No One Knows (Sequel to 16) (Completed)

Chapter 14: Today is the First Day of the Rest of Our Lives

Annabel's POV

"ANNABEL! ARE YOU ACTUALLY FUCKING SERIOUS??"

My heart gave out when the image of a furiously-rouged Mona burst through my door to stop, face frozen with incredulous frustration, at the foot of my bed. Her perfectly formed afro (a still recent development; Tré was still at the stage of touching it whenever he got the chance, even if it was at the risk of losing a hand) was freshly combed, her eyes glinting with dark glitter and her lips frowning bright red. 

"I..."

Her eyebrows raised in anticipation. She'd heard every excuse in the book. 

"I was abducted by aliens. I kid you not. I was starting to get ready for tonight, but all of a sudden there was a bright light! I think I blacked out but when I woke up there were these crazy-looking pink blobs just staring over me, I say staring, I mean they had at least twenty pairs of ears each on their jelly-like masses but no eyes so-"

"Get up." She sighed, smirking. I knew I was out of danger. However, when my eyes flitted to the crumpled pair of jeans in the corner of my room that I hadn't washed for at least a month, a firm shake of the head caused Mona's hair to bounce steadily. I watched her carefully as she began to pull some items out of a shopping bag dangling from her arm. 

My eyes widened. 

"Absolutely not."

She simply smiled. 

We waited by the side of the road for Mike to come get us. I was tugging at what barely passed for a dress fruitlessly, the red velvet fabric clinging ridiculously to my skin. My hair was down, my cleavage was out, I was already sweating and Mona was simply watching her reflection in her compact, oblivious to my suffering. She seemed to glance to me in her peripheral then.  

"Don't stress, you look fucking hot."

The old familiar car screeched to a halt in front of us, and a grinning Mike lumbered out, eyes set on Mona. 

"You look gorgeous babe." His smiled broadened as he pulled her into a careful kiss; he'd learnt his lesson not to "mess with a girl's lipstick" a few weeks before. 

"Hey Bells!" He scruffed my hair before engulfing me in a bear-hug. When he pulled away he seemed to notice what had happened, his gaze snapping to his girlfriend. 

"My god, Annabel Winters is that you?" He couldn't help but laugh, almost dumbstruck. I hid behind my hair and felt my face burn. Fucking hell why did I let her...

"Be nice you asshole." Mona chided, fixing my hair and telling me to ignore him.

"No! No you look great just...very different." He couldn't stop staring with the same kind of amusement I suppose you get when dogs wear people clothes. 

"That's it. I'm not going." I turned on my heel in a huff, knowing I was being a five year old and not caring. When it was found trying to persuade me with compliments wasn't working, each took an arm and I ended up sulking silently in the back of the car, an angry cloud practically storming above my head, ignoring the chatter that was trying to pull me into conversation from the front. 

Chuck's house was practically unchanged; as were the kids who were sprawled out on the front lawn, already drunk beyond measure. As I stepped out the dusk air chilled my face and I drew my arms in to my chest, feeling that infectious electricity humming over my skin. Parties, love them or hate them, there's some undeniable vividness about it all. Mike slung his arms over our shoulders ("Come on, just wanna walk in with the best babes in town...") and, stepping over a few bodies, we made our way inside.