Yes and No
Written by Isa Bedigian
It's a few days later. Claudia made a formal announcement to the family that she's decided to go away to the school, but Charlie has also made an announcement. He's told her she can't go.
"You told her what?" Julia capped her highlighter & shut her textbook. "Charlie, how could you?"
"Easy. I opened my mouth & said the words. Look Jule, she is too young to
go to school so far away."
"Oh come on Charlie, that's crazy. She's a big girl now. She's old enough
to make her own decisions. Now you go tell her you were wrong & that she can
go."
"I can't."
"Why not?" her voice was incredulous.
"She packed up her violin & some clothes & moved in with Jody & her mother."
Julia laughed. The idea of leaving home to defy Charlie sounded highly
familiar. "Go over there & tell her Charlie. She wants to go. It's not
fair of you to try & stop her."
He sighed. "I guess you have a point."
"You don't want anyone in your way, right? Give her the same courtesy."
"I....."
"She's been through alot Charlie. She deserves this."
"Yeah. I'll go over there when Kirsten gets here."
"KIRSTEN?????"
"Oh, did I forget to mention that?"
Julia made a face. "Uh, yeah, you did. Why are you seeing Kirsten?"
"I ran into her yesterday, she & Paul are seperated, but it's not what you
think." he added quickly. "We're just having dinner."
"Sure," Julia joked. "'Night Charlie."
"'Night Julia."
Sarah looked @ her watch. "I've gotta get going Bailey. Charlie has a date
with Kirsten & I have to go stay with Daphne."
He kissed her head & sighed. She'd stopped by for dinner & Bailey had taken
her into the storeroom to eat in privacy. They were sitting on the counter
Indian style, across from each other. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too."
"I'll swing by & pick you up then drop you off tomorrow. I don't want you
driving home alone this late, & I'm getting off early tonight anyway."
"How did you manage that?"
"Matt's covering for me. He needs three nights next week for some thing
with his girlfriend so we made a little deal."
"Oh. That's good." She jumped off the counter & kissed his lips one last
time. "See ya later."
She walked out through the main room of the restaurant & Bailey followed.
He noticed Charlie was again @ the table in the back with Kirsten, & told
Mercie to take them some chocolate mousse.
"Are they on again?" she asked in a hushed voice.
"Possibly."
"Doug!" she called one of the waiters. "You owe me fifty bucks!"
"You bet on them getting back together?" Bailey asked.
She shrugged. "It was an easy fifty, right?"
"Charlie, you did that to her?" Kirsten asked when the were finished with
the mousse. "You told her she couldn't go?"
"Why is that such a shock to everyone?"
"Charlie, don't you get it? Claudia decided to go because she wants to make
her own life. If she feels she has to go all the way to Mass-"
"I actually thought it was in Delaware."
"Regardless Charlie, you need to give her this chance."
"That's what Julia said."
"Julia's right."
Charlie made a face & went to go call Claudia & tell her she could go.
"Sarah," Daphne called.
"Hang on, I'm in the bathroom." She finished, washed her hands & walked
into Daphne's room. "Do you need something?"
"Yeah, a glass of water, if you don't mind."
"That's why I'm here." Sarah ran down to get her one & came back up the
steps in record time. "Anything else?"
"Yeah, watch this. I taped some videos off MTV today." she clicked the TV
on & showed Sarah a Destiny's Child video. It was for the song "No, No, No".
"Isn't this a cool song?" Daphne asked.
Sarah watched the half dressed girls with perfectly toned bodies strut their
stuff. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Wouldn't this make a good song for me to dance to?"
"Yeah, it's definately sexy." Sarah got up & turned her back to Daphne.
She picked up her dinner tray to take it down & muttered. "It's trashy too."
"You don't like me @ all do you Sarah?"
She turned around. "I like you. I wouldn't have taken this job if I didn't
like you."
"Then what is it? You don't disapprove of my being umarried & having a
child? Of my career?"
"I disapprove of the way you plan on having this baby & just dumping it onto
Charlie without really thinking about how it might feel to someday know that."
"But I thought we said..."
"I've been thinking about it," she added. "It's really not fair to the
baby."
"Yeah but Sarah, I wouldn't even be having this baby if it wasn't for
Charlie. But he wants it, & I figure he has as much right to it as I do."
"I'd better get these dishes done so Charlie won't have to do them in the
morning." On that note, Sarah went downstairs, thinking about how unfair for
this baby to be abandoned by its mother before it's even been born.
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