I stared intently at the big, stubborn pot in front of me, willing the mushroom stew I was currently cooking not to burn. As soon as I saw the first bubble come to the surface and pop, signaling the start of the boiling point, I leapt at the thing like a hungry hyena with my ladle and vigorously stirred the contents until I was satisfied with the creaminess and texture of the stew. I wasn't much of one for mushrooms, or for stew, for that matter, but I was certain Yolanda would approve. She always liked it when I made healthy stuff. As long as I didn't get careless like last time and let all the carrots and mushrooms fuse to the inside of the pot and completely ruin it.
Sighing, then sending a puff of air up to blow my long bangs out of my right eye, I solemnly sat back to continue my vigil of my stew. Cooking was tricky business, especially with Yolanda, my mentor. And grandma, it turns out. But I rarely ever thought of her that way, nor called her so. We didn't even look related. Me, with my plain dark brown hair sloppily pulled back in a long ponytail to keep it out of the food and tanned skin. The only physical similarity was our forest-green eyes. Apparently I got most of my looks from my dad, the one unrelated to Yolanda. But I wouldn't really know, since I don't even know what he looked like. All I do know is that his name was Seymour. I did know my mom, but only until I was about four, so I don't remember much of her either. All I have is a picture.
My mom, who's name was Abigail, most definitely was Yolanda's daughter. And Jake's younger sister. She had the pink hair and green eyes. She dressed mildly old-fashioned and, at least in the picture, had that small, polite smile that seemed to run in the family. Even I have it. Though according to Uncle Jake my mom was a troublemaker, and the smile was a cover-up.
And, of course, my mom was an awesome cook. Possibly better than Yolanda, according to the great chef herself.
I leapt at the stew once more, stirred it a few more times, smelled it (getting a face full of steam in the process, dampening my side bangs so they were plastered to my forehead), and was finally satisfied it was done. I switched off the burner and carefully lifted the big pot of stew off, all the while trying to uselessly blow my wet bangs away out of my eye again.
"Yolanda?" I called a little hesitantly into the dining area of the Sundae Inn, where she was chatting earnestly with Uncle Jake, probably about my cousin Maya and her awful cooking. I didn't like to interrupt, but I also didn't want my evaluation of my stew to be of a cold one. I set the heavy pot down with a thunk on a hot pad on the counter.
Yolanda looked up from her conversation and smiled at me, nodding. She said one more unintelligible sentence to her son before coming over to me in the kitchen, where I wrung my apron nervously.
"Hm, what do we have here, Naomi?" she murmured more to herself than me as she stared into the pot.
I answered anyway. "Mushroom stew."
She nodded absently, then went into her usual procedure of testing food. First she eyed it carefully. Then she smelled it thoroughly, taking a long, deep breath of the steam still rising from the stew. Next she finally tasted it. I eyed her from the corner of my eye as she did so, knowing she didn't like to be stared at very much, especially when evaluating food.
"Mm, that's pretty good, Naomi," Yolanda told me as I turned to face her, my spirits lifting considerably high. I was a bit of a sucker for being praised. "The carrots are a really nice touch-"
She stopped short as someone entered the Inn. I could tell she was about to do her usual "Welcome to the Sundae Inn!", and she already had her mouth open to do so, but then she got a puzzled expression on her face and what came out was, "Chase?"
I turned around, my heart flitting nervously and with a bit of anger that someone would just waltz in and ruin my test just like that.
Yolanda seemed to forget our cooking session and left the kitchen to eagerly greet the messy-haired boy who had just entered. He looked about my age, maybe a year older, and his purple eyes glinted with something like nostalgia as he looked around the dining area.
"Chase, you're back!" Yolanda sounded unbelievably delighted. I felt myself seethe with jealousy.
"Yeah, so I am," the guy replied in an uncaring tone that totally clashed with his emotional eyes. I felt an eyebrow raise at that. Not just anyone could get away with talking like that to Yolanda.
Aunt Colleen was next to come and greet the newcomer. "Oh, Chase, it's good to see you again! Maya is upstairs."
"I don't care where Maya is."
A corner of my mouth twitched. This guy, Chase, had ruined my cooking evaluation, but then again, I kinda liked the way he could ruffle people's feathers without even trying.
Suddenly I found myself locked with his purple gaze. I stiffened, then went to lamely stir my finished stew just so I could break eye contact.
"Who's that?" Chase's tone was still uncaring and he acted like I wasn't even there, which this time ruffled my feathers a little bit.
"Oh, that's Naomi." Aunt Colleen sounded almost jittery now. "She is... well, we weren't sure if you were coming back..."
"My replacement?" he answered his own question, his voice still monotone as ever.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw both my aunt and Yolanda nodding guiltily. My eyes widened, but luckily my bangs obscured them. I continued to stir, my grip on the handle much tighter.
I was a replacement? For this guy? Yolanda hadn't mentioned anyone by the name of Chase since I was apprenticed under her, two years ago. So she probably hadn't even thought I had outstanding cooking ability... She probably just apprenticed me because I was related to her and Maya had no cooking skills whatsoever. My teeth started to grind against each other.
"Why are you stirring that when it's already finished?" Chase was right behind me.
I jumped a little at the sound of his voice, but didn't answer him. Instead, I let go of the ladle and pushed Chase aside, storming out of the Sundae Inn.
Rain immediately pelted me in the face as soon as I opened the door. Cursing, I drew the hood of my purple sweatshirt over my head, making my ponytail stick out at an awkward, uncomfortable angle over my shoulder. But I was too mad to care. I ran all the way to my house in the Caramel River District, right outside the entrance to town.
Once inside, I tore off my apron and hurled it on the floor. I violently shook my head to dislodge my hood. Trying to keep my temper under mild control, I forced myself to slowly walk over to a little end table near the foot of my bed and kneeled down beside it.
I rested my face in my arms and cried. Cried because I'd probably lost my job. Cried because it all seemed utterly hopeless.
When my sobs were reduced to sniffles, I glanced up at my mom's picture sitting in front of me. "I'm sorry, Mom," I managed. "I guess I'll never be as good as you."
I sat there staring at her photo for a few more minutes until the phone rang. At first I didn't answer it. Then the person tried again. I sighed. It was probably Aunt Colleen, calling to comfort me since my career here on Waffle Island was now lost.
Slowly, I got up and made my way over to the phone. My tiny house was a mess, but I liked it that way. It felt more "homy" and less fake.
"Hello?" I was determined not to let Aunt Colleen know I had been crying.
"Naomi? It's Yolanda."
Oh, I thought, a bit resentful. "Yeah?"
"Why'd you run off like that? I'm sorry I never told you about Chase. It just never occurred to me that you'd take offense if he came back."
"I was his replacement," I couldn't help but point out bitterly.
"Well, yes, you were, but do you think I would have chosen anyone?" I resisted the urge to say yes. "I choose only the best for my proteges, you know. You have the potential to follow in Abigail's footsteps."
I was silent at that. Of course, I was secretly thrilling on the inside, but there was no way I was going to let Yolanda know that.
"...So I didn't lose my job?" I asked after a few moments.
My grandma gave a hearty laugh at that. "Lose your job? Why would you ever think that, dear? We've only got a new employee, is all!"
Well, it wasn't so bad after all. In the mornings, at least.
It was just me and Yolanda to work on my cooking from nine to 2:30, when mine and Chase's shifts overlapped. Luckily I left at five, so I only had to suffer through a two and-a-half hour nightmare.
Did I say nightmare? Yeah, I did. Here's why:
Yolanda left during that period of the day to go order more supplies or run her own errands. Which left Chase, and me, two and-a-half hours, alone.
Chase was not a talkative guy. When he did talk, he was criticizing my food. Or saying to leave him alone because he was trying to concentrate. Believe it or not, I actually tried to become friends with him once or twice. But he would always just wave it off without even looking at me.
That was only part of the reason I gave up trying to become friends, or even acquaintances, with Chase. The second reason was that I began to resent him more than when I first found out I was his "replacement". Why? He was better at cooking than me.
Chase seemed to get everything perfect. All the time. While I would have to put my struggling heart and soul into one recipe, he could effortlessly take on three at once and still get them all to taste plain awesome. Mine, however, would be burned at this point and I would have to start over. Yolanda also seemed to prefer Chase over me, which I couldn't stand, being one who likes to be the center of attention.
By the end of Chase's first week working at the Sundae Inn, I was near tears again. This was so frustrating! Chase was probably better than my mom!
I bit my lip as I thought that. I mentally scolded myself. Chase might be close to my mom's cooking, but no one could beat her. I had to believe that and become the best chef in the world.
"Something bothering you, Naomi?"
I jumped for not the first time at the sound of Chase's voice. Then I blinked. This was the first time he had ever willingly talked to me other than asking me to pass an ingredient or something like that. I was surprised he even remembered my name. I slowly turned to face him.
"Yeah, I guess... Why do you care?" My tone was guarded as I eyed him suspiciously.
He just shrugged. "Being stressed doesn't make for good food now, does it? You're going to let that burn if you keep your back to it, you know," he added, gesturing to my omelet, which was now starting to smoke. My eyes widened and I whipped around to flip it, but cautiously continued the conversation, back still to him.
"Um, I guess not."
"So what's bothering you?"
My eyes narrowed. "Again, why do you want to know? Don't you have a recipe to tend to anyways?"
Behind me, Chase finally retreated to his side of the kitchen. "I was just thinking I might be able to help, is all. Yeesh."
I let out a huff as I scooped my well-done omelet onto a plate. When Yolanda walked in with a bag of groceries, I seized my chance to be gone eagerly. "Look's like my shift's done. See ya!" I swiftly made my escape out the door.
After I left, Chase shook his head but didn't look at Yolanda from what he was doing. "What's up with her? A bit touchy, if you ask me."
Yolanda gave a short laugh. "Oh, don't be too rough on my granddaughter, Chase. She's still getting used to have you around."
This time he did look up from his task of chopping up rice and yams on the cutting board. He blinked curiously at his mentor. "Naomi's your granddaughter? I thought only Maya was."
"Yes, she's my granddaughter all right. She got all her looks from her father, but she's got my daughter's rebel personality. Though I don't think she realizes it."
Chase nodded and continued making his dish. "I'm guessing neither of them are around anymore, am I right?"
Yolanda sighed softly. "Her father, Seymour, left before she was even born, and Abigail died of pneumonia when Naomi was four. She had so much potential and life ahead of her, too... Her blasted boyfriend didn't even come to mourn her."
The corners of Chase's mouth tugged downward. "That's too bad," was all he could think to say.
Over the next few weeks, Chase seemed almost more friendly towards me. I didn't know what inspired the change of character, but a part of me felt a little happy the sarcastic boy was opening up more. Then again, the other part, the bigger part, was suspicious.
But it did feel really nice to have someone to talk to besides my family.
"Hey, it doesn't seem anything's bothering you anymore," Chase cautiously reminded me of my blowout a few weeks ago. I stiffened, then shrugged, telling myself to knock it off.
"...Can I ask what the problem was?" he asked after a small hesitation.
I had to think about that one. I wasn't sure how he would react if I told him the truth; that he was the one bothering me.
But I shouldn't have worried too much, because I never even got a chance to open my mouth before my annoying cousin Maya burst into the kitchen from upstairs, eyes all for Chase. It was painfully obvious she had a big thing for him, and I denied myself of the pricks of jealousy every time I saw them even in the same room talking to each other.
"Chase! Chase!" she exclaimed in her incredibly girly voice that I hated so much. Chase rolled his eyes and sighed, both of which Maya was seemingly oblivious to.
"I suppose you want one of my leftover dishes."
"Ooh, yes please!" Maya licked her lips at the thought of Chase's delicious cooking.
"Here." His voice was almost begrudging as he turned to the counter and grabbed an extra dish he had made earlier today, some herb fish, made with excellent quality saury. I wondered why he would waste a dish like that on Maya. She eagerly took it and ate it right on the spot, not even bothering to say thank you.
Chase looked at her expectantly as she finished.
"Um, what was I gonna say... Oh yeah! Chase, I made something for you!" Maya revealed a piece of seemingly harmless strawberry shortcake.
I shrank away from it even though I was on the other side of the kitchen. This cake was far from harmless. The strawberry was greenish, obviously not ripe - or maybe old? - and the frosting looked sloppily thrown on. The cake part was also made with stale ingredients, and it's bad when you can tell that from several meters away. I suddenly felt a rush of sympathy for Chase.
"I want you to try it!" Maya voiced the words we had all been fearing in an all-too-cheerful voice.
"Um, Maya...? I've had... experiences... with your cooking..."
"But Chase!" she whined. "This time it'll be different."
"Did you triple-check the ingredients, then?" Now he was suddenly critical and serious. "Did you-"
"Yes, yes! I put my heart and soul into it. It should be fine! I swear!"
"Okay..." Chase reluctantly took the cake, Maya looking anxious and him looking like he feared for his well-being. I was a bit worried myself.
He carefully ate it. At first it looked like he'd actually be okay, but then he suddenly doubled over, his purple eyes wide.
"How... How is it?" Maya asked hesitantly, apparently blind to Chase about to hurl right in front of her. I resisted the urge to bring my hand to my face.
"Well, words can hardly describe it, but I'll give it a shot..." Chase said after he recovered. "It's way too sweet, the texture is like sandpaper, and it's almost too thick to swallow. I'm just gonna spit it out in the sink now, all right?"
Maya looked hurt. "Why are you even ASKING, Chase? You're so mean!" And with that, she ran out, leaving Chase to do as he asked and me feeling smug.
Wait... What was I thinking? I did not feel smug about Chase criticizing Maya. In fact, I didn't care at all. I quickly whisked around to drop some blueberries into the blender behind me. I turned it on high so if Chase said anything, I couldn't hear it.
When I finished my blueberry juice I turned around to a puzzle-faced Chase. I gave the signature family smile to him, then Yolanda came in and signaled the end of my shift for that day. I quickly exited, grateful to leave the awkward scene.
I chewed my lip a little nervously when I woke up. I immediately knew what day it was; Spring twenty-third. I was fretting over this the night before, too. It was Chase's birthday. I shouldn't have cared, but I didn't know what to do. I was still a bit resentful of him, but now that I'd actually gotten to know him a bit, he was kind of nice.
Finally, I made up my mind, my jaw set and feeling determined not to mess this up or back out. Early in the morning, right when the place opened, I snuck over to On the Hook, where Pascal agreed to take me to the Gull Islands since the sea was thankfully calm. Once there, I quickly found what I was looking for, plus a few other things I could use in the kitchen at work that day. I was back at the Sundae Inn right on time.
By the time Chase showed up for work, I was clumsily retrieving a chestnut pie from the oven. My co-worker gave me a tired greeting, but I said nothing and didn't even look at him. It had only been two days since the incident with Maya, and I had been acting kind of weird the last day at work too, so Chase probably didn't think much of my silence.
In truth, right at that moment I had completely forgotten about that event. My heart was hammering away inside my chest, and my face felt a bit flushed. I was really nervous, but I didn't know why. What was wrong with me? Why was it so hard to just walk up to a person and give them a birthday present? I had felt so confident that morning...
Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I snatched his gift from the counter and marched straight up to Chase when he turned around from his cooking, and shoved his birthday present into his arms.
"Here, I heard you like oranges. Happy birthday."
I was certain my face was beet-red. I looked down from Chase's surprised expression, then walked away.
"I'd actually forgotten it was my birthday, but... Thanks."
I coughed, hating the feelings my unconscious side of my brain was sending. It wasn't possible for me to like Chase, not even a little bit. Because he stole what I always dreamed of being, ever since I was a little girl. He ruined it. He ruined everything.
Yet here I was, giving him a birthday present, and getting jealous of my cousin for liking him!
My face darkened and I set down the chopping knife I was about to use for slicing up an apple. I quietly put the apple back, then walked out of the kitchen. I heard Chase stop what he was doing and turn around to look at me as I went past him. "Naomi? Where-?"
"I'm sorry, Chase... I, uh, I don't feel very good. Tell Yolanda when she gets here, please." Then I ran out, feeling deja vu as I sprinted to my house early from work again, just like when Chase had first arrived. Though this time the only water on my face was the tears already rolling down my cheeks.
Once inside, I kneeled down by my little altar for my mom once again, tears still flowing.
"Mom... I wanted to be the best... l-like you... But now... I'm just confused! Chase is b-better than me... and part of me h-hates him for it... but at the same time... It's just so c-confusing!" I repeated, practically wailing. Finally I just buried my face in my arms, trying to control my crying and feelings.
I never knew it, but right outside, Chase had his hand on the doorknob, listening unintentionally at first, then his curiosity piqued when he heard me say "I wanted to be the best". Not wanting to interrupt my ranting, he listened on until I finished in mild surprise. Then before I possibly got up and discovered him, he walked back to work with a grim-like expression, his lips pursed as he sorted out what I had just mindlessly sobbed.
He shouldn't have worried, because I eventually fell asleep like that, kneeling next to my mother's picture. And, of course, I dreamt of him.
I stood on the porch of my tiny house, smiling genuinely. This was the best I had felt ever since Chase came to Waffle Island, and I was certain no one could spoil it!
Summertime's the best, I thought happily to myself as I set off for work. The trees were a lush green, the sky was a deep, cloudless blue, and the whole world just seemed contagiously cheerful. I doubted even Chase could ruin this! Too bad my birthday was nearly the last day of the year, in cold, boring Winter.
I entered the Sundae Inn with a large smile lighting my tan features. Yolanda looked up from flipping a pancake, looking friendly but had raised eyebrows at my good mood.
"Hello, Yolanda!" I greeted her with a huge grin. "What's up?"
She gave me a slightly suspicious look. "Okay, Naomi, what happened?" But her tone was light-hearted and she was obviously grateful to see me in a pleasant mood once more.
My smile would've widened if it wasn't already as wide as it could get. "Summer happened, that's what."
Yolanda gave a bemused smile back at me. "But Summer happened five days ago."
I shrugged. "I tend not to get in the mood until conditions are just right. The past few days have been too cloudy."
My grandmother rolled her eyes, though her smile still remained. "I'm glad to see some of the old Naomi back."
I didn't comment on that and just went straight to the kitchen to start work. Today, I was going to cook my best.
At mid-day, I had just completed a salmon sushi platter when a girly voice shattered my concentration - and lowered my good mood considerably.
"Hey, Naomi."
I groaned inwardly and turned to face my cousin. "Yes, Maya?" I asked with a sigh. At least I knew she wouldn't be around long. Sometimes Maya would randomly pop in to taste some of the food we were cooking or ask for something. I will give her that she was an excellent food tester, though that didn't change how annoying she was.
"So what's up with you and Chase?"
I nearly choked on my own spit. Whoa, she caught me off guard there! She watched me closely as I recovered, then proceeded to stare at her incredulously. "What do you mean, 'what's up with me and Chase'?" I hated to admit my voice sounded a higher octave than usual.
Maya looked at me hard, as if her glare would make me admit something. "I've seen you two together. You look a little too happy when you talk to each other."
"Maya, we're just co-workers," I said, but I feared I sounded a little jittery. My face had also started to redden.
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Well, don't think I won't be watching you from now on. Chase is mine, got that?"
My eyes widened, and I almost had to clap a hand over my mouth to keep from bursting out into hysterical laughter. I had never seen Maya's feisty side. Luckily, she seemed to think my widened eyes were of fear, not amusement, and she stalked away, brimming with satisfaction that she'd made it clear that I was to stay away from her Chase.
But by now my amusement was gone, yet my eyes were still wide. My thick-skulled cousin was partially right, I realized. I did feel a bit happier whenever I talked to Chase. At first I tried to convince myself it was just because he was someone other than Yolanda or Aunt Colleen, someone who I could be more open and less polite around and and not worry about being criticized for it. Deep down, though, I knew it wasn't true. Despite all my efforts to hate him, to resent him for being better than me, I ended up being my happiest around him. I liked Chase. He was my only real friend. Maybe... Maybe even more than a friend.
That thought was almost too much to bear right now.
For the rest of the day, I did my best to conceal my now-dazed mood from Chase and Yolanda and try to remain as positive as I had been that morning.
The next day, I woke up and automatically started getting ready for work. Until I caught a glance at the calendar, that is. I smacked myself upside the head and dropped my apron to the ground. Of course! How could I have forgotten? There was no work today. It was Summer seventh, the Ocean Festival.
I was once again in a knock-out good mood as I strolled down to Waffle Town, humming to myself and waving to anyone who happened to pass by. Vaguely, I wondered if Chase would be coming to the festival.
Thinking of Chase made me think of cooking, and I suddenly remembered all the food I had made yesterday to sell here. I quickly made a U-turn to go back to the Sundae Inn, where all my seafood dishes were stored in the fridge. I got in and out within five minutes, my arms full of plastic cases, which were full of shark fin stew, herb fish, and sushi, plus a few others, and I set off for Cream Beach to set up my stall.
Already at the beach were Pascal and Sue, setting up their own stands. I think I was remotely related to Sue; my father was her cousin or something. Either way, I was still practically raised by her, so when I came down to the beach, I had to set down all my food before Sue came and knocked it out of my arms with a bear hug.
"Oh, Naomi! It's so good to see you! It's been a year now!" I smiled as Sue continued to fuss over me. It was nice having a motherly figure around. I had grown up on Toucan Island, raised by Sue and Samson when my mom had died until I was 16, then I moved back to the mainland to train under Yolanda. By that point Chase had left, so that's why I never knew of him.
"Why haven't you come and visited? You need to see me more often."
"Sorry, Sue. I'm just really busy with the cooking here and all that."
My foster mother nodded morosely. "I suppose it would be a hassle. How's Selena, by the way? Samson and I are lonely; neither of you come by!" She laughed, but it sounded slightly sad. I frowned. I really did need to make an effort and visit Sue more in the future.
"Selena's good," I told her carefully. It wouldn't do to tell her that her daughter actually had plenty of free time to visit her mom; free time she used to aimlessly wander around Waffle Island instead. I felt a prick of annoyance at how lazy she was. Selena didn't even have a proper job!
"Here, hon, let me help you with your stall," Sue kindly interrupted my thoughts. I was about to recline her offer when I decided I liked having her company.
"Thanks," I said genuinely, then we set to work on organizing all the food I had brought and putting prices on them.
We finished just in time for the festival to start. People immediately started to come to the beach, the first ones being Samson, Hamilton and Toby. Within the first hour all three bought something from me. I had originally offered Samson's to be free, but he argued, saying I needed the extra cash. I eventually gave in and took the money.
I had just finished collecting money from Toby and was sitting in the shade underneath the cash register, counting my earnings so far when a familiar voice startled me - again.
"Hey. Mind if I get something?"
As I hastily straightened up, I hit my head on the small table that the register sat on. "Ow," I muttered, rubbing my head with my hand that still held a wad of money. "Um, hi, Chase. Sure. What do you want?"
He shrugged indifferently, though his eyes gleamed with what I took to be amusement at my little blunder. I felt my face flush.
"Hm, I was eyeing that risotto over there. I remember you making that yesterday. It smelled pretty good."
I nodded and turned to make my way over to the dish Chase wanted. Inevitably, I tripped on one of my boot laces. Luckily I didn't break anything, but I did drop some of my cash and had to bend over to pick it up. Mustering up all the dignity I had left, which wasn't much, I got back to the register to charge Chase for the seafood risotto.
"Someone's clumsy," he remarked bluntly as I totaled the price on the cash register. But somehow I didn't feel offended, and when I looked up, Chase was smiling. My face turned even pinker and I absolutely hated the way my heart was fluttering.
"That'll be 300G." I had to force my voice to sound normally-pitched.
Chase raised an eyebrow. "The price tag said 400."
"Well, you're my friend, so you get a discount!" I blurted, not able to look him in the eyes anymore. I was sure my face was a near-impossible shade of red.
From what I could see, he shrugged again, then handed me the money. I counted it out, then looked up on impulse. "But-"
"Keep the change," Chase said with a devious little grin. I sighed and put the full 400G into the cash register along with the other money I had been counting.
As the drawer noisily shut, I looked up to see a commotion by the water. Then Sue spotted me and called out, "Hey, Naomi! Come on, we're getting ready to play the stone-skipping game!"
That made a smile come to my lips. I loved stone-skipping; Sue had taught me when I was really little. Since then I had become so good at it that I was better than her. And Sue was the champion.
I started off towards the crowd at the shore before noticing Chase hung back. I turned around half-way there to look at him questioningly. "Chase? Are you coming?"
For the first time since I had known him, Chase looked uncertain. He shook his head. "No."
I frowned. "Why not? It's really fun."
"I... I don't know how to skip rocks."
I laughed. He sounded like he expected me to think it was a crime or something. "Then I'll just have to teach you. Come on." On pure impulse, I walked back to where he stood. Surprising both of us, I grabbed his hand and started back again. He followed without restraint.
"Well, who's your friend there?" Sue asked me with a wink when we caught up with the group. Part of me wondered if Chase was blushing too. I let go of his hand.
"My friend here is Chase," I told her through gritted teeth, putting extra emphasis on "friend", just to get my point across. Sue smiled knowingly, and I tried to ignore her until she spoke up again.
"So is he playing too?"
Both of us shook our heads. "I need to teach him," I explained.
Sue's smile widened into a grin. "You're in good hands, Chase."
I looked away before I could allow my face to redden for the thousandth time that day.
"I know I am." Oh, I could just see the smirk on his face!
"Let's go," I muttered, pulling him away from Sue. Hm, I thought, back on track with the idea of teaching Chase how to skip stones. I can't teach him here, during the competition... I looked around the shoreline for a not-so-crowded place. Spotting one, I snatched a few skipping rocks from a bucket that was obviously for the contest, but I took no notice and led Chase to the secluded area.
"Okay, grab a stone," I instructed him, holding out a handful for him to choose from.
I knew if I wasn't his friend, he would have made a comment like "well, duh", but he seemed to bite it back. A little thrill of happiness I had long gave up trying to deny anymore shot through me.
After he chose one, I continued, "So, you hold it like this..."
He stood by me - I tried not to take too much notice on how close - and carefully reproduced my hand positions and movements. Finally he experimentally threw his stone.
It skipped once... Twice... Three times before sinking. I blinked in surprise as I saw Chase smile. Not his usual smile. A wide, open smile I knew he would be caught dead with before he showed it in public.
I had to harden my melting heart before I completely lost it, so I gave him a smirk. "You think that was good? Watch and learn from the master."
My hand found a nice, smooth stone from my sweatshirt pocket and in less than a second I had flicked my wrist to send it flying over the calm water. It skipped at least fifteen times before stopping.
Looking back at Chase, I almost felt bad by the mix of admiration and discouragement on his face.
"...Well, that was pretty good for a beginner," I told him in what I hoped was an encouraging tone.
He gave me an apologetic smile, aware he had shown more emotion than usual on his face. "Thanks, Naomi."
I offered him another stone, and he tried again, this time with a bit less success. Smiling, I gave him yet another one. When I noticed his hand in the wrong position, I stopped him and demonstrated it myself.
We continued this for several hours until Chase really had the hang of it - and we ran out of skipping rocks.
"You still have a ways to go," I told my friend matter-of-factly. "At least a few years of practice ahead of you."
Chase rolled his eyes, smiled, and shook his head. "Yeah right. I'm already halfway there!"
I raised my eyebrows at him. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." He nudged my side.
I scoffed, then nudged him back harder.
Smirking now, he pushed.
I repeated his action, giggling.
Finally Chase gave me a shove that sent my sprawling into the sand. I gasped and his eyes went wide.
"Naomi? Are you okay? I'm s-"
"You jerk!" I interrupted his apology. But I was laughing. Immediately, relief flooded his purple gaze. I scrambled to my feet and ran to the water, kicking off my boots and socks as I did so.
"Here. That's for shoving me!" I cupped some water in my hands and threw it at him teasingly, getting his sleeve a little wet.
Chase's eyes narrowed and he gave an evil little smile. "It's on, Naomi!" He proceeded to kick off his sandals, roll up his pant legs, take off his apron (why was he wearing that here in the first place, anyways?), and run to join me in the water. By the time he was taking off the apron, though, I already had another handful of cold, salty water coming at him. It got his feet, and he gave me a joking glare before heading into the water.
We splashed and laughed until it got to be around five-thirty. The sun was starting to get low, making the temperature drop, so we made out way out of the water. I noticed Pascal and Sue taking down their stands, and I gave an apologetic smile to Chase. "I'd better go take my stall down, too."
He nodded, then looked down at himself. I had found out that I was considerably more at home in the water than Chase, and so I was able to dodge the majority of his splashes. As you can guess, he... could not. The result was a relatively dry Naomi and a soaked Chase.
"I'd better go home and get out of these clothes." Chase voiced our thoughts at the moment. I nodded in understanding.
"That was really fun. We'll have to do it again next year." I grinned. "So I can kick your butt again!"
This time Chase scoffed. "I'll be better next time, mark my words." And with that he walked up the darkening beach, grabbing his apron and sandals on his way.
Suddenly feeling lonely, I trudged up to my boots and socks, snatched them up, and clutched them to my chest as I got over to my abandoned stall.
To my surprise I found an extra pile of bills stacked beside the cash register. It was a good thousand more than my earnings from this morning, and I was about to quizzically pick them up when Sue's voice sounded behind me.
"You and your boyfriend looked like you were having fun out there, so I took over your stand for a bit. People really like your cooking, you know."
Just when I had thought I couldn't get any more embarrassed in one day. I didn't even register what she had said past the boyfriend part. "He's not... my boyfriend..." I barely managed not to yell at my foster mother.
"I'm sure he isn't, hon." Sue grinned disbelievingly. "I was to hear the whole story on your new... friend, either way."
Sighing, I started telling her about how I met Chase as we folded the tarp I had used for shade and put the leftover food and cash register away. I felt stupid as I had to stuff my pockets with all the money I earned; I had forgotten to bring anything to store it in.
"That is a tricky situation you got yourself into," Sue remarked when I had finished. "Though I think you're wrong to want to not like him because he's better than you."
I looked at my feet, feeling ashamed. But it was just my personality; what could I say?
"You could probably learn a thing or two from him."
That jabbed me. I tried to keep silent and calm, and my temper under control. Even the thought of backing down to learn things from Chase burned me up. Yes, I considered him a friend, but that didn't mean I was over resenting him. I couldn't help feeling jealous.
"And one last thing: You've got it bad, girl."
This time my face shot up to stare at her. Sue was just nodding. "Yep. I'm betting you have one biiig crush on this Chase."
My cheeks were steadily growing hotter and hotter, and not from embarrassment alone. It was one thing to give in and ask for help from someone; it was another thing entirely to admit to liking them! I wasn't quite ready for that. Nooo way.
"P-Please, Sue. Now's not the time." I stood up from where I was sitting on a crate and walked down the beach, sitting down at a lone spot of sand by the waves to let my troubled mind go blank for a while.
Suddenly a voice startled me, thankfully not Chase's for once. He'd probably ask what was wrong if he noticed my sulking behavior.
"The fireworks show will be starting soon. Get good seats before they're gone!" Mayor Hamilton was the owner of the voice. He was standing up on the sidewalk with his ridiculous smile. I turned my back to him to glance around my spot, and was satisfied that I would have a pretty good view of the show. Nothing like fireworks to get your mind of things.
The sun was soon a sliver of gold on the horizon. A shrill whistle sounded through the cooling air as the first firework went off. It exploded into a million neon blue and red sparks and I couldn't help but let my mouth drop open a tiny bit.
"You enjoy fireworks too, huh?"
I congratulated myself as I didn't jump at Chase's voice for once. But I did whip my head around to stare at him with wide eyes. He was now in a fresh change of dry clothes - pretty much the same thing besides his apron.
"I... I thought you left," was I could think of to lamely say.
"Uh, yeah, but I never said I wouldn't be coming back."
"You never said you would be either."
"Well, I like fireworks. And... yeah."
I tilted my head. It was obvious he had been about to say something else, then seemed to catch himself. I could've sworn I saw some pink to his cheeks, but it was so dark now I couldn't be sure. My lips pursed as I hoped he hadn't been about to say what I thought.
"...You don't mind if I sit down, right?" he continued awkwardly after the silence.
I suddenly felt flustered. "Oh, yeah. I mean, no, I don't mind." I scooted over self-consciously to make a little more room for him, even though there really wasn't any need for it.
He sat down about a meter away right as the next firework went off without looking at me. I had to wrench my gaze away, much to my annoyance, and focus my attention on the fireworks.
When there was a pause while people got more stuff to light, Chase spoke up again.
"You know, I never knew my parents either." He sounded indifferent, but when I snapped around to look at him in bewilderment, even in this light I could see there was the smallest of frowns on his mouth. I frowned too.
"Who told you that I don't know my parents?" I tried to sound suspicious, though it came out more curious.
"Yolanda. Who else?"
I ignored his sarcastic tone and allowed him to continue.
"Unlike you, though, I don't even know their names. I don't even have a picture, so I can't remember their faces either. I guess..." A few more fireworks boomed and he waited for them to fade. "I guess that's why everyone at the Inn looks after me."
Chase gave he a small, almost shy smile so out of character I was taken aback. Once recovered, I returned it with more of a lopsidedness to it. "Maybe me too." I didn't really feel that now was the time to point out Yolanda and everyone else there except him was related to me. Sometimes it didn't feel like it.
"I guess we're not so different..." I mused aloud before I even realized what I was saying. I wasn't sure if Chase heard me, though, because his attention was on the next set of fireworks and he didn't answer me. After I mentally slapped myself, I thought over my blurt and found that it was pretty true. No parents to remember, a bit secretive with strangers, sarcastic personalities, love cooking...
I had to stop the list there before I really freaked myself out. Who would've thought?
