Full Count

six

It's been two days since I spent the day with AJ and Annabelle and to be quite honest that's all that's been going through my head. After the whole kiss thing happened AJ finally came downstairs and joined Annabelle and I. Then we finally finished the rough draft of his essay, so all he had left to do was either rewrite it or type it. But then around dinner time we put a bunch of blankets on the floor and laid on the floor and ate pizza and cookies while we watched Lilo & Stitch which honestly, I couldn't complain at all.

We've sort of texted since the whole thing, but not all that much. I haven't wanted to bother him since I assumed he'd have things to deal with when it came to his dad. But a little part of me worried. I mean who wouldn't?

A little after three AJ's text notification goes off and it's the first time I've heard it in a few days, so I grab my phone off my bedside table quicker than normal.

Yeo I'm sorry I haven't been in touch a lot. I've been working and Pops has been a mess like usual, but I need to ask for a favor and normal I hate doing this shit, but I don't have time to do it. I need you to get Annabelle, she's with the next-door neighbor right now, and bring her to Easy Eats Diner and like maybe have some food with her.

"See he just had shit going on," I tell myself. "You're fine." I text him back.

Yeah no problem. We should be there in no time.

I don't waste anytime trying to find an actual outfit, I just throw on a hoodie with the sweatpants I'm already wearing and throw on my vans. I walk downstairs, phone in hand and grab my keys and then walk out the door.

-

By the time I pick up Annabelle and make it to the diner it's a little after four, but she seems happy to be seeing AJ at work. She explains that it doesn't happen often apparently. We walk in and we pick a booth because the sign by the front door says to seat yourself.

"When will we see Bubby?" Annabelle asks while sliding into the seat.

"I don't know, but I texted him that we're here. So it should be soon."

"Hey guys." AJ says from behind Annabelle. "You mind if I eat lunch with y'all?"

"Don't you have to work though?" Annabelle asks.

"I'm on break right now."

"Sit with me," Annabelle says smiling.

AJ takes a seat with Annabelle and smiles at me. "Thanks for bringing her."

"Yeah of course."

A few minutes pass and then a waiter comes over and gives us menus and asks for our drink order.

Me and AJ kind of just sit there while Annabelle draws on her menu, but then she stops and looks at me.

"Katie can I ask you something?"

I look at AJ with a questioning face and he shrugs his shoulders, so I look like back at Annabelle. "Sure go ahead."

"When can we make cookies again?" She ales smiling. "I really liked the cookies we made, but Bubby ate majority of them while he was doing his paper."

"AJ you weren't supposed to eat all the cookies," I tell him. "You barely did anything for them."

"You can't blame me. They were good cookies." He says with a little smile.

I shake my head and go to say something, but then the waiter brings our food.

After we all eat AJ checks his phone. "So my breaks about to end and my neighbors still busy, so I guess Annabelle's just gonna have to hang around here."

I look at AJ like he's stupid. "I mean I have cookies and more movies at my house." I start out. "Annabelle can come over while you finish your shift."

AJ shakes his head no. "You don't gotta do all that."

"I don't have to, but I want to." I say sliding out of the booth and standing up. "So you finish your shift and I'll take Annebelle to my house. I promise I'll listen to her and talk as little as possible." I say holding my hands up.

He looks at me and shakes his head, but he's laughing the whole time. "Fine you can kidnap my sister till my shift is over."

Annabelle starts giggling. "AJ get out of the booth I wanna go."

AJ slides out of the booth and stands up, Annabelle following behind him. He takes a step closer to me and then leans in close to where I can feel his breath. "I promise I'll make it up to you."

I laugh a soft laugh. "You don't need to make it up to me. Letting me do this is enough."

He takes a step back and hugs Annabelle. "Okay you guys go have.." He pauses and looks at me. "Whatever Katie's form of fun is."

-

Around nine AJ rings my doorbell and I answer the door. "Look who finally decided to show up."

"I got overtime to help with the dinner rush." He says walking in the house and making his way towards my living room. "My boss is one of the few people that knows that I'm the only one working in my house, so when he can he lets me work overtime."

I nod as we sit on the couch. "I mean that's good."

"Yeah, but it means that means Annabelle spends a lot of time at the neighbors. Or friends houses."

Annabelle looks over at me from where she's sitting on the couch. "Katie, can I have another cookie?"

I smile at her, "yeah go grab one from the kitchen."

Annabelle pauses The Little Mermaid and then runs to the kitchen. I smile as I watch her. When she turns into the kitchen I face AJ again.

"When's the last time she's spent a night a friends house?" I ask. The thing I'm about to do could be really stupid, or really good for both Annabelle and AJ.

"It's been a long time. Why?"

I smile and fidget my hands a little kind of anticipating a 'no'. "Why don't Annabelle and you spend the night tonight? My works tonight. She won't be home til tomorrow at like noon."

"If we go home to get shit we need there's no way Pops will let us out of the house.

I drop my head to my lap and then sit back up. "I'm like five steps ahead of you. I have clothes Annabelle can sleep in and clothes you can sleep in and wear home tomorrow. We have extra tooth brushes and all of that. And we don't even have to sleep out here if we don't want. There's places in my bedroom where we could all sleep."

AJ shakes his head, "yeah okay. But it's up to Annabelle. Not me."

"Annabelle." I shout summoning her from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" She asks walking out of the kitchen.

"How would you feel if you and Bubby spent the night here with me?" I ask. "We can watch all the movies you want."

She smiles and sits back in her spot. "I'd like that a lot, but can we keep Bubby from eating all your cookies?"

We all laugh at, but then AJ goes, "I might just eat all the cookies."

Mine and Annabelle's heads snap towards him. "I'm kidding."