(please don't do a ghost reader! like and comment!)

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

As the Victorian Sister's foundation comes into view it feels as if my heart could thump out of my chest. I was extremely nervous.

My mom pulls up beside the building with Morgan in the passenger smiling softly. She'd decided to join for some reason but I don't know, it still baffles me how engaged she is in this whole thing, I've never taken her as an aspiring debutante.

When the car is in park my mom turns around to me with a smile,

"Are you excited?" She asks. And I respond with a yes as if all my emotions weren't completely numb to my anxiety.

"You'll do great Lots, tell us everything when it's over okay?"

I nod instinctively, taking my mother's words as her way of saying get out.

I exit the car with quickness, making sure to grab my little white purse and wave to my mom and even Morgan before going in. I walk up the long entryway that is decorated beautifully with flowers and statues. But by far, the inside upstages the outside. When I am inside, not only am I instantly relieved by the air conditioning but I am practically blinded by pastels everywhere, any color you could think of.

I walk up a giant flight of elegant stairs, following the sound of talking and laughter. It isn't long until I make it to an entryway, where I see colorful dresses and tables with cloth I think would be more fit for the curtains.

My instant thought is that I look out of place. I look like I came prepared for a baby reveal not to be a debutante.

Unfortunately, someone notices me just as I am debating ditching this whole thing. It's an older woman, she's pale and has brown hair with silver streaks. She's wearing patterns too, black and white stripes. This must be the guide, Mrs Willsbury.

She begins to smile as she gets closer to me, I assume noticing me with each step she takes, "Welcome." Mrs. Willsbury greets me, holding out a hand for me to shake. And I do, I smile as she continues speaking.

"You must be Charlotte." She says elegantly, squinting her eyes in hopes that she's right. I assuringly nod, finding that now would be a good time to make a first impression,

"Yes ma'am." I say, "This is a beautiful building."

"Isn't it?" She agrees. She watches me nod again before turning back to the girls,

"There is an empty spot right there for you Miss. Charlotte" Mrs. Willsbury points to a table on the wall, where three girls sit with one lonely chair.

Anxiety begins to plague me again, I try not to show it once she starts to lead me to the table. I'd swallow my reluctance and walk. But as I do, I see an unexpected face...

Cleo.

She is at the second table in the front smiling with two other girls. I am surprised I hadn't seen her sooner and maybe it's because she looks different. She has longer dark hair with beautiful bombshell curls and she wears makeup too.

But spotting her reminds me of what Mackenzie said to me yesterday: Just ask her and I guarantee she'll tell you everything I told you. And to refresh, I was called entitled and the worst friend ever.

Honestly, it's hard to keep that situation in the back of my mind when Cleo's right in front of me so, I decided to turn away from her before she noticed me. But still I can't stop thinking about what she might think. Does she really think that way about me? Was Mackenize just saying all that out of some frustrated fit?

When I approach the table of girls they turn to me almost instantly. They're all in similar outfits, patterns and ruffles, and decorative hats, but there's one with large box braids, one with brown curly hair, and another with a cute wavy ginger. That is their distinction. The first one to greet me is the girl with box braids,

"Hi." She smiles.

"Hi." I respond, going to sit in my chair to join the three, "I'm Charlotte."

"Oh, I know." She scoffs, "Mrs Willsbury gave me a peak of your sketch the other day, and may I say you are gorgeous."

I chuckle awkwardly at her compliment, not bothering to question what she'd tell me beforehand. I'd mutter a soft thank you before silence falls. She isn't afraid to pick it back up though,

"I'm Scarlett but people call me Star." She points to herself, "That's Josie but we call her Jo, " She points to the girl with curly hair, "And that's Genevieve but we call her Gen."

They both wave at me, I wave back instinctively.

Scarlett quickly reverts my attention to her, "And I guess since your name is Charlotte so we could call you..." She ponders for a bit, "Lottie?"

I smile, "Perfect!" I say a bit over enthusiastic, but watching as a smile grows across Star's lips i'm assured, "My mom calls me that sometimes."

She laughs, "Well that's great! Me and your mom think alike!" She says, "Which makes sense because I'm your big sister now."

I furrow my brows, looking between the three. "Big sister?"

"Yeah! Every table gets one." Star explains, "A big sister is an older deb that's helps the younger ones. That's all."

I hum, my attention running astray as Star continues talking. I look over to Cleo, surrounded by two girls like she was with me and Mackenize. Has she even noticed I'm here yet? And if she has, why would she ignore me?

Looking at Cleo becomes painful so I look away again, but it's only onto another familiar face...

Dakota is here too.

This one really caught me off guard.

I wouldn't have even known it was Dakota if it wasn't for hair which still stayed a dark blue. But her piercings? They were gone. It felt kinda wrong to see her with a naked face, she'd even have a blush-tone lipstick on inside of her cherry red. Her usual grudge replaced with deb glamour didn't look right. I wonder why she's here.

"Hey, Lottie are you listening?" Scarlett asks, reverting my attention from Dakota back to her vibrant expression.

I nod my head, "Yeah, of course I am."

I can feel Scarlette scanning me for sarcasm but it's not for long. I guess I was too convincing, or maybe she just doesn't want to stop talking.

She goes back to talking about whatever as I glance back up to find Dakota. Luckily I'd looked up and caught her eye. I suddenly felt the need to talk to her, to explain myself and apologize for Jackson's outburst that surely embarrassed Joey.

I most definitely can't mouth anything to her because Scarlett would notice. So I tried to signal with my head if we could talk. And thankfully Dakota catches on. She points her thumb behind her, to meet her in the hall before walking away. And I wait a bit before deciding to join her,

"Hey, Imma go to the bathroom really quick okay?" I stop Scarlett in her babbling. I watch as she sits baffled for a bit before nodding. I walk away quickly, ignoring Scarlett calling after me and trying to tell me something.

I walk out into the hall where Dakota isn't far, she's standing beside the bathroom picking at her nails.

"Hey," I say, making myself known to her while I walk closer to her. When Dakota turns to me she doesn't look too happy, actually she looks mad.

"What was that last week?" She harshly whispers, "What was your boyfriend on?"

"He's not my boyfriend." I correct her instantly.

"Then what is he?" Dakota asks.

I sigh, "He's the son of one of my mom's friends." I explained, "He was doing too much I know."

"Yeah, Joey is crushed," Dakota says, which makes my heart drop.

"That's why I wanted to talk." I quickly say, "I want at least one of you to know that I'm sorry. I swear, there's no bad blood on Jackson's end, he was just trying to get me home."

Dakota scoffs, "His name is Jackson?" I nod as she shakes her head, "Look, the one you should be saying sorry to is Joey. He's really into you Charlotte." She says, "There's a party tonight on the beach and he's gonna be there. So you should tell him then."

I nod, taking in Dakota's words to store for later. I definitely had to go to that party and fix what Jackson had potentially broken.

"Hey, Mrs Willsbury wants you guys inside." Calls a voice, and that voice belongs to Cleo. I turn to her and this is the first time we've made eye contact all summer. It's nerve-racking, I honestly prepare for another lecture as I pass her with Dakota but she instead avoids me completely. I am now recognizing that the lecture would have been better.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

When day one of Deb's is over, there aren't many details I can tell my mom and Morgan. I can't tell her about Dakota or Cleo and I really don't wanna bother rehashing over Scarlett's nonstop talking. We instead hold a conversation over my new schedule at Victorian Sisters.

"You'll have to learn how to dance and walk in heels!" My mom squeals excitedly as she pulls the car up into the beach house driveway. She reads off the paper Mrs. Willsbury gives all the girls at the end of the first day, it entails all of what we will do until July 20th, the day of the ball.

"Let's hope she doesn't break anything to do that." Morgan jokes, leaving us all laughing at the front door. My mom lets us in to sight of Jackson in the kitchen. He's cooking something, and it smells like pasta, but he cooks with no apron.

"Oh! My sweet son is cooking for us!" Morgan coo's, causing Jackson to turn around with a faint blush across his cheeks. Morgan walks over to her son while I walk with my mom through the hallway to the back porch. I sit on the bench first before she joins me, pulling me into yet another hug,

She sighs, "My pretty girl, what are you gonna do tonight?" She asks.

The party Dakota mentioned to me earlier popped up in my mind. I look out beyond the porch, to the setting sun threatening to turn to night. I've never asked my mom to go to a party before, but in remembering her words from last week I feel a bit confident in saying,

"Going to a party." I say reluctantly, "If that's okay with you."

This baffles my mom. I watch her chill expression turn to a surprised one, raised brows and all,

"I thought you were gonna say pasta and Gilmore Girls."

"You said it yourself." I say "Something about expecting parties this summer?"

"I probably said that drunk." My mom points out which yes she did.

"Drunken words are sober thoughts," I say.

My mom laughs, "Charlotte, you're funny."

"Mom, this is serious." I say, reverting the conversation, "I would like to go to my first party. I'm sixteen, I'm pretty sure plenty of sixteen-year-olds have been to their first party by now."

My mom nods, "You are right Charlotte but you are not like most sixteen-year-olds." She states, "You're homely and...not like most sixteen-year-olds?"

I sigh, "Come on Mom, some girls from Debs are gonna be there...and Cleo and Mackenzie."

This drags her in a bit, Familiar names in unfamiliar public settings have always been able to comfort her. I watch her ponder over my proclamation. She even bothers to toy with me a bit, scratching her chin as if she's thinking it thoroughly before giving me a final answer.

"You can go." She says. And I think that is the end, I am excited until she continues,

"But Jackson comes too."