The Pretend Friend – Prologue
I was sixteen years old when I befriended Charlotte Simmons. I had been living with Maeve Anderson, my fifth foster parent, for about eight months. Maeve was the kindest foster parent I had by then, but she was also the biggest pushover. I had taken advantage of her kindness on too many occasions, and while I did feel guilty sometimes, I knew it wouldn’t be too long before I was switched to a different home anyway. I learned the hard way to never make attachments. So it was unfortunate for me when I bumped into Charlotte on her first day at Sugarhill High School. Standing in the hallway, she had never looked so out of place with her white skirt and plaid vest. Then there were the dark glasses on her face, and I thought …