judgment, Annabella let the words sting her.
What was this, an intervention? She’d changed, was that so hard to accept? She wasn’t the same girl she was back in Tampa. He made sure of that.
“What do you want from me?” Annabella snapped pounding her fist on the counter “I’m not that girl. I’m not the one I used to be and I’m not going to stand here and listen to you tell me how much I’ve changed for the worst in my own home.”
“We’re just trying to help you. We just want you to be the girl you were before,” Aubrey told her best friend. If only she could get through to her…
“Yeah, we just want you back,” Maxie added when Ryan and Matt came further into the room.
“You don’t get it; maybe I’ll never be her again. Don’t you get that I’m not that girl I was all those months ago, and if I’m being honest I never will be. But I’m fine and I don’t need you guys telling me what I should be doing or talking to my parents about what is wrong with me. I’m fine. Change is a part of life and sooner or later you need to deal with it.”
“Why are you being so bitchy?” Aubrey asked. A frown sent wrinkles from the corners of her mouth to her chin.
“Hey, there’s no need for all of this,” Ryan said, coming to his little sister’s rescue. “If Bell says she’s fine then she’s fine. The three of you are supposed to be her friends, so start acting like it. Stop being so negative. You shouldn’t be telling her everything you don’t like about her, you should be telling her all the things you love about her. Isn’t that what friendship is?”
“But she’s a completely different person now,” Chelsea whined.
“Change is life; we all change,” Matt defended. He felt like he owed her for everything he’d said last night.
“I don’t have time for all of this, you can either accept me for the person I am now, or you can get the hell out of my house. I’m going for a run.” Annabella left them standing there with confused looks on their faces.
***
Annabella felt like she’d been running for eternity. She just kept running and running; she wanted to escape it all.
Everything from the secret she was keeping, to everyone pitying her, to her best friends basically saying they hated who she was becoming. She didn’t expect it to hurt as much as it did when her friends confronted her. She thought she’d already lived through all the pain she’d have to take in, and yet here she was taking in some more. She’d never forget the look in their eyes; it was a hint of disappointment mixed with pity. Annabella hated it.
The was lost in her thoughts until she bumped into someone and landed hard on her read end. Travis sat beside her on the ground.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Travis joked, lending her a hand to help her up from the ground.
“Oh, so you’re not going to yell at me and tell me this is entirely my fault?” Annabella said, pulling the ear buds out of her ears.
“Tempting, but no. I was actually going to come by later. You forgot this yesterday.” Travis pulled her phone out of his pocket.
Frowning, she took it. She hadn’t even noticed that she didn’t have it. Travis misinterpreted her expression. “What’s wrong? Oh, is it not yours?”
“It’s not that. It’s just that I didn’t even notice it was gone,” Annabella admitted to the guy standing in front of her. Travis was wearing black running shorts and a grey tank top that showed his muscles. He was pretty buff for his age in her opinion.
“You do now.” He smirked down at her. Upon noticing her distress, he softened his expression and held out the phone.
Annabella sighed and gently took it, careful to not let their hands touch. “Thanks.”
“What’s wrong?” Travis asked.
“It’s nothing, I don’t want to unload my problems on you,” she said. In all honestly, she could really use someone to talk to.
“I’m a
What was this, an intervention? She’d changed, was that so hard to accept? She wasn’t the same girl she was back in Tampa. He made sure of that.
“What do you want from me?” Annabella snapped pounding her fist on the counter “I’m not that girl. I’m not the one I used to be and I’m not going to stand here and listen to you tell me how much I’ve changed for the worst in my own home.”
“We’re just trying to help you. We just want you to be the girl you were before,” Aubrey told her best friend. If only she could get through to her…
“Yeah, we just want you back,” Maxie added when Ryan and Matt came further into the room.
“You don’t get it; maybe I’ll never be her again. Don’t you get that I’m not that girl I was all those months ago, and if I’m being honest I never will be. But I’m fine and I don’t need you guys telling me what I should be doing or talking to my parents about what is wrong with me. I’m fine. Change is a part of life and sooner or later you need to deal with it.”
“Why are you being so bitchy?” Aubrey asked. A frown sent wrinkles from the corners of her mouth to her chin.
“Hey, there’s no need for all of this,” Ryan said, coming to his little sister’s rescue. “If Bell says she’s fine then she’s fine. The three of you are supposed to be her friends, so start acting like it. Stop being so negative. You shouldn’t be telling her everything you don’t like about her, you should be telling her all the things you love about her. Isn’t that what friendship is?”
“But she’s a completely different person now,” Chelsea whined.
“Change is life; we all change,” Matt defended. He felt like he owed her for everything he’d said last night.
“I don’t have time for all of this, you can either accept me for the person I am now, or you can get the hell out of my house. I’m going for a run.” Annabella left them standing there with confused looks on their faces.
***
Annabella felt like she’d been running for eternity. She just kept running and running; she wanted to escape it all.
Everything from the secret she was keeping, to everyone pitying her, to her best friends basically saying they hated who she was becoming. She didn’t expect it to hurt as much as it did when her friends confronted her. She thought she’d already lived through all the pain she’d have to take in, and yet here she was taking in some more. She’d never forget the look in their eyes; it was a hint of disappointment mixed with pity. Annabella hated it.
The was lost in her thoughts until she bumped into someone and landed hard on her read end. Travis sat beside her on the ground.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Travis joked, lending her a hand to help her up from the ground.
“Oh, so you’re not going to yell at me and tell me this is entirely my fault?” Annabella said, pulling the ear buds out of her ears.
“Tempting, but no. I was actually going to come by later. You forgot this yesterday.” Travis pulled her phone out of his pocket.
Frowning, she took it. She hadn’t even noticed that she didn’t have it. Travis misinterpreted her expression. “What’s wrong? Oh, is it not yours?”
“It’s not that. It’s just that I didn’t even notice it was gone,” Annabella admitted to the guy standing in front of her. Travis was wearing black running shorts and a grey tank top that showed his muscles. He was pretty buff for his age in her opinion.
“You do now.” He smirked down at her. Upon noticing her distress, he softened his expression and held out the phone.
Annabella sighed and gently took it, careful to not let their hands touch. “Thanks.”
“What’s wrong?” Travis asked.
“It’s nothing, I don’t want to unload my problems on you,” she said. In all honestly, she could really use someone to talk to.
“I’m a
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