The Things We Hunger For

Chapter Five - Popcorn and Shotguns *Annabeth*

A/N: I'm still enjoying writing this which is rare for me. Usually I stop liking what I'm writing after about 15,000 words but now I'm above 20,000 and still loving it!

Votes and comments are loved!

Five

- Popcorn and Shotguns -

*Annabeth*

“I should totally break her nose,” Hannah, my best friend in the world, said on the other side of the phone. I was in my car driving home from the grocery store. I’d never before realized just how boring and time consuming grocery shopping was. “Or like a few of her fingers.”

“Hannah!” I cried, surprised. Hannah usually wasn’t one to suggest violent solutions. She was more of a let’s hug it out person. At least when she was in human shape. “Shelly Halls might be a despicable person but I hardly think-”

“She told my boyfriend she loves him. How can that deserve anything less than some form of bodily damage?” she asked, voice rising. I felt a little like this was my fault. It had all happened yesterday on Hannah's birthday after she'd chosen to have just me over for a sleep over rather than throw a big party.

So while we had been painting each other’s nails and watching romantic comedies, Shelly had thrown a party of her own. She’d apparently told people it was a surprise party for Hannah but really it was just a way for her to make a play for Hannah’s boyfriend. Not that I’d ever understood what was so great about Josh. He was a football player that was failing everything but gym and his favorite thing to talk about was how awesome his car was. But I guess Hannah was dating him because that was what people expected, with him being the quarterback and she head cheerleader. Man was I glad I’d never let her talk me into trying out that so called sport.

“Josh is yours,” I said. “He loves you almost as much as his car. He wouldn’t dump you for Shelly. He know she’s a bitch – and not in the good way.”

“I guess you’re right. I still want to break her nose though. But I won’t.” She sighed heavily. “Let’s talk about something else. Like your boy-toy.”

“He’s not my boy-toy and I only told you about him because-”

“I’m impossible to keep secrets from so why even try?” Hannah said.

“I was going to say because you’re my best friend, but whatever.” I turned off the main road into the smaller road that led up to the house.

“Are you excited about seeing him later?” she asked sounding giddy. “You have to call and tell me all about it later. And maybe bring your phone and take a photo of him. It’s killing me not knowing what he looks like.”

I rolled my eyes almost wishing I hadn’t let Hannah in on my Ryan secret. But like she’d said she was impossible to keep things from and she was my best friend. Keeping something big like this from her would have been like committing friendship treason. Still I wasn’t going to go stalker on Ryan and start taking his picture, even if he was totally picture taking worthy.

“I’ve told you how cute he is. You’ll just have to take my word for it.”

She huffed. “I’m not sure I will. Maybe I’ll have to come with you to see him one of these days. And if you say no I’ll think you made him up. It’s almost too romantic to be true.”

I chuckled as I turned the car into our half mile long driveway “Yeah getting your foot stuck in a bear trap is real romantic.”

“Oh shut up,” Hannah said. ”It’s totally romantic, you saving him, him and you having your own little private-”