Cluster 2
Chapter 2
“Charlie, who’s she?”
Rhoda’s voice was sweet and cloying, tinged with a hint of pout.
Charles‘ face softened up. He reached past me and casually put his arm. around Rhoda’s shoulders.
“My childhood friend I always talk about, Victoria Solis.”
Childhood friend.
Hearing that word from Charles felt like a punch in the gut. My eyes got red and watery.
I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood, just to keep myself from losing it.
But Rhoda didn’t seem to notice the weird vibe. She kept giggling and shook Charles‘ arm..
“Oh, so you’re Vicki. Stay for dinner. Charlie is cooking today.”
My eyes widened in shock.
When I had a fever last week, I acted all cute and asked Charles to make me some oatmeal. But he said he couldn’t cook, and I ended up making dinner for him even though I was sick.
So he could cook, but not for me.
Charles seemed to remember that day too. His face showed a bit of guilt, but then he looked normal again. “Since Rhoda asked you to stay, let’s eat together.”
I nodded, and my mind was somewhere else.
All those times I spent with Charles felt like the smell of food from the kitchen. They were always there in my heart, but I couldn’t hold on to them anymore.
“Vicki, do you have a crush?”
Rhoda’s words brought me back to reality.
I looked down where she was looking and saw all those hickeys on my neck.
I quickly did up the first button on my shirt.
Rhoda acted like a know–it–all, covering her mouth and laughing softly. “Oh, we’re all adults here. What’s there to be embarrassed about?
“But Charlie is different from you. He says only loose girls lose their virginity before marriage, so he won’t go there with me.”
My face felt like it was on fire, as if I had been slapped for no reason.
I wanted to say something back, but I couldn’t think of anything.
Rhoda was right.
I had been with Charles for three years without any real commitment. Didn’t that make me a loose girl?
Just then, Charles came out of the kitchen with a plate.
In less than half an hour, he had whipped up three dishes and a soup.
This was the man who had always told me he couldn’t cook.
I didn’t say anything more and grabbed a bite with my fork.
The food was great, but all I could taste was bitterness.
Rhoda glanced at me and Charles with a smile. “Charlie, guess what? Vicki has got a crush. I’m waiting to see when she’ll bring him over to
meet us.”
I pursed my lips and instinctively looked at Charles. He looked unfazed as he said, “Rhoda is right. If you have a crush, bring him over. We’re like your family here. We should check him out for you.”
My heart sank. I nodded absent–mindedly in agreement.
But Rhoda wasn’t letting it go. She kept talking about how she and Charles met and fell in love.
They hit it off right away in college and were the dream couple everyone
envied.
Later, when Rhoda went abroad for school, they broke up but couldn’t stop thinking about each other.
It wasn’t until recently when Rhoda came back that Charles rushed over to her family to propose, and they got back together.
I did the math. When Charles came back to help me with my college applications, it was the same time Rhoda left the country.
So what did that make me? Rhoda’s stand–in?
It turned out that from the very beginning, I was just a toy for Charles to
kill time.
The meal tasted like I was chewing on nothing.
When it was finally over, I got up to leave, but Rhoda insisted on seeing me off.
I couldn’t refuse, so I got into her car.
I do ou ajdweg
As soon as I got in, Rhoda’s face turned serious. She sneered, “Victoria, I
know your crush is Charlie.”
