Raven sat frozen in her seat, caught between secondhand embarrassment and something else. Something warm and uncomfortable that was settling in her stomach and refusing to leave.
Annabelle hit what was supposed to be the song's climactic high note and instead produced something that sounded like a cat being stepped on. She laughed, actually laughed at herself, and kept going.
When the song finally ended, the pub erupted in applause. Annabelle took a theatrical bow and practically skipped back to her table, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright.
She caught Raven's eye as she sat down, and her smile faltered slightly.
"Sorry," she mouthed.
Raven should have been annoyed. Should have been mortified that someone had just butchered one of her most successful compositions in front of half a village.
But instead, all she could think about was what Jamie had said earlier.
Ms. Swift helps. I feel safe at school.
Raven watched Annabelle laugh at something Lily said, watched the way she lit up the entire table just by being there. And she thought about Annabelle showing up at her door with biscuits and smiles and relentless positivity even when Raven was rude to her. Thought about the way she'd defended Raven at the meeting, redirected Daisy's autograph requests without making Raven feel like an asshole. Thought about dinosaur pajamas and earnest apologies and the determined belief that everything would work out if you just tried hard enough.
Annabelle was exhausting. Overwhelming. Endlessly cheerful in a way that should have been irritating. But she was also the sort of person who made you feel safe, even when you didn't realize that's what you'd been missing.
Raven picked up her pint and took a long drink, trying to ignore the way her chest felt too tight and too full at the same time.
This was a problem.
This was definitely a problem.
Chapter Seventeen
Annabelle stared at the to-do list spread across her kitchen table and felt her breath catch in her lungs.
Finalize children's performance choreography
Confirm raffle prize donations
Order refreshments (check dietary requirements)
Print programs
Talk to Arty about sound system
Coordinate volunteers
Keep Gloria from turning this into a three-hour opera
The list went on. And on. And possibly on forever.
Two weeks. The fundraiser was in two weeks, and she had approximately four thousand things left to do, none of which seemed to be getting done despite the fact that she'd been working on the list for what felt like her entire natural life.
She took a sip of tea, cold again, because she kept forgetting to actually drink it, and added another item to the list.
Check in with Jamie
He'd been quieter lately. Well, quieter than usual, which for Jamie meant he was practically invisible. His parents' separation was progressing into something more permanent, and Annabelle had noticed him spending even more time alone at break. She’d canceled the buddy system after her conversation with Raven and hoped that she’d done the right thing. Maybe she should try and spend more time with him herself, maybe he could become a classroom helper or something.
The fact that she’d made things worse for him still lingered. She’d been honestly trying to help.
She rubbed her eyes. She was doing her best. She really was. But sometimes her best felt like…
Like what?
