"The snow is really coming down. I'm going to go check on my friend, Tanisha
Smith, before we get snowed in to make sure that she has everything she needs
for a few days" announces Annie wrapping the scarf more tightly around her
neck and checking her boots for a snug fit.
"Do you want me to go with you? I don't mind. I need to pick up a few things from the
corner store" offers Rick who doesn't want anything happening to Annie in
the snow.
"It's okay" replies Annie grateful for the offer
"I'll only be gone a few minutes, an hour at most. I just want to make sure that she's all right".
"Well I'll walk you to the house and run into the
corner grocery store for some hot chocolate and milk, while you chat" Rick
replies refusing to take no for an answer.
"Let's hurry, it
seems like the snow is staying and piling.
I really don't want to get stuck outside" walking out the door with
her purse in hand, Annie waves to the others who are arguing over the most
recent score of the last game.
Rick walks near to her considering what he would like to say
but not sure how to begin. His thoughts travel
back to when he last saw Annie many
years ago ...
Driving up to her neighbor's house and thinking to himself,
"Her car is in the driveway, she's finally back. I wonder who that other car belongs to. I
don't understand why I haven't heard from her all summer. I'm leaving tomorrow for training, 500 miles
away and I haven't even been able to tell her.
Why did she forget about me? Uh oh .... someone is coming out the front door." Rick bends down below the wheel but raises
just enough to peek a little over the dashboard to see Annie standing with a
young man.
"She is more beautiful than ever. The summer was good
to her. Who is that guy? Why is he talking to her? Why is he being so friendly? He doesn't even know her? He needs to take a step back, he is moving
way too close to her. Why is she smiling
back at him? She should be smiling at
me. Why am I in this car and not with her?
What is he doing there? He needs
to go home now!"
As his temper rises so does his courage. Annie and Thomas continue to chat on her
doorstep. Thomas is very animated while
speaking. They seem like old friends who
are very comfortable with each other. Rick is more agitated by the second. This was not what he was expecting to see
when he saw her again. He contemplates
only for a moment that he will confront Annie and find out exactly what is
going on ...."
In the meantime as they are waiting for the elevator to
arrive, Annie glances over at Rick's profile and reflects on what a handsome
man he is. She remembers many times when
she was younger admiring him and wondering how lucky that someone like him
would be interested in her. Those feelings linger and ache as she wonders if he
might be able to return those feelings for her once again. It seemed like he wanted to kiss her in the
kitchen, but then again he might have just be leaning to grab the spoon behind
her on the counter to stir his tea and she was in the way. She remembers when he did care or least it
was something when she last spoke to him years ago.....
Standing on the porch chatting with Thomas about his latest
fascination with a TV series and explaining every episode before
departing, Annie looks around and sees a
familiar car parked just in front of her neighbor's home. "It looks like Rick's car!" excitement
and bewilderment building inside of her "Why is he there? Why isn't he at my house? Is he interested in Ariel Clay now? She's been chasing Wickham for the last
year. Why is his car parked in front of
her house? Why does Thomas keep on
yapping, he hasn't even noticed I'm not paying attention. What did he last say? I'll nod my head at least Thomas will think
I'm listening."
Annie smiles back at Thomas and giggles at something he
says. She shifts from where she is
standing to get a clearer view of the car but then perceives a movement in the
shadows and realizes that someone is still in it. Embarrassed to be spying on the car, she acts
as if that last statement Thomas said has been intriguing. Thomas enthused that Annie appears to be just
as interested in the topic as he is, becomes more agile in expressing his
interpretation of the most recent season finale.
Exiting the car, Annie is very away that Rick appears to be
angry. Annie begins to panic the maybe
he is upset that she wrote so often when obviously he didn't want to hear from
her because he never wrote back or called.
Fear consumes her for a moment. She raises her eyebrows and attempts to
focus on Thomas perhaps she can prevent Rick from confronting her about the
letters because she is with someone else.
She laughs at Thomas last sentence which she didn't entirely comprehend.
Advancing Rick changes his loose hands into a fist, Annie
observes he appears to be getting redder.
"Why is he so upset? I
didn't say anything in the letters to hurt him?
I just wanted to know how he was doing?
Wait a minute ... if he didn't want to hear from me, why didn't he just
tell me. Why am I feeling
defensive? He's the one who didn't
contact me? He dropped me without saying
a word? Who is he anyway? And now he is dating my neighbor, Ariel Clay,
who dates everyone and their brother. He
deserves what he gets. I can't stand
him! How dare he hurt me like he
has!"
Annie turns to Thomas and starts to flirt with him to make
sure that Rick is reminded of what he is missing. She hopes he will see how
charming and attractive he is and ache like she has for the last few months.
She tosses her head and smiles deeply at Thomas, standing in a way to give her
body a good view point to Rick. She
wants him to consider how much she is worth and he has thrown it away.
Finally Rick reaches them after crossing the lawn, "So,
what are you back now?" in an angry tone.
Annie narrows her eyes "Yes, I've been back" but doesn't
bother to say only for an hour.
"Who's this?" critically examining Thomas from
head to two "Where did the two of you meet?"
Glancing over at his car parked in front of Ariel's home,
Annie snidely answers "We spent the summer together further north at the
cabin my family owns".
Clearly stating that they are a couple, Rick is infuriated
that Annie did not tell him where she has been until now, how could she deceive
him like that? "So, did you have a good time?" jealously asks Rick
feeling like every fiber of his being is on fire.
"Yes,
it was quite fun" Annie delightfully replies in as real a fake voice as
possible that she can manage looking over to Thomas and smiling again to make
Rick realize again what he has lost.
"What about your summer?" glaring at the home of Ariel
remembering how she was flirting with him at their graduation but he didn't
seemed swayed then but evidently a few weeks can change a lot of things.
Suddenly
recalling that Ariel lives next door to Annie, Rick is inspired. He looks over and nods his head over to his car, "Yeah it was a
great summer. I had lots of fun and new
experiences, some great people to hang out with while you were gone" but
decidedly chooses not to add that none were like her or will ever mean as much
to him.
"Oh ...." quietly responds Annie feeling for
a second that she is about to cry but then determined that he will not see her
pain but wanting him to hurt as well "That's good that you made new
friends wherever they are from. I'm sure
they had more in common with you than I do."
Furious
that Rick feels that she is implying that he is not as good as Thomas and that
this other guy is being traded as a better catch than him, "Yes, I get
along well with my new friends. They
know how to have fun on the spur of the moment and are quite entertaining"
again glancing for long enough at Ariel's home that he is entirely sure that
Annie is aware of her reputation and that they might be a couple now.
Unable
to keep up the pretense much longer before bursting into tears, Annie politely
responds over her fury "Good luck.
I wish you all the best. I hope
you have a great future! Maybe we will
run into each other some time again."
Staring
Thomas down one last time, "Yes, that might happen. Hope you have a good
life!" turning quickly and heading to his car before she is able to see a
random tear fighting to be let out.
...
as the elevator doors open, Annie and Rick both steal a glance at each other,
content once more that at least for a moment they are standing next to each
other once again and while quietly lost in their thoughts head out into the
snow storm.
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