1997-2000
1595 Words
1997
Two years passed since Justin and his friends crashed Anna and Paul’s birthday party, and after that, Xander, Anna, Paul, and Michelle rarely saw Justin or his goons, except when Xander saw them at school.
Anna was doing her makeup and getting ready for a high school party she was invited to by Xander. She wouldn’t know anyone there because it was his high school party, but it didn’t matter because she was there to hang out with her best friend.
Anna let her hair hang down her back, which hung passed her waist, wore a short-sleeved black jumper, and the shorts came above her kneecap, a pair of comfortable shoes, and her black shoulder bag.
“Anna!” called Annette.
“Coming!”
Anna switched off the light and walked down the stairs.
“Wow, honey, you look beautiful.”
“Thanks, mom,” said Anna with a smile.
She looked at her dad, and he grunted at her.
“What?”
“I don’t like it. You are growing up too fast,” he grumbled, and her mother giggled.
Anna rolled her eyes, and her father gave her a set look, turning back to his paper. She walked toward her dad and kissed him on top of the head.
“I will always be your little girl, Daddy!” she said softly.
“You got that right.”
She kissed her father’s head, grabbed her keys, and looked at her mother, and she shrugged her shoulders.
“No sneaking boys in!” she said, and Anna snorted.
Anna never snuck boys in besides, she wasn’t really interested in boys that way. She set a curfew at midnight, walked out of the house, got in her car, and drove toward the Maverick Manor.
*****
Surprisingly, there were cars everywhere, and she had never seen that many cars at the manor before. Anna drove past all the cars, pulled up all the way to the house, and parked her car.
“Anna,” greeted Mr. Hopper, Xander’s butler, when she opened the door.
“Hi, Mr. Hopper!” said Anna cheerfully.
She walked in and saw Paul and Michelle talking with another couple.
“Anna!” said Paul, and he hugged her.
Paul had really changed. He grew out of his tall, lanky build into a muscular build, and now he was fit and tall, and he was a football player for their high school team. His face cleared up, and he was very handsome. He kissed her on the cheek and whispered in her ear.
“You look amazing!”
She looked at him and blushed.
“Thanks, Paul.”
“Anna!”
She turned around and saw Xander.
“Xan, hi.”
She hugged him.
“Glad you could come!” he said.
“Yeah, my dad was all grumpy about it, I have to be home by curfew.”
Xander laughed and grabbed two beers from a nearby waiter. He handed one to Anna.
“Let me guess, home by ten?”
Anna took a swig and shook her head.
“Midnight.”
“Not bad. I have my parties at home. Saves them the curfew trouble, but they kick everyone out by two,” he explained over the loud music.
“Your parents and my parents are not the same,” she stated, and he laughed.
At that moment, Leonard walked up to them and told Xander to go with him. While he was away with his father, Anna mingled around. Suddenly, Anna saw Justin and rolled her eyes. She tried to slip past without him noticing her, but it was too late!
“Hi, gorgeous! And might I add how stunningly beautiful you look tonight,” he said, and she smiled weakly.
“Thanks,” she said.
He raised his hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. His knuckles brushed against her cheek lightly and sent tingles through her body.
What was that? She wondered as she looked at him, and then she raised an eyebrow.
“What is your angle?” she asked, and he looked at her for a moment.
“Angle?” he asked as he took a sip of his drink.
“Yeah, what does the infamous Justin Hardy have in mind to ruin Xander’s party?” she asked, getting close to his face, and his eyes met hers.
“Does everything have to be a fight with you?” he said softly, as his eyes trailed to her lips and then back to her eyes.
“With you, everything’s a fight,” she whispered.
He didn’t move, and neither did she, which confused her. He then slowly touched his lips to hers, and her eyes widened.
“Justin!” exclaimed another girl, and he pulled back slowly.
“See you around, gorgeous,” he said, backing away and turning toward the girl.
Anna watched in awe as they walked off together, leaving Anna and her thoughts of confusion.
“What happened there?” Paul asked, snapping her from her thoughts, and she looked at him.
“I don’t know,” she said as she watched Justin walk away.
2000
Anna finished her class speech, and everyone cheered as the graduates threw their hats in the air.
“Wow, honey, that was amazing!” said Annette.
“Thanks,” said Anna, as she reached her parents in the crowd.
“Anna!”
Paul, Michelle, and Xander met up with them.
“Hey, guys! Xan, you came!” exclaimed Anna with a bright smile.
Xander smiled, hugged, and kissed her on the cheek, and then he handed her a wrapped box.
“Oh, Xan, you didn’t have to!” she said as she took it.
She unwrapped it fast. It was a large photo frame with a collage of their first drawings as kids, pictures of them growing up with Paul and Michelle, and even a couple of pictures that had Justin in them. Justin had just happened to be caught in the background, but there was one that he actually photo-bombed and smiled in one of the pictures. Anna thought it gave the picture some charm.
“I love it!”
“Something you can remember us by while you’re at your Police academy training,” he said cheerfully, and she smiled at him.
Michelle gave Paul a knowing look, and he grinned.
“How could she forget when one of the crew is going with her,” he chimed, and Anna looked at him surprised.
“Really! You got in!” she exclaimed.
He nodded, and everyone cheered. They laughed and talked as they headed to their cars. They were all going to the Claw to celebrate. Everyone scattered to their cars as Anna put her graduation stuff in the back of her car. She sighed, and she gave the high school one final look.
“Saying goodbye sucks!”
Anna turned around and saw that Justin was standing a few feet away from her.
“Justin, what are you doing here?” she asked, and he smiled.
“Honestly, I don’t know why, but I came to see you graduate,” he said, and she smiled shyly.
“Well, thank you!” she politely, pulling her graduation gown off.
She revealed the black strapless dress, and he averted his eyes even though he wanted to stare. He could smell her hair in the wind, and the sweet smell made his brain tingle. He had grown up to be quite handsome with his sandy blonde hair and his gorgeous green eyes. Justin couldn’t take it any longer, and he looked back at her, looking her up and down.
“Wow, you look amazing, gorgeous!” he said.
“Thank you,” she said, blushing.
There was a spark between them, and they both felt it as they stared into each other’s eyes for a moment and then a call from his friend broke their stare.
“Justin! Come on, man!” called one of his friends from a black car.
Justin grabbed her into a hug with one smooth move, congratulated her, and kissed her cheek. He let go and walked back to his car, and she watched him drive away.
*****
Anna went off to the police academy and trained hard. She made some friends who were planning on joining the army. The boot camp training base for the military was in the same building, and they used the same field tests to train the newcomers. She trained with them on the weekends, just for that added skill to become a better police officer. The general agreed to let her join in, and he saw that she was a fast learner and very grateful.
The general tried to convince Anna to switch sides and come work for him, but she politely declined. She didn’t want to be sent off into the army. That wasn’t her dream. He was understanding and told her she would always have a place on his team.
Anna graduated with Paul, and they had been sent to work at the same substation. Paul would miss out on the extra fun and use his weekends to go back home and visit his girlfriend, Michelle, his brother Tom, and his parents. Anna made sure to call her parents at least once a week, and she and Xander seemed to be less and less in touch. It bothered her a little, but she understood that they weren’t kids anymore, and they all had their own lives to live.
- Writer
