TITLE: Running From The Truth

SUMMARY: Annie is trying to hide the truth from herself. She has fallen and compeltely in love with her best friend, Erin Silver. Problem number one: Silver was dating her [Annie's] brother, Dixon. Problem number two: Annie wasn't gay. She was straight. Problem number three: Silver was straight. Problem number four: Dixon was competely in love with Silver himself.

Annie soon enters into deep depression and only Silver can help her out of it. But, how can Silver help - when Annie refuses to tell Silver the truth?

CATEGORY: Friendship/ Family/ Romance/ Drama/ Hurt/Comfort/ Spiritual/ Angst/ Tragedy

RATING: T

CHAPTERS RATINGS: G - M - The M Rated chapters will be marked as such.

CHAPTER ONE

"You are the one, the only one for me?" Annie gently stroked Silver's checks with her pads of her thumbs. Smiling with tears running down her checks, "You are mine, Erin Silver, and I'm yours. Always and forever."

Brown eyes opened in shock as she tried to control her breathing, the dream was so real. She could still feel Silver's breath on her face, as she leaned foward to ..... shaking her head, that was when she had woken up. Right before she and Silver could kiss. Before she could draw herself back into the dream, there was a knock on the door. "I'm still sleeping." She called pulling the covers back up over her face.

"Than why did you answer," Her mother voice with a laughing tint in said as the door opened. Annie sighed deeply as she pulled the covers off her face. "Can't I stay in bed today, mom." She chocked out. "I-I don't feel so well." She coughed.

Debbie walked over and sat on the side of her daughter, placing a hand on Annie's forehead. "You don't feel warm," her hand slowly glided down her only daughter's right check down to her throat. "No bumps." Her hand ran up her daughter's face to her check. "Now, Annie, why don't you tell me what's really brothering you?"

Annie sat up quickly and forced her mother's hand off of her flaming face, "Nothing is wrong, mom, I'm just not feeling well is all." She shook her head. "I know I don't feel warm, and my glads are normal," her hand went down to her stomach, "I just fell like if I move around a lot right now, I will haul."

Debbie sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, Annie, but you can't hide from your problems forever. I can't allow you to skip school." She reached over and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You have to face your problems head on." She tilted her head. "I wish you talk to me - confide in me - trust me."

Annie blinked back the tears.

"But, I remember what it is like being sixteen and not confiding in my mom." Debbie contiuned in a gentle and loving voice. "Just know that I'm always here. That no matter what you tell me, I will always love you." She stood to her feet and walked to the door, turning around to face her daughter once more, "I love you Annie. No matter what." With that she turned and left the bedroom.

How does she know? Has she known all along? Has she known even before I known? Does Daddy know? Covering her face with her shaking hands, Annie broke silently down.

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"If you want a ride, Annie, than I suggest you get your groove on." Dixon said passing his adopted sister in the kitchen on the way to the fruit bowl, where he grabbed a banana. "I promised Silver that I would meet her ...."

"I don't need a ride, actually." Annie broke quickly in as she rushed to the fruit bowl and grabbed a pear. "I have to get going actually, see you." She rushed from the room before anyone could say anything.

"Annie!" Dixon cried rushing after her with confusion. He managed to stop her right before she could bolt out of the front door. He grabbed her arm.

"What? I'm in a hurry, Dixon." Annie tried to move away from her brother.

"How are you getting to school? Dad and I are both here, you don't have a car." Dixon said with a confused look on his face.

"I have decided to walk is all." Annie said with a bright cherry smile wide on her mouth.

"You will be very late, if you walk, Annie. I'll give you ride." Dixon said pushing his sister out of the mansion, closing the door behind them, still with his hand on his sister's arms. He led her to where his car was parked out side of the gate. He opened the passenger door and waited for his sister to slip inside. When she didn't budge, he sighed and gently but forcefully forced his sister into the car. He watched as she quietly buckled her seatbelt.

He shut the door and walked in front of the car, and got in. He buckled his seatbelt and started the car. He let the engine run as he turned to face his sister, "What is getting to you this morning, Annie?"

Her face set in a stubborn line, Annie contiuned to stare out of the front window. "You are forcing me to ride with you to school, Dixon, so you might as where go to school."

Dixon sighed and turned to face the front, he moved the gear shift into first gear and started down the driveway. He drove silently towards West Beverly High, but he would be damn if he would allow it to contiune to go on. "Are you mad at me for some reason?" He asked in a confused hurt voice.

Annie remained silent.

Dixon looked at his sister and found her body langague was screaming "leave me the hell alone. If you even think of trying to calm me down, than you are in for some sorry ass womping." He turned back to face the road. He pulled into the packed parking lot. He drove until he found the empty space next to Silver's car. "Would it help to say I'm sorry for whatever I did to piss you off?" He turned to look at his sister. What he saw truly shocked him to the core.

Annie had gone white as a ghost. She was shaking. She looked like she wanted to scream and cry. He reached over and touched her shoulder, she jerked away and the door opened in. If she hadn't been wearing her seat belt than she would have fallen from the car. She jerked back into the car, and jerked the seatbelt off of her. She was out of the car without bothering with her backpack. "Annie," Dixon leaned across the passanger seat and watched his sister rush towards the school.

Leaning back in his own seat, he sighed as he opened his own door. Dixon got out of the car and walked around to the passanger side. Leaning in he gathered up his sister's stuff, along with his own. He shut the door and made sure the car was locked, he had too met Silver. Perhaps she would be able to get through to Annie, he sure wasn't going to be the person too.

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"Hey baby," Silver said with a huge smile as she stood to her feet. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to her, she kissed him full on the mouth. Their tongues in each other's mouth as natural as if they were created to be.

Dixon dropped both backpacks onto the ground next to him, and he gathered his girl more into him. Deepening the kiss, he never wanted to part from her. Too hell with air supply. He belonged in Silver's arms with her essence coarsing though his body, through his soul.

Silver was the one who pulled away, it was always this way. He never wanted out of the moment, but she always did. Usually because they were out of air supply. But, he never wanted to ended the connection he had with this amazing woman in his arms.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Her hands cupped his checks, and he read the concern in her blue eyes. She leaned forward and gently kissed each of his eyes.

His concerns came rushing back to him, there was more important things than being in Silver's arms, feeling her love wash over him. He let his love for this girl move back into it's proper place. Sighing, he stepped away from his girl. He laced his fingers through hers as they walked over to the bench where she had gotten up from. "It's Annie," Was all he could say before he lost his voice.

"What's wrong?" Silver turned fully to face him, keeping her hand in his. She studied her boyfriend's profile. "Dixon...."

"I don't know what's the matter, she was fine last night. Mom said she was trying to get out of coming to school. She didn't want to take my offered ride, but dad was in the room also, she never said she was going to go with him. I stopped her at the front door and found out that she planned on walking. I had to force her into the car. She was silent all the way too school, she won't tell me if she's mad at me or not. When we arrived and parked next to your car, she totally freaked out." Dixon shook his head.

"What do you mean totally freaked out?" Silver asked her eyes widening. She knew Annie was into drama, and was a total drama queen, but she never seen or even heard about Annie Wilson freaking out before. Her heart began to beat quickly.

Dixon had turned to face his girlfriend when he started to talk. "I mean she was white as a ghost. If it was possible I could have seen through her. She was shaking though out her body. When I reached out to touch her, she jerked away so fast - as if I was too strike her. She would have fallen out of the car if her seatbelt hadn't been buckled around her. As it was she couldn't unbuckle fast enough. She was running towards the school at top speed when I last saw her."

"You didn't go after her?" Silver asked in confusion.

Dixon shook his head, "She doesn't need her brother, I don't know if I did anything to truly upset her, or not, Silver, but this one time, I am not the one to comfort Annie."

Silver could tell that it broke Dixon's heart that he couldn't be there for his adopted sister. She had all ready seen how close Dixon and Annie were from the first moment she saw the family picture in the paper. Weeks before the Wilson's moved back to Beverly Hills. At least Mr. Harry Wilson moved back. "What can I do?" She gently asked putting her head on his shoulder.

"Be there for her. Don't try to force her to confide in you. She'll push you away faster than you can swing your head. Once that happens there will be no way getting back in. " Dixon softly said as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist to pull her closer to him. "She's very fragile underneath all her cheerfulness. She will try to hide her feelings behind her acting, but it's all an act. " He felt Silver run her hand down his check. "Just be there for her."

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Silver walked over to Annie who was facing the inside her locker. She leaned against the closed locker next to her best friend. "Hey." She said in a gentle voice.

Annie swung around and slammed the locker shut. "Get away." She sneered as she pushed past Silver and stormed down the hall. Silver stood straight and watched her walk away, with mouth open.

"Do I even have to ask?" A female voice said from behind her.

"I didn't do anything." She said turning to face her older half sister, Kelly, "Dixon just said that Annie is having a rough day is all."

Kelly had watched the scene from down the hall and she knew that Silver was truly concerned for her friend. She had seen her sister's face before speaking a word to Annie. She was nonplussed when she watched Annie Wilson swing around and speak to her sister, just the mere second that she had ... she read the hurt, confusion, anger, pain that was in Annie's face.

"Look, Kel, I have to get to first mod. If I'm late again, than I'll ....." Silver shrugged her shoulders as she hugged her books even closer to her chest. She saw the look in Kelly's face. "Look, all Dixon asked me to do is be there for her. Not to force her into confiding in me." She backed away from her sister, "I have it under control."

"Do you?" Kelly asked reaching out to stop her sister from leaving.

"You are going to make me late." Silver said with a sigh as she stopped.

"Won't be the first time." Kelly said. "I just want to make sure that you are all right, is all." She tilted her head to the right. "About Annie's ..."

"Stop Kelly, just stop nick picking everything." Silver frowned darkly. "If I need any advice on this situation, than I know that I can come to you. But right now all anyone needs to know is that Annie Wilson is just having a off day. Everyone is allowed one of those once and a while. It's normal."

Kelly sighed. "Of course."

"Don't bring this up with Mr. Wilson, either." Silver said looking quickly around. "Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are bright people, they don't need an outsider telling them what their child is feeling."

"We are quite aware of Annie's moods right now, Silver." Harry said walking up from behind Silver. Blue eyes wide with shock staring at her sister. Kelly nodded and Silver slowly turned around to face Harry. "Mr. Wilson, sir, I didn't mean to apply."

"You didn't apply anything, Silver." Harry said with a kind smile. "I had a feeling that Dixon would clue you in at some point." He frowned. "I see that the situation is even more series that Debbie and I first thought." Sighing, "Usually after a talk with her brother, Annie, is right as rain again. I see this is more to do than with some boy, or a play." He looked at Silver closely, "You are truly the only one who can perhaps get Annie through this, Silver, whatever it is."

"I'll do my best, sir." Silver could only say, Harry nodded and left the two half sisters.

"Here's the pass." Kelly handed her sister the late pass. "I'll see you in the halls." She watched as her younger sister walked towards her first mod class. The one she shared with Annie. She just prayed that Silver knew the right words to get through to Annie.

END CHAPTER ONE