Bluebird

5

December 17, 2010

Annabel hated not knowing how to dress. Los Angeles was in the low fifties, so it was slightly chilly. Not Utah chilly, but chilly.  But she didn't know what Hawaii was going to be like so she's way over packed and probably way overdressed in a Rolling Stones teeshirt, a pair of ripped jeans, and a black leather jacket. On her feet were black what looked like combat boots with a high heel. Her blonde waves were pulled into a bun on the top of her head and she was anxious. She was just anxious. 

What she was glad about though, was that William came and picked them up. That meant she wouldn't have to drive anywhere. William loaded up their food and luggage, they said goodbye to Garrett who wasn't a bit sad that they were leaving him on Christmas, because it meant he didn't have to buy them anything. However, she felt naked because Samantha wouldn't let her bring her guitar. She said that it was going to be bonding time and the opportunity to get to know William and his family and she's been asking to do that since they started dating. 

As they were walking up the tarmac Annabel was slightly freaking out, and when she saw him leaning against the doorway of the plane her heart leapt out of her chest, but she wanted to shrink. 

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Lindsey." He held his hand out and Samantha shook it. 

"Samantha Messing. It's a pleasure to meet you Mister..."

"No, just Lindsey." He assures her.

"Um, thanks for letting me be the extra house cat. Annabel Bekker." 

"Annabel? Pretty...how'd you get your name?" 

Annabel just shrugs, because the truth was she really honestly didn't know and she wasn't going to outright blurt that she was adopted. 

"Well, it's nice to meet you. I love your shirt." 

"Thanks, Classic Rock is my shit....yes, I know who you are...but I won't." 

"Well I appreciate it. Do you have something to change into because that's going to be really hot and uncomfortable when we land?" 

"I do have something in my carry on yeah." She nods.

"Great, Come on in." He motions with his head. "William, introduce everyone." 

"Right, um...My girlfriend Samantha Messing...her friend Annabel. This is my mom Kristen, my sister Lee, she's sulky because she's sixteen and dad wouldn't let her 18 year old boyfriend come with us. And this is Stella. She's ten." William points out. 

They share pleasantries and then Annabel, not wanting to intrude goes to the back corner of the plane by the bathroom and she draws, and writes. She'd write a song if she had her guitar, but she didn't. Lindsey had his, but he was strumming it lightly while he was engrossed in conversation with his family. She envied William in a way. She would've loved to learn how to play guitar from him. His daughters seemed bratty though, and his wife prickly so she was trying to keep out of the way. After a while she decides that her coat is suffocating her so she heeds Lindsey's warning and she slides into the bathroom to change her outfit. The heavy cotton rolling stones teeshirt becomes a grey striped chiffon strappy camisole. Everything else stays the same and she the change of top drastically changes her temperature causing her to throw the leather jacket back on. 

The flight wasn't horribly long, the five hours did allow her though to get a couple hours of sleep in. As they were stepping off the plane, almost immediately her hair started frizzing and the leather of her jacket was sticking to her. Causing Samantha to laugh as she peels it off.

"I know your hair is pulled back in a bun, but you look like a poodle." She smirks.

"Oh Shut the....." She caught herself because Stella was ten. 

"You can't swear, there's a little girl here. It's going to be a fun two weeks." Samantha had an evil twinkle in her eyes.

"Yeah well, don't get too cocky...You're sleeping with me." Annabel winks.

"Wait, you're sleeping with her?" William pouts.

"I'm on the same page as Annabel here." Lindsey's wife, Kristen squeezes her shoulder lightly.

"We're 19." Samantha tries.

"Do we care?" Lindsey asks.

"Dad, you're a mega rockstar, you've slept with a lot of girls." 

"I had sex with Sally, but we never slept in the same bed together. One of us would leave after. I didn't sleep-sleep with anyone until Stevie and I moved in together in 72. I was in my twenties. Two more years, go for it but not at 19." Lindsey explains. 

"So Annabel how old are you?" Kristen inquires.

"I just turned 24 in November." 

"So how are you and Samantha friends, I'm assuming you didn't go to school together." 

"No, her brother is my best friend. My parents died when I was 15, in a car accident. I didn't have any other family so I moved in with the Messings. Garrett and I moved to Los Angeles when, well I guess I was seventeen. I had graduated high school, but I hadn't turned 18 yet. He came out to their parents and they kicked him out." Annabel explains.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring your brother." Lindsey replies leading them to a car that was waiting for them. She was assuming it was his own personal car, but at the same time it very well could've been a rental. 

"He would've been way more embarrassing and way worse." Samantha shakes her head. Climbing in the car, but Annabel doesn't...She helps Lindsey load up the car with all of their stuff. 

"He's way more protective of her. If Garrett had come, she'd be handcuffed to him the whole time." Annabel tells them as they all settle in, before Lindsey shuts the trunk and they both climb in. Annabel having to climb over William, who had unceremoniously perched himself right in the middle of the third row of seats in the SUV. 

"Yes, he absolutely would've handcuffed me to him. Pink fuzzy handcuffs at that." Samantha agrees.

"Well, it's 8 o'clock Hawaii time. Let's go see Mick. He's open for a couple more hours." 

"Will he be there." Kristen asks fiddling around with the radio. 

"He's there every night." Lindsey tells her pulling away.