The Summer I Went Wild Chapter 1 Part 2
The Summer I Went Wild
Chapter One
Part Two
The phone rang three times before Jessica picked up.
Her face appeared on my screen, eyes slightly bloodshot, dark circles etched beneath them. Her hair looked like a tangled mess, like she’d spent hours hunched over her desk, probably working on one of her endless research projects.
“What is it, Charlotte?”
“Hello, sister.”
“I’m quite busy now, so if what you want to tell me isn’t important, we can have this conversation later.”
She flicked her hair back and blew out a heavy breath—typical Jessica. She had been busy ever since she set foot in Harvard.
“When will you be free and have time for me?”
“Umm…” She scratched her head, glancing off-screen. “I don’t know.”
That answer translated to never in Jessica’s language. But I needed her. Jessica was Mom’s favorite person in the world—the one who could tell me exactly what to do to make Mom happy.
I had a list of ideas. Buying Mom an expensive bag. Some jewelry. Walking her precious dog, Kyle, for a week straight. But Mom was cold—like a freezer—and those gestures wouldn’t melt her. Not when it was me.
But Jessica? A smile from her, and Mom’s mood would brighten like sunlight breaking through clouds.
“I need something. A favor.”
I flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.
“Let it out.”
“Mom’s been stressed lately. I want to do something to make her happy. I desperately need your help.”
“Seriously, Charlotte?” Jessica snapped. “I have an assignment due at 7 AM. I don’t have time for this.”
“Sis, come on.”
I batted my eyelashes, even though she could barely see me through the screen. It always worked.
She sighed, rolling her eyes. “Do something simple. Cook dinner. Tell her you love her. It’s that simple.”
Simple? Hardly. I wasn’t the golden child. But I’d try. What other choice did I have?
“Thank you.”
There was a pause.
“Mom told me you’re waiting for acceptance letters from Harvard and Columbia,” Jessica said. “What’s going on?”
Shit.
“You can go back to your assignment.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Char… is everything okay?”
“Yeah.”
She studied me for a moment, then softened. “I’m always here for you, okay?”
The screen went black.
That had gone well. Not really.
Now I had to figure out how to cook something halfway decent.
I stayed up all night watching TikTok and YouTube videos, determined to make Mom’s second-favorite dish—beef Wellington. If I could pull it off, maybe she’d notice.
By morning, sunlight bled into my room, and I forced myself out of bed. I was on a mission.
The house had to be spotless. Dinner had to be perfect.
When Mom finally came home, I held my breath.
“Why’d you go to all this trouble?” she asked, suspicious.
“I was bored,” I said. “And I wanted to do something nice.”
Dad smiled. “I’m proud of you, daughter.”
Dinner used to be like this—easy. Light.
But I knew it wouldn’t last.
“What about the letter?” Mom asked.
There it was.