ANNIE

9 ☼ Just Wanna Have Fun

A N N E T T E

We had arrived back at the mansion well after ten, and I was exhausted. The pizza had been completely devoured during the remainder of the ride so I decided I wanted nothing more than to just get into bed. "Ms. Kenslee? I think I'm going to go to bed. I mean, if that's okay."

"Of course, it's okay. You don't have to ask permission to go to bed, Annie," she smirked.

"Okay," I laughed nervously, fidgeting where I stood. "Well, um, good-night, Ms. Kenslee." Then after another hesitant pause, I turned around and headed upstairs towards the room. There was a small part of me that wanted Ms. Kenslee to wrap her arms around me again. Maybe even embrace me the way Granny would do when I was having a bad day, or sometimes before I went to bed. I sorely missed that feeling of connection that came from being close to someone who cares about you but I knew it was unreasonable to think that Ms. Kenslee would ever be able to fill a role like that. I had already cried all over the woman's shirt that night. I wasn't going to push for anything else.

In the room, I only managed to sleep for a few hours before I was awoken with the familiar panicked rush. I only had four days left before I'd be leaving to return to the orphanage. My stomach twisted at the thought of never seeing Granny again. In the dark lit room, I felt the bed sink down a little before a furry body was being snuggled up to me. I hugged Tux a little tighter to me. It was as if he had sensed my distress.

I ran my hands through his soft fur. The longer I sat up, awake in bed the more fidgety I became. I had considered trying to go back to sleep but every time I closed my eyes I was met with the final scenes of my anxiety.

I grabbed a book from the side table before grabbing the sheets and settling myself into the mattress.

Later that morning, I felt the gentle prod as I slowly stirred awake. "Hey, Ann. It's wake up time."

I only groaned and rolled myself over so that my back was to Ms. Kenslee, pulling the sheets over my face so that only the hair on the very top of my head was poking out. This, causing my already whiney voice to sound muffled. "No thank you. I'm sleeping."

"If you get up right now, I'll let you pick what we do today."

Still mumbling into the back of Tux's side, I replied, "I pick sleeping."

"Nu-uh. You don't get to pick anything unless you get up first," she said as she started yanking the sheets off of me with ease.

"Ms. Kenslee! W-why would you do that? I just got back to sleep," I said with an annoyed pout, now wide awake.

"Yeah? That was actually going to be my next question,"she said while picking up the opened book folded in between Tux and I.

"I-I just woke up early and, uh, wanted to read for a while? So I guess I, um fell back asleep not too long ago," I looked down at the bedcovers. "sorry," I added quietly.

"Reading's fine, but getting your sleep is just as important." I nodded in response as the woman smiled. "I brought you your favorites," she said and removed the cloth from the silver tray that held a platter of four fluffy pancakes layered with fruit and crowned with whipped cream joined by three slices of bacon, scrambled eggs, and two triangle halves of french toast with a half-filled glass of orange juice. Ms. Kenslee then placed the glass on the bedside table and the tray in front of me.