And Then (Part 1)

Chapter 1

Months later...

What the hell am I doing with my life? I am losing my mind, that's what. I have done nothing but stare at the walls and look out the windows at the sky for days just listening to K-Pop. I have got to get out of this apartment! I grab my keys and my bag and head out. I'm just going to go to Teddy's for a little bit, I really need to be out with people, not locked up in my apartment. I text Don on my way to Teddy's and he says he'll meet me there. I turn the corner and see a line extending outside of the bar. That's just great. I wonder who's on the door tonight. I get closer and I can see that it's Fred. Perfect. I think he sees me and then he starts yelling out to me in typical Fred fashion. "Annie your breaking my Hart, get over here and give me a hug!" Everyone looks from him to me and back. I smile at him and wave my hands around motioning toward the large line of people in front of me and shrug my shoulders. "Alright people, make way for my girl to get through. Let's go, move on over." People start slowly moving to let me through. They don't look happy about it and one guy actually blocks me. "Excuse me, sorry, could you move over?" The guy turns and looks me up and down but doesn't move. "I mean, you're cute, but so what? What makes you so special?" I shrug. "I don't know, nothing really." He laughs at me. "Then no, I won't move over." Oh, ok. Suddenly Fred is right behind him. "Hey! I said to let her through." The immovable man looks at Fred and asks. "Why should I?" Fred raises an eyebrow at him. "I was going to say because I said so, but now my answer is because you're not going in this bar tonight anyway so you might as well just get out of line and move out of the way."

"Who are you to say I can't go in?" I cringe, this guy is either really stupid or drunk already. I mean Fred is a teddy bear to me, but I would not suggest getting into an argument with him like this guy is. Fred just laughs really loudly, turns, and walks away, taking me with him. The guy is still talking, or should I say yelling at Fred as we walk away and he's getting louder by the second. Fred pulls out his phone while we're walking and speaks to someone pretty animatedly. We stop in front of the door to the bar and Fred pulls me in for a big hug. "Hello beautiful."

"Hello Fred. You know, I could have just waited in the line? I don't think Don is even here yet and I don't want to cause any problems." Fred just smiles and winks at me. "I live for moments like this. Just wait and watch the show."

Suddenly I see police lights and a cop car pulls up to the bar. The police officers get out and walk up to Fred. "Hi Fred, who's giving you trouble tonight?" Fred points. "That guy right there, the one trying to hide now." They walk over to him and ask him to leave, letting him know that Fred is the one who makes the rules out here. He leaves but looks pretty upset. He's proof that you should never argue with a bouncer.

I turn back to Fred. "Thanks, I guess." Fred pats me on the back and says "No problem, any time. Guys like that do not belong in here anyway, I'm glad we found that out before he got inside and could cause any trouble." I just shake my head in disbelief at him. "You can go in whenever you're ready Annie. I'll let Don know that you're inside when he gets here." I give him another hug, nod my head at him, and go in.

I take a seat at the bar and pull out my laptop. As soon as I open it there's a picture of one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen. I sigh. Just then Don walks up. "Hi sis, looking at that guy again?" I quickly close my laptop. "No. I just opened it, and his picture was already up." Don laughs. "Please. If it wasn't already up there you would have pulled it up eventually. You know I'm right, don't even try to deny it. I mean, the fact that it was there already when you opened it is proof enough." I just shrug my shoulders since I know that he's right. I admit, but only to myself, that I do find myself looking him up a lot; fantasy is easier than reality.

"What's up Annie? Is everything alright?" I just nod back at him. "That is not in any way convincing. You have locked yourself in your apartment for days and I was really starting to worry. I was so glad when you finally texted today." I smile at him. "Yeah, I know. I've been a mess lately. I need some kind of change, something that can break me out of this funk." I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, I pull it out and see that it's a text from Nora. "No way!" Don looks at me, waiting for an explanation for my reaction. "Nora just asked me to go to London with her." Don's jaw drops and then he starts smiling. "There's your something. You wanted a change, a trip to London sounds like the perfect solution. Don't stop at just London, buy a one-way ticket and tour Europe and only come back when you've had enough." He crosses his arms and looks pretty proud of himself and his idea. "I don't know, maybe? Max did tell me a few months ago that I should come out for a visit." I'm just not sure I'm comfortable going off on my own like that, but maybe that is what I need right now in my life. "See? That's perfect! Come on Annie, it will be an adventure and who knows, maybe you'll meet someone." I raise an eyebrow at that.