Young Annabelle Series: Young Annabelle, the Truth About James, What My Heart Wants (12 page)

I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT SCALE
AND THROWN IT OUT THE WINDOW!

Smashed it to pieces!

A new window would have hurt their pockets, for sure!

I shook my head and laughed deliriously at the thought.

Then I’d be sent to the loony bin. They’d like that, me under 24/7 surveillance, controlled and out of their hair.

I stopped pacing my room,
suddenly feeling like I couldn’t breathe anymore.

I had to get out this house.

Now!

I quickly changed out of my pajamas and put on a pair of skinny jeans with a long black t-shirt that was a little tight. I grabbed a navy blue sweater-jacket off the ground and shoved it into my backpack along with my phone, keys, and wallet. I shouldered my backpack and headed to the bathroom where I applied deodorant and ran a comb through my hair, putting it up in a high ponytail. I washed the t
earstains from my face, hoping I didn’t look too distraught. I glanced up at the mirror,
Good!

I approved of my reflection then stormed down the stairs, making as much noise as possible.

“Where do you think you are going?” Mom’s hoarse voice yelled from the living room. “We’re not finished here.”

I grabbed a pair of black slip-on converse sneakers. “Going out now, bye,” I called.

They all stared, dumbfounded, from the living room.

I opened the front door, shoes in hand, and fled, closing the door before they had a chance to demand something else or accuse me of being rude.

Yeah, I’ll be back later…much later…maybe never!

I sat down on the curb to put my shoes on. I’d probably looked like a fool leaving my house carrying my shoes, backpack bouncing around – like a runaway.

Believe me, I was almost there. I could be a runaway… I am a runaway, or I will be sooner rather than later if they kept this harassment up.

I stood and headed down the sidewalk. I didn’t know where to go but anywhere, even just strolling up and down the sidewalk was better than being trapped in that hell house for another minute.

It was peaceful and quiet outside. The birds’ chirping wasn’t going to give me a headache like those four back home would.

*~*~*

By the time I’d reached the nearest park, I had calmed down a bit. I sat on the first bench I came to and plopped my backpack down beside me. I pulled out my phone and discovered I had three missed texts. I must not have heard my phone beep through all the shouting. I pushed the message button and saw that one of the messages was from Mom, sent just a few minutes ago.

The other two messages were from –
sigh –
James.

The first was from midnight last night.

I instantly regretted turning my phone off last night to let it charge. A late night text session with James would have been something to stay up for. I checked his next message and was happily relieved that it had only been sent ten minutes ago. 

Glee!

Should I do good messages, bad (Mom) message? Good…bad…good… good…?

I tapped on Mom’s message first, thinking it would be best to get rid of the bad first.

Mom:
Your father and I realize you may need some time to cool off. We give you permission to spend some time outside and reflect. If you will not be back for lunch, please say so. And please eat something healthy and low calorie. Please be responsible with the independence we’ve generously allowed you to have.
Love: mom and dad.

How do you give someone independence?
I contemplated as I stared at the message. I read the message for a second time, feeling my mouth go dry and my body shake. I mentally gave them both the finger.

I walked out on my own! N
o one could have stopped me.

I felt my face heat up. Her choice of words to describe the situation she
had created was irritating the hell out of me.

I bent over and rested my elbows on my thighs, closing my eyes.

“Just breathe,” I murmured quietly.

Check the other messages.

Happy messages!

I opened my eyes, sat back up, and checked James’ message from midnight.

Tiger
:
Fireball, u awake?

That’s it?

It was still better than Mom’s message; anything was better than her message, even three little words from James.

What were you expecting from him? A speech about how amazing kissing you was?

I grinned widely.

Honestly…..Yeah!

I laughed at my
self.

Get over yourself,
I commanded myself as I checked his second message from ten minutes ago.

Tiger:
Yo, what you doing later?

What? I reread the message. Was he sort of asking me out?

I texted him back

Annabelle:
Nothing

A few minutes passed and he still hadn’t texted back. I was beginning to feel anxious.

Maybe he’s just not around his phone right now?

My phone beeped.

Yes!

Tiger
:
Really? How about right now?

Annabelle:
I’m chilling at the park near my house.

Tiger:
Hang tight!

Hang tight?

Was
he coming to me?

How?

He didn’t even know what park I was in…

A car honked loudly.

I jumped off the bench, startled. I frantically scanned the area for the perpetrator. That’s when I noticed a big, black SUV pull up to the curb in front of the park.

James?
I thought as I grabbed my backpack from the bench.

I walked hesitantly towards the car, unsure if it was actually him. The passenger window rolled down and I could see a male sitting behind the wheel wearing a baseball shirt, his eyes were covered with black Ray-Bans. He turn
ed to the window and smiled big. I wondered if it was for me. I briefly glanced behind me, there was no one else here.

It’s for me!

“James?” I called.

Honk! Honk!

I smiled. It was definitely him. I approached the passenger door and bent into the open window.

“Hey,” I said softly, resting my elbows on the frame. The smile on his face evaporated and he looked away.

“Get in,” He ordered.

What’s his problem now?

I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to spend time with Douchebag James, I’d much rather Sweet James.

I thought about all the other things I could do besides being chauffeured around by him.

It was a short – empty – list.

I shrugged off his attitude, wiped the smile off my own face, and got in the car. As soon as I’d shut the door, he turned the wheel and pressed the gas, speeding away from the park.

I turned in my seat and stared at him. “Is everything okay?” I asked quietly as I put my seatbelt on.

We rode in silence for a few seconds, before he answered curtly, “Yeah, there’s something wrong.”

Asshole!

Keeping my thoughts to myself, I decided to continue speaking calmly with him. I was still riding too much of a high from our passionate kissing last night, despite the huge fight with my family this morning, to blow a fuse at his asshole-like manners.

But if it continued much longer, then things would return to normal between us: Nice Annabelle would scram and Bitchy Annabelle would be back with a vengeance.

She was waiting patiently in the corner of my brain; all he had to do was push me a little further and I’d call her out. 

“Okay, what is it?” I asked calmly.

He took his eyes off the road and looked at me, shaking his head.

“Where’s my hello kiss?” He whined.

Jesus!

“Your hello kiss?” I repeated, a little bewildered by his demanding behavior.

“From now on, whenever yo
u see me, you give me a kiss,” He ordered sternly, returning his eyes to the road.

I think I’ll do whatever the hell I want.

I didn’t say that either, I was still riding that high and he’d earned extra points for looking cute in his baseball uniform.

“And if I don’t?” I challenged.

He glanced at me for a second before swinging the wheel around and pulling the car to the curb and slamming it into park. He unlocked his seatbelt and turned to me.

“Why’d you pull over?” I asked
. Things had somehow just turned awkward.

He didn’t
say anything but continued to stare at me, his mouth on the verge of pouting.

“You know, you’re lucky –” I began.

“I’m lucky –” he interrupted.

“Yeah, you’re lucky you look cute in your baseball uniform or else I’d have served you something nice and cold much earlier.” I crossed my arms across my chest as I finished.

Did I just call him cute?

I knew I was turning red.

He was staring straight at the windshield, his expression hidden behind his Ray-Bans. He slowly turned back to me, his mouth forming a wide, shit-eating grin.

“So, you think I look good today,” James began with a chuckle, “well maybe if you’re good I’ll wear my uniform more.”

“Oh God,” I muttered under my breath, my eyes finding the floor.

“Oh come on, don’t be shy now, not with what we did last night.” He chuckled louder.

“Jesus, you really are full of yourself.” I exclaimed.

“You’re damn right I am. I’m also considerate too, don’t you forget that.” 
He grinned.

I looked up at him, shaking my head in astonishment. “How are you considerate?”

“Well, for one, I might consider wearing this uniform more often.” He said.

“How is that considerate?”
I asked.

He was really starting to irritate me.

“Well, I have to do whatever I can to help you fantasize about me when I’m not around,” He responded, as if his answer was completely logical.

I gasped.
“You’re unbelievable.”

I reached down and grabbed my backpack off the floor.

“What do you think you’re doing?” James demanded, beginning to sound angry.

Before I could pull the door handle,
he power-locked the doors from his side.

“Open the door,” I demanded quietly. I had no energy left to fight; my family took it all this morning.

“No!”

“Don’t yell at me! Open the door,
please
.”

“No.” He put the car in drive and sped away from the curb.

“James, I don’t have the energy for this. Please, just let me out,” I pleaded with him, dropping my backpack back down to the floor.

“No,” H
e said again, continuing to stare straight ahead. “Why don’t you have energy? We’ve only just started arguing.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” I stared out the window, trying to figure out where he was taking me.

“Try me?”

“It’s nothing,” I replied, “my family was just giving me a hard time this morning.”

“That’s it? That’s why you’re in a shit mood?” He shook his head in disbelief.

“No, that’s not just it,” I snapped.

“I’m just noticing things… It doesn’t take much for you to get mad.”

“Well then how about this,” I began loudly, leaning towards him. “I wake up to my mother shouting her demands, then, when I refuse, my little sister and little brother join her in tag-teaming me about how lame I am! Oh, then my dad joins in and decides he needs to tell me I was the rude, inconsiderate one!”

I turned away, letting out a deep breath. “Is that good enough for you?” I said to the window.

“I’m sorry,”
He said softly, sweetly.

I felt the emotions I thought I’d left bac
k at the house begin to surface. My eyes felt prickly.

I shook my head, not wanting to go there, blinking away the potential tears.

“Whatever, it’s no big deal,” I shrugged. “I just want to forget about it.” 

“I can help you forget, if you want…” James said, staring straight ahead.

“Oh yeah?” I asked skeptically, staring at his hands on the steering wheel. “How are you going to that?”

“Just trust me.”
He said.  

Trust him?