Starting Over
Disclaimer - I only own Anna, Elizabeth, Brianna, Jason, Anna's
parents, Kalie, and Zigzag's mother.
Chapter
5
Anna awoke the next day at 6:30 in the morning. It was still dark, but lamp-posts lit the street outside her bedroom window, and she could see it was still snowing. Lightly. The snow from last night had left huge drifts between her and Ricky's house, as well as everyone else's. This sucked. She'd never get out to see him today! Anna frowned and rolled out of bed. She peeled off her shorts and camisole P.J. set and changed into jeans and a vintage yellow tee with an orange on it that had a bright green leaf. She shrugged at her reflection before brushing her hair and grabbing a thin slightly cropped white zip-up hoodie. She brushed her teeth before clomping down the stairs.
To her surprise Jason was already up, leaning over a bowl of cereal at the kitchen table. "Hey, Jase." she yawned.
Jason looked up and grunted what Anna made out to be a , "Hello."
She made her way to the fridge and grabbed a carton of milk, pouring hersef a glass before taking a seat at the table. "So, what are you planning to do today?" Jason asked suddenly.
Anna shrugged. "I au'no." she replied tiredly. "I should be sleeping right now. But I couldn't sleep."
Jason nodded understandingly. "Me too." he admitted.
Anna rolled her head around a few times before fixing her gaze on a spot of something putty-coloured on the linoleum ceiling. "How goes it with Mari?" she asked out of the blue.
Jason eyes her warily. "Alright...why?...Is something wrong wit you and Ricky?"
"No, no," Anna sighed. "Well, not really."
"Spill, Anna." Jason ordered.
Anna took a deep breath. "Well, today he has a friend coming to visit him. Today. From Camp Green Lake. You know, that detention center he was sent to?" Jason nodded.
"Yeah, and..."
"I guess- I guess I'm kind of worried that he'll ignore me for this friend. You know, or like, treat me differently. Rather it be way nicer or meanly."
Jason scratched his head. "Look babe, Ricky won't do that. Trust me. He won't. He'll treat you the same, and if he doesn't, I'll kick his sorry texas-accented ass."
Anna cocked her head to the side and smiled. "Thanks, Jase." she replied, patting him on the back before retreating to the basement to play 'Mario Party 7' on her Game Cube. Hours passed, at least 4 or 5, before anyone else came down to the basement.
"SHIIIIIT!" Anna screeched. She had gotten killed by a bomb when the noise from the opening door distracted her.
"Anna!" her father scolded. "What that language, baby!"
Anna whipped around. "Christ! Sorry, daddy. What's up?"
"Phone for you, dear." he responded, holding on the cordless phone. Anna took it and padded across the fake hard-wooded floor to a laz-y-boy armchair. Once she was settled she put the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hey baby girl. How's it going?"
"Oh, hey Ricky." she smiled.
"What's going on?" Ricky asked.
"Not much, I WAS playing 'Mario Party 7'." Anna quipped sarcastically.
"Oh, sorry Anna. Did we interrupt you?" he mocked her playfully.
"Shut up. Who's we?"
"Me, and Sq- Alan."
"Sq-Alan? Nice name..." Anna scoffed.
"Oh come on, Anna."
"Whaaaat?" she whined.
Ricky laughed on the other line. "We're on speaker phone, baby girl. Alan is here."
"Oh..hey Ricky's friend."
"Hey, Ricky's girl friend." came the other deep voice.
Anna could here Ricky punch the guy on the arm. "Shut up man!" he whispered harshly. "Anyways, Ann. Wanna come hang out with us?"
Anna looked up out her basement window. "Sorry, Ricky. I don't think I could get over there. Have you looked outside yet?"
Anna could here Ricky shaking his head. "Go look." she told him. He did and came back.
"What if we came to you?" he asked.
"Um, just a sec." Anna said before jumping up and going upstairs.
"Mum, can Ricky and his friend come over?" she asked.
Sophia, who had been in the kitchen feeding Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, sweetie. If they can get here."
Anna bolted downstairs and picked up the phone. "Yeah, sure! Come over. If you have an extra Game Cube controller bring that, we can play three-on-three."
"Okay. Will do, see ya later." Ricky said before clicking off.
Anna clicked off and went over to the couch and stretched out, nestling her head in her arms and promptly falling asleep on the couch. She was out for a good hour. When she finally came to she gave a cooing yawn and rolled over onto her back. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and fell off the couch. A few bodies were in the room too. She looked up and saw Jason, Ricky, and the boy who must've been Alan. She crawled over to Ricky and crawled into his lap. He looked at his friend and shrugged. "This is Anna." he said, running his hand through her hair. Anna groggily raised her head and sat up.
"Heyhowy'alldoin'?" she slurred tiredly.
Ricky bent down 'til he was face-to-face with her. "Anna? You okay?"
Anna nodded. "YeahI'vejust...been up since 5:30-6:30. I'm deathly tired. But I'm glad you guys are here." she crawled out of Ricky's lap and slid over the floor to the chair where Alan was sitting.
"Hi. I'm Anna." she smiled and shook his hand.
He cocked an eyebrow at her but smiled. "I'm Alan."
Anna slowly stood up, steadying herself with Alan's wrist. "I'm bored." she whined, teetering. Eventually she flopped onto the couch and gazed at the TV screen while attempting to braid Ricky's hair.
"Ann?" he asked.
"Mmhmm?" she asked absently.
"You're hurting me."
"Sorry." she replied, letting go of his hair and sitting up.
"It's okay." he replied. Anna slid down and sat next to him. He snaked an arm around her waist.
Jason coughed awkwardly. "Yeah...so...uhm...what does everyone want to do today?" he asked.
Anna shifted around a bit an thought. Suddenly a great idea came to her. "Well, since it's not still snowing and since there are lots of snow drifts and stuff...I WANNA GO PLAY IN THE SNOW WITH YOU GUYS!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining as if she was 6 years old again.
Ricky eyed her warily. "Why?" he asked.
Anna shrugged. "I donno, really. I just feel like doing something...welll, I'm not sure what the word is, but I really want to. Please?" she begged, making her eyes glaze over as she looked from Ricky to Jason.
After five minutes of arguing, Anna won. "Fine. Whatever, Anna." Jason sighed. His little sister could be so annoying when she wanted to get her way.
About an hour later they were all ready to go. Anna wore one of Jason's big black parkas. The fur-trimmed hood covered over half her face, so all you could see was her mouth, and a pair of black ski-pants were pulled over her jeans and she had on purple and black snow boots. Jason wore a red one in the same style, but it fit him perfectly, and navy blue ski-pants with his red and navy snow boots. Ricky wore an army green puffy parka, similar to Anna and Jason's, black ski/splash-pants, and navy blue snow boots he borrowed from Jason. Alan was wearing a navy-blue puffy jacket (not parka..think those marshmallow jackets), hunter green ski-pants, and a pair of Jason's old navy and hunter green snow boots. Everyone was wearing a pair of Jason's or Anna's dad's thick black mittens. They had many of the same kind. Once everyone was dressed Anna turned to evaluate the situation. Her eyes were sparkling like a child's, and her smile was wide, spreading across her face. "We all look so silly." she giggled, opening the door. Everyone tumbled out into the snow.
Jason trudged over to where the garage stood and took Anna's hand and helped her over. She was the only one small enough to squeeze down between the wall of snow and the garage door. She slipped inside and began to toss out old crazy carpets. After there were about 3 crazy carpets and a long wooden toboggan, she climbed back out, a huge grin STILL plastered across her delicate features. "Ready to go, Ann?" Jason asked, helping her back out. Anna nodded and grunted as she heaved herself up beside her brother, boyfriend, and his friend.
"Yes! Come on!" she cried, grabbing the toboggan and tripping down the mound of snow. She was out in the middle of the slushy, snowy street when the boys were still ambling down the mound. "COME ON! COME ON COME ON COME ON!" she screeched happily, jumping up and down.
Ricky smiled and shook his head. Anna was so hyper. He wondered where she got it, the rest of her family was quite calm, most of the time. "We're coming, Anna. We're coming." Anna giggled and walked onto the sidewalk.
When the boys finally reached Anna, Alan walked over to her. "Where are we going, anyway?" he asked.
Anna shrugged. "I don't know, do you guys want to go to the golf course or the park?" she asked, eyes gleaming.
"What has the best hills?" Ricky asked.
"Not sure,...the park does, I think. Doesn't it Jase?" Anna asked thoughtfully.
Jason nodded assuringly. "Yep. C'mon, Ann. I'll race ya!" he exclaimed. All four teenagers began racing towards the park.
And that's how they spent the rest of their winter break, sledding and hanging out in Anna's basement. A few days later Alan returned home and a few days after that Anna and Ricky started school again. Ricky was put in Anna's grade for the year of school he had missed. She was happy to have a friend again. The school year flew by quickly, and soon it was summer...
----June 27th, 2006----
"Oh come on, Ricky! A C is pretty good! I got a D in math!" Anna cried as she walked backwards, throwing her arms up, her report card in her right hand, as she and Ricky walked across the school lawn.
Ricky ran one hand through his shiney blond shag (he had it cut a slight bit and thinned). "Ahh, I know, Anna, I know. But I could've done better!"
Anna rolled her eyes. "Oh come off it, Ricky," she smiled. "I could've too, but you don't see me complaining. No. I'm just happy I passed-even if it was barely- because it's SUMMER BABY!" Anna squealed, breaking into a run. Ricky shoved his report card hastily into his back pocket and tore off after her. Anna let out a loud squeal as she tried to get away from him. Too late. He tackled her and they fell to the ground. He reached out and smoothed down her silky brown shoulder length hair with a smile. Ricky leaned over and kissed Anna. She kissed him back. When they broke apart she sat up on her elbows and looked at him. "We should get going home, mum will be worried." she told him with a sly smile.
Ricky nodded. "Yeah," he chuckled. "Let's go." he hopped up and grabbed Anna's hand, and, not letting go, helped her up too. Together they walked down the sidewalk. Trees with apple blossoms line on either side of it, making the air smell sweet. Anna reached up and tried to grab a tuft of blossoms, but pouted when she couldn't reach. Ricky noticed and broke it off for her, placing it behind her ear. Anna grinned and took his hand and pulled him along the sidewalk at a fast pace.
Later that day they were sitting on Anna's rickety back porch railing, eating Cherry Popsicles and watching Elizabeth roll around on a fuzzy pink blanket. Anna licked a drop of popsicle from her lips and turned to Ricky. "So, what are you doing this summer?" she asked.
Ricky shrugged. "Nothing. I'm staying 'round here for the entire three months, and you?"
Anna broke into a smile. "ME TOO! I mean, we are too." she giggled, kicking the board beneath her feet.
Ricky grinned. "Sweet."
Anna nodded. "I know, oh- Oh Lizzie! Don't-Ew...Lizzie, no!" she squealed, going to grab her sister who was walking around in a pile of dog crap from their other neighbour's dog.
Anna's tiny nose scrunched up. Elizabeth giggled. "Hehehehehe!" she cooed.
"Oh, Elizabeth." Anna sighed, dropping her popsicle and picking the baby up from under her arms. Ricky shoved his hands in his pockets and ambled over.
"What'd she d- ewww. That stinks!" he cried, covering his nose.
Anna frowned. "I know, and what sucks is the house is locked 'cause Jase is with Mari, Brianna is out with her friends, and mum and dad are still at work! We can't even get inside to give her a bath!"
Ricky thought for a moment. "Hmm..we could use the old tin tub in my basement and give her a bath in the front yard...and after we can put her in some of Kalie's old baby clothes...if you want, I mean."
Anna beamed up at him. "Yes! Good idea, let's go!"
They left Kalie to watch Elizabeth on the front lawn while together they dragged the tub up the steep stairs and out the door. Anna quickly stripped the baby down, and Kalie ran inside. Anna laughed and grabbed the hose. Ricky watched the baby while she turned the water on and filled the tub. After about 20 minutes they were done. Anna wrapped her sister in a towel and carried her up to Ricky's room while he went to find some old baby clothes. Minutes later he returned.
"Okay Ann. It's either this," he said, holding up a sleeveless pink and white stripped baby onesie with a solid pink skirt attached. "Or this," he finished, holding out a plain white eyelet onesie.
"Umm...the white one, please."
He tossed her the white one. Anna pulled a clean diaper from her rucksack she carried while watching Elizabeth, put it on, then slid the baby into the onesie. She giggled and Anna picked her up. "Ready to go?" Ricky asked, taking her free hand. Anna nodded and they headed outside.
"Where do you want to go?" she asked.
Ricky shrugged and nodded at the lush green lawn. "Wanna hang here?"
Anna smiled. "Yeah, yeah sure just a se- Oh! Mum and Dad are home, be right back!" she cried, dashing across the lawn, Elizabeth in hand. She gave the baby back to her mum before running back to Ricky. "Yeah, let's just lay on the grass."
They layed down on the grass.
"I'm so glad school's over." Anna sighed happily, picking a few blades of grass out and trying to tie them together but failing. Miserably.
Ricky smiled at her and laced their hands together. "Me too. I don't think I could take much more of that place."
Anna smiled. "It was better than last year." she admitted, her voice sad.
"Yeah, digging holes sucked major ass." he told her.
Anna giggled quietly. "Yeah, and I didn't get ridicu- you know what? Never mind."
"No, what was it?" Ricky asked, turning his head in the grass to look at her.
Anna sighed. "Remember how I told you when you first came home 'bout how I always got teased because 'my bodyguard'-that's what they called you behind our backs- wasn't there?"
He nodded with a serious look on his face. "Yeah.."
"It was worse than that. Way worse."
"Like how?"
Anna took a deep breath and nervously twirled a string of hair around her fingers with her free hand. "Well, they would ridicule me relentlessly because- well, that's not important- but, they'd do stuff like drop my books in the toilets and put food in my chair, you know, all those stupid pranks supposedly 'popular' people do to the supposed 'geeks' on TV shows? I got all of that. Every goddamn day. One time I was even riding my bike and one girl and a few guys just stuck their feet out. Since I was watching where I was going I didn't notice. I flew over the handle bars, got banged up, had to have stitches and all that. My jaw even almost broke. I was so happy when you came back. Not just for that to stop, but because you were my one and only friend." she drew in a sharp breath, trying not to cry from remembering the terrible year.
Ricky was just staring at her. He reached out and brushed away some hair that she was trying to blow back. "Shh. It's okay now. I just don't get what would make someone do something so terrible to someone like you." he said softly.
Anna sucked in another sharp breath. "I- it...it was...it was well, I don't remember. They moved away." she finished hastily.
Ricky raised an eyebrow. He didn't believe it for a minute. But one thing he DID know, was Anna knew how he'd react -beating the crap out of the person/people who did this to her- and she was too nice to hurt anyone. Even if they hurt her first. "Okay." he said.
Anna scrunched up her face. They hadn't moved away, they were only expelled. They went to the school down the street from Anna and Ricky's. She knew Ricky didn't believe her, but she didn't want to make a big deal out of it since, well, he's right. She's lying. Anna sighed and rolled her head back and forth a few times. She sat up and let go of Ricky's hand. She smoothed out the wrinkles in black Soffe cheerleading short shorts (an - I have a pair..they're sooo comfy) and rubbed her hands up and down her smooth, tanned legs. In the distance she heard the neighbourhood Ice-Cream truck. Her eyes lit up like a 5 year old's. She shot up, straightened out her bright red tank top and jumped around. "What're you doing?" Ricky asked, slowly rising from the ground. Anna turned around and grinned like an idiot.
"ICE CREAM TRUCK!" she screeched, digging into her ratty black converse low-tops for the toonie she put in there that morning.
"Still?" Ricky asked with a laugh, referencing to Anna's habit of storing money in her shoes.
Anna giggled and nodded. Just then the ice cream truck creaked it's way around the corner and Anna dragged Ricky over to it. "Hi, what can I get you?" the bored acne-ridden teen attendant asked.
Anna gazed at the menu. "Um, Hagen Daaz...cherry filled nut-coated vanilla ice-cream...on a stick." she told him. She handed him her money and he handed her the ice-cream.
Ricky ordered a vanilla ice-cream cone. They walked back to Anna's front porch. Brianna was standing on it, feeding Elizabeth her bottle. "Bwawana!" she squealed, flapping her chubby legs, trying to get down. Brianna groaned and set the little girl onto the soft rainbow pastel-coloured baby blanket that was at their feet. Bwawana was Elizabeth's way of saying 'Anna'. It was her first and only word so far. Anna smiled widely as she and Ricky advanced towards them.
"Hey kids, what're you guys doing tonight?" Brianna asked, picking Elizabeth up to stop her attempts to escape onto the lawn.
Anna shrugged and looked up and Ricky, who shrugged at Brianna. "Donno."
"Well, you should double-date to the movies with Tyler and I. We're going to go see that new movie with all the english accented kids in it."
Anna and Ricky both wrinkled their noses. Double-date with your sister? Double-date with your girlfriend's sister? Noooooo thanks.
"Uhm, no offence Bri...but, um...no. Sorry, we're...going to the park."
Brianna rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever...just...take the baby with you."
"What the hell! It's Jason's turn to baby sit!" Anna complained sulkily.
Brianna nodded. "I know, but, unfortunately, he took off with Mari this morning. I think they were headed up to the camp."
"He's taking HER to OUR camp?" Anna pouted. She didn't like Mari much. At all. Actually, she could barely stand her nowadays.
Brianna smirked. "Sorry, babe." she said before turning to go inside. Anna gathered the baby blanket in her arms and she and Ricky followed.
"I just don't get it why they wou-" Anna's mum was saying into the phone when they entered the kitchen. "Oh, hey kids- Betsy I'll have to call you back." she said, clicking off.
"Hey, mum." Anna yawned as she and Ricky slumped down into two kitchen chairs.
"Hello, Anna. Hello, Ricky."
"Hey." Ricky replied.
Sophia took a seat on the chair opposite them. "So, you kids got any plans tonight?"
Anna and Ricky glanced at each other then they both shook their heads. "No..." Anna told her mum slowly.
Sophia ruffled her own thick black hair. "Well, would you mind walking over to that dry cleaners on Main Street to pick up my dry cleaning and then going to that diner-Mick's-across the street and picking us all up some dinner?"
Anna raised one of her dark eyebrows. "Why can't you or dad do it?" she asked.
Sophia wrung her hands out. "Oh, we would dear, but that thick headed son of mine took the car."
"Oh. Um, well...yeah, can Ricky stay for dinner too?"
Sophia nodded. "Sure. Ricky, sweetheart you're welcome to stay if you like."
"Thank you." he said.
"Okay, so we better get going." Anna chuckled, standing up and accepting money from her mum. She shoved it in her pocket and Ricky took her hand as they walked out the door.
"God, it's so far awaaaaay." Anna moaned.
"Oh come on, Ann. We walked all the way to Blockbuster-which is even further-back during christmas break!"
Anna and Ricky both smiled, remembering that night. "Yeah, I guess so. C'mon, let's go."
About an hour later the teens arrived at the dry cleaners. They left with Ricky holding the dry cleaning. Ricky and Anna then headed to the diner across the street and ordered a family sized greek pasta salad, some cold cut meat subs, and fried chicken to go. "Mmm. This smells SOOOOO good." Anna exclaimed, sniffing the box she was carrying under her arm. Ricky nodded in agreement.
"It sure does."
About half way home there was a playground they had to cross. They were almost across when a group of 5 or 6 kids appeared from behind the slide. They were all stoned. At first Anna didn't recognize them. She did soon enough, though, and her grip on Ricky's hand tightened considerably. He glanced down at his girlfriend. Anna had gone considerably pale.
"Well well well, looks like your bodyguard came back for ya, Anna-banana. Oh, and it looks like- oh my, you're together now! How cuuuute!" one skanky girl with yellow-blonde hair and chunky red and blue highlights scoffed as they got closer. Anna's face scrunched up.
"Shut up." she mumbled.
One of the guys stepped forward. "To bad you're back." he looked Ricky up and down, then he laughed. Ricky stepped in front of the guy. Ricky, who was 6'4 towered above the boys 5'5 frame. Anna tugged on his hand.
"C'mon, Rick. Forget them- let's go back to my house, mum'll be wondering where we are." she said softly, tugging her boyfriend away from her tormentors.
"Anna-" he began once they were far enough away. "Where those the people who-"
Anna started to walk faster. "Maybe. You know what-forget it. It doesn't matter anymore."
Ricky followed her quickly, glancing back at the group of kids staring after them menacingly.
