" i don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but i think maybe it's both. maybe both is happening at the same time."
-forrest, forrest gump
***
September 1st, 1939
" Momma, who's Hitler?" asked the 14 year old girl, with the french braids, as she sat side by side with her mother at the kitchen table.
" Charlotte, remember what I said dear, rappelles toi?" her mother said looking at the child.
" No." answered Charlotte with a small huff. Her mother was smart, and intelligent, and she said a lot of things, Charlotte just wished she remembered them.
" Hitler is a man of power in Germany, it's why your father and I left France when we could. We had 3 babies, we didn't need anything happening to you three." Charlotte's mother explained, as she went and put dishes in the dishwater, turning up the radio slightly.
" Why did he invade Poland? What was he trying to accomplish?" Charlotte asked. Charlotte had always been a fairly curious girl, and when it came to history and science, she always grew particularly more interested. Charlotte's mother felt that in some ways, she failed as a parent because she couldn't explain things like this to her own daughter.
" I don't know. But I know we are safe. And that we shall pray every night for the ones who suffer." her mother said. Charlotte smiled at her mother looking up from her book.
" MJ and I were thinking of going out and buying some new clothes before school started." Charlotte exclaimed looking up from her homework and a bowl of cereal.
" When?" her mother asked, as she began picking the leaves off of the strawberries in their garden.
" Maybe tomorrow or the day after." the young girl answered to her mother.
" That's sweet of her. How's her mother?" Charlotte's mother asked.
" Better." Charlotte answered, and that was the only truth she could really give out in that moment. Mrs. Miller was a religious woman, but she knew where to step in and not let anyone give her a load of bull crap, and Charlotte had always loved that about her best friend's mother. Mrs. Miller had taught the two best friends many things, about life, boys, and people. She grew up in the late 1890s, and fought on the American side helping with nursing in The Great War. Charlotte stood and began helping her mother pick off the leaves from the stems of the strawberries.
" John Henderson's been ignoring me like the plague." she said sadly. Her mother besides, MJ, was the only other one who knew about the crush on John Henderson.
" Why is he ignoring you, mon amour?" Charlotte's mother asked her.
" I don't know. I've never talked to him, in like person, so I don't know why he won't even look at me anymore." she sighed, placing the strawberry into its place.
" Remember, patience. And you're 14, you don't need a boyfriend." her mother scolded her, by whacking her with a towel gently.
" Mom!" the girl whined, shoving away the towel. The two laughed, and then settled down and began picking the leaves again.
" MJ's mom wants us over for dinner at some point this week." Charlotte said.
" Great! I've already made plans to cook up some different deserts as well." her mother said, zipping into the fridge to obtain some ingredients.
" I've been trying to help MJ keep her mother happy, well since her grandfather, her mother's father died, and sometimes I just don't know what to do.
" Remember what I've said honey," he mother said, leaning forward and cupping his daughter's cheek." Happiness is the best medicine. You live that up for her, it might change her whole perspective of this situation." her mother explained.
" Momma! Momma!" a voice suddenly called, and her mother turned to pick up Felix, pulling at his mother's skirt, that hung loosely around her knees.
" Yes, cherie?" my mother said, bending down to hold the child in her arms." Dadda is home!" Felix cried happily, before turning to Charlotte and squealing.
" Charlie!" he squealed and reached for her.
" Hey Felix." she cooed and took the boy from her mother's arms. Oliver, the family's German Shepherd, came racing in with Charlotte's father right behind her.
" Papa!" the young girl called, hurrying over with Felix towards her father as he encased two of his children in a tight hug.
" How are you two?" he asked, pulling away, and tucking a strand of hair behind his daughter's ear.
" Did you hear about Hitler?" she asked, with eyes of wonder. Her father looked up meeting the eyes of her mother.
" Anna, what's going on?" he asked, a serious expression falling on his face. Charlotte's mother stopped stirring the pot of soup, and placed down the spoon.
" Hitler invaded Poland today. It's all over the news." her mother said. Charlotte's father walked over to the radio and turned up the volume as a speaker's voice came through.
" Charlie, go and get your brothers and sister, tell them dinner's ready." her mother said.
" Of course, mama." she called, placing Felix on the ground and grabbing his hand. The two siblings walked upstairs and towards the 'playroom' at the top of the house. She found Lucie sitting near the window, writing and rewriting a letter over and over. Louis was reading, and Leroy was doing homework.
" Dinner's ready." she called walking into the room.
" Thank freaking god." Leroy said, slamming his Algebra book closed with a sigh, " I need to get away from this."
" Mr. Stress Ball, has been going off for hours about who he's asking to Homecoming, about homework, football, and his test next week." Louis said closing the book." And little miss heart eyes, can't compile a letter for her 7th grade crush." he said with a smirk standing. Lucie turned and glared at her brother.
" Louis Tarvers, je vais claquer vos fesses à Washington DC." she snapped back in rushed French, making Charlotte laugh, walking over to stand next to her sister.
" What are you writing about?" she asked her sister. Lucie sighed to herself.
" Boys don't get it." she mumbled. Charlotte smiled sadly.
" I know." she said, and looked at her brothers that began wrestling each other and laughing. She waited for the storm of her mother or father to come yelling at them for the moment, but instead she laughed and looked at her sister again.
" Well, I know I'm not an expert writer, but I can help you write this letter." she said, looking at her younger sister that was like a carbon copy of her.
" AHHHHHH!" came Felix's little scream running past the two girls.
" Felix!" the young girl called turning around and seeing the boy go tackling Leroy. The girl turned and looked at her sister.
" Boys." the young girl muttered. Lucie smirked.
" Voulez-vous venir manger?" she heard her mother yell up the staircase.
" After dinner, I'll help you write this." the young girl said to her sister. Lucie smiled.
" Thanks, Charlie." Lucie said smiling. The two sisters followed their 3 brothers down the stairs into the wonderful smelling kitchen where her father was reading the paper, and petting the Oliver's head, as her mother put soup into bowls.
" The 3 knuckle heads almost had a brawl upstairs." Lucie muttered as she sat down to dinner.
" Well you're related." her father said with a small smirk to his youngest daughter.
" You helped birth him." Lucie said back with a smirk. She sure had sass, as she smirked wide.
" Lucie Tarvers." her mother said, smacking her on the head with an oven mitt.
" Mother it's true." Lucie said smiling innocently. Her mother chuckled.
" Definitely one of mine." her mother said ruffling her hair. She sat at the opposite head of the table to her husband and waited for grace. Charlotte's father cleared her throat, as everyone grabbed hands.
" Holy Father, we thank thee for this meal that has been placed in front of us. We pray for what is going on in Europe and across the world. Amen." her father said.
" Amen." the family repeated before digging into their meals.
" What's wrong in Europe?" Lucie asked. Her father looked uneasily at his daughter.
" Have you all learned about a man named Adolf Hitler in school?" he asked, placing his fork and knife down.
" Yeah, I think." Lucie said. Leroy sat up straighter.
" I have, dad." Leroy said with a nod, " He rose to power through that depression in Germany."
" Correct, son." her father said. Her father was a strong man. He had grown up in France during a rougher time period, having survived the Great War. He married a young woman who was a nurse for France, marrying her and beginning a family. Charlotte was one of those children. The family was moved to America, and had two more children, just as the depression hit. Her father, had worked hard to provide for his big family though. He made sure they had clothes and dinner every night, even if he didn't eat. And it paid off. After America came out of the Depression, he got his normal job back, and worked even harder, providing a good house in a good neighborhood with a good school. He always made sure to do it for his family. But his wife was just as tough. She had survived the Great War as well, being a fierce combat medic, yet the sweetest one someone would ever get treated by. Her mother birthed 5 kids and had fought fiercely for their lives and keeping them healthy through the Depression. They worked together like 2 perfect puzzle pieces and Charlotte was always amazed at their story.
" Hitler and the army of the Third Reich, have invaded Poland." her father said, " It's all the government knows for now, but until they know more, Great Britain and France are in the talks for declaring war." Charlotte's eyes snapped to her father's eyes. The dinner table grew silent and a pit filtered into Charlotte's stomach. Two days later, what her father had said came true. Europe was at war. Britain and France had officially declared war on Germany. It was all in the talks during school. Charlotte and her best friend since moving to America, Mary-Jane Miller, sat in 5th period, listening to their math teacher drone on about geometry. Charlotte felt eyes on her, and turned to see John Henderson and his friends looking at the girl. She rolled her eyes and focused back on looking at Roger McKinnis who was looking back at her. MJ glanced at her best friend and sighed at the young girl. 6th period lunch rolled around, and all she heard was 14 and 15 year olds talking about the war in Europe. Charlotte and MJ sat in the corner eating their meals, in early December.
" You think Roosevelt's gonna want to get involved in this?" MJ asked. Mary-Jane was intelligent, and sassy, and it's half the reason the two got along so well.
" Only if he needs too. He's smart, so I think remaining neutral is best." the young girl answered.
" My dad's worried for my brothers." Charlotte said. MJ set down her fork. " My dad thinks if the war comes to America, they'll be drafted. The Military is setting the age to 18, because they need all the people they can get."
" Hey, Charlie." MJ sat reaching across to grab her best friend's hand, " if they do. They do. But I'm gonna make you a promise. If they join, I join. Nurse Corps." Charlotte looked at her friend. MJ knew how much Charlotte was into the medical field, especially since her mom had been a field nurse.
" Really? I mean could I?" she asked.
" Nurse Corps accepts any age, as long as you're in high school." MJ explained. Charlotte smiled. The idea though didn't settle well with her father, as he seemed to be rather bothered by the fact that his young daughter wanted to be part of the war if it came to America. But Charlotte knew it was because he'd experienced war, and didn't want his daughter to have to go through what he did. As she graduated the 9th grade, just 2 days before her birthday of becoming 15, news of the Battle of Dunkirk came to America. Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of England had given a speech which set in stone the realities of this war for many countries neutral or fighting. In July, news about the Battle of Britain hit America as well, drawing more supplies to be sent to Britain from America in an effort to assist them.
Charlotte and MJ were essentially two peas in a pod. If Charlotte did something, so did MJ and vice versa. MJ liked to come over to the Tarvers and ride horses, because her house was on a smaller property than the Tarvers. She rode Leroy's horse all the time, mostly because of the major crush she had on him, that he didn't really know about. But Leroy's horse loved her too, so he never minded much when she rode him. The two girls would ride through the town, past its citizens and sometimes all the way to the beach, before setting down on the sand, talking and watching the sunset. They talked about their future, boys, school life, everything.
" God's got a crazy way of saying, this is what I want you to do in life." MJ said one evening as the sun slowly dipped behind the horizon, as Mickey and Leroy's horse Biscuit nibbled at some feed on the ground.
" What makes you say that MJ?" Charlotte asked her best friend, raising a brow in her direction.
" You remember the other day when Old Mr. Jones, hobbled out of his shop and over to the park, just because his dog took a shit inside and he couldn't stop blabbering about it for days. Saying his whole shop smelled because of it?" MJ asked her. Charlotte raised another brow even more confused.
" Yeah?" she questioned.
" What if that dog hadn't shit in the shop? What if it had been outside?" MJ questioned.
" You sound insane." Charlotte murmured.
" Think Charlie, Jesus." MJ muttered, slapping her friend on the shoulder.
" Then we wouldn't have heard about it." Charlotte said dumbly.
" Exactly!" MJ said.
" Your point?" Charlotte asked.
" I walked in there, the urge to buy some of those fancy fake flowers he makes by hand, just because you know I can't take care of real ones. LIke what if I hadn't had the urge to buy fake flowers? Then we never would've heard about the entire 'dog shitting in Old Mr.Jones shop'!" MJ exclaimed.
" You're crazy." Charlotte said laughing.
" But I'm your best friend. You know you love me." MJ said, laughing with her. There was a noise, an engine sound coming up the road that leads to the beach, suddenly. MJ looked to Charlotte before standing and brushing herself off. Charlotte followed brushing sand from her body.
" What's that?" Charlotte asked. A few trucks came up the road, filled with loud voices and boys and girls from their school. Charlotte glanced at MJ nervously as the three trucks stopped and people began climbing out. People like Roger, John, Vera, the jocks, the popular girls. A whole group.
" 'Ey! You two lovely ladies!" the two girls heard a voice call out. Charlotte glanced at MJ.
" Yeah?" MJ called back.
" Wanna join us? Celebrating one of the last few nights before school again tomorrow." it was Roger that was calling to them.
" We have to actually get back. It's Sunday anyway." MJ called back.
" Oh come on it'll be fun." said Vera stepping closer to the girls, vodka in her hands. Charlotte looked to MJ and shook her head. MJ and Charlotte had always been good girls, they weren't willing to get into this type of risky business, especially with the parents they had.
" No thanks." Charlotte called back as John turned his head."
Charlotte, I didn't see that it was you." he said coming closer, hands in his pockets, wind ruffling his hair a bit.
" Me?" she said, sounding dumb. He'd never spoken to her like this before. In person.
" Yeah? Charlotte Tarvers right?" he asked.
" Um, yeah." she answered awkwardly.
" You two want to hang for a bit?" he asked.
" We really need to get the horses back." Charlotte said, thumbs twiddling together nervously. She loved that John was talking to her, but MJ, her horses and the family were a bit more important.
" Yeah, and Charlotte's not feeling well." MJ said, wrapping an arm over her best friend's shoulder.
" What? Lady problems?" Vera said stepping forward before curling around John like a snake and kissing his cheek, leaving a faint red lipstick outline.
" No." MJ shot back.
" It's ok, Charlotte. I mean, to have lady problems and all. Are you finally a big girl now?" Vera urged on. Charlotte couldn't get her mouth to really speak, or work, or react, as more of the boys and girls started to gather.
" I mean you can't of even had your first kiss yet, either have you?" Vera urged on again.
" Vera stop." John said to the girl on his arm.
" Oh Johnny, I'm just being truthful, I mean you and I have done it plenty of times, so why not ask someone the same age if she has too." Vera said.
" Vera shut up." MJ shot back.
" Mary-Jane, you've always had a bit of a mouth on you." Vera said, sipping the vodka.
" Yeah, I guess I have." MJ said, standing taller, proudly.
" Well how about you shut it, and let your friend speak for herself." Vera snapped, and MJ glared coldly at her.
" You don't have to say anything, ignore her." Roger said stepping forward past John and Vera, standing in front of the girl. Charlotte glanced up at Roger. He'd never really spoken to her either, except for the occasional glance or something.
" Oh come, two words from the quiet girl." Vera called raising her glass in the air. Charlotte glanced at her.
" Fuck you."
___
thanks for reading!
i hope you all enjoyed the offical first chapter!!