Winter Freeze
Chapter 1
Would it be weird to know that Owen was only keeping time now by the amount of time it had been since, well, his first time? 'cause he was. To himself at least. It had been three days ago. And now, the Friday before school let out for Thanksgiving break, Owen couldn't help himself from reflecting over what that would mean.
Of course Mallory would be having surgery and his father was coming in. Not to mention it being a holiday, he'd have to see other members of his family. Still, Owen was most excited and nervous about what he and Annabel would be doing when they got a chance to be alone. Or even when they weren't alone. Just together was good enough for him
"-into black metal recently, but only-"
"Hold on." Owen pulled his cell out of his pocket, making Clarissa frown. "Sorry. I've been waiting for this text. It's my dad."
"Is something going on?"
Shaking his head as he read the message, Owen said, "He's coming in Sunday night. He sent me his flight time."
"Oh."
"Yeah." He smiled though when he looked back up at her. "Sorry. I don't normally interrupt people when they're talking."
"That's okay."
"Bella doesn't mind it much when I do, but I hate it when she does it to me."
The two teens both had nothing to do in their current class and both had managed to be sent down to the library. Needless to say, Ms. Martian stared hard at Owen when he asked to go to the library, but she consented, considering he wasn't much of a disruption. Not much of a bookworm though. Not even that intelligent…
"Mmmm." Clarissa looked down at the history book in front of her, sighing.
It had become clear to Owen since Annabel's mention of it that Clarissa did seem to have a crush on him. Whenever he brought up Annabel, she suddenly seemed disinterested. At first, Owen didn't notice this. And even when he eventually did, he just put it off as some kind of girl jealousy thing. The thought that another girl besides Annabel actually liked him was just…wow. And maybe he fed off it somewhat. Just a little. It wasn't his fault though. It was exhilarating. Like playing with fire.
Not to mention, Clarissa wasn't bad looking. She wasn't as hot as Annabel, if he was going to be objective, but she was pretty cute. She wasn't nearly as thin as his girlfriend, but he'd never been into really skinny girls before Annabel. That was probably more due to the fact he knew he could never get one. Until he did. And he was happy with her. Really. He was. Forever.
…But Clarissa was nice too. And though Owen couldn't imagine living without Annabel anymore, he sort of liked Clarissa too. It bothered him at times, but he knew that Annabel had liked Kyle. And James. That's why he wouldn't let her be friends with them. Because Annabel had an issue with temptation. Owen didn't. He could fight it off like nobody's business. And he was always honest. At the first literal thought of conceding to the desire, he'd mention it to Annabel and squelch it. Not that he desired Clarissa or anything…
"So anyways, uh, what were you talking about?" Owen slipped his phone back into his pocket, staring at her openly again.
"I don't really remember," she said, giggling slightly. Owen smiled at that before glancing down at the notes in front of him for his next test. "So anyways, what are you doing for break?"
"Uh, just be around Annabel, I guess. I mean, I already told you my dad's coming down to see my sister. She's got surgery again."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"No, really, it's fine." He shrugged slightly. "And Annabel has her radio shows, so I have to help her with those-"
"Ugh. If I were you, I wouldn't even mention that you have anything to do with those."
He just stared at her. "What do you mean?"
"I just…I've tried to listen to her show. You know, since me and you are friends and everything, but her music choices are just-"
"I know," Owen sighed. "She doesn't think like we do."
"No," Clarissa said, shaking her head. "She doesn't."
"About music I mean," the boy quickly covered. "Me and her get along on so much else."
"Of course."
"She just doesn't understand my tastes sometimes."
"She's not enlightened."
Shaking his head, Owen said, "Not everyone can be."
"Could you have been later?"
Annabel made a face at Owen as she took her place on the wall next to him. "I had to use the bathroom, thank you."
"Why can't you say you had to pee like normal people?" He smiled at her. "Unless you had to-"
"Owen." That got him a playful shove before Annabel moved to set her backpack on the ground. "Chill."
He just smiled as she handed him her bag of chips. "I tried to text you last period."
"I was taking a test."
"Oh." Scooting closer, he asked, "So what do you wanna do this weekend?"
"Your dad's coming in, right?"
"Yeah, but that's Sunday night. We've got all of Friday and Saturday to worry about."
"What do you wanna do?"
"Go out to eat at some point obviously."
"Obviously."
"Listen to music."
"Mmmhmm."
"And-"
"Ow!" Annabel shied away from him as he tried to wrap his arm around her.
"What?" he asked with a frown.
"You just touched my hip."
"And?"
She took a deep breath before looking up at him. "You kind of…bruised my hips."
"What? From that?"
"No," she said with an eye roll. "When we were…on Tuesday, you, like, gripped them or something too hard."
"When?"
"Owen-"
"I bruised you?"
"Yeah," she said, nodding.
"No way."
"Look." Annabel shifted away from him some before setting her sandwich in her lap and pulling up her shirt very slightly. Intermingled with her pale flesh were two very obvious purple bruises.
"I didn't know." He frowned. "Why didn't you say something?"
"I was a little more concerned with other things at the time, Owen."
"I didn't think…I'm so sorry." He ducked down some, not able look at her now. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I know. It's fine."
Clinching his fists, he stared down at his hands for a moment. Slowly, he relaxed them before glancing back down at her. "Is that why we…haven't again?"
She frowned at him. "It's been, like, three days. Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"You're already like…horny again?" She whispered that word, horny, as if it was dirty within itself.
"Not right now, but yeah, I've gotten…horny since then."
"Really?"
"I've been, you know, holding off on, uh, you know."
"What?"
"Like…jerking off or whatever."
"Oh." She was blushing then and couldn't look at him. "Why?"
"So it'll be better. So I'll be better. You know, when we do that again or whatever."
"Why do you think…not doing that would help anything?"
"I dunno."
"If anything, it would hurt what we do. Right?" She looked at him now, her cheeks still rosy. "I mean, if you're, like, withholding or whatever, you'd…blow at your first chance. So wouldn't it be better to do it a lot so you're not so desperate?"
Owen just stared at her for a moment before glancing back out at the lunch tables before them. This had gone somewhere he definitely did not plan for it to. Clearing his throat, he shifted on the wall before pulling his Ipod out.
"So anyways."
Looking back down at her lap, Annabel said, "Maybe we can go see that movie now? Tonight?"
"That'd be cool," he told her, staring intently at his music player now. "I, uh, hung out with Clarissa today."
"Oh really?"
"Mmmhmm."
"Owen-"
"Who am I with, Annabel? You."
"And I'm telling you-"
"Your argument is invalid."
"On what grounds?"
"On the grounds that I don't care what you have to say on the subject."
"You're such an idiot sometimes."
They both sat there silently for awhile, Annabel randomly giving him the food she didn't want. She was always worried about him not eating lunch, but to him, she hardly even ate hers anymore in her attempt to feed him. Still, he was hungry and accepted what she gave him.
"Let me walk you to class," Owen said awkwardly when the bell rang.
"Really, Bear, it's not-"
"I want to." He threw away her trash before rushing back to her. They'd have to hurry if he was going to make it to class on time. "Come on."
She let him sling his arm around her shoulders as they headed back into one of the buildings. "What brought this about?"
"I just like walking you to class," he told her simply as she pulled one earphone out, putting it in her own. "'cause I love-"
"What is that?" She dropped the head phone, the dangling one almost pulling the other out of his own ear. Owen briefly let her go so he could remedy this by putting them both in his own ears again.
"Music."
"That is not music," she said with a face.
"Annabel-"
"I mean, God, they're literally screaming."'
"It's just metal."
"I don't care. I don't like it."
"You didn't give it a chance. You never give things a chance."
"What other things?"
"Well, music is what I meant."
"How can you hear me anyways? Huh? With that in your ear?"
"Same way as always, Bell."
"I would rather you not listen to music when we're talking."
"We've talked about this before. I don't care."
"Owen-"
"I walked you to class so we could be together. Not argue."
"You're going to be late anyways," she told him then, slipping out from under his arm. "Maybe you should just head to-"
"I'm walking you, Annabel. That's what we planned and what we're doing."
"It's like, right down this hall. What difference does it make?"
"It doesn't. I just wanted to do it."
The rest of the short walk took place in silence, Owen tuning back into his music and Annabel just ignoring him. Even when she got to her classroom she said nothing to him. Just headed in there like it was nothing. Honestly. It goes without saying that he was a little ticked when he got to his own class. He made it just before the bell though, so he didn't have to worry about a tardy.
All through class, he kept waiting for Annabel to text him and say sorry for being so mean to him, but she didn't. He thought about texting her, requesting one, but knew that wouldn't go over well either. Still, he didn't like how Annabel thought that she could just tell him what he could do and couldn't do. He liked hanging out with Clarissa. He liked listening to music while talking to her. She wasn't going to stop him.
"This stuff smells kind of funky."
Annabel rolled her eyes at Owen as he sniffed her different lotion containers. "Come sit over here with me and stop being weird."
He kept looking at the stuff on top of her dresser as he closed the cap on the lotion. "Here's my goggles."
"Yeah."
"You should wear them sometime."
"Where would I wear them to?"
"I dunno." He thought for a moment. "The movie tonight."
"No, Owen."
"How come?"
"People from school might see me."
"And?"
"Bear-"
"I think it'd be cool," he told her. "You know, to wear goggles."
"Then you wear them, stupid."
"Why do you constantly call me names?" Owen grumbled as her bedroom door opened.
"Annabel," her father said, frowning at Owen before looking at her daughter. "We're leaving to pick up your sister from the airport."
"I'll stay, Dad. Owen and I are going to a movie in half an hour." She looked up from her laptop and smiled at him. "We'll make it to dinner tonight though. Whitney said it'll be ready by eight. We'll be there."
"You had better be. Does she know that Owen will be joining us?"
"She does," Annabel told him before going back to her laptop. "She said it was fine. She's just making stew anyways."
Andrew looked again at Owen before leaving the room, making sure to leave the door open. The teen boy just went back to looking at things, more to pass the time than anything else. It wasn't until they both heard her parents leave the house that he went to get into bed with her.
"This is more like it," Owen mumbled as he wrapped an arm around her middle before settling out on the bed. Annabel just sat there, still staring at her computer. "What if we just skip the movie?"
"No," she told him, still typing up her English paper. "I want to see it."
"But Annabel-"
"You're going to sit through the movie with me, buy me popcorn, a soda, Sno-Caps, and hold my hand while we watch it."
"But I don't like Sno-Caps," he whined.
"They're not for you, dinky."
"I don't like when you call me dinky. You know that."
"But I do. And remember, you didn't like Snoogie at first either."
"I'm not totally enthralled with it now."
"Mmmm."
Owen waited for a moment before saying, "My kiss?"
"What?"
"Enthralled. That's a big word. I want my kiss."
"It is not a big word."
"It's a complex word."
"Hardly."
"I want my kiss."
"Fine," she groaned, moving to press her lips against his. It was very brief though as it was then that there was a knock at her open bedroom door. Blushing deeply, Annabel turned to find her sister standing there, frowning.
"Hi, Whitney," Owen greeted as he moved away from his girlfriend slightly.
Nodding at him, she said, "Annabel, can I see you for a moment?"
"I thought that you went with Mom and Dad?"
"Well, I didn't." She nodded towards the hall. "Come here. Now."
Groaning, Annabel got up, leaving Owen behind. He was fine with this though, instead focusing his attention on Annabel's laptop. He quickly got on the internet, the idea of reading her paper boring him before he even did it.
"What are you doing?"
He hardly looked up as Annabel slipped back into bed with him. "You know that band I like?"
"No."
"They'll be in Tyler next week and I was thinking-"
"No."
"-that I would go with Rolly and you."
"No."
"Okay," he said slowly. "Can I still go?"
"I'm not your mother. I don't care."
"…Clarissa likes this band too."
"Oh?"
"Yeah."
"So?"
"Well, if you don't wanna go-"
"No."
"Annabel-"
"Fine, Owen. While you're at the concert though, I just might go hangout with James and Kyle."
"Okay, number one, vengefulness is a very unattractive quality. Also, you couldn't get James and Kyle to hangout with you if you tried."
He got hit in the chest for that.
"You jerk."
"No hitting."
"You know what? You can't go." Annabel crossed her arms. "With or without Clarissa."
"What? You think that you can control me?"
"I know I can."
"Oh, whatever."
"You take Clarissa out on a date-"
"It won't be a date."
"-and I'll breakup with you."
"Oh, Annabel."
"I will." She shifted away from him, out of the bed now. "Taking another girl out on a date means you're cheating. That means you lose me."
"You went out with James and Kyle."
"As friends."
"Ha. Whatever."
"Fine, Owen. Breakup with me. I dare you." She stared into his eyes for a long moment before going over to her closet and pulling out a jacket. "Come on then. We don't want to be late for the movie."
"Annabel-"
"Unless you're about to tell me you're calling my bluff, shut up. Now come on."
She headed out of the room, not even waiting for him. That might have been what pissed Owen off the most. That after acting the way she had over nothing, she thought that she could just walk away. From him of all people. Like she could just talk about breaking up as if it were nothing and then just walk off. The conversation was enough to tick him off, but add that into the mix and it was near impossible for him to not get upset with her.
"Don't just fucking walk away from me, Annabel." He rushed up to follow her, not even logging off her laptop first. "This is-"
"I'm going to see that movie I've been waiting to see, Owen. You can come, if you'd like." Annabel was to the bottom of the stairs now, quickly slipping on her shoes when she got to them. "You can come with me. Or you can go home. I honestly don't care right now."
"What did I do, Annabel? Make a friend other than you? Aren't you always the one telling me that we're going to have friends of the opposite sex?"
"We are. But the second that friend forms an attraction to you, you should break it up in respect to the person you're with."
"I am not attracted to Clarissa," he told her as he finally made it to the base of the staircase, Annabel turning her eyes to watch his. "And Clarissa isn't…"
"You can't lie to me, Owen," she told him, holding his gaze. "You know that you can't."
"Kyle likes you."
"And I don't hang around him anymore. Do I?"
"That's not…I like being with Clarissa."
"You liked being with me, too, back when we were just friends."
"But Annabel-"
"I don't want you hanging out with her. That's it. If you choose to, fine. You're not a dog. You have freewill. I can't stop you. I don't own you." She shook her head. "But it works both ways, Owen. If I don't want to be with you because of it-"
"I'm not going to stop being friends with her. You shouldn't be so jealous."
"Are you serious right now?"
"I am serious right now."
"You can't be hanging out with some other girl, Owen."
"Actors like freaking make out with other people and the person they're in a relationship with doesn't care."
"Yeah, well, actors are bringing home money. You're not."
Scowling, he retorted with, "Delivering pizzas brings home way more money than you doing nothing does."
"I think the two of you are forgetting that there is no home to bring your money home to."
Owen just continued to frown as Whitney came into the hall as well. "You think it's crap, right? That Annabel says I can't be friends with a girl?"
"I don't think it's 'crap', no," the older woman said, using air quotes which only made Annabel roll her eyes. "I do though think it's a tad insecure."
"I'm insecure? When he won't let me even go out to a party if he's not there?"
"I'm protecting you."
"From what?"
"I don't know. Take a wild guess."
"Okay, okay, knock it off." Whitney sighed, shaking her head at the two of them. "What is it you want to do, Owen, that she won't let you?"
"Go to a concert with Rolly and-"
"And a girl that's totally into him. Like into him enough to murder me in my sleep."
"Stop being so dramatic," Owen said, frowning at her before looking back at Whitney. "Clarissa and I are friends. We both like the same music. Annabel was offered a chance to go. She turned me down before even learning what band it was. Clarissa and I get along in ways that Annabel and I don't. Why is that a bad thing?"
"It's not," Whitney told him. "Annabel? Your turn."
"I don't want my boyfriend hanging around a girl that he obviously likes."
"You mean one that obviously likes me," Owen corrected.
"No, Owen, I don't."
"Annabel-"
"Deny it, Owen. Break your little honesty spiel. I don't care. I know though-"
"Why are you acting like this?"
"I'm not acting like anything."
"You are though. You're acting jealous." He came closer to her, watching her eyes now. "I'll never cheat on you. I love you."
"Owen-"
"Is this about the sex thing?"
"What sex thing?" Whitney asked, frowning finally. "Annabel?"
"Noth-"
"We had sex. And since then Annabel's been-"
"You what?"
Owen blinked. Then, glancing at his girlfriend's sister, he said, "I think I was pretty clear."
"Annabel, why didn't you say anything?" Whitney came closer to her sister now, no longer annoyed, but rather concerned. "God, we were even together yesterday, when we went shopping. You-"
"You went shopping? You told me you had something important to do," Owen said, frowning.
"I did. Shopping."
"How was shopping more important than coming over to hangout with Rolly and me?"
"You guys were playing videogames. I don't-"
"Would you two shut up?" Whitney huffed slightly. "When were you planning on telling me, Annabel, that you had sex?"
She shrugged slightly. "You didn't tell me when you first had sex?"
"You were a kid. Different."
"No."
"Fine. Freshman year. Happy?"
Annabel glanced at Owen, but he was still glaring at her, obviously upset.
"No," she finally said, kicking at the ground. "I just…It's embarrassing, Whitney."
"You're the one who did it."
"…Should I go wait in the car?" Owen glanced between the sisters. "'cause-"
"Shut up, Owen," Whitney said, hardly looking at him. "Where did you do this, Annabel? When?"
"At his house. Tuesday."
"And…?"
"And what?"
"I don't know. I just want to know about it is all."
"Like what?"
"How was-"
"Yeah, I'll be in the Land Cruiser." Owen walked around them then, slipping on his boots as he passed them. "Hurry, Annabel, if we're going to make this damn movie."
He was finally able to calm down then, when he made it out to his car with the stereo blasting. How could Annabel think that he would ever cheat on her? Much less think that she was going to tell him what he was going to do and what he wasn't. If he wanted to hang around Clarissa, he was. She wasn't going to threaten him with breakups or whatever.
…Although, if it did come down to that, Owen knew he'd cave. Still, he was sure that Annabel would cave before him. 'cause he was the guy. The stronger sex. She couldn't live without him. At least not in a fully functioning way. …Then again, Owen would slit his own throat to prove his commitment to her, so maybe he had this whole ting backwards.
"Thanks a lot, Owen."
He didn't even look at Annabel as she climbed into the car. "Shhh. I like this song."
"Oh, be quiet." She turned his stereo down without a thought. That in itself about got her killed. Seriously, she was lucky that his survival was based in hers. No joke.
"I didn't even do anything, Annabel," he complained as she pulled the seatbelt across herself. When he moved to hit it with the little hammer though, she took it from him, doing it herself. "Hey-"
"See?" She gave the belt a little tug. It held. "Works."
"I don't-"
"Just drive, Owen," she told him, dropping the tool in the side pocket of her door. "I want to go to this movie. We can fight later."
"I don't wanna fight. I-"
"You told my sister that we had sex."
"…Should it be a secret?"
"Shut up and drive."
"No. I-"
"Then I'll drive myself. You can sit in your stupid car and-"
"Stop." He laid a hand on her thigh, sighing. "Stop."
She paused for a moment before laying a hand over his. "I'm not fighting to be mean, Owen."
"I know."
"Go out with Clarissa if you want. I-"
"I'm not going to do anything."
"That's not the point. What if someone see you both together and-"
"I don't care what other people think and neither should you."
"She likes you."
"Every guy that looks at you likes you."
"Bull, Owen. I'm not even that hot."
"You're hot to me," he told her. "Very hot. Extremely hot. I would only assume that other guys found you the same."
"My boobs are small, I hardly ever wear makeup, my eyes are too close together-"
"Are you serious right now?"
"Well, Owen, they are. Not to mention I've gained a pound-"
"Ooh, a pound."
"Stop it."
"No. You're being ridiculous. This whole fight is ridiculous." He shook his head. "How did we going from you not wanting to go to a concert to you not liking me hanging around a girl to talking about how embarrassing having sex with me is to you demeaning yourself?"
"…Sex with you isn't embarrassing. Just awkward."
Blinking, Owen shook his head before moving to start the car. "Let's just go to the freaking movie, Annabel and go from there, huh?"
"Fine," she said, pulling the visor down to look at herself in the mirror. "Fine."
It was a silent ride to the movie theater. And even when they got there, they didn't speak, not really. Owen bought the tickets, drinks, and popcorn like usual. He purposely left out the candy Annabel had requested before in her bedroom, hoping that would cause her to speak to him to remind him. She didn't though. Huh.
When they got into the theater and sat down, they found that the previews were just starting. Annabel took her seat, immediately pulling out her cell phone. Owen sat next to her for a moment before handing her the popcorn and standing. She looked to him, but he didn't want to be the one to break their silence. Standing, he just walked away, figuring she'd just think he was headed to the bathroom. Instead, Owen headed back to the concession stand and waited in line to get those damn Sno-Caps. 'cause ultimately, he was a sucker.
Owen was ready to apologize the whole way back to the screen room. He really was. However, he was quickly brought back down as he approached the seat he had left Annabel in. She was still there of course. Only, his chair was now occupied.
"Hi."
"Get up."
James blinked before glancing at Annabel. "He's not much of a people person is-"
"Up," Owen repeated. "Now."
"Owen-"
"Shut up, Annabel. And move, Barrs, before I move you."
The person on the other side of Annabel started cackling, making Owen glance at them. Then he found out who it was.
"What are you doing, here, Rolly? With…him?"
"We're both taking comfort in each other," Rolly said as James stood up, letting Owen have his seat back.
"I really hope you don't mean that how it sounds."
James made a face as he took the empty seat on the other side of Rolly. The movie had been out for some time now and the theater was mostly empty.
"Clarke broke both our hearts," James told him. "So we're hanging out together now."
"Great," Owen said dryly, handing Annabel her candy. Traitor. Then again, his faith in Rolly was never extremely high. "Where are you other stupid friends, Barrs?"
"Kyle? He and Nate are here. In the arcade. They'll be here shortly."
Double great. Owen sunk down in his chair, shaking his head. He just couldn't win anymore.
"Thank you for the candy, Be- Owen," Annabel said, catching herself before announcing his nickname to the other teen boys. That would not have gone over well, she was sure.
He didn't respond though, staring straight ahead at the screen even though the preview was for some dumb movie that he didn't give a damn about. He really just wanted to go home then. He was pretty sure that he could just tell Annabel that he was leaving and she could get a ride home with her new friends. She'd probably like that better anyways. James, Kyle. Nate too. He was hot. Or so Owen figured. And since Rolly was such a traitor, he'd probably have his turn too. 'cause apparently being with Owen was embarrassing. He was ugly and he had no friends and no one liked him and he could just slit his own throat and no one would care because he was just a big idiot to think that anyone-
Annabel reached over, entwining their fingers before leaning against him. Owen just sat there, trying to hide how upset he was getting over a scenario he made up in his own mind. Counting to ten under his breath, he shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable.
"They sat with me, Bear," she whispered to him then. "I figured since it was Rolly it didn't matter."
Owen just let out a long breath before saying, "It doesn't."
"Good." Annabel handed him the popcorn back as she sat back up. She said something to Rolly, but kept her hand in her boyfriends. Owen just sat through the previews silently, not even opening his mouth when Kyle and Nate returned. Because if he had Annabel, he'd already won. What more was there?
"You got fat."
"Shut up, Annabel."
Owen just watched her greet her oldest sister, feeling no better about himself than he had early in the night. The movie had sucked, Rolly had left with his new friends, and though she seemed to have forgiven him, Annabel was still being rather cold to him. Owen really just wanted to go home.
They were standing in the Greens' living room, Andrew and Grace both on the couch, although they were sitting with a considerable distance between them. This didn't shock Owen, as neither of them seemed to like the other one recently. It's been months since that whole cheating revelation though, so he really didn't get the problem now.
"Hi, Brian," Annabel greeted the man then, who was seated in the chair, facing the television. Owen could tell by his position that he was feeling uncomfortable. Then again, he had knocked up Andrew's daughter. It was to be expected now.
"Hello," he said, nodding at Owen also. Owen just headed into the kitchen with Annabel as she walked off, Kristen tagging along. He really didn't want to be in a room with the three sisters, but he wanted even less to be with the people in the living room at the moment.
"Mmm, Kristen, did Annabel tell you?" Whitney asked, stirring a pot of something. Owen was pretty sure he'd heard it was stew earlier, but wasn't sure. He just took a seat at the kitchen table, sighing slightly.
"Tell me what?"
"Lucas, Whitney," Annabel warned.
"Your little sleepover, Annabel," the woman shot back.
"What are you guys talking about?" Kirsten asked, frowning at her younger sisters.
"Nothing," they both said, glaring at one another.
Owen sighed loudly causing his girlfriend to look at him.
"I think I'm going, Annabel."
"What?"
"I'm not… I don't want be here," he told her, shrugging slightly. Kristen frowned at him, but he ignored her. The two of them had never really gotten along.
"Owen-"
"I just need to get out of here," he told her, standing. "I'll call you tonight."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he told her. And that was true. There was nothing wrong. He just didn't want to be around her and her family at the moment. Was that a crime? Annabel hardly ever spent any time with his. "Look, I'll call you later, alright?"
"Is this about Clarissa? Or James? Something?"
"Bell, I'm not hungry. At all. And I have a headache. I'm going to bed when I get home."
"It's not even nine yet, Owen."
Going over to her, Owen pressed a kiss against her head, not caring that her sisters were present as he brought a hand up to cup her cheek. "Believe me, it's better if I'm not here. Your dad looks beyond pissed. I don't feel like making him angry at me too. And we spent the whole day together. And you call me tonight before you go to bed, okay? Even if I'm asleep, I'll answer. I love you."
She blushed deeply at this as Kristen snorted. Whitney, having heard it all before just rolled her eyes. Not that Owen cared. About either of them. Only his girlfriend. She was the only one that mattered.
"I love you too," she whispered, her blush not fading. "Bye, I guess."
He kissed her one more time before heading out. He had to go through the living room again, but no one spoke to him. Not even Annabel's mother. She must have been in a down mood too. He felt that. He really did.
"What's wrong with you?"
"All my friends are traitors."
"Well, you only have one friend and that's Rolly, so I'll assume that you phrased it that way to be dramatic."
"Mom-"
"Come here," she sighed, waving him over. Owen had just walked through the door, looking ragged. Apparently his mother could tell all the way from the couch that he hadn't had the best of days. "What's wrong?"
Owen took his place next to her, sighing. "Rolly picked Barrs over me."
"Are you telling me that Rolly's an alcoholic or-"
"Barrs, Mom. Not bars. James Barrs. That guy that Annabel tutors."
"Uh-huh," she said slowly. "And how did he do this?"
"By being with him at the movie theater."
"After turning you down or-"
"No. I was there with Annabel and they were there together."
"I'm not following, Owen," she said, taking a sip of her water before glancing back at the television.
"When Annabel thought we were broken up, she started flirting with this Kyle guy who's friends with Barrs who I didn't like to begin with 'cause, Mom, he, like, has a record-"
"I'm a hundred percent certain you fall into that category too, honey."
Frowning at her, he said, 'Yeah, I know, but I'm different."
"Uh-huh."
"I am."
"To who?"
"…The point was, Rolly knew that I didn't like Barrs and he still hung out with him."
"Shouldn't Rolly be able to make his own decisions?"
"Yeah, but…you just don't get it," he sighed finally, hanging his head.
"Is that all that's bothering you, sweetheart?" Teresa laid a hand on his arm. "Rolly's supposed betrayal?"
"No," Owen said slowly, closing his eyes. "Annabel doesn't want me to hangout with Clarissa anymore."
"Who?"
"She listens to my show. We both like the same music and stuff. But Annabel thinks that she likes me, so she says I can't hangout with her anymore."
"Does she like you?"
"I guess, I don't know."
"Then aren't you playing with fire?"
"No," he said, shooting his mother a dirty look as his eyes snapped open. "I don't like her."
"You're eighteen, Owen."
"So?"
His mother sighed loudly, stroking his arm now. Finally finding the words, she asked, "Isn't this the same problem you have with Rolly?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're mad at Rolly for hanging out with someone you don't like."
"Right."
"And you're also upset that Annabel doesn't want you to hangout with this girl because she doesn't like her."
"Well, yeah, but-"
"So see, Owen? You're straddling the fence. If Annabel can't tell you what to do, then you can't tell Rolly what to do?"
"Then which situation an I right in? Which am I right?"
"I can't tell you that, Owen, because these are emotions. Do you love Annabel?"
"Yes," he said, offended she would ask him such a stupid question.
"Do you love Rolly?"
"Mom-"
"So yes," she concluded. "And you don't want to lose either of them."
"Of course not."
"So what you have to do is weigh your options. Is your anger with Rolly too great to get over? Because I don't think so."
"No," he sighed. "It's not."
"Is your relationship with Annabel more important than your one with Clarissa? Because honestly, Owen, I think that it's not. You're young. If you and Annabel are going to fight on this, you're going to have a long battle ahead of you. I don't understand why you can't accept that. If you would just end this with Annabel and try things with Clarissa, then what would be wrong with that? If you didn't like it and wanted to go back, you could. If you and this Clarissa girl get along so well perhaps-"
"Why do you hate Annabel?"
"I do not hate Annabel," she told him, his accusation taking her aback. "I love her."
"No, you don't. You're always trying to get me to breakup with her."
"I'm trying to get you to explore your options, Owen. The world is a vast place. You thinking that you're honestly tied to one person so young is baffling to me. Truly."
"You just hate her. Admit it."
"I do not, Owen Armstrong. I think that she's done wonders for your anger and lack of self-worth."
"I have self-"
"And I think that she's been very good to your sister. Very good. However, I think that it's best to cut ties now. She's leaving, I'm sure, for college soon. It's going to creep up on you, you know. Why hold off the inevitable?"
"Annabel and I are not ever going to break up."
"And this is why all our conversations end the same, Owen. You just can't get it through your head that nothing lasts forever in this world."
"And you just can't get it through your head that I love her and I'm not going to stop loving her just because you don't like her." With that, he stood up and headed out of the room. "Well tough. 'cause I do."
"You're being childish again, Owen."
Ignoring her, he headed to his bedroom, almost slamming the door behind him. He remembered his sister though and held off. No matter how upset he was, he didn't want to disturb her. Still, he did go over to his stereo and turn it on before stripping down and getting into bed. What a horrible day. He had a rotten friend, a rotten mother, and a rotten relationship. Annabel wasn't rotten though. No, she was still pure. Confused as to her place in things currently, but pure nonetheless.
Still, he had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't be able to tell her that. She'd probably take it the completely wrong way. He was almost certain she would.
And promptly at 12:02, his cell rang, awakening him from his slumber. Groggily, Owen reached over his bed, fumbling around for his jeans before getting it out of the pocket.
"'llo?" he mumbled, not opening his eyes.
"Well, you were right. Predicted it perfectly."
"Mmmm."
"Dad and Kristen got into a huge fight. Mom let her and Brian stay in the house though. At first he tried to kick them out, but she wouldn't let him."
"Mmmm."
"So you were really asleep?"
"Mmmm."
"Sorry. I love you, Bear."
That made him smile drowsily, mumbling something unintelligible, but close to those words back to her.
"Even if you did walk out on me tonight. I forgive you, Snoogie."
"Bella," he whispered, still not opening his eyes.
"And I know that you work tomorrow, but with everyone over, I'm sure I can get someone to order some pizza. From you, of course."
"Course."
"Goodnight, Bear. I love you."
And just like that, everything was right again. Funny how that works out sometimes.