The Day In

Only minutes after Mindy and Kailyn left the lodge the rest of the group began to slip outside one by one, to Anna's relief neither Eric or Nicole came into the den to try and talk or bother her or Kenny at all. Though to Kenny's disappointment, Zoey didn't even stop by to say as much as a "See you later" making the teen believe even further that Zoey was too afraid to tell him that she realized that she wasn't actually interested in him any longer. Kenny could understand why, of course, it was the same fear he had earlier this week when he had to talk to Mindy about things, he desperately wanted to do it in a way so she wouldn't end up hurt. He could imagine Zoey wanted the same thing, which made him raise the question, should he just do it for her? Give Zoey the easy way out by letting her know that they shouldn't be together, that way it was more on him?

Kenny didn't want to do it, and he wasn't exactly sure if he could even muster the strength to do it either, but it may be best in the end. It wasn't like not saying anything would keep the truth from being there, and the sad truth was Zoey didn't seem to want to date him. Even after they made love in the cave, after all the conversations that seemed to go so well, and after...after that amazing kiss in her bedroom. Kenny felt a drop in his stomach, he thought being alone before this week was rough, but after having a taste of something good, it made being alone all the worse.

As Kenny tried to come to terms with things, Anna was trying her hardest to control her emotions while she thought things through about Eric and Nicole. Thanks to Kenny's calming presence she found it a bit easier, thinking of Nicole didn't enflame her as much, and the sharp stabs that went through her heart every time she thought of Eric only seemed like small pokes. Anna didn't know exactly how much she saw Kenny as a friend until the other night, she merely thought that they were friendly to one another, but that wasn't true. How could it be?

Before Anna knew it, her mind had shifted focus to solely thinking about the teenager sitting on the couch next to her. Anna felt odd, the other day she was almost disgusted by Kenny, thinking he was girl hopping and having sex with Zoey even though he knew she was in a relationship with Eric just because. It hadn't occurred to her that Nicole, "Her best friend" and Eric, "The love of her life" could have been wrong, that they could have been the problem. While Kenny was dealing with Nicole's erratic ways, and trying to pick up the pieces of Zoey's broken heart, Anna was sitting in silent judgment without even wondering his side.

Then when it all came crashing down last night, she went to Kenny at first to confront him, find out if he was ashamed of his actions. Kenny set things straight, letting her know what Nicole had done and what Eric said to Zoey while the two people she trusted most fucked behind her back. Then what does Kenny do when she comes to him, acts out and collapses in tears? He doesn't hesitate in protecting her, making her feel better, being there for her when it felt like everyone else was against her. Anna couldn't even come up with a better example to prove just how close Kenny really was to her. Any guy who'd do that must care about her...a lot; he had too.

Close to an hour had passed as the two silently watched a movie and thought, though Anna finally felt the need to break the silence, "Ken? I...I feel the need to...I just...I owe you a big freaking apology," Anna said in a nearly ashamed tone,

"Apology? For what?" Kenny asked back, feeling a little thankful that the blonde girl was pulling him from his thoughts that were about to drive him mad,

"Last night...oh god, I'm so sorry," Anna replied with a long exhale, "I came to you after your fight with Nicole, completely judgemental, so assured that you were a bad guy. You! Of all the fucking people I've known and befriended, I let myself think that you were the guy ruining things when it was really Nicole and Eric,"

"Anna, look, no one is at full fault or completely innocent," Kenny easily replied, "I've made mistakes as I told you, and we've already talked about this anyway. I forgave you then, and I'll forgive you now,"

"No, Kenny, it's not that simple. I mean...god, I made all those nasty, hurtful assumptions about your character and how do you repay me? You fucking keep me together, protect me from Eric and Nicole, support me, sacrifice your whole day, so I'll feel better...you're such an amazing guy and I...I just...god, I'm so sorry, Kenny," Anna sniffed, "I feel like such a bitch,"

"Stop," Kenny lightly chuckled as he moved his arm comfortingly around Anna's back. Anna's lips flickered into a smile, and she easily shifted her weight towards Kenny, "Listen, everything is fine between us, I don't blame you, I'm not angry with you, forget it even happened, okay? All I'm concerned about is making sure you're okay now," Anna wet her lips, continuing to fall under her body was finally pushing against Kenny's,

"Thank you," Anna murmured back as she shut her eyes a focused on the feeling of Kenny's arm around her, "It's nice...it's so nice to know you care about me," Anna softly continued, "And I mean genuinely care..."

Kenny's brow slowly started to rise as he watched Anna pull her legs up on the couch and pulled cuddle up next to him, letting out a small hum as she reopened her eyes and began to watch television with a smile, "W-Well, um...Nicole probably still genuinely cares about you though," Kenny croaked back, "Twelve years of friendship still means something,"

"Heh," Anna softly murmured back, "And yet she turned her back on that last night...but you're good, Kenny. Still sticking up for Nicole even after everything she's done to us both,"

"I'm not sticking up for Nicole," Kenny firmly replied, "I'm trying to help you, Anna,"

"I know..." Anna nodded, though she didn't seem to be taking Kenny's words in and thinkign about them very much, "Because that's what you do, isn't it? Help people, your friends, like any good man would do,"

Kenny lowered his head and let out a breathy laugh, "Well, I appreciate your compliments Anna, but-" He began to say only to pause as Anna readjusted her arms and rested her right hand over Kenny's, keeping his arm from moving away from holding her close, "A-Anna?"

"I just...You know this is a really good movie," Anna sweetly said, glancing up with her large innocent green eyes,

Kenny cleared his throat and let out a small nod of agreement, "Y-Yeah, it's...it's pretty good,"

"Thanks for staying here with me today, Ken, this helps me more than I can tell you," Anna warmly continued, "Just...being away from everyone else, forgetting what happened last night...I'm so tired of crying, of feeling like a worthless slut who stole Eric only for him to cheat on me," Anna lowly said, "I don't feel that way right now, and it's all thanks to you,"

Kenny weakly smiled back and couldn't help but pull Anna a bit closer, feeling sorry for the girl all the more. Kenny hadn't exactly considered how, on top of the hurt and betrayal, Anna was looking at herself. The fact that she was viewing herself as worthless, probably even under Nicole now, made Kenny instantly understand why Anna was doing what she was doing. She clearly wanted to feel wanted, cared for, comforted...Kenny could do that. It's like Anna said, it's what any good man would do, and it wasn't like he had any real reason to feel awkward. He was a single guy who was just holding his friend, that's all.

With a confident exhale Kenny lifted his right leg and rested it on the small table in front of the couch, readjusting himself into a comfortable position, and returned his attention to the movie in front of him. Anna, on the other hand, smiled to herself, glanced up at the teen's face for a moment while her thumb very lightly stroked the hand under it.