“Now come let’s go make fun of Uncle Matt’s funny fingers.” She says and I start walking out of my room.
“I see you and Summer finally made up” I hear my mother talking behind me as I washed the last of the dishes. “Yeah death kind of does that to a person” I say and she comes walking towards me with a drying cloth. “You don’t say” She says as she starts drying the dishes. “And I needed a replacement for Grandma Alice now… So I figured Summer would do” I say and my mother starts laughing at me. I feel the laughter welling up inside and burst out too. “Annabelle…” My mother says after she had finished drying her plate.
“What… Okay okay… I missed her” I say and my mother smiles at me softly. I look at her and feel the little boll of guilt I had rolled off for Summer rolling back on for my mother. I look back to the sink and continue washing. “She missed you too” My mother says and continues drying the plates. We finish up the dishes talking about my Grandma Alice and all our favourite memories of her. My father watches us carefully and he kept smiling like an idiot.
That night I went to sleep and I had no dreams. It was the first night in two weeks that I had a peaceful nights rest. I wake up and feel energised and ready to take on the day. There was nothing I could do about the past nothing I could do about Grandma Alice dying and I know I needed to move on. I got up and saw my phone notification light flashing. I grab it and see that it’s a text from Garett.
Lunch bitches…It’s been forever… I read the text and start smiling. He was right we needed to start moving on and get our lives back on track. We couldn’t let this sicko run our lives. Nicole was looking so much better even though her bruising was still hard to look at she was getting better. I went with her to the trauma counselling and I don’t know it did wonders for my soul too.
English was my favourite class. I loved the language and the history and everything else that came with it. I was going to miss it though. This was our last semester and I knew that the assignments now were going to be lethal and Professor Harker never seized to amaze. “Good morning people… Settle down now” He said and I looked up as he spoke. He was a friend of my parents and I like him but today all that was about to change. “As you know the time has come for our final assignment of the year” he started and I hear most of the class sigh. I feel like laughing as the excitement in me took flight. “I would like this assignment to be bit different as any of the other’s we had done” He says and then suddenly my stomach starts turning. “We are going to focus on screenplay and stage plays and the writers and directors behind them and also the crux of the stories they were trying to portray through their craft” He says and I feel a touch of relieve. “You will be working in pairs and each pair will get a stage play or screenplay from a certain era which you will write your reports on” I feel confused. Did he say pairs? I don’t work in pairs I work alone. We had never worked in pairs before why would he do this to us now? “The report will be on the impact the writer or director wanted to make on his audience. What is the story he wanted to tell… The points he wanted to make” Professor Harker continued but I was barely hearing him with my heart beating uncontrollably in my chest. What was going on? This was a joke? “So before we leave lets get our pairs sorted out. And to make it fair you will be randomly paired up since I don’t want any buddy-buddy papers coming in unless of course its luck and you get thrown together. The point of this assignment is to get view points from all angles” He says and I feel my palms becoming sweaty. “I have the names of all the men and women in this class in these two bowls and the play they will handling in this one” Professor Harker says and he points to the three bowls on his table. I scan across the room and try to remember the faces beside me but no-one looks familiar. I don’t know these people; don’t know if they are smart or dumb or just fucking high. I felt like I was suffocating. I hear Professor Harker calling out names and assigning plays. Then I hear his name loud in my ears.
“James King?” I hear Mr. Harker say and I freeze my stomach started twisting. I know he is sitting behind me as I can’t see him but I know his there I can feel his eyes burning into the back of my neck.
“Ah there you are… No let’s see who you will be pairing up with…” I can’t believe he was here in this class today of all days. It was like…
“Annabelle Spencer” I hear my name but it doesn’t register yet. I feel Professor Harker’s eyes burning into me. “Annabelle… Please get up so that Mr. King can see who are” He says and I feel like my legs are not working. I could not believe it. I get up slowly and I turn to look at him and he nods his head at me. We have met before so we are not strangers to each other. “Right now let’s find out what you will be working on.” Prof says and puts his hand in the bowl again. “Ahhh now this should be interesting… Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare” I hear the words come out of Prof’s mouth and feel like I was about to faint. No no no! This wasn’t happening… I feel my breath caught in my lungs and then Prof tells us we can sit down. I feel my hands shaking; this was not happening. I sit staring out in front of me. I didn’t like Romeo and Juliet. I thought it was a stupid story and the last time I had read the play was in high school. I didn’t have the time of day for stupid naïve children. Once everyone was sorted in their pairs we continued on with the purpose of the assignment. I didn’t hear a word that prof had said I was too angry at him. I could do this on my own I don’t need a partner. And if I did I can ask my dad, he was smart. Or my mom she was a writer so she would be able to give me a different take on it. I couldn’t work with James King… “Professor Harker excuses me” I say as I stand by his table as he packs up his things after the class was dismissed. “Ah Annabelle… Sure what’s up” I see him smiling at me and I feel like punching him in the face. “Is there any way I could do this assignment on my own” I start and see him frowning at me. “The thing is… I work better on my own and I know my capacity I know that I will be able to ace this… But I don’t know I’m willing to risk my final assignment mark by working with someone like James King…” I almost wanted to laugh but then I hear his voice behind me. “Someone like me?” I freeze and feel like body go hot. “This is a pair’s assignment and that is it… End of discussion Ms. Spencer” I hear Professor Harker say and gets ready to leave. “Wait… Please professor…” I say as he starts walking towards the stairs. “I think Mr. King is very much capable of acing this assignment too and I would say whatever issues you have with this Ms. Spencer… Deal with it and do it” he says and walks away from us. I feel helpless and stupid. James is still standing behind me and I feel like dog shit for him having to have seen that. “You don’t think I can do this?” He starts and I sigh hard and roll my eyes. I start walking towards the exit. “Its not that I don’t think you can do it…Its just I don’t work with a partner… I never have… and Romeo and Juliet… Really… I could write this report in my sleep” I say and shake my head. “So don’t you worry…I will handle this… You go on do what it is you do and I will make sure that we ace this paper” I say and then he grabs my arm hard. “Who do you think you are?” He says and I jump in surprise. “What gives you the right to judge me..? You think you know who I am? You think I’m stupid?” He says the words and let go of me. He looked angry. “I was top of my class at Gym and I had been standing second to you in this class for the last four years… and top in all the other classes… You think because I play rugby and work at a restaurant I’m a second grade piece shit with a life that is going nowhere…” I don’t know what to say. No-one has ever talked to me like this. “How many times have you read Romeo and Juliet?” Suddenly he seems collected and I feel overwhelmed and I’m not sure if I should answer him “How many?” He asks again through clenched teeth. “Once” I answer and he starts shaking his head. “Well I have ready it three times… Three… So in order for me to write this paper with you; you will have to read it again… twice… So that we are on the same page” he says and starts pushing pass me to leave. I feel the l
ife returning to me. “What… Why should read again… I know what the story is about it hasn’t changed in the last five hundred years… it sill about some stupid kids who thought they were…” I was still speaking when he stops and comes walking back to me. I stop my words as those blue eyes pierce through my body right to soul. “Just read again if you want to ace this paper… and when you’re done let me know so that we can start… I ain’t got all day to do this. I have a lot of stupid shit I got to do” He says his words dripping with sarcasm. “Enjoy the rest of your day… Ms. Spencer” He says and walks away from me and I feel light headed. I sit down at one of the tables in the empty lecture hall trying to figure out what the hell just happened. This was not what I had expected. No one has ever spoken to me like that. I feel my lips trembling and I’m not sure if I want to laugh or cry. I thought he was going to call me Ice Princess but he didn’t. I hear my phone go off. I look for it in bag and suddenly feel like I was being watched. I was alone in the lecture hall and a chill runs down my spine. I look around and feel cold and out of place. I take my phone and run up the stairs and can’t stumble fast enough out of the door. The halls were empty and I continue running out of the building. Once I get out side I take some breaths trying to calm my pounding heart. I look at my phone with shaking hands and feel stupid for feeling so afraid. My eyes shoot full of tears as the memories suddenly come back to me. I shake my head and close my eyes. I take a few deep breaths and check my phone again, my hands was still shaking.
Where you at? We at Julian’s waiting for you… I read the text from Nicole and feel my heart beat returning to normal. I sniff back the tears and start walking. As I come walking down the stairs and enter the parking lot I see him standing by his car. He was talking on his phone and then he notices me. I feel pathetic under his stare and try to avoid him. I see him looking at me and walks pass him quickly.
“Hey…” I say as I slide in next to Garett at Julian’s. I see Nicole looking at me worried. “Are you okay… Where were you I was worried” I hear her speaking and I can see the concern in her eyes. I smile and take a deep breath. “I had to talk with Professor Harker about our final assignment…” I say and decide to leave out the part of James King. “I take it didn’t go that well judging by the look on your face” Garett says as he flags down the waitress. She comes walking towards us and I roll my eyes and take a breath at Garett’s last statement. “You have no idea” I say mostly to myself. “What are you having?” He asks and I have really lost my appetite but I know I would need to get something or they will not leave me alone. “Just a small nachos and a juice please” I say and she smiles at me. Garett looks at me and smiles. “So you all know next week is the Rock festival and we have to attend” He says and I look at Nicole who is taking a sip of her ice tea. “And you miss Annabelle will be joining us” He says and stares at me. I look at him with a raised eye brow. “No way… You know I don’t party…” I say and want to continue but he interrupts me before I can say another word. “No… This ends now… Its our last fucking semester and you will at least attend one God damn party with us before we kiss this God forsaken place goodbye and that is the end of it… if you don’t I will never and I mean never speak to you again… You will be dead to me Annabelle Spencer… Dead!” he says the words to me and I feel completely blown away… What was it with everyone jumping down my throat today? I take a deep breath and shake myself back to reality… “Okay Okay for fucksake. I will go… But I will not be drinking those are my terms” I say and try to act hard and cool. “What fucking ever… As long as you’re getting out and put on something sexy…” He says and takes another nacho chip and puts in his mouth. “Hey you didn’t say anything about sexy” I say and Nicole starts laughing at the panic splashed all over my face. “Oh please… You don’t think you’re going out with us with your boring ass clothes… I got a reputation” I hear Garett say and Nicole starts laughing. “Hey…” I feel someone touching my shoulder and I look up with a face of confusion. It was Summer and she has a big smile on her face. I see Garett looking over at me frowning. “Hey…” I say back and see Nicole staring too as Summer looks at them. “Okay… Don’t forget about my party on Saturday night… starts at seven… Oh and you guys are welcome to come too… the more the merrier they say…” I smile at her trying to mask the fact that I kind of forget about her party and I had kind of forgotten to tell Nicole and Garett that we sort of made up at my grandmother’s funeral. “Sure… We will be there” I say and Garett’s mouth falls open in surprise. “Well okay… See you around then” Summer says and walks away with her friends. “Okay what the fuck was that?” I hear Nicole speak as the waitress puts the Nachos down in front of me. I see Garett looking at me waiting to answer her. “Okay… So we kind of made peace at my Grandma’s funeral… It was like super weird having her there and we share a lot of memories with my grandma… So I guess it was the right thing to do” I say and I see Garett lifting a brow at me in question. “So you forgot that the bitch made your life hell with what she did to you?” He asks and looks disgusted. I knew that this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation and I dread having the James conversation with them too. “Look I’m trying to be a better person… And I have missed her” I say and Garett looks appalled. “Why would you want to be a better person when you’re fucking amazing already” He says and I know he feels hurt. He has been ridiculed and an outcast for years because of his sexuality. He hated any form of bullying and in his eyes Summer was the cause of all my suffering all these years. I wasn’t sure if he was going to end our friendship over this. “Well… since I met you guys I have become amazing and I will always love you for that… So please just go with me on this… Summer is my family and I don’t want to live like this anymore… life is too short to bear a grudge forever…” I say and Nicole reaches over and takes my hand. “I’ll tolerate the bitch for you babe… But if she says anything out of line…I will cut her” I hear Nicole says and I laugh. I look over at Garett and he looks persistent in his anger. I make my puppy dog face at him and he rolls his eyes. “Okay Okay… For Grandma Alice only… I will tolerate her.” He says and I smile brightly. “Good cause you guys are going with me to her party on Saturday night” I say and start eating at my Nachos. “What no way… There is no way… All the stuck up Barbie’s and their fake ass Ken’s… Come on Belle” I hear Nicole say and I take a breath. “If you don’t go with me than I will not be going with you to the festival next weekend than” I say and I see Garett’s eyes widen. “No bitch you already agreed long before that bitch came around… Our plans are not a bargaining chip you should no better Belle” He says and I bite my lip. “Come on guys… If you don’t go I will have no-one to talk to but Ethan… And he is so weird lately.” I say and I’m practically begging them now. “We will think about it okay…” Garett says and motions between him and Nicole. And I smile at them. I think about James again and I wonder what he must be thinking of me right now.
Chapter Seven
I can feel his eyes burning in the back of my neck. I haven’t contacted him since I was still fighting with my mind on reading the damn book again. I really felt pissed off at the nerve of him. Professor Harker dismisses the class and I wait a few minutes taking my time in packing up my things in order to avoid him outside. I finally see him exiting the class and I take a breath. This was becoming such a heavy load to bear. I will have to make a decision before time runs out. I see Professor Harker glancing over at me and I smile at him. He was a close family friend who I really respected. I start walking out of the lecture hall and see James standing at the exit chatting to someone. I duck out of sight before he sees me and take a different exit out of the building; I really wasn’t ready to speak to him after our last encounter. I find myself walking to the library. I close my eyes as I walk up to clerk. I could not believe that I was even considering it. “Excuse me… Excuse me” I say and she looks up it was Mandy. “Hey Belle…What’s up how can I help you?” She asks with a big smile
and I wish I was as happy as she was about what I was about to do. “I need a book… Shakespeare… Romeo and Juliet” I say and she frowns at me. “Romeo and Juliet? I never figured you to be a Shakespeare fan” She says as she types in a few letters on her computer keyboard. “Believe me… I’m not but it’s for my final English assignment” I say and roll my eyes. She writes a few numbers down on a piece of paper and comes walking out from behind the counter. She nods at me to follow her and we start walking towards the towering shelves of books. I see her looking at the books and then she stops. “Right here you go… Shakespeare” She says and points to the row of books. My eyes scan the names and I see it. Romeo and Juliet. “Thank you…” I say and reach for the first one I can find. “Try this one instead…it’s much better. It has the original text as well as the modern, easier to understand version” She says and hands me another book. I take it from her and nod. “Well enjoy the read” She says and starts walking back to the counter. I look at the covers of the books and read the name out loud. Romeo and Juliet… Argh!
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