Beyond the Sun

13

To say things got steadily strained as the weeks, months and years went on was an understatement. By the time, Annie reached sixteen she was already bunking off school regularly to go hang out in parts of the city which Simon would rather she didn't. He got it, she was going through one of those rebellious stages. He went through one when he was her age too. He shaved his hair, got a motorcycle and got in with people he really shouldn't have. By the time, he turned seventeen he owed people money, which no sane minded person would even ever think of getting in debt to.

Annie wasn't like this. No, her rebellious acts seemed to just stem from her displeasure, which grew by the day at being in Gotham. Or rather, her restrictions while being in Gotham. Simon knew what sort of city this was, and so did she. He didn't want her stumbling into the wrong parts and getting into trouble, or worse. So, he got Melissa to drive her to school, he picked her up, and on weekends she was allowed out until a certain time. The restrictions were for her own good, but Annie saw it as her wings being clipped. So clearly, she had had enough of it one day and just decided to not listen to either himself or Melissa. Truth be told, Simon knew this day would happen, he just hoped that he'd be able to handle it when it came.

He was basically trying to raise Annie on his own. She had shown great dislike to Melissa ever since the first day they had met. The two must be opposing star signs or something, because they certainly didn't get along. Melissa tried to be the good step-mum, not overbearing, not too nosey, just on the side-lines to help if she was ever needed. But Annie didn't ever need her. It seemed Annie didn't need anyone. The city, as much as Simon hated to admit it, had really changed his daughter. The friends she had made were nothing but encouraging to her naughty behaviour, and most times; he honestly didn't know where she was. She never seemed to answer her mobile when he called if he got home and she wasn't here in the apartment.

He did think about sending her back to Smallville on more than one occasion, but Melissa had clearly stated that they didn't know how Rebecca would cope with having to suddenly look after such a troublesome teenager. Hearing the shutting of the door, Simon looked up and away from some paper work to watch Annie walk in, casual as anything. "Where have you been?" He asked and then noticed she had her headphones on, the ever annoying over the head headphones which blocked out the outside world.

She moved along the corridor to her room and shut the door, and that was it. They'd grown steadily apart ever since she moved here. At first, they did manage to make some semblance of a relationship, but it fell apart rather quickly. It was clear she didn't want to be here, with him, and more importantly with Melissa. Annie wanted to be with her mother. Looking back up as Annie appeared, Simon sighed. When she first came here she looked so innocent and put on a feisty front. But now she had become a rather hardened person, jaded and indifferent. She'd grown her chestnut hair, it stopped just below her elbows and had got a slight kink to it which had oddly appeared over the last few years. She had taken to wearing rather dark make-up, along with clothes. She seemed to live in faded band t-shirts, hole infested jeans, and steal toe cap boots.

"Where have you been?" Simon tried again seeing as how her headphones were now off and in her room.

She slumped on the sofa and crossed her arms. "Would you prefer the truth or a lie?"

"What do you think?" He frowned at her. It had steadily become like this, a constant tug of war between them. Her wishing to avoid being honest, and him being tired of her lying.

"Amusement Mile." She said while rubbing her eyes, even if that did smudge the dark eyeliner slightly she didn't seem to care. "Ate loads of candy floss. Looked out at the bay..."

"You ditched school for that?"

"Yeah," Annie looked to him with a smile. "Yeah I did." She seemed almost proud, if Simon was correct in thinking that her disposition right now was just triumphant and pleased. She was proud of what she had clearly wasted her day doing, he however was not.