"Raven." Arty looked up from where he was wiping down the bar. "Didn't expect to see you tonight."
"Why not?" she asked suspiciously.
"Karaoke night." His mouth twitched. "Should be entertaining."
"Shit."
She looked around. The pub had been transformed. A small stage had been set up in the corner, complete with a microphone and a slightly battered sound system.
Gloria was holding court near the stage, wearing a sequined jacket.
Daisy was bouncing from table to table, showing everyone something on her phone.
And there, sitting at a corner table with Lily, was Annabelle.
She looked tired. Actually tired, not just her usual slightly-frazzled-but-determinedly-cheerful self. There were shadows under her eyes, and her smile didn't quite reach the rest of her face.
"You don’t have to sing," Arty said, passing her a beer.
"Yeah," said Raven, thinking that there was no way she’d sing in a place like this. "I got things to do, anyway." She gave him a nod and made her way through the crowd to Annabelle’s table. "Can I talk to you?"
Annabelle looked up, and her expression brightened slightly. "Raven, I didn't know you'd be here."
"Didn't know it was karaoke night," Raven said. "Can we talk? Outside?"
Lily gave her a look that Raven couldn't quite read, something between curious and protective. "I'll save your seat."
They stepped outside into the cool evening. The high street was quiet, just a few lights glowing in cottage windows.
"Is everything alright?" Annabelle asked. "You look serious."
"I ran into Jamie just now."
Her face lit up. "Oh, was he alright?"
"That's what I need to talk to you about."
Annabelle lifted an eyebrow. "What?"
Raven took a breath. This was exactly the kind of emotional conversation she was terrible at, but she'd promised the kid. "The buddy system. It's too much. Jamie says he feels overwhelmed by it, that he doesn't need people talking to him all the time."
Annabelle's expression crumbled. "What?"
"He's uncomfortable. He appreciates that you care, but sometimes people just need space, not a whole support system."
"But I thought…" Annabelle wrapped her arms around herself. "I was trying to help. I thought if he had people around him, he wouldn't feel so alone."
"I know. But he doesn't want people around him constantly. He wants to be left alone sometimes. That's not a bad thing."
Annabelle looked stricken. "Did I make things worse?"
Raven wanted to lie, to soften it, but that wouldn't help anyone. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I think you did."
For a moment, Annabelle just stood there, and Raven wondered if she was about to cry. But then she straightened her shoulders and nodded.
"Okay. I'll end the buddy system tomorrow. I'll… I'll talk to him. Apologize."
"He doesn't want you to feel bad about it. He just wants it to stop."
