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

by Sarah Tork

  “Yeah?” I looked away, embarrassed. “It’s not a big deal.”

  Instead of stopping in front of her, I turned and trekked up the stairs quickly, skipping steps.

  “Wait up hot legs!” Jenna laughed, catching up in no time.

  Damn she was fast!

  She linked her arm through mine and pulled me to a stop when we were inside the hallway.

  “Let me see!” She demanded, scanning my legs. “Love it!”

  “That’s great!” I told her, exasperated and slightly embarrassed by her little ogling display in front of everyone. “Can I go now?”

  “You may, but you have to tell me everything.” She ordered.

  “Tell you everything about what?” I asked. Our lockers were not close but we shared the same bathroom.

  “What happened with James? Did he text you?” Jenna asked.

  I looked away and answered. “Yeah.”

  “And?” Jenna pushed.

  “I think it’s over.” I murmured, looking at the ground.

  “That’s great!” She exclaimed.

  I snapped up. “What?”

  “He’s an asshole and he didn’t treat you right!” Jenna stated.

  Silence

  “Whatever, I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just go to class.” I told her.

  Jenna smiled, moving backwards towards her locker. “It’ll be okay, today is going to be a great day!”

  “Why?” I asked, eyeing her confusedly.

  “When that douche ex of yours see’s you and has his ‘oh shit’ moment, I want details girl!” Jenna laughed. She turned around and skipped away, leaving me stunned.

  She was taking our maybe breakup too happily. She should be sympathetic towards my feelings!

  But that’s Jenna for yah.

  With that, I shook my head and headed to my locker. I grabbed a few things, exchanging some notebooks and text books before hearing the first animal call.

  The Kings of the hallway had arrived. I checked the time on my cellphone, with ten minutes to spare, how punctual of them. I slammed my locker shut, took a deep breath and prepared my psyche for first contact with James since our disastrous text session last night. How would he treat me, would he even react?

  I didn’t know.

  I was still confused!

  Behind me the crowd of energetic students thickened, screaming and shouting as the threat of the first bell loomed over us. Finding courage, I snuck a peek down the hallway, finding the lively crew of pretty and athletic people huddled a row of lockers away from Mr. Doors’ classroom.

  That was good. I wouldn’t have to walk by them to get to class and I wouldn’t have an awkward eye contact moment with James with Donna hanging off his every word.

  I still had no idea what was going on with us. Were we over? Or was last night’s text fight a result of the heat of the moment?

  I was thinking we were over. He hadn’t texted me, apologizing for his disrespectful behavior. He was probably happy that he was free to flirt with Donna more openly without the worry of me finding out and giving him shit about it later.

  Great, just great.

  I made my way to class, zigzagging around students. Surprisingly when I made it to class, it wasn’t empty. There were only three seats left. One in the middle row next to the window, and two in the back also next to the window. Normally I would have gone for the two in the back and James would have taken the seat next to me. It would have been the only time during school where we could be together without the worry of being ‘caught’.

  But not today.

  Because that fool did me wrong!

  A small fire erupted surprisingly in the pit of my stomach, giving me courage, giving me power.

  I chose the middle row. James could sit by someone else today. He’d lost that privilege too!

  I sat with my back to the wall underneath the window, crossing my toned legs, showcasing them without worry to my entire classroom.

  I wasn’t embarrassed. I was proud of my legs, they looked good. And the added bonus, James would have to walk past me and I hoped he got a nice look at what he missed out on.

  He ain’t touching these babies anymore. And I’m not just talking about my legs. That’s right, I looked good in my simple black shirt too. It wasn’t as tight as pre-weightloss, but it still hung nicely on top of me, showcasing one of my amazing assets.

  I chuckled quietly to myself, shaking my head at the sudden burst of confidence.

  I didn’t know where all this courage came from. But I hoped it never went away, I was going to need it.

  A body passed through the doorway and my heart jumped, but quickly resumed back normally when I realized it was not James but a boy named Frank. I didn’t know him that well even though he’d been here since freshman year. My school was big, he probably didn’t know me that well either.

  The warning bell rang. There was still no sign of James, not that I was looking. I glanced at the doorway once more, this time James walked through the doorway, right as the final bell rang.

  He just made it!

  He scanned the room, his green eyes stopping on me, scowling. He shook his head and made his way to the back next to Frank. But his pissed off demeanor faltered when he glanced down at my legs for a second too long.

  That’s right! I turned facing Mr. Doors, tucking my legs underneath my desk, feeling satisfied that my job was done. My legs had done me proud, for once in my life.

  Success!

  Feel that James, it’s called regret! I smiled and opened my notebook beginning to take notes.

  *~*~*

  Jenna texted me at lunch, telling me she’d be late and for me to go ahead. I made it inside the cafeteria and the line was adding quickly. After waiting for a few minutes, it was my turn and I grabbed a salad and a bottle of water.

  I was still doing the diet. I liked the way my body was turning out and even if there wasn’t a man by my side to appreciate it, I was still going to do it for me.

  Ahhh life! I sighed to myself, sitting down at a table that sat three swim team members. I told them hi and dug into my salad. I didn’t stare at the doors, not wanting anything ruining my appetite, again.

  I was halfway through my salad when Jenna slammed down across from me.

  “Annabelle!” She screeched. My head snapped up, she never called me by my full name. Something was up.

  “What is it?” I asked her quickly.

  She took out her phone and dropped it on the table. “I can’t believe this!”

  She had the entire table’s attention now. She looked at them and shook her head, this was our business and they didn’t need to know.

  “Sorry guys, just kidding!” She laughed awkwardly. She waited a few minutes, letting things go back to normal before whispering back to me.

  “Do you know where he was last night?” Jenna whispered.

  I shook my head.

  “He texted you around ten right?” She continued.

  “Yes.” I answered timidly.

  Jenna gasped, turning her head, visibly shaking. “That asshole!”

  “What?” I asked, confused.

  “Anna, he was at the movies with his friends.”

  I blinked at her, not answering.

  Jenna exhaled a long rough breath. “And Donna and her hot girl crew were there too. She was sitting beside him! Latisha put pictures up again on her Facebook.”

  My entire body went numb.

  But that was before we got into a fight!

  “You guys were still together!” Jenna scowled. “Then after he decides he wants some action from you too!”

  “Can I see the picture?” I asked her quietly, shaking inside.

  Jenna tapped her phone and opened her Facebook app. She tapped a few times and slid her phone over to me. She was on Latisha’s Facebook page and on her timeline were five pictures of their group at the movies last night. One picture stood out and that was James and Donna sitting next to one another at the end of
the row. Donna’s head was resting on James’s shoulder.

  They were both smiling.

  I slid the phone back to her. I also slid my half eaten salad to the side. I wasn’t hungry anymore.

  I thought going to the movies was our thing.

  Okay he went out with his friends, I got that. You go out with your boys and that’s fine. But why’d he have to sit next to Donna when we were still technically together?

  Breathing hard, my lips rippled. Using every ounce of strength I had, I contained it. My eyes started to water at the edges, I quickly wiped them away.

  “Please don’t cry.” Jenna pleaded quietly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you about it or shown you the picture, especially here. I’m an idiot.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “You did the right thing. I needed to know this.”

  “I’m sorry.” Jenna whispered again.

  Exhaling another long rough breath, I glanced up and stared at her. “Is he here? Don’t be obvious.”

  Jenna nodded and subtly looked past my shoulder. “Yeah he’s here, they’re all here. All of them.”

  “How does he look?” I asked.

  “He looks fine.” Jenna described.

  “Who’s sitting next to him?”

  Jenna didn’t answer and I knew instantly who it was.

  “He’s sitting next to Donna, isn’t he?” I told her.

  “Yeah, that slutty slut has her claws out, grabbing his shoulders, laughing into his ear like he’s so funny!” Jenna fumed. “He’s a joke.”

  Okay, that was about as much as I could take. I got up, grabbing my left over lunch and threw it in the trash can a few meters away. I walked back to the table and grabbed my bag, hoisting it on to my shoulders. “I need to get out of here.”

  “I’m coming with you.” Jenna started to get up, but I held my hand out, stopping her.

  “I think I just need a moment to myself. I know I’ve had a lot of them.” I told her.

  “But what if he ambushes you again out there? It wouldn’t be the first time.” Jenna said, worriedly.

  “Then I’ll talk to him, but it won’t go farther than that, this time he’s gone too far. He broke his promise.” I told her, struggling to keep it together. She nodded and I walked out the cafeteria without another glance at the room, staring at the ground.

  Where did the confidence and courage go?

  It had quickly crumbled and vanished at the news of James’s betrayal. There was only so much I could take. I was human, I had feelings and right now I was on the verge of a very public meltdown. And there was only one place I trusted myself to be in and that was in the safety of my favorite stall in the washroom beside my locker. No one would bother me there and James couldn’t ambush me in there.

  Halfway down the hallway towards the bathroom, my phone beeped.

  I stopped in my tracks and pulled it out of my bags pocket.

  Jenna sent me a text.

  Jenna: Warning, boy wonder has left the building, very fast and with a mission! Take cover!

  What? James had left the cafeteria after me?

  Why?

  “Fireball?” A hushed voice called from behind me. My entire body froze for a second as his voice trailed along every nerve ending in my body. I slowly turned and faced him. He stood a few feet away and was wearing his signature backwards Baseball cap, a black Miami Marlins one again. He walked up to me, stopping a few inches away, his gorgeous face looking annoyed.

  Don’t tell me that’s because of me? Because if it was, I was going lose it!

  He’s the one who broke his promise!

  “What do you want?” I asked stoically.

  He grabbed my arm. “Let’s go to my car.”

  Without hearing what I had to say about that, he pulled me forward. I yanked my arm back, barely getting it out of his grasp, but because it surprised him, I got it out. “No!”

  His jaw clenched. “You really want to do this in the hallway?”

  “I don’t want to do anything with you!” I spat at him.

  He narrowed his eyes at me. “What’s your problem?”

  “You’re my problem. You’re a liar!” I pointed to him.

  His eyes widened. “How did I lie?”

  “Where were you last night, before you texted me?” I snipped.

  “I was out with my friends.” He answered, scowling.

  “You went to the movies!” I hissed.

  “So you’re spying on me now?” James sneered.

  “You said going to the movies was our thing!” I whimpered.

  “I went out with my friends. They wanted to go to the movies last night, what was I supposed to say, no?”

  “Just your friends! What about Donna and her friends, and the fact that you were sitting next to her, with her head on your shoulder.” I told him.

  “It wasn’t a big deal.” He said, clearly exasperated.

  My lips rippled. “It is a big deal.”

  “Why do you have to be like this?” James scowled, looking away.

  “Why am I like this?” My eyes snapped wide open. “Why are you like this? I thought you were my boyfriend!”

  James didn’t say anything.

  “You were weren’t you?” I asked him, feeling wetness around my eyes. “What kind of a boyfriend goes to the movies with another girl and her head is on his shoulders. You didn’t even tell me about it, and then you text me after to come out like a cheap piece of ass!”

  “Stop it.” He whispered, looking sad. “Stop being like this. You know nothing happened between Donna and me last night, nothing. She put her head on my shoulder for a second, that’s it.”

  “I don’t believe you.” I said to him, a tear escaping down my face. I wiped it away. “I’m tired of the way you treat me.”

  James’s jaw dropped a little, his eyes widened as if I’d just falsely accused him of a crime. “What are you talking about?”

  “You heard me.” I sniffed.

  He groaned through his teeth. “That’s crazy.”

  “I’m crazy then.” I told him as another tear fell. “Why are we even talking about this, aren’t we over anyways?”

  “Over?” He cringed, acting confused.

  “Yeah, last night, you said ‘forget this’, don’t you remember.” I reminded him.

  “So, that was in the heat of the moment, it didn’t mean anything.” He stated.

  “Well it meant something to me.” I gulped.

  “What?” He cringed.

  “We’re finished.” I told him.

  “You don’t know what you’re saying, come on.” He leaned in trying to grab my arm again, but I yanked it back again.

  “No, I’m going nowhere with you.” I snapped.

  “You’re really losing it.” He snapped back. “What the hell do you want from me?”

  “I want nothing from you.” I snapped.

  Before he could answer back, a voice called out.

  “James?”

  Our heads turned simultaneously, finding Donna across the hallway, walking towards us, looking at me strangely.

  “What are you doing out here, come back inside.” Donna said, coming to a stop in front of us. She looked at me curiously, raising an eyebrow. “Hello, Annabelle.”

  “Hello Donna.” I told her back, matching her tone.

  She gave me a small smile, like she knew something and looked back at James fluttering her eye lids. “Are you done here James?”

  James looked at me narrowing his eyes. He shook his head subtly and glanced back at Donna. “Yeah I’m done here.”

  “Cool.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him, eyeing me one last time. “Later Annabelle.”

  As she turned, James eyed me once more, piercing me with a scowl. I shrugged at him and quickly turned around, heading towards the washroom. I entered the quiet empty washroom, breathing another sigh of relief. I locked myself in my stall at the end, slid down against the back wall, and let out a strangled cry, gasping to breathe fro
m the intensity of it.

  This was the worst day of my life!

  My phone beeped, startling me. Gasping for air again, I pulled it out of my bag’s pocket. James sent me a text.

  Tiger: You’re the one who ruined this.

  I texted him back.

  Annabelle: You don’t feel the same as I feel for you.

  Tiger: What!

  Annabelle: It’s true, you keep hiding things from me.

  Tiger: That’s because they have nothing to do with you.

  Annabelle: Well then it’s a good thing then that we’re over.

  Tiger: You’ve got problems Fireball, you need to get them fixed.

  Annabelle: You’re right, I do have a problem, but not anymore, I’ve fixed it.

  Tiger: Oh yeah

  Annabelle: Yeah, asshole!

  Tiger: Where did you go, we need to talk!

  Annabelle: Nope, no more talking, never ever!

  Tiger: You think there are no other ladies that don’t want this? There’s a line baby, you should be happy that I was with you!

  My eyes widened, shocked.

  Annabelle: I should be happy? Happy for what, being your side piece? Screw you!

  Tiger: I wish! Anytime, preferably right now! Where are you? We need to talk, let’s go to my car.

  Annabelle: No! Leave me alone.

  Tiger: Oh really, this is your last chance

  Annabelle: No thank you! Go have fun with Donna, go be with her.

  Tiger: Maybe I will. She’ll actually treat me better!

  Annabelle: Good!

  Tiger: Good. So that’s it huh.

  Annabelle: Yep, over and done with, Have a nice life!

  He didn’t text back. I tucked my phone back into my bag’s pocket. I tore two toilet paper squares and wiped my face with them. I got out of the stall and washed my face. My phone beeped again. I checked the screen and sighed in relief, it was Jenna this time.