Winter Freeze
Chapter 6
He wanted to murder her. He honestly did. There was nothing more he wanted to do than strangle her.
…Other than, like, have his Ipod fixed. Never have been broken.
His bedroom door slammed closed behind him, the only thing keeping the teen from yelling more at his sister and mother. She had been there, his mother. It happened in the living room. Owen had been in there, happily enjoying his Saturday, his mother sitting on the couch with him watching a movie. It was when his sister came into the room though that everything went to hell.
It was simple enough, the problem. She had broken his Ipod. Not killed the battery or cracked the screen. She'd literally broken it. She'd dropped it in the toilet. How that came about, Owen wasn't too certain. The words broken and Ipod kinda set him off.
He yelled at her. No, he literally screamed at her. He had never done anything like that before, not to Mallory, not to his baby sister. Not even when they were kids did he flip out on her so badly. There were times growing up, of course, that she had done the unthinkable. They had shared a room most of their young life so obviously there had been some meltdowns. This one though took the cake.
It was definitely his biggest outburst since the mirror breaking thing. Possibly even bigger. Maybe.
From his room, Owen could hear his sister crying to their mother, no doubt upset that he was so angry with her. There were few times that Owen was honestly angry with his sister. Annoyed, yes. Angry, no. Yet still he couldn't force himself to go out there and apologize. It wasn't his fault, after all. She was the one who had done wrong. She was the one who had broken his Ipod. She deserved to get yelled at. No one ever punished her anymore. They just all let her do whatever the hell she wanted. Well guess what? He doesn't give a damn. She broke something of his. She was lucky all he was doing was yelling at her.
Annabel found him like that sometime later, sitting on the edge of his bed, glaring down at the floor. He had sent her a text, telling her it was urgent. Having had to be let into the house by his mother, she had already heard the whole story and was no doubt not on his side. Owen was ready for some kind of long lecture or something, but instead, Annabel just sat down next to him. After a moment, she slowly reached over and took one off his hands in her own, interlacing their fingers. And so they sat for at least ten minutes, maybe twenty. It was finally Owen that spoke though.
"I can't take it anymore."
"It's okay, Bear."
"I let her borrow it and she fucking-"
"Owen-"
"It has my playlist for tomorrow. Now I have to-"
"I'm sure you have that memorized backwards and forwards. Not to mention, it's very easy to transfer over to a flash drive."
He tossed her hand from his own. "You don't get it. You never get anything."
Sighing as she kicked off her shoes, Annabel then moved to get behind him, on her knees on the bed. Then she wrapped her arms around his from behind.
"Oh, Bear," she sighed, shaking her head before burying it in his back. "I'll buy you a new one."
"I don't want a fucking new one, Annabel," he said through gritted teeth, his proximity to her not able to calm him down for once. "I want-"
"It doesn't matter what you want, Owen. What you want is out. It's gone. The Ipod is broken. That's over. What happens now is that you calm the hell down, apologize to your sister and mother, and then I buy you a new one. Simple."
"You don't-"
"I don't get it, Owen," she finished for him. "I don't get what it's like to not have money, I don't get what it's like to not have both my parents live with me, I don't get what it's like to have a sister dying, I don't get what it's like to be angry, I don't get what it's like to want to punch something. I don't get you, Owen. Fine. If that's what you want, fine. I don't get you."
His head fell forwards again as he looked at his sock clad feet. Then, mumbling, he said, "Can you get me a blue one?"
Annabel pressed her lips against the sweaty skin at the base of his neck. "I'll get you two blue ones if that's what you want."
"I'm grounded."
Annabel paused. "From me?"
"From everything, I think. Except for, like, the radio show and work."
"How'd you pull that off?"
"I didn't. She just said I could still do it. I dunno why. I guess so I wasn't at home all the time. Besides, I did it today without a problem, so I guess she just figures it'll keep me happy."
"Not being grounded would keep you happy."
"She has to punish me I guess."
"So let's see. You're not grounded from work."
"Duh."
"Or Anger Management."
"Nope."
"Or your cell phone?"
"…Maybe she forgot to take it."
"Then really you're just grounded from going out, right?"
"I guess so."
"Then…what about me coming over?"
"I hadn't thought about that."
"Is she home? Can you go ask her?"
"No. After I got home, she grounded me and then took Mallory over to Cam's."
"So you're all alone?"
"Mmmhmm."
"Then, Mr. Honesty, can I come over?"
"I suppose so," he said slowly. Yesterday when she had come over, it had only been for a short while, to calm him down. Once he was calm though, his mother had sent her away, no doubt as punishment. Now though that she had laid out his real punishment and Annabel's name had been left out off it, he figured this wouldn't be too bad an offense.
…Her lying was starting to wear off on him.
"Alright, be there soon. Love you."
Smiling, Owen repeated those words back before hanging up. Then he just laid there for a moment, staring up at his ceiling. Annabel was coming over. Cool. No one was home. They would get to be alone. And they'd probably…
Sitting up suddenly, Owen looked around his room. Yesterday, when she had come over to check on him, there had been no chance of them really doing anything. Now though, there was a major chance of that. He didn't want his room to, like, disgust her or something. What if that made her not want to, you know, have sex with him? That would suck.
Owen jumped up and began to go around his room, cleaning up to the best of his ability. He only had about ten to twenty minutes to spare after all. After he had done all he could, Owen ran to the bathroom to get the air freshener and spray the whole house down. While he was running up and down the stairs doing that, he realized that he kind of didn't smell so great. If they were doing that, smelling good would be a big part of it.
"Shit, shit, shit," Owen complained as he headed back into the bathroom, quickly going to grab his bottle of cologne, trying his hardest not to put too much on. It was a hard thing to get used to, the amount of cologne a guy should use. Very few ever found that perfect balance before the age of twenty. Not that you could tell them that.
He was still running around when he heard a knock at the door. Groaning, he rushed to go answer it, not wanting Annabel to wait out in the cold. It was freezing out, after all. His poor little girlfriend, out there in the cold.
"You look nice."
"Thank you," Annabel said with a smile as her boyfriend opened the door more to let her in. "I just got this jacket."
"It's fuzzy," he told her, not sure how else to compliment it. He knew better than to just ignore it. "Looks warm."
"It is," she assured him, taking her boots off by the door as he closed and locked the door. At the sound of the deadbolt fastening into place, Annabel looked up at him.
"Scared of what's gonna get in? Or me getting out?"
"Neither. Habit."
"Mmmm."
"I'm failing classes," he told her then, heading off to the kitchen to get a soda. He thought if he said it all nonchalantly that she would feel the same way. Apparently not.
"You're what?"
"It's not that big of a d-"
"It is a big deal, Owen Gavin. It's senior year and-"
"Did you just call me by first and middle name?"
She stared at him defiantly. "The time called for it."
"If you were my mother, maybe."
"Gavin."
"Annabel-"
"First son's name. Swear it. With or without you."
Rolling his eyes, Owen popped the tab on his soda before taking a long sip. Then he said, "I'll bring my grades up, Bella. And if I don't, who cares?"
"I care."
Ignoring that, he said, "You want anything?"
"What?"
"Food or something?"
"No, I-"
"Then come on." He nodded towards the staircase. "We can listen to music."
"Of course we can," she said, sarcasm obvious.
"Hey, we could always play Halo," he pointed out. "Or Mario Kart. Or Sonic. Or-"
"Alright, whatever. Let's go listen to music."
"Wise choice."
When they made it to his bedroom, Owen immediately went to his bed, but Annabel stood in the doorway, staring.
"Bored, Bear?"
"Hmmm?"
"You picked up." She paused, taking a sniff. "And it smells…funny in here."
"Just, you know, making stuff clean and shit. For my girl or whatever."
She still stayed in the doorway. "You never have before."
"No true. The first time I invited you over for dinner, I cleaned for hours. I just got…complacent along the way." He wagged his eye brows. "You hear that? Complacent? I think I deserve something for that."
"Like?"
He shrugged as he settled on the bed, sitting up while staring at her. "You choose."
Again, he just got a stare. For a moment anyways. Then she rushed to get into bed with him, closing the door behind her. He laughed at this as she settled in his lap, her arms roped loosely around his neck.
"It's your reward though, Bear," she told him as one of her hand snaked down to press against his chest. "Your choice."
"I don't think you'd like my choice."
"I was expecting your choice."
"Who wouldn't? It's pretty obvious."
"Maybe that's why you're failing stuff. You're too obvious. Too dim."
"You don't even know what I'm failing," he pointed out.
"I know you have to be failing Trig."
"True."
"And…Anatomy?"
"Not true." He ran a hand up her thigh. "You should have known that."
"Believe me, I know everything about that."
"Hey-"
"English? Are you failing that? Did you not read that novel?"
"It's a stupid book. Who wants to read about a bunch of animals taking over a farm?"
"It's symbolism, Owen, between-"
"Blah, blah, blah. You sound like my teacher."
She patted his chest. "Are you failing more classes?"
"Yes."
"Okay." She took a deep breath, thinking. "Are you failing…uh…didn't you take Criminal Justice as an elective?"
He just stared at her. "How was I supposed to know what hearsay was? It's ludicrous."
That got her to wiggle her hips. "Ooh, Bear, you keep using these words, you might actually get a reward."
"I deserve one."
"Not with all these failing grades."
"School's hard," he told her, though he was staring down then, watching her as she continued to shift over him. "I hate it."
"It's not for you."
"It's not. If you looked at my GDP, you'd think I was stupid."
That got her hips to still finally. "Your gross domestic product?"
"What?"
"I think you meant GPA, Bear."
"Then what is a GDP?"
"Don't tell me you're failing economics too."
He shrugged. "Does it matter?"
"Oh, Gavin."
"Stop that." He was stroking her thigh then. "My point was, if you look at my ranking or whatever, you'd think that I was dumb, all 'cause my class rank is so low."
"High, you mean."
"Huh?"
"Low is good. High is bad."
"Maybe I am stupid."
"No," she said slowly, moving to rest her head against his. "You're just not smart. The opposite of smart isn't stupid. You're normal."
"Normal people don't do anything good though."
"Without normal people, there wouldn't be great people." She smiled slightly. "I'm hot, right?"
"The hottest."
"Okay, well, it only makes me hotter, you know, when people see us together. 'cause you're not. See?"
"I don't like your analogies."
"But you get it, right? I'm pretty smart."
"You're pretty," he agreed, holding out on the other considering she had just insulted him.
"And you're…not. So when we're together, I seem highly intelligent. Get it? I'm special, you're normal. If we were all special, then we'd be normal."
"I dunno. Still sounds pretty sucky to me."
"Life is pretty sucky."
"It is."
"I-"
"Can we get back to my reward?"
"You're too eager."
He let out a long breath. "Then can we do something else?"
"Play videogames? No."
"No, not that." He moved to look into her eyes. "If you don't want to have sex, can we at least…do something?"
"Something is very vague." Annabel ran her hand back up his chest, moving her head to nuzzle his neck. "A placeholder. R and R."
"Can you jerk me off?"
"And you just got super not vague."
"I thought that was what you wanted." He pressed a kiss to her neck. "Besides, who knows when Mom and Mallory will get back?"
She let out a soft breath, staring at him. "Guess you're right."
"Always am."
"Explains your failing grades."
"Bella."
She shifted against him again, parting her legs more so that she could rub against him better. "After this, will you watch TV with me?"
"Gladly," he mumbled, more focused on what she was doing rather than what she was saying.
"No matter what show?"
"No m- Wait, what show?"
"It's a marathon of-"
"I don't like marathons. Of anything. Especially the shows you like. Reality TV is stupid."
"You're stupid."
"Hey," he complained. "You just said that I wasn't."
"I lied. I'm a liar. Get used to it."
Growling, he pushed her off him, making her giggle. The he pulled his shirt off before turning on his side and pulling her against his chest.
"Snuggle Bear?"
"That's better than Snoogie," he told her. "Let's get rid of Snoogie."
"You are though. Snoogie Bear." She snuggled against him before reaching down for his zipper. "It's so cold."
"It is," he agreed, wiggling out of his jeans as she pushed them down. "Bella."
"Gavin."
"Annabel-"
"Oh, shush and get me that stupid gel you use."
"Bella-"
"I'm trying to be helpful."
"You have a weird way of being helpful."
""You won't be saying that in a second."
"Oh? And you'll be talking so much?"
"Shockingly enough, Owen, what you do to me is nothing compared to what I do to you."
"How do you figure?"
"Don't question. I'm smarter than you. You wouldn't understand it anyways if I explained."
"Sometimes I feel like you're verbally abusive."
She patted him through his boxers, effectively ending that conversation. "Yeah, I know."
"I can't believe you're grounded."
"It's been happening a lot recently," he told the girl sitting in front of him. "I like your new haircut, by the way."
He and Clarissa had met up in the library once more, the girl once again finding any way she could to hang out with him. Owen had limited most of their hanging out with at school meetings, knowing that Annabel wouldn't be too pleased with the two of them actually going somewhere together.
"Thank you," the teen girl said, beaming. "I've never tried highlights before."
"They're nice," Owen reiterated, very guarded in exactly what he said. Annabel was very funny about word choices. Not that he wasn't, but her choiceness usually got him in trouble. "So, are you all ready for exams?"
"Ugh. That's what I hate about this place. Semester exams."
"I know," Owen said with a shake of his head. "We didn't have them at my other school."
"It sucks."
"Everything about this place sucks," he told her, looking down at the study sheet in front of him. "If I don't ace my exams, I might not come back."
"What?"
He shrugged. "I'm failing a few classes, you know? And if I fail this semester, I'll have to make up those classes. It's not worth it."
"Why isn't it worth it?"
She sounded genuinely interested, which Owen liked. …Not that Annabel wasn't interested or something silly like that. No. Ha ha.
"Because I'm not going to college."
"Then what are you going to do?"
"I dunno. Deliver pizzas for awhile."
"You could always, like, learn a trade," she offered up. "Like welding or mechanical or computer something. Whatever."
He just grunted, shaking his head.
"Then are you just going to live with your mother?"
"For now."
"When does that change?"
"I dunno. I guess when Annabel graduates or whatever."
She gave him a look. "Seriously, Owen?"
"Well, that's my plan."
"Well, you're really into the radio business, huh?"
"Duh."
"Then you could try to, I dunno, intern somewhere."
He shook his head. "All other music is crap. I don't want to have to put up with putting out music I don't feel strongly about. Or that I feel too strongly about, only in the other direction. I can't put garbage out on the airwaves."
She just stared at him for a moment, turning her head to the side while staring at him, as if curious. "Then why don't you learn an instrument? Try that out."
"Annabel says-"
"Annabel says, Annabel says," she taunted before making a face. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I just think that you place too much of your future on what Annabel wants. I know I shouldn't say anything, but-"
"No, it's fine," he told her with a sigh, looking once more at his study guide. "Everyone tells me that. It doesn't matter though."
"I just think you're limiting yourself."
"Probably," he agreed, for some reason able to hear her out in a way that he wasn't his parents. "But I want Annabel. More than anything else."
She shook her head at him. "And your parents are, like, cool with you not going to college?"
"My dad's not," Owen admitted. "But my mother's really into self expression and finding your own way."
"That's cool."
He nodded. "So I guess you're going to college then."
"Of course," she told him in that ready voice she had when talking about school. It was kind of cute to Owen, the way she took herself so seriously, her schooling so seriously. She was going somewhere. He wasn't. It wasn't an emotional thing, rather just a fact.
…Not that he didn't want to go anywhere with Clarissa. Because he didn't. He was happy with Annabel. Perfectly happy. Really.
"I mean, I've already taken ACT and the SAT, know with colleges I want to go to, I-"
"That all sounds really complex," Owen told her. He knew that Annabel had already taken her SAT and ACT tests, but they didn't talk about that stuff that much. He knew the time would come when soon enough she'd be getting an acceptance letter and know where she was going, where she'd leave him behind at. He just didn't like to think about it much.
"It's really not," she assured him. "It's not too late, Owen. You just have to start on your FASFA, take either the SAT or the ACT, look into scholarship stuff-"
"Stop. You're hurting my head." He shook it then, staring at her. "I'm just no good at school, alright?"
"Fine," she said, easily giving in. She always seemed to with him. Then again, they both seemed rather conservative to the others boundaries. She didn't like to talk about her family ever and he didn't like to talk about school. Open and shut, considering they only spoke to each other at school or through text messages. She wasn't Rolly. And she definitely wasn't Annabel. Not even close.
It wasn't until lunch that Owen spoke again. Most of his classes were spent listening to music, not other people. After talking with Clarissa, he saw no other reason to talk to anyone else. Until he saw his girlfriend that is. Then he was immediately all ears as he typically was with her. And Annabel did not disappoint.
"Guess whose sister finally picked a date for her wedding?"
"I'm guessing your sister," Owen replied as he sat down, readily taking the sandwich she handed him. "And I'm guessing it's good news from the way you're smiling."
"It's in June," she told him excitedly. "After the baby's come and settled and everything."
"I'm sensing that's not why you're so excited."
She just nodded. "It's after we've graduated."
"And?"
"And that means tat you definitely can go. Since there's no school. So we'll be in a whole other state together, graduated-"
"Counting the days," he mumbled.
"For the trip or-"
"No," he told her simply, not needing to explain to her that he was much more concerned with what happened at the end of summer as oppose to the beginning of it. After all, the ending is always much more important than the beginning. In sports, in books, and most definitely in life.
"It's months away, Bear," she told him, though he wasn't sure if she meant the trip or her inevitable leaving.
"Yeah," he sighed, shaking his head. "It is."
"If you could describe me in one word, what would it be?"
"Stupid."
"Owen."
He sighed, glancing over at his friend. "Why did I bring you along again?"
"'cause you needed my opinion, which of course was a great choice of opinions."
"Of course."
"And let me tell you, that necklace we picked out? It's freaking awesome. She will love it." Rolly continued to text on his phone, hardly looking up at Owen came to a stop sign. Another day spent in the Land Cruiser it seemed. "So where to next, buddy?"
"What do you mean?"
"I went shopping with you," Rolly told him. "Now what are we going to do?"
"That was what we were going to do. This gift just set me back. And then I have to get her a Christmas gift as well. I don't have money to do anything else."
"I bet you'd have money to go out with Annabel."
"She's my girlfriend, Rolly."
"And I'm your best friend. Like ever."
"Not ever."
"Ever," Rolly reiterated. "Name one person that's had your back more."
"I can name a thousand names of people that haven't caused me near as much trouble as you," Owen offered up.
"No, no, no," Rolly said, shaking his head. "Friends cause friends trouble. Best friends even more. That's what they do."
"What trouble have I caused you?"
That got Rolly to look away from his phone, if only to glare at his friend. "You can't be serious."
"I am serious," Owen aid, nodding his head. "Name one thing-"
"Dude, that day you got into that fight at the club, who called your mom? Or when our freaking bid for the radio show got delayed, who waited for you instead of just taking your name off it? Huh? Who? Me. That's right, me."
"I have done way more for you. I-"
"It's not a matter of who's done more, Owen. I was just pointing out that you weren't in this alone. You do shit for me, I do shit for you. That's what being best friends means."
"Is it?"
"Yes," Rolly insisted. "You just don't know it because you're, you know, socially awkward."
"I am not socially awkward," Owen said, clearly offended.
"You completely are," Rolly told him. "I mean, sure, you're better off than when I first met you, but you still-"
"In what ways am I socially awkward?"
"In every way."
"I am not. I'm very social."
"You're as social as a skunk."
"Hey-"
"My point is, Owen, that we're friends. Friends get each other into binds and get each other out of binds." Rolly went back to his phone. "Annabel says spectacular."
"What?"
"I asked her the one word question. She said one word to describe me is spectacular."
"I thought I told you to stop talking to her?"
"You can't stop true friendship, my friend." Rolly started to type something back. "She wants to know a one word to describe her. I'm putting fuckable."
"No, you are not."
"Yes, I am."
"Rolly, I swear-"
"Too late. Sent." He pocked his phone with a sigh. Glancing over at his friend, he asked, "So yes World of Waffles or no?"
"I hate you," Owen told him then. "Like, really, really hate you. Deep down hate you."
"How much will you hate me when Annabel loves the necklace I picked out? Huh? Huh?" Rolly yawned as his phone buzzed again. Reaching into his pocket, he quickly read the text Annabel had sent back to him. "Uh-oh."
"Uh-oh what?"
"Um…We might need to swing by your chick's place."
"Why?"
"Do you need a reason to see the love of your life? No. So let's go," Rolly reasoned. "Unless, like, you're gonna take me to World of Waffles. Because-"
"Hold on," Owen sighed, pulling into a parking lot to turn around. "I really don't like you right now."
"Yeah, I know."
By the time they pulled up to his girlfriend's house, Owen wanted nothing more than to strangle his friend. Rolly just whistled as he hopped out of the car, even throwing in a little skip as he headed up to the door.
"Wipe your shoes," Annabel ordered as she opened the front door. "And take off your coats. I don't want snow in the house."
"We're not staying long."
"Did I ask how long you're staying?"
"Ooh, spicy," Rolly commented, kicking off his boots before wiggling out off his coat. "I-"
"Shut up," Owen said as he made it up to the porch. To his girlfriend, he said, "I told him not to send it."
"Do you two idiots know what fuckable means?"
"It means your hot, babe," Rolly told her as he headed further into the house. "Ooh, it's toasty in here."
"No," Annabel said as Owen came into the house too, shutting the door behind him. "It's means that the girl is ugly, but you'd still have sex with her."
"What?" Rolly was over by the couch by that point, relaxing. "Since when?"
"Since always."
Owen just moved to kiss his girlfriend, who didn't pull him in, but didn't push him away either. "I didn't call you that."
"You shut up." She patted his chest then, watching as he unzipped his coat and hung it on the rack. "Why are the two of you even together?"
"We were getting your present," Rolly called from the living room.
"You were what?"
Owen glared over at his friend. "Thanks, Rolly."
"No problem, bro."
"Where is it? Is it in the car?" She moved to walk passed her boyfriend and out the door, but he grabbed her around the middle, pulling her to him before beginning to walk towards the living room. "Owen-"
"Is it our anniversary yet? No."
"I don't care. I want it now."
"Then I want my videogame now."
"I told you that I wasn't buying you that."
"What? I don't remember you saying you weren't."
"Well, I did."
"Then I'm taking your gift back."
"No, that's not how it works."
"That is how it-"
"Hey, guys?" Rolly called to them. "Can I have hot chocolate? If we're staying or whatever. And I think we should. I'm comfy."
Annabel glared over at him. "I am not fuckable."
"I'd fuck you."
"Hey." Owen let her go then, going into the living room as well. "Knock it off. It's not funny anymore."
Rolly just wiggled his toes. "Whatever. Can you make me hot chocolate now, Annabel? Please? I'll be good."
Owen followed his girlfriend into the kitchen, sending one last glare his friend's way. To Annabel though, he said, "You don't have to be so nice to him."
"What makes you think I'm not going to spit in his hot chocolate?"
He made a face at her as he went to get the hot chocolate packets out of the cabinet while his girlfriend put some water on to boil.
"Where are your parents?" he asked her as he went to get out coffee mugs as well.
"Mom's shopping and Dad's at work still. Some big project or something. Mom'll be home soon though."
"What'd she go shopping for?"
"Nothing serious," she told her boyfriend, shaking her head. "Just shopping."
"It's Tuesday," he told her. "Only a few more days until break."
"Yeah," she sighed. "I know."
"What?"
"I'm just worried."
"About?"
"…You."
"What about me?"
"Your grades, Bear," she told him as they both sat down at the kitchen table to await the boiling water. "You're not-"
"I don't need you to worry about me, Annabel."
"I know that you don't 'need' me to, but I'm going to." She just stared at him. "I love you, Bear."
"Love you too," he mumbled, very aware of his friend in the other room.
When Annabel's mother finally got home, all three teens were in the living room, sipping on the hot chocolate. She seemed to be in a pretty decent mood, telling the boys hello and telling them that they just had to stay for dinner. And even though Owen really didn't want his friend staying, he also knew it would be rude to say no. Plus, his mother was home and no doubt was planning on making some vegan crap. Yuck.
It wasn't until Grace got a phone call that she even spoke to them again. And even then, it was in a clipped tone and directed towards her daughter.
"Annabel," she began as she returned to the living room, phone in hand. "Your sister just called and needs someone to bring her something."
"Something?"
Grace rolled her eyes as all the kids looked up at her. "Some winter clothes from her closet here."
"Why can't she come get them?"
"She says she doesn't have the time. And you know I would love to go down there, but she told me that she wants you. I don't know why it matters."
Even Owen knew that Whitney didn't particularly like her mother's obsession with her. Not to mention that secret boyfriend thing.
"Do I have to do it today?" Annabel asked, frowning. "It's getting late, Mom."
She hesitated at that before her eyes settled on the two boys on the couch. "Surely you guys can all together, right?"
Owen nodded without any thought. "I can. Rolly has to get home though."
"He does?" Rolly asked, elbowing his friend, as they were all three on the couch, Owen in the middle.
"He does," he said, nodding his head. "Remember? That thing with your mom?"
"N-" He stopped as Owen elbowed him a lot harder than he had the other boy. "I mean, yes. Yes, I do remember."
"We can drop him off on the way, I guess," Annabel said slowly, glancing at the two of them before at her mom. "If you pack up all the stuff, Mom."
"Of course. I'll go do that."
While she was gone, Annabel looked to her boyfriend.
"Are you sure that you can go with me, Owen?" she asked then. "Because-"
"Of course I can. What else would I do?"
"How come I can't go?" Rolly asked from Owen's other side. "Huh?"
"Because I said."
"Don't seem fair."
"Life isn't fair," Owen told him. Then, to Annabel, he said, "Can we take your car though? The Land Cruiser's been braking down a lot recently."
"Of course, Owen."
"I still don't get why I can't go," Rolly mumbled, shaking his head slightly. "Seems like you're picking favorites here, bro."
"I am. I like Annabel more than you."
"You're just saying that."
"No, Rolly, I'm not."
"Mom said I was to feed the two of you," Whitney was saying as she opened the door to her apartment, allowing them in. "But I was just going to order Chinese. Is that fine?"
"Yeah," Annabel told her as Owen shifted the box in his arms. "Here's your stuff."
"Thank you, Owen. Can you set it down by the couch? Thank you." Whitney shut the door behind them before heading off towards the kitchen that opened up from the living room. "I'm so glad you did this, Annabel, instead of Mom."
"What? Is Lucas here?" Annabel asked, taking a seat on the couch, her boyfriend quickly following her lead.
"We're not speaking currently."
"What?" Annabel looked into the kitchen area. "What happened?"
"Nothing happened, Annabel," Whitney said as she dug through a pile of takeout menus on her counter. "We're both adults. He hadn't been talking to me for over a week and then wanted to call me to come over. I'm not a booty call."
Owen just sat facing forwards, really wishing he had opted to stay in the car. Seriously. Did they just think they could say anything in front of him?
"So you guys didn't fight or anything?" Annabel asked. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him just what I said. I'm not a booty call. Not being exclusive is one thing. Completely ignoring me for two weeks and then thinking I should come over in the middle of the night is another."
"You think he was seeing other people?"
"I don't know," her sister told her. "We never talked about it."
"Were you seeing other guys?"
"No."
"Then why do you think he was?"
"Why else would he not talk to me for that long? Not even text me? Or answer the door when I knocked?"
"Didn't you guys swap keys?"
Whitney glared over at her sister then. "I'm not just going to barge in there, Annabel. If he doesn't want to be with me, that's fine. Just don't think that I'm going to hook up with you again. I'm not just waiting around for him."
"What did he tell you?"
"He keeps calling me, but I haven't been answering."
"Maybe he's apologetic," Annabel offered up. "I mean, have you given him a chance?"
"He wouldn't answer my calls, wouldn't reply to my texts, didn't answer the door when I knocked, thought that I should just go over there and fuck with him when he's ready-"
"You haven't heard his side."
"You just don't get it," she finally dismissed her sister with a shake of her head.
Annabel glanced at Owen who smiled at her. They could hear her sister in the kitchen then, ordering Chinese food over the phone. Owen just moved to wrap an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, kissing her head as he snuggled against his side.
"Did you text your mom? Tell her that you went with me?" Annabel asked her boyfriend then softly. "So that she wasn't expecting you?"
"I told her I was going to go somewhere," he told her. "Let her fill in the blanks."
"It'll be thirty minutes," Whitney said as she came back over to them. She just picked up the box before heading to another door and going through it.
Owen assumed it was her bedroom. While she was in there though, Annabel jumped up and told him that she was going to be in the restroom. She did give him the remote before she went though, telling him to watch whatever he wanted. Part of him was still apprehensive though, knowing that it wasn't Annabel's house, but rather her sister. Still, when Whitney came out of her room, she just went to take her place on the other end of the couch, pulling her legs up while staring at the TV.
Not even asking about her sister, Whitney said, "I got tickets to that band that you like."
"What band?"
"That one that-" She paused as her there was a knock at the door. Frowning as she got to her feet, she said, "Can't be the takeout guy already."
Owen just watched as she went to answer the door, not really caring as his attention drifted back to the football game he had on. Whitney was an adult; he assumed she had guests all the time. It was kind of the teenage mentality that he had that led him to that conclusion. All teens thought when you got your own place, you had parties and friends and stayed up late. Or at least Owen did.
"Oh, I'm shocked. You actually know how to knock on a door?"
Owen glanced back over at the now open door, seeing a tall guy in front of Whitney, dressed in a button-up shirt and a pair of dark jeans. He had something in his hands and looked pretty sharp. Owen never looked that good in a dress shirt…
"Of course I do. I-"
"Then why the hell haven't you been able to do it this whole-"
"I brought you a flower." He held out the white rose in his hands, smiling at her.
"You brought me a flower," she said dryly.
"Take it. I brought if for you. Careful. Thorns and all."
She took the flower slowly, still just staring at him. "Most guys would buy something better than a stupid flower."
"Babe, I'm not most guys."
"Really now."
The guy's resolve broke slightly as he smile deflated. "I couldn't buy you anything else. You don't eat candy, you don't really eat anything, you're real particular about music so I couldn't get you a CD-"
"You could have at least gotten a bouquet." Whitney bent down then, turning slightly as she smelt the rose. "I-"
"Who the hell is he?"
For the first time, the man actually looked into the apartment, his eyes easily landing on the boy on the couch. Bucking up slightly, the guy took a step to go into the apartment, but Whitney blocked him.
"He's seventeen. Knock it off."
"Eighteen," Owen said from the couch, slightly offended. He was clearly a man now. Clearly.
"I don't care how old you are. What the hell are you-"
"It's my sister's boyfriend."
"Oh, whatever."
"He is!"
"Then where is she?"
"She's…" Whitney turned then, looking to Owen. He was just staring at the guy in the doorway though, glaring back at him.
"You're almost out of soap, Whitney," Annabel said then as she came out of the bathroom finally, smiling at her boyfriend before looking at the open front door. "Oh, hi, Lucas."
He just stared at her for a moment before glaring at Owen again. Owen still wouldn't break his gaze though, angry that the guy thought he could possibly intimidate Owen. Where the man had muscle, Owen had size.
"Why the heck would it matter anyways?" Whitney turned back to look at the man as Annabel took her place on the couch next to her boyfriend. "I can invite whoever I want over."
"Oh, can you?"
"Yeah, Luke, I can."
He let out a short breath then, staring at her. "I don't-"
"You wouldn't talk to me for, what? Eighteen days? As far as I'm concerned-"
"I went out of town."
"You never told me you were-"
"I swear to God I did. I-"
"You wouldn't return my texts-"
"I told you, I left my phone on the plane. It was hell to get back and-"
"You could have called me."
"I told you I was leaving. God. You-"
"You never told me."
"Just come on, Whitney. I'll take you to dinner, we can talk. Baby-"
"I'm not your baby, Lucas." She turned from him when he tried to touch her cheek. "I'm not your anything."
"Whit-"
"And I'm definitely not your boot call."
Lucas laughed then, probably thinking she was kidding or something. It pissed Whitney off though as she walked away from him then, heading off towards her bedroom.
"Whit-"
"Don't," she told him, not looking over her shoulder. At her bedroom door, she paused, if only for a moment. "You're going to close the door, go to the store, buy me way more than just a stupid flower, and then come back later. Right now though, I want nothing to do with you."
Owen wasn't sure who slammed the door louder, Whitney as she headed into her bedroom or Lucas as he left the apartment. Either way, he and Annabel just looked at each other, a slight bemused smile on their faces.
"Do we sound that silly when we fight?"
Owen nuzzled his head into her neck. "Of course not. We only have mature fights. And you'll never be my booty call."
She giggled softly, not wanting to be overheard by her older sister. "Boot call. Who the hell says that?"
"Whitney apparently."
They were both still for a moment before Owen moved back some to look at that TV.
"So," he said slowly. "Is she expecting me to pay for dinner?"
"Shut up, Bear."
As it turned out, she wasn't. Still, Owen did chip in even at the older woman's insistence that she had it. He was the guy after all.
Whitney didn't have a kitchen table, but she did have a coffee table, which they sat the takeout boxes on, sitting on the couch with their plates. The TV had been switched over to some reality show and Owen was mostly focused on his food by that point. There was nothing that annoyed him more than reality television, but both Whitney and Annabel were engrossed in it, so he kept quiet.
Around the time Annabel got up to get a soda for herself and her boyfriend, there was another knock at the door. Whitney started to say not to answer it, but Annabel got there before she could get it out.
"Am I allowed in?"
Annabel started at the guy in the doorway for a moment before looking back at her sister. "He looks really sorry."
Whitney just sighed. "What do you have, Luke?"
"I got you a case of water, 'cause you refuse to drink out of the tap like a normal person," he began as Annabel allowed him into the apartment. He immediately went into the kitchen to set the water down, coming back with a plastic bag full of something. "I bought you those flavor packets that you like to put in your water that you can't get from the tap because you're a freak, I got myself a candy bar, your sister and her boyfriend a candy bar, a bag of chips since you said we weren't eating dinner, some massage oil-"
"Lucas."
"Well, I did." He held the bag out to her. "And I got some more, uh, things too."
She peeked into the bag. "You might as well say condoms. It's not like you're very good at hiding what you're talking about."
Owen made a face at Annabel, but she was watching her sister, more interested in the drama unfolding than the awkwardness that her boyfriend was feeling.
"Yeah, well," Lucas said with a shrug, staring down at her. "I was out."
"I wonder why."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Your little trip tire you out?"
He made a face at her. "I didn't do anything while I was there except visit my family. This was the only time I could-"
"I've met your family. It doesn't require a plane trip. Hardly a car ride."
"I have other family. I went to see my older brother and his wife. I-"
"You never even told me where you went. You-"
"Okay, babe, you can keep cutting me off if you'd like, but I'm not going to sit here and argue with me." He reached out, taking the plastic bag from her. "Me, my candy, my chips, my massage oil, and my condoms are going home. You can keep your stupid rich person water though. I'm not a snob like you."
Owen never wanted to leave a room more. Honestly. If they mentioned that massage oil one more time, he was going to die of embarrassment. And they didn't even seem that awkward about talking about it in front of him and Annabel! Maybe he was the weird one. Maybe.
…Nah.
"Go to hell, Luke."
"Oh me go to hell. Okay." He reached into the bag, tossing a candy bar at Owen and another at Annabel. "What do you want me to do, Whitney? You say I didn't tell you? Fine. Let's pretend I didn't. You say I purposely didn't call you? Fine, let's go with that too. And you think I fucked around on you? Alright, cool. Now what? Now what do you want-"
"Fucked around on me would imply that you haven't been with someone the whole time we've been together."
His eyes went dark. "And you have?"
"No. Rude."
"I'm rude?" He shook his head at her. "Do you really think I've been with someone else this whole time? Multiple people? That'd I'd really want to put up with another woman when you're so aggravating all the time-"
"Do you really want me to believe that you haven't had sex since we last did?"
"Yeah, babe, I do." He was staring so hard at her, almost as hard as Annabel was listening. Owen had suddenly formed a fascination with fried rice, which he was scoping more of onto his plate. "I haven't had sex in twenty-three days. Believe me, I would know if I had."
She looked off. "How was I supposed to know that, Luke? You never told me-"
"I never told you that I wanted to be with you? Because I do. Only you. I mean, God, I just assumed that was implied, Whit. We've been together since, what? July? June?" He shook his head slightly. "I'm serious about you, baby. Way more than you are about me."
"Oh whatever."
"You've met my mother, I took you to my nephew's birthday party, you went to-"
"So what?"
"You won't even tell your family about me."
"I told you-"
"I know what you told me. And that's fine. I don't care. But don't give me bullshit about me not caring about you when it's clearly the other way around. Got it?"
"Luke, don't go," she sighed as he headed to the door. "Just… Are you hungry?"
"Am I hungry?" He snorted. "Do you know me at all?"
"Then here, eat the rest of mine," she said, holding her plate out to him. "I'm no hungry."
"You never are."
"Mmmm." She stood then, still acting coolly towards her boyfriend. He just took her seat, dropping the plastic bag on the ground before digging into her food. Owen was finally free to relax again, assuming the worst of it was over.
"Ew, you bought the store brand."
Lucas rolled his eyes, not even looking over at Whitney. "It's water, babe. What's the difference?"
"The difference is how it tastes."
"You're crazy, you know that? Never happy."
"You went to the freaking gas station and bought random crap."
"In an attempt to please you," he said, clearly offended. "I could have just bought you nothing, you know."
"You'd be eating alone if you had."
Lucas grunted before glancing to his side at Annabel. "What'd the two of you come over for anyways? Surely it wasn't for her sparkling personality?"
"They just bought me some stuff from home, Lucas. God. It's really none of your business," Whitney told him. When Owen glanced back towards the little kitchen area, he saw that she was putting the water the man had bought her in the fridge.
"She's angry with me now," Lucas told the two teens on the couch with him. "You just wait. Putty when you guys leave."
"Seriously, knock it off before I kick you out," Whitney told him. "Honestly."
Annabel just smiled at Lucas while Owen tuned back into the television. Never did he think he would want to actually watch a reality show. Those Kardashians were looking pretty good at that second though…
"It's getting late, Annabel," Whitney told her a few minutes later when she got up to take her and Owen's plates to the sink. "And it's snowing. Will the two of you be alright getting home?"
"It's just snow, Whitney," she told her. "Besides, we have to get home. We have school in the morning."
"Well, I'd feel better if the two of you just left now."
"I was going to wash-"
"I can do it," she assured her sister before glancing over at Owen who was getting up from the couch then. "Thank you two though for bringing me those things. Text me when you get home, Annabel."
"Sure."
Even as the two of them left, Annabel and Owen could hear Lucas and Whitney grumbling at one another. Still, the night was getting late and it wasn't exactly pleasant out side, so Annabel knew she had to go. Not to mention Owen wanted nothing more than to get the heck out of there, wanting nothing to do with the inevitable argument the two adults were going to get into once more after they left.
Interlacing his fingers with Annabel as they left the apartment building, Owen said, "At least she fed us."
"At least."
"And hey, for someone being grounded, I'm sure having a fun time."
"You are," Annabel agreed. "Then again I don't know much about being grounded."
"Yeah," Owen sighed. "I figured."
Late, but long. Seems to be my mantra recently…