She looked at me, as if I could translate. “The whole being in a band thing is… kind of traumatic,” I told her. “It hasn’t gone well in the past.”
“Oh,well,” she said. “In that case, it’s good that you’re doing it. I read this book last year calledHope to Cope?”
Of course there was a book.
“The author says,” she went on as Hector continued to gesture fruitlessly at Ben from the other side of the pool, “that the right thing to do is repeat the circumstances that gave you fear in the first place. Different outcomes lead to different emotions, which then lessen the impact of the initial one. It’s how I got over that whole thing with the mail truck.”
She had me until the last part. “Mail truck?”
“I rear-ended one last year, backing down my driveway,” she explained as Ben and I exchanged a look. “Beautiful day, I was in a great mood, just heading to work. And then BAM. The poor carrier literally toppled out into the street. I didn’t ever want to get behind the wheel again.”
“But you did,” Ben said.
“Because of that book! Plus Jonathan said having to take me everywhere while my car sat in the garage was making us codependent.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Of course, once I was driving again, I had to pick up a book aboutthat.”
He nodded. “Right.”
“The point is, I got over it.” She took in a breath, then let it out. “Eventually.”
By now, Hector had given up on Ben and was heading back to the microphone setup. Just past him, down the stairs, I saw another group assembling. One woman, in a white flowing dress and a bright blue beaded necklace, looked familiar. Then I placed her: It was Kathy, Jonathan’s mom. Sure enough, amoment later, Jonathan himself appeared, along with a man in a suit jacket I guessed was his dad.
“There’s—” I began to say to Anne. But something about the studied way she wasnotlooking at them made me pause.
“Ben!” Hector was back at the mike. “Time to rock!”
Ben just looked at him. I nudged him with my elbow. “Go ahead. Just remember the mail truck.”
“Hope to cope!” Anne added.
Despite this encouragement, he hardly looked enthused. But he did go, passing Steve as he reappeared, a trayful of drinks in one hand. “Second thoughts?”
I shook my head. Anne, however, reached over, taking one with an umbrella in it. “Thanks,” she said, immediately taking a sip through the bright pink straw. Now she did look at Jonathan and his parents, but only briefly, before sliding behind me.
“Welcome back, everyone! This is happy hour, and we’re Sudden Constellation!” Hector was saying. “Let’s get this party going.”
Oof. I turned to say something to Anne, accidentally elbowing her in the stomach because she was huddled so close to me. It was obvious she was hiding from Jonathan and his parents, who were now heading down the steps to the beach area. “Hey,” I said, “what is going on with you?”
“Play ‘Shrimp Pimp’ again!” someone yelled. A bunch of the kids, hearing this, began jumping up and down.
Instead of replying, Anne just took another sip with her straw, then looped her arm in mine, pulling me closer. What was I supposed to do as the chorus came around and she began to sing along, poking me with each word? I joined in.
There also was music playing when we pulled up later at the Woods. A first.
“Is that… Prince?” Ben asked.
I paused, listening. It was. Inside, someone was laughing. I turned to look at Anne. But she was still staring out the window, silent, the way she’d been ever since we’d left the Tides, when Sudden Constellation wrapped up their show.
Now I nudged my cousin to get out of the truck. She did, slowly, and I hopped out as well while Ben’s door banged shut.
Inside, more giggling. Then I heard my mom say, “Hello?”
“It’s me,” I responded.
There was a flurry of activity, some clanking, as we came down the hall. Liz and my mom were at the table, a bottle of wine open between them. Someone’s phone was in a coffee mug, a surprisingly effective speaker.
“Hi!” Liz said. Her face was flushed, a paper cup at her elbow. She peered around Ben and me at Anne, now in the kitchen. “The clambake’s already over?”
“Kathy wasn’t feeling well.”
