Young Annabelle (14 page)

Bitch, I walked out on my own,
no one could have stopped me.

I felt my face heat up. Her choice of words
to describe the situation she had created was irritating the shit
out of me.

I bent over and rested my elbows on my
thighs, closing my eyes.

“Just breathe,” I murmured quietly.

Check the other messages. Happy
messages!

I opened my eyes, sat back up, and checked
James’ message from midnight.

From: TIGER

Fireball, u awake?

That’s it?

It was still better than Mom’s message;
anything was better than her message, even three little words from
James.

What were you expecting from him? A speech
about how amazing kissing you was?

I grinned widely.

Honestly? Yeah!

I laughed at my realization.

Get over yourself,
I commanded myself as I checked
his second message from ten minutes ago.

From: TIGER

Yo, what you doing later?

What?
I reread the message.
Is he sort of asking me
out?

I texted him back:

Nothing

A few minutes passed and he still hadn’t
texted back. I was beginning to feel anxious.

Maybe he’s just not around his phone right
now?

Beep! Beep!

Yes!

From: TIGER

Really? How about right now?

From: Me

I’m chilling at the park near my house

Beep! Beep!

From: TIGER

Hang tight!

Hang tight?
Is he coming to me? How? He
doesn’t even know what park I’m in…

Honk! Honk!

I jumped off the bench, startled. My eyes
frantically scanned the area for the perpetrator. That’s when I
noticed a big, black SUV pull up to the curb in front of the park.
Excitement buzzed through me when I realized who it might be.

James?
I thought as I grabbed my backpack from
the bench.

I walked hesitantly towards the car, unsure
if it was actually him. The passenger window rolled down and I
could see a male sitting behind the wheel wearing a baseball shirt,
his eyes were covered with black Ray-Bans. He turned to the window
and smiled big; I wondered if it was for me. I briefly glanced
behind me; there was no one else here.

It’s for me!

“James?” I called.

Honk! Honk!

I smiled. It was definitely him. I approached
the passenger door and bent into the open window.

“Hey,” I said softly, resting my elbows on
the frame. The smile on his face evaporated and he looked away.

“Get in,” he ordered.

What’s his problem
now?

I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to spend
time with Douchebag James, I’d much rather Sweet James. I thought
about all the other things I could do besides being chauffeured
around by him. It was a short – empty – list. I shrugged off his
attitude, wiped the smile off my own face, and got in the car. As
soon as I’d shut the door, he turned the wheel and pressed the gas,
speeding away from the park.

I turned in my seat and stared at him.

“Is everything okay?” I asked quietly as I
put my seatbelt on.

We rode in silence for a few seconds, before
he answered curtly, “Yeah, there’s something wrong.”

Asshole!

Keeping my thoughts to myself, I decided to
continue speaking calmly with him. I was still riding too much of a
high from our passionate kissing last night, despite the huge fight
with my family this morning, to blow a fuse at his asshole-like
manners. But if it continued much longer, then things would return
to normal between us: Nice Annabelle would scram and Bitchy
Annabelle would be back with a vengeance. She was waiting patiently
in the corner of my brain; all he had to do was push me a little
further and I’d call her out.

“Okay, what is it?” I asked calmly.

He took his eyes off the road and looked at
me, shaking his head.

“Where’s my hello kiss?” he whined.

Jesus! He’s a little princess boy!

“Your hello kiss?” I repeated, a little
bewildered by his demanding behavior.

“From now on, whenever you see me, you give
me a kiss,” he ordered sternly, returning his eyes to the road.

I think I’ll do whatever the
fuck I want.

I didn’t say that either; I was still riding
that high and he’d earned extra points for looking cute in his
baseball uniform.

“And if I don’t?” I challenged.

He glanced at me for a second before swinging
the wheel around and pulling the car to the curb and slamming it
into park. He unlocked his seatbelt and turned to me.

“Why’d you pull over?” I asked, unable to
meet his gaze. Things had somehow just turned awkward.

He doesn’t say anything but continued to
stare at me, his mouth on the verge of pouting.

“You know, you’re lucky –” I began.

“I’m lucky –” he interrupted.

“Yeah, you’re lucky you look cute in your
baseball uniform or else I’d have served you something nice and
cold much earlier.” I crossed my arms across my chest as I
finished.

Did I just call him
cute?

I knew I was turning red.

I mustered up every ounce of courage I had
and looked at him. He was staring straight at the windshield, his
expression hidden behind his Ray-Bans. He slowly turned back to me,
his mouth forming a wide, shit-eating grin.

“So, you think I look good today,” James
began with a chuckle, “well maybe if you’re good I’ll wear my
uniform more.”

“Oh God,” I muttered under my breath, my eyes
finding the floor.

“Oh come on, don’t be shy now, not with what
we did last night.” He chuckled louder.

“Jesus, you really are full of yourself.”

“You’re damn right I am. I’m also considerate
too, don’t you forget that.”

I looked up at him, shaking my head in
astonishment. “How are you considerate?”

“Well, for one, I might consider wearing this
uniform more often.”

“How is that considerate?” He was really
starting to irritate me.

“Well, I have to do whatever I can to help
you fantasize about me when I’m not around,” he responded, as if
his answer was completely logical.

“You’re unbelievable.”

I reached down and grabbed my backpack off
the floor.

“What do you think you’re doing?” James
demanded, beginning to sound angry.

I reach for the door handle, but he
power-locked the doors from his side.

“Open the door,” I demanded quietly. I had no
energy left to fight; my family took it all this morning.

“No!”

“
Don’t yell at me! Open the door,
please
.”

“No.” He put the car in drive and sped away
from the curb.

“James, I don’t have the energy for this.
Please, just let me out,” I pleaded with him, dropping my backpack
back down to the floor.

“No,” he said again, continuing to stare
straight ahead. “Why don’t you have energy? We’ve only just started
arguing.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” I stared out the
window, trying to figure out where he was taking me.

“Try me?”

“It’s nothing,” I replied, “my family was
just giving me a hard time this morning.”

“That’s it? That’s why you’re in a shit
mood?” He shook his head in disbelief.

“No, that’s not just it,” I snapped.

“I’m just noticing things… It doesn’t take
much for you to get mad.”

“Well then how about this,” I began loudly,
leaning towards him. “I wake up to my mother shouting her demands,
then, when I refuse, my little sister and little brother join her
in tag-teaming me about how lame I am! Oh, then my dad joins in and
decides he needs to tell me I was the rude, inconsiderate one!”

I turned away, letting out a deep breath.

“Is that good enough for you?” I said to the
window.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, sweetly.

I felt the emotions I thought I’d left back
at the house begin to surface; my eyes felt prickly.

I shook my head, not wanting to go there,
blinking away the potential tears.

“Whatever, it’s no big deal,” I shrugged. “I
just want to forget about it.”

“I can help you forget, if you want…” James
said, staring straight ahead.

“Oh yeah?” I asked skeptically. “How are you
going to that?” I stared at his hands on the steering wheel.

“Just trust me.”

Trust him?

I stared out the window, watching everything
swish by as we drove to God knows where.

Warm skin caressed my neck as I lay on my
side. I felt a strange buzz slide along my body from head to toe as
his arms encircled my waist. He leaned into my neck even more,
pressing his lips beneath my ear. His tongue slipped out and licked
my skin as he continued to kiss, savoring every inch of that tender
spot. My eyelids closed as my head leaned back, embracing the
ecstasy of his touch, a touch that my body welcomed eagerly –
desperately.

My God!
A hum reverberated deep within me as I
felt an amazing sensation crawl over every inch of my skin. Some
parts more than others.

Jesus, what am I
doing?

His kisses were creating a trail from my ear
to the base of my neck. My eyes popped open and I tilted my head to
the side to allow him easier access around my neck. Heat steamed
between us as he shifted to allow me to move my arms around his
waist.

Trust him?

I grinned, remembering what he’d said back in
the car. If only I knew what he was thinking, would I have
willingly gone along with him?

I ignored the question. It didn’t matter
anymore, the decision was already made and my body, mind, and soul
were experiencing the highlights of that decision. I needed this,
the touch of someone who cared for me enough to want me to feel
like this. Lately, the world hadn’t been interested in what makes
me happy. Mom and Dad, Charles and Katherine were only interested
in their own happiness, despite how it made me feel.

I remembered walking out this morning,
finally having had enough of their selfishness, of their
willingness to do whatever they wanted when it came to their bright
ideas. It felt good – too good – to finally allow myself to embrace
what being selfish was all about. Here I was, lying on James’ bed,
in his room, all alone, while his parents were away with his
half-brother and half-sister.

When he’d pulled into the driveway of his
house and turned the car off, he’d informed me that his entire
family was out doing their version of summer fun. Meaning they
wouldn’t be back until nightfall.

Oh shit!
I’d worried at the thought of being alone
with James in his house. What were his expectations, did he want to
do more than kiss? And what were we exactly? I knew one thing: I
wasn’t going to act like some booty call for him.

You’re a virgin; you’re a long
way from a booty call!
I’d reminded myself and laughed. I convinced myself to go
in anyways and if I got to a point where I was uncomfortable, I’d
simply kick him in the balls and leave.

Done!

I laughed, remembering what I’d planned to do
to him in case he crossed any imaginary line. At the same time I
realized how close my knees actually were to his balls. Very
close.

“What’s so funny?” James murmured into my
skin, not bothering to stop his task of tasting my neck.

I tightened my arms around his waist, pulling
further into his hold.

“It’s nothing,” I muttered as I pulled myself
up to his neck and kissed along his jaw line.

He moaned softly as I rolled my tongue across
his skin, I could feel his body shiver in response.

“You like that?” I did my best to sound
seductive. I had no idea what I was doing or whether I was doing it
right, all I knew was my body approved whole-heartedly with these
things I was doing to him.

James leaned his head back and I moaned
disapprovingly at his lips leaving my skin. He pressed his body
into mine and I fell back on to the bed while he hovered above me.
I stared into his eyes as his hand trailed across my waist to my
arm, finally resting at my chin and tilting it back. He leaned in,
his beautiful green eyes never left mine as our lips touched. His
hand left my chin and rested alongside my bust, only an inch
separated him from exploring regions of my body no one had ever
experienced. Ever!

I began the feel the heat of my anxiety as
his hand itched to be closer to my boobs.

What the hell does he want to do with my
boobs? I touch them all the time; they just feel like squishy
balls…but not like water balls…more like jello balls.

I felt the weight of his body sink further
into my body; he began kissing open-mouthed, his tongue playing
with mine without worrying about whether it was invited to. My head
was pushed into his pillow – he was kissing me like a man who’d
just gotten out of jail and hadn’t seen a woman in years. He was
hungry for whatever I was willing to give him – hungrier, taking
whatever he set his sights on. His hand shifted to the left and, as
soon his fingers realized where they’d successfully land, began
massaging my jello ball. My eyelids fluttered at the first caress,
the first movement of his fingers as they kneaded into my breast.
Even through shirt and bra it felt amazing.

That familiar sensation from earlier
increased its buzz around the lower half of my body. As his hand
rapidly massaged my breast, I felt a strange heat ride along my
belly button, turning into a painful yet pleasurable feeling. I
moaned loudly against his devouring lips. James paused to stare
down at me, a wild look in his eyes. He breathed deeply, trying to
catch his breath. We’d been kissing for close to an hour. He sat
back on my hips and pulled his baseball uniform up over his head. I
caught the first glimpse of his ripped stomach and the sight of his
six-pack sent my body quivering.