40Chapter 2
"I need your help." That was the first thing Annie said to Sammy when they met up in the morning before school. Sammy took one look at the worried face on her friend and nodded.
"Of course, what's wrong?" she asked starting the engine to her car.
"I want you to help me find out who this 'A Silent Witness' guy is."
"Whoa? Seriously? Why? I mean, isn't the point of the letters for it to remain anonymous?" Annie buckled herself in before replying.
"Of course it is, but that's only when they're nice love letters. Proper ones, not these ones! Warning me off guys, and telling me that they're lurking in the shadows. That's just too creepy, who does that?" Annie practically shrieked. "Wait; don't answer that because it's obviously him!"
"OK, Annie, take a few deep breaths. Relax yourself!" Sammy said with her eyes on the road.
"I am relaxed!"
"Dammit Annie snap out of it," Sam said in a stern voice. "Get. A. Grip. This guy is obviously just trying to warn you off guys because they're his competition and the lurking in shadows bit…is poetic. Like, he'll always be around for you…. That sounded much better in my head."
Despite Annie's mood, she laughed at Sam. It was just like Sam to make her laugh without even wanting to. Now that Annie had calmed down, she took the time to analyse things. OK, so the guy hadn't actually threatened her or anyone she knew in anyway, and it was just a harmless letter. What could letters do? Nothing.
"You're right. I'm overreacting. It's just with everything that's going on…. I just need a bit of calm in my life."
"Well, if I could buy you calm at the store, I would. Since I can't, I'll just get you a big fat chocolate cream Frap from Starbucks." Annie sighed in relief.
"OK, now that is the only thing I'm looking forward to."
"As it should be," Sam replied turning off the engine. They got out of the car and made their way into school. A memory trigged and Annie remembered what had happened the day before with Matt. Annie took the few minutes they had together to tell Sam.
"Ooo-la-la, you blew him a kiss. Who knew Annie Paige was flirtatious and so bold?"
"What can you say? A girl's gotta' do what a girl's got to do." They both shared a laugh as they entered the school building.
x-x-x-x
The day was long and tedious for both Annie and Sam, who only saw each other at break for a few minutes before they'd resume with lessons. Lunch was up next and after that would be the only two lessons they shared together, English and Calculus. Annie sighed in her mind, if that was possible, at the thought of another English lesson with Matt. She sighed again, in her mind of course, just thinking about his name.
"OK, this officially sucks. My drama teacher said that I might not be able to be in the school play because I missed one month of work. I mean what the hell? She knows I'm better than any of those freshman losers who think they can take the place of moi!" Sam seethed slamming her tray down on the table.
"Take the place of moi?" Aimee asked raising an eyebrow. Sam stuck her hand up.
"Don't ask. All I know its Mrs Nathan is making me do extra work after school! Nearly everyday! Everyday!" she echoed. "Can you believe that?"
"Oh no," Annie said sarcastically biting into her burger. "I can't possibly believe that she'd want you to catch up with the rest of the class so it's fair on everyone in the drama club."
"When I want your sarcasm I'll ask for it," Sam snapped.
"Sorry," Annie said slightly taken aback at the slight venom in Sam's voice. Sam saw Annie's look, not to mention the other girls looks and sighed.
"Sorry guys. It's just different being back and all. I never knew we did so much work! In one month as well!"
"It's OK, we understand…well no, we don't, but we get what you mean," Sara said and the other girls nodded.
"Thanks. We cool Annie?" Sam asked looking sheepishly at the girl in front of her.
"Hmm," she replied pretending to think it over. "Pass me that cookie and we'll be, as you put it, cool."
"Deal," Sam said grinning as she passed the cookie over. "So where's Matt?" Annie looked at her friend who was innocently looking back at her.
"I don't know. How should I know? I don't keep tabs on him. As I said yesterday, he's just a study partner."
"Talking about me again?" a voice asked from behind her. Wow, creepy déjà vu, she thought. "Tut-tut. Two days in a row is where I draw a line".
"OK, why is it you always show up at the most wrongest moments?" Annie asked almost to herself. Matt sat down, like the previous day, in between Joanne and Annie.
"It's a skill of mine and that's not a word."
"Actually, 'that'," Annie air quoted. "Is a word." She gave him an innocent look. He sat silent for a moment before he finally let out a laugh.
"Touché." Annie nodded satisfied and continued eating her cookie. "So, do you need a ride again?"
"Wait, wait, and wait. You got a ride with him and you claim you're just study partners?" Sara asked bemused. Annie groaned.
"He is sitting right here!" She exclaimed. Sara gave her a 'so?' look. "You ask these questions after the said person is gone! Come one Sare, that's like the basic rule of…girl code? Yeah, girl code," she added firmly.
The whole table looked at her before bursting out laughing. "You hypocrite! You don't say things like that in front of the person!" Aimee said in between laughs.
"Thanks," Annie replied sarcastically finishing off her cookie.
"We're sorry that we laughed at your expense," Joanne said once she finished laughing.
"Again, thanks," Annie said sarcastically. Annie flipped open her cellphone and checked the time. "Oh, crap. I have to go," she said standing up. "I need to check whether there's soccer practice, last time there wasn't any. See you guys later!"
"Wait, I'll come with you," someone said. Annie knew that voice and had to bite her lip, hard, to stop the grin from surfacing onto her face.
"You don't have to," she said to Matt.
"It's cool. I've finished my lunch, and I'm heading that way." What a lie! She thought.
"Really?" Annie asked waving to her friends who were grinning like they knew something she didn't. "Well, what's your next class?"
"Um…gym."
"Oh," Annie said. "So you don't have English next?" Matt wasn't stirred that he was caught out in a lie; he just grinned and never said anything. They walked in a comfortable silence to the girl's gym. "Wait here."
"Like I haven't been in the girl's gym before!" he said following her. Annie frowned at him. "I had to deliver a message!" He held up his hands in defence. Annie just shook her head amused.
"Miss Kip!" she called out to her soccer coach.
"Hullo there Annie," Miss Kip smiled greeting her. Miss Kip was from Scotland, she had a very rich Scottish accent, which made it hard at times for Annie to understand what she was saying.
"I just came by to check whether there was any soccer practice?"
"Yes there is dearie. After school, two hours, to make up for last time," the teacher added seeing Annie's horrified face. Annie just nodded dumbly, thanked her teacher and left. Matt saluted mockingly to 'Lieutenant' Fitzgerald who stumbled into the girl's gym. Fitzy, as some called her, wasn't too please at Matt's salute and growled at him.
"Yep, she definitely likes me," he said as they walked to their lockers. "So two hours of practice huh?"
"Oh don't remind me!" she moaned as she spun her locker combo. "But I guess it'll be worth it when we win our opening match."
"I didn't know you were into soccer. You said you hated gym yesterday."
"Yeah, I hate gym for some reason. The running around in short shorts, but it's mainly Fitzy I don't like, but when it comes to soccer I love it. I am so weird like that."
"Hmm, makes sense." Annie gave him a look. "OK, so it sort of makes sense." The bell rang for class and the two of them made their way, quickly, to class. When they entered the class Sam was already in class, talking to Lawson. Sam gave Annie a knowing look, and Annie gave her an 'I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about' look. They sat down at their places. Sam turned around.
"Annie, I never properly introduced Lawson to you," she whispered. Sam raised her voice and said, "Lawson, this is my best friend Annie Paige."
"Hey," he said smiling.
"Hi," Annie replied smiling slightly. "I'm sorry that you're partnered up with her." Sam hit Annie on the arm but Lawson laughed.
"She's cool," he said. The sound of a book falling to the floor caused the three of them to turn to the source of the noise. Matt was hastily picking up his book that was on the floor.
"Oh," Annie said as if a light bulb went off in her head. "Lawson this is Matt. Matt, Lawson."
"Hey," Matt said.
"Hi."
While the two of them started talking about Football and other manly stuff across to each other, Sam whispered to Annie, "Well, it looked like someone was jealous." But before Annie could bite back a retort their teacher started with the day's lesson. Annie sighed, but Sam heard this, her shoulders started shaking. Annie poked her friend and that caused her to burst out laughing. This earned her a detention, Annie smiled satisfied and leaned back on her chair. Once the lesson started, Mrs Kafue went out of the room to get some photocopies she forgot to pick up during Lunch.
"You are so dead!" Sam cried turning around to face. "I'm missing a make up session for drama!" She whined.
"Well," Annie said. "You should have thought of that before you decided to make very unnecessary remarks, and proceed to laugh after. It's not my fault my hand slipped." Annie blinked innocently.
"Gosh I hate you when you get all logical and innocent with your big eyes and…urgh!" Sam grumbled and turned around. Annie snorted very un-lady like. "Ha! I can't give you a ride now!"
"Well that's OK because I have soccer," Annie said smirking. Sam groaned again. "Hey how long is your detention?"
"I dunno', probably twenty minutes, why?"
Annie groaned. "You know why! I hate buses! I have a two hour practice. Two hours! Two flipping hours!"
"I get it. Two hours. Too long," Sam said monotonously.
"Right."
"Why don't you get a ride with someone?" Sam asked. Annie chewed on her pen and answered a question from her textbook before replying. Sam did the same.
"Yeah, like anyone would want to wait two hours for me," Annie scoffed. Just as luck would have it, her pen ran out. She opened her mouth to ask Sam for one, but she was too busy pretending to not know the answers to the questions so she could ask Lawson for 'help'.
Annie turned to Matt. Annie nearly jumped out of her seat with fright. Matt was starring at her. He quickly snapped out of it when Annie turned to him.
"Are you OK?" she asked him. Matt's face was slightly red, though she wasn't sure if that was from the heat of the classroom.
"Oh, um, yeah. Sure."
"OK, well do you have a pen I could borrow? Mine's run out."
"Yeah," he replied before rummaging in his bag. He handed it over to her. The brief contact of their hands sent tingles up her arm. Annie blushed.
"Thanks," she mumbled before returning to her work. Matt could see the heat rising on her face. A small grin was tugging on his face. I have such an effect on her, he thought before returning to his work.
Mrs Kafue never returned with the photo copies but she did return with messy hair, and slightly swollen lips. The students could only wonder what 'getting photocopies from the photocopy room' actually meant, and with whom was she 'getting' them with. The bell rang before anyone could quite register the fact that their married teacher was 'getting it on' with an unknown someone in the school. Now that Annie thought about it, she never even knew whether her teacher was still married, then again, students didn't need to – or want to for that matter – know what their teachers were up to in their own time.
x-x-x-x
At the end of the day Annie said goodbye to her friends, giving Sam an extra long goodbye along with a sheepish apology. Sam brushed it off, it was no big deal. Just twenty minutes.
Once English was over, Matt had rushed out of the class but only after mumbling a quick goodbye. Annie was still getting over the whole starring thing to even reply back. Annie put her books away and got out her soccer uniform. While humming she made her way to the gym.
"Woo! Annie, we are back and we are bad!" a voice yelled out to her as she entered the changing rooms. She looked around and saw her fellow team mates getting changed. Annie picked out the source of the voice, Georgina Hollow. Annie grinned at her as she waved her over.
Georgina was the team captain and a real badass on the field. Off the field she was anything but. With her big blue eyes and gorgeous, natural, blonde hair you wouldn't think she was a soccer player who liked to get all muddy at the end of a game.
"Yes we are," Annie said to Georgina. "You know Gee, we have to work a lot harder; this year's competition's going to be harder than last year. I heard that Wakefield's got a new striker."
"Yeah, I heard too. Apparently she's amazing, she might go pro from what I've heard."
"Well, whatever. No one cana defeata the greata Annie Paige," she said in a fake-Italian voice. She sighed. "It would've been much better if my name was Italian." The girls laughed. When Annie was finally finished changing she spoke to some of the other girls on her team as they ran onto the field.
"Let the torture begin," she muttered under her breath as their coach blew the whistle.
x-x-x-x
After two hours of suicides, sit ups, press ups, laps, dribbling, and other such exercises, the girls were finally done.
"Well done girls. That was good work. I know you're probably cursing me for the two hours, but it'll pay off when we win the championships!" Miss Kip roared. Annie and the other team members cheered with her. "Alrighty hit the showers!"
Even though Annie's mind was focused on the training, she kept an eye out for anyone that was just hanging around with no reason to. There were a few guys and girls on the bleachers, but they were cheerleaders and their jock boyfriends, oh yeah, Annie's school fit the stereotype high school, the one with cliques, perfectly. Other than that, there was no one suspicious around. Annie sighed defeated as she made her way towards the changing rooms. With their first match coming up, Annie had no time to think about secret, not to mention creepy, admirers.
"Hey! Annie, good practice!" a cheerleader called out. Annie looked for who called out to her; Annabelle Charms. Annie waved and smiled.
"Thanks!" Annabelle was probably the only cheerleader Annie liked. They were in the same calculus class, they sat next to each other, and they both shared a hate for gym and Fitzy. It would look as though Annabelle, or Belle as her friends called her, would know nothing about soccer, but having three older brothers said otherwise.
Annie smiled politely at the other cheerleaders and jocks. It was hard to not like jocks, they were sweet in their own way, not complete jerks, and besides, Annie herself was considered a jock, a female jock that is.
Annie showered and changed back into her clothes. After saying goodbye to her friends and coach, she started towards the hallway that led to the car park. Thinking about taking the bus home made Annie queasy. The hallways were quiet. The other girls were taking their time, they actually bothered putting make up on again. Annie never bothered with make up after practice; she didn't see the point, who'd see anyway?
As Annie walked down the hallway, she could faintly hear footsteps coming slowly behind her. Annie sharply turned her head. No one was there. Her heart was still hammering fast against her chest. With all the 'lurking in the shadows' talk ASL (A silent Admirer) writes about, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about walking around school alone. Especially when it seemed as though the teachers and students had gone home already.
Annie took a shaky breath in and turned back around. She quickened her pace; the doors out of the school were within her sight.
Few more paces, she thought.
A door slammed closed behind her. This made her jump and turned around. Her eyes darted from side to side, there was no one there, and she couldn't tell which door closed. Annie walked backwards slowly then without a moment's hesitation turned and ran towards the exit. Her footsteps echoed the hallways. Annie pushed the handle bar on the door and pushed it open. As soon as she felt the warmth of the late autumn sun, she breathed out in relief. Seeing only a couple of cars in the car park reminded her that there were still people here, but only few. Both thoughts unsettled her. On the one hand fewer people meant fewer ASL suspects, but fewer people meant she was maybe, alone with ASL. That was what really unsettled her.
Annie was so deep in thought, that she didn't notice someone slowly walk up to her. Annie felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Ahhhh!" she screamed. She turned and threw her fist in the direction of the person who had grabbed her.
"AH SHIT!" the male voice cried out. The guy was holding the side of his head and moaning. The said person was bending down slightly, which made it hard for Annie to identify who it was. When the person lifted their head Annie's eyes grew wide in horror.
"Oh. My. God," she said slowly. "Matt, I am so sorry!"
Matt stood back up and released his face. "What the hell was that?" he asked half afraid and half shocked.
"I…" Annie trailed off. She bit her lip as she thought about whether to tell Matt about the admirer letters. "You just scared me. It's just a reflex." She decided against it.
"Oh well, great reflexes," he mumbled sarcastically. He touched his head again. Annie giggled slightly and Matt scowled. "It's a good thing you hit like a girl, otherwise there would've been some permanent damage."
Now it was Annie's turn to scowl. "What are you doing here anyway?" she asked.
"Now you mention it, you should be thanking me. I heard about your hate for buses, and your slight dilemma with practice, so I, like the amazing person I am, ran to my lesson after English. I'm always late for that lesson you see," he said seeing Annie's face. "So that way I wouldn't get a detention, and you'd get a ride home. My teacher threatened me with a week's worth of three hour detentions if I was late again."
Annie starred up at him. She blinked and finally found her voice. "You did all that because you heard me say I didn't like the buses?" she asked.
"Um, now that you put it like that…I guess, um, I sort of…yeah," he stuttered turning a slight shade of red. He scratched his neck awkwardly.
"No one's ever done something like that before," she said in slight awe, her eyes big and glassy. She flung herself at him and gave him a hug. "Thank you," she whispered. To her surprise Matt returned the hug. They broke apart at the same time. She shot him a toothy grin, unfazed by the hug she just gave him and they walked towards his car.
Only it wasn't a car.
"A motorbike? Are you serious?" she asked in awe starring at the ride.
"You don't mind do you?" he asked her, looking a bit nervous. Annie shook her head, unable to say anything. She'd always wanted to ride a motorbike, ever since she saw the Terminator riding one. She loved action movies.
"It's no wonder all the girls in this school love you. A bad boy with a motorbike. You certainly live up to the name Matt Parks," she said laughing.
"I gots to do what I gots to do," he replied in a very bad imitation of a New Yorker.
"That sucked," she informed him.
"I know."
x-x-x-x
The ride home was what Annie called 'Bloody amazing!' She even managed to convince Matt to let her ride without a helmet so she could feel the wind rushing through her hair. Annie was so caught up with the ride she didn't even realise how close their bodies were, or the fact that she had her arms tightly wrapped around his much toned chest. During some parts in the journey she pressed her face on Matt's back, she wore she heard him sigh, but couldn't be sure over the noise. She inhaled the deep smell of soap and mint, with a slight hint of cologne coming from him.
As they came to a halt Annie laughed, to her the ride so was exhilarating. Throughout the whole ride Matt couldn't keep the smile off of his face. Annie was beginning to make him squirm. He had never stayed back after school for two hours, for his best mates, let alone a girl. Of course, Annie didn't know this.
"You have no idea how much you've made my day, honestly, thank you so much. I seriously owe you, big time pally!" she exclaimed taking her bag from Matt.
"No problem, and you can start of by never calling me 'pally'. I'd prefer…Greek God, amazing body, hot beast?" he asked cockily.
"Keyword there, beast."
"Ah you got me there," he laughed. Annie hugged him again, and with all the courage she could muster pecked him quickly, and lightly on the cheek.
"See you at school," she said smiling softly. Matt was too stunned to say anything, but he did manage to nod and smile weakly. Annie jingled her keys as she walked up her driveway. She turned around. Matt was still there starring at her.
"Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about the Matt Parks Life talk."
"Edition Uno!" he managed to call back once he got his senses back. "Bye!"
"See ya'," she called back. She turned the key in her door and walked in. Once the door was closed and she heard the motorbike zoom away, she squealed and sighed in content. Things were perking up.
x-x-x-x
The next morning Annie found not a letter at the door for her. She gasped and dropped the envelope with the contents that was addressed to her. She tried not to cry out. It wasn't that horrible, but it was enough to scare her. ASL was taking things too far.
He'd sent her a black, drooping rose. Attached to it was a picture of her and Matt. It was taken yesterday when she hugged him, just seconds before she kissed him. Matt's face, that was shown only slightly, and blurred, was scribbled out with a huge red 'x' in its place. It seemed as though her stalker was everywhere. He could've been with her at school the previous day. Annie wondered what would've happened if Matt hadn't been there and the guy, whoever he was, decided to make a move on her. She shievered at the sick thoughts that raced through her mind.
Annie decided, now it was time to find out who this sick stalker was. The letters were one thing, but this...this was just too creepy.
Again, disclaimer, anything you recognise e.g. labels, books, shops etc. I do not own, unless said otherwise! :D
I know it may seem as though nothing's really happening in this chapter, but a little hint, there is! ;)
So, thanks for reading, again. Thanks for all the reviews; I hope I replied back to each person…anyway, thanks again! Hope you enjoyed it! :D