Young Annabelle Series: Young Annabelle, the Truth About James, What My Heart Wants (41 page)

“I don’t know, all I do know is that she’s crazy about him.” I exhaled, not looking away. “Why doesn’t he just make it official with her? Things could have been so much easier for him. He wouldn’t have me always accusing him of things that he was guilty of and he’d have a popular girl by his side, which, by the way he’s been acting, seems to be the only thing he cares about.”

“Being one of the cool kids?” Jenna snorted. “Screw him. You’re amazing, he should have counted his lucky stars he got to tap this.”

I laughed and faced her. “Jenna!”

She tilted her head back and laughed. “What? It’s true isn’t it?”

I shook my head, amused, feeling my face go warm from embarrassment. “I can’t believe you said that!”

“And you’re lucky that’s all I said!” Jenna exclaimed loudly. She grabbed my arm and pushed me forward. “Let’s go, my mom’s waiting for me out front, and I’m tired of staring at the dumb squad!”

“Great.” I muttered, not laughing anymore. I’d have to walk passed them now, which was the last thing I’d wanted to do. I didn’t want to be in close proximity to them like for the rest of my life. Why couldn’t graduation be today, then we could all go our separate ways and never have to see each other again.

Crap.

“It’s going to be okay.” Jenna assured, moving around the crowded hallway towards the exit, which was inconveniently located all the way down the hall.

“I hope so.” I muttered, following her, feeling butterflies in my stomach as we got closer to walking passed the loud group.

“Be strong.” Jenna whispered. “Pretend they don’t exist, especially Mr. Douchebag.”

“I’ll do my best.” I murmured shakily to her. I needed to remember to breathe, this was going to be hard enough to do and I didn’t need to faint from the lack of oxygen.

Here we go.

Even though the hallway was crazy busy, for some reason there was ample space around them. I guessed, they intimidated the hell out of everyone here and nobody wanted to be in the same space as them for longer than they had to.

Just like me.

We were passing them and I stared straight ahead. All of a sudden their laughter dimmed noticeably quieter.

I think it’s because of me.

“Hey Anna!” One of them snickered, I couldn’t see who, but it was one of his boys. I ignored him.

“Awe James, she’s ignoring me too.” The guy laughed.

James didn’t say anything to his friend.

But what could he say? Saying something would actually require him to announce to his entire group, not just to his boys, that he knew me
more
than they’d like to think.

God
I felt pathetic.

I didn’t deserve this crap. I shook my head, breathing fire-y air from my nostrils. I wished it was fire, then a certain somebody would have had some explaining to do and he’d actually have to say it or else face a terrible burning death.

We were almost passed them completely when I saw Tom walking down the hallway, heading towards us. He glanced past my shoulders to the group and then eyed me, smirking.

Great.

They were all in on it.

Tom stopped right beside us, grinning. “Hey Anna, long time no see.”

I looked at Jenna who looked like she was about to burst into flames, she was that angry. But I shook my head at her and turned to Tom. If this was how they all wanted to play, well, I could play too.

I think it’s time for James-y boy to have a little taste of his own medicine. I pulled Jenna to a stop. Using every ounce of courage I had inside of me, I casted aside any reservation I would have had speaking to a boy from this particular group (besides James) and smiled at Tom.

You know, the kind of smile that says ‘I find you attractive’.

“Hi Tom, yeah it’s been awhile, a whole ten minutes since History finished.” I giggled, doing my best to sound dimwitted and flirty. “You take notes?”

He peered over my shoulder looking stunned for a few seconds He blinked back at me and our eyes met. He smiled back, clearly amused that I answered him, considering everything that’s happened. “Yeah, but a whole ten minutes, that’s a long time. I took notes, you wanna borrow them.”

I smirked. “Nah, I’ve seen your handwriting.”

His jaw dropped, amused still. “My handwriting rocks, I’m a pro at note taking!”

I smiled at hi
m suggestively. “Bet that’s not all you’re a pro at.”

“You got that right!” He roared, pumping his chest out.

“I’m sure. I saw you play during the game last Thursday, you were great.” I told him, staring deep into his blue eyes. Tom was the same height as James, and he was cute too.

“Thanks,” He smiled, sweetly, looking sheepish for a second before glancing past my shoulders again.

“You looked really cute in your Baseball uniform that day too,” I grinned at him, making him visibly nervous as he kept glancing over my shoulder.

“Thanks,” He stuttered then glanced again past my shoulder, gulping. “Bro, what’s up?”

I turned my head, finding James and a few of his bro’s standing behind us. James’s green eyes met mine and he narrowed them accusatorily at me. I shrugged at him, doing my best to seem indifferent.

Keep it up, or else he’ll know how much pain you’re in!
I told myself as I mustered every ounce of strength I had to not blink.

“What’s going on here?” One of his boys’ asked from beside him. I think his name was Roy. He was shorter than Tom and James, and had blonde hair and brown eyes. He was cute, but not as cute as James and Tom.

I answered him anyways. “Oh nothing important really, we were just talking about History class and other stupid stuff.”

“Sure you were.” James sneered, giving Tom a death glare.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why do you care anyways?

“I don’t.” James smirked, eyeing his boys like I was crazy. “I think she’s on something!”

They started to laugh behind him. He looked back at me and raised both eyebrows as if to say ‘Game, set, match’.

I felt Jenna tug my hand, motioning for us to go. I looked at her and she was looking away, but I could tell she was about to blow by the way her hand shook around mine. So for her sake and mine, I’d better wrap up this little party.

But not before I said what I needed to.

I shook my head and stared at James seriously. He stopped laughing and motioned for me to go ahead by tilting his head slightly to the side.

“Did you have something you wanted to say?” He sneered.

“To you? No, I have nothing to say to you, ever!” I told him forcefully. All of sudden, Donna and her hot girl crew joined the boys. Donna wiggled her way next to James and raised an eyebrow at me.

Just perfect!

This is just what I’d needed right now.

“Hello Annabelle,” Donna said acidly.

I eyed her. “Hello Donna, you look nice today.” I told her stoically.

She blinked back her shock. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, pinks a great color for you.” I told her, and then eyed the two of them. “You guys look great together.”

“What are you talking about?” James grimaced, sounding confused.

I eyed him, smirking. “Well, I’m talking about you and Donna. You guys are together right? You guys look real good together.”

Donna eyed James for a few seconds waiting for him to say something. When he didn’t, she faked a laugh like she thought it was crazy too.

She tilted her head to the side and sighed, looking at me like I was a stupid idiot who didn’t know any better. “We’re not like that sweetie.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh you’re not, oh I’m sorry, my bad. I thought, you know, you two spending so much time together, that you guys were involved like that.”

“Like what?” James pushed acidly as his nostrils flared.

“You know, special.” I smirked.

“There’s something wrong with you,” James declared to me before eyeing his boys as if I were unstable.

I shook my head at him. “Maybe I am. I’ll get my brain checked out, maybe next weekend. I’ve got the time.”

I eyed Donna and she started giggling, eyeing her girls sneakily before glancing back at me. “You should have a lot of free time from now on, Fireball!” She bursts into laughter, as did her girls. I heard gasps coming from James’s boys.

I blinked, feeling a wave of shock over take me.
What?

He told her too?

My eyes felt watery in an instant. I felt my cheeks heat up as I gulped a strong force of bile down. I slowly eyed James. “You told her?” I asked him meekly, shaking my head.

He clenched his jaw and said nothing.

“Alright! I’ve had enough of this crap!” Jenna declared loudly, turning and joining my side. She pointed to James. “You, are, an, Asshole!”

Then she pointed to Donna. “And you are a little skanky skank!”

Donna’s jaw dropped. “What did you call me?” She hissed, her eyes flaring with immediate anger.

Jenna placed a hand to her hip and jerked her head forward. “You heard me!” She snapped back, enunciating every letter slowly.

Donna stepped forward and tried to push Jenna but her girls grabbed her shoulders stopping her. “Don’t Donna! You’ll get into trouble!” They screeched.

I couldn’t look at her anymore. I couldn’t look at any of them. I was still in shock. I couldn’t believe he told her too. His nickname for me was supposed to be private, only for him to use. I wiped the newly flowing tears away from my cheek. “You told her?”

He shook his head, grimacing. “I didn’t, she heard it from somewhere else.” He snapped.

“Bitch, you better step back!” Jenna announced loudly at Donna who was struggling to break free from her girls. Jenna raised both her fists and pointed them to Donna. “There ain’t nothing fake about these babies, yah hear me!”

Jenna eyed Donna one last time, then grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away from the death glare I was giving James. “Anna, let’s go, now!”

I wasn’t going anywhere!

“I can’t believe you!” I screeched at him, my lips rippling. Tears were flowing all over my face. “I can’t believe you! That was supposed to be private! You told all of them!”

“I didn’t!” James growled, visibly shaking. “I didn’t say a
God damn thing.”

“You’re a liar!” I yelled, not caring anymore who heard, who witnessed. If they wanted to, they could all talk about me for the next millennium. I was going to say everything out loud. “You are a liar!”

Roy stepped forward with his palms up. “Anna, chill. He didn’t tell Donna.”

James jerked his head towards his friend sharply. “You see, I’m telling the truth, I didn’t say anything!”

Donna stopped trying to get out of her girls’ grasp and looked at James pathetically. “James?” She cried, but he didn’t look at her, he just kept looking at me, his chest pumping in and out.

“I don’t believe you.” I cried, feeling more tears cascade down. I tried to wipe them away but there were too many. “You’re an asshole.”

Another one of James’s boys stepped forward. “Anna, Donna probably heard us talk about you, that’s how she knows.”

“I don’t care!” I snapped at him, and then faced James again. My eyes were bulging out, stinging from all the tears escaping. “I don’t care anymore about you, you can go do whatever you want. I don’t care!”

“Are you done?” James asked bitterly. “You’re acting like a psychopath!”

“Good!” I spat back at him. “Good!”

I felt Jenna grab my shoulder, trying to push me back. I moved back a few spots, but my eyes never left his. “I’m so done with you! You hear me, I’m done with you!” I yelled at him. I glanced around, the entire hallway once alive with after school chatter was quiet, they were all staring at me and James.

We were the show.

Great, just great.

But this needed to happen.

I’d had enough.

“You never cared about me.” I cried, shaking my head at him as Jenna pushed me backwards towards the exit. “You never cared at all!”

James eyes bulged. Looking very angry he lunged forward, but arms shot out stopping him. “Let me go!” He roared, ordering his friends, who weren’t wavering on their grip on him.

“No dude let it go.” They told him as he struggled to break free.

I wiped my tears away, shaking my head once more at him before turning and walking through the door with Jenna.

“Anna, come on, let’s go, don’t pay any more attention to those jerk offs.” Jenna said as we entered the patio. We quickly trekked down the stairs not saying another word before we hit the curb where her mother normally picked her up.

Jenna ran her fingers through her hair, looking bewildered. “Oh my God, I can’t believe that just happened.”

I gulped, feeling my face begin to cool, even though it was really hot outside. That’s how hot I was. “I know.” I panted.

“He deserved that. You humiliated him right in front of everyone!” Jenna yelled joyously, fist pumping over her head. “And Donna, can you believe her? That crazy skank has a lot of nerve! She totally knew what she was doing when she called you Fireball! She’s lucky I didn’t punch her mouth!”