Young Annabelle Series: Young Annabelle, the Truth About James, What My Heart Wants (54 page)

Or so I thought.

“Who does she think she is?” Donna’s screech echoed into the washroom before she barraged inside. Unfortunately the moment of clarity I desperately wanted was cut short as Donna and her hot girl crew came traipsing inside.

Loudly.

For some reason, maybe it was the topic they were “intellectually” discussing, I think it’s about me. I’ll be quiet as they continue to discuss ‘whoever’ it is that they’re discussing. Maybe I’ll find out some top secret stuff.

“I mean, come on!” Donna exclaimed again. “She thinks she can walk into school, dressed like one of us and get away with it.”

“Yeah!”

“She’s got another thing coming if she thinks she can copy our style!”

“We should totally have a word with her. Tell her she can’t just do that.”

“She wants to take one of your spots at the table.” Donna screeched. “We can’t let her do that.”

“No way!”

“We’ll crowd the table and push her off if she tries to sit with us and the guys again.”

“What was James thinking hooking up with her?”

“They’re probably on their way to getting back together now.” Latisha informed, nonchalantly. “They’ll become official in no time.”

“No way!” They all screeched, minus Donna and Latisha.

Way! Well…not really way, but still….almost!

“But Donna, what about you and James?”

There was no Donna and James, and there never will be.

Wait….what?

Why would I say that?

All of a sudden the sound of someone trying to catch their breaths over took the entire washroom. “She’s ruining my life.” Donna whimpered loudly.

“Don’t cry!”

“We’ll figure out something.”

“She won’t get away with it.”

Latisha snorted. “She already has. He’s crazy about her. He was practically eating her face in the hallway just now.”

Donna groaned loudly. “What kind of a friend are you? You’re so insensitive to my feelings!”

“I’m telling the truth, stop deluding yourself that it’s going to be something more. It’s not. You’ve been trying since summer to hook up with him. He’s not interested in you.” Latisha shrieked.

“Oh really,” Donna screeched. “Like you and Roy hooked up. Oh yeah, didn’t he blow you off for Dana?”

“They were broken up and we did hook up.” Latisha exclaimed. “I can’t believe you brought that up. You’re so insensitive!”

The door opened and their heels clacked loudly as they rushed out, taking their little fight with them. And it couldn’t have happened a second sooner because I was struggling not to laugh. I let out a few light chuckles, just in case they decided to come back inside. I also waited a few more minutes, just in case they were hanging outside the washroom. It would be a nightmare if I exited and they were there with their scowls and pointy fingers, thinking I was eavesdropping on their conversation.

Which I was…but that didn’t mean I wanted to get caught.

Now that the washroom was hot girl free, perhaps now I could have my moment of clarity. After ten, beautiful seconds of silence, my phone beeped. I checked the screen, expecting to see a text from James with another coded sentence about how things were different now. But it wasn’t from him. It was from Dean.

Dean?

I thought things between us were over for good?

Dean:
Having a good day?

Annabelle:
Sort of, why?

Dean:
Just wondering. So how’s life?

Annabelle:
Since yesterday, when I spoke to you last. It’s been tolerable.

Dean:
That’s good. I was wondering if you wanted to go for some frozen yogurt after school. Maybe chill a little?

Annabelle:
Sorry can’t.

Dean:
Why? I’m sorry for the way I acted before. It caught me off guard and I should have just talked with you alone. Can we try again? I promise to be good.

Annabelle:
I can’t. I don’t want to mix things up again. My heads all over the place.

Dean:
How is that possible, I just spoke to you yesterday? Don’t tell me you got back together with that asshole?

Annabelle:
I’m not back with anyone.

Dean:
He’s an asshole Anna. That guy thinks his shit doesn’t stink. What are you thinking!

Annabelle:
I’m not lying. Besides, weren’t you just on a date with Raina last night?

Dean:
So it’s going to be like that huh?

Annabelle:
Dean, I realize I hurt you and I’m sorry for that. But you know what, its better like this. We go to different schools, this would have been impossible. Enjoy your life.

Dean:
He doesn’t deserve you Anna.

I know…..but that doesn’t mean I don’t love him…still…..

Wait…what? Where the hell did that come from….WHY! I was killing myself with these thoughts!

I needed to find Jenna….

*~*~*

Swim practice usually ran for an hour, then the team would take another twenty minutes to shower and get changed. I wanted to text Jenna, but it was better to speak face to face. I’ve never seen her that way….it was not normal.

I waited outside our pool’s change room, eyeing the time on my phone. I didn’t want to go inside, because this needed to be done in private. Walking into a change room filled with angry/scorned girls was not something I wanted to do. I’d wait outside patiently.

“She’s not here.” A voice called out. I glanced up from the floor to an open change room door. Dana and Tina were coming through, eyeing me deathly.

“But Jenna said she was going to Swim practice earlier.” I told them as they came to a halt, exuding attitude right in front of me. Dana’s long hair was still wet and in a tight bun, but the tightness of it had nothing to do with the look of disdain on her face as she glared at me. Tina, another loyal to the core member of the Swim team also had her hair in a tight wet bun. She stood beside Dana, and her arms were crossed over her chest. Both girls were sporting the Royal Heights High track pants and jacket set. They wore the Swim team logo on their clothing with pride, like it stood for more than a high school sports team.

It was a brotherhood.

And judging….from my unfortunate scene in the cafeteria today, I wasn’t going to be invited back in. That’s if I was even a part of it to begin with.

“Yeah, well, she wasn’t feeling good so she decided to go home instead.” Tina informed, shaking her head. “You made her sad Annabelle, you broke her heart. How could you do that to your best friend? How could you do that to the team?”

But I’m not on the team!
I wanted to yell that out loud, but I didn’t. Not because I didn’t want to, but because Dana beat me to the punch with another accusation.

“How could you Annabelle?” Dana shook her head, looking at me like I was the most disgusting thing ever. “We’re supposed to stick together.”

I took a deep breath before answering. “Dana, he forced me to sit with him.” I pleaded, eyeing the both of them. Tina raised an eyebrow, it made me feel like she didn’t believe a word I’d just said.

Dana snorted, eyeing Tina, incredulous. “That’s bullshit. How can he force you to do anything, we’re at school, there are rules here.”

Excuse me?

Who was she and why did I have to prove anything to her. WE…weren’t best friends. We were barely friends and that was only because she hung out with Jenna so much.

I was beginning to hate the
Swim team members for life
thing. It was like, because I was friends with Jenna I had to follow the same rules as them.

“Excuse me? You want to know how, the same way Roy ‘dragged’ you outside yesterday during lunch for that special talk you guys had. And didn’t you guys get back together after it?” I put my hands to my waist, and became firm in my stance. It looked like it was going to be two on one…for now.

Let’s hope no more members of the Swim team come out, ready to fight for the ‘honor’ of one of their own again. I know how much they ‘love’ to do that.

Dana’s jaw dropped. “I’m smart enough to know when to put a stop to a situation that’s making me look like a fool.”

I snorted. I could totally take the two of them…I hoped. “You weren’t going anywhere, the entire Swim team had to talk you out of not going back to Roy all of last night and this morning too.”

Why was she looking at me like I was talking a bunch of crap? Jenna had just told me Dana was still grieving over her
oh so recent
break up with Roy.

Dana’s eyes practically popped out. She glanced at Tina like she couldn’t believe it. “That’s a lie, it wasn’t like that. I made up my mind as soon as I saw the video. Right Tina?”

Tina nodded. “That’s totally right. She got over that douche in a snap Annabelle. So you can stop trying to deflect the subject. You’re the one on trial here.”

I jerked my chin back. Who the hell did these girls think they were? They were not the judges of me! “Trial for what? I’m not a part of the Swim team. I’m not in the brotherhood!” I yelled at them.

The door to the change room opened, and out walked Latisha.

Dana sneered at the sight of her. “Not anymore at least, you can go join Latisha, I mean shouldn’t traitors stick together?”

“Let’s go.” Tina smirked, pulling Dana away before I could answer. I eyed the terrible duo as they speed walked down the hallway. How dare they.

“You see,” Latisha murmured, right beside me. I turned and faced her.

“What are you talking about?” I asked her, a bit bewildered that she was talking to me. These last few days have held more conversations between Latisha and I, then the last few years of high school. Heck, I think the last time I spoke to her before this week was in the eighth grade. Back then she had braces and wore huge glasses, and her blonde hair frizzed all the time, plus her face had been filled with acne. Then the summer before the ninth grade she left for the entire break, only to return for the first day of high school as a brand new person.

A ‘hot’ girl.

The braces were gone, her hair had some treatment thing in it that she paid a thousand dollars for at a salon, her acne was cleared and she got contacts.

She was not the same person internally either. Besides her looks changing, her personality also changed into more of a ‘hot girl’ persona a la valley girl-esque.

I however, stayed the same from the eighth grade to the beginning of ninth. My social standing stayed where it had always been, behind the shadow of Jenna and her friends on the Swim team.

“I’m talking about their true colors.” Latisha pointed at the back of the duo as they exited the hallway.

I leaned against a locker and sighed with my eyes closed. “I let them down, I guess.”

“Let who down?” Latisha exclaimed. “Anna, they’re so closed minded, it’s hilarious.”

“They think we betrayed them.” I kept my eyes closed. I didn’t want to open them. This whole day had been a nightmare…

“Hey – hey – look at me.” Latisha nudged my shoulder. “I’m not sorry for doing what I did.”

My eyes snapped open. “Really?”

“He was free Anna, they broke up. Dana doesn’t own him. And this isn’t the first time they’ve broken up. I have been respecting their relationship, but I’m sorry their break up a week ago was their third one since school started. She keeps breaking up with him for stupid reasons and everyone else is supposed to sit back and wait to see if she’s going to go back to him or move on. Nope, not anymore, last week I made a choice, and whether it was the right choice or the sanest, nothing was going to stop me.”

“From doing what?” I asked.

“From going after what my heart wants.” Latisha stated. “I’m crazy about him.”

“What about Dana?” I asked her. “The way you’re going about it has made her life a living hell.”

“All’s fair in love and war.” Latisha stated, smugly. “Roy’s single, I’m single and I’m going to give it everything I have. If I gave up and he goes back to her, she’s just going to yell and break up with him again. If he was my man, he’d know every day…how much I liked him. 

“You’d treat him like a King?” I asked.

She gave me a look. “Duh, he deserves love. Dana thinks she’s some kind of Queen Athlete in this school. God forbid any of us try and get with a guy she used to like.”

“This is so strange, us talking.” I said.

“Why?” Latisha asked, puzzled.

“Aren’t you close with Donna?” I asked.