obvious, which I suppose it was. "Now shhh, you need to help me out!" 

"What are you hiding from?" 

"PEOPLE!" I tried to see if I saw any of Marcel's bullies out there, but then I remembered Marcel was a nerd, and the whole football team was there. Therefore, all of his bullies were there. 

"Yikes. Okay, here's what we're gonna do. You run up the stairs." I straightened my dress heroically, "And I am going to distract the football team."

"How?!" He asked, as if he had not a clue.

"Um.... Flirt with them..." I said, voice drifting off. He looked as if he didn't approve, but I thought getting him upstairs safe and... un-wedgied... was more important.

"Just go, I'll meet you there." I said, pushing him out of the closet. He ran up the stairs, tripping on multiple. I saw James notice Marcel and almost approach him, but then I remembered my purpose. I coughed down my throw up.

"James!" I said, hugging him around the neck. The smell of cheap cologne filled my nose, but I held back my coughs.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" I told him.

"Really?" He asked surprisingly. I looked around to see if Marcel was safe. He was.

"Nope." I muttered, walking off and up the stairs, leaving him gaping. W

When I told Brooke about it later in the car ride home, she high-fived me, then told me I needed flirting lessons.

"Charlie, that is NOT how your flirt!" She exclaimed!

"But it worked! And I was not trying!" I said defensively. 

"But what if you ever need to flirt?" She asked as though flirting was a necessity of my life. I rolled my eyes.

"I'll be fine." I said, thinking of how Marcel got so upset when I told him I would be flirting with other boys.

"Oh come on, Charlie, I know you have a crush on someone." She said dramatically, gripping her hands on the steering wheel.

"I told you already... it's Marcel." She gasped.

"STILL? I thought you were joking." She cried. I shook my head no.

"You can NOT date a nerd, Charlie! That's it, we're making him popular." She claimed, stepping on the pedal harder and speeding up the car. I didn't know what to say to that, so I only sat back and looked at the scenery of the road from my window, occasionally staring at the big-eyed reflection of me through my window.

Hey, guys! We love you all so much! We made a trailer for TDOCB, which will be out soon. It will be put on Sir Booksalot's blog (link in profile, bio, and comments of Chapter 6). Thank you for reading, remember to vote and comment! 

Always loving you guys,

Vivi and Abi