The Man Behind the Makeup

Chapter 8: Nothing.

Annabelle's POV

After Ronnie left and Alex came in, I was pretty calm, just hurt. I looked at her and faintly smiled. We wrapped our arms around each other and just had a quiet, comforting sister-like moment. I pulled away and smiled at her, having an idea in mind.

"How about when we arrive in Atlanta tomorrow, we go and get ourselves a couple of tattoos." Her eyes widened and a huge smile grew on her face.

"Yes! I would love to." I smiled and gave her a hug. After we pulled away, the door opened to reveal Andy.

"Sorry to kill the party, but I was wondering if I could have a moment with Annabelle?" Alex nodded, looking at me one last time to wish me good luck before leaving back to the front to hang out with the others. I stood there with my arms crossed as he just stared at me.

"So are you going to say something, or just stand there staring into my empty soul." He shook his head as he looked at the floor as he got closer to me.

Andy's POV

I just stood there like an idiot staring at her. She looked beautiful and when I bumped into her earlier, so many memories flashed through my mind we had together, especially when I looked at her hands as they healed before my eyes.

"So are you going to say something, or just stand there staring into my empty soul." I looked at the ground with a smirk. She still had that tough girl attitude with people she wasn't very fond of. Dammit, she doesn't like me anymore. I fucked up so much. I walked a bit closer to her and looked into her eyes.

"You really haven't changed personality wise, have you?" She let out a hard laugh, completely fake as she shook her head. "Okay look, I'm really sorry for dropping you after I started dating Juliet. She forced me to stop being friends with you and I really liked her." But not as much as I liked you. She looked at me with tinted eyes.

"How dare you, have the dignity to stand here and say that you chose that, that slut, over your fucking best friend." I looked at the floor in shame. "I was miserable after that. I had nobody but Dustin after that. I didn't go to prom, senior banquet, anything but graduation that involved the whole class participation because I knew that I would have to see you and her all happy together. I was bullied and harassed while you fucking lived the happy popular life with her." A tear ran down my cheek as she said all of these things to me. The shitty thing is I knew that this all had happened.

"Annabelle, I... I'm so sorry. I would've done something if I had known." She shook her head.

"But you did and what did you do?" She pressed her finger against my chest. "Nothing. You didn't do a god damn thing to make her stop. And I will never forgive you for that. You really missed a lot, Andy, so why don't you do some homework when you leave with your little, bubbly love and see how far Dustin and I have come since then. He's one of you now." One of me? Like, he's a normal human now?

"When did that happen?" She shook her head and turned around.

"Few months after high school. Dad is really clingy to me now." I nodded and felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I knew that it was Juliet wanting to leave. "You should go." I nodded and wiped the tears from my face as I walked back out to the others with Anna right behind me. She went straight to Oli and he had a worried look on his face. She whispered something in his ear, making him nod as he wrapped his arm around her waist. They really were a good couple, but not as good as what Anna and I could've been.

Annabelle's POV

After they left and everybody else went to bed, Oli, Alex, and I sat out in the front lounge. I explained everything to them about what happened with Andy and Oli looked like he wanted to punch him in the face. I gave him a hug and I felt his body relax a little as he hugged me back. I looked to see that Alex was the odd one out so I open one of my arms, waving her over for a group hug. She giggled and walked over, hugging the two of us with her pale arms.

"Thank you both for being my best friends, and an extra thank you to Oli for pretending to be my boyfriend in front of Juliet." He laughed and we all pulled away.

"I am not complaining, though." He stood up to stretch and just to get back at him for laughs, I smacked his bum. Alex and I laughed as it jiggled a little and he put his hands on his bum. "I guess I deserved that, but hey, the opportunity was open so I took it." We laughed and I rolled my eyes as we stood up to go to the bunk area. I gave him a hug goodnight and kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight Oli-saurus." He kissed my cheek and crawled into his bottom bunk.

"Goodnight Anna-banana." I look at Alex and she had a questioning look on her face. "It's a long story, don't ask." I heard him mumble from in his bunk and we smirked. I gave her a hug and helped her climb into the bunk.

"Goodnight Anna." I crawled into my bunk and plugged in my phone and camera.

"Goodnight Alex." I pulled the curtain closed and shut off the light as I let the peaceful driving on the bus calm me and help me sleep. Tomorrow will hopefully be an amazing day.

***

Alex's POV

Being barely able to sleep last night, I got up and jumped out of my bunk with my drawing pad and a couple of colored pencils. Walking to the front lounge, I pulled my sweatshirt over my head as I decided to start a pot of coffee for everyone. I was grateful for meeting Anna. She was like a sister to me even though I only met her just yesterday.

"Good morning sweet-cheeks." What the fuck? A sleepy Ryan walked out of the bunk area and into the kitchen.

"Um, good morning." I giggled and rolled my eyes as I sat down on a stool at the counter, starting to draw the outline of my tattoo design. I hope they are willing to do this for me. He went over to the coffee pot and pulled out two cups. He poured me a cup me slid it across the counter to me. "Thank you." He smiled and tilted his head to look at my drawing.

"You are an amazing artist." I blushed and finished the outline, then picking up the blue and red colored pencils to shade in the petals.

After a good half hour, everybody except Anna was up and drinking coffee to get over their slight hangovers. Ryan was still watching me as I continued to add more detail to the drawing and erase the little parts I didn't like. This is going to be on my body forever, I want it to look good. Ronnie stood up and put his cup in the little sink.

"Alright, whose turn is it to wake up Annabelle?" Everybody looked at him with wide eyes as I giggled.

"I'm not doing it, she almost broke my arm three days ago." Lee confessed and squished himself to the corner of the couch. Everyone then looked at me.

"Um excuse me, I don't want to die." Ronnie laughed and pulled me off the stool and walked with me into the bunk area. We had already arrived in Atlanta and she needed to get ready for another hot day. He pulled back the curtain and patted my shoulder, leaving me with the scary stories that were running through my mind. I looked at her and her arm was bent up in the air as her hair was a messy ball on top of her head. Her mouth was slightly open and her leg was hanging out of the bunk, sticking out of the blankets. Oh great, she's in perfect slapping position. "Annabelle, you have to get up." I shook her arm and slapped her foot, ducking down to the ground as her arm swung out and she kicked her leg.

"Ugh, mm-fine." She breathed out and I stood back up as we both walked out to the front. She bumped into the corner of the counter as she was rubbing her eye. "Ow, son of a fucking bitch you fucking stupid ass counter." I laughed and walked back over to my spot at the counter. She sat next to me and rested her head on the counter, closing her eyes.

"Did she get you?" Ryan asked and she punched him in the arm, not even moving her head to look at him. "Ow!" I laughed and he gave her a cup of coffee.

"No, I ducked so I wasn't slapped in the face and kicked in the head." She put her hand on my face, then just let it drop.

"Sorry, I'm not a morning person." I giggle and patted her back. She then stood up and stretched as she yawned. "I'm gonna go shower and get ready, then we can go get our tattoos after Oli's band plays." I nodded and watched as she walked off, but slammed right into the hall door. Everyone burst out laughing and she rubbed her head as she opened it and walked to the bathroom. "Whoever closed that door better be worried for themselves!" She called out, making us laugh even harder.