I'm Fine

Chapter 3

Annette drove past our house but she still said nothing. I watched her out of the corner of my eye but she kept her eyes glued to the road. We eventually pulled up in a gravel carpark.

"Wh_"

"You'll see," she says, interupting me.

"Okay," I reply.

She walks towards the bush and I follow closely behind her. We don't say anything, and the track we're walking on is visibly void of people. The crunch of my feet on the leaves makes a rhythimic pattern and I count slowly in my head. 1...2...3...4.

"Look up," says Annette, putting her hand on my shoulder. I do as she says and I blink twice.

"No."

She winces.

"I'm sorry," says Annette, suddenly backing away from me. I look up at the waterfall and watch the water cascading down into the shallow pool below. It travels down, flowing through the gaps between the rock walls and dissapearing behind the clump of trees that we had walked by. I look down at my feet and squeeze my eyes shut.

"We need to go," I say, more as a demand.

"Imogen, sweetheart," says Annette, placing her hand back on my shoulder. "I was just as upset as you were." That stuck right through my throat and my eyes blinked with flashing red lights.

"No, you weren't," I grunted.

"Imogen..."

"How could you be?" I cried, pushing her away from me. I stared hard into her eyes. Annette was only slightly taller than me, so I could look directly right into her eyes with no trouble. Brown pools of worry and confusion, staring into mine, rock hard and angry. "It wasn't your fault," I choked. My voice cracked and tears welled up in my eyes.

"It was mine!" I cry at the top of my lungs. I start running back the way we had come, but I slowed to a halt once I realised what I had done. Annette didn't deserve that, I...I, what did I just do? I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself.

"Who was that?" I whispered under my breath. It was you. No, I don't act like that. Yes you do. No. Yes. I'm not bad. No, you're evil. Hot tears poured down my cheeks and my head throbbed.

"Imogen!" cried Annette. I spun on my heel and ran towards her voice. I crashed into her and I hugged her fiercely.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I don't know why I acted like that."

"No no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't of brought you here," she replied.

"I'm not ready, not yet."

"It's not easy, this, it's all difficult to understand. Someday, Imgoen."

Someday?

~

Annette drove us home while I sat in the passenger seat. The silence didn't feel cold. It felt comfortable. The radio played some old Taylor Swift songs and we both bobbed our heads to the beat.

It was only 1:00 by the time we got back. I took a hot shower and put on some comfortable old pants and a failed tie-dye shirt. I slept for some time and studied a bit for an Algera test coming up. I took a break to read one of my favourite books, and I was mid sentence when I heard a buzz coming from my phone. I reached over to grab it off my bedside table and checked the message.

It read 'hey' from an unknown number.

I replied.

Who is this?
2:43pm

Damian
Unknown number
2:43pm

I groaned. Should I just ignore him? Ugh, I bet Harly has something to do with this.

How'd you get my number?
2:44pm

Harly
Unknown number
2:45pm

Of course
2:45pm

Suddenly the doorbell rang. I chucked my phone onto my bed and rushed downstairs. Annette was already reaching the door but I bet her to it.

"Imogen, sweetheart, be a dear and take these into the kitchen," says Mum, handing me heavy bags filled to the brim with food and cans and other stuff.

I take the bags into the kitchen and walk back out.

"Me and Phillip have to run out again, sorry Annette to keep you busy but we have a very important meeting with a client this afternoon," says Mum. Annette just nods.

"No problem, I'll be here, sis" she replied.

"Make sure you don't cause any trouble Lee," Mum said to my little sister.

"Muuuuum," Lee whined.

"Now, Lee..."

"Okay, okay, I'll behave," she said, grinning stupidly.

"Bye Mum, bye Dad," I said just as they walked out the door.

"Bye," they replied in unison. They shut the door and locked it from the outside.

"So, what do you kids want to do?" said Annette, as soon as Mum and Dad's car pulled out of the driveway.

"Let's watch a horror movie!" yelled Lee.

"Horror movie?" I replied, smirking.

"Yeah," fired Leah, "You scared or something?"

"No, but you might be of me if you start firing off that little tongue of yours again," I said.

"You sound just like Mum!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I_"

"_Enough girls," interupted Annette. "I'll set up the couch and microwave some popcorn."

"Can we build a fort?" asked Lee enthusiastically.

"Only if you take a shower first, you smell like sweat and grass," I replied.

"That's because I actually play sports! Besides, I don't smell that bad."

"Yes, you do."

"No I don't!"

"Yes, you..." I stopped mid-sentence. Annette was looking at us, clearly amused. Lee grinned sheepishly.

"Off you go now, Everleigh." Lee walked towards the staircase, but I could hear her mutter something under her breath.

"It's Lee."

I stiffled a laugh. Annette rolled her eyes. Children.

Annette cooked two bags of microwave popcorn and I started to build a fort. Lee came down in fresh clothes and a wide grin and helped us build the fort. We looked through and found the DVD of 2017's IT and started the movie. Just as the title appeared, my phone started ringing. I pushed over some of the pillows in my attempt to sit up and Lee moaned as she and Annette rushed to prop them up again. I rushed up the stairs, two at a time, and answerd the phone without looking at who it was.

"Hello?" I asked into the phone, panting and little.

"Imogen?" replied a familar voice.

"Shay?" I replied, sitting down on my bed. Shay. Shay. Shay. That sounds like Shay.

"Imogen...so nice to hear from you, what has it been, three years?" Her tone sounded sweet but also insincere.

I ended the call without replying.

Shay is Damian's sister. Shay hates me.