The Wrong Path - By Vivian Marie Aubin du Paris Page 0,58
human being. Be a good boy and walk Annabelle to the salon so she doesn’t get lost again.”
“No!” Annabelle exclaimed, so forcefully that the group stilled and stared at her. The idea of being around Will right after he had deliberately gone and done something they had argued so horribly about made her sick. “I-I mean… I’m fine. Really. Thanks. I know the way. I was just thinking about things. But I’m fine.” She flashed a weak smile at their stunned faces and spun quickly, hurrying away as quickly as she could without running.
After everything that had happened… Had the weeks apart meant nothing to Will? How could he have missed her point so completely? Or had he just dismissed everything she had said? Did he really care so little about his life—and what she thought?
How could she have been so incredibly wrong about him?
She felt disturbingly empty as she wandered around in the salon for a few minutes, just to avoid going back to the food court for as long as possible. Then, when she couldn’t avoid it any longer, she forced herself to head back. She prepared her excuses on the way, steeling herself against the stares she was sure to get.
Sure enough, she was assaulted by teasing and jokes when she returned. “Did you get lost?” rang through the air as she finally sat back down, smiling her best show smile.
“It was ridiculously busy,” she lied, deliberately rolling her eyes to show exasperation. “It was insane in there. Sorry I took so long.” She turned to Claire with her most innocent expression. “Did we decide on a time for the fair on Saturday?”
Claire’s sharp eyes studied her even as her mouth flashed a large smile. “We did! We’re going to meet at six.”
“Sounds perfect,” she lied hollowly, grinning. As she squeezed Trevor’s hand to emphasize her words, she added, “I can’t wait.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Let’s go on this one!” Claire cried loudly, looking up at the Topsy-Turvy.
Annabelle echoed the squeals of excitement around her, dashing with the others to get in line for the ride. Claire looped her arm through Annabelle’s as they waited impatiently at the gate, Claire’s cold eyes triumphant.
“This looks like so much fun!” Annabelle declared, her voice sounding light and hollow in her own ears. She briefly entertained the idea the others would notice, then realized they wouldn’t—it sounded just like her to them.
Claire grinned. “After this, we should check out the haunted house,” she suggested, but there was no question in her voice.
“Oh, definitely!” Annabelle gushed. “I love those!” Actually, she hated haunted houses with a passion, because they usually scared her, but Claire just laughed and nodded enthusiastically. The attendant opened the gate and Claire darted in, finally releasing Annabelle’s arm. Annabelle relaxed, feeling strangely as if she had been sprung from a trap.
It was a tradition for the group to go to the Parkway Fair every year, and this year was no exception. Actually, Annabelle didn’t know anyone within a fifty mile radius who didn’t make it to the Parkway Fair. It was the biggest event in the state every year, full of rides, good food, live music, shopping, art exhibits, and more. Everyone went to the fair.
Trevor’s hand gripped Annabelle’s as the ride started, lifting them up in the air to the left. They went swinging over the platform to the right, and then back and forth again and again until they were hanging upside down in the air. She screamed right along with the rest of the girls as she clung to the seat, wishing that it would just be over soon so she could go home. Beside her, she could hear Trevor laughing as he squeezed her hand in a comforting gesture. When the ride was over and they were back on stable ground, Trevor wrapped an arm around her and she had to admit she was grateful for the support, feeling unsteady on her feet.
They headed straight for the haunted house, Claire leading the way. Annabelle clung to Trevor’s arm as tightly as she could as they walked in, afraid of getting lost in the crowd.
Dark lights surrounded them as they went through, and things popped out at them occasionally, but it wasn’t half as terrifying as she had expected. She relaxed her grip on Trevor’s arm, relieved. Still, she screamed at all the appropriate places, drawing as much attention to her and her friends as she could, and tried not to think about all the other people