7
" Gregory?” I called. I couldn’t help myself. It was irrational, but I was scared to see him run from me. He turned my direction, his feet pivoting in the dirt. Warily, I crossed into the light for a moment.
“Do you, um…” I inhaled deeply. “Do you think you’ll still want to be my friend tomorrow?” I held my breath and waited for his answer.
Although I could feel the sunshine perceptibly tingle every inch of exposed skin, the way Gregory smiled at me produced a swell of warmth unmatchable even for the sun.
“I’ll always want to be your friend, Annabelle. Do you want to be mine?”
My head nodded like mad, ecstatic, all on its own. I disappeared among the shadows again and watched my new friend until he stepped around the Hopkins’ house. Then I waited until his car drove off -- Gregory and his mother headed for home.
I was on a high like no other, but I’d not lost my grasp on reality entirely. I knew that the real test would come Monday. It was one thing to befriend an outcast in the privacy of the woods, but quite another to risk ridicule and reputation when surrounded by peers. This was true even for those with the biggest of hearts, which I now believed Gregory Hill to have. "
― Richelle E. Goodrich , Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher
19
" My fingers combed through my dark hair, short and straight, landing in choppy, uneven ends nearly level with my chin. The color reminded me of every evil character in any fairy tale. It seemed all were characteristically black; black hair, black eyes, black clothing, black demeanor, and black intent. I never thought I was truly a villainous character, not like I knew my father to be, but I was his offspring and devoid of any princess-like characteristics, so that left only the wicked side of the story to play.
In my dreams, though, I imagined myself more like Snow White―wavy, raven hair, a perfectly fair complexion, bathed in rose scents, and exhibiting a natural feminine grace that would dance musical circles around both Ginger and Elizabeth. No, I never hoped for such a thing to be real, but I dared to pretend it with perfect clarity in my dreams. "
― Richelle E. Goodrich , Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher
20
" I was through arguing. My real concern was with Gavin. Lifting my eyes I considered his face—perfectly rounded cheeks, a confident chin, big brown eyes balanced evenly over a gently sloped nose, all framed by a mess of dark curls. My heart sank at his beauty. A boy like him would never really have anything to do with a girl like me.
'Why are you here?' I asked. I knew my tone sounded dismal. It was impossible to disguise how I felt.
'Because I want to be,' he answered.
'You want to be here? Really?'
'Well, yes,' he said. His face screwed up, confused. His next words came across as defensive. 'I’m the key keeper. I can go anywhere I wish to. You can’t stop me, Annabelle.'
'Stop you? I don’t want to stop you,' I said. 'I just thought that... I mean, I didn’t think that…' It was hard to voice my fear aloud. "
― Richelle E. Goodrich , Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher
