Anger Management
Chapter 1
"So where were you tonight?"
Owen closed the front door softly behind him, not sure if his sister was in bed yet or not. "You said I could go out."
"I said you could go out with Rolly."
"And I did."
"Who else did you go with?"
He took his boots off at the front door, knowing his mom hated for him to get the carpet dirty. "Rolly's girlfriend came."
"And?"
"Annabel," he said. "How do you know-"
"Your sister."
"How does she-"
"I think she saw what Annabel posted on her UMe."
He frowned. "Annabel and her are friends on UMe."
"From what Mallory tells me, they're very close."
"Of course they are," he groaned, going to sit down next to her mother.
"So is she your girlfriend?"
He frowned. "I don't know. I don't think so. We're just dating."
Teresa glanced at the television, which was turned to the news before looking back at her son. "Are you dating anyone else?"
"No."
"Oh, like he was dating someone before."
Owen frowned as Mallory came into the room, a bowl of ice cream in her hands. "What are you still doing up?"
"It's Saturday, Owen. Besides, I'm not a little kid. I can stay up as late as I want." She came to stand in front of him. "You're in my spot."
"Yeah, well, you got up."
"Owen, be nice," his mother said, pushing his shoulder slightly. "And she was sitting here first."
Groaning, he got up. "Since when did you become friends with Annabel on UMe?"
"Jealous?"
"Why would I be jealous?"
"Gee, maybe because your girlfriend likes me better?" Mallory reclaimed her rightful spot as Owen headed of to his room. He didn't have time or the urge to argue with her. Annabel always called after their dates, about twenty minutes after he dropped her off. Granted, their dates were limited due to the fact he was just getting off punishment for punching Will Cash, but he knew she wouldn't disappoint.
"What are you doing?"
By the time she called, Owen was already on his computer, doing one last run through of his playlist for the week. It was one of his first shows back and he wanted it to be perfect.
"How about we try this again? When I answer with a hello, you should say, 'Hi, Owen, it's Annabel,' back to me."
"You know it's me."
"How do I know that exactly?"
"Number one who else would be calling you?"
"That's not the-"
"Anyways, Owen, what are you doing?"
"Just looking over my playlist," he said, turning the speakers down slightly. "You?"
"I'm about to have to clean the bathroom."
"At," he paused to glance at the time in the corner of his screen, "a quarter to midnight?"
"Kirsten is coming tomorrow or something."
"Really? What about classes?"
"Her spring break is this week."
"Ah. And she's coming here because…?"
"Because my father told her that she had to spend at least two days of break with us. So she's spending Sunday and Monday here and then leaving for somewhere else with her boyfriend. Or at least that's what I gathered from Whitney. You know she's not too vocal."
"So I guess that means you won't be coming with me to the station tomorrow?"
"Why would you guess that?"
"I just figured you'd spend these two days with Kirsten. That's all."
"She won't even get in until eleven, long after your show is off. I just have to be home by ten to drive to the airport with my parents."
"I think I can work that out."
She laughed a little bit which made Owen smile. He liked making Annabel laugh.
"You have fun tonight at that party?"
"Didn't you?" she questioned back.
"No. The music-"
"-was terrible. Yes, you said that in the car. Multiple times."
"Well it was. If you're going to throw a party, you should at least put on music that everyone likes."
"Everyone did like it, Owen. Except you."
"Rolly-"
"Rolly agrees with everything you say. Whenever you're not around, he plays normal music."
"Oh, so now my music isn't normal?"
"…What exactly do you think it's been this entire time?"
He just shook his head, though his smile was still stuck on his face and he couldn't get it to go away. Not that he wanted it to. "Anyways, what's up with you and my sister?"
"What about us?"
"Since when are you guys friends on UMe?"
"Since when do you stalk my UMe page?"
"I don't." That was true. He hardly wasted time on that site unless it was to look up bands' pages. He did, however, know the creator of the site, Jamie, who was pretty nice. He set him up with a CD for his wife once. "Why? Do I need to?"
"Why would you need to? I'm hardly ever on it."
"Apparently you were on it tonight."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He had meant for this conversation to be lighthearted, but Annabel was taking it to a different level. It was almost like she was being…secretive. Taking a deep breath, he figured that his tone might have been uptight and knew that he didn't have the time to mess with arguing.
"Nothing, Annabel. I just meant that Mallory mentioned that she knew I was out with you because of your page. That's all."
"I just-"
"I don't care," he told her as he deleted one song from the playlist and replaced it with a re-released version. "I was just trying to talk to you. And we are friends on UMe. I could see anything I wanted to see on there."
"I can see anything on your page too."
"Yeah. I know. There's nothing there, but the band pages I liked. And anything Rolly might have posted on my page." He turned his speakers back up. "Besides, it's not like I care what you do on there."
"What do you mean?"
"What guy's gonna mess with you?"
"Excuse me?"
He didn't see how she could take that in an offensive way, only in the way that he meant it. When he rethought it though, he figured that she thought he meant no guy would want her.
"I just meant, Annabel, that if you're dating me, how stupid would someone be to try to…I don't know, date you at the same time?" He frowned finally, shifting the phone to his other hand and leaning back. "I mean, I'm not exactly known for my ball of sunshine attitude."
"Ball of sunshine?"
"I can use clichés when the time calls for it." He looked around his room. "Anyways, shouldn't you get busy on the bathroom now?"
"Did you not want to talk to me?"
"Oh, I do. I just figure that you should get to work on it so you can get to bed. I'm picking you up at a quarter past six tomorrow."
"That's fine. I'll be waiting."
He wasn't sure how to end the conversation now or even sure he wanted it to end.
"So I'll see you then, alright?"
"Bye, Owen."
"See? If you know how to throw down a goodbye, why can't you do a greeting?"
"I'm hanging up on you now."
"That would be very rude-"
And she was gone. He just smiled because not twenty seconds later did he get a text.
G-night. C u at 6:15.
"See you then," he mumbled back as he replied to the text the same words. "Annabel."
"Hey, you're listening to Anger Management, back again for another week. Once again, a big thanks to Annabel for giving you Story of my Life while I was out. As much as we all loved that, let's hope it never happens again, huh? And here's Truth Squad with 'This Lullaby'."
"Are you going to thank her every week?" Rolly asked as Owen slipped his headphones off.
"I've thanked her two weeks in a row. Big whoop."
"Every break. Every time you speak, you thank her."
"I am very thankful," Owen said, glancing out the window of the box he was in to see Annabel sitting outside waiting, talking to Clarke. "Very."
"Hmmm."
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing."
Rolling his eyes, he got ready to sync up the next track. "Annabel's sister is coming to town tomorrow. The one that lives in New York."
"Are you going to have to meet her?"
"Well, I've met her before. Once. Right after the trial. She was nice enough then."
"That was before."
"Before what?"
"Before you and Annabel become official."
Owen rolled his eyes. "Sometimes you sound like a girl. And we're not."
"Not what?"
"Like…official. I don't think."
"You gave her a freaking ring."
"I did."
"Friends don't give rings. Especially rings that say 'Fuck You.'"
"It said 'Go Fuck Yourself.' And I still have that one. I gave her the other one."
"Maybe that's why you guys haven't done anything, but kiss."
"Maybe it's because we're just dating."
"You exchanged rings."
"She didn't give me one."
"You're still wearing nearly identical rings."
"Just until she figures out what she wants hers to say."
Rolly shook his head. "She's had a long time to figure out what she wanted it to say, don't you think?"
"She's a slow decider."
"I think she just wants to keep your ring."
"And if she does?"
"See. You know as well as I do that you're not just dating."
Owen shrugged, slipping his headphones back on. "All I know is that I like her, have nothing else going on, haven't had a lot going on ever, and she likes me back. What else is there to it?"
"What if she starts to more than like you?"
"Then I'll be happy. And she'll be happy. We'll both be happy. Together." He turned back forward as he was back on the air. "And that was Truth Squad with their cover of 'This Lullaby.' Up next is a band few of you will have heard of, Shadow Ravens, with what I think will be a big hit, 'Lost Lies.'"
Owen stood up after slipping his headphones off. "Can you watch the board for a second? I have to get a soda."
"Yeah, sure."
Leaving his friend in charge, Owen headed out of the booth before heading down the hall to get a soda. He went ahead and got two before coming back, tossing the extra to Annabel as he passed.
"I figured that was for me," Rolly said as Owen took his seat in the sound booth. "You know, your best friend."
"Why would I bring you a soda?"
"Why would you bring Annabel one?"
"Because I'm kind of the reason she's here."
"Touché."
After the show, Annabel rode with Owen to World of Waffle's while Rolly took his own car with Clarke. Which Owen was fine with. He liked Clarke fine, she just got annoying after awhile. And it wasn't like they were really friends. They were more or less just forced together because they were both in Rolly's life. They didn't need to be friends; they just needed to get along.
"So what are you doing after you get your sister from the airport?"
Annabel stared down at him as he pulled her seatbelt across her stomach before hitting it with the hammer, securing it. It was to be noted that the distance between her body and his hand during these encounters was becoming more and more relaxed.
"I don't know. Probably just hang out. We're having dinner tonight."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Whitney is making it."
"That's cool."
"So…did you wanna come?"
"Am I invited?"
"That's kind of what I'm doing right now."
He put the hammer back before sitting up. "Sure, I can come."
"Good."
He switched CDs before pulling out of the parking lot. "I've eaten over at your place three times now."
"Yeah, I know."
"You've never eaten at my house."
"You've never invited me."
"Would you…want to?"
"Only if you wanted me to."
"I think it'd be cool. You've never met my mom."
"I have," she told him. "Once. At the mall. Remember?"
"Oh, when you went to see that singer-"
"I had a meeting for modeling."
"Whatever lies you tell yourself are just that. I only deal in truth."
"I'm sure," she said, looking out the window. "Kirsten wants me to come stay with her this summer."
"In New York?"
"Yeah."
He frowned. "The whole summer?"
"You said you might spend some of it with your dad."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Annabel sighed. "I just…don't want to be alone all summer."
"Why would you be alone?"
"I was last summer. All summer. Except for models."
"And? That was then and this is now."
"Besides you, Owen, who do I have?"
"Rolly and Clarke."
"Rolly is your friend and Clarke is nice, but we're not close."
He swallowed. "Are we?"
"I'd like to think so. Why? Do you-"
"I was just asking."
She shook her head. "If you go see your father in Arizona, I'll just be here, alone and I don't want that."
"I don't either."
"Then you wouldn't mind? If I spent some time in New York?"
"I can't tell you what to do, Annabel. We're just dating."
He could tell by the change in car that he had said the wrong thing. The air felt tenser and Annabel wasn't speaking anymore.
"We are, right? Dating?" He glanced at her as he came to a stop sign. "Annabel?"
"Just dating though?"
"Sure. What else would we be doing?" He was uncomfortable now and turned down his music slightly, knowing that if he turned it up he would come off as annoyed.
"I don't know. The word just makes it seem more…open." She leaned against the window. "Is this open?"
"Is it not?"
"Is it?"
He glanced at her once more. "It's not like I've been dating before you, so I'm going to say no."
"And if someone asked you out?"
"What girl would-"
"If they did?"
"They? They? Now there are multiple girls? I think you're delusional."
"Why wouldn't some girl like you?"
"Why wouldn't a guy like you?"
"I'm not saying one wouldn't."
"And if he asked you out?"
"Why is that more plausible than some girl asking you out?"
"Why won't you answer?"
"Why won't you? Huh, Mr. Honesty?"
He let out a long breath. "I would tell her no."
"Even if you liked her? Or thought she was hot or whatever?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because we're dating."
"Just dating, right?"
"That's up to you."
"It's up to you too."
"What would you say then?" he retorted. "Huh? If some…hot guy asked you out, would you tell him yes or no?"
"It depends."
"On what?"
"If you consider me your girlfriend or not."
He paused. "I wouldn't like it, if that's what you mean. I don't want you out with other guys. At all."
"But if you found out that I was dating other guys, would you be angry with me? Would you not want to date me anymore?"
"I'll always want to date you. I would probably get upset though, yes."
"Because you don't think this relationship is open."
"I don't think we ever set guide lines."
"Then are we setting them now?"
"Are we?"
"I really wish you'd stop answering my questions with questions. Doesn't seem too honest."
He shook his head. "I want to date you and only you."
"Then we're together."
"Yeah."
"Officially."
"Right." He gripped the steering wheel. "So you're my girlfriend."
"Yes."
"…And we're still dating."
"But not just dating."
"You and your word play."
"I'm just avoiding disaster."
"Like any girl was going to ask me out."
"Self-deprecation is not always funny. Sometimes it's sad. Like now." She sat up again. "Why do you think no girl would ever be into you? I'm into you."
"I know." He smiled at her. "You are my girlfriend now."
"I think I have been. You just didn't want to say so."
"I did. I just wasn't sure how to bring it up." He relaxed some. "And I'm just being honest, Annabel. No girl, save you, in Lakeview is interested in me."
"Maybe you're just not looking hard enough."
"Maybe," he agreed, though he had his doubts. "You though, you're hot."
That got him an eye roll. "Thanks, Owen."
"You are. And nice. And kind. And you listen well. That's a tough combination. Most hot girls are bitches and have so many friends that it's hard to even get close to them."
"So me being a friendless loser brought us closer together."
"Now who's being self-deprecating?"
"I am though. I have no one other than you."
"I swear we just had this conversation."
Rolling her eyes, she said, "It's not a bad thing. You have no friends at Jackson and neither do I."
"Who said I don't have friends?"
She glanced at him, snorting. "Who are you friends?"
"No one you would know."
"I never see you with anyone other than me."
"You're not in any of my classes. I'm a very social person, you know."
"You're also a jokester."
He smiled again. "That too."
"I'm so glad you got here."
"What's wrong?" Owen frowned, glancing behind Annabel. "Did you think I was going to stand you up? After we just got official? You know, Annabel, if you're not going to have faith in me-"
"Shut up and get in here." She drug him into the house. "And who are the flowers for?"
"Not you, so chill." He took off his boots at the door, knowing that they might be slightly muddy. "They're for your mom. What's going on anyways?"
"Kirsten's boyfriend and my dad are fighting."
He moved back to his boots. "Then why did you want me here? No way. I've got to go, Annabel. I'm not fighting with him too."
"He likes you. He doesn't like Brian."
"And? I'm sure at one point he liked Brian."
"Owen, stay."
He glanced around. "Where is everyone?"
"In the dinning room. They cooled down some. I'm sure your flowers will make things even better."
"I'm not."
"Owen."
He groaned as she took his arm again, leading him through the living room. "Why is your house so big?"
"Because we're important people. Now be quiet."
He rolled his eyes as she let him go now that they were to the dinning room. The table was full, save four seats. Annabel quickly took one while Owen sat the vase of flowers down in front of her mother.
"Oh, are these for me? Thank you, Owen," she said while Kirsten rolled her eyes at Annabel from across the table. Owen told Mrs. Greene that she was welcome before taking his place next to his girlfriend.
"Where's Dad?" Annabel looked to her mother, who was on the same side as them. Kirsten, Brian, and Whitney were opposite.
"He's…upset, right now."
Kirsten looked like she was going to say something, but her boyfriend beat her to it.
"If you want us to just leave, we-"
"We don't want you to both leave. Just you."
Owen looked up as Mr. Greene came back into the room. Annabel shook her head, slipping her hand into his under the table. When Whitney got up, she mumbled something about needing to get the chicken out of the oven, but they all knew that she didn't like confrontations.
"I can help," Owen offered, but Annabel's mother put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stay as she left the room to fill that position. Great. So he was stuck. Annabel squeezed his hand, sending him a look. At first he thought that she was mad that he tried to make an escape, but then he noticed that she was nodding to something under the table. Glancing down there, he saw that she had her phone open to an unsent text.
Srry ur here for this.
When Owen reached for his phone, she shook her head, untangling her fingers from his and nodding at her phone again. Both of them staring at their phones would be too obvious. Picking up her phone, he erased her message before writing his own.
What's up?
Annabel took the phone back as her father and Brian started to argue again. Owen was hardly listening though. He had perfected the art of blocking things out years ago.
Kirsten and Brian have been living together.
He frowned when he read that.
So?
She sighed as she wrote something now.
Dad's paying for her place.
Owen glanced up at them before back at the phone.
Your dad is funny mad. He gets really red.
Annabel took a look for herself.
That's my dad. Rawr, I'm an angry father.
Owen smiled at her as he took her phone back. Instead of typing something though, he spoke instead.
"You look very pretty today," he told her as Brian finally got up and left, Kirsten following.
"Thank you."
He nodded. "I like that necklace."
She rolled her eyes. "You should. You bought it."
"I know. I just like to hear you say that."
They both stopped talking and glanced up at her father, who was staring at them though wasn't focused on them, his breathing heavy. Owen quickly looked away, not wanting her father to pick him as his next victim.
Taking a deep breath, Andrew righted himself before asking, "Did you bring the flowers, Owen? That was a nice touch."
He just nodded as Annabel stood up.
"They probably need help in the kitchen. I'll go tell them that Kirsten and Brian aren't going to be joining us."
You could have cut a steak with the daggers Owen was sending to his newly crowned girlfriend as she left him alone with her father. Andrew, for his part, seemed to think that he had spoken enough for the time being and just took his place at the head of the table before taking a sip of his drink.
"Did they not bring you anything to drink, Owen?" Andrew shook his head. "They're all in there discussing my reaction, you know. It's hard, living in a house full of women. You know that though, I'm sure, with only your mother and sister."
"Yeah, it can be tough," he agreed, not wanting to get into a disagreement with the man too. No way, no how. He'd leave before he let that happen. They were always over at Annabel's house and he didn't want that to end.
"You know what gets to me? That Kirsten thinks that all that money I throw at her is just that. Throwing money. I'm trying to help her out. She's an adult. I don't have to do that anymore. Annabel? She's still a kid. Kirsten is a grown adult. And yet Annabel is still making better decisions than her. That really gets to m-"
"Andrew, I really don't think Owen cares about all this," Mrs. Greene said as she came walking back out of the kitchen with her youngest daughter. They both got to work setting the table. Owen tried again to offer up his help, but his girlfriend's mother again denied him, telling that he was their guest.
Andrew just shook his head as Whitney came in, carrying the chicken. Then, probably thinking better of making faces at people who had done nothing to him, he told Owen, "Whitney cooks for us a lot. She cooked the last time you were here, didn't she?"
"I think so, yes."
"She's good at that. Kirsten? She's not good for any-"
"Dad, really," Annabel told him as she brought in a bowl of something that looked cheesy. Owen sat up slightly, trying to see into it. He couldn't figure out what it was though. "When I invited Owen over, I didn't think everyone would be in such bad moods."
"Bad moods? Who's in a bad mood? I'm not." Her mother came back into the room with a bowl of something else.
How much cooking had Whitney done? Owen glanced at her, but she was busy picking at her nails. When her mother noticed, she batted at her shoulder before going back into the kitchen, this time returning with another dish. Annabel left again, though she quickly returned with cokes for her and her boyfriend.
"Thanks," he said as Annabel took her spot by him once more. She just smiled at him, not saying anything.
"You cooked such a nice meal, Whitney, and we all got dressed up for Kirsten's arrival, but then she's not even here," Annabel's mother said at one point.
"I thought we weren't going to talk about that, Grace?" Her husband frowned at her, clearly having been trying to forget that. "Or have you forgotten?"
"I was just going to say that it's okay, because Owen came. Now we can just pretend that we cooked for him." She smiled at him. "It is very nice to have you over, Owen."
"Thank you for having me," he said while Annabel rolled her eyes. She always told him that he sucked up to her parents, but so what if he did? If his only other option was to argue with them like Brian, he would gladly choose to suck up.
Dinner was mostly quiet after that. Whitney wasn't much for conversation and both Annabel's parents were clearly still tense from the whole Kirsten situation. Owen was fine with that though, because, honestly, he was just glad to get away from home where it was vegan food all day every day. Bleh. He liked eating over at Annabel's because at least he got good food. Real food.
"Kirsten bought a pie," Grace told them at one point.
"From New York?" Annabel frowned.
"She bought one when she got here," Whitney told her, clearly not amused. "While you were upstairs, getting ready."
And did she get ready. When Owen had seen Annabel that morning, it was just in a t-shirt and jeans. Now she had done her hair and changed into something else, maybe even wearing a little makeup. Just a little though. She never wore much. He didn't think she needed it anyways.
"What kind of pie is it?" Andrew asked.
"I'm not sure," his wife told him.
"Bring it out here, Whitney. If she's gonna burn my money on that man, I'm at least going to get some pie out of it."
Owen stood up, taking Annabel's plate to the kitchen, along with his. She still followed him though, taking her mother's plate for her.
"At least dinner was interesting," Annabel told him. "It'll give us something to talk about tomorrow at school."
"I was thinking that we could talk about the songs I played on the show today."
"I'm sure you think that. You think that music is all we should talk about it."
"Not all. Just mostly talk about it," he said as they rinsed off their plates. Annabel let him rinse off her mothers before turning to get smaller plates for the pie.
"I could have made a better pie than this," Whitney said as she came in with her and her father's plate. "If someone had asked."
Owen smiled at her. "You like cooking a lot?"
She glanced at him before shrugging. "I like it enough."
"I'm sure Kirsten meant well, buying the pie," Annabel told her sister as she carried it and the plates back into the dinning room. "Just like Brian probably did."
"Least you guys aren't boring," Owen offered up as he followed his girlfriend.
"Yeah. At least we're not that."
