It's Complicated

Chapter 41: Control

Instead of walking back to my house I continued walking to the park. I couldn't face my family right now, I was a mess. When I got to the park, I sat on the swings & began to instantly bawl my eyes out. Why didn't Katie believe me? Why won't she just trust me? Why doesn't Daniel believe me when I say I don't like Brennan? It's all becoming too much, I just can't deal with it. I try to calm myself down by scrolling though Instagram, but that was a mistake. There's over 100,000 comments on the picture my mom posted, over half of them are about "Brannie" & the other half are just hate comments directed toward me. The comments are as follow:

• OMG, finally! #Brannie
• What the hell is Annie wearing?
• Brennan could do so much better than her!
• Annie looks so weird!
• GOALS, GOALS, GOALS.

None of it makes me feel better, if anything it just makes me feel like shit. It takes all the strength I have to not reply to comments, I didn't want to make matters worse than they already were. Part of me really just wants to post a picture of me & Daniel, but then that would open an even bigger can of drama that I'm not ready to deal with. I just feel lost & alone.

*Ring, ring*

Someone is calling me from an unknown number, well not unknown but it isn't saved on my phone. I'm hesitant to answer. I let it ring for a while & then it stops. My mom always tells me if it's something important they'll call again or leave a voicemail. My phone begins to ring again almost seconds after the first call.

"Hello, who is this?" My voice is shaky & I immediately regret even answering the phone.

"Annie?"

"Um, who's asking?" I'm scared how the fuck do they know my name? Is someone watching me?

"Kim & Dan are asking, that's who!"

".. shit." I mumble under my breath.

"Annabelle, that language!"

"Sorry y'all, I didn't mean too!"

"What's going on? Why did Katie call me concerned & crying!?"

Ugh, of course Katie called Kim crying. She's for beer putting her nose into things that DON'T involve her. "I don't know, you know her, she's emotional."

"The bruises? What's that all about?" Kim sounds more annoyed than anything. She sounds like a mother finding out her kid snuck out to see a boy.

"Kim, I have no idea! I swear she's delusional. Nothing is going on here." As much as I hated lying to Kim & Dan, I really didn't care anymore. I mean they lied to me & thought it was okay so why is it any different when I do it?

Dan breaks his silence, "Well except for you skipping practices, right?"

"Dan, it's not like that! It was just one practice, I needed time off. I just, I couldn't deal with it all.

"I'm disappointed in you. Skipping one practice is one too many. You're better than this. You've been taught better than that." That was it. That was all it took to make me an emotional wreck. Just like that my heart was broken & I felt so unsure of everything.

"Can't you just please come back home? I miss y'all, I need y'all." I know I'm hysterically crying over the phone & that's probably obnoxious but I need them back home with me.

"Kimmy, this one is all on you. I love you Annie, but you've got to do better than this. You're too good to be wasting your talent like that!" Dan's line clicks off & now it's just me & Kim talking. Her line becomes staticky, I can hear her clear her throat & her taking a deep breath.