“Um, this might not be your kind of thing,” Ruby said. Right. Because Ruby thought Annabelle was such a baby. Genevieve hadn’t started high school yet, either. Why was this party okay for Genevieve and not okay for Annabelle?

Annabelle flexed the fingers on her sore hand and changed the subject. “Sorry you have to do the fly leg now for the relay.”

Ruby shrugged. “We were way better with me swimming breast and you on fly. But we’ll be okay most meets even if we don’t win the medley. Just heal well and all. There’s always next summer, right?”

Annabelle nodded. “Okay, yeah. Well, see you later.”

She took off toward Connor as fast as her feet could move in the thick, cool sand, so she wouldn’t lose her nerve.

“So who else is coming Monday?” Mark was asking Jordan. “You gonna ask that swim team girl? Rachel or whatever?”

There wasn’t a Rachel on the team. Ruby?

“Maybe. How many extra tickets do we have?” Jordan asked.

“Two, if your sister’s coming,” Mark said. “It’s the three of us plus Natalie and Liz.”

Annabelle stood a few feet away, not sure how to let them know she was there. She racked her brain for something going on on Monday, but she had no idea.

Then Jordan saw her. “Oh. Hi.”

No name, like maybe he couldn’t even place her.

And now Connor noticed her, too. She waited for that look to cross his face. That laser-focused, no-one-else-I’d-rather-see look.

But it was different, the way his eyes widened and his eyebrows went up this time. He was surprised to see her, which made sense. But was he more confused-surprised than happy-surprised?

That taffy clump of dread hardened in her stomach.

“Hey there, Hummingbird,” he said.

“You’re the girl from the library, right?” Mark asked. “With Janine?”

Annabelle nodded. “Yeah. Hey.”

“Maybe Janine wants to come to the concert,” Jordan said, elbowing Mark and laughing his squawking seagull laugh.

There was an indent in the sand next to Connor, like somebody had just been sitting there before getting up to join a different conversation. Annabelle plopped down into it. “What concert?” she asked.

“It’s in Boston,” Mark said. The way he said it made it clear that he assumed she’d never be interesting or mature enough to go to a concert in Boston, and now she didn’t feel bad for him anymore about Janine blowing him off.

“The band’s called Level Up,” Connor added. “They’re playing at Brighton Music Hall.”

Annabelle had never heard of the band or the place where they were playing, but she nodded anyway. “Nice.”

Mark picked up his beer and Jordan did the same, as if the impulse to take a sip was contagious, like yawning.

Annabelle was grateful Connor didn’t have one. Mitch and Mom had wine or beer at dinner sometimes, and that was fine. But she’d never been able to forget the way her dad had slurred late at night or the way he swayed and couldn’t focus his eyes on her that terrible day when he showed up drunk at swim practice. She knew he was better now, but still. She didn’t want to think about Connor acting anything like that.