Chapter Four - [Paris.]

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Author's Note: Thank you for reading! I'm so glad you guys are liking this story. I've wanted to do another teen pregnancy for a while, there were many things in the last one I wanted to do differently. I wrote it so long ago...Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm at work writing most of this literally doing nothing work related. So why not make you guys happy? Please tell me what you think:) Also, do NOT write comments with just “Update” or “Update now!” or anything like that. Not only will that not get me to update any faster, it's a little rude and it's a huge pet peeve. LOVE YOU GUYS!

*~*~*~*~*~*

Wednesday morning came too swiftly for my liking.

Katie and I had said our tearful goodbye the night before. The plane was leaving very early, and I was afraid if I had to say my farewells to her right before I left I'd bolt. She had been the only thing holding me down, and now I was scared I would float away.

Before Aunt Lauren and I left, I hoped that my mother and Chris wouldn't be awake. I hated Chris more than ever, and I felt betrayed by my mother. I didn't want to be around either one of them at the moment. It wasn't that I didn't love Aunt Lauren. Of course I did, and I knew that I would enjoy the time I would spend with her.

But to ship me off, just like that? That hurt.

“Are you sure you should be drinking coffee?”

Chris had entered the kitchen, and my mind wandered to the morning he walked in on me in the kitchen before they knew what was going on. I shook the memory off, twisting the cap on my travel mug and shouldering my way past him.

“It's decaf,” I said stiffly.

I had no interest in being friendly to him, or even being somewhat decent. As far as I'm concerned, my mother's cold hearted husband could get lost. But causing drama on the morning I left wasn't something I was really interested in doing.

“Do you have everything, honey?”

My mother touched my arm gently as I walked into the living room. My heart squeezed in my chest, and I found myself unable to be mean to her. As pissed as I was, the strings that were tugging at my heart wouldn't let me be mean to her.

Movers had came the day before to get all of my stuff. All I had with me was a carry on bag with my laptop, my iPhone and a few books.

“Yeah, Mom, I've got it,” I answered, trying to give her the best impression of a smile.

I felt like I was being swept under the rug here. Like I was a problem that needed to be fixed or hidden. I swallowed past the lump in my throat, hoping my mother wouldn't notice that I was trying to keep it together.

I was pretty hurt.

“We better get going, Charlotte,” Aunt Lauren said softly. My mother and Aunt Lauren seemed as if they were walking on egg shells around me, afraid I'd crack if they said the wrong thing to me. I hugged my mother, wrapping my arms tightly around her.

“I love you, Charlotte.”

I pulled back, wiping away the couple of tears that fell.

“I love you too,” I said honestly.

Was I upset with her? Of course I was. But that didn't mean I didn't love her. Her relationship with my step father (if you could call him that) was making her view hazy. She just wanted to do what was best for me, even if her judgment was clouded, her intentions were good.

“We'll call you when the plane lands in Houston.”

The town that she lived in was small. It was about an hour south west of Houston, a little town called Paris. I had never been to Texas. When I saw my Aunt Lauren, she had always come to us in California. I thought it was a bit ironic – such a small town named Paris.

It was going to be a big change to get accustomed to.

My mother and I hugged one more time, and she hugged Aunt Lauren as well. I basically ignored Chris, not wanting to bother with the formality of saying goodbye to him. It just was not worth the effort.

I walked outside, feeling strange that this was the last time I would be in that house for a long time. I got into Aunt Lauren's rental car, putting my carry on by my feet. My mood felt gloomy. It wasn't the decision that upset me, but having no choice and no say in making that decision.

“Despite the way this decision was made, I do think it's what's best for everybody,” Aunt Lauren said after a few minutes of silence. I took a deep breath, looking over at her and pondering what she just said.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

The LAX airport was exactly as it always was – over crowded. Having lived in Los Angeles my entire life, I had long since grown used to it. Sometimes, you had to be aggressive. Otherwise you would never make it where you needed to go on time.

We managed to get checked in and to our gate with nearly a half hour before it began boarding. Relieved, I sank into a seat by the floor to ceiling windows and ran my fingers through my hair. It was going to be hot today, but I wanted to be comfortable. I opted for wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It was a little loose, which was what I had aimed for.

I was eleven weeks pregnant and my belly was beginning to...swell.

It was something you wouldn't notice if you didn't know me and didn't know that I was pregnant. But I noticed it, and it felt as if there was a big spotlight pointed directly at me. Like people could know I was pregnant by just looking at me, even if my belly was covered up.

Even I knew that was crazy, but I couldn't help it.

“I'm going to get some snacks and stuff. Do you want anything?” I asked Aunt Lauren, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

“Maybe some chips and a Pepsi?”

She handed me a five dollar bill. She wanted to pay for what I got, but I said no. I had my own money. I thanked her for offering anyway. I got what she wanted, and some candy for myself and a juice. Wanting to feel as comfortable as possible on the plane, I also got a blanket and one of those neck pillows.

When the plane finally boarded, we were among the first to get on. We got seats in the third row, with me by the window and Aunt Lauren in the center aisle.

“How long is this flight?” I asked her, just as the flight attended with her shirt cut too low finished her safety briefing.

“About three hours.”

We were taking off at seven, so we'd get there at ten o' clock California time. But there was a two hour difference, so it'd be noon there. I tried to sleep on the plane ride, but it was quickly made clear that it wasn't going to happen. I was too uncomfortable and too restless to get anywhere close to sleep.

“Another drink, ma'am?” The flight attendant asked me.

I was surprised she was showing me any attention. Maybe she was just bored, given the fact that John Doe in his Armani suit in the row across from my aunt and I wasn't showing her any attention. I smiled politely and told her no.

“Get me off this plane,” I muttered, shaking my head.

The wifi wasn't working, and my phone had just died. It wasn't even one of those planes that had plugs if you weren't in first time. Needless to say, I was more than relieved when the attendant said that we would be landing soon.

When the plane touched down in Houston, I couldn't get off the plane faster. I was glad we got seats at the front. We managed to get off rather quickly.

“Now we've got about an hours drive,” Aunt Lauren said as we got into her car, which she had left in covered parking while she was in California. I wasn't looking forward to that long of a drive, but it was better than being in the plane. She called my mom to let her know we'd landed, and we were off to Paris.

“You'll like it in the south,” My aunt said a while later, when the big city started to fade away and was replaced by a few smaller cities and towns. “People are more friendly, the food is better and it's just much more..nice down here. I think you'll enjoy it.”

“Maybe I will,” I said, giving her a smile though I doubted that I would.

I wasn't used to small towns. It was a brand new world for me.

When we finally arrived in Paris at about one thirty, I was surprised at how small it was. There were only two stoplights – two! There was a grocery store, some mom and pop stores and restaurants downtown and a couple bars and some other things scattered around. There was also the necessary things – a doctor's office, a police station, schools and churches, etc.

“Oh boy,” I said, after Aunt Lauren had showed me around. She had wanted to do that before she took me to her house, which wasn't in town.

“I know it's going to take some adjusting...” She began.

“Some?” I asked, raising my eyebrows at her. “This is nearly a culture shock, Aunt Lauren.”

“I know, honey, but like I said... I think you'll like it. I know you don't believe me now, but you'll see.”

She was right...I didn't. I had moved from a huge city to a one horse town, and I wasn't sure if I could adjust at all.

As the town disappeared and the trees started to get thicker, I wondered where we were heading. About two miles out of town, she turned right down Old Mill Road. It wasn't even paved, and her Jeep crunched along the gravel.

About half a mile into that, she took a left into a driveway, which was also a dirt road. The trees surrounded us on either side until they broke, leaving a large two story white house with an attic, a wrap around porch and a porch swing. The yard was big, and the yard was surrounded by forest. About half a mile to the right, you could see a house. But barely.

“Those are our neighbors, the Jensons. They're a nice couple with five kids.”

Five kids?” I asked, getting out and pushing my sunglasses to the top of my head, narrowing my eyes so I could see the house better. “That's insane.”

“The catholic church is pretty big in Texas, and they don't believe in birth control.”

“What will they think of me?” I asked.

Aunt Lauren paused for a second, thinking.

“They won't like that you're pregnant. But they would rather have you keep the baby than abort it. Some will think differently about the adoption aspect. And some might not say anything, but others will be bold.”

I nodded.

“I just want you to be prepared, in case anybody says anything mean.”

I couldn't help but laugh a little.

“I went to a school in Los Angeles, they're full of snobs. I'm sure I'll be able to handle what some older Catholic lady will say to me.”

“Good. Come on, I'll show you inside.”

The living room was the first thing that the door opened up to. It was full of comfortable looking furniture and a nice sized TV. On the far side of the living room was the kitchen, and then the door to the back porch. The living room also had an open doorway to a hallway that had a bathroom, a spare bedroom and another open doorway to the dining room. There was also a set of stairs that led upstairs.

Upstairs had another smaller bedroom, another bathroom and an office. Then, there was the last door on the left.

“I think that this house used to be a boarding house or something, because there are two master bedrooms. I'll give you the other one."

It was a large room the size of a small apartment. It had it's own bathroom and walk in closet.

The old wooden floor could use a paint job, but that was about as far as the flaws went. There were two octagon windows that over looked the backyard.

A queen sized bed was against the far right wall when you came in, and piled on it were the boxes of my stuff. At the end of the bed was a large trunk. The walls were freshly painted, a off white color that I liked. There was a desk underneath one of the windows, and a TV on the wall opposite the bed. Underneath the TV was a dresser, and a bookshelf was to the right of the bed. In a corner, there was a recliner that looked awfully comfortable.

“I know it's a little bare, but I wasn't sure what sort of decorations you would like. We could try to find some soon...” She sounded nervous. I turned to her, my face lit up and hugged her.

“I love it!” I said honestly

“Do you really?” She asked.

“Yes! It's like my own little studio apartment!” I answered, excited.

She beamed, glad that I was happy with what she'd done. How could I not be? I had never had my own bathroom before.

“I'm glad you like it so far. There's little shops and a couple things to do in town you can keep yourself busy with whenever I'm at work.”

I frowned suddenly, thinking of something that seemed to have slipped my mind.

“I don't have a car,” I answered. “Chris wouldn't let me take mine, remember? He bought it or whatever.”

She smiled, a little bit mischievously.

“Chris Bennett down the road got in trouble. His mom made him sell his truck, and wanted it gone quick. I bought it for you.”

“Oh, Aunt Lauren, you didn't have to do that...”

She quickly waved me off.

“I wanted to. Here, you can see it from the bathroom.”

There was another octagon window in the bathroom, one that looked to the side of the house. It was a black Dodge Ram, and looked pretty nice. It wasn't too big, and it even had a back seat.”

“Thank you so much. You've been so welcoming, and all of this had been dumped on your lap...” I said, shaking my head as the tears started to fall.

“Charlotte, you're family. Of course, honey. If you need anything, you just let me know, okay? I'm glad to help.”

“Thank you,” I said again, hugging her.

“Now, honey, I want to stay longer. I really do, but I need to go check on things at work...”

My Aunt Lauren was the sheriff for the town of Paris. She'd acquired the job less than a year ago, but she loved it and I was glad she found something to be passionate about. And it was in a town that probably wasn't the least bit dangerous.

She felt bad for having to leave me, though.

“It's no problem, Aunt Lauren. You go ahead. I'm just going to unpack.”

“Are you sure?” She asked.

“Of course."

She kissed me on the cheek.

“There's lots to eat and drink in the fridge, help yourself to anything. What's mine is yours now. I'll see you in a few hours, Charlotte. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

With that, she was off. She changed into her uniform quickly and drove away.

I turned around, getting started on unpacking. I put my make up and hair stuff in the bathroom cabinet, as well as a couple beach towels I owned. It was a nice bathroom. It had white tile floors, an old claw footed bathtub and a stand up shower.

I put all my clothes away, hanging up some clothes on the bar that was about at shoulder height and folding other clothes and putting them on the shelf directly above the bar. I put my shoes in small, square cubbies at the end. I placed my laptop and radio on the desk, and my school supplies in the desk drawers. I had a large box full of books, which I put onto the bookshelf as well as my movie collection. I put my favorite bedsheets and comforter on the bed.

The last thing I had to put away was my decorations. I hung some pictures and posters up. There was also a tack board on the wall, and I put most of my pictures up there. The last picture I put up was one of me and Katie, arms around each other with big grins on our faces.

“Shit, is this going to be hard with out you,” I said to the picture, shaking my head and frowning.

Suddenly exhausted, I crawled into my new bed and fell asleep nearly as soon as my head hit the pillow.

September 23rd, 2014: I changed Charlotte's bedroom from the attic loft to the regular second floor. If you see anything referring to her room being in the attic, please let me know.

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