Into the Woods, and a Revelation

In which the girls stop for lunch, and Charlotte reveals a secret about her past

It was getting on toward late afternoon. The girls had just made a stop at a local farmer's market and picked up enough food to make a picnic lunch.

The day had turned sticky and hot, so they took a break in the shade of a leafy tree.

"It's about time for lunch isn't it?" Charlotte asked.

Colette agreed that it was.

"It's a pity we didn't think to bring a tea service with us," she remarked. "Then we could have had a lovely afternoon tea. As it is, we'll have to make do with this cherry pie."

Charlotte unpacked the basket. There wasn't much. Besides the cherry pie, which was had been an impulse buy and would provide no lasting nutritional value, they only had a loaf of bread with sesame seeds on top.

She began to worry. The plan to run away from the boarding school could have been better executed, she thought. In fact, it would have been nice to have actually had a plan.

"How much money do you have left?" she asked Colette. "I didn't bring any except for what was in my pockets. And most of that we spent at the Farmer's Market."

"Oh, I don't carry money," Colette replied.

"Well, that's not good news," Charlotte said, but this didn't have any effect on Colette. Moneyless, she seemed perfectly happy to be sitting in the shade with the prospect of eating half a cherry pie still ahead.

"We can always get in touch with out parents when we're ready," she said. "Shall I cut the pie or will you?"

"On that subject, Colette, there's something I should tell you," Charlotte started.

"Don't worry; I've never been very good at cutting pies either," she smiled. "But we don't have a knife today, so we'll just have to use our fingers."

"I don't have any parents," Charlotte said.

"No parents!" Colette exclaimed. "Why not?"

"I don't know," Charlotte said. "But I do have a sister. She lives in the city. Her name is Gavin, and we need to find her."

Colette shrugged. "It's up to you," she said, and then added. "I didn't know, about your parents. I'm sorry."

Charlotte didn't have much to say. Everyone was sorry, including her. But what needed to be done now, was to finish lunch, and find Gavin.

Who's Who on the 4th Story

The stars of this blog are as follows:



Gavin, a Dynamite Girl by Integrity Toys, doesn't just have her finger on the pulse of the high fashion scene, she's the heartbeat of high fashion, or at least, she likes to think so.

Always casting an appraising eye on the outfits of others, Gavin can either make you feel like you've got it all together, or like you should run back to your room and change into something else.

Bold and decisive, she usually accomplishes all that she sets out to do. She runs a small fashion studio out of her loft apartment. The studio has gained some local recognition, but Gavin has bigger plans for it in the future.

Gavin is confidence embodied. If she has a weak spot, we don't know it yet.

Sooki, a Dynamite Girl by Integrity Toys, is the quiet type. She is sentimental and takes time to look at things in great detail.

With such a sweet look to her, Sooki has learned that more often than not, people are more willing to do things for you if you convince them that it was their idea to begin with. A bit of a manipulator, Sooki nonetheless finds time for friends, and knows when and just how far to push them.

We believe she is waiting for a Prince Charming, but there is no one on the horizon at this point.

Currently, she is living with her friend's fashion apartment/design studio. Since the two girls wear exactly the same size (imagine!), she is often the stand-in model for Gavin's creations. She has never complained about this.

Charlotte, originally a "Jun" Juku by Jakks Pacific, is a drama queen, with a knack for stirring up trouble and then finding ways to extricate herself (and hopefully anyone else involved).


This photo is a perfect example of Charlotte: movie star style and mischief combined!


Charlotte and Colette met in their boarding school, which they escaped only recently. Charlotte may be a little older than Colette, but not by much. And we all know that age is not always an indicator of maturity.



Even with her quirks, Charlotte is a fiercely loyal companion and is so resourceful, you'd want her along if you had to be stuck on a deserted island.









Colette, originally a "Hayley" Juku by Jakks Pacific, is the youngest of the bunch. She likes frills and girly things as they suit her bright blue eyes and yellow hair better than other clothes.



She is usually very tightlipped, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have her own ideas about things.



Sweetnatured and calm, she loves to throw tea parties and apply lipstick.



Her makeup palette is inspired by her favorite page of history: the 16th century. She simply adores the Rococo dresses, immaculate makeup, shoes, accessories, and did we mention the dresses?


We have yet to find out what really makes her tick. . .