Light as a Feather

Chapter Seven

     Annabelle's dad got back to the mansion that night. She could hear his deep voice as her parents talked. Ironically, a storm rolled in around midnight, which made Annabelle happy for some reason.

     She wanted to stay mad, but something was stopping her. All the rebellion she had forced upon her parents these last few years, and when it came to the biggest secret ever, she couldn't stay angry. She stayed awake thinking until around three in the morning, and then she fell asleep.

     When she woke up, she checked her phone to see what time it was. It was nine in the morning, and she could still hear her parents talking. She reluctantly got up and walked over to her suitcase for her clothes. She threw them on, not bothering to brush her hair or teeth yet. Cautiously, Annabelle opened the door, not wanting her parents to see or hear her, because she was sure to get a lecture for the night before.

     Annabelle realized that the reunion would be the day after tomorrow. That day was Thursday. She made it halfway down the hall before her dad made an appearance. Amazingly, he did not have his Bluetooth attached to his ear like a second head.

     He cleared his throat. "Hello, Annabelle."

     "Hi, dad. How was your trip?"

     "Fine."

     "Good."

     They stopped talking for a minute, and then her mother walked out, looking flustered. She saw Annabelle and stopped in her tracks, as if she hadn't expected to see her anywhere in the house. "Oh, hello," she said. She sounded distracted.

     "Mom, are you okay?" Annabelle asked.

     "Hmm? Oh, yeah. I need to talk to your father. Hon?" She looked at him expectantly. They walked in their bedroom and shut the door.

     Annabelle realized that she was alone again. With nothing to do. She frowned and then walked down the stairs. What was there to do in this house?

     She decided to walk around and see if there was anything to entertain herself with. She walked into the sitting room. Wine red, velvet sofas were arranged in a semi circle and they surrounded a fireplace with a painting above it. Annabelle looked up at the painting. Another relative she didn't know about. It was in an intricate gold frame, and rather pretty, even though the person meant nothing to her. It was a woman, her gold hair pinned in an updo.

     Annabelle kept looking around, even though she wasn't sure what she'd find. She wasn't even really looking for anything specific. As she kept walking, she found a door and a window that she hadn't seen before. The window showed the backyard, and it was gorgeous. Every type of flower seemed to be there, and there was a white fountain. Annabelle thought it was beautiful.

     She opened the door and stepped out on the slab of cement in front of the door. But soon after, she took her shoes off and stepped on the grass. She smiled as she looked around.

     Annabelle walked towards the pink and red roses. She touched the petals carefully so she would not disturb them. She had never really been one for nature, or anything like that. But she felt drawn to the garden for some reason. As she looked around, she realized just how spacious it was.

     "Those roses are pretty," somebody said. She nearly jumped out of her skin. Annabelle looked around. She couldn't see anyone. "Look up," the voice said. Annabelle did, and she frowned when she saw who it was.

     "What are you doing, Tyler?" she asked.

     He was sitting on the wall, though his back was to her. He turned his body around to face her, his legs dangling over the wall. "Sitting on a wall. What are you doing?"

     Annabelle rolled her eyes. "If you fall, I'm going to laugh."

     "Oh, please, I've done this millions of times," he answered as he grinned. Annabelle rose her eyebrows. "Not to your house, dummy." He pointed to the house to the right of them. Tyler's house was to the left of hers. "That's where my best friend lives. I used to walk on the wall just to get to his backyard."

     She nodded. "Boys will be boys, I guess." She felt awkward knowing he lived next to the mansion. It wasn't even hers, but she didn't feel like explaining everything. "It's been great, really, but I have to go now."

     Tyler shrugged. "Suit yourself. You just looked lonely."

     Annabelle shook her head. "No, I... I always look like that."

     "Interesting."

     "Annabelle? Annabelle Elaine Jason! Where are you?" her mother called from inside the house.

     Tyler looked at her pointedly. "Sounds like you're in trouble."

     "Yeah, well, what's new?" Annabelle muttered. She said, "Bye, Tyler." He swung his legs over to the other side of the wall.

     "Bye, Annabelle." He grinned.

     "Please, just call me Anna. I hate that name," she said.

     He shrugged. "I've heard worse."

     "Good for you." She ran towards the door after that. She thought she saw something glint in the grass, but she thought better of it and decided it was nothing. Annabelle opened the door and shut it quietly. She looked over at the wall again. Tyler had disappeared.