Bite My Tongue.

Annie was the first person away the next afternoon. Her eyes slit open around twelve thirty, squinting against the light before she rolled to face away from the window. That's when she really woke up. Startled, she practically threw herself off the bed, shock settling over her features before memory from the night before flooded back with stunning clarity and her heart fell back into it's usual sinus rhythm. She hadn't been expecting another body in her bed, but as soon as she realized who it was and that they were both still fully clothed, she relaxed.

Padding silently from the room, grabbing a change of clothes before hand, Annie slipped into the bathroom and took a quick shower before tugging on denim shorts and a loose tank top over a clean black bra. Tying her damp hair back into a sloppy bun, she padded out into the living room to find Max already awake and looking slightly confused.

"Still spliffed?" She asked, head cocking sideways in amusement.

"Nah." He replied. "You don't have a coffee maker?" He scrunched his nose, a little perturbed. Who in their right mind didn't make coffee in the morning.

"We did. It broke a few days ago. One of us dropped a full pot and it shattered." Annie replied, wincing. "I was actually going to run out and get Starbucks, if you wanted to come."

"Sound." He mumbled in response, hands ruffling his hair.

"We'll get coffee first then. After, are you game to run an errand or two with me?" She asked.

"To where?" Dan's voice joined Max's, indicating someone else was just waking up.

Annie laughed lightly. "You'll find out. It's harmless and they won't take long." The pair shrugged. It couldn't hurt.

Twenty minutes later, the three of them had coffee in their hands and were sitting in Annie's jeep as she drove to their next destination. She pressed power on the car stereo, which revealed, once the radio found the station it was tuned to, that Annie was an alternative fan. She sang happily along with Incubus - Wish You Were Here - and rapped easily along with Sublime. However, the pair began to have reservations when she pulled into a group of storage units.

"What are we doing here?"

"I have a few things in storage that I have to snag." She paused. "Well, it's not really storage. It's technically an art studio. I just couldn't afford an actual studio of my own." She shrugged. Off their blank stares, Annie sighed. "I'm good with my hands. I paint. The car yesterday was a one time thing as I can't afford a new car. I'm no mechanic." She shrugged. "I have to go grab a couple canvases if you want to take a look."

She had somehow managed to make it sound as if her considerable skill with a paintbrush was worth nothing. However, upon seeing the storage unit, paint covered and almost overflowing with spent canvases, their eyebrows rose. One in particular, buried in the back, caught Dan's eye and he nudged Max to get his attention as he shifted the canvas to the front. It was a direct canvas copy of the cover of Hold Me Down, right down to the print.

"Are you willing to part with this?" Dan asked, curious, mind already forming a plan. If he wasn't trying to get Annie and Josh together, he certainly was now. Of course, he would need Chris' help later.

The young brunette blinked a few times, one hand reaching back to scratch the back of her neck before she answered, scrunching her nose as she thought. "Do you guys really want it?" She asked, curious.

"Absolutely. When was this painted?"

"Before I met Josh, if we're being honest. I saw the album in a record store and bought it, just so I could see if I could replicate the cover. I do that sometimes. They come out terrifyingly accurate. That one was a challenge." She shrugged, scratching her neck again. "I mean, if you guys want it, it's all yours -- don't you dare try to pay me!" She turned scarlet and shook her head, eyes widening. "I can't accept that."

They argued for a good five minutes over whether or not they would pay her, finally stopping when she threatened bodily harm. Annie, as it turned out, had an extreme stubborn streak that she mentioned came from her father. There was something in her voice when she mentioned the man that Dan recognized but didn't bring up.

On the way back to Cara's loft, the trio stopped to get Starbucks for the others, and upon return, were greeted with grateful looks. Coffee was occasionally a great hangover remedy. Annie dropped herself outside in the fire escape and let her feet hang over the side for a few minutes as she smoked a cigarette before she turned to Cara, beaming.

"Now that you're awake, I've got good news. I got a text from Jake and Emma this morning." She said and Cara visibly brightened. "It's on."

"Are you serious?" She squealed and then ran out of the room jumping up and down. Annie offered no explanation, but there was a rough sketch of a haunted warehouse pinned to her door with the date on it.

"So what are we doing?" Chris spoke, with a yawn.

"Being lazy." Annie replied, laying back against the metal of the fire escape. "I might go surfing later, might go for a run." Her shoulders rose and fell. "I'm happy just watching whatever's on the t.v."

Of course, that meant the boys all dove for the remote, each one of them going over what football game might have been on. Smiling, Annie shook her head, sank into the empty recliner and dozed off to the sound of playful English banter.

It was the first time she had actually been at ease in a long time.