Annabelle Jackson (On Hold)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I sat out the back of the house on a fold out camping chair. Laurie was sat in a chair next to me while Joel helped find branches so that they could build the bonfire higher. It was already dark and I had pulled a jumper on over my t-shirt, though I probably didn’t need it. I wore a pair of jeans and plain flat shoes.

“Do you think the ice queen and her cronies are finished in the bathroom yet?” I asked Laurie.

“Any minute now,” she replied with a smile.

“I don’t see how it takes three hours to put on some clothes and a bit of make-up.”

“I do when they have to completely paint their face. I’m glad they spend so much time covering up their ugliness,” Laurie said laughing at herself. “Speak of the devil.”

Ruth came walking out in the shortest skirt I had ever seen and a tight tube top. Nicole was wearing pretty much the same; I guess it was a twin thing and Grace had a mini tube dress. All three were wearing impractical heels. I had to shake my head at them as they walked out.

“What are you looking at,” Ruth snarled as she stopped beside me.

“I’m not quite sure what you are, but when the scientists give you a name, I’ll be sure to let you know, but if it makes you feel better, we can stick to calling you faeces,” Laurie snapped.

“I wasn’t talking to you dumb, I was talking to your friend dumber,” she replied smugly.

“Gee, that’s a good movie reference. Probably the only movie you could actually understand, right?”

“Whatever,’ she flipped her hair over her shoulder before she noticed Dean. “Dean,” she squealed in a high pitched girly voice. She walked away after flipping me off, while her cronies followed.

“Good little sheep dogs, run along after your master,” Laurie called out after them.

“Well that was interesting,” I commented once they were out of earshot.

“Yeah, she just gets on my nerves. You know?”

“Yep,” I said popping the ‘p’.

“You want something to drink?” Laurie asked, offering me a bottle of Smirnoff Ice.

I took the drink from her hand and took small but steady mouthfuls, watching the flames of the fire as they flickered up into the night sky, occasionally spitting into the coals below only to disappear. The stars were visible now that we weren’t surrounded by city lights and the moon shone brightly up above.

“Is this seat taken,” an unfamiliar guy asked, sitting down before waiting for a response. “I’m Josh.”

He had brown hair and brown eyes and was fairly attractive but I didn’t pay that much attention. I stared ahead at the fire, drinking in the warmth that spread from the flames.

“Annabelle,” I replied mindlessly.

“I know. You’re the one that everyone is talking about at school,” he informed me.

“What?” I asked dumbfounded. That was the first I had heard of it.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad, I’ve just heard people commenting on how you and Dean are constantly bickering.”

“Oh. I didn’t realise people had noticed.”

“Well usually they wouldn’t, but when it comes to Dean, nothing goes unnoticed.”

I finished the bottle in my hands and Laurie passed me another before going back to making out with Joel right there in front of everyone.

“How come I haven’t seen you around before?” I asked Josh.