Annie and Oscar were still on the road, now in the outskirts, where the scenery stretched almost endlessly around them. Oscar, in the driver's seat, glanced at Annie briefly, finding her still glued to her phone, chatting and giggling every now and then.
Ever since they left Burger Queen, she hadn't touched the second Queen's Court Combo she ordered. She had devoured the first, yet for some reason, she had decided to leave this one untouched.
"I thought you said you were extra hungry," Oscar remarked.
"Hmm? When did I say that?" Annie barely lifted her attention from her phone.
"When you bought the second Court Combo," he reminded her.
"Oh..." She barely acknowledged his response.
"BU should be in view now," Oscar announced.
Annie finally raised her head from her phone. "Good. We should see a log cabin on the way before we get there."
Just as she described, a log cabin came into view in the distance. Oscar drove toward it and parked in the compound.
"Alright, let's go," she said, wasting no time hopping out of the car, gripping the untouched Queen's Court Combo in one hand.
"Where even is this?" Oscar asked as he stepped out, only to spot a man emerging from the front door of the cabin.
"Johnny!" Annie suddenly leaped toward the man with enthusiasm, embracing him so generously that Oscar could hardly believe she was the same person.
"Hey, babe, I missed you too," Johnny responded.
"Babe?" Oscar's eyes narrowed. "Annie, who is this guy?" His voice carried frustration.
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned to Oscar with a smirk, her expression condescending.
"The name's Johnny, and I'm her boyfriend. What's it to ya?" Johnny stepped forward, staring Oscar down with an intimidating glare.
It worked. Oscar was too caught off guard to respond.
"Cut it out, Johnny. Leave him alone. You know I'd never date you—don't kid yourself," Annie finally spoke up.
Johnny burst into laughter. "Dude, you totally fell for it. Your face was priceless!" he mocked.
Oscar's expression shifted from intimidated to exasperated.
Annie joined Johnny in laughing at him.
"Alright, let me introduce myself properly," Johnny said, still grinning. "Name's Johnny Thistlewaite. I work at BU as a janitor." He extended a hand for a handshake, his smile lingering.
"Oscar," he muttered, ignoring the handshake, clearly annoyed.
"Oh, relax, Oz. It was just a joke," Annie chuckled. "Johnny the Jester here is my inside man at BU," She explained. "He's going to help us get in."
"I don't think we need him to make an appointment," Oscar said flatly.
"Whoever said you needed an appointment?" Johnny cut in.
Oscar frowned. "I don't follow."
Annie sighed. "Jeez, Oz. He's sneaking us in."
"What? Why the heck do we need to sneak in?"
Annie sauntered toward him, her gaze locked onto his. "Because asking Newman to make an appointment for us will take too long," she said, stepping even closer until their bodies nearly touched. She draped her arms over his shoulders, her voice dropping to a softer, almost teasing tone. "And if we go in officially, we'll have to follow the school's rules. This way, we'll be free to do as we please."
Oscar tensed. The way she looked at him, the way her voice dipped—it made him uncomfortable. But at the same time, in anticipation of her next move.
Slowly, Annie leaned in, closing the space between them as if she were about to kiss him.
Then, just as suddenly, she stopped.
Smirking, she pulled away, leaving Oscar standing there, completely thrown off.
"Alright, babe, let's head inside. Don't want the mosquitoes pirching your perfect skin now, do we?"
Annie chuckled as she and Johnny started toward the cabin, leaving Oscar standing there in confusion.
"Ah, before I forget—here, I got you something from Burger Queen." She handed Johnny the Queen's Court Combo.
"I'm stummped—gorgeous and generous," Johnny teased.
"Oh, stop it," she replied playfully.
Realizing Oscar was still frozen in place, Annie glanced back at him. "Are you coming or what, Oz?"
Oscar snapped out of his trance. "I'm right behind you," he muttered, hurrying to catch up.
Inside, the cabin had a rustic yet cozy feel. The living room was furnished simply, with a large stone fireplace dominating one wall. Warm, soft lighting came from table lamps and a few candles. The windows were small but allowed in plenty of natural light, offering glimpses of the surrounding countryside and the forests beyond.
"Welcome to my humble abode!" Johnny declared.
Oscar took in the space, his gaze landing on the many framed pictures covering the walls. "You live alone?" he asked.
"Yup. Don't be fooled by the photo gallery—it's basically my entire family tree documented on a wall. Wanna hear the tales?" Johnny grinned but didn't wait for an answer. "Alright, it all started with my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaddy, Jedidiah Thistlewaite—"
Oscar could hardly believe what he was hearing. He had asked one simple question, and now he was being subjected to an unsolicited documentary on the Thistlewaite lineage.
Then, to his utter disbelief, Annie joined in.
"The one that wrestled bears?" she asked, sounding genuinely interested.
"You got it, babe. The stuff of legend. They called him..." Johnny took a dramatic pause. "The Bear Tamer." His voice was full of theatrical flair. "It's said he wrestled and defeated a giant grizzly named Bessie. He lived from 1785 to 1848—a force of nature with fierce determination and unwavering courage. The man feared nothing—not even the Winslows and the Pembertons. You see, he had issues with them, and—"
Annie cut him off. "Alright, that's enough, Johnny. I know you get carried away with this stuff, but I'm pretty sure Oscar only asked if you live alone."
Johnny smirked. "Oh, gee, beautiful, but I believe I answered that before telling the tale of the Bear Tamer. I told him I live alone." He shot her a sly, charming look. "Which also means... I'm very single. Purr." He let out an exaggerated, playful purr.
Oscar blinked. "Did he just purr?" he asked, visibly uncomfortable.
Yes, he did; I can't believe it myself.
To Oscar's surprise, Annie was actually blushing. "Oh, I had not forgotten," she remarked.
Just then, Oscar's phone rang. It was Newman.
"Hey, is that Newman?" Annie asked, almost before he even pulled it out.
He glanced at the screen. "Yeah, it's Chief."
Before he could react, Annie strode over and declined the call herself.
"Hey! Why'd you do that?" Oscar protested.
"I don't have an excuse for him right now, and we really don't want him finding out about our plan to sneak into BU," she explained.
Oscar hesitated, considering the risk. "Isn't this a little much?"
"It'll be fine, Oz. I'll handle Newman. I am his best reporter—he listens to me." She sounded completely confident.
"Alright…" Oscar relented.
Annie made her way to one of the armchairs and plopped down, making herself at home.
"I hope my box of clothes from last time is still around," she said casually.
"Sure thing, babe. It's in the room you stayed in before," Johnny replied.
"Wait, we're sleeping here? I can't stay here—I didn't bring any clothes," Oscar protested.
"Don't worry about it, Oz. Tomorrow, you won't need them. We'll sneak into BU in disguise," she said, waving off his concerns.
"…And what am I supposed to wear when we're done?"
Annie rolled her eyes. "Jeez, Oz, you're a man. Just wear these again."
Johnny walked up and clapped a hand on Oscar's shoulder. "Don't sweat it, scrawny. You can borrow some of my clothes—doubt you'll be able to fill them out, though." His grin was almost challenging.
Oscar's eye twitched. "What did you just call me?" His tone carried anger.
Johnny looked him dead in the eyes and repeated, "Scrawny." It was practically a dare.
Oscar gritted his teeth but let it go.
"Oh, and lest I forget," Johnny continued, "I've only got two bedrooms, so you're gonna have to crash on the couch. Sharing a room with me? Not happening. Sharing a bed with the lady? Definitely out of the question. Hope you're cool with that."
Oscar opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again.
Taking his silence as agreement, Johnny clapped his hands together. "Great! I'll whip up some dinner—us Thistlewaites are amazing cooks." He started toward the kitchen, then casually threw over his shoulder, "Oh, and we do get the occasional bear in the backyard. Just remember: if it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down. If it's white… good night."
He paused and smirked. "But in your case, scrawny? If you see a black bear, run. You won't be able to fight back."
Annie burst into laughter.
"There are no polar bears in Birchwood," Oscar muttered, his annoyance crystal clear. "Keep my dinner—I'm going for a walk."
Without another word, he strode out.
The sun soon set, and darkness began settled over the outskirts.
Oscar strolled back toward Johnny's house, a plastic bag swinging in his hand. Luckilyhe had come across a store and picked up some clothes. 'These aren't the best clothes, but they'll do for now.'
On his walk, he had time to think.
'Sometimes, I feel like I don't know Annie the way I think I do.' He smirked. 'You know, she's an amazing woman—strong, smart, independent, brave… Who can blame me for having a crush?' He chuckled slightly. 'I haven't had the guts to confess yet, and every day, it feels like my chances get slimmer.' His smirk faded. 'Maybe this fish is too big for my net.'
For a brief moment, his thoughts went silent. Then, determination sparked.
'You know what they say—fall seven times, stand up eight. I'm not giving up yet.'
Reaching the front door, Oscar stepped inside. The living room was quiet except for the sound of his footsteps, the dull thud of his shoes against the old wooden floor.
He placed the bag of clothes on the couch and made his way to the kitchen, assuming Johnny saved his meal for him.
There he met a covered bowel. He uncovered it, revealing some sort of porridge.
"What is this?" He asked himself. He dipped a finger inside and licked it.
"Hmm, taste good." He said.
Grabbing the bowl and a spoon, he stepped out of the kitchen.
And that's when he heard it.
A faint sound, muffled through the walls. A rhythmic pulse. A breath hitching. A whimper.
Oscar stiffened. Slightly startled, he turned towards the source. It was coming from one of the rooms, the one Johnny said he was sleeping in.
The next sound came clearer than the last—the unmistakable cries of a woman moaning.
His eyes widened, and his stomach twisted.
"There's no way."
He took a step closer, his heart hammering. The voice wasn't just any woman's—it was Annie's.
Then came another moan, this time higher-pitched, her voice trembling with something he had not heard from her before—something raw, something unfiltered.
Oscar's grip tightened around the bowl before he set it down with shaking hands. His whole body tensed.
Then came a deeper voice.
"Jedidiah was the bear tamer, but I'm the ass tamer."
breathless, eager response followed. "Oh yes."
The bedframe creaked—a steady rhythm, bodies meeting in the dark.
Oscar swallowed hard; every muscle in his body tightened as his fingers clutched into fists.
'I should leave. I should ignore this.'
He took a deep breath, turned toward the opposite wall, and drove his fist into it. The dull thud did nothing to shake the sounds from his head. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor, hands gripping his hair. A burning sensation welled up in his chest, his vision blurring as tears threatened to spill.
He sat there, listening to every cry, every gasp, every desperate moan of Johnny's name—
Not his.
Then, for a brief moment, the noises stopped.
Oscar's breath stopped as he listened to the silence.
'Did they hear me?'
He froze in his spot, the weight of everything crushing down on him, but then the sounds started again—unapologetic, unrelenting, louder than before. Like he didn't exist. Like he never existed.
His legs felt heavy as he forced himself to stand. He stumbled to the couch, yanked the cover over himself, and curled up, his body tense, his mind screaming.
The sounds didn't stop.
They kept going and he could not ignore them.
He squeezed his eyes shut, but they were everywhere, pressing into him, breaking him apart piece by piece.
And all he could do was let them break him.