Interloper by C.L. Merklinger

Author:C.L. Merklinger [Merklinger, C.L. & Merklinger, C.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-23T16:00:00+00:00

-CHAPTER FIFTEEN-

HEATHER AND SCARLET

Charlie woke to her alarm, hit the snooze button, and rolled to her side. She was in the middle of a dream and desperately wanted to get back to it. After several attempts to capture the dream, she opened her eyes and succumbed to the daylight. Staring at the ceiling of her dorm room, she smiled to herself as the face of Simon LeBon smiled back at her. She didn’t think she would ever outgrow that man. With a widened yawn, she sat up and inhaled.

Charlie planted her feet on the cold tile and maneuvered to the bathroom to pee. As she trudged back into the room, she ran through a mental timeline of her day. Feeling peckish, she decided that sustenance would come first. Not feeling like impressing anyone so early in the morning, she threw her hair in a ponytail, slid on a jogging suit and parka, then slung her dining pass around her neck. Taking her notebook with her to review while she ate, she also grabbed her Walkman for some musical inspiration. Checking the cassette tape, she knew she could do better and dug around in her shoebox collection until she found just the right mix.

The weather that day suited her—moody and ominous. Charlie entered the dining hall and grabbed a tray. Deciding on cereal, she skipped the hot food line and went over to the cereal station. Grabbing a bowl, she stood before her options and went wild with a mix of Rice Krispies, Fruity Pebbles, and some Captain for his crunch. Not wanting to sog up her bowl, Charlie opted for two cartons of milk. After also tossing an apple, a banana, and a coffee cup on the tray, she headed for the cashier.

Taking a spot in one of the more hidden corners, she set her tray down and chaotically opened her milk, pouring one in the bowl and setting the second aside. She covered her ears with the spongy headphones and clicked the play button on the Walkman, sending Joy Division through her brain.

Shoveling in the first spoonful of her concoction, she opened her notebook and began to read over her notes. While doing so, she started a list of questions on a separate page. Although she didn’t have high hopes for the day’s meeting with Heather’s and Scarlett’s group, she wanted to be prepared just in case she might gather some insights into what the heck happened to her mom. What was most curious to her so far was why her mom had an imaginary friend for so long.

Most kids relinquish those predilections early in life. She never heard of someone carrying them well into middle school. At least no-one she had ever known did.

Tapping her pen on the pad of paper, she let her thoughts expand back to the money. The journals were one thing; the money was completely another. Why would her mom have hidden that kind of money away? She couldn’t have been planning to leave her dad.

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