I do not own American Horror Story: Freakshow.
I doubt Ryan Murphy would even recognize it now.
Wherever You Are
Moving In and Moving On
Yawn.
"It's too late to drive back tonight. You should just stay here."
"Sam's at home."
And she felt an irritation she couldn't name begin to rise.
"Sam should be here."
Begin to form.
"I'm sorry."
Where everything had been okay before.
"No, that's not what I mean."
And then the full and complete knowledge, understanding, and statement presented itself as if it had always been there just waiting for her to sit up and take notice.
"He should be here. You should be here. We should be here together."
Boulder.
All the way to Denver?
"Well, we should be somewhere together. All three of us."
Patrick watched her, as if waiting for her to finally say it.
"Patrick, let's move in together."
The man before her seemed like he wanted to smile but wasn't ready.
Hazel eyes alert and questioning.
"Really?"
"Yes. Boulder. Denver. Westminister, I don't know."
She was rambling now, messing the whole thing up, but . . .
"I want us to have a place together. All the time. I want us to live together."
She paused.
"Do you?"
And finally, finally, as if he had decided it were okay, Patrick smiled.
"Yes."
Annabel felt her heart hammering.
"After graduation?"
"Okay."
And then she threw herself joyfully into his arms.
"Yay!"
So that was kind of it.
She and Patrick were going to live together.
As in, together, together.
As in, a couple.
The two of them.
And Sam.
They would pay bills together and eat meals together and come home to each other.
Like a couple.
She was really, really excited about it.
And also . . .
I wonder if I should keep my old apartment just for when I'm on my period.
. . . a little trepidatious as well.
"Oh my god, you're moving in together?!"
Annabel nodded over her cinnamon roll.
Jenny's face was a myriad of emotions and opinions.
"Are you going to get married?!"
Annabel shrugged, feeling her face turning red.
"I don't know. We didn't really get that far in the conversation."
And she feeling stupider by the second.
"Well, you know," Jenny stated with all the authority of someone who's never experienced a long term relationship in her entire life. "Once you live together, he's going to start wanting to control your entire life."
What?
"Patrick's a good guy, I know," Jenny continued unabated. "But he's a guy. They can't even help it. They're genetically indisposed to want to control and dominate."
The hell?
"So when's the move?"
Annabel's mouth flopped open and closed like a fish for a second before she found her voice.
"Uh, after graduation."
Jenny stirred her coffee.
"You need help moving?"
Annabel, a little dazed, found her head shaking a no response.
"No?"
Jenny nodded in relief.
"Good. I don't like manual labor."
"So I've decided it's time to buy a new car."
Am I talking to Patrick now? Hello, operator?
"Really?"
Patrick pause.
"Yeah, well, used. But new to me."
Patrick? Is this Patrick?
"Wow. Big step."
Another pause. It was his thing.
"Yeah. My car's on its last legs and I don't want to get stuck on the side of the road again."
Yeah, unfortunate that was after a midnight viewing of Creepshow.
"Wow! That's awesome, Patrick!"
Pleased pause.
"Would you come with me to pick one?"
Annabel snort.
"I don't know anything intelligent about cars. But I can provide emotional support."
Patrick pause.
"Thank you. That's what I want."
Annabel's devilish side reared its mischievous head and she decided to go with it.
"Oh, well, you know I'll be glad to give you anything you want, Patrick."
And she blushed at the dead silence on the other end of the line.
Oh, I snapped his brain.
But she hadn't.
Not entirely anyway.
"Uh, so, are you available Tuesday?"
She wasn't quite sure how it had happened.
". . . economical . . . very dependable . . ."
But here they were.
". . . fuel injected . . . the hatchback really adds space . . ."
In Patrick's new-well-new-to-him 1977 Volkswagen Rabbit.
Orange.
With leather seats.
All working headlights.
An added radio.
And of course . . .
"Do you think I should get it taken off?"
"No. I think it's cool."
. . . 'Get the Rabbit Habit' decals on full display.
"It was really affordable too. Even for a Hammond's candyman. I think you made a good choice, Patrick."
His smile was hesitant but sly.
"I thought you didn't know anything about cars."
"I don't. But I like it."
Pause.
"Cool."
And that was that.
"So, Sam, what do you think about the car?"
The words were cooed lightly as Annabel knelt on the parking lot pavement before the brown and white terrier.
Gently scratching his ears as he panted happily at her.
Patrick a few feet away, hands stuffed in pockets.
Expression fond and amused.
Scruffy Sam the Sublime stayed put for a moment, presumably for the scratching.
And then padded forward a few paces toward the newly acquired car.
With its fully working headlights.
And freshly washed citrus-colored exterior.
He circumvented the entire thing, sniffing here and there.
Peering intently, it seemed, at this or that.
Before arriving back next to them.
Tongue wagging, eyes beady and bright.
Annabel crossed her arms expectantly.
"Well?"
Scruffy Sam the Sublime looked from her to the car.
Sniffed the rear tire.
Lifted one back leg.
And peed on it.
Annabel felt her mouth drop open.
"Sam!"
Patrick burst into quiet laughter as the dog continued, unconcerned, to smile.
She turned to the homo sapien male, dumbfounded.
"He's usually so well-behaved!"
Patrick, wiping tears from his cold face, nodded.
"Yeah, he is."
Why aren't you more annoyed?! He peed on your new car!
"He's just claiming it as his, marking his territory."
O-kay?
"He did the same thing with the old one."
And for the first in their relationship, Annabel found herself edging away as the terrier approached.
"You're not going to pee on me, are you?"
Hope you enjoyed this fun little chapter! :)
Thanks to brigid1318, midnightrebellion86, DinahRay, and autumnrose2010 for reviewing so much!