The Dark Side of the Moon

Chapter 48: Annie

-Annie’s P.O.V-

Excited didn’t even begin to describe the feeling that overwhelmed me. Elephants trampled nervously around inside my stomach, and every once in a few minutes, I forgot to breathe. Was this normal? I mean, I was only taking a major step in our relationship, meeting the parents. The same parents that I’d heard so much about, the information summing up to depict two protective, stern people who would be responsible for the direction of our future relationship. If they disapproved, what would happen?

 So today I had chosen a long, flowery dress and comfortable sandals. I had to play the role of the sweet, easy to like girlfriend, and to deliver it flawlessly. The task was easier said than done though, and problems had begun to arise before I’d even answered the door.

 For one, it was relatively cold outside. A dress would definitely not be the obvious choice for this weather, but all of my cold weather clothes were ordinary, and screamed boring to the world. Yes, a dress was a sensible choice for the personality that I wanted to convey, but would they think that I was daft to choose such attire in this weather? I knew in my heart that I was overreacting, and that meeting Benji’s parents was a sensible, stress-free ordeal, or so it was supposed to be.

 My second problem presented itself in my irritating stage fright. At school and among friends I was bubbly, happy and comfortable to express my own opinion. But with an audience -even of two strangers – my nerves wrapped around me in a chokehold and desperately restricted the flow of my words. It was simply impossible to get out a sentence under pressure, let alone try not to stutter, say the wrong thing or faint right then and there.

 I smiled at the mirror in front of me, reflecting a confident looking girl with a worried expression. “You can do it,” I murmured, trying to radiate the confidence that I knew I had, although it may be locked away in a dark, secluded corner out of reach.

 The doorbell rang, echoing throughout the house and provoking the elephants in my stomach to begin a stampede. Hurrying down the stairs, I sighed as I saw that I had not beaten my parents to the door. My mother and father blocked my vision of Benji, my mother’s face alight with adoration and a warm smile, while my father’s was a little disapproving and stern. They were great parents, really, but their front was a little hard to break through. My parents had met Benji a few nights ago when we’d invited him over for dinner, a night full of embarrassing and unspeakable stories. But somehow we’d survived, and I strived to again this time.

 As I tentatively drew closer, my parents parted and smiled. After a nod from my father and a smile from my mother, they left us alone in the hallway, though I suspected to see a pair of prying eyes if I looked in the direction of the living room.

 “Benji,” I smiled, my nerves calming a little at the sight of him. He was dressed smartly in a collared, casual shirt and jeans. His hair was nicely combed and looked soft to the touch, his eyes grinning at me from a good few inches above my head.

 “Annie, are you ready to go?” he asked politely, and I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The stage fright was rearing its ugly head.

 We walked down the front steps of my house and hopped into his fancy car. I was no car fanatic, but one look at the vehicle and you knew that this family was well off to say the least. The car was in excellent condition, shiny and without a scratch or dent. To my understanding, it was some new model that had only recently been released in Italy, let alone in Canada. The interior was as visually pleasing as the exterior, and warm leather greeted me as I sat down.

 Benji started the engine, swiftly driving down the street and beginning winding through the outer parts of Banff. The ride was silent, and I frowned as I saw that he was heading quite further away than I anticipated. I had never been to his house before, and the location had just been described as ‘in that direction’ with a wave of the hand. Now I didn’t know what to expect.