(no subject)
“Anne! Anne wake up!” She woke with a start and looked out the window. “What? Oooh, are we here?” Anne squealed with excitement as her mother nodded. She could see the familiar trees and the peachy color of the building. Then the words came into view. “Wimton Hotel.” She breathed. She was home.
She could hardly contain herself when they stopped in front of the hotel. The first thing she did was stumble out of the car, and then ran through the double doors to take in the view of the lobby. She loved everything about this place, except the fact that she only got to stay there for a couple days. She was so exited and wanted to look around so she turned towards her mother. Her mother just smiled and said, “Go on, I’ll call you when we have the room number.” Anne took out her cell phone and turned it on. “Thanks, mom.” She hurried off, in search of her friends.
She was looking for familiar faces, but didn’t mind taking in the familiar settings that held precious memories from previous years. She was walking past the pool down the way toward the fountain, past the pastel colored arches. She immediately spotted her friend, Becca. A smile took over her friends face. “Anne!” she hollered and ran over. Anne grinned as Becca bear-hugged her. “How are ya?” Anne asked her. “Great, now that I’m here of course. Isn’t it great?” Becca responded. They both looked around smiling. Anne knew what she meant. There was something about this place that she would never forget. They turned and started back towards the lobby. “I need to find my sister.” Becca explained. As they walked they chatted and reminisced. They had been friends for about three years, so naturally they had a lot to catch up on. They had walked around the lake twice, when Anne’s cell phone vibrated. “Hello?” she answered. Becca looked around while her friend was talking. She saw her friends Alyson and James walking towards her. She waved. “I have to go to my room, that was mom. They need help un-packing.” Anne said. “Oh, want me to catch you later?” She added, seeing Alyson and James. Becca smiled. “Ya. Catch ya soon.” She waved and took off in the direction of her other friends.
Anne was almost there when she spotted another friend of hers. “Anne!” “Heya Rachel!” Anne walked over to her, sitting in front of her hotel room by the pool. She was writing in a notebook, something that Anne predicted she would do. “How are you?” Anne asked. “Good,” Rachel replied. “Just sitting here, writing and watching people. It seems like there are very few people that I don’t recognize, then I saw you, hardly didn’t when I saw you, you look so different! But how are you? Ooh, come on, sit!” Anne smiled and sat down. “I’m good also. But-“ she hesitated, looking out towards the people. Rachel sat up and put down her notebook, curious. “Hmm? What?” Anne smiled nervously. “Well,” she started, trying to find the words. “It’s really great being here, but I can’t help feeling nervous, and I don’t know why.” Rachel sat forward, leaning her chin into her hand. “I get what you mean. I love being here, and all my friends are here, but its still kinda nerve wracking…” she trailed off. Anne leaned back, somewhat uncomfortably, she somehow always felt nervous around Rachel. It was perhaps the fact that Anne thought Rachel was so much cooler than her. She had all these friends; she did so much with her life. And she was beautiful, which helped. She wanted to relax, but remembered that she needed to go. “Ack,” she started, getting up, “Sorry, but my mom wanted me to help her and Greg unpack. So, catch ya later?” Rachel stood. “Yeah! Yes, of course, see you later.” Anne waved and walked off.
As she made the walk around the lake yet again, looking for her room, Anne found a couple more of her friends. Her friend Lily walked back with her to her room.
They walked in together, her mom was humming to music, and her brother was going back and forth from the car to the room. “Hey, mom. Remember Lily?” Her mother looked up. “Oh yes, hello Lily.” Lily waved and giggled shyly. She was only eleven. “Oh mom,” Anne sighed. “It’s so great being here.” Her mother smiled. “Anne, are you daydreaming again?” She jokingly put her hands on her hips. Anne rolled her eyes as she started unpacking.
When she was finally finished, her mother let her go. Lily looked up, she had busied herself with her cell phone. “Thanks mom, I’m off.” Anne put on her jacket and darted out the door, Lily close behind.
Anne and Lily were walking around the lake talking and laughing for about the fourth time, when Anne suddenly stopped dead. Lily bumped into her. “What? Anne, what is it?” Lily followed her gaze, and gasped. Anne pointed. “Isn’t that…?” There was a boy carrying a box walking down the corridor. “Lily! That’s Bugs! Bugs Bunny!” Anne said, shocked. “Bugs! Yay!” Lily cried. He was too far in front of them to hear, however, but had spotted both of them. Anne knew she would catch up with him later. She always did.
They decided to walk back toward the fountain and found all of their friends there. Becca, with Alyson and James, Hannah and her brother Calvin, Alex and his sister Holly, Lisa and Brent, Becca’s bf. There were also two boys that Anne didn’t recognize. They were all sitting around a table and noticing Anne and Lily, hollered for them to come over. Practically everyone got up to hug Anne. The ones who didn’t were her Ex, Calvin, so she understood, and the two boys, Benji and Clay she found out, who she had never met before. But she took a double at Clay; there was something about him that was interesting. She looked away quickly, not wanting to be obvious, what with Calvin around and all. She sat down next to Hannah and Becca. Hannah said to her brother, “Calvin remember Anne?” Calvin coughed a hello. Hannah looked at Anne. “Anne? Aren’t you going to say hello?” And said hello to the table. But Hannah would have none of that. “Anne? Aren’t you going to say hello to Calvin?” She put her hands around Anne’s face pushing it towards Calvin’s direction. “Hannah…” Calvin warned. At his tone of voice Anne looked up straight into his eyes. “Hello Calvin.” Calvin smiled awkwardly. Anne looked at the table again. Becca suddenly asked her however, “Anne? Do you need to go to the bathroom?” Anne stared at her. “What?” Becca sighed. "Do you have to go to the bathroom?” She repeated, rather pointedly and widened her eyes. “Oh, ya, sure.” Anne said, catching on. They walked across the courtyard. Anne sighed. “Thanks for that.” She said, burying her face in her hands. “Wait ‘til we get there hon, you can make it.” Anne straightened up, solemn faced. Then finally, hidden in the hallway, she sighed again, and slid down the wall, shaking. Becca looked at her with sympathy. “Is it too hard?” Anne smiled slightly. “No. It’s just he was acting like nothing happened. I didn’t expect that, I thought he would just ignore me completely, like he has been for the last month or so.” Her eyes watered. Becca came over, sat down and put her arms around her. Anne cried softly. “Aww, hon, it’s going to be ok. I’m here for you, if you need me.” Anne wiped her eyes and sniffled. “Thanks Becca. That makes me feel better.” She smiled. Becca stood up. “You ready?” Anne, surprised, said, “Oh. Ya, sure, let’s go.” She was feeling like she was just getting started. But she decided that she would get over it and be strong… and avoid him, and possibly hang out with everyone else.
They got back, but pretty much everybody was hanging out in the room next to the tables. It was a teen dance thing. She could see Calvin looking at her but she looked away towards her other friends. She saw Alex standing with Benji and Clay. She walked over to them; Becca was with Alyson and James once again.
Alex smiled as Anne walked over. “Hey Alex, and it’s Benji and… Clay right?” They nodded their hellos. “So what’s up?” Anne said. “Not much. Just hanging.” Alex responded. They started lightly talking and Anne was getting sillier and sillier and pretty soon their friend William came over. “Will!” shouted Anne. Will rolled his eyes. It was a tradition. Everytime Anne saw him, she shouted his name, and she did it just to erk him. “So whatcha guys up to?” he said, looking at the four of them. “Just hanging.” Anne said, giving Alex a look. “Ok, who wants to go swimming?” Benji and Clay looked at each other, and shrugged. “Sounds good to us.” Said Benji. Alex looked at Anne. “Hey you up to it? Sound like fun?” She smiled. “Sure, but I don’t have my bathing suit, so I’ll just hang.” She laughed at Alex. They walked over to the pool and Will just jumped right in. He loved the water, and his hair hadn’t even dried since the last time he was in. The rest of them walked over to the lounge chairs on the other side and sat down. Calvin was there with Brent. “So why don’t you want to go in?” Alex asked Anne. “What? No, I do, I just didn’t bring my bathing suit.” Alex looked at her, then at Benji and Clay. “Sure.” He smirked. She hit him on the shoulder. Anne sat back and turned to face Benji and Clay, who had been talking, hushed for a couple of minutes. Clay was staring at her, but quickly looked away when she noticed. She smiled. “Ok,” started Alex, getting up. “I’m going swimming.” He took off his shirt and ran to the pool. “Bonzaiiiiii!” he yelled cannonballing into the pool. Anne laughed. Will, looked at her and shouted, “Anne! Get in!” Anne stood up. “I don’t have my bathing suit, this I told you.” Will shrugged. “Just jump in with your clothes on.” Anne thought about this for a second. “Ok,” she said walking over, “Splash me.” He swam over to the edge, but just as he was about to she yelled, “Wait! My camera!” She took her camera out of her pocket and put it on the outside wall. “Ok, now.” But, again, just as he was about to splash her, she yelled. “Wait! My cell phone!” he huffed. “Now, make sure there is nothing in your pockets.” She checked, and nodded. “Ok, ready?” He splashed her and she screamed joyfully. All the guys laughed at her. She looked at each of them. “Oh? You think this is funny?” she said, walking back to the side where Benji and Clay were. “Hold my earrings, I’m going in.” She laughed and ran, penciled into the pool, then came to the surface, shivering. Will was laughing, the other boys looked stunned, then Benji and Clay joined them in the pool. Knew you had it in ya.” Said Will. “Thanks.” She answered, and then dunked him. Twice. She looked over at Calvin as she got out shivering. He was looking at her. She became nervous, so she was acting all goofy when Alex, Benji, and Clay came over. The light by the pool kept blinking on and off and every time they did, Anne screamed. “They are out to get me, honestly.” She said as her friends shook their heads. She wanted to walk around, because she was starting to get cold, so she said as she stood up, “Brr, I’m cold you guys, I think I’ll go change.” She gathered all her stuff, when she realized that she didn’t have her keycard. She panicked. “Oh crap! I don’t know where my keycard is!” She started pacing back and forth. Alex put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, it might be in the pool, we will look for it. Will and Alex, Benji and Clay, and one of Clay’s friends, Peter, went in too. She kept pacing for about five minutes, when Clay shouted, “Ah! Here it is, Peter found it!” She ran to the side of then pool, and when Peter came out she hugged him. “Thank you! Thank you so much! Omg, I love you!” she cried. Peter smiled, “No problem.” Clay looked disappointed. She happily put all her stuff back in her pockets and said, “Ok, I’m off to change!” “Alright,” said Alex getting up, “We’ll come with you to make sure you don’t get hurt.” Benji and Clay laughed. Anne gave them a look. Alex called to Will. “Will! Hey, come with us to make sure Anne doesn’t die.” Will laughed and ran over as they left the pool. “You think you are so funny don’t you?” Anne nodded at Alex. He just simply laughed as he held the gate open for her.
Her room was on the lakeside, but quite a bit away from the pool. She was quite tired, and growing more so on the walk. Will was running around them, god knows where he got the energy, and trying to scare Anne. He found it amusing, because her reaction was delayed a couple seconds, for the tiredness. She was walking backwards, chatting with the remaining three boys, screaming every now and then for Will. She stopped them and looked from one to the other. “No and no.” she said, looking from Alex to Benji. “Hmm…” She pondered, looking at Clay. The boys looked at each other, obviously questioning her sanity. “Yes.” She decided. No one had a clue what she meant, and they were looking at her strangely. She smiled, and continued to walk backwards. The boys shrugged and followed, Will still trying to scare her. She was humming and twirling, and fell back onto the grass in front of her room. She had thought that would be pleasant, but got up quickly. Not only was the grass wet, but prickly against her back. The boys laughed at her expression. She gave them a look and said, “Ok, wait here and don’t have much fun while I change. No attitude either.” She added, for Will was wearing an “Oh ya?” face.
When she came out, she introduced her mother to her friends. “Mother, you know Will from last year, and this is Alex,” she said pointing to that of him with shoulder length curly brown hair. “Benji,” Glasses and blonde, “and Clay.” Red hair, and stunning eyes. They said their hellos and her mom looked at her watch, “Back at eleven ok?” It was about nine then. “Ok, mom.” Anne sighed, and waved as they went back to the pool.
The first thing Will did was jump back in the pool. Anne laughed. Alex saw Rachel and some of his other friends in front of her hotel room. He and Benji went off to join them. Anne stopped by the pool. She didn’t want to go in, but she couldn’t hang with Alex and his group. She felt she didn’t quite belong. She wanted to walk around or hang in lobby where it was cool. But she didn’t want to be alone. She realized that Clay was still with her. She smiled in spite of herself. She looked at where Benji was. “Oh, you don’t have to watch over me anymore, I’m fine now, I promise. She smiled sadly. She didn’t want him to go. He looked over at his friends. “No,” he sighed. “I just feel like being alone and walking around the lake. It is really nice here.” She looked down at her feet. “Oh.” He looked at her, puzzled, the realized what he had said. “No, I mean alone from Benji. Um,” he added, “if you don’t mind I’d like to be alone with you.” She looked up. He smiled. “Ok, wanna walk around the lake?” He nodded.
They walked around the lake a couple of times, chatting and finding more out about each other. At one point, she asked him how old he was, thinking something like seventeen, which was how old he looked. He answered fifteen and she was shocked. When they came back to the grove, she saw some of her friends, and Calvin, walking towards them. Calvin wasn’t looking at her, but she could tell he had seen her. He walked right between her and Clay. She glared after him. After waving at some of the people walking by, Clay noticed Anne’s gaze. “You know him?” he asked. She stopped glaring to say, “No, I don’t know him.” At Clay’s confused look she added, “He was my boyfriend.” Clay gestured over to the tables and chairs in the grove. They both sat down. Anne leaned back and stared at the people by the pool. “That bad huh?” Anne looked at him. He took her silence to mean she was thinking about Calvin. He was right. She told him the whole story of how she had loved him, and thought things were going good when he had harshly broke up with her and that they hadn’t talked since. She had chalked herself to be a rebound. Rachel had dumped Calvin shortly after Anne met him. So she was just stressed when she was around him. Clay leaned back, taking all of this in. Anne looked at her hands. “Sorry, I talk to much.” Clay quickly said, “No, no you don’t. It’s just finding all this out about you in the same day as meeting you…” he trailed off, then looked at her. “I just didn’t expect you to tell me all that.” She smiled and looked back at him. “Yeah, I didn’t expect to tell you all that either. There’s just… something… about you that made me want to tell you.” He raised his eyebrows. “So, ya, I dunno.” She said looking at her hands again. He looked at his watch. “Oh, crap, it’s almost eleven, isn’t that the time your mom said you had to be back?” She got up, “Oh ya! What time do you have to get back?” “Same.” He got up. “But I’ll walk you back you your room.” She looked down the archway where his room was a long way off. “Are you sure? You don’t have to…” he smiled. “Come on, let’s go.”
Her room was halfway around the lake, but they walked slowly. She was tired, but felt bold and put her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her as they walked. She laughed. “What’s so funny?” he asked. “Well, I’m trying to think of what you are. I’m really tired, so you are my…” she couldn’t think of anything. “Leaning post?” she said, looking at him. He laughed. “I can’t think of anything.” She said, frustrated. He gazed into the lake, thinking. “Sofa? Couch? Cushion?” she offered. “What about Pillow?” he offered back. She considered this. “Yesh, you are now officially My Pillow.” They both laughed. He pulled her in closer to him; they were getting closer to her room. She closed her eyes as they walked, she was tired and she trusted him to not walk them into a pole or something. They finally got to her room and he let go so they could face each other. “Well, here we are.” She sighed sadly. “Yup.” It was slowly going to become an awkward moment, so she smiled and hugged him. He held her for a second longer. She smiled to herself. They pulled away and said “See you tomorrow!” at the same time. They laughed. He backed away, looking at her. She had her hand on the doorknob, catching his eye. They held each other’s gaze for five more seconds before she turned to go inside, waving to him as she did so.
She stopped and stared at her mom and brother for a second smiling. Her mom looked up from reading. “Did someone drop you off? That was nice. Who was it?” She added, suspiciously, thinking that Anne was smiling for whoever had just left. She was right. “That was just Clay.” She said, slightly dreamy. “He walked me back to my room, we were at the grove.” She explained, looking out the window towards the grove. Her brother noticed her tone of voice and looked away from the television. “Clay? A guy?” he asked. Anne rolled her eyes. “Yes, Greg, a guy.” Greg got up from lounging on his bed. “You weren’t like kissing him or anything were you?” Anne, stared at him, shocked. “Mom!” she pleaded. Her mother sighed, “Greg, whatever Anne has been doing is her business.” She went back to her book. “But you just met him! How can you do that?!” Anne put her hands on her hips. “Not that it’s any of your business, but he didn’t kiss me. He just walked me back here, he is a gentleman, that’s all.” She walked to the bathroom and closed the door on her stuttering brother. She stared at her reflection for a minute before going back out. “You really think I would make out with I guy I just met today?” she exclaimed to Greg. “What? No, it’s just I worry about you, and who you hang out with.” He added, looking at their mother. She looked at both of them. “You both think this? Calvin was a mistake, I know this, and I’m not going to be rushing into anything, that’s for sure. How can you think different?” She ran back into the bathroom, locking it. She ran cold water over her face, ignoring the knocking on her door, which soon died. She brushed her teeth, and went back out. She silently took the second bed. Greg sighed and took the couch. Her mother looked at both of them, and then turned out the light.
Anne didn’t sleep at all. She turned every hour or so to check the clock. She couldn’t wait ‘til 6 or 7, she wasn’t sure when her friends would get up. Maybe not even until 8 or 9. She sighed, listening to her brother snore. Anne replayed everything that had happened that day. She decided to write. She turned on her flashlight, and searched her suitcase for her diary. She updated it, then put it back in her suitcase, she was just about to crawl back under the covers when her cell phone vibrated. She looked at the clock. It was 7:45. How did it get so late? She grabbed her cell and went into the bathroom.
“Hello?” She whispered.
“Oh, Anne, I wasn’t sure you would be up this early.”
“Ha, I didn’t get any sleep last night.”
“Ooh, me either.”
“So what’s up?”
“Can you meet me?”
Sure,” she said, thinking of how she would get out of there. “Where are you?”
“Just in the lobby.”
“Ok, see you in a few.”
“Yep.”
She hung up and thought about what Becca could possibly want, as she put on jeans and a t-shirt. She left a note, grabbed her shoes and left.
She silently went out the back door, she thought back was safer; the sun was shining in the opposite direction. She made sure she had her keycard and cell. Then her cell vibrated again. “What?” She said to herself. “How many people want to talk to me?” she answered. It was Rachel. Anne was confused. Rachel never called her. “Hey what’s up?” Rachel asked. “Um, nothing much, just going to meet Becca for some reason.” “Ahh, well then I’ll let you go.” She replied. “Ok then, see you later.” Anne said and hung up. She was in front of Joe, the ice machine that she and Becca had named a couple of years ago, when her cell phone rang again. “What the-?” Anne stopped, taking her phone out of her pocket. “Hello?” she answered. “Hey can you meet me in the lobby?” Anne looked at the caller I.D. “Hannah?” she asked. “Yeah, it’s me. So can you?” Anne sighed. “Uh, yes, I suppose, I’m going there right now to meet Becca.” Hannah squealed. “Ok, then super! See you!” “Yeah, bye.” Anne replied. She was thoroughly confused by now.
She opened the double doors, and walked to the main part of the lobby. Her friends shouting greeted her, “Surprise!” Anne stared at them, smiling. “Surprise for what?” she asked. “Happy Birthday!” Hannah and Becca yelled. Anne put her hand over her mouth. “Oh my god, you guys!” she looked at them. All girls. Rachel, Hannah and Becca joined by Alyson, Holly, Lisa and Lily. “But my birthday isn’t for another couple of days.” Rachel scoffed. “We know, but we wanted to celebrate anyway.” There was a small cake in the center of the coffee table, purchased probably buy the hotel café right behind them. “So,” Started Becca as they sat down, Anne in the middle. “Who was that guy I saw you with a couple of times?” Anne thought back. “Who bugs?” Becca laughed. “No, the redhead.” Rachel raised her eyebrows. “Anne? You like a guy?” The rest of the girls oohed. Anne blushed and sat back into the couch, smiling. Becca punched her. “Come on, tell us!” Anne giggled. “You guys, he is just a friend.” Becca scoffed. “Bull. I saw how you were looking at him.” Anne looked at her. “Bec, I just met him.” She crossed her arms. “So?” Becca replied. “You still think he’s cute, I can tell.” They all laughed. Anne played with her cake. “He is ok, but I’m not looking for anyone to like right now… so ya.”
After they finished the cake, they went outside to find all the boys sitting around a table at the grove. Alex, Will, Brent, Calvin, James, Benji, Clay, and some others. Most of the girls sat down, but Anne stood behind Clay, and Becca went behind Brent. Clay looked up and smiled at Anne. “What are you doing?” he laughed. She started hopping up and down. “Trying to annoy you. Is it working?” He looked thoughtful. “No.” he decided. “Darn.” She pretended to look disappointed, then sat down next to him. “You have a thing for my chair?” he asked. She realized that she still had her hand on his chair. She quickly took it off. “Oh, sorry.” She said. “No, it’s fine if you do that, I was just asking. You never know the chair might like you back.” He caught her eye. Anne blushed. “So what’s up with you guys?” Becca quickly asked, saving the embarrassment for Anne. Anne gratefully smiled at her. Alex sighed. “Not much, just hanging.” Anne laughed. Alex did a ghetto move that got everybody into hysterics. Anne realized that Clay had his hand on her knee. She put her hand on his. He smiled, not looking at her. Their little secret. They chatted for about half an hour when the game activities started. They all got up to join. Becca and Brent went off however, and Anne soon got bored. She started walking away looking at Clay. He looked beside him to see that Anne wasn’t there anymore. He looked behind him. She gestured for him to come with her, but he said no politely. She sighed and went back to her room to write.