<\/p>\n
In the heat of the release of\u00a0Last Hit<\/strong>, I almost completely forgot about The Charlotte Chronicles which would have been bad, right? I can just imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth and that’s just from me!<\/p>\n Before we jump in to the section, though, I wanted to thank each blogger who has featured\u00a0Last Hit<\/strong>\u00a0this week. It rose to #1 on the Romantic Suspense list at Amazon and lingers around 2 and 3 right now. \u00a0I know we wouldn’t be getting the word out without the help of those bloggers and tomorrow I’ll share of more of those individual inks.<\/p>\n Second, I’ve finally decided on a name for book 3 of The Woodlands. \u00a0It and the gorgeous cover will be revealed in a couple of weeks. We are still on track for a January 20th release date BUT because\u00a0Last Hit<\/strong>\u00a0took up quite a bit of my writing time, I’m a little behind. I’m not likely to have ARCS until January 10th. \u00a0I hope you’ll stick with me.<\/p>\n Finally, December 20th, I’ll be part of an anthology called \u00a0Snow Kissed<\/strong> with Jessica Clare who is sharing a “games” novella and D. S. Linney, a new author who wrote a contemporary romance featuring a venture capitalist and his forbidden new nanny. \u00a0My contribution will be Noah and Grace as they gear up for a New Year’s Eve fight. Noah is finally stepping over the threshold of Grace’s home and he’s quite intimidated by the wealth. A professor has made Noah a shady offer to \u00a0make some money and Noah’s a bit tempted. \u00a0You’ll have to read it to see if you think Grace and Noah make the right decisions.<\/p>\n On to Charlotte and Nathan!<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Nathan<\/strong><\/p>\n Dad doesn\u2019t hurry through the phone call. Instead, he listens as the other person seems to talk without breaks, all the while eying me speculatively. I take the time, as he intends me to, to gather myself until I\u2019m no longer ready burst out with some inappropriate profanity laced diatribe. I firm my lips and give him a nod that I\u2019m ready. He nods back and quickly wraps up the call.<\/p>\n \u201cSummarize the details and email them to me by tomorrow morning. I\u2019ll give you an answer in forty eight hours.\u201d He doesn\u2019t wait for a response and hangs up.\u00a0 Leaning back in his chair, he folds his arms behind his head. \u201cI didn\u2019t say a word to your momma about your indiscretion with that girl downstairs if that\u2019s what you\u2019re wondering.\u201d<\/p>\n My mouth falls open in surprise at his ability to precisely peg my issue. \u201cI, ah,\u201d I stammer and wish I had showered so I could sit down. \u201cWhy\u2019re they talking about taking Charlotte away then?\u201d I hadn\u2019t realized how much that bothered me until I gave voice to it.<\/p>\n Dad squints at the ceiling, tipping farther back in his chair and then lets it come forward with a bang. \u201cI\u2019m not entirely sure, son, but it isn\u2019t that. Frankly, I think AnnMarie would be grateful your attentions are fixed on someone other than Charlotte. It\u2019s been a contentious year for the two of you.\u201d<\/p>\n I flush. Every since Charlotte turned fifteen, everyone seemed to start noticing her. And by everyone, I mean other guys. She doesn\u2019t seem to care that she gets stared at constantly. When I suggested that maybe she should stop wearing yoga pants outside of the actual yoga studio, she didn\u2019t talk to me for a week. \u201cShe\u2019s hormonal,\u201d I mutter finally.<\/p>\n At this Dad shouts with laughter. \u201cShe\u2019s<\/i>\u00a0hormonal.\u201d He pushes away from his desk and stands. Walking toward the door, he gestures for me to follow. \u201cSon, you\u2019ve got so many suppressed hormones, they are screwing with your head.\u201d<\/p>\n I follow him into the kitchen where he pulls out the makings for sandwiches. Silently we make ourselves one and Dad pours me a tall glass of milk. I don\u2019t remember the last time we\u2019ve had time, just the two of us. Some of the stress of the past couple of weeks just drains away as we sit down and talk about the Bears chances to win the SuperBowl this year \u2014 not good \u2014 and the Cubs chances of winning the pennant next year \u2014 even worse.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s practice going?\u201d He asks, eating half his sandwich in one bite.<\/p>\n I shrug. \u201cI don\u2019t love it. I know I should but I\u2019m bored half the time. It was more fun when I could play both offense and defense.\u201d\u00a0 North Prep\u2019s football team is mediocre at best and during my sophomore year, I got to play the tight end position and defensive back. My junior year, however, I\u2019m playing solely the tight end position and because the quarterback sucks, I rarely get the ball thrown to me and when it does come my way, it\u2019s either too long or too short.<\/p>\n \u201cTeam sports is a good experience for you, Nate,\u201d Dad says. \u201cGetting along with others is a chore but a necessary one. You can at least use the opportunity to understand the different dynamics of your teammates and how each one is motivated. Later on that skill will come in handy.\u201d<\/p>\n After we polish off the sandwiches and milk, I help Dad clean up the kitchen. I\u2019m not ready for our time to come to an end so I linger, spending more time than necessary cleaning off the center island.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think Charlotte is going to be okay?\u201d That\u2019s really the only question I need answered.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to be easy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of hormones,\u201d I joke.<\/p>\n Dad doesn\u2019t laugh, though. The side of his mouth quirks up in a sad half smile. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be everything and I\u2019m worried about you, hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow so?\u201d I don\u2019t like this somber tone from him. Maybe chat time should be over. I throw the cloth I was using to clean the counter into the sink showing that I\u2019m ready to be done.<\/p>\n \u201cCharlotte is going to go through several months of radiation. Maybe a year. She\u2019s going to be sick for a long time \u2014 \u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019m going to take care of her,\u201d I interrupt. Holding up my hand to forestall any other lectures, I tell Dad, \u201cI got this.\u201d<\/p>\n Dad just shakes head. \u201cI love Charlotte like she\u2019s my own and I\u2019m gut sick about her illness, just like you. But she\u2019s got her family to take care of her. You and Nick need to be focused on finishing school, enjoying yourself and then planning for college.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like you are all for Charlotte being moved away.\u201d I scowl at him.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but I can tell you that Charlotte is going to want to be with someone who sees more than someone to be taken care of. Around here, there\u2019s going to be a lot of sympathy and a lot of people trying to do stuff for her.\u201d Dad runs a hand over the top of his head and frowns. \u201cMaybe Bo and AnnMarie are right in thinking Charlotte\u2019d be better off where everyone doesn\u2019t know her.\u201d<\/p>\n I gape at him. \u201cI think you\u2019re all high then because Charlotte needs us.\u201d<\/p>\n #<\/p>\n Charlotte<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019m grateful that the school keeps the bathrooms so clean because I\u2019ve spent far too much time\u00a0 in them during the last month I\u2019ve been back. After a month in the hospital and then a month at home, they allowed me to come back to school so long as I could hold up. Not wanting to be at home for another day, I\u2019ve been lying to my parents for the first time. If they knew I was in the bathroom sick every day, I\u2019d be pulled out of school in a heartbeat.<\/p>\n I pull out the water bottle from my backpack and swish out my mouth. Reaching up, I close the lid of the toilet seat and climb on top of it. The cool metal of the bathroom stall is relieving. \u00a0 Just one more minute, I tell myself, and then I\u2019ll go back to class.<\/p>\n Everyone has been so helpful since I\u2019ve been back, too helpful. I\u2019ve gone from Charlotte Randolph to the\u00a0sick<\/i>girl<\/i>. Someone is always around to carry my books and walk me from room to room. Nate is always holding my elbow as if he thinks I\u2019ll fall if he lets go. My tongue is sore from biting back my frustration. I\u2019m trying not to be ungrateful, but I\u2019d like to just be Charlotte Randolph again. Freshman, gymnast, student.<\/p>\n But every time I try to be normal, something happens to remind me that it\u2019s all different. I have a hard time concentrating in class. Reading at night was once my favorite pastimes and now it is a chore. I\u2019m behind everyone else and I\u2019ve completely forgotten some basic principles of algebra and geometry. But none of the teachers complain about my lack of progress. Instead, I get smiles of encouragement for just signing my name on the top of a pop quiz or a homework assignment.<\/p>\n It\u2019s early yet, I know this, but I\u2019m afraid if I don\u2019t show regular progress that I\u2019ll be shipped out away from my friends, away from Nate and Nick.\u00a0 I can\u2019t have that happen so I\u2019m not telling anyone that I\u2019m sick on a constant basis, that I can\u2019t understand even the most basic principles during class, and that I feel like I\u2019m only capable of doing fourth grade work at the moment.<\/p>\n I squeeze my eyes tight and concentrate on breathing. I\u2019m not going to cry, I chant silently. I\u2019m not going to cry.<\/p>\n The bathroom door slams open and the chatter of several girls tells me I am not alone. I start to stand but the vomiting and the lack of nutrition makes me feel lightheaded so I sit back down.<\/p>\n \u201cYou hosting the Halloween party this year, Claud?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, what\u2019s your costume?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPepper Potts and Ryan is going as Iron Man.\u201d<\/p>\n The names give me the clues to the group outside. It is Claudia Amsden, student body vice president and co chair of the homecoming committee. Her dad is a plastic surgeon. The girl going as Pepper Potts would be Nina Franchetti. The Franchettis own a number of restaurants in the city.\u00a0 Claudia has a thing for Nate but I don\u2019t think that he\u2019s given her a second thought. Not because Claudia isn\u2019t gorgeous, but because she\u2019s the same age as Nate and for some reason he\u2019s never dated anyone at school, preferring older girls who go to other schools. He\u2019s probably sleeping with some college student right now. The idea makes my sore stomach clench.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you invited Charlotte Randolph yet?\u201d asked Nina.<\/p>\n Nothing good comes from eavesdropping so I slowly rise to make it known I\u2019m inside but before I can get the door open, I hear Claudia respond. \u201cBut of course. How else are we getting the Jacksons to come? The problem is getting them to stay because Charlotte\u2019s probably too sick to stay long.\u201d<\/p>\n I sit back down. She\u2019s not wrong. I doubt I could last for more than an hour at Claudia\u2019s party or at anyone\u2019s party. And if I have radiation that day, I\u2019ll count it as a success that I can walk from the treatment room to the car let alone go to any event.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really understand why Nate and Nick won\u2019t go to parties just because Charlotte can\u2019t. Do you think she threw a tantrum and they feel sorry for her?\u201d Nina asked.<\/p>\n Ugh. I hate that anyone feels sorry for me.<\/p>\n \u201cWho knows,\u201d Claudia responds. \u201cIt\u2019s annoying but what can you do? They\u2019re not going to do anything without her.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t want to hear anything more. Opening the door, I smile at their shocked expressions. \u201cI don\u2019t tell Nick or Nate what to do. They have minds of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n Claudia purses her lips, unfazed by appearance. Maybe she knew I was there. \u201cMaybe so, but they are obviously not doing anything without you. At least when it comes to extracurricular activities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike you said, that\u2019s annoying.\u201d I steady myself against the door jam and walk slowly toward the exit. I was going to have to talk to those boys. The idea that they were not having fun because of me angered me. I didn\u2019t need anyone\u2019s pity.<\/p>\n As always, if you sign up for the newsletter you’ll get an entry in the Charlotte Chronicles in your inbox a week ahead of time!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the heat of the release of\u00a0Last Hit, I almost completely forgot about The Charlotte Chronicles which would have…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-charlotte-chronicles","category-promo","charlotte-chronicles","promo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jenfrederick.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jenfrederick.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jenfrederick.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jenfrederick.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jenfrederick.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jenfrederick.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jenfrederick.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jenfrederick.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jenfrederick.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jenfrederick.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}