“Right, I think it’s time to wrap this up,” Brian said. “Anyone have a final question?”
June glanced around the room; there was a look of sad resignation on most people’s faces. She remembered Chantal’s tears and thought of her mum, who would have been standing up right now and berating the council, listing all the reasons why the librarymattered. What had Linda said the other day?Your mum isn’t here, soyou’ll just have to fight this for her.
Inhaling slowly, June raised her hand halfway into the air.
Brian sighed. “Yes?”
Every eye in the room swung to look at June. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and when she opened her mouth to speak, no words came out and her breathing hitched.
“Come on, we don’t have all night,” Brian said.
“I... we...” June started to say.
There wasn’t a sound in the room, everyone straining to hear her. A few rows in front, Ryan from the newspaper had his phone pointed at her. Behind him she saw Marjorie, a grim expression on her face. June felt a tightness in her ribs, as if someone was pushing against her, and she slumped back in the chair and closed her eyes.
“Right, if that’s everyone, I call this meeting to a close,” she heard Brian say, followed by the scraping sound of chairs being pulled back, the sudden clamor of voices. June stayed sitting, her eyes closed, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The following afternoon, June arrived for her shift at the library with her head held low. She knew she’d made a fool of herself last night. What happened was exactly why she should never try to speak in public; now everyone at the library would think she was a complete idiot. But as June walked through the front door, the room was buzzing with activity, and no one gave her a second glance.
“What’s going on?” she asked Stanley, who was sitting in his usual seat and watching the commotion with delight.
“Haven’t you heard? We’re forming a protest group. It’s called Fuck All.”
“What?”
“We’re having our first meeting this evening at the Plough. I’m taking sausage rolls. What will you bring?”
“Fuck All, Stanley?”
“That’s not the spirit, my dear—protests are about sharing. I wasthinking I could be the group treasurer. And I’ll nominate you for secretary, naturally.”
“Oh, I’m not sure I could do that.”
“Nonsense, you’re perfect for the job,” he said. “Isn’t this exciting? We’re going to fight the council together. We’ll show them this library is alive and kicking.”
June sat down at the desk and began to sort through a pile of expired reservations. She was delighted they were forming a group to fight for the library, however strange its name, but there was no way she could be the secretary, as that would mean having to speak in front of everyone, which she would never be able to handle. No, she’d go to the meeting but hide at the back and keep quiet.
Mrs.Bransworth was striding toward the desk, brandishing a piece of paper. “I’ve made signs to put up around the library about tonight’s meeting,” she said, thrusting one at June. “That way everyone who comes in can find out about the Fock-el.”
“About that name...”
“What’s wrong with F-O-C-L? It stands for the Friends of Chalcot Library.”
June blinked. “Oh, I see.”
“Stanley says you’ll be secretary, and he’s going to nominate me as chairperson. I ran the Chalcot Supports the Miners group, so none of this is new to me.”
“The thing is, I’m not sure I’m really suited to being secretary, Mrs.B. Maybe I could make us a reading list of books about protests instead?”
“You can do thatandbe the secretary. I’ll be running the whole thing, so all you’ll have to do is take notes and do the dull admin stuff.”
“But I—”
“June!” Marjorie bellowed from the back. “I need a word with you, now.”
June headed to her office, feeling like a naughty schoolchild being summoned to see the headmistress.