Childhood Crushes

Chapter Forty - You're GOING To College, Whether You Like It Or Not

"Annabelle, have you finished your applications yet?" Mom called from the hallway. I groaned, looking up at my ceiling. 'No' I wanted to say, 'I've just been lyin' here, waiting for Bale's shift to end so I can call him already.' "I'm workin' on it." I replied.

Her head popped into my door, her sparkling eyes glared at me in a playful way. "Are not." She pointed out. I yawned, feeling a little sleepy. After working a 9 hour shift at the restaurant and picking up Hazel from her work, to take her home, I was wiped. I stretched and curled my toes, swiping my head board lightly with my fingertips. "Mom, I'm exhausted, I just wanna eat, talk to Bale, take a shower and go to sleep until noon tomorrow."

She frowned at the mention of Bale's name. She was still iffy about this whole 'engagement' thing. I keep telling her it's not gonna be until after college, but she doesn't believe me.

"Well, just make sure you save time for education, Annabelle." She replied before turning on her heel and going into the kitchen to start dinner. Spaghetti and meatballs tonight, along with Mom's new boyfriend, Hecter. See, I'm not the only one who got a boyfriend over the summer.

I closed my eyes, feeling certain muscles tense up from being on my feet and working all day. Before I knew it, the sound of soft music coming from my iPod began to fade, my eyes were glued shut, and I was drifting off to sleep...

"WHOA, what wazzat..." I slurred, sitting bolt upright at the noise. When I came to my senses I realized it was the phone, sitting on my desk. I ran over and caught it on the last ring. "Hullo?" I asked, my voice still sleep drunk.

"Hey, baby. You alright?" The voice I'd been wanting to hear all day; the only thing that kept me running at the restaurant. He's better than comfort food.

"Yeah, just tired." I yawned, despite myself.

"Why? It's only 8." Bale chuckled.

I collapsed into my desk chair, laying my head on my laptop and feeling the coolness on my cheek. It felt nice. "I just came home from a 9 hour shift at the diner." Sometimes I regret taking the job there. But if I'm gonna save up money to go see my fiancé, I'd better have a job.

"Oh, Beaver." He said sympathetically. "You want me to call tomorrow?"

"No, no, no, no." I answered quickly, even though I slurred a little and was contemplating putting toothpicks in my eyelids to keep them open. "I wanna talk to you. What's up with you, how was work?"

I could hear the smile in his voice, "It was alright - slow as usual. Have you finished applying to colleges? I know you said you'd do that tonight."

Are him and Mom in cahoots about this whole college thing? Bale is always asking about which college I'm thinking about going to. And he doesn't even say it in a "Is it close, or far from me?" way, like most boyfriends would. It was more of a curiosity, and when I mentioned going to the Tennessee college, nearest to him, he just said it wasn't advanced enough for me and said he wouldn't let me go there.

"That was before I got slapped with a 9 hour shift. I'll finish them tomorrow..." I replied with a wide yawn.

"Annabelle, promise me you'll finish those tomorrow." He said.

"Baaaaaaaale!" I began to whine, sleepily.

"Don't 'Baaaaaaale' me. I want you to go to college, now you're gonna fill out applications to Yale, Harvard-"

"You seriously have high expectations of me. Do me a favor and lower those a smidgen..."

Mom walked into my room. "Annabelle, Hecter is here, time to eat." She frowned as she saw me on the phone.