After Beth stormed out of Annabell's apartment, Jamie walked in. At the time, Annabell failed to know who he was, but after about five seconds, she remembered. It was a revolutionary moment. She felt a huge rush of joy that she hadn't felt in years. Jamie was her stepbrother. She hadn't seen him since she was a little girl. They parted ways as children. Annabell stayed in England, and Jamie went with his father to America after their parents got divorced for the second time. It was hard hearing their parents fight all the time, so they would sleep outside under the fort of blankets they built every night with sweet, sweet Cornjulio.
"Hey, Anna. I heard you were in the states and when I found out you were living in the same apartment as me, I had to come and see you."
Annabell ran up to Jamie and gave him a big hug. One of the biggest he's ever received. Annabell needed this. She was lonely in this apartment and didn't know anyone.
"You've changed so much, Jamie. Is Cornjulio still kickin'?"
Jamie chuckled only a little. "You know it."
"Let's move in together!" Annabell said very quickly, avoiding eye contact with Jamie
Jamie had nearly forgotten how Annabell was. She was the girl who got what she wanted. He loved her, but in a way, he was like a jealous best friend. Annabell always got to use the pogo stick, she took ownership of the remote, she got to pick the colors of the blankets they used to build the forts. She was the kid who dropped her ice cream on purpose just to get a new flavor.
"You know, I'll think about it, Anna."
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Jamie quickly left the apartment feeling absolutely distraught about what he had just done.
Again, Annabell stared out an open door, but 30 seconds later Jamie returned to shut the door after himself.
ReplyDelete"Sorry," he mumbled.
Alone again. Behind a closed door.
What an odd day. A gun and a long lost step-brother.
Why does everything always come back to England. I need some air.
...
“I’m glad a lack of water doesn’t stop the drinks from coming!” She said through her giggles as if it was the funniest thing she’d ever said. The alcohol was working well to distract her from her father, from her mother, from Lucas.
The man next to her stared with a smile on his face.
"I hope you don't mind my saying, but your eyes are beautiful,” he said.
Despite the alcohol's strengthening whirr, her mind grounded itself a bit. She shot him her glare, one that normally convinced people to leave her alone, gulped down the rest of her martini, and threw down a 20 on the bar counter. This time her stride wasn’t so swift as she headed for the door. Last time someone said that to her, it was Lucas.
“Leave me alone!” She opened her mouth to repeat herself but instead a ball of throw up came out. The man caught her just before stumbling into her own vomit.
“We need to take you home. Where do you live? or would you prefer me to call someone to pick you up?”
Annabell just stared at him. Another one was coming.
“Ok, then. We’ll just sit here awhile,” he said while leading her to the nearby concrete steps.
They sat there in silence except for the occasional vomit session and the scarce passerbyer.
Tears started running down her face.
I’m a mess. Lucas can’t continue to control my life anymore. I’m in America now. I’m away...Why did mother have to die? Why? Why did father have to become such a jerk after mothers death? Why? Why did Lucas have to rape me? Why?
As she raised her head, a wave if comfort fell over her if she looked up from her vomit covered self.
“Jamie! Jamie!” Annabell yelled.
Jamie looked away from the woman to his side.
He hesitated, noticing her vomit. “Anna!...you ok?”
“Don’t be daft, Jamie! I’m just a little tipsy. Come on, take me home instead of that girl.”
He just stared at her. First, with a blood red face from embarrassment and then anger hit his face.
Suddenly, he turned to the girl next to him. “Sasha, this is my step-sister Annabell who just moved to America. Annabell is an expert at ruining my fun, so I’m so sorry to say this but I am going to have to bail on you tonight. I promise you, I’ll make it up to you.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and stared into her eyes for a long second.
“I’m not that bad, Jamie!” She said smiling at him, oblivious to his frustration.
“Let’s get you home before you hurt yourself.”
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ReplyDeleteWren caught himself staring too long at the girl’s mismatched eyes, as she looked at him angrily. He needed to fill the silence, “You uh, you have beautiful eyes”. “Don’t you be… lookin’ at me” The woman slurred her peeved british speech in his direction, tumbling off the bar stool as she pointed at him accusingly. “Shit” Wren said, diving off his stool, struggling to catch her as she fell in a not so gracefully while beginning to barf. “Alright” He said, using his arm to prop her up, “Let’s get you home. Is there someone I can call maybe?” She glared at him briefly before bending over once more to vomit on his shoes. The girl fell clumsily onto a set of grubby concrete steps, "And, we’re sitting.” “I guess this is what I'm doing today then” Wren thought to himself while holding back the girl’s hair, as she softly dry heaved. "L-look" she said pointing to two people walking down the sidewalk in the distance, turning her head to Wren she pressed her finger to her lips, "shhhhhh” she said, spitting lightly on him with each elongation of her shush. “Jaiiimmmeeeee” she moaned as the couple came nearer. The man seemed upset, stopping in his tracks to remove the girl from the steps, whispering "Amelia, what the hell?". Wren looked up at the women watching the rescue operation. "Sasha?", Sasha looked at him and pointed to the man peeling the girl of the steps. "Is this the guy?" Wren asked slowly, as Sasha nodded. Wren sighed and pulled back his arm, smashing his fist into the shocked face of the man.
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