Annie was halfway to the Jefferson house she... thought. She was still a bit hazy about geographical details. She was pretty sure she was about halfway though, when her phone alerted her to a new text. She dug it out of her bag and unlocked the screen, thinking Oliver had finally gotten back to her when she opened her messages.
This... wasn't from Oli.
Maggie.
The sudden reintroduction of Magnolia Kenneth to her life more than stirred up corpses. Was she visiting family, or... of course, she'd been friends with Hannah too. Had Maggie been at the funeral? Anne assumed she must've been, but... she must not have recognized her.
Annie swallowed hard as a wave of guilt rushed through her. She had been past this, past the little girls with brown hair, one undersized with skinned knees and the other far too smart for her own good. Past the play dates, past the tutoring sessions, past the shame and self-conscious fear that had driven Annie away from her friend. But she hadn't expected to forget her face; hadn't expected that one day she could be in the same room as Maggie and not even realize it.
She'd stopped walking, but she didn't know when. She took a few breaths to settle her hands, then began typing.
To: Maggie
Or... was that to informal? It had been a few years... She made a quick change to the saved information, then began again. She should say something non-committal, but not negative.
To: Magnolia
>Sure.
The moment she clicked send, she became nervous that responding with just that one word might be perceived as rude. She should say something else.
To: Magnolia
>Did you have something in mind? I'm free for anything.
Wait, wait, no, that sounded too suggestive. She should send a third message to even it out.
To: Magnolia
>Almost anything. Most things.
This was a mistake. She had made a mistake. It was too late now, so she could only hope not to make herself look like any more of an idiot later. She turned back to her parents' house, then paused and sent one more text.
To: Unsaint Jude
>thank you for your continued contribution
>i always appreciate everything you do all the time forever
She made a mental note to kick Jude the next time she got the chance, then started walking for home. She really needed that shower.