Ch1
Annie picked up a pile of sweaters and dropped them into a cardboard box sitting next to her bed. She looked around her room and sighed. Three moves in three years. After 15 years of stability and normalcy her life felt completely out of control. She looked at her calendar and realized that school started in less than in week like it did every year but this year was so different. She turned to her desk at took out one of the drawers and placed it on her bed. Looking at the mess on notepads, pens, glue sticks and other junk she wondered if she should sort it. With that thought she picked up the drawer and dumped it into another box. Stuck to the bottom of the drawer was a family picture. She gingerly picked the photo up and stared at the image of her perfect family that no longer existed. Her dad had left months ago and hasn't called her yet. Staring at the photo with four smiling faces she couldn't help but wonder if the move to Beverly Hills was ultimately responsible for the destruction of her family. She hated thinking that way because it always came back to if she hadn't killed Joe Herman, things would be better for everyone. She chucked the photo into the box and sealed it up with the tape roll sitting beside the box. She wished she could seal up her memories in the same way.
"Annie" Her mother called out, "I need help now please". Annie scowled. She didn't want to be this person but she couldn't stand her mother anymore. "Be down in 5 minutes, I am almost done", she yelled back. She grabbed the sealed box and headed for her door. She walked down to the bottom of the stairs and set the box down next to the others and headed into the kitchen. Her and her mother had been closer but since her Debbie started dating she felt alienated from her and resented her for moving on so quickly. "I am here to help" she said. Debbie emerged from the counter with four soup cans and asked "Are you done with your room yet?" "Almost" Annie replied. "I need you to finish it and pack up Dixons' stuff before you go to sleep tonight the moving van will be here around 8 am tomorrow." "It will be done" Annie teased. Debbie looked at her daughter and coldly asked "did you leave out your court clothes?" "Yes" Annie responded. "What are you wearing? Annie felt a surge of anger; her mother was driving her crazy lately. "My black suit and a blue blouse" Annie answered without any hint emotion.
"Wear pink Annie, pink means sweetness and innocence" Debbie lectured. "Oh and wear something short and tight, we drew a male judge". A voice called out from the pantry. "Grandma I don't think wearing a mini shirt and thigh highs is going to get me out of this". Tabitha smiled and said "couldn't hurt dear, I remember back in 79 when I caught skinny dipping... "Tabitha" Debbie cautioned. She hated Annie to hear her grandmothers' stories. As much as Debbie knew her daughter was far from the innocent fifteen year old that moved to California a couple years ago, she still wanted to shield her from some things. "Loosen up dear" Tabitha shot back. "The living and dining rooms are packed and your bedroom Debbie is empty as well. Debbie shuttered, that statement could mean many things coming from Tabitha. "Have you heard from Dixon yet Debbie?" Tabitha asked. Annie began walking out of the room, she knew where this was going and just didn't want to be involved.
Annie entered her room again and instantly felt relieved. It was safe, she looked around at her half packed room and her mind started to drift, and then she remembered she felt herself in her car slamming into Joe. She hated how even when she stopped thinking about it for a minute the memory seeps into her conscience anyways. Her mind wouldn't give her a minute's peace. Then she started to feel guilty about not wanting to feel bad. Annie grabbed the black marker sitting on her nightstand and labelled a box intimates and then dumped her bra drawer into it. She grabbed her underwear drawer and dumped that into the box too. She laughed out loud; she couldn't believe that moving day and her big court day where on the same day. She looked at her clock and it turned 11:08. She thought to herself, I should really get some sleep. She grabbed that box and headed down the stairs, as she entered the kitchen again Debbie and Tabitha went silent. That happened a lot lately.