It was the day after they got home from Colorado- they day that it had been decided that Annie would go back to the boys house.
Johanna was there already, for moral support. All the boys besides Calum were already inside. Now, it was just Annie and Calum's turn.
"I'm just worried it'll be triggering," Annie was saying as they pulled into the driveway. "I don't want to go crazy again."
Calum nodded, agreeing. "I was thinking that too. What do you think are the most triggering rooms, or things?"
Annie closed her eyes, concentrating. "Definitely Michael's room. Your room, too. And if Michael can keep his distance from me, that'd be nice. Preferably don't pin me against the wall."
"That's a pretty solid plan." Calum agreed, turning the car off. "But I want to take it one step further."
"Yeah?" Annie started, freezing as she saw Calum grab a shirt from the back seat folding it up.
She opened the door quickly, slamming it and running out, but Calum was too quick. He grabbed her wrist, spinning her no pulling her into his chest, the same maneuver as he'd pulled at the airport. "Calum, let go!" She pleading, trying to push him away.
"Trust me on this, trust me!" He said, backing her against the brick walls of the house. "Come on Annie. This way you won't be visually triggered."
He tried to wrap the blindfold around her head, but she dodged, slapping his hand. "No! It isn't about being visually triggered. The most important thing is that I don't go through the same emotions as I did when I was assaulted, which means I can't be forced to do something against my will, and I can be made to feel weak!"
She tried to duck under his arm, but Calum moved just in time that she hit his chest instead. "Then don't make me do this against your will! Just trust me Annie. If you trust me on it, then you won't feel weak. Don't worry, I'll be right by your side the entire time. After you get in the house, after you have time to adjust, then I'll take the blindfold off of you. Annie, why won't you trust me?"
Annie looked him in the eyes intensely, trying one last time. "Cal, I need you to trust me when I say I don't think this is a good idea."
He sighed frustratedly. Slinging the shirt on his shoulder, he took both of Annie's smaller hands in his and put them behind her back, pushing her closer against the brick wall, trapping her body with his. Then, without her hands to slap him away, he was able to easily secure the blindfold around her eyes.
"You never make it easy, do you?" He asked in frustration, rhetorically.
Annie didn't respond. She let herself be led inside, holding Calum's hand tightly because it was the only thing she had at that moment. She heard her friends moving around in the living room, Michael laughing about something. She didn't see it though, because Calum had insisted he blindfold her. Even when she said no, he didn't care.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
She was led assumably to the living room, and pushed gently onto one of the couches. The conversation stopped.
"Annie, why are you blindfolded?"
Calum cleared his throat, answering for her. "I blindfolded her so she wouldn't be visually triggered."
Annie could imagine Johanna shaking her head. "Calum, Annie being visually triggered isn't what we are worried about."
Annie reached up to undo the blindfold, put Calum pushed her hands down. "This way she can adjust more slowly," he defended. "Besides, it's a good trust exercise."
"No in their right mind in Annie's situation would trust you," Johanna argued, the debate getting heated. "Not after the abuse she's gone through. And blindfolding her, making her feel weak, it's not helping! I see your trying to do this got her own good, but it's not helping!"
Calum was probably running his fingers through his hair, like he always did when he was upset. Annie could imagine the expression on his face. "Johanna, it's really none of your business."
"How dare you. It is all of my business, and you can't tell me it's not simply because you don't agree with my point." Annie couldn't see what was happening, but she heard a muffled scream, and then the boys were all talking, calling out to someone to do this or that or don't do this or don't do that. Annie's fingers unknotted the blindfold around her eyes, finally, it falling to the ground as she stood up, disoriented but upset.
There was a thump as Michael hit the ground, Johanna putting her foot on his chest to hold him there, as the room stood still. "That was far from okay. Just because you don't like what I'm saying doesn't give you the right to touch me." She sneered. "Annie, get in my car. No one follow her. We will talk about this later. Until then, she's staying with me."
Calum started to object, but Johanna put more force on Mikey's chest, making him wheeze in pain. "Don't follow her. Annie, get in my car."
"Annie, don't go." Calum tried to tell her, but Johanna put more pressure on Michael's chest, causing him to gasp, his eyes squeezed shut in pain.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she warned. "I only have to put a little bit more pressure right here, and I'll break one of his ribs. And trust me, breaking your ribs hurts like hell."
Calum sneered. "You're bluffing."
"Want to find out? Annie, last time, get in my car!"
"I-I-" she started. Calum was telling her no. But she'd be an idiot not to listen to Johanna.
Annie ran through the living room, out the door, and got in Johanna's car, closing the door and burying her head in her hands. It wasn't a minute later that Johanna calmly walked out, got in the drivers seat, and sped the car out if the driveway and away from the house. "You two will FaceTime at 8 tonight to talk it over. If it goes well, then you can go back to living with him. If it doesn't, my couch is always open."
A/N: What are some changes in Calum and Annie's relationship? What warning signs have you noticed?
