Different Thoughts [ WEEKLYCHRIS | CHRIS COLLINS ]

Chap 7.

[ Anna's POV ]

Three weeks went by and Chris and I have been getting really close. We've been hanging out  a lot after school and he keeps my mind off things since my parents have been arguing a lot lately. Like, I always knew they were growing apart, but I didn't see it coming so soon.

I ended up going to prom with Chris and Jane didn't believe me when I told her nothing happened. Friends, we're just friends. I'm not letting a guy confuse me again and even though Chris has been acting really sweet and has been giving hints, I try to friendzone him as much as I can. Which isn't really helping, cause he can't seem to get the hints. 

It's just an average Friday evening. My parents, Ella and I are sitting around the dinner table. It's weirdly quiet. Awkwardly quiet.

Mom and dad always try to have the family together on Fridays for a "family dinner" as they call it and this is one of the rare times that it actually happens. We're not really the number one family out there.

"Are you gone this weekend? Really? You're telling me now?" All of a sudden, I hear mom raising her voice. I was too zoomed out to hear their conversation, but mom rarely raises her voice so this catches me off guard.

"Yeah, um... Last minute call from the office," dad gives a vague answer and rubs his neck. Something he tends to do when he's nervous or scared. And mom knows that too, because she narrows her eyes and seethes. "We agreed that this weekend will be a family weekend. You tell Barbara or whoever your assistance is, that she can do those things by herself. Unless you tell me the real reason, of course." I look at Ella and see she's also focused on the conversation.

Dad gives us a quick glance, before directing his attention back on mom. "Why are you always on my case, Denise? Why can't you just grasp the fact that I have some work to do this weekend? Is this really that big of a deal?"

I see mom turning red and I feel kind of bad for her, she's just trying her best to make this "family time" work, but honestly, dad thinks his work is more important than this family and that says something about their relationship. I feel Ella shift in her seat and I'm starting to worry about how this dinner will turn out if they don't calm down.

"Excuse me Dan?!" mom starts to yell . "After all those times that you stumbled through that door with some bimbo on your arm, I think it's safe for me to question your faithfulness!" Holy shit, mom is so close to cussing him out and I feel the tension rising in the room. Mom never calls dad out like that, even though we all know dad has been cheating on mom, she keeps her mouth shut for some reason. Until now.

Dad lets out a deep breath, before looking at us. As if he's scared we'll judge him if we know about his whorish behaviour, but I know he couldn't care less about us.

"You know what? I think it's a great idea if I leave now. This is not worth a fight," he stands up, trying to act calm and opens his mouth to say something, but he gets cut off by Ella.

"You know what, dad?" Ella looks at him and I can see tears in her eyes. Poor Ella. She stands up, so she's facing him. "Is your family not even worth a fight? Is your marriage not worth a fight?"

Dad turns red. "How dare you put these words in my mouth I didn't even say?! After all the things I gave and bought you?"

"You can't buy love," I say, feeling something wet on my cheeks. I didn't even notice that I had started crying. This is just too much for one evening. 

"And you don't give us attention," Ella adds, still looking mad.

"What is this? Should I start apologizing now too?" dad lets out a fake chuckle. "You can leave the house, Denise." I breath in, hoping to calm my nerves, but it's no use. I need air. Fresh air.

I stand up, making the chair fall on the floor, making a horrendous screeching sound and I turn around to run out of the room.

[ Chris' POV ]

I'm lying in bed, texting Ryan when my phone goes off. The caller ID says Anna and a smile creeps up my face. Wait no, why am I smiling? I'm definitely turning bipolar. I need to stay focused and do my job. For Bernarndo. For the business. For the guys. 

"Hi babe, what's up?" I greet her, still with that stupid grin on my face. I slap myself to get rid of the smile, but stop when I hear Anna's cracking voice.

"C-chris?" I can hear from her strained voice that she's crying. Shit. 

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" I ask, legitimately feeling concerned. 

"M-my parents... I need to g-get out," I hear a shaky breath, before she continues in a small voice. "Can you please come pick me up? Jane is out today and Tiffany isn't picking up."

I rush to my feet, "I'll be there in ten. Pack a bag, you can sleep here if you want to, alright?"

"Okay, thanks..." she trails off, before hanging up.

---

I arrive at Anna's house and see her sitting on the porch with a bag on her lap. I don't see any cars, so her parents probably left already.

I step out of my car and rush to her, pulling her into my chest. She's still shaking, she probably cried the whole time. I feel my phone buzzing in my pocket, it's probably one of the guys in LA.

"Come on, you're freezing," I whisper into her hair. Which is weird, because it's still warm outside.

When Anna's located in my car and isn't shaking like she just walked through the snow, she says. "It's alright if you drop me off at a hotel. I don't need you babysitting me."

Wasn't she the one who called me and said that she wanted me to pick her up?

"It's alright, I care about you, okay. You don't need to stay at some hotel," I say and put my hand on her thigh, knowing it's the easiest way to get her to agree with me. Something Jack taught me, one of my closest friends at the time, but it was before he got onto the wrong road and started doing drugs and basically became depressed. Jessica and me leaving to move to Brooklyn didn't really help that.

She musters a smile and sighs. "Your mom probably finds it weird, I don't want her to judge me."

"Why can't you just let me do something nice for you?" I exhale loudly, on the edge of losing my temper. This girl is so stubborn and my anger issues aren't helping, I could barely hold it together the pat weeks, but I don't want Anna to know about it. "What happened?"

"Why are you in my business?" she shoots back. This is not how I would imagine this moment. I thought that she'd run into my arms, I could take her to my place and ask her out or something, since I know that we won't hook up. This whole plan is turning into a mess.

"Why can't you fucking tell me something for once?" I sigh loudly and Anna starts to cry again.

[ AUTHOR'S NOTE ]

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