- 5/31/2025
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00:00Hi, my name is Charlotte. Please like and subscribe. I was born in Bordeaux, a beautiful city in France.
00:06When I was 8 years old, we moved to the USA because my dad got a great job there.
00:09The city we moved to was huge, filled with skyscrapers, shops, and opportunities, or so I was told.
00:15However, it didn't take long for things to start going downhill.
00:18When I began attending school there, my parents enrolled me in a private school for international students.
00:23Hi, everyone. My name is Charlotte. I'm 8 years old, and I come from France.
00:27I brought some Madelines that my mom made for everyone today.
00:30Hi, Charlotte. I'm Laura from Italy. Do you want to hang out later today?
00:33Laura and I became very close. We would often take the same bus home, do our homework together, and even attend drawing classes together.
00:40Even though Laura didn't speak any French, being with her reminded me a lot of home.
00:44I was shy and liked to keep things to myself, while Laura was fun and a bit wild, someone my mom wouldn't think was classy.
00:52Mom really didn't like Laura.
00:54She kept trying to make me hang out with kids from rich families that I didn't like.
00:57But I ended up making friends with two girls, just so mom would stop nagging me.
01:02One evening, I forgot to tell mom I invited Laura over for dinner.
01:05Mom was really mean to Laura when she came.
01:08Charlotte mentioned your mom is a saleswoman. Do you guys even eat dinner every night, or is it too expensive?
01:14Elise, why would you say something like that?
01:16It's okay, Uncle. No, we don't always have big dinners.
01:19But what we do have is each other.
01:20What's the point of a fancy dinner if the family isn't close?
01:23What do you mean by that?
01:24Oh, nothing. Did I upset you? I thought your family was okay.
01:27I think you should go.
01:29Mom, why?
01:30She's not going anywhere.
01:31She leaves now, or you'll be sorry.
01:34An awkward silence fell, which Laura broke.
01:36Don't worry, I'll go. Seems like I just got my answer about the kind of family this is.
01:40Mom sharply told her,
01:41Leave now.
01:42And with that, Laura left.
01:44I was really upset with mom, but she didn't seem to care.
01:47Laura told me not to let it bother me.
01:49You already have it tough with a mom like that.
01:51I won't make it worse by leaving you alone.
01:53I love you for being here.
01:54One gloomy day in the sixth grade,
01:56everything changed when my parents started to struggle financially after my dad lost his job,
02:01and they had to move me to a public school.
02:03We can't just pull her out of school.
02:04She's doing so well.
02:06What would I even say to my friends if they asked?
02:08I want her to succeed here in the USA,
02:10to make something of herself,
02:12and make me proud.
02:13Dad slammed his hand angrily on the table,
02:15and glared at mom.
02:17At least think clearly for once.
02:18You're not seeing the big picture as usual.
02:21You don't seem to get that I've lost my job,
02:23and we're drowning in bills.
02:24The only sensible move is to switch her to public school.
02:27Yes.
02:28Mom was a bit of a difficult person.
02:30She was obsessed with maintaining a perfect image.
02:33Being perceived as poor was a disaster for her.
02:36Her mom was also a strict lady,
02:38obsessed with etiquette and rules.
02:40She was against my mom's marriage,
02:41although my dad was well off.
02:43But mom stood firm and married dad.
02:45So, her parents cut her off.
02:47Now, us not having much money would make my grandma right.
02:50And that made my mom even madder.
02:53She made us move to a different city,
02:54so she could lie and tell her friends
02:56that dad had received a job opportunity far away.
02:59I screamed and cried for days.
03:02I didn't want to leave our city or be away from Laura.
03:04But as usual, mom ignored my protests.
03:07I was heartbroken.
03:08Dad, I hate her.
03:10Dad hugged me.
03:11Hate is a strong word.
03:12You know how your mom is.
03:13She wants things her way.
03:15Life hasn't ended, though.
03:16You'll make new friends.
03:18And about Laura, you can still talk to her on the phone,
03:20and I'll help you see her once in a while.
03:22Thank you, Dad.
03:22You're too kind to be with someone like her.
03:24But I guess life isn't fair.
03:26Saying goodbye to Laura was incredibly hard.
03:29And to make things worse,
03:30after we moved,
03:31I realized I forgot the notebook with Laura's number in it.
03:34It was utterly heartbroken.
03:36Even though we didn't have a lot of money,
03:38mom kept having big parties at fancy places for her friends.
03:41We were getting more and more into debt,
03:44even though dad asked her many times to stop the parties.
03:47One day, she even gave her friend a really expensive ring for her birthday.
03:51Dad got really upset when the bank called him.
03:53Listen, woman, I can't take this anymore.
03:55This is your last chance.
03:57If you don't stop, we might have to split up.
03:59And I'll want to stay with dad.
04:01Really now?
04:02With that, mom left.
04:03She was gone for a couple of days.
04:05Although dad and I were worried,
04:06we didn't try to reach her.
04:07It was time for her to act like the adult she supposedly was.
04:10When she returned,
04:11she walked into the house
04:12and started doing laundry as if nothing had happened.
04:15From that day on,
04:16she stopped seeing her friends so much
04:17and didn't waste our money anymore.
04:19I was relieved she finally came to her senses.
04:22But I could see a change in her.
04:23Her eyes had lost their spark.
04:25It was as if she had aged 10 years.
04:28Well, things at the public school weren't perfect either.
04:31At first, it was okay.
04:32But things changed quickly
04:33when I started junior year of high school.
04:36I noticed my body changing rapidly,
04:38even spotting some freckles on my face.
04:39It wasn't just my appearance that was changing.
04:42My social life was too.
04:44Suddenly, boys started looking at me differently.
04:46Girls were going out with boys
04:47and there seemed to be more parties.
04:49Hey, Charlotte.
04:50How about grabbing some ice cream after school?
04:52Just the two of us.
04:53Just us?
04:54Alone?
04:54Yeah, just us.
04:55Why, were you planning on turning it into a group event?
04:58Well, I thought maybe we could invite Jessica too.
05:01Look, I wasn't making a guest list.
05:03You know what?
05:04Forget it.
05:04I gotta go.
05:05And hey, Charlotte, or should I call you the lost little raccoon?
05:08Just because you're from France doesn't mean you're anything special here.
05:11If anything, it just shows you can't take a joke and always dampen the mood.
05:15Before I could respond,
05:16he pressed his gum into my hair as he walked away.
05:19It was not just embarrassing.
05:21It felt like a sharp hug at my dignity.
05:23I came back home that day, wanting to tell mom about it.
05:25She was cooking in the kitchen when I walked in.
05:27Hi, mom.
05:28I had a weird day at school today.
05:30I really don't have time for your stories right now.
05:33You know, we've been living in the USA for quite a while,
05:35and you still call a lot of things weird.
05:38I felt so angry, I started crying.
05:40Our relationship wasn't that great to begin with,
05:42but now it felt ruined.
05:44If a girl doesn't find confidence in her mother,
05:46then the relationship feels distant.
05:49And each day, I was growing further away from my mom.
05:52I headed to my room to put away my books.
05:54When I spotted a sketchbook on my desk,
05:56it was from the drawing classes with Laura,
05:58and it had her number inside.
06:00Turns out, I'd saved it here as well.
06:02I was ecstatic.
06:03I quickly and quietly went to the living room,
06:05grabbed my mom's phone, and dialed Laura's mom's number.
06:08Hello?
06:08Elise, what do you want?
06:10Uh, hi.
06:11It's actually Charlotte here, Laura's friend from school.
06:14Do you remember me?
06:15Can I talk to Laura?
06:16Oh, Charlotte.
06:17Yes, I remember you.
06:19One moment.
06:19Laura, your friend Charlotte is on the phone.
06:22Charlotte?
06:23Wow, I've been trying to find you, but I couldn't.
06:25How are you?
06:26Hey, Laura.
06:27I'm not on social media much.
06:29I really miss talking to you.
06:30We should hang out soon.
06:32I'd love to, but my family is going to Europe this Friday.
06:34Europe?
06:35That's so cool.
06:36I wish I could go too.
06:37You're so lucky.
06:38Why don't you come with us?
06:39My grandparents' house is big,
06:41and you can stay in the guest room.
06:43I'd love to, but my mom would never say yes.
06:45We don't have to tell her everything.
06:47Just say you're going on a school project abroad.
06:49She loves to brag about this stuff, no?
06:51Laura, that's smart.
06:53It's going to be so fun.
06:54We can eat lots of good food, see new places, and maybe even paint.
06:57I'd love to paint in a quiet spot away from all the noise,
07:00especially away from mom.
07:02In fact, I found out that the city Laura and I were visiting
07:05was hosting a big art competition during our stay,
07:07and I signed up for it.
07:09On Friday, my mother drove me to the airport
07:11with a big smile on her face.
07:13I'm so proud of you, darling,
07:14for getting accepted to this elite school program.
07:17I'm sure it'll help you get accepted
07:19to one of the Ivy League schools.
07:21Um, sure.
07:23Yes, mom.
07:24I got out of the car and walked to the airport gate
07:26when I saw Laura.
07:27She looked great, ran up to me,
07:29and gave me a big hug.
07:30Charlotte, we're going to Europe.
07:32It's going to be so fun.
07:34I'm so excited.
07:35I entered a drawing contest over there, too.
07:37The prize is also about $500,000.
07:40Can you come and cheer for me?
07:41It feels like a dream.
07:43Sure, but you have to draw me
07:44and make my eyebrows look good.
07:46I enjoyed spending time with Laura,
07:48but sometimes things felt off.
07:50It seemed like she would suddenly stop talking
07:52to her mom when I showed up,
07:53as if they were hiding something from me.
07:55One night after we had dinner,
07:57she said something strange.
07:58You know, I was actually happy
08:00when your family started having money problems.
08:02What?
08:02Why would you say that?
08:04Well, your mom was a witch,
08:05and seeing her getting humiliated
08:07was so satisfying.
08:09First of all, becoming poor
08:10has nothing to do with humiliation.
08:13Second, mom becoming poor
08:14also means me becoming poor.
08:16I thought your love for me
08:18was bigger than your hate for her.
08:19Oh, come on now.
08:20She's awful.
08:21Okay, okay, let's change the subject.
08:23Want to eat some ice cream?
08:24I suddenly don't feel like it.
08:25I think I'm calling it a night.
08:27And with that, I stormed off.
08:28The competition day was getting close.
08:30It was going to last two days.
08:32The first for live painting
08:33in front of an audience,
08:35and the second for a closing ceremony
08:36where judges would announce the winners.
08:38Do you think the judges will be fair?
08:40I'm sure they will be.
08:41Are you excited to cheer me on?
08:43Of course.
08:44Will you cheer for me too?
08:45What do you mean?
08:46I'm entering the competition too.
08:47You knew that, right?
08:49What?
08:49No.
08:49You think I've lost my touch?
08:51I've been taking drawing classes
08:52for the past year.
08:53I see this as a great chance.
08:55But Laura, you never mentioned this.
08:58I didn't think I needed
08:59to report my plans to you.
09:00Anyway, I think it's better
09:01we focus on our own preparations
09:03for the next few days,
09:04so we probably shouldn't hang out too much.
09:06I was stunned.
09:07What happened to my best friend?
09:09I almost regretted coming on this trip.
09:12The only thing keeping me here
09:13was the upcoming competition.
09:14I was determined to win and get the prize.
09:17The first day of the competition arrived,
09:19we were led onto the stage,
09:20each competitor equipped
09:21with a set of pencils,
09:22colors, and a blank canvas.
09:24Laura leaned over with a mischievous grin
09:26and whispered,
09:27May the best girl win.
09:28I was too stressed to respond
09:30and just focused on getting onto the stage.
09:32That's when I saw it.
09:33The event was being broadcast live on TV.
09:36My heart sank.
09:38I thought, oh no, my mom will see this.
09:40She'll ground me for life.
09:41Not only did I lie to her,
09:43but I'm also here with Laura,
09:44someone she can't stand.
09:46And now Laura,
09:47she turned out to be so different
09:48from what I thought.
09:49This is a nightmare.
09:50I wish I could just vanish.
09:52But I took a deep breath,
09:53pushed down my fear,
09:54and began to paint with all my heart,
09:56pouring every emotion onto the canvas.
09:59While sitting comfortably at home,
10:00my mom saw my face on the TV screen and yelled,
10:02Pierre, our daughter isn't on a school project.
10:05She's on TV with Laura.
10:07This is nonsense.
10:09She won't get away with this.
10:10We're flying to Europe.
10:11My parents caught the next flight
10:13and arrived on the second day of the competition.
10:15Mom tried calling me the whole time,
10:17but I was too caught up with the competition
10:19and the drama with Laura to answer.
10:21On the final day,
10:22as I stood on stage with Laura
10:24and the other competitors,
10:25they started announcing the winners.
10:26Laura got second place,
10:28and I was on the verge of tears
10:29until they announced,
10:31Charlotte is the winner.
10:32Overjoyed,
10:33I walked towards the microphone
10:34to give a speech,
10:35only to see my mom storm into the hall.
10:38I was shocked and embarrassed.
10:40Yelling in front of everyone,
10:41she demanded,
10:42How could you lie to me, Charlotte?
10:43You know there will be consequences.
10:45And with Laura, of all people?
10:47Oh, me, of all people?
10:49Remember when you burned the book
10:50that Charlotte wrote my number in?
10:52You called and insulted me and my mom.
10:54You even threatened me, a child,
10:56to stay away from Charlotte.
10:57Do you want me to say what you did too?
10:59Shut it.
11:00Don't you dare speak to my daughter like that.
11:02Laura, what exactly did my mom do to you?
11:05Let it go.
11:05Didn't you just win?
11:06Take your prize and leave with your parents.
11:09Your mom threatened Laura's mom
11:10with her connections and immigration,
11:11saying she'd get her deported.
11:13What kind of sick person hates a kid like this?
11:15What has she ever done to you?
11:17You need help.
11:18I'm taking the prize money
11:19and I'm leaving with dad.
11:20You should consider getting help.
11:22I'll even pay for your therapy.
11:23I traveled all this way
11:25for you to side with her?
11:26What lies has she told you?
11:27Enough.
11:28Let's go, Charlotte.
11:29Laura, what my mom did was wrong,
11:31but targeting me wasn't fair.
11:33Still, I'm here if you want to start over.
11:35Then I went to receive my medal and prize,
11:37hugged my dad,
11:38and we left.
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