Charlie
I was glad to get to my room after the busy events of the day. Though I needed to call my best friend, I knew Darius was about to ring her about her new niece and nephews. I decided I’d shoot her a quick text and ask her to call me when she was free.
But when I laid on my bed and took my phone from my bag to ring her, the only shooting in my life was a pain once again going down my legs. This had been happening since the latter part of the non-wedding. I’d not mentioned it to anyone as there was enough going on.
Pain like I’d never known coursed through me, so bad that my body couldn’t take it and everything went black.
I woke to darkness. Staring at the clock, I saw over three hours had passed. I reached over to switch on my bedside light. When had I fallen asleep? It was then I remembered the pain I’d experienced. I’d better go tell my mum about it. She’d know what to do. Maybe I’d picked up a virus? I shuffled my feet into my slippers. Stupid things, what was wrong with them? They felt a size too small. I kicked them away in disgust and opened my bedroom door.
My father was right outside, making his way downstairs.
He turned quickly around and screamed.
That made me scream.
He screamed again.
“Dad. Stop it. For God’s sake. It’s been enough of a dramatic day already. You’re not treading the boards now you know?”
He peered at me, coming closer.
“Ch-Ch- Charlie?”
“D-D- Dad?” I deadpanned. What the heck was wrong with him? Parents were so weird.
Mum came to the bottom of the stairs.
“What on earth is all the screaming about? Haven’t we had enough dramatics for one day? I’m trying to enjoy just a bit of peace and quiet.”
My dad beckoned for her to come upstairs. Sighing, and moaning about never getting a minute, she stomped up every step. Then she took one look at me and screamed.
“Oh God, not you too. What is it? Do I have a massive zit on my nose or something? Has a spider crawled on my head in the night?”
I strolled over to the large wall mirror and stopped in my tracks.
Because Charlene Landry, the teenager, was no more. Charlene Landry, the woman, looking around her early twenties, stared back at me from the mirror. My hair was a good six inches longer, reaching below my more than ample breasts. I was about four inches taller. No doubt I’d gone up a size or two in shoes, hence my slippers not fitting. It was a good job I’d worn a loose tunic style dress to the wedding that had finished below the knee as now my dress skimmed halfway down my thighs. Another inch or two and it would have been indecent.
“That’s why I passed out.” I declared.
“You did what?” My mum came rushing over to me. “Come on, let’s get you checked over.”
“She doesn’t leave this house tonight.” My father said in a stern voice.
“Well, that’s a bit overcautious, Theo. If she seems okay, I’m sure she’ll be all right.”
“She. Doesn’t. Leave. This. House. EVER!”
My mum narrowed her eyes at him. “What on earth has got into you, Theo? Go get some O-neg and calm yourself down. She passed out and she’ll be okay. It was no doubt growing pains while she became an adult.”
“An adult.” My dad started pacing. “An adult. An adult who can have sex, Shelley. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
The penny dropped with my mum.
“Ah.”
“I’m not going out tonight, Dad.” I reassured him. “This change has wiped me out. Once mum checks me over, I’m going to eat, drink, and sleep.”
“Fabulous.” He beamed.
“Then I’ll be fully recovered for tomorrow.” I said winking at him.
“Shelley!”
My mother put a silence spell on him. Dad didn’t know and kept gasping, looking like a fish out of water.
“I know you’re thinking about meeting Kai.” My mum said. But we need to make sure you’re okay after this new change. Anyway, lets get you checked over. I’ll pop us both over to the caves and we can see the medics there. Hold tight.”
But before she could whizz us there, Mum’s phone rang. She plucked it from her pocket, pressed answer and held it to her ear.
“Shelley!” I could hear Ebony’s voice from here. “I’m on my way home. The war, it’s started. I keep seeing fire. Lots and lots of fire, and… sausage rolls.”
“Anything else? Like who’s behind it? No? Okay, Ebs. We’ll assemble a meeting for tomorrow around half eleven at the coffee shop. Give you time to get back. In the meantime we’ll be extra vigilant.”
“Has there been any strange happenings at your end?”
“Other than weretriplets and arguments under the sea? No.” Mum shook her head even though Ebony couldn’t see her. Then she looked at me and her eyes widened.
“Oh, actually, there might have been something…”
She put the phone away and looked at me. “So, if you didn’t hear her shrieking down the phone, Ebony believes the war is starting. It’s possible that this is why you’ve grown to adulthood. Let’s get you checked over straightaway.” She removed the silence spell from Dad and whizzed us straight out of there.
Dominica met us at the caves and gave me a full physical exam and checked my bloods etc. “There’s nothing untoward. You’ve just had a growth spurt.” She reassured me.
“We think it might signal the start of the great war, so please advise everyone here to be on the alert.” Mum told her.
“We will. Although we’re always on the alert here anyway.” The caves were a place where enemies were held captive as well as a place for healing. “If you need us to rally, just say the word, Charlie.”
It was strange being spoken to with such reverence, and the focus not being on Mum but on me. It seemed the time had come for me to take my rightful place as the Queen of Withernsea.
I yawned heartily. I could only pray I was up to the job, but right now I needed sleep like a vampire needed blood. As my mum whizzed me back home, I must have fallen asleep in her arms as the next thing I knew it was morning and I was back in my own bed. I stared at the Shawn Mendes posters on my wall, and looked around at all the other teenage paraphernalia, including clothes that were now too small for me strewn all over the bedroom furniture and the floor. Before queenly duties commenced I figured I needed to do a touch of clearing up.