𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗡, 𝙅. 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠.

𝟬𝟬𝟳 party like a pogue

"Really? Those are the only words you managed to grasp from this?" Janet threw her hands up in annoyance, looking back and forth at Annabelle and Xavier. "How about the part where your little hook-up partner over here asked me if I wanted to join in on the action?"

Annabelle sucked air in through the slim cracks of her teeth, waving that off. "Xavier whoring around is completely normal, but the fact that there are pictures of me lying around my house, and they're framed? See, that's news to me." She moved her head back and forth in disbelief, shocked that pictures from her mess of a childhood were put on display in the Monroe mansion.

"Sometimes I think you're the brains of this friend group, and then you go and say shit like that." The insult left Janet's lips, unable to hold her laughter back at the look that formed on Annabelle's face.

"At least I'm not some creep that analyzes every tiny detail in someone else's home." Annabelle retorted, slumping back into her seat with a glare being sent in Janet's direction.

Defeated, Janet shrugged her shoulders, narrowing her eyes. "Touché, Monroe. Touché."

Parting her lips to say something else, Annabelle quickly shut them when Xavier began to talk over her, quick to defend himself from the harsh insults that the two girls had hit him with. Unable to develop any sort of interest in the topic, she withdrew her attention away from her arguing friends. Instead, the sound of plates clashing against one another pierced through her ears, forcing her to snap her head towards the table beside them. She wasn't the slightest bit shocked when she noticed her 'favorite' busboy stood there, placing the dirty dishes into the tub that he'd set on a different table.

Trying his best to ignore Annabelle's burning stare, JJ sunk his teeth down into his busted lip, regretting it instantly when the edges scraped against the sensitive flesh. In order to restrain himself from cursing out loud, he slammed the remaining dishes into the bin, surprised that none of them had shattered in the process. 

Noting the aggression that followed his actions allowed Annabelle to conclude that he was still angry at her, which caused her to roll her eyes. Without giving it another thought, she stood up from the chair she'd been sat at for the past couple of minutes, collecting her apron in one hand and her bowl in the other.

Far too invested in their ongoing argument, Xavier and Janet failed to notice Annabelle walking away from them and in the direction of the Maybank boy, who simply ignored her presence when she got closer to him.

Annabelle decided that she was through with the silent treatment she'd been receiving, so she carelessly tossed the bowl, along with the remaining salad, into the tub, watching the mess unfold.

Placing the palm of her hand over her mouth, she pretended to gasp in shock. "Oops. Clumsy little me. Here, let me—" She reached her arm out towards a cup filled with brewed coffee, prepared to create an even bigger mess in hopes of gathering JJ's attention.

And it worked.

JJ wrapped his fingers around her wrist, unintentionally pulling her closer to him in the process. At the creation of the slimmest of gaps between the two, Annabelle's breath hitched in her throat, swallowing hard at the intimidating look that he sent her. "I wouldn't do that." His tone reeked of annoyance.

For a moment, Annabelle felt absolutely powerless in his hold, unable to gather up enough force to pull away, but thankfully, she was snapped from his menacing stare when he released her wrist. She blinked slowly, a thick lump forming in her throat that sent a wave of shock throughout her entire body. Forming a proper sentence almost felt impossible, but once she cleared her clouded throat, the fuzziness that had engulfed her brain began to clear, allowing her vocal cords to recover. "He speaks." She spoke in a hushed voice.