twisted → j.m.

chapter 2

Anna's P.O.V

I huffed and turned around in my bed, annoyed at the alarm going off. I groaned and finally slammed my hands down on the alarm, making it go quietly.

I sighed and sat up clumsily in bed. I ran my hands through my long hair and reached for my phone. I had like, ten messages from Emily, saying Happy Birthday and telling me to hurry up and get ready because she was coming to pick me up.

A small smile was placed on my lips as I sprang from my bed and started taking my shower. I might be 16, but birthdays always excited me.

I walked downstairs, expecting the house to be quiet as it always was, but I could hear my mother humming in the kitchen. A sweet smell wafted out of the kitchen. I could tell what they were - pancakes, my favorite.

"Happy Birthday, darling!" I was greeted by my soft smiling mother, as I walked in the kitchen.
I smiled and sat down at the kitchen table, "Thank you. How come you are at home? Shouldn't you be at work?"
My mother smiled, "How can I be off working when it's your birthday? I will go, but a bit later. First I will have breakfast with my wonderful daughter." She said, turning her back to me.

I knew this was the time, I was unwilling to ask my hard working mother for the money, but I did so want to watch a movie and shop a little, I really needed new clothes.
"Mom..."
"Yeah, honey?"
"I was wondering if I could have a little money, I am going out with Emily today so..." I trailed off hopefully.

My mother smiled, reaching for her purse and handing me two twenty pound notes. I gasped and my eyes went big, "No, I can't take much." I shook my head, pushing her hands away.

"Sure you can, honey it's your birthday and I want you to go out and enjoy yourself, you deserve it." She said, pushing the notes back into my hands.
I smiled and took it, grateful for having such a nice mother.

"Oh, and Anna?" she said, just as I was about to leave the kitchen. "I got you a present," she handed me a big box.

I took it, surprised. Opening it, I found a beautiful floral dress inside. It was just the perfect size. I hugged my mother and ran up to my room to get ready.

******

I was sitting in the back seat of Mrs. Samule, Emily's mother's car. Emily was sitting next to me. She had gifted me a beautiful bracelet, that had my name imprinted on it as a birthday present and now she was staring out of the window excited to watch The Fault in Our Stars.

I was dressed in the floral dress that my mother gifted me and I had left my hair down, not doing anything to it as it was already straight. I didn't wear much makeup, so the only thing that was on my face was a bit of lip gloss.

"Be careful you two and Happy Birthday Anna." Mrs. Samules said, pulling off after dropping us at the busy mall.
"Okay! Movies first!" Emily squealed excitedly like a five-year-old dragging me inside the mall with me. I laughed, following her.

After standing in a long ticket queue, we had finally got our ticket and were now seated inside the theatre, with a bucket full of popcorn. Surprisingly, the hall was almost empty. The lights went down at last.

A man entered the hall, he stood there scanning the dark hall. He was dressed in a black hoodie, a pair of dark jeans and a hood covered his face. He had dark sunglasses on his eyes, and it seemed a bit weird to me to wear sunglasses in a dark place. Even in the dark, I could see that he looked directly looked at me, a small smile on his lips before approaching our row.

Uncomfortable, I shifted my gaze from him and tried to focus on the movie, but I had to look again when he sat next to my seat. The whole hall was practically empty, so why sit next to me here?

I turned my stare at the movie, uncomfortable beyond imagination.

I was never happier to come out of a theatre. That guy, whoever the creep was, seemed to stare at me through the full movie and not watch anything that was going on in the screen.

I tried to tell Emily about it.

"Anna, you must be going crazy, that guy was kind of cute anyway. Didn't you see his face?" Emily said, giggling.
"No, I didn't Emily! I was too freaked out to do that." I said a bit harshly.
"Oh come on! Let's do some serious shopping now. Don't be mad." Emily whined, dragging me into a store.

******

"Bye!!" I waved at Emily's car. I have had a wonderful day of shopping. I turned around and breathed in the warm smell of fish and chips. I had spent all my money on shopping so I didn't have any money to spend on food.

I sighed; getting the feeling someone was watching me again. I looked around, before going inside my house in a rush.

I stepped out of the shower feeling relaxed and sleepy; the only problem was that I was hungry. I changed into my pajamas before going into the room.
I entered my room and gasped at what I saw. There in the middle of the bed, sat a birthday card.

I picked it up, the air caught on my throat.

"Happy 16th Birthday sweetheart. Love you - J." Is what the card read.

Who was 'J'? Was this some kind of a nasty joke? How did they get in my house? Tears blurred my eyes, and I quickly picked up the card, going outside to dump it all in the bin.

I came back in and sighed, but my relief was short-lived, because there on the bed sat a sticky note. I picked it up, my hands trembling.

"You shouldn't have done that, but it's okay, I forgive you. I will get you soon. "