A Hidden Gem... Within A Secret Realm

Chapter 1--Summers End

It was getting close to Summer's End and to her Senior year starting. As excited as she was to finish up school and get on with her life part of her hated to see summer come to an end. This was after all the last summer she would be a teenager and not expected to know where her dreams were going to take her and expected to have a plan to get her there. The family that adopted her all those years ago, the Charming's, would expect no less of her. They were one of the Wealthiest families in New Orleans, do Louisiana, born and bred deep in the Bayou. They were set in their Southern ways.

They had made their fortune on the Family Plantain and it had been passed down through the generations, each one adding too and making it bigger and more profitable than the Last.

The mansion spoke for itself. It was an amazing structure dated back to the early 1800's before the Civil War. It was now spread out on 5 acres of land with a second and third story. Gemma really did feel privileged to grow up in such a beautiful magnificent place. She never forgot it in her prayers that she sent up at night nor did she take it for granted the peoples kindness that she now calls mom and dad, When they got her she was still a big mess. Her life was still in shambles from the wreck all those years before. She had come a long way from the day they first brought her to Charming Plantation and given her their last name. Sealing her Fate once and for all.

Although, she was not exactly sure what was taking place on the inside of her, she could feel the changes inside her and it was as though they were coming on fast and she was building a strength that she was unaware of before or maybe her eighteenth birthday drawing near had a play in it. She wasn't sure but she felt herself growing more and more and there was just something inside her changing. She couldn't wait to see where the next Chapter of her life was going to take her, but tonight it was going to take her out dancing at everyone's favorite hangout The Yucatan Liquor Stand Where "Kiss" was going to play.

Thinking on the way to pick up Desiree that she just loved this club!

It didn't cost anything and it was the best place to watch live music and not just anybody it is popular world named Bands played there.

She had seen Poison , 38 Special, Molly Hatchet. and REO Speedwagon just to name a few.

They had a tennis court, volleyball, and even basketball that you could go outside and take part in.

They had pool tables, a dance floor, plenty of booths or tables, and even a snack shack where they served food for any that might be hungry and looking to find something delightful to eat. The best thing about it was that she didn't have to worry about fixing herself something to eat before she took off. She could just go home, hop in the shower, spend an hour getting ready, and then be out the door. It took her 2 hours, tops, and she was gone again. It seemed nowadays she was always busy running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Someone always had her doing something or she was running around for herself, either way, her days were continuously filled and practically spilling over there were just not enough hours in the day to cover her hectic schedule.

It took 30 minutes give or take, in complete gridlock most of the time, to get to Desiree's when she finally arrived she wasn't ready of course. She called and she gave her instructions to come in and have a glass of Coke and listen to some music while she finished putting on her make-up and her used to be, Loser Brother, of course that was only the way she used to feel about him of course he wasn't really a Loser he was just the most popular boy in school, every girl wanted him and every guy wanted to be him. Captain of the football team. School Heartthrob was his nickname even the teachers wished they were him. He was goodlooking, sarcastic, thought he was God's gift to women, and had some deep seeded secret that no one knew for if they did they weren't talking, if that tells you anything. He was also one of the ones that ridiculed and teased her from the clothes that she wore to the fact that she didn't talk and always had to have her trusty notebook by her side. She looked at him, with wanting eyes and he looked at her as the class mute and dum dum along with her other fellow class mates, or that was until the end of last year when he began to look at her with new eyes. They have had a pretty good Summer. When the front door opened, He was standing there looking so good in just his jeans and no shirt tossled hair. Just seeing him got her heart racing making it feel as though it would beat out of her chest. Hearing him say "HI, made her smile. They exchanged their Hello's and she made her way to Desiree's room, up the stairs, first door on the left, she even had her own bathroom that you could play baseball in. This was where she was lucky too and the couple that adopted her were old enough to know better but still too young to care. So 9 times out of 10 she could get away with murder, and she like Desiree was spoiled to the Hilt!!! As she came closer to the door she could hear the loud pulsating roar of Brittany Spears singing "I Love Rock -N- Roll." Off the movie "Crossroads". She held her breath, She never knew what she might find when she went into Desiree's room, yet ahe opened the door and peeked in..."