Golden Ranch
Chapter One
The wind playfully whipped her hair around, making Chelsea smile. It was only a few days since she got her new haircut, and she still had to get used to the lightness on her shoulders. After perhaps seventeen years of wearing long, heavy ponytails, it was a welcome improvement. Chelsea could remember sitting on the salon chair, watching with muted dismay as the long tresses fell prey to the hairdresser's scissors. It wasn't long before he had finished styling and blow-drying her hair, turning the chair so she could see her reflection.
"Ain't you just a beauty." He cooed fondly. "It's too bad you're moving away. I'm gonna miss having someone like you around here. Ah well, the chickling's got to leave the nest some day or the other."
"I'm gonna miss working here too." Chelsea sincerely offered. "You've been an awesome boss."
"I am, aren't I?" Her boss flashed a smile at the mirror, checking out his teeth. "You're leaving with that hunk, aren't you?"
She laughed. "Who?"
"Who else?" Her boss flipped his lustrous locks. "I still can't believe his hair's natural. Rawwrr…"
"You're one to talk," she scoffed. "You're got green hair. You look like a tree with your tan."
"Well, I'm a sexy tree!" At his indignant tone, she burst into giggles.
Chelsea leaned on the rail and ignored the water spraying her skin from time to time. The wind made the water feel cold, but it was more refreshing than anything else. She turned her head to contemplate her companion, who was standing in a similar position.
"Isn't this great, Vaughn?" She grinned. "We're off on our own adventure. I can't wait to get to the farm!"
Her companion offered no other response, except for an 'mmhmm'. He inhaled deeply, fighting down nausea, silver head hung over the rail just in case bile decided to come up. Overhead, the sky continued to paint itself the colors of sunrise.
Chelsea looked over at him and began to laugh. "Wow, I didn't know you get seasick!"
Vaughn groaned as he struggled to clear his lightheadedness. "Neither did I."
"Well, get used to it, big guy." She gave him a soft punch. "'Cause we're gonna be stuck here for two whole days.'"
"Great." He grunted. To think that he could have died by a bullet or a freak accident. Instead, he'll perish a slow death by seasickness. He said as much, and Chelsea laughed again. At least one of them was getting some amusement out of his situation, he thought. He sure wasn't.
"Hello!" A cheerful young sailor greeted as walked by. "I noticed your friend isn't looking so well. He okay?"
Vaughn muttered to himself how nosey some people could get. Chelsea nudged him and nodded at the sailor. "He's fine. We're just not used to traveling by boat is all."
"Oh. Wanna tip?"
She shrugged. "Sure."
"Try focusing your attention on something far away. Makes your brain think you're not moving so much. Ginger tea also helps."
Chelsea thanked the man and he walked away, whistling something merry. Vaughn sighed and rubbed his temples. "I don't get how people can be so cheerful in the morning. It's so annoying." At this, he pointedly glanced at Chelsea's direction, and then looked away, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.
It took a few seconds for that to sink in. Chelsea puffed out her cheeks and put her fists on her hips."Hey, what are you implying? I'm annoying?"
"You're Chelsea." He replied, as if that explained everything.
"Ugh!" She swung her fist at him, a futile effort on her part. He had anticipated it, clutching both her wrists as she struggled.
He tutted. "Still a little shrimp after all this time?"
"Am not! You're just tall!"
"Same difference." Vaughn released her wrists and ruffled her hair. "You're still short to me." She growled at that one, huffing as she fixed her bandana.
"God. I can't believe I put up with you all these years." She stuck her nose in her hair. "I'm not talking to you anymore."
Vaughn smiled to himself and shook his head, leaning on the rail again. They continued on in comfortable silence, waiting for the sun to peek. Chelsea forgot about her half-hearted grudge as she shielded her eyes against the sun's sudden glare.
"The breeze sure is nice." She smiled sweetly. Vaughn decided to store that moment in his memory, to be put down on paper later.
"Come on," he urged. "Let's get some breakfast."
She rolled her eyes. "Boys. Always thinking about food."
Just as they were about to return, a pair of siblings (from the looks of it, they could've been twins) stepped out on the deck. They both had curious pink hair, and the older-looking one was berating the younger-looking one about being so lazy. "Honestly, Elliot, no wonder why you're so weak."
"Don't call me that. Who in their right minds wake up pre-dawn?"
"Real men, that's who. Grow some balls." The girl spotted the other two people on deck. "Hey, turns out we're not the only kids on this ship, thank god." She walked towards Chelsea and thrust out a hand. "Hi. My name's Natalie. I've been stuck on this boat for six whole days with no one but my wimp of a brother for company. Currently dying of boredom. Nice to meet ya."
"Uh…hi." Chelsea reluctantly shook her hand. "I'm Chelsea, and this is Vaughn. We just arrived."
"'Sup." Natalie then thrust her hand at Vaughn. He shook it wordlessly, then stepped back. Natalie turned to her brother. "You saw that Elliot? He's got a good strong grip. Try practicing that."
The boy named Elliot gulped and took his big sister's advice. "M-My name's Elliot. Pleased to m-meet you."
"So," Natalie said after introductions were over, "Where were you guys headed?"
"Breakfast." Chelsea made it sound like a question.
"Great." The pink-haired girl slung her arm around the shorter brunette. "Let's go together, then. You can meet my mom and my gramps." Chelsea shot Vaughn an alarmed look, before she was led away to the direction of the boat's restaurant.
Well, it wasn't much of a restaurant, per se. It was more of a room with a bar and some tables. One table was being occupied by a woman with the same pink hair as Natalie and an old-timer who had liver spots instead of hair.
"Oh my! Are those new friends, children?" The woman exclaimed with a smile, never once opening her eyes.
"Yup. Mom, this is Vaughn and Chelsea." Natalie introduced.
"Hello, dears. Sit down and have breakfast with us?"
"Oh, uh, we wouldn't want to intrude…" Chelsea trailed off as she found the old man giving Vaughn the 'elevator eyes', which was rather disturbing on many levels. Vaughn fought off the blatant stare with a glare.
"He'll do! Scrawny, but with enough work, he'll make a great rancher!" The old geezer announced, a loose tooth making him whistle some parts of the words.
"Excuse me?" Vaughn blinked in bewilderment. The old man whacked his knee with his heavy cane, making Vaughn wince softly.
"Siddown, laddie boy, and I'll tell you about my glory days as the world's best rancher!"
Chelsea whispered in Natalie's ear. "That's your grandpa?"
"Yep. He's a bit wonkers and tends to exaggerate, but he's cool."
She could certainly see who Natalie took after. They all sat down and ordered breakfast, Natalie and Elliot's mom insisting on treating them both. Chelsea soon found herself in an easy conversation with them, mildly amused as the grandfather told Vaughn outrageous stories about farming.
"—So there I was, faced against a giant carrot. I knew I couldn't handle it alone, so I ordered in some backup. Believe me when I tell you harvesting crops isn't—"
She smiled inwardly at the tale, knowing more than anyone else how Vaughn detested carrots.
"So, Chelsea." Felicia interrupted. "Where are you headed to?"
The brunette stopped picking at her omelet. "Oh, me and Vaughn? We're going to Mineral Town. We're thinking of taking up the farm for sale there."
"Is that so? How lovely. My family and I wish to move to a small island for a change of scenery."
The conversation went on to more mundane topics until an hour went by and everyone had finished breakfast.
"That was great. Thanks for breakfast." Chelsea expressed her gratitude for Felicia and Old Taro's (wasn't that the name of a vegetable?) benevolence, before being dragged out to the deck again by Natalie. Vaughn excused himself sometime after, retreating to their room to keep the swaying motion from getting to him. Elliot left as well, making a similar excuse.
"Let them leave, the pansies," Natalie scoffed, and both she and Chelsea laughed.
Neither of them were aware of the storm looming on the horizon.
I think we all know where this is going, no? Let me know who's sticking around :D