Chapter Eight

Predicament

It hadn't worked. I looked around me bemused forgetting how I had ended up on the floor. The dull ache in my jaw reminded me, I played it back in my mind it was more dream like than anything else. I got shakily to my feet and began to walk out of the park. I got to the gate and saw Owen, but he wasn't alone - Sophie was with him. They looked deep in conversation and I wondered what it could be about. I know I couldn't claim Owen as my own anymore and what he did was none of my business anymore but still, it was only natural for me to feel a little jealous after everything, wasn't it?

I walked over trying to act casual, Owen saw me and walked away, didn't even say hello to me. Sophie gave me a wry smile and began to walk over to me.

"Hi, Annabel." She said. "I just want to thank you for what you did for me."

"Don't worry about it." I replied

"I'm sorry" she said "Not just about what Will did to you, but about you and Owen as well. I didn't know me and will would have that effect."

"He told you?" I asked gob smacked.

"Yeah, he's really upset he misses you. Anyway see you around Annabel."

She walked away then it was just me. I walked home morosely. I don't think I'd ever felt pain like it. It crippled me. When I got home, my mum was waiting for me all smiles. I couldn't tell her about it, not now, not yet. I went up to my room and flung myself down on my pillows.

It was late when I opened my eyes I knew that much. I looked at the clock at the side of me it flashed 12.30 am. I went downstairs the television was on and I went to turn it off until I realised that my dad was still up watching the history channel; how long could that man stay up?

"Annabel, hi" a smile spread across his face when he saw me. Maybe he thought I was actually going to join him, but I couldn't, not tonight, not at all, it would just remind me too much of the past and that was something I couldn't slip back into.

"Hi, dad." I mumbled

"Come join me?" He asked, patting the seat beside him

"Umm.... You know dad I'm tired, I only came down for a drink of water. What is it that you're watching?"

"It's about the rise Hitler took from chancellor to dictator. It's interesting. You should join me. Our ancestors made history Annabel, the least we can do is honour what they did."

"Dad, that sounds really interesting but I'm so tired I really just want a drink of water and then I want to go to bed."

"Okay Hun." He said sounding disappointed.

I walked into the kitchen for my glass of water that I didn't even want or need. I took it upstairs to my room, I wasn't alone, sitting on the bed was Whitney. She looked upset and I wondered what was wrong with her this second. I sat down on the bed beside her and she just cried, she didn't tell me what was wrong but I chose not to ask, we may not be a close family but we do know each other well. Whitney would tell me in time if she felt like it. After her crying fit she merely got up and walked to her room; this was unusual usually she'd at least thank me I didn't see the point of following her though. My eyes became heavier and I found that I couldn't keep my head from drooping down, down into the pillow and I couldn't keep my eyes from closing slowly, ever so slowly.

A bright flash outside my window woke me up, confused I walked towards it but nothing was there, well it was light out maybe that's what woke me up but it was a sudden change wasn't it? As I tried to turn away I couldn't, I couldn't move my feet. It was like I was stuck there for some reason; this was weird. As I tried to move I saw Owen, Owen my angel, striding briskly across my lawn, considering we didn't really have a lawn this was strange. What was he doing here, wandering across towards my house as he walked the grass grew greener if that was possible then I noticed he was carrying someone up to my door. Oh, my god was someone hurt? I had to answer the door. But as I looked, he was transforming becoming thinner. His face was becoming less defined and skinnier. His walk was changing only slightly and as he walked so was the scene it was dark again and my attention turned towards the trees that had just appeared, they were dark and foreboding almost beckoning me to come outside. The body he was carrying was also changing it was becoming longer the hair changing colour, to my colour. The face to my face, it was me but then who was he? It had begun to rain now, making his hair stick to his face. Suddenly he threw his head back and looked straight up to me.

"Annabel it's me!" screamed Will Cash.

I woke with a start that was some dream. I was shaking so badly it was untrue. I needed to call Owen I needed to tell him. I needed comfort, and then I remembered Owen wouldn't want to comfort me now. He wanted nothing to do with me. That was clear when he walked away from me. No matter what he told Sophie, if he wanted to stay friends with me at the very least he would have waited. I looked at the clock it was just gone 9.30 am. Well, at least I'd slept through the night.

I got up at 10.00 am it was a Sunday after all and I deserved a lie-in. I brushed my teeth and threw some old sweats on. I put my hair up, I didn't use a rush though what was the point? No one was going to see me so to me it didn't matter. The phone rang and I answered it, I had no choice really I was closest to it.

"Hello," I said down the receiver

"Hi, umm, is this Annabel Greene?" the voice asked uncertainly, where had I heard that voice before.

"Who wants to know?" I asked cautiously

"Sophie,"

"Oh, yeah it is. Hi, Sophie. Not to sound rude or anything but what do you want?"

"Umm well, I was talking to Owen before and he was telling me how much he misses you so I've invited him to Bendo and I want you to be there too because I'm gunna make up for what happened between me and you and I'm going to get you back together."

"Sophie… I don't know. I don't see the point. What if he doesn't want to know?"

"Annabel Greene, resistance is futile. You will come, you will dance with Owen Armstrong, your eyes will meet, your lips will touch and you will have me to thank. Now get dressed I'm outside your house."

The line went dead. I ran to the door and sure enough, she was there.

"Hi, do you wanna come in and wait for me?"

"Well, I wouldn't but you look like you need a lot of help getting ready look at the state of you. No offence but this is going to take a while."

"Okay," I said, "Let's get started."

I took her up to my room. It was different since she last saw it. I think she noticed all the pictures of me and her had been ripped off the wall but if she did, she didn't comment.

"Right, where's all of your make-up"

"Umm, I don't have much but shouldn't we get me dressed first? I mean if this could be a big night for me and Owen I need good clothes don't I?""Yeah, okay, take me to your wardrobe."

She stood there in front of my wardrobe, making strange faces. Finally, she found something she approved of; a low slung too and a mini-skirt, long buried under my heaps of jeans and t-shirts.

"You want me to wear them?" I asked

"Yeah," She answered. "It'll make you look good."

"Okay" I mumbled. I put them on and they looked okay so I kept them.

I looked over and she was digging through my make up case just like old times I suppose.

"Right, I've found these." As she said this, she tipped the contents of my make-up bag onto my bed. She sat me on the chair in front of my dresser and began to make me up. She started with the foundation; it blended straight into my skin tone when she applied it, so why did it make me look like an idiot when I did it? Then she moved onto the eyeliner, she applied it evenly across both lids top and bottom and made it fade at the edges; it looked really good. Then she started with the lipstick; bright red. It was a bit too bold for my liking but I thought if it would make me look good for Owen then I'd wear it. Sophie left me to do my own hair claiming that she had to get ready herself. I decided to straighten it because Owen always commented on my hair when it was straight he liked it like that. I put on my black high heeled shoes, and just waited. I didn't eat for the whole day I was that nervous. It finally came to five o'clock and Sophie text me saying to go to Bendo, they were already there apparently.

It didn't take me long to get there I drove and parked up outside. I straightened my outfit and opened the door. It took me a while to find Owen, but when I did I didn't like what I saw. He was extremely busy, so very busy lip locking with Sophie.