Young Annabelle Series: Young Annabelle, The Truth About James, What My Heart Wants

by Sarah Tork

  CHAPTER 23

  So this was what it felt like.

  Exhilaration, Freedom, Happiness….mind blowing ecstasy...which still had me shivering.

  Yet at the same time, I felt as if I were under a microscope. I glanced up at mom as I took in the last spoonful of my healthy cereal.

  “You look happy Annabelle!” Mom rejoiced, taking a sip of her coffee.

  How observant, but let’s hope not too observant. There were things mom did not need to know, including what had happened last night.

  I was not a good girl last night and I also felt like mom was going to figure out that young little Annabelle wasn’t so little anymore. She became a woman, well almost a woman last night.

  I couldn’t help but smile wide as I responded to her. “I just feel so much better today than yesterday morning.”

  “That’s great darling, I’m so happy.” Mom concluded then took another sip of coffee. “It must have been that walk you went on after taking a nap. You see exercise can cure anything.”

  Yes, but what kind of exercise? I stifled the knowing smile that urged to appear, but I held it back with all my might, the memories that came with it were meant to be recollected in private and/or with a certain special someone.

  James! I sighed to myself, remembering everything about his body last night.

  The best night of my life.

  *~*~*

  “Did you hear?”

  Whispers hovered around me as soon as I crossed the hallway towards my locker. I held an ear out, curious what the latest rumor was.

  “Donna and James,”

  What? My eyes widened at the news, horrified.

  “Yeah, I heard they were together last night, they totally hooked up,”

  In an instant my heart rate slowed, the news was inaccurate. I was with James last night and we in fact hooked up.

  I stifled the satisfying smile on route to my locker as the stampede of whispers traveled from person to person.

  If only they all knew the truth. Which would be horrible! I wanted no one to know what happened between James and me last night.

  Suddenly that spur of the moment decision to go top less last night didn’t seem like such a great idea anymore, even if it resulted in the most passionate experience of my life.

  It felt so good…

  Now I would have to see him for the first time since our moment of passion. I was feeling shy all of a sudden. I didn’t know how I was going to look him in the eye. What if he ignored me today and pretended like it never happened, a spur of the moment decision for him that he regretted as soon as he woke up. The after effects of the fight resulted in a brain meltdown for him, making him loose and easily satisfied by just above average looks.

  Me?

  God I hoped not. I wasn’t the girl I was at the beginning of summer, but I was nowhere near Donna’s figure and looks. A vast difference, yet he chose me.

  Or supposedly did.

  The thought still lingered in the back of my mind, worrying me at every second that I was no more than a matter of convenience. As if I were a package of noodles in his empty cupboard and he’d happily eat it to suppress his hunger. But would he choose those same noodles if there was a juicy steak waiting on his table as well?

  If I was being honest with myself, I think he’d choose the steak every time. But last night he had the chance to eat the steak, but instead he opted out for the plain noodles.

  Me.

  He came back for me, he spent time with me, told me things, made me feel things. He wasn’t with Donna. The only pleasure she had feeling his skin was that surprise kiss she forced on him at Peter’s party.

  Still, he did kiss her back. That counted for something and I was sure that was what Donna was trying to convince herself of since Peter’s party. Those rumors had to come from somewhere, maybe they were from her? If the whole school believed they were together, then maybe they would actually get together and become boyfriend and girlfriend.

  I grabbed some stuff from my locker and headed to the bathroom. My bladder was a mess. Just as I entered the last stall furthest from the entrance, the door popped open, carrying in a bundle of hyper screeches. I’d say very Valley girl.

  “Oh my God!”

  “Like, oh my God!”

  “Donna!”

  Donna! I should have known it was her and her hot girl crew.

  “Donna, did you do it?”

  “I’m so not telling. I don’t kiss and tell, it’s so private!” Donna drawled.

  Like….whatever! I mimicked their voices in my head, holding my tongue, struggling not to burst out laughing.

  “Tell, like now, we need to know.” One of them screeched, sounding desperate for the information. These girls were crazy, why did they need to know what Donna did or didn’t do. Especially those kinds of things…they were supposed to be private, not shared with everyone.

  “Fine, you dragged it out of me, I’ll confess!” Donna sighed loudly. “Last night, James came by!”

  “No way!” They all screeched at the same time. “When did it happen?”

  He was with me last night, how was that true? It was clearly false!

  “After the fight last night, he dropped us off at Latisha’s house” Donna explained. “He came by my house after, around ten-ish!”

  What? I tried to remember the time after he’d dropped me off at my house last night, it was just before ten. Mom told me to be home before ten.

  I couldn’t breathe. It felt like there was no oxygen in the room anymore.

  “What did you guys do last night?” Her girls screeched some more.

  “We went for a little drive, and then parked for a little bit…”

  “And?” They all screeched again.

  “Ladies, I can’t say, well okay, all I can say is, the windows got steamy.”

  “No way!”

  “Way.” Donna confirmed, firmly.

  Wait, she could be lying. I needed to investigate her claims before I completely lost it, for the millionth time.

  *~*~*

  After the hot girl group left the bathroom, howling with enthusiasm at Donna’s apparent steamy night out with James, I escaped the washroom and headed straight to English. Yesterday after hearing the rumors, I was a mess. But now, after mistakenly accusing James yesterday of hooking up with Donna on Sunday night, I wasn’t going to do that without finding out for myself if it was a hundred percent true.

  I hoped it wasn’t true.

  I walked into a half filled classroom, heading straight to Mr. Doors, quickly explaining to him that I had horrible stomach pains before class yesterday and left to go home. Satisfied with my answer, Mr. Doors explained what he lectured on the day before. I didn’t miss much since it was only the second day of school. I headed to the back row, there were two seats left, my original first day seat, right beside the windows.

  The bell rang, students rushed inside, but no James.

  Where was he?

  *~*~*

  Class went on, James never showed up.

  Was he avoiding me?

  Did he switch classes?

  The possibilities invaded every single thought in my head, making paying attention to Mr. Doors’ lecture on Prose very difficult.

  I didn’t hear a word he said. I hoped there wasn’t going to be a test on this subject anytime soon. Even though at this moment, I felt tragically poetic.

  Oh James, boy with Baseballs, you came, then you left, you came again, left again, came once more, and now I’m left to wonder where you are now?

  You see, I suck at poetry and I suck at my love life too!

  My next two classes went by like a blurry fog. I had no idea what happened, who said what, what paper I stuffed inside my binder afterwords. Nothing.

  Lunch was next and usually that was the best time of the day. But with James’s absence on my mind, it was hard to get excited about food.

  Especially unmonitored food.

  I headed straight for the line,
taking my spot. I scoured the filling cafeteria as students rushed inside, the Baseball team was absent as was Donna and her hot girl crew.

  Where were they?

  My turn came up and I entered the cafeteria’s restaurant. I was spoiled for choice, from hamburgers to hot dogs, and chili fries. Maybe last week I would have been tempted at the junk food, but for the first time and since last night when I realized that my jeans were becoming loose, I was going to keep on the path of the diet.

  I chose a regular salad and a bottle of water. I prayed it would hold me till I got home and ravaged a small yogurt as my mid afternoon snack, according to mom’s little nutrition rule book handed by that beloved nutritionist all those months ago. I paid for my food and exited. I entered back into a room more chaotic then before, more students had arrived. The line was longer, as I scanned each person for a second, my eyes immediately stopped on a large group, laughing loudly.

  Like the freaking Kings and Queens of the cafeteria. And nestled in-between Donna and one of his boys, was James, looking happy and carefree as ever.

  Where was he this morning?

  Before he had the chance to spot me stalking him with my eyes, I looked away immediately locating Jenna in the far corner with her fellow swim team members. Jenna usually didn’t buy lunch from the cafeteria since her mother packed one for her every day. It was a far cry from the type of food mom wanted to give me for lunch, it would have all been calorie monitored.

  Jenna got a wide assortment of flavorful food her mother rustled up each morning. Jenna’s grandmother was from Italy, passing on delicious recipes onto her mother. So her mom always packed her left over pasta’s they’d have the night before, hence why mom was so nervous nowadays whenever I’d mention going there. Jenna’s house was not calorie minded, but they were skinny anyways.

  Whatever! I mentally rolled my eyes at the thought, making my way to the table.

  “Hey.” I said to everyone as I sat down. Jenna didn’t meet my eyes, instead was looking just over my shoulder.

  “Why is wonder boy staring at you?” Jenna whispered.

  My eyes widened. “What? He’s staring?” I gulped.

  She nodded. “Why is he staring at you? I thought you two were finished? Is he still angry?”

  I had to tell her. But would she be okay with it?

  Jenna checked her phone as I dug into my salad, stalling.

  “Oh Anna, it seems somebody was lying about last Sunday!” Jenna said, holding out her phone.

  “What are you talking about?” My heart began pounding fast.

  “I’m on Latisha’s Facebook. She put up pictures from last Sunday night, you know their little get together.” She held out her phone to me. I took it out of her hands and brought it up to my face, staring at the picture. Latisha took a picture of her girls and the guys enjoying that night, but my heart slowed down to a deadly pace as I saw the shocking image. Donna was sitting on James’s lap and his arms were around her waist. His chin was resting on her shoulder as she slumped into him. Both were smiling at the camera.

  So this was how it really was. Right after he’d dropped me off last Sunday, supposedly together, and he goes and has Miss Queen B sitting on his lap taking pictures together.

  I was a fool.

  Yes this didn’t translate into hooking up, but the picture spoke a million things, and it spelled anything but platonic. They looked awfully comfortable cuddling.

  That was totally cuddling. And if you were in a relationship with someone, you weren’t supposed to cuddle with anyone else.

  Unless I didn’t know anything about having a relationship and that was normal.

  I didn’t think so.

  I inhaled a deep breath from my nostrils and handed back Jenna her phone. She blinked as she stared at me worriedly.

  “Are you okay?” She whispered. I shrugged, unable to speak.

  “Anna?” Jenna whispered, tapping my leg softly underneath the table. “Tell me?”

  “Tell you what? I’ve been made a fool, again?” I muttered, staring at her.

  “Again?” Jenna asked, confused. Then her eyes widened, understanding. “You let him in again? What about Dean, you went on a date with him last night.”

  “Afterwords.” I answered.

  “Afterwords.” Jenna repeated, understanding. “Well, that’s shocking.”

  I didn’t answer her.

  I peeked over my shoulder, the line was finished. From the corner of my eye I noticed the Baseball team and Donna plus her hot girl crew sitting at their table. I could hear their laughs. It grated my skin. I couldn’t look at him anymore without scowling, so I turned back towards Jenna. I took out my phone. This needed to be done in private

  So I texted him.

  Annabelle: We need to talk, now!

  “Did you just text him?” Jenna whispered. I nodded, taking a drink of my water.

  “Is he checking his phone?” I asked her. “Don’t be obvious about it.”

  Jenna nodded and nonchalantly looked over my shoulder. “No - wait a minute - yes, he’s checking it now.”

  “What did you text him?” She asked me, still looking over my shoulder.

  “That we needed to talk.” I told her.

  She dropped her gaze back to me. “Right now?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I need to get to the bottom of things. Right now.”

  “Be strong and please this time, don’t let him back in, not if he’s playing with you.” Jenna pleaded.

  I couldn’t look her in the eyes. “I know, I’m sorry.” My phone beeped, startling me.

  “Well it’s about time!” Jenna exclaimed.

  I checked my phone and was relieved that I got a message from him.

  Tiger: Now?

  “Well?” Jenna pressed, clearly impatient.

  “He didn’t answer me.” I told her as I texted him back.

  Annabelle: Yes, now!

  I sent the text and got up.

  “Where are you going?” Jenna asked, wide eyed.

  “Hallway. If I’m not back in ten minutes, find me in the bathroom beside our lockers okay?” I told her.

  She nodded and I exited the cafeteria, hoping he’d follow me. The hallway was quiet, classes were still going on. I waited for him beside the doors. After a minute, he came trudging through the doors, looking annoyed.

  How can he be annoyed at me? What the hell did I do to him? I thought, offended at his behavior. He was the one who kept ruining things. Not me.

  “What is it?” He asked, stopping in front of me, glancing around the hallway. Not the same guy as last night.

  How was he angry at me?

  Asshole!

  “I just checked Facebook.” I told him. “I saw a picture.”

  “And?” He shrugged, looking bored.

  “And, it was of you and Donna.”

  “So.” He shrugged again.

  “So, it was right after you dropped me off on Sunday.” I informed him, desperate to control my growing emotions.

  “I’m not getting what you’re talking about.” He looked at me confused, as if I were annoying him.

  “Stop it, she was sitting on your lap, you said nothing happened.” I snapped, quietly.

  “Look, I don’t feel like doing this right now.” He groaned, looking away and adjusting his backwards Baseball cap.

  “Doing this?” I asked, slowly. He had no problem doing what we did last night. “You had no problem doing this last night.”

  He just shrugged again, looking anywhere but my eyes.

  “Fine,” I gulped, feeling my eyes grow wet. “Go back inside, back to your friends. Forget this ever happened, and forget about me too.”

  “You’re so dramatic!” James exclaimed. “What’s wrong with you, every second you have a problem.”

  “Well don’t worry about it anymore, you don’t have to. Go on, go back to your friends, go back to Donna, she’s probably waiting for you, bet she needs a seat.” I informed him, and then turned the corner s
peed walking away. I headed straight for the bathroom near my locker, going for my stall at the end. Once the stall door slammed shut, I held my face as tears exploded down.

  He’s such an asshole!

  CHAPTER 24

  My phone beeped. I checked it and saw that James texted me.

  Tiger: Where did you go?

  I texted him back.

  Annabelle: Why do you care?

  Tiger: Tell me!

  Annabelle: The bathroom beside my locker.

  Tiger: I’m coming there, come out now!

  I exited the stall and quickly washed my face. I freed my hair of its ponytail and scanned my outfit. I had worn a black short sleeved t-shirt that went past my hips and my black skinny jeans.

  I thought I looked okay.

  I exited the bathroom and saw him rushing down the hall towards me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway, silently. We exited the building and entered the parking lot. He took me to his car and locked us inside.

  “Why do you keep doing this?” He asked, quietly.

  “She was sitting on your lap.” I stared at the ground, taking deep breaths. My hair fell in front of my face, shielding me from him.

  “She caught me off guard.” James explained, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, his finger trailing alongside my ear down to my cheek, caressing it soothingly. It shot electricity into every nerve in my body.

  My heart began beating faster, my breathing becoming hoarse. Why could he do this to me? His touch alone completely obliterated everything inside of me that had anything to do with my will power. I had no will power when it came to him.

  I was clearly crazy about him and he probably knew it.

  “Really?” I murmured, hopeful, pulling my cheek down, smoothing it voluntarily against his hand.

  He leaned in tucking more loose strands behind my ear with his other hand. Not leaving my space, he clasped the back of my neck and pulled me closer to him, staring deep into my eyes.