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"Hand in Hand, Chapter 2" by iwontbefound

In the second chapter, Anna comes closer to finding out what is going on with Adam and why he is so desperate to leave. Adam has to become more in tune with his emotions in order to figure out what it is he really wants to do.

Category: Book Chapter

Tags: Fiction, Drama, Love, Struggle, Friendship

You can do an inline review of this work in the review tab.

Anna awoke to the sound of a pill bottle being opened, and dumped out. She sat up and saw Adam in the kitchen. "Headache." He mumbled, not even looking at her.


She said nothing, sitting down across from him at the table. She felt awkward and unsure of the best way to bring up the events of the previous night. She waited a few minutes, wishing he would do it for her, but came to the realization that he likely would not. She could see that his plan was to act like it had never happened. "So." She broke the silence. "Can we like...talk about what happened last night?"


"I'd rather not." He said, coolly.


"Yeah, well. I think we need to." She pressed on, mentally trying to prepare for another fight. "I just really need to know what's going on in your head. I feel like there's stuff you're not telling me, and I'm just so confused. I need to know why you think this is best for anyone."


He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch her. He wanted to throw her out. But then, thinking about it, he realized that he really had no idea what he wanted. At the same time as all of those, he wanted a hug. He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to know everything would be okay. He was so conflicted.


The silence was getting more and more strained, the longer he took to calculate a response. "Okay..." It was all he could muster. "I don't really know what you want me to tell you. I meant everything I said last night. I don't owe you any explanations."


That was the last thing Anna wanted to hear. She didn't know whether to walk out on him, right then and there, forget the whole thing, or to fight back. She felt blindsided. It all felt so unfair. She had never seen this coming, especially after what felt like a breakthrough the night before. She wanted to give up, but she knew that Adam would always be worth fighting for. She wanted to run but she knew there was nowhere to go. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She wanted anything but what she had. But she had to make a decision. She had to really do something. She grabbed the pill bottle he'd been holding, before he could react, and read the label as he tried to grab it away. It read "Compazine."


He was livid. He grabbed her arm and twisted it harder than he had intended, but managed to yank the bottle back. "HOW DARE YOU!" He shrieked. "It's NONE of your BUSINESS!" He began to shake, turning bright red and barely able to see straight. He couldn't tell who he was angrier with, though; Annie, or himself. He was furious with her for snooping, and not respecting his privacy or his boundaries, but he might have been even more upset with himself for being too afraid to tell her the truth. He began to second-guess his whole plan. Originally, he'd thought keeping the truth from her would be in her best interests. He thought it would be easier on everyone if he just disappeared. He wouldn't have to explain, or say goodbye. She wouldn't have to watch his decline. It would be sort of like a Bandaid; everyone knows it's easier to just rip it off quickly than to try to peel it off little by little. Sure, it hurts both ways, but one hurts for much longer than the other. But, he thought, maybe this wasn't the same sort of situation. He felt his anger beginning to soften, just as quickly as it had exploded. He whispered a dispirited apology, and something about having to lay down. He went back into his room and closed the door. It was one drama after the next. His feelings were so unpredictable and unnerving. He knew that he had to decide what to stick to, that he couldn't keep flitting back and forth between cruel and kind, stable and unstable, strong and scared.


She knocked, but didn't wait for a response before entering. She sat at the edge of his bed, taking his hand in hers. "Please." Her voice trembled. "Please, just talk to me. Something is wrong, why don't you trust me?"


He shook his head. "It has nothing to do with that. It's not that I don't trust you. I just don't know what is best anymore. I need some time. I'm just gonna go for a walk, but I'll be right back. Just...give me a little bit. I promise we can talk when I get back. I love you." He stood up and walked briskly to the kitchen to grab his coat, throwing his phone in the pocket. "I'll be right back."


She watched him leave the apartment, and heard his footsteps as he went down the two sets of stairs it took to get to the street. It was the first time he'd told her he loved her in quite some time. She didn't know what to make of it. His words said one thing, but his actions said another. She couldn't imagine what all this drama was about, and what he felt like he couldn't tell her. She couldn't figure out why he had those pills. She had no idea what they were even for. She wanted to snoop around while he was out, maybe go through his cabinets and drawers, but she knew even if he never found out about it she'd feel too guilty to go on like it never happened. Besides, she wanted him to trust her enough to tell her himself, rather than her having to play detective.


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Category Name: My Thoughts

I did not enjoy the chapter. The chapter was okay. I really enjoyed the chapter.

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Category Name: Character Development

The characters were not credible, interesting or unique. I don’t care about or understand the characters because they were poorly developed. The characters where somewhat credible, interesting and unique. I partially understand their thoughts, feelings, and actions. I somewhat connected with and care about the characters. The characters where credible, interesting and unique. I thoroughly understand their thoughts, feelings and actions. I felt connected with and started to care about the characters.

This is act of bringing a character to life on the page. It is a combination of the author’s description of the character and the character’s dialog, action, and thoughts. Though all characters should be believable, the protagonist and antagonist are usually the most developed characters.

Category Name: Chapter Ending

If there is another chapter I don’t have any desire to read it. The ending was OK. I am not dying to know what happens next but I am interested in finding out. The ending left me craving the next chapter. I have to know what happens next.

Category Name: Setting

I don’t know when or where this chapter takes place. The setting was inadequately described or inappropriately used. I know when and where the chapter takes place but I can only vaguely picture it in my mind. The setting did not add to or distract from the chapter. I know when and where the chapter takes place. The setting enhanced the chapter and helped me better understand the characters or plot.

The setting is where a story takes place. The choice of setting and its description helps the story come alive in the mind of the reader. Appropriate setting contributes to the plot and mood of the story.

Category Name: Mechanics

The story contained so many mechanical errors that it was hard to follow the plot or understand certain sentences or paragraphs. Occasional mechanical errors were distracting, but these errors did not inhibit me from being able to understand the plot or connect with characters in the story. I rarely if ever noticed mechanical errors. As far as I could tell, the writing was clear and correct.

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Category Name: Dialog

The dialog caused more confusion than clarification about the characters. It was almost impossible to follow. Some of the dialog helped me learn about the characters and revealed new facets of their personalities. I could follow the dialog when paying close attention. The dialog helped me learn about the characters and revealed new facets of their personalities. The dialog flowed well and was easy to follow.

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1. Anna awoke to the sound of a pill bottle being opened, and dumped out. She sat up and saw Adam in the kitchen. "Headache." He mumbled, not even looking at her.

2.

3. She said nothing, sitting down across from him at the table. She felt awkward and unsure of the best way to bring up the events of the previous night. She waited a few minutes, wishing he would do it for her, but came to the realization that he likely would not. She could see that his plan was to act like it had never happened. "So." She broke the silence. "Can we like...talk about what happened last night?"

4.

5. "I'd rather not." He said, coolly.

6.

7. "Yeah, well. I think we need to." She pressed on, mentally trying to prepare for another fight. "I just really need to know what's going on in your head. I feel like there's stuff you're not telling me, and I'm just so confused. I need to know why you think this is best for anyone."

8.

9. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch her. He wanted to throw her out. But then, thinking about it, he realized that he really had no idea what he wanted. At the same time as all of those, he wanted a hug. He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to know everything would be okay. He was so conflicted.

10.

11. The silence was getting more and more strained, the longer he took to calculate a response. "Okay..." It was all he could muster. "I don't really know what you want me to tell you. I meant everything I said last night. I don't owe you any explanations."

12.

13. That was the last thing Anna wanted to hear. She didn't know whether to walk out on him, right then and there, forget the whole thing, or to fight back. She felt blindsided. It all felt so unfair. She had never seen this coming, especially after what felt like a breakthrough the night before. She wanted to give up, but she knew that Adam would always be worth fighting for. She wanted to run but she knew there was nowhere to go. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She wanted anything but what she had. But she had to make a decision. She had to really do something. She grabbed the pill bottle he'd been holding, before he could react, and read the label as he tried to grab it away. It read "Compazine."

14.

15. He was livid. He grabbed her arm and twisted it harder than he had intended, but managed to yank the bottle back. "HOW DARE YOU!" He shrieked. "It's NONE of your BUSINESS!" He began to shake, turning bright red and barely able to see straight. He couldn't tell who he was angrier with, though; Annie, or himself. He was furious with her for snooping, and not respecting his privacy or his boundaries, but he might have been even more upset with himself for being too afraid to tell her the truth. He began to second-guess his whole plan. Originally, he'd thought keeping the truth from her would be in her best interests. He thought it would be easier on everyone if he just disappeared. He wouldn't have to explain, or say goodbye. She wouldn't have to watch his decline. It would be sort of like a Bandaid; everyone knows it's easier to just rip it off quickly than to try to peel it off little by little. Sure, it hurts both ways, but one hurts for much longer than the other. But, he thought, maybe this wasn't the same sort of situation. He felt his anger beginning to soften, just as quickly as it had exploded. He whispered a dispirited apology, and something about having to lay down. He went back into his room and closed the door. It was one drama after the next. His feelings were so unpredictable and unnerving. He knew that he had to decide what to stick to, that he couldn't keep flitting back and forth between cruel and kind, stable and unstable, strong and scared.

16.

17. She knocked, but didn't wait for a response before entering. She sat at the edge of his bed, taking his hand in hers. "Please." Her voice trembled. "Please, just talk to me. Something is wrong, why don't you trust me?"

18.

19. He shook his head. "It has nothing to do with that. It's not that I don't trust you. I just don't know what is best anymore. I need some time. I'm just gonna go for a walk, but I'll be right back. Just...give me a little bit. I promise we can talk when I get back. I love you." He stood up and walked briskly to the kitchen to grab his coat, throwing his phone in the pocket. "I'll be right back."

20.

21. She watched him leave the apartment, and heard his footsteps as he went down the two sets of stairs it took to get to the street. It was the first time he'd told her he loved her in quite some time. She didn't know what to make of it. His words said one thing, but his actions said another. She couldn't imagine what all this drama was about, and what he felt like he couldn't tell her. She couldn't figure out why he had those pills. She had no idea what they were even for. She wanted to snoop around while he was out, maybe go through his cabinets and drawers, but she knew even if he never found out about it she'd feel too guilty to go on like it never happened. Besides, she wanted him to trust her enough to tell her himself, rather than her having to play detective.

22.

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