Raven had pulled back, her expression shifting from wonder to something that looked suspiciously like panic. She'd stepped away, cleared her throat, and said "Goodnight" in a voice that was too careful, too controlled.
And then she'd practically shut the door in Annabelle's face.
Annabelle flopped back against her pillows with a groan.
But that's just Raven,she told herself firmly.She was probably scared. It's perfectly normal to be scared after kissing your neighbor.
Except the memory of Raven's panic kept replaying on a loop. The way she'd withdrawn, the careful distance she'd put between them, the polite but definite dismissal.
What did it mean?
Annabelle rolled out of bed, her thoughts buzzing with nervous energy. She got ready for school on autopilot, brushing her teeth, pulling on her favorite blue cardigan, twisting her hair into a loose bun. But her mind was entirely elsewhere.
They'd kissed.
She'd kissedRaven.
The grumpy rockstar next door who'd complained about her welcome basket and called her a lunatic. Who'd helped with the fundraiser and taught Jamie guitar and revealed the most tender, vulnerable parts of herself over tea at midnight.
Annabelle caught sight of her reflection in the hallway mirror and paused.
She was smiling like an absolute fool.
"Get it together," she told her reflection sternly. But the smile wouldn't budge.
AT SCHOOL, ANNABELLE was useless.
"Ms. Swift, you said we were doing maths next."
Annabelle blinked at the sea of expectant faces. "Right. Yes. Maths. Of course."
She'd been standing at the whiteboard for a full minute, marker in hand, thinking about the way Raven had looked at her. Like she was something precious. Something exotic and fragile. A pharoah’s mummy, perhaps. Or maybe something slightly less decomposed. Like… a butterfly.
"Ms. Swift?" Marie raised her hand. "Are you alright?"
"Perfectly fine!" Annabelle said brightly, turning to write on the board and nearly dropping the marker. "Just thinking about… fractions. Who loves fractions?"
The children exchanged glances that suggested they thought their teacher had finally lost the plot.
By mid-morning break, Nina had cornered her in the staff room.
"Okay, what happened?" Nina asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity as she poured them both tea.
"What do you mean?" Annabelle said innocently, deliberately focusing on stirring milk into her mug.
"You've been floating around all morning. You nearly walked into a door. You called Jamie 'sweetheart' three times in a row." Nina grinned. "Something happened."
Annabelle felt heat creep up her neck. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on, Ms. Swift." Nina leaned against the counter, still grinning. "You're practically glowing. Did you win the lottery? Find a twenty-pound note in your coat pocket?"
"I'm just in a good mood," Annabelle said, taking a very deliberate sip of her tea.
"Uh-huh." Nina's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Well, whatever it is, it suits you. I haven't seen you smile like that in ages."
"I always smile."
"Not likethat." Nina waggled her eyebrows. "That's a special smile. A secret smile."
