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The weeks went by in a blur of classes, messages to Derek, and attempts at keeping Mary away from Charlie.
The last one was a bit harder than Anne expected it to be. Mary had quickly learned that Charles – as she insisted on calling him – was to inherit his father’s furniture store when Mr. Musgraves decided to retire.
It didn’t matter to the youngest Elliot that technically Charlie was in the relationship with Emilia, and the junior was going to do whatever it took to keep the sophomore from stealing her boyfriend.
“Mary,” Anne said her sister’s name in an attempt to get the girl’s attention away from the makeup she was applying in the mirror. “What are you doing?”
“Putting on lip gloss,” the younger sister sarcastically replied.
“I can see that. Why are you trying to split up Charlie and his girlfriend?”
“Emilia doesn’t realize the catch she has.”
“It’s high school,” Anne countered.
“And? So? You are making long term plans with Derek even though you are still in high school.”
“But I didn’t try to ruin a relationship Derek was already in.”
“What difference does it really make?”
“It makes a huge difference, Mary,” Anne slowly tried to explain. “Derek was never in a relationship. You can’t just break up people, relationships, just because you want somebody that...”
“Charles is going to be worth millions someday,” Mary interrupted.
“Charlie,” Anne corrected, “is still in high school. If he makes it through college in four years, there is still his Masters to get which is another two to three years. And that doesn’t mean anything because there is no guarantee when Mr. Musgraves is going to retire. It could easily be when Charlie is in his thirties and even then, I’m certain that Mr. Musgraves will be getting a percentage of the profits.”
She left out the fact that the furniture store wasn’t likely to result in the millions that Mary fantasized about.
Mary said nothing, merely cut her eyes in Anne’s direction, before she resumed applying makeup in the mirror. She couldn’t understand why her sister insisted on maintaining a relationship with Derek Worth. He had no money – that she was aware of. He was going into the armed forces – that she saw no reason for. He had no political clout - although she was unaware of the power that his father did in fact weld.
Nope, in Mary’s mind, Derek Worth was worthless towards Anne’s future.
Unlike Charles Musgraves – why anybody insisted on calling him Charlie was beyond her – who had the potential and merely needed the right force behind him to gently nudge him in the right direction.
Meanwhile, Mary pictured all of the various ways that Charles could spoil her. It didn’t matter that he was dating Emilia for a ‘good’ reason and was unlikely to ever view Mary as anybody other than Anne’s annoying baby sister.
“Mary,” Anne stated, pulling Mary away from her thoughts and mascara. “I’m serious. Charlie told me to tell you to back off,” she lied. “He’s happy with Emilia and only sees you as my little sister.” One truth out of three wasn’t that bad.
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Derek,
I’ve been taking Mama to most of her appointments. Father could, but he’s so busy doing something in his office. I couldn’t tell you what. I don’t even think Beth knows what he is doing.
So, even though Beth isn’t in school and I am, I’m having to take off class – thankfully my last two period teachers understand and send the work home with me – to take Mama to her appointments.
I end up sitting in the waiting rooms and doing my assignments. It isn’t easy having to teach myself this stuff. Thankfully my required math class is in the morning. I think I would have issues if I was having to teach myself math. But I have Graphic Art during my last period and most of these assignments are done on computers. Mama insisted that I download the necessary software to my new laptop so that I wouldn’t get terribly behind.
There is one thing I’m certain about. I do not like Graphic Art. I hope I can avoid some of these classes at the art institute. I’d like to get into illustrating, but I’ll know more about possible courses and majors when I get there for orientation.
Thankfully, English is the other class that I sometimes miss. It isn’t easy working on a research paper in the waiting room at a doctor’s office, but I manage to get it done. Thank you, smartphones and Wi-Fi.
I’d like to say that Mary doesn’t complain about having to take the bus on the days that I take Mama to appointments. Eventually, she wheedled my friend, Charlie, into taking her home on those days. Robin refuses to and I really can’t blame her. But Charlie could only take so much of Mary coming over to our lunch table and whining about having to sit with ‘that smelly Osbourne boy’. She swears he hasn’t bathed in a year.
I used to babysit him when I was a freshman and he was a sixth grader – please don’t ask why his parents wanted a baby sitter for their middle schooler (it involves blowing up a microwave) – and I can almost believe that he doesn’t bathe on a regular basis.
Oh. Mama is coming out. I have to go.
Miss you more than anything.
Anne
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Anne,
I can’t believe I’m going to ask this. Who is Charlie? I shouldn’t be worried that he’ll steal you away from me, should I?
I thought Boot Camp was going to be the worst thing that I ever endured, but waiting for my Dad to determine that he has prepped me as much as he possibly can is killing me. Literally. Laps. Lots and lots of running. Weight training. Swimming at the local indoor, and sometimes outdoor, pool. Hopefully, I’ll get to come see you before Dad deems me ready.
Love you more than anything in the world,
Derek
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Derek,
Oh. I never told you about Charlie. He is Nathan’s best friend, but he isn’t a threat. By the way, I’m rolling my eyes at the idea. He has a girlfriend named Emilia. She’s a sweetheart.
You can’t know how thankful I am that you had us take all of those selfies. Robin didn’t want to believe that you existed until I showed her those pictures on my phone. She was so ready to set me up with her new boyfriend’s best friend as soon as I got back from North Carolina.
I still end up playing the third wheel with Charlie sometimes when Emilia joins her other friends at lunch, but he’s easy to talk to. He’ll be going to one of the local colleges because they have an excellent Business program and he’ll be inheriting his father’s furniture business. I know he’s sick and tired of hearing me talk about you.
Robin can’t wait to meet you. She has it all planned out down to the smallest detail. You’ll get to meet my sisters and father, if Elizabeth doesn’t find some way to escape the house. But don’t expect any of them to pay any attention to you. Father might ask some questions, but whatever he thinks doesn’t matter to me. I know Mama keeps asking when you’ll be coming down to visit.
I miss you and can’t wait to see you in a few weeks.
Anne
