Chapter 20: Best Friends

Anna had cried nearly all night, finally passing out from exhaustion.

It was nearly noon when she woke up the next day to hear her phone ringing. 'Thank goodness it's summer vacation,' she thought.

Groggy, she reached over to grab her phone, noticing the number of the caller. "Just what I don't need," she said aloud to herself, but she answered anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hi Anna." It was Alan, and he had a strange tone of voice. "Did you give any thought to our date?"

"Date?" said Anna, still half awake and not yet ready for the conversation.

"Yes, Anna," Alan said impatiently. "I asked you out on a date, and I've been waiting well over twenty-four hours for an answer."

"Alan, I'm sorry, but I'm just not ready for that."

"Not ready!?" Alan half screamed, "You've had plenty of time to think about it."

The controlling, impatient Alan she had known before had reappeared in an instant. Anna hesitated, thought for a moment about the techniques she and Kelly had practiced to deal with him, and adjust