Page 28 of One More Chance
Freddie shook the bowl of raffle tickets and Charlotte stepped forward to pluck one out. The crowd cheered and whistled as she handed the ticket to Freddie.
“The number is 653213—”
“Charlotte O’Hare.” A voice screeched from the background interrupting Freddie, but he continued.
“The number is 65321332. I repeat the winner of the signed Logan Brush jersey is 65321332.”
“That’s no Charlotte. That’s Billie Jo Blow Job Bunkman,” the voice screeched out again. “Get in line guys, she’ll suck any cock.” Stacy swayed on her feet as she approached the stage.
Logan gulped. Charlotte seemed frozen in place. The mean girl from high school was picking up where she left off fifteen years ago.
The tension was temporarily broken as the draw winner shouted, “That’s me!”
“Looks like we have a winner.” Freddie pointed to someone in the audience.
Freddie put his arm around Charlotte’s waist, steadying her as the man made his way to the stage waving his ticket in the air. Logan saw Stacy’s big hair glowing in the lights of the stage. He gulped back the last of his beer and set the empty glass down on the bar. He was going to have to do something. There was no way he was going to let Stacy ruin everyone’s night.
Charlotte stood stoically on the stage and handed the man the jersey. He turned to face the crowd and they cheered as he held up his prize.
“Now, we have season tickets up for grabs. Charlotte would you do the honor?” Freddie shook the fishbowl of tickets.
The band started a drumroll and Charlotte reached her hand in to pull out the winning ticket.
“And the season tickets go to...” Freddie held up the ticket to read it.
“Billie Jo Bunkman’s pussy!” Stacy shouted, pointing at Charlotte.
Charlotte’s face fell and she turned her back to the audience.
That was it.
Freddie tried to ignore the interruption, “3123324. That’s 3123324.” The crowd murmured as everyone consulted their raffle tickets and stared at Charlotte.
Logan stepped to the stage and grabbed Stacy by her arm. She stiffened, turned aggressively to pull away until she saw whose hand held her. Logan smiled widely and drew her in close. She reeked like cigarette smoke, “Why don’t we catch up outside?” he whispered into her ear.
He heard the crowd cheer as the winner of the draw made her way to the stage. Stacy smiled, lipstick on her yellowed teeth, and let Logan guide her through the crowd by the hand. Logan looked back to the stage and saw Freddie salute him and mouth, “Thank you.”
***
LAUREN STEPPED ON THEstage and wrapped her arm around Charlotte’s shoulders. “You okay?” she whispered.
“Fuck,” Charlotte replied. “That was way worse than anything I had pictured in my head.”
“Me too,” Lauren agreed.
Megan rushed to the stage and hugged Charlotte. “Are you okay? Who was that piece of...”?
“Trash?” Lauren interjected.
“I was going to say shit,” Megan replied.
“That...” Charlotte replied, her heart still hammering in her chest, “was the most popular girl in Chance Rapids, circa 2004. And she hasn’t changed one bit.”
Freddie jumped off the stage. “I’m so sorry about that, Charlotte.”
“It’s okay, Freddie.”
Charlotte turned to Megan, “Now do you see why I didn’t want to get recognized here?”
