AnnaA light in the darkness. A small lit flame floats in the air.I should have known.I should have known ignoring the problem wouldn't make it go away. Alan was right. We can't run away from our problems. We have to be brave. I thought that's what I was doing when I went home last night and pulled out the letter I had originally ignored, the one that feels like a lifetime ago that I received.It was Jed's handwriting, I knew it would be, but somehow when I opened it, doubt dreaded my mind. The letter was the same as the others, facts about our past, secrets hidden all around the world. Everything I would need to put my father away. I put the letter into my safe hidden under the ground of my bedroom's closet, along with the pictures and all the other letters and I went to sleep.Now, as I stand here in my doorway, while the light, the burning orange and yellow light flickers, I wonder if I were meant to stare harder at the letters."Annabelle." The shadowy figure calls out.
Alan"Who can tell me the story of Romeo and Juliet?" I wait for the snickers to stop. I don't know what it is with kids and the story of Romeo and Juliet that have them snickering, laughing and blushing all at once. My previous class was the exact same way. I ask the question again once the class has settles down, and a girl raises her hand first."Yes, Merith."Merith lowers her hand and answers with a shy voice."Um, I think it's a love story. Romeo and Juliet love each other but their families don't like each other so they go behind their families backs and kiss." My lips turn up at her description.A few boys look at one another in the back corner with their mouths turned up in disgust. Ah, to be the age where you think all girls are absolutely discussing. Hard to believe in a few years those boys will be chasing these girls down instead."That's pretty accurate Merith. It's a tragic story derived from William Shakespeare." I begin telling the class the story of the doom
AnnaWhat was I doing? I was going to hurt him. I was going to destroy him, all by attempting to save him.Father wanted me closer to him, I became closer to him, but when he was telling me about going on a date, laughing along with me, joking with me like we used to when life was simple, when it was easy. I wanted him again and then the guilt hit hard."Oh, I didn't think you would be in the breakroom." Delilah says walking into the breakroom."Yeah, I remembered that you snort coke for a living and was wondering if I should break into your locker and steal some.""Ha-ha, what are you doing in here anyways?" She asks as she walks over to the Frappuccino machine.The breakroom is the same as the rest of Creations. Black and white, a sink, fridge, coffee machine, Frappuccino machine and a vending machine full of vegan items. As you can guess the vending machine is still full. There are a few benches and a couple of couches inside as well. I wanted my team to have somewhere
AlanThe week is finally over, and I think I am more excited than the kids. The final bell rings and the kids jump up out of their seats and run towards the exit. I normally keep them for a few seconds to finish up my last-minute thought and what their homework will be, but today is different. As soon as the last student leaves, Peter, I grab my briefcase and begin walking out of the room as well. I have a ton of work to grade and lots of prepping for Monday, but I want to get it all done today because this weekend will be jammed with just about everything under the sun.Dad called me last night, told me that Sunday was the day he has the meeting with the committee on the homeless project in downtown Manhattan. He is going to fly each of my sisters out to help with the day as well. Dad told me that on that day, not only will we meet with the committee members, but also go around to the shelters and see what we can do to help. With Christmas coming up and the weather out here gettin
AnnaThe drive is silent. It's something I'm immensely grateful for.Alan is your typical bad diver. Merges into different lanes, doesn't always see pedestrians and swerves like a bat out of hell. Living in New York and driving can be quiet challenging and for someone who was never that great of a driver, is even worse. But right now, Alan is being extra careful. I don't know if it's from my freak out earlier or that fact that he is on a non-date/date with me. Either way, I'm grateful.It takes us a solid half an hour to reach Maggie's. The large restaurant is crowded. Packed actually. This is the first time I have been here when it is open and on a weekend. Alan parks his car and gets out. I stay inside for a moment because I already know he wants to open my door. It's one thing I can't stand, it's one thing he loves to do. After the psychotic breakdown I gave him earlier, it's the least I can do."Anna?" I turn and see him extending his hand out to me. I must have been spaced
AlanEver wonder why alarm clocks are supposed to make the most annoying noise known to man? The question hits my mind this morning for about thirty seconds before I grabbed the damn thing and threw it against the wall. Stupid clock.Five minutes later, I felt about ten pokes on my face and tried my hardest to thwart the hand away from my face, but the finger just kept coming back to me.I open my eyes and peer at the blurry figure in front of me and when I see none other than my mother standing there with a tray of waffles, I nearly jump out of my skin."What the hell ma? What are you doing in my apartment?" I use all the blankets I can, to ball with my hands and cover my body. There is something just wrong about being a grown ass man waking up to your mother and breakfast when you have a morning erection because you spent all night and most of the morning thinking about a certain blonde-haired beauty."Oh please, Bean. I birthed you. I spent twelve solid straight hours in the
AnnaI lay over the toilet and continue to dry heave. This is the worst punishment I have ever received."What have I told you Annabelle? I have warned you over and over again, to come home right after school." Father yells from the other room.I can hear Jed attempting to calm him down but it's no use. Father's anger has triumphed over everything. I heave once more and lay my head on the cool toilet bowl, hoping my stomach will stop attempting to get rid of the rest of my dinner."Darling. Why do such a foolish thing." Mother asks from beside me. I can feel her hand pull my hair, the hair that hasn't been ripped out of my scalp, up and past my face so that she can survey the damage.I had gotten home late. Father had told me all week that I was to be in the house by six pm each night. I didn't understand why, and he wouldn't tell me, so I disobeyed him. Truth is, I wanted him to react. I wanted him to punish me. The mission was over. Nicholas Cole was in New York, he no longer wa
AlanI had agreed to the interview.Dad, mom, all four of my sisters and I, would be on a stage, while a woman, Margarette Knowles, would ask us questions, mostly regarding who my father was as a father, husband, and all around good guy. I agreed, and thanks to Anna, only thanks to Anna, was I flying back home to Minneapolis this weekend.When I told Anna about my predicament, I thought she would have just offered me some words of advice and sent me on my way. But when she told me that she would go with me this weekend, my entire demeaner shifted."Short day today huh?" Delilah asks as we pass each other at the mailboxes. I had just come home from speaking to Mr. Moley and requesting this Friday off."Um, yeah, kids had a minimum day. Shorter classes so the teachers could play catch up." I don't know how I should act around Delilah. To say it was a surprise seeing her at Creations when I went in to see Anna is an understatement."Relax. You don't have to be afraid of me. I had no