Author Note:...I'm free...I'm finally free! Just got done with my last semester final test! Which means- WINTER BREAK! Merry Early Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate!).
~CWA

Chapter 7- Bad Timing:

Annabelle:

My heart was beating about a mile a minute. I could hear it pounding. I couldn't even hear my brother's voice as we walked into school. The only thing I could hear was my heartbeat…and that stupid faint ticking of my watch. It was the same ticking that would stop later today. I looked at my watch, oh sorry. It will go off in exactly six hours, fifteen minutes and twenty-four seconds…twenty-three seconds…twenty-two seconds…

"Staring at it won't make is stop," Mason whispered to me. I glared,

"Yeah, but I can try."

I glared at the watch. Today was the day I had been dreading forever- the day that apparently my 'soul mate' realizes he loved me and we were 'destined' to be. The day I meet the love of my life. Or worse…the watch goes off when I'm alone and I am therefore 'destined' to be alone. Either way- it was the day I was dreading and wished would just be over. In a way though, maybe the watch could help me. Maybe it would go off with either Castiel or Lysander and help me with my own feelings. Maybe it's actually the day where I realize that watch is right? What if it does go off when I'm with Castiel or Lysander and I know that…that he's meant to be my soul mate?

Third Person:
Castiel glared at Lysander.

"Honestly, I think I'm going to ask her out," Castiel said. Lysander stiffened. He was well aware that both of them liked Annabelle. Though Lysander was convinced that Castiel wouldn't do anything about it. He thought that he liked Annabelle more than Castiel. With Annabelle, his feelings were hard to describe.

"You can't talk me out of it, Lys," Castiel huffed, "Because is too kickass to pass up. I will get her."
Lysander narrowed his eyes,
"Annabelle is not a fling nor an object that you can just 'get.' She is a person, and a beautiful one at that."

For a while, Castiel and Lysander stood there glaring at each other. It lasted until Rosayla finally came up to them and smacked them both upside the head,
"I don't even have to ask to know what this is about! But it's up to Annabelle, not you guys!"

Rosayla smiled,
"But if either of you hurt my new best friend, sorry Cassy and Lys, but I will hurt you both."

Castiel raised an eyebrow. Lysander was a bit taken back- though he expected nothing less of Rosayla than for her to protect her best friend.
"And no funny business," Rosayla said sternly, "if you break your heart, I'll break you. That means no playing with her feelings. Got it?"

Castiel and Lysander could only numbly nod. Rosayla smiled and nodded,
"Good!"

Then, she left to go find Annabelle. Mason, who had been watching, shook his head. Oh boy- this can't end well for Sissy. He didn't tell her- but he was concerned about her. He knew that the idea of the watch did freak her out. He just hoped that it worked out in the end and she didn't have another panic attack. He winced remembering that day. It was the day that she had a panic attack due to freaking out about the watch. It was the reason why for a short period of time, she had to stay clear of any ticking noises (he had found a way to mute the watch. It took a while- and a lot of duck tape- but it did work).

Annabelle:

At lunch, my scowl had become a permanent mark on my face. I wasn't in a good mood and I didn't plan on changing anytime soon. I wasn't going to smile on a day like this- this day was like my personal apocalypse…minus the zombies and the fire. But it really did feel like the end of the world though.

I was becoming really fed up with people though. If I was in a bad mood- people should know to back off. I would bite your head off if you so much as looked at me wrong if I was in a bad mood. Though, Rosayla…I could tolerate. Amber, however, was a different story.

"You're such a freak and you're so hideous," Amber snarled.

I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. Auntie would understand if I punched her, I kept repeating that in my head. Auntie would understand. Auntie would understand.

"Like you're one to talk," I fired back. She glared and I glared right back. I was not going to take any of her stuff today of all days. Especially not before I ate. I would be in a better mood after I ate, but she stopped me in the hall before I could get to the cafeteria. There are a few things you never want to do. 1. Make snide comments when I am in a bad mood. 2. Get between my food and me. Amber managed to do both. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and her two lackies did the same.

"Honestly, I don't know what that Victorian freak sees in you."

Victorian freak? Lysander? What does she mean? Wait, she just insulted Lysander. She just insulted my friend. Oh she's treading on thin ice now. I tried, I really did try, not to punch her.

"And not to mention your so-called best friend is such a weirdo."

"Amber," I growled, "Do us all a favor and shut up."
Shut up before I punch you. Amber just laughed as she left. Good thing too. If she stayed any longer I was going to pop…I still am going to pop. I opted for punching the locker with all my anger and frustration instead of a person. I rubbed my knuckles, maybe not the best decision but better than getting expelled…maybe.

I then headed to the cafeteria and got my lunch. Ah food, the only thing that makes my personal apocalypse better. I headed to the courtyard for once- I didn't want to have to deal with more people than absolutely necessary. Besides, it was a Friday. We ate lunch in the courtyard on Friday's. By we I meant me and my minions, I mean friends. So when I got to the courtyard, I saw Rosayla, Castiel, Lysander, and a new addition that just started to eat lunch with us- Kim. Kim…have I ate lunch with Kim before? Yeah, I think I have. Sometimes, I didn't eat lunch with Rosayla, Castiel, and Lysander. Sometimes I just ate lunch with Peggy. Other times, Iris or Violette would join us.

Either way, when I got there Lysander stood up. He set his jacket on the ground and then motioned for me to take a seat on it. I eyed him cautiously. Rosayla looked amused and Castiel didn't seem too pleased.

"DON'T DO IT, LYSANDER," I turned to see Mason yelling, "SHE FARTS!"

Before I could scream back a reply, he ran off. I scowled and Lysander looked at me amused. I blushed,
"I do not," I mumbled.

"We're woman," Rosayla pointed out, "We don't fart- we toot."

I blushed harder,
"Don't do that either," I mumbled. Lysander was still motioning for me to sit on his jacket. I sighed and took a seat- not used to the feeling of his jacket, which was practically his favorite item of clothing, under my butt. I looked at the bean burritos on my lunch tray, don't you dare betray me.

0000

I don't think I will ever be more thankful that my butt decided not to fart because if I did fart- I knew I would never live it down and Lysander would never talk to me again even if the watch did go off near him. Speaking of the watch…I looked down at it. Exactly ten minutes to go and I was pretty sure I was going to either have a panic attack or a heart attack.

"Annabelle!"

I turned to see Rosayla running towards me. She tackled me and I struggled to get her off.
"Na-uh, this is my last resort."
"What are you talking about," I gasped as I continued to try to get her off of me. Geesh, she's got an iron grip.

"You won't tell me what's been bothering you," Rosayla whined, "And this is my last resort! Tell me what's going on or I will never let you go."
I stopped struggling.
"Seriously?"
"What?"
"You tackled me, got me in an iron grip that could rival the Hulk's, and you did it because you were worried about me?"
"Of course," Rosayla giggled, "You're my best friend!"
I was torn between hugging her tightly and knocking her upside the head. She was so silly but…she cared. She honestly was my best friend- my first best friend actually since I never really had one before.

"So," Rosayla said, "what's wrong? Is it because Lys and Castiel have been acting weird? Is it because you like Castiel and Lysander?"

I blinked in shock. Wait, she's right Cas and Lys have been acting weird. First- Castiel gave me a whole box of cigarettes without me asking. Lysander pulled out my chair for me in class. Castiel complimented me on my scarf. Then there was that incident at lunch. They are acting weird, but why? Then the other part of what Rosayla said actually hit me.

"Yeah," I admitted, "I…I do like both of them."

She tsk'ed,
"I knew that! And I know you like Lys-baby better 'cause you told me so and it's so obvious," she giggled, "Just be careful, m'kay?"

She hugged me tightly and then finally she let me out of her death grip. As she left, satisfied that why I had been acting weird was because of Castiel and Lysander, I looked at my watch. Five minutes to go. I could feel the lump in my throat. I could hear my heart beat. It was worse than it was this morning. This time it was so loud that I was half-way convinced that if someone just stood next to me then they would hear it. I could hear the ticking in my ears and I was more panicked than I was when Mason made me go to school dressed in a banana suit.

"Annabelle!"

I heard someone call my name. I turned to see Nathaniel- oh please no. He looked a bit annoyed and a bit concerned.
"Annabelle, I came to speak to you about that locker that you dented, be thankful I convinced the principle to let me speak to you first and-"

He looked down at my arms. Oh fudge. My red shirt only went to my elbows. No one else noticed the faint, slightly fresh scars on my wrists from a while back when I had smashed my wrist against the mirror. Nathaniel noticed though. He was too smart not to notice. I felt like banging my head against the wall. His eyes narrowed.

"Annabelle," he said seriously, "are you okay?"

No- of course I'm not. I have exactly two minutes before my watch goes off and I meet the love of my life- or I'll be forced to face the facts that according to my watch I was born to die alone and you're stuck here talking to me. Oh gosh…what if it goes off with you nearby? What if my feelings don't even matter to so-called destiny? What if I was wrong and the watch is right? What if does go off and Nathaniel is my soul mate? What if he decided to stop interogatting me and leave and it go off when I'm alone? What if it's not Castiel? What if it's not Lysander?

I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach. My eyes widened and my vision got a bit blurry. I felt my heart speed up. My breathing hitched and I wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball.
"Annabelle," Nathaniel said but his voice sounded so far away. I could only hear my breathing, the ticking, and my heart.

"Annabelle, look at me."

I tried to look at him, but I couldn't. My body didn't want to work. I glanced at my watch. Ten…nine…eight…seven…
"I GOT TO GO!"

I panicked. I pushed past him and I ran off. I passed Lysander and Castiel.

"Annabelle," they cried.

Six…five…four…three…I felt someone grab my arm and spin me around. I stopped breathing for just a second. Two…one…My watch beeped. Lysander's hand was on my arm, but I was staring at them both. I was staring at both Lysander and Castiel. You have got to be kidding me- stupid, evil, beeping.

My heart didn't stop beating though- it was still going really fast. I was aware that I was still breathing- but barely. My breaths were sharp and short. The last thing I saw was Lysander's concerned face and Castiel's shocked expression as my eyes rolled into the back of my head and I fainted.