All That She Can See(64)

‘All my treats must be filled, with feelings to piss off the Guild!’

Cherry had started to sweat. She put the bowl down and listened, hoping to hear the sound of a van pulling up outside, but all she could hear was Loneliness tapping its foot.

‘Are you serious? Where are they?’ Cherry hit the handle of the wooden spoon that was sticking out of the bowl. The end in the batter flicked up and a large dollop of the batter hit Cherry on the forehead and slowly slid down her face. ‘Brilliant,’ she said wiping it out of her eye. ‘The Guild have been sniffing around here for the last week and now that I need them, they’re nowhere to be seen,’ she huffed. ‘They’re probably too busy prodding at Chase’s eyeballs with hot pokers or shoving bolts of electricity through his hippocampus. Oh God, this is impossible.’ She put her head against the kitchen counter, a chocolate chip sticking itself to her cheek. Cherry was getting ready to throw in the towel when there was a knock at the door.

‘Finally. COMING!’ She yelled, grabbing her coat as she skipped through the shop, but her feet slowed and shuffled the last few feet to the door when she saw George standing at the window. ‘Urrggghhh,’ she groaned, unlocking the latch.

‘Lovely to see you too!’ George said, an amused look on his face.

‘Sorry,’ she said, taking her coat off again. ‘Sorry, George – I’m just… expecting someone.’

‘Oh, yeah? It’s not Chase by any chance, is it?’

‘Erm… no. He’s… not here but… he’s not who I’m expecting.’ Cherry sighed. ‘It’s complicated.’

‘Sounds it. Well, anyway, I won’t keep you. I just wanted to say thanks for everything.’

‘Thanks?’ Cherry asked in surprise. ‘What for?’

‘For everything,’ George said. ‘I mean it. I’m so much happier now and it’s mostly down to you so… thank you. People just don’t say it much so I wanted to say it to you: thank you.’

Even with everything going on, Cherry knew how much this meant to her friend, to be able to say those words to her. She smiled, trying to cover her feelings about what was going on, but George wasn’t fooled.

‘Cherry… is everything all right? You seem… very on edge.’

‘I’m fine. Just a lot going on. Up here.’ She tapped her temple and the chocolate chip fell off her cheek. ‘Oh God, I must look like such a mess.’

‘I hate to think what your kitchen must look like,’ George said, laughing. ‘Look, is there anything I can help with? Anything at all?’ George stepped closer to her.

‘No, I’m fine.’ Cherry shook her head, her mind full of thoughts of the Guild and Chase and Peter.

‘Clearly you’re not fine, Cherry. You’re a mess. And I don’t just mean from the baking.’ He stepped closer again.

‘I know but…’

‘Please let me help?’ He placed his hands on her shoulders.

‘I…’

‘Please.’

He squeezed her shoulders lightly and an idea ignited in Cherry’s brain. It took hold like a fire spreading through a forest and before her morals had a chance to snuff it out she threw her arms around George and kissed him with everything she had. George dropped his hands in shock, several thoughts racing through his mind. What about Chase? Is she confused? You did offer to help, after all. This isn’t okay though, is it? She’s climbing me like a squirrel on a tree! WHAT IS SHE DOING?!

George very firmly pulled Cherry’s hands away from his neck and pushed her gently away.

‘Cherry… I know you’re… upset… about something… but…’

‘I. Am. So. Sorry.’ Cherry stepped away and turned around, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. ‘I don’t know what came over me.’

Cherry knew what she’d done was wrong but she was desperate. She needed to get to Chase and the simple act of baking had not brought forth the wrath of the Guild. It had suddenly hit her that she needed to somehow impact the life of someone else before they would intervene and George had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

‘It’s okay. I mean, it’s not okay but I forgive you. You’re going through something…’ George’s vision started to swim. He shook his head, trying to straighten it out but his eyes kept drifting to the left. ‘… you’re… Chase’s… squirrel…’

George fell forwards and Cherry managed to catch him but they both hit the floor with a small thud. Cherry tried to turn him over as best she could but he was heavy and she could only get him onto his side. Quickly, Cherry ran behind the counter, found a Post-it note and a pen and scrawled out an apology. She stuck it on George’s head, grabbed her coat and ran into the street.

‘YOU CAN’T IGNORE THAT!’ Cherry shouted. ‘I HAVE INTERVENED AND YOU NEED TO COME AND GET ME OR SO HELP ME I WILL TURN THIS ENTIRE TOWN UPSIDE DO —’

THUNK.

Cherry felt a twinge in her right buttock, like something had bitten her. She twisted her leg and saw a small dart with yellow feathers sticking out. ‘Ouch,’ she said as she pulled it and the needle twisted out of her flesh. A strange warm sensation started to spread down her leg, up her side, and into her arm. Her fingers could no longer grip the dart and it fell to the floor. Cherry stumbled a few steps backwards towards the bakery and slumped against the door. She slid down onto the pavement, her head lolled to the side and just before her heavy eyelids closed, she saw the blur of three blue dots moving towards her, followed by a bright yellow glow.