Winter Freeze
Chapter 8
Owen really did have valiant plans for their anniversary. He was going to take her out to dinner, give her the gift, have her hangout at his place after. Maybe a movie, maybe ice cream. It would have been a nice time.
…Then his wisdom teeth had to go and freaking cause him such immense pain that he had to go the dentist. He tried to get the appointment scheduled on another day, he really did, but it was the only time he could get in before Christmas. Not to mention it was his mother that scheduled it for him and she hated Annabel or whatever and didn't want him to have a fun life. She probably planned it that way. Probably.
So that's how Owen ended up drugged, laying up in his bed staring at the ceiling, while his girlfriend sat at his bedside, watching over him. His mother had taken him to the dentist, but had to leave him alone not soon after to take Mallory to an appointment. She had first suggested that Cam come watch him, but of course Annabel won out. Of course.
"My mouth hurts," Owen mumbled to his girlfriend for probably the thousandth time. She just shifted in his desk chair, sighing. It's not like she wanted to spend their anniversary this way either. "Bella."
"Mmmm." He was at least understandable thing, as he hadn't been for the first hour she had been with him. Owen was in heaven at the moment, but his girlfriend was bored out of her mind. What a break, right?
"I love ya," he told her then, snuggling under his blankets. "'kay?"
"Okay, Owen."
Nodding his head, he let out a long yawn. "Ya wanna fuck?"
She leaned forward on her elbows, staring at him for a minute before blinking. Letting out a slow breath, she said, "No."
"Oh." He reached up then, moving his hand up to his mouth. Opening it, he started to take some of the cotton in there out, as he had tried for the past half hour. The wounds had clotted before, but started bleeding again around the time she got there. Reaching over, Annabel grabbed his hand before shaking her head.
"No, Owen."
"I wanna eat."
"Poor, Bear," she said, just holding his hand then. "Lay back and sleep, okay?"
"Hurt."
"You do not," she said, frowning at him. "And careful. You're supposed to stay propped up on your pillows."
He just stared at her for a long moment. Then he smiled slightly. "I'mma sleep, Bell."
"Okay." She squeezed his hand slightly. "I'll be here."
"Stereo."
"Of course."
She let him go then, getting up to go put on some music. He watched her for a long moment before closing his eyes again. Maybe when he woke up he'd feel better. And maybe then she'd want to have sex. That'd be good. Real good.
Owen woke up slowly, the sound of music infiltrating his dreams long before he opened his eyes. He could tell though, even in his dazed darkness, that what he was hearing wasn't really music. It was Mallory's kind of garbage. That was probably his main reason for awakening, being subjected to such trash.
When he opened his eyes, he found his bedroom dark, other than the light coming from his computer screen. Annabel was sitting there, doing something on the computer, while nodding her head along with the poppy beat coming out of his stereo. The radio. She must have put it on some pop station, thinking it wouldn't bother him. Bah.
"Bella." His voice came out huskier than he wanted. "I don't care how drugged I am. This is not cool."
She glanced behind her then, giggling when she saw his face. "It's not?"
"No," he said dryly. "It's not."
"You know-"
He let out a sharp gasp then, his right hand coming up to cup his cheek as he sat up. Annabel frowned over at him then before sighing.
"Let me go get you some more pain pills. You want water or a soda?"
"Soda," he mumbled, moving to stand as well. He had a headache. Going over to his stereo, he quickly turned it off, finding that easier than changing the station. "Please."
"Do you have any?"
"Hope so."
She rubbed his arm before she left the room. Owen just glanced after her, shaking his head. Then he went over to the computer like any nosey boyfriend to find out what she had been doing.
"Bleh," he complained softly when he found that she had just been reading an email from Kirsten. Nothing interesting for him there at all. Exiting out off that, he immediately logged out of her email before getting onto his own. There was, as promised, an email from Rolly awaiting him with a download link to some new music. Good. Finally something to make him feel better.
"Here you go, Bear."
He looked up when his girlfriend suddenly appeared behind him, a can of coke in one hand, two pills in the other. Smiling slightly, he took them both from her.
"You still tired?" she asked then, moving to stroke his head as he took his pills. He just nodded slightly as she ran a hand through his hair as she stood over him. "You don't think you're still bleeding, do you?" That got a shake of the head. "Then you can take that gauze out now."
After swallowing his pills, he opened up his mouth for her to do it for him. He was more or less joking, but she actually reaching in there and did it, not squeamish at all about his blood like he thought she'd be. Maybe he was just over drugged or something. Seriously, who's cool with someone else's mouth blood?
Annabel left the room again and, after sitting there for a moment, Owen got up to follow her. She had gone to the bathroom to throw away the gauze and wash her hands, leaving the door open in her wake.
"Where are you going, Owen?" she asked in a tired voice, as if he were a child. As if. As if! Owen was not a child. He was a man. A man! And if he wanted to go do something, he could.
…Yeah, so maybe those extra pain pills were a bad idea.
"I'mma go watch TV," Owen told her as he headed down the stairs, his head still pounding. He just wanted to sleep. But first he wanted to watch TV. Fun TV. Owen liked TV. That's what he wanted for Christmas. A TV for his bedroom. A TV of his very own!
Once they were both downstairs, they ended up on settling together on the couch, Owen stretched out with his head perched in her lap, staring up at her.
"What do you want to watch?"
He just continued to stare up at her. "You're really, really pretty."
"Right. Kardashians it is."
That turned out okay as it was soon after that Owen fell asleep again, that time for quite awhile. The next time he woke up, it was because Annabel was shaking his shoulder gently, suddenly standing at the side of the couch instead of under him.
"Huh?"
"I have to go," she was saying then, not even giving him a chance to process. "Your aunt's here. In the kitchen. Okay?"
He just laid there for a moment. Then he blinked. "What?"
Groaning, she said, "Your mother's not home yet, so your aunt came over to stay with you. It's getting late. I have to go home now."
Pushing himself up, he asked, "Why?"
"It's getting close to curfew," she told him simply before reaching out to pat his head, as if he were a dog. "I'll talk to you tomorrow or something, alright?"
"Tomorrow?" His head hurt. Where was he again?
"God, Owen, tonight. Whatever. I'll call you later. I just have to go, okay?"
Why was she snapping at him? Frowning, he moved to lay back down on the couch. Let her go then. Rude.
With one last pat to his head, Annabel was gone, leaving him alone. Great. Alone. He was home alone.
The sound of something falling quickly reminded him that he was far from it. She said something about his aunt. Cam, probably. God, he wasn't a baby. He could take care of himself.
"Aw, did your little-wittle girlfriend leave you?"
He just laid there, staring up at the ceiling as Cam came into the room. He had a dull pain in his mouth and didn't feel like moving it.
"She said something about curfew though, so I suppose that's okay." Camille came closer, a bowl of something in her hands. "Since when does your mother buy ice cream?"
He didn't know she had. And if she had, it was probably that nasty soy stuff she tried to force down his throat. Yuck. Veganitity was disgusting. And if that wasn't a word so what?
"I wan' some," he told her, pushing himself to sit up. "Now."
"Say please."
"Please."
"Good boy. I like you better sedated."
She left the room for a moment, quickly returning with a second bowl. "Here you go."
Moving to allow her to sit on the couch next to him, he took the bowl before asking, "Where's Mom?"
"With your sister."
"Where?"
"Just out, Owen. Eat."
He frowned down at the ice cream. "Not soy?"
"Not soy."
"Milk."
"What?"
He ate some of the chocolate ice cream before saying, "It's got milk. From cows."
"Maybe she forgot."
"Gums hurt."
"You're such a baby," Cam taunted then, staring at the television. "Your girlfriend has good taste."
"In?"
"Television." Cam grabbed the remote off the coffee table before turning up the reality TV. "She's blonde, she's skinny, she likes reality television. I mean, God, Owen, I'm flattered, but-"
"She's nothing like you."
"She's everything like me." Cam smiled at him. "It's only natural that you would find a girl that's like me. I, like, practically raised you."
"Did not."
"Did to."
"No."
"When I graduated high school and went to live with my sister and your father, I babysat for you and your sister every day."
"So?"
"So I had, like, a big part in your raising. Duh."
"Not duh."
"Yes, duh." She shoved his shoulder slightly. "Stop arguing with me."
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"No."
She shook her head. "I was just saying, Owen, that most guys get girlfriends that remind them of their mother. But since Teresa is so…weird, it's only natural that you would go to the next woman in your life. Me."
"Annabel's completely different."
"Is not. She's even looks like me."
"You both have blonde hair."
"That's my point."
"That's not-"
"If you're well enough to fight with me, you're well enough to be home alone."
"That's what I'm saying."
Owen only stayed downstairs long enough to finish his ice cream before heading up to the bedroom to sleep some more. This wisdom tooth business sucked, but having an excuse to sleep so much was awesome.
"Uh-oh," Owen mumbled as he opened his dresser drawer to get out a pair of basketball shorts to sleep in. Sitting there was Annabel's necklace that he had neglected to give her. It was their anniversary. Though they couldn't do anything, he had planned to at least give that to her. And then there was the sleeping and the mouth blood and more sleeping. No time for presents or any of that.
"Where are you going?" Cam asked him not a minute later as he came rushing down the staircase, the gift bag in his hand.
"I gotta go see Annabel, take her this."
"What?"
"It's our anna…anna…" He frowned as he made it to the front door. "It's our thing, okay?"
"What thing?" Cam shook her head as she stood up. "You have to go upstairs and-"
"I gotta give her gift to her. Now."
"Owen-"
"I have to."
Groaning, she continued to pick at her bowl of ice cream. "You want me to drive you to see her? 'cause I don't think you're supposed to be driving."
"Yes." He nodded his head. "Take me if you gottta."
"I have to," she assured him. "Just let me finish my ice cream first, huh?"
So that was how Owen and his aunt ended up parked in front of the Greene house at eleven thirty that night. For all the crap his aunt added in his life, he would have to admit, she was pretty fucking cool when she wanted to be.
"Do you know what time it is?" were the first words out of Andrew's mouth when he opened the front door to reveal his daughter's boyfriend.
"It's our anniversary still," Owen told him simply, standing there in the cold with a gift bag in his hands. "I didn't get to give her my gift yet."
"Weren't you two together all day?"
"I was sleeping."
"Aren't you sick or something?"
Owen shook his head. "I got my wisdom teeth out."
"Andrew, let him in," Owen heard Grace say from behind him. "It's too cold to hold the door open."
"How about I leave him out there then, on the other side? Would you like that better then?"
"Now, Drew."
Groaning, he took a step aside before saying, "Do not track snow in this house."
"Aye-aye."
Still, Andrew just watched as Owen slowly took off his boots and coat before closing the front door.
"In a year of knowing you, Owen, I have to say that I do not know if my first impressions have proven to be right or wrong."
The boy just shook his head. Since he did not know what exactly that first impression was, though he had a nice idea, he couldn't really comment one way or another.
"Drew, come sit down," Grace complained then. "Now. Leave the kids alone. It's break. Over summer you let her stay out until two in the morning. Now you want a leash on her? Honestly?"
"That was before her sister got pregnant."
"Her sister is in her twenties and getting married soon. Sit."
"Annabel," Andrew called before heading in there to do so. "Your boyfriend-"
"I was about to take a shower," Annabel complained as she came down the stairs. "When I saw your car. What are you doing here?"
Rolling his eyes, Andrew headed back into the living room while Owen just walked over to his girlfriend, grinning like crazy for some reason. He really didn't feel too well.
"I forgot to give you your gift." He held it out to her then, still smiling. "You ain't gotta give me mine or noth-"
"How did you get here?"
"Cam drove me."
Annabel glanced at behind him at the door. "Is she okay in the car?"
He nodded.
"Then come here. Upstairs."
"Annabel-" Andrew tried then.
"Leave them alone, Drew. Gosh. You think we wouldn't hear them having sex?"
"Grace-"
"I mean, honestly."
Annabel sent a glare towards the living room before heading up the stairs. "Come on, Owen."
He almost tripped a few times as he went up after her, though he wasn't sure if it was from his hast or the drugs he was on. Still, when they made it to her bedroom, Annabel just closed the door behind them, keeping the light off.
"Come here."
He followed her over to her bed, which she made him sit down on, before handing over her gift. Annabel just sat the bag to the side before going over to her dresser. Quickly, she pulled out a bag of her own, though it was from some electronics store.
"Tell me if you like it. If you don't, that's fine. It has more space than your other one, which I figured was the biggest thing, but it's not from Apple. My dad has this whole thing about buying from them so-"
Owen almost snatched it from her then, quickly taking the gift out of the shopping bag, not shocked to find an mp3 player in its packaging there.
"Wow."
"I think it's a little nicer than your old one. Touch screen and everything. And I know you said blue, but-"
"I was joking."
"-red or black were the only colors. And you like the both, so I just went with red because I like red more."
They fell back onto the bed then as Owen wrapped his arms around Annabel and pulled her onto it. She only giggled, pressing a kiss to lips as she slipped away from him.
"So you like it then?"
"Hell yeah."
Smiling in the darkness, Annabel said, "Good. I was worried all week."
"You had it for a week and-"
"You wouldn't give me my gift either," she pointed out.
"That's different."
"Is not." She shook her head. "Besides, it just gave you more of a chance to listen to me this week."
"I listen plenty."
"Do not."
"Do too."
"Do not."
He pushed up then, leaving her behind as he stood with his new gift in his hands. "Love you, Bella. Thank you. Call you-"
"Well, wait, stupid." She pushed herself up then too. "You haven't even seen me open my gift yet."
"Oh yeah."
Rolling her eyes, she reached down to grab the bag. "God, you're, like, so dumb sometimes."
"I, like, so am?"
"Shut up."
He just stood there, staring down at the box his mp3 player came in, not able to read the back in the dark, but looking nonetheless. Now that he had gotten it, he couldn't care less what she thought of her present.
"You bought me another necklace."
"Yeah," he said, still looking down at his own gift. "I, um, have to go, 'cause, um…I'm not gonna lie. I really want to go put music on this."
"Give me a hug."
He did as asked, placing a kiss on her head as well. His headache was coming back in full force then and he really just wanted to get home.
"One year."
"First year," he corrected. "Love you."
"Love you more."
"Doubt it."
"Me too."
Annabel didn't see him to the door, but it was just as well, as her parents were arguing downstairs. They were fighting so much that they didn't even notice as he left the house. It wasn't until he was out in the car that he spoke again.
"What's that?" Cam asked as he held the box with pride.
"My gift from Annabel."
"She bought you a new mp3 player? That bitch."
"What?"
"The hell did you think I was getting you for Christmas? Well shit, now." Shaking her head, Cam moved to start the car again. "God, you were in there long enough. Didn't you know I was waiting for you?"
Owen just shook his head, not feeling well enough to argue with her. He honestly only wanted to get home, check out his new toy, and then go to bed. Had the day been a good one? No, but hey, it wasn't horrible either. And that had to count for something.
Right?
"God, you eat more ice cream than when Kirsten got her tonsils out," Annabel complained. "And it's, like, freezing outside right now."
Owen just continued to eat. "You offered to get me some."
Leaning against his arm, she stared at the television. "Did you like your mp3 player?"
"Love it."
"Really?"
"Mmmhmm."
"I wish I could have gotten you a better one."
"It's fine, Bell. Great even."
"God, I hope you stay on these pills for the rest of your life," Annabel said, rolling her eyes. Before she headed in to work that morning, Teresa had dropped her son at his girlfriend's house, as Annabel had agreed to spend the day with him again. He seemed to be in less pain and in an actually pretty happy mood. Not to mention he had brought his Xbox over, which only meant he would eventually be distracted by that and she'd spend the rest of the day alone.
"What is this?"
Two hours later had Annabel's fears come true as Owen had finished with his ice cream and was playing some gory war game on his Xbox while she sat around texting Clarke. Winter break was turning out to suck.
"Gears of War," Owen answered his girlfriend's father. Andrew had come down the stairs to find them in there. At first, he had been disappointed as he had planned on watching a certain documentary. Now that videogames were back in the house though…
"Wow. It looks really good."
"It's Xbox," Owen said, still not looking away from the TV. "Duh."
"I don't really play new games," Andrew said slowly as he went to sit down in the chair next to the couch, his eyes trained on the TV. Annabel glanced at him before rolling her eyes.
And that's how she lost her father and boyfriend for the day. Honestly, what was so appealing about fake war? If you wanted to be a solider, it could easily be arranged. Like seriously. If you wanted to be in the military, you could. At least then you'd be actually accomplishing something.
But Annabel just didn't give it, or so Owen learned after trying many times in the past year to explain to her just how great games are. She wouldn't even give them a chance! It was like trying to get her to like a new style of music. Annabel was comfortable with the things she already had and didn't want anything new in her life.
"Is this how you boys are going to spend your day?" Grace asked as she came into the room some time later. "In front of the TV? And what are you guys playing? Drew, that looks really-"
"Yeah, I know."
"-violent," Grace said with a shake of her head. "Anyways, what do you want for lunch?"
"I dunno," he said, still not looking at her. "Whatever you want."
"I'll help you make it, Mom," Annabel said as she stood from the couch. Clark was about to go to work, so their texting was pretty much over. "I have to make Owen eggs anyways."
"I want more ice cream," he told her.
"No."
It took some prodding twenty minutes later to get Owen and Andrew to finally get away from their game for awhile to have lunch. It was finally Grace insistence that Andrew did so that got them to go into the dining room. Owen really was hoping, after all, that Annabel had just been joking about the eggs thing.
She hadn't.
"I thought you liked eggs?"
"I do," he told her as he sat down at the table next to her. "Just not the way you make them."
"Grow up."
"I wanted ice cream."
"I was serious about the growing up thing."
Andrew sighed as he took a seat as well. "Sandwiches look okay, Grace. Were there any chips?"
"I'm sure," she told him. "In the cabinet."
He just stared at her. "Could you, like, go get them?"
"No, Drew, I can't. You want them. You go get them."
Making a face, he stood from the table. "Alright then, I guess."
Owen glanced to his side at Annabel, but she only shook her head. When her father returned with his chips, he also had a can of beer with him. Neither him nor Grace spoke as he went to sit back down, not even making eye contact.
After popping the tab on his beer, Andrew finally spoke.
"So, Owen, are you going to Arizona for Christmas?"
"No," he said, glancing at the man. "I told my dad I couldn't, since Mallory's too sick to go. Not to mention, Annabel and I-"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot to ask," Annabel said then before smiling at her father. He just stared back at her. "Daddy-"
"No."
"But-"
"No."
"Drew." Grace shook her head. "Don't be rude."
"Can Owen come over on Christmas?" Annabel asked then. "Please?"
"No."
"Why not?" She made a face at him. "We're not doing anything."
"We are too. Your sister's coming over and-"
"It's okay, Bell," Owen said then. He was actually starting to like her eggs. She put a lot of cheese in them. "I mean, if your dad is meeting Lucas that day then-"
"Lucas?" Andrew repeated with a frown. "Who is-"
"No one," Grace said quickly while Annabel elbowed Owen.
"Ow. I am sick," he reminded her.
"Not sick."
"Am sick."
"Not-"
"Who is Lucas," Andrew repeated, staring at his wife. "Grace?"
She shook her head. "Just a friend of Whitney."
"A friend."
"Her, well, you know, boyfriend."
"Since when-"
"I didn't know either, you know, until I went to get my car back. If you had gone, maybe you would have known as well."
Still, Andrew just stared at his wife. "She has a boyfriend. Don't tell me. Does that one live with her as well? Getting married? Are they pregnant?"
"No, Drew. And you should not talk so bad about Kirsten constantly. Honestly." She shook her head. "Whitney's grown. If she-"
"You wouldn't even let her move out for the longest time," her husband pointed out. "And how bad is this guy that you were hiding him from me?"
"I'm not hiding him from you. I only met him for, like, ten minutes. And it was very awkward, so-"
"Why was it awkward?"
"Well…Drew."
"What?"
"Just…it was."
For a moment, Andrew sat there before just opening his bag of chips. "What's he like then?"
"What?"
"This boy. What was his name?"
"Lucas, I think it was," Grace said slowly. "And he's not a boy. He's grown. Older than her, I think."
"Not that much older," Annabel said then, frowning at her mother. "He's nice, Dad. And Whitney really likes him. She, like, is actually really nice when she's around him."
"Not that nice," Owen mumbled, stabbing his eggs. "Can I have some chips?"
"No," Annabel told him. "You can't chew."
"You can't chew."
"That doesn't even make sense."
"Shush, kids," Grace said then, staring at her husband. "You aren't mad then, Drew?"
"Why would I be mad?"
"Kirsten has a boyfriend and you hate him."
"I don't hate him. I hate the fact that she's with him, I hate the fact that I'm having to pay for their ridiculous wedding, I hate, and I mean really hate, that they're having this kid." He shrugged. "Whitney though if being with someone will make her feel better, great. She's always been really depressed or whatever. And Annabel thinks he's nice, right?"
"I dunno. Can Owen come to Christmas?"
"Annabel-"
"He's nice, I guess. I don't know him that well," Annabel said, shaking her head. "He's really…"
"Really what?"
Annabel blushed then making Owen frown and elbow her.
"Ow! You hit me a lot harder than I hit you."
"I didn't hit you, I-"
"He's very…attractive, Drew," Grace said finally.
"Oh, God," he said, rolling his eyes. "Not you too, Grace."
"He's very muscular."
"You can't be serious."
"Well, he is."
Shaking his head, Andrew reached out to grab his beer. "Then I'll just have to meet him yes?"
"Oh, Andrew-"
"On Christmas," Annabel suggested then. "And Owen can be there."
"No. We are not having your boyfriend over at Christmas."
"No fair. Kirsten bought Brian to Thanksgiving."
"And we've all seen how that turned out."
"Lucas and Owen can come over on Christmas Eve," Grace said then, smiling at her youngest daughter. "Okay? And then, maybe later on Christmas night, you can see Owen again. Maybe."
"That works."
"Grace-"
"Don't argue with me, Drew."
The rest of lunch was silent. When it was over, Andrew immediately went back into the living room to play some more Xbox, Owen going with him. Annabel sat in the living room with them for awhile too before telling Owen that his game was stupid and that if he wanted to date her father instead of her, he could go ahead. It was kinda wasted though as neither guy really paid her any mind, but sometimes it's the thought that counts.
Eventually, Owen went to go get a coke from the fridge, leaving Andrew alone for a minute. When he got to the kitchen, he found Grace in there, doing the dishes.
"Sorry," Owen said, making her jump slightly as she hadn't heard him enter. "If I knew that you were doing dishes, I'd have helped."
She smiled at him over her shoulder before looking back at the sink in front of her. "It's alright. Did you need something?"
"Just a soda," he told her, heading over to the fridge. Pausing for a moment, he added, "I'm sorry I said that think about Lucas."
"What thing, dear?"
"That I said his name or whatever. I didn't know that Mr. Greene didn't-"
"Oh, it's no big deal. I just didn't tell him before because, well, Whitney made it clear that she didn't want me to. And Andrew's been acting so…" Grace just sighed before smiling over at him. "Really, Owen. And now you boys get to come over on Christmas Eve. Maybe you could even invite your friend. What was his-"
"I think he'll probably be busy," Owen said quickly.
"I'm sure. It is Christmas Eve after all."
Owen only nodded. Like there was any way he was letting Rolly intrude again. No way.
"Christmas Eve. You're going to spend it with your girlfriend."
"Yeah."
"A holiday. A very big holiday."
"Uh, yeah." Owen continued to scoop out the ice cream into the bowl. "Hey, Mom? How come you bought regular ice cream and not that shitty normal kind?"
"Language."
"It is kinda shitty though."
Teresa sighed from the table where she was flipping through a magazine. "I knew that you don't like the soy kind. You're not feeling well. I wasn't going to force you to eat something you don't like. It's called love, Owen."
"Oh. Thanks."
"Kind of like how spending a holiday with your mother is love."
Groaning, he moved to put the rest of the carton back in the fridge. "Mom-"
"Why do you want to spend it over there anyways?"
"Why do you want me to spend it here?" he asked back. "You don't even like Christmas."
"I do too."
"Not for the right reason."
"What are the right reasons?"
"Like God and stuff. You don't believe in Jesus, so why do you want to celebrate Christmas other than to ruin my time with Annabel?"
Sighing, she said, "Name me one time you spent Christmas with someone other than me?"
"That's not fair. We celebrate it because Dad believes in God and stuff." He paused. "Hey, that's it. Pretend I went to be with Dad. Won't that work?"
"Owen-"
"It's just Christmas Eve," he told her. "And possibly Christmas night. Still fuzzy on that."
"Maybe we were wanting to go to Cam's. Or Dad's place."
"No," he told her, shaking his head as he headed to the living room with his bowl of ice cream. "You guys can or whatever, but not me. And hey, how come you didn't buy cookie dough ice cream? I like that."
"You can't chew, Owen."
"I'd just, you know, suck on the cookie dough or something."
Teresa sighed, getting up to follow him out of the room. "I'm sure that your sister would want you here for Christmas."
"Why?"
"Owen-"
"It's not a big deal to us, Mom," he told her as he sat down on the couch. "We're not babies anymore. We're not going to sit up all night waiting for Santa or whatever."
Teresa huffed, staring at him. "You are being very petulant, Owen."
"…Are you trying to make me feel stupid or-"
"Oh, Owen, I'm going to bed. Don't stay up to late. I'm in my room if you need me."
"Night," he said, mouth full of chocolate ice cream. God, you don't know one word and suddenly you're an idiot.
"Damn this house is big."
Whitney hit him in the chest, hard enough for it to produce a loud smack. "Lucas!"
"What?" He made a face at her before smiling at Owen, who had opened the door. "It's just, uh, you know, your sister's boyfriend whose name I completely know-"
"Thank you for opening the door, Owen," Whitney said simply as she walked into the house. "I left my key at home."
He just shrugged slightly, taking a step back. "Annabel told me to."
"Start young doing what she says and it never ends," Lucas told him grimly, shaking the snow off himself before coming into the house as well. "And I mean, I know you said glass, Whit, but I didn't think-"
"Do I need to hit you again?"
"Please don't."
"Take off your shoes," she told him.
"Why?"
"So you don't track dirt in the house."
"Babe, we just walked through the snow. They're clean. Other than, like, snow so I don't really-"
"Do it, Lucas. And take off your stupid coat too."
While Whitney looked pretty pissed already, Lucas just wagged his eyebrows at Owen over her shoulder, no doubt taking pleasure from her annoyance. When she looked back at him though, he just smiled at her as he unzipped his coat.
"Whitney, is that you?" they heard Grace called from somewhere in the house then. "Come here. I'm in the kitchen."
She rolled her eyes heavily before walking off. "Come on, Luc- Where are you going?"
"Wow, you guys gotta big TV too," Lucas went on as he walked off then into the living room, making sure to kick off his sneakers first. Owen was quick to follow him, as he had been in there previously, playing more videogames. Since Annabel had hated his Xbox so much before, he had brought his N64 back over, which immediately got Lucas' attention. "Whose 64?"
"Owen's," Annabel said from the couch as the two guys came in there. "Hi, Lucas."
"Hey." He kept his eyes on the TV though. "What game were you playing?"
"It's-"
"Come here, Luke," Whitney called then from the kitchen, sounding none too pleased. "Now."
Lucas glanced at Annabel then. "Your father ain't in there, is he?"
"No," she said with a shake of her head. "He's not home yet. He will be soon though."
"Oh, good."
"Now, Lucas," Whitney repeated.
"Your sister ain't much of a Christmas person," the guy mumbled as he gave one last longing look at the TV before heading off.
"My sister isn't much of a life person," Annabel mumbled as her boyfriend sat back down on the couch with her.
When Owen showed up Christmas Eve morning, Annabel hadn't been in too great a mood. That might have been in part due to the fact he showed up with his Nintendo 64, but regardless, he had not felt much love that day.
"I'm starting to think that you're using me for the TV," Annabel told Owen as he picked up his game controller to resume his game.
"What?"
"Yeah."
"Nah."
Shaking her head, she kept staring at her phone. "James text me that we should hangout over break."
"James is an idiot."
"O-"
"Your mom's real nice."
They both frowned as Lucas came back, a plate of cookies with him.
"She made me these. Told me that she was sorry for how she was last time and that she hoped I forgave her." He went over to the chair and sat down. "Don't know why Whitney was so uptight about me coming here."
Annabel just glanced at him. "Does Whitney never make you cookies?"
"Whitney don't make me crap."
"You're such a liar."
He gave his big grin as Whitney came into the living room, frowning the whole while.
"Come sit in my lap. I'll share my cookies with you," Lucas offered as he patted his knee.
"Knock it off." She sat down on the other side of her sister, who just glanced at her. "Honestly, Lucas, just be quiet for awhile."
He wagged his eyebrows at Annabel then who blushed and looked off. Owen, noticing this, frowned, figuring it was best to just focus in on his game again.
"Whitney, come help me with dinner," Grace called then. "Please. You too, Annabel."
Annabel was quick to get out of the room, Whitney taking a moment to warn Lucas against acting stupid. He just smiled at her and said that he never acted stupid. Still, the guy just sat there, eating his cookies.
"You play a lot of videogames then?" Lucas asked Owen after they had been alone for a few minutes. "Or-"
"Yeah."
"Oh. That's cool or whatever. I guess."
"Yeah."
"This TV though, it's-"
"Trying to concentrate," Owen told the other guy who just rolled his eyes.
All was calm in the house for awhile. Lucas just sat there, watching Owen play videogames in silence. They didn't have to be friends. Owen figured now that Whitney was having to actually parade Lucas around, their relationship would soon be over. After all, things that are fun in secret, are usually not so great when brought to the light.
"Is that their dad?" Lucas finally asked when they saw a car pulled up into the driveway through the glass front of the house.
"Probably."
The guy sat up straighter. "Should I greet him at the door?"
Owen shrugged. "He won't like you anyways."
"Why's that?"
"'cause Whitney doesn't seem to be very happy with you today." Or ever. "If he sees you getting on her nerves, he's going to think that you're more of a bother to her. Annabel spoke of you like you were a saving grace for her. Like you stopped her from being so upset all the time. If you come off like a dick, he's going to think you are one."
"I've met many girlfriends' fathers. I think I got this."
"Yeah, don't mention that," Owen said. "He really won't like hearing that."
Lucas watched through the glass as the man got out of his car and headed up to the house.
"He's tall."
"You're tall."
"I am tall," he agreed. "But still. He looks pissed. Though it is pretty cold outside. And snowing. Maybe-"
"No, he's mad. He didn't want you to be here on Christmas Eve. Me either."
"Aw, man, he's already all angry and stuff, then why the hell did I wear my nice shirt?"
Owen glanced over at him. "You're wearing a hoodie."
"Under this though, I got my nice shirt on."
"And what good will that do?"
"You think I need to take my hoodie off?" He didn't wait for an answer as he pulled it of and tossed it to the side. "There? Better?"
Owen just stared at him. "I guess so. Your shirt's all wrinkled though."
"That's my signature. My style."
"That's trashy. Put your hoodie back- Uh-oh."
It was then that the door open and shut. Shrugging, Lucas just straightened his shirt before standing, putting on that big, cheesy smile he always had. When Andrew finally came into the living room a minute later though, he hardly even looked at him. He just stared at Owen before at the television.
"Did you bring Perfect Dark?" was the only thing he asked.
"Yeah."
"Good. We're playing that next."
Lucas made a face before speaking. "Hi. I'm-"
"Lucas. Yeah, I know." Andrew just sat down on the couch next to Owen. Then, calling over his shoulder, he said, "Annabel, bring me a beer. Please."
When Annabel came into the room, she glanced briefly at Lucas and was actually able to return his smile for once, though she seemed pretty skittish around him suddenly. Owen didn't like that. At all.
"Did you meet Lucas, Dad?" Annabel asked as she handed him a coke.
"I asked for a beer," was all her father said.
"Mom said no."
"Oh did she?"
Annabel just smiled at him. "Have you even spoke to Lucas? He did come here to meet you."
Andrew glanced at the other guy before nodding at him. Then, standing, he kissed his daughter's head before handing the coke to her boyfriend. Heading off towards the kitchen, he started grumbled something about having to go get his own beer.
"He didn't even notice me," Lucas said as he moved to grab his hoodie and pull it back on. "Don't know if he's real cool or just hates me."
"I told you that he hates you."
"Knock it off, Owen." Annabel took her father's seat with a sigh. "They tried to make me cook."
"Don't know why they insist on you being in there when you can hardly make eggs."
Annabel pinched Owen then. "Those eggs were fine and you know it."
He just grunted.
"When do you think we'll eat? Annabel?" Lucas asked her. "'cause those cookies are great and everything, but I'm kinda still hungry. I worked out a lot today, in preparation for food. Your sister, she don't feed me well."
"You're not a dog," Annabel pointed out. "I'm sure you could feed yourself."
"Ain't the same."
"Did you want more cookies?" Annabel asked, looking at him, but not able to make eye contact with him. Every time he tried to, she would look away. "Or something?"
"Nah," Lucas said, grinning real big, no doubt amused with the way she was acting. Owen was anything but. "I'm good."
"Did you want to play a game then?" Annabel asked, awkward as ever. Owen didn't get why she couldn't just be quiet. She seemed to feel the need to talk to Lucas which was just annoying. To him at least. "Owen brought a few of them."
"I think your dad wanted to play a game."
"He's not allowed," Annabel said with an eye roll.
"No?"
"No."
Lucas laughed at that, running his hands over his jeans then, smoothing them out. "Big as this place is, you don't have a pool table or something? Foosball? Something cool?"
"We have an actual pool, but it's December so-"
"Owen, put in Perfect Dark." Andrew came back into the room then with a beer and a few cookies of his own. "Annabel, your mother-"
"Yeah, I know," she groaned as she stood. "She always want me."
"It's called love," Owen told her, thinking of his own mother, who was no doubt at home, alone, bored. Mallory was no doubt in bed and Cam probably didn't come over. She had mentioned something about having a guy friend come over Christmas Eve. She had said she'd see them on actual Christmas though.
She just pushed his head as she stood before heading out of the room. Andrew sat down and popped the tab on his drink before looking at Lucas.
"You play Perfect Dark?"
"I have."
Owen held down a groan, knowing that they were all going to play then. Damn him for bringing all his controllers like a good guy and everything. Why was he cursed with this kindness? Why?
"How old are you?"
Lucas didn't even fake that shit eating grin that time. It only seemed to work on the females in the house. "Twenty-six."
Andrew nodded slightly before going back to his plate of food. Whitney, who was sitting next to her boyfriend, just kept staring at her father, knowing there was more.
"What do you do, Lucas?" Grace asked then, smiling at him. He quickly resumed his cheesy grin. "I assume you're not really a repair man."
"Oh, no," he told her with a shake of his head. "I'm a bartender, currently."
"Currently," Andrew repeated slowly. "Meaning?"
"That right now, he's a bartender," Whitney said, frowning at her dad. "What else would it mean?"
"Have you been one long?" Grace asked, not looking at her husband who was sulking.
"Six months or so," he said.
"What did you do before that? Go to school?"
"Oh, no. I never really got into the whole college thing." He held up a finger then. "I did go to bartending school though. Well, took classes. Was a bar back. All that fun stuff."
"What did you do after high school then?"
"I was in jail for murder."
"What?"
"Luke." Whitney hit him. "He's kidding."
"Stop hitting me so much." He rubbed his chest for a moment before grinning again. "My uncle owns a construction company. I worked for him for awhile, did fast food before, worked as a bagger at grocery store, worked at a gas station."
"Can't keep a job then?" Andrew asked which made his wife glare at him.
"I like to keep my options open."
"By not going to school."
"I finished high school," he pointed out. "That's all the school you really need."
"Is it?"
"Last time I checked, it's all Whitney has either."
Owen looked up at that. He had mostly been staring down at his soup, pouting because Annabel was making him eat that instead of what everyone else was eating. She said that he still couldn't chew. When the hell could he chew again then? He'd rather just deal with the pain of an impacted wisdom tooth than this crap.
Lucas was still all smiles, but his new tone was giving off his annoyance. He clearly didn't like being questioned. Then again, Owen didn't like it either. Still for someone that claimed to have met so many girlfriends' fathers, Lucas seemed to be sucking at it.
"Leave him alone, Dad," Whitney said then, her daggers still pointing in her father's direction. "God. Are you going to just bother him all through dinner?"
Still, Andrew just stared at Lucas. "Are you going to knock her up? Then try to marry her? Make me pay for it?"
"Dad!"
"Drew."
"…I still don't get why I have to eat soup," Owen muttered.
"Shush," Annabel told him softly.
"Babies are disgusting," Lucas said, matching Andrew's glare. "And I don't even want to live with Whitney, so no to the other question."
"Happy? My freaking God," Whitney grumbled, shaking her head at her father. "I'm not freaking Kirsten, alright? Just because you're all pissed at her doesn't mean that you have to ruin everyone else's lives."
"Watch your mouth."
"Then watch yours, Dad. God. I didn't even want to come here. You always do this."
"Oh please, Whitney. You've brought one other boy over in, what? The eight grade? Ninth? Tenth?"
Now no doubt embarrassed, she shoved away from the table before stomping out of the room. Grace was quick to follow though Andrew just went back to eating. Lucas sat there for a moment before shaking his head.
"Look, I get it," he said, staring at Andrew as he spoke. Annabel was biting her thumb nail to the quick at that point while Owen just continued to glare down at his soup. It wasn't fair. Stupid teeth. "I really do. I know that she was sick or whatever last year, but seriously? You-"
"You get it," Andrew said before looking up at the younger man. "Really? What exactly do you know about-"
"She vomited a lot or something. Whatever. Didn't eat. Which is, fine, bad, but-"
Andrew snorted. "You don't know-"
"Fine. I don't. Whatever. But I do know that I really like your daughter. A lot. And she likes me. And if you're in such a bad place in your own life that you find that to be a bad thing, then you need to look in the mirror, not at our relationship."
With that, Lucas stood up, heading into the kitchen where he had seen Whitney head off too.
"Dad-"
"This isn't any of your business, Annabel," he cut her off.
"Lucas is really…nice."
Owen held down his desire to elbow her.
"And you said that you would give him a chance before. Remember?" Annabel stared at her father. "You said that as long as Whitney was happy-"
"Because she looked so happy."
"She is. I mean, like, on the inside or whatever," Annabel corrected. "Whitney doesn't really get happy. Not really happy. And if she's just half way happy, isn't that something? Because she is that with Lucas. She's almost happy. More so than she is when she's by herself."
"Anna-"
"What don't you like about him?"
"I-"
"It's not, like, a race thing is it? Because that would be very-"
"You cannot be serious."
"Whitney said-"
"He's too old for her, he's going nowhere, he's a little smart-aleck, and he's…he's…"
"Whitney's not perfect," Annabel whispered. "And Whitney's not Kirsten. Kirsten sleeps around a lot-"
"Do not talk that way about-"
"Oh, you say it and Mom says it and everyone else says it! It doesn't mean I don't love her. I do. She just…does that." Annabel's blush was full blown by that point. "But Whitney doesn't. She doesn't date. She never really has. So if she likes Lucas, then she really likes him. And it's not fair for you to be mean to her about it. We're not little kids, Dad. Kirsten can have a baby and get married. Whitney can live on her own and date. And I can-"
Andrew looked at his daughter and her boyfriend full on then. "You can what?"
Apparently not get her boyfriend something other than soup to eat, but Owen felt that was a bad time to point that out.
"I can…do a lot of things too," she continued, her tone staying true though red seemed to be her skin tone then. "And not a year from now, Dad, I'm gonna be gone to college and Whitney's going to be living her life at her apartment with or without Lucas, and Kirsten's going to be married. With a child. And you're going to be stuck here with only you and Mom and you're going to have to finally confront whatever it is that you've been avoiding between the two of you. You get that right? Because it seems like you're the only one who doesn't."
When her father wouldn't respond to her, Annabel left the room much in the fashion of her mother and sister. Then it was only Owen and Andrew at the table, neither looking at nor speaking to one another for the longest time.
"So what do you think then?" Andrew asked Owen finally.
Not one to fall into such a trap, Owen said, "I think it's crap that I can't have real dinner."
Reaching over the table, Andrew deposited his untouched slices of ham on the boy's plate.
"Won't kill you," Andrew told him. "Annabel's just a woman. Overly cautious."
Owen grinned then, knowing that though Annabel's rules were rooted in logic that you only had one shot at life. Why waste it eating nasty canned soup?
"So now what do you think then?" Andrew asked.
Taking a moment to eat a bit of ham, Owen eventually said, "I agree with Lucas."
"Do you?"
"Yeah. Babies are disgusting."
Smiling however slightly, Andrew stood to leave the room as well. "The most disgusting thing you'll ever love."
"I think your baby sister has a crush on me."
"She probably thinks you're hot."
"The weird thing is her boyfriend totally knows and it pisses him off."
It wasn't like Owen meant to eavesdrop on Whitney and Lucas. He really didn't. But after dinner, Grace had sealed herself off in her room and Andrew had gone out into the garage. That gave Annabel and Owen the perfect chance to be alone, right? Right. And they were for awhile, hanging out up in her room, but then his mouth started to hurt and he needed some ice cream. It wasn't his fault he could hear them all the way from the living room. Honest. He really thought that they'd left for the night.
"They're cute," Whitney responded dismissively. Owen could tell just from her tone that she still wasn't comfortable after her argument with her father. "So just leave them alone."
"As shocking as it is, your seventeen year old sister doesn't really turn me on."
"Eighteen."
"Same thing."
"But she doesn't?"
"No. Not nearly as hot as you."
"Shut up, Lucas."
"What?"
It was silent then as Owen scooped out the ice cream into his bowl, humming in his head in hopes of keeping their conversation out if it should start up again.
It did.
"I told you my dad wouldn't like you."
"Your mom seems to."
"Mom just wants to please me."
"Do I please you?"
He heard the slight pat she gave him, no doubt a weak hit to the chest.
"What would really please me would to be to get out of here right now."
"Can we?"
"Might as well."
"You wanna tell your folks goodbye?"
"No," she sighed. "But I think I have to."
"You tell them that you're spending tomorrow with my family?"
"Not yet, no, but considering how they've been acting, they should expect it."
"We don't have to be together on Christmas."
He got another hit.
"Shut up. It's a holiday. We're going to be together for all of them fro this point forth. Get used to it."
Owen heard Lucas' chuckle. "Would it get you to stop hitting me if I told you it was kind of turning me on?"
"Is it?"
"Will it?"
Owen was done with the ice cream then and took his bowl on up the stairs with him back to Annabel's room. She was just as he had left her, snuggled up on her bed, texting on her phone. He quickly went to reclaim his spot up there with her.
"Do you like Lucas?"
She glanced at him then, frowning. "He's nice."
"Annabel."
"Owen."
"You blush every time he-"
"He's nice," she said again, shaking her head. "Just let it go."
He nodded, going to scoop up some of his ice cream. He knew though that he was going to have a hard time with that one though. A very hard time.