Howdy there friends. So...Funny story. As I went back and read the first two chapters I had already put on for Just Friends, I realized how rushed I made them and how poorly I felt they were written. I decided to rewrite them, and so here it is! I just put them together into one longer chapter, opposed to two short ones.

Well go on, reread it for me! :D

There comes a point in most peoples' lives when they have to grow up and start making decisions for themselves. They can't always lean back on their family and fold over in defeat when their parents say no. People have to own up, puff their chests out, and lay all their cards out on the table just to see what is going to happen next. And that is why I am where I am now: on a boat, leaving my life in the city far behind me. After 21 years of being a city slicker, I decided I needed a change of pace of the same old 9-5 office gig I had going on. So somehow I found an ad for Waffle Island, a small little island - shocker- in the middle of nowhere in the ocean.

Seriously. I mean it's in the middle of nowhere. I've been on this boat for the past three days, and I haven't seen any land since day one.

The ad was clear and to the point; Waffle Island needed a rancher. And the best part? No experience was needed. Just my luck, right? The brochure was colorful and bright, showing off all the "pretty" nature spots the island had to offer. My mom and dad scoffed when I originally told them I planned to quit my well-paying and cushy job. They did more than scoff - a full blown laugh - when I explained how I was moving around the world to become a rancher on some unknown island. It took awhile, but I eventually got them to understand and accept the fact. They just wanted me to be happy in the end, and they could see that what was going on in my life at the time wasn't doing the trick anymore.

My friends, however, were a different case entirely. They still don't get why I'm doing this. The kids I had known since birth had no idea what was so appealing to me about the idea. Who in their right mind would do such a random and crazy thing? They asked. I didn't have a good answer to give them, but all I knew that this was what I had to do. It was a gut instinct. After cracking countless jokes about the name Waffle Island, they moved onto another topic with another beer in hand.

"Hey Ryan. How are you holding up, my boy?" A deep voice smothered in a thick English accent asked. I looked over my shoulder and found Pascal, the boat's captain, making his way over to the railing with me. The three day boat ride took it's toll on me the first night, and Pascal has had the pity look in his eyes ever since.

I shrugged and gave him a smile, "A lot better than before, that's for sure. I think the only thing that's upsetting my stomach now is nerves."

He nodded understandingly and leaned against the railing. I did the same, and my eyes found a green speck in the distance surrounded by the blue waves. That must be it! Finally! After another moment, Pascal spoke again, "I'm sure you'll find everything you need on the island. Many people have in the past, and I'm sure many people will continue to do so in the future. It isn't everyday that a young man drops everything he's known to become a rancher of all things."

"I know. All my friends think I went insane."

He laughed merrily and shook his head, "Oh no. Not insane. Just a little bonkers. Don't you fret though, no one here will hold that against you!" I smiled in answer and he straighten himself, "Well we should be arriving in a matter of minutes. You can probably see the island now if your eyes aren't terrible! I'm going to go help dock, and you should go grab your bags."

He turned around and walked away, and I suddenly realized I was grabbing the cool metal rail a lot harder than I thought. I shook my hand, trying to get the circulation back, as I viewed the ever growing island in front of me. It was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. There was a lot of open green space covered in trees behind a small town. The town had a good handful of colorful houses, that were tucked away behind sandy white beaches. I could definitely get used to a place like this.

We eventually pulled up to shore and Pascal and two other guys started to tie the boat to the dock. I made my way back into my little room to collect not only my bags, but also my thoughts. This was it. After I stepped off this boat, there was no going back. Let's go Ryan, I thought to myself, it's time to roll. After a quick pep talked, that mostly consisted of how awesome I was, I headed out towards the front of the boat.

Pascal gave me a huge smile, "Well, we arrived! And you made it in one piece!"

I left my bags by my feet and shook his hand, "After that first night, I wasn't so sure I could go on for another two days. You got me through it though, so I have to thank you. For everything."

"Aww, don't think twice about it. You go on out there and win this island over! I'm sure we'll see each other around. Good luck, my boy!"

I nodded, "Thanks, see you," and walked unsteady onto solid ground. No one was really around, so I dropped my bags and leaned against a building's wall. I pulled a letter from my pocket and scanned the bottom instructions over again:

Your boat should arrive at the island around 1:30 on Thursday afternoon. I will meet you at the docks and give you a tour of the town along with showing you to your new house. Until then, bon voyage!

-Mayor Hamilton

I checked my watch. Yep, 1:45. It was just my luck: the boat got here late, and my guide had gotten impatient and ditched me. Awesome. I groaned, this would happen to me. I started to reach for my bags to go wander around when a voice called out, "Hello there! Excuse me! Hello!"

I looked around to find a short, and rather pudgy, man scurrying towards me. He was decked on in a matching blue suit, and his gray hair was flying in all directions. When he finally reached me, he took my hand, and began to shake it energetically, "Hello! Hello! You must be Ryan Scott! Oh, it is such a pleasure to meet you!"

I smiled, "Yes sir, that's me. Nice to meet you too. You're the mayor, I assume?" I asked, praying that I was right and wouldn't embarrass myself.

"Yes. Yes I am. But please, just call me Hamilton. I hope the boat ride wasn't too terrible?" He asked, straightening his jacket.

With a shake of my head, I replied, "Not at all. It was great considering I've never really been on a boat for that long before!" I decided to leave out the first night. It probably wouldn't make for a very good first impression. Just a guess.

"Oh good! Well it is very nice to finally meet you. If you're ready, I can show you to your new house. I'm sure you are very tired."

I shrugged. I wasn't tired, but all I wanted to do was lay down and relax. Well relax on a non-moving boat, that is. I followed Hamilton as he started walking down a brick path through the town. As we walked, he started pointing out random buildings: Clinic, General Store, the local inn, etc. I tried to commit them to memory, but I knew the would long be forgotten within the next hour. We passed only a few people along the way, but apart from a curious glance and a friendly smile, nothing was said. The mayor insisted that there would be plenty of time to meet everyone later.

"Here we are; this is it!" Hamilton suddenly said, stopping in his tracks. With his arms held up wide, he presented my new house to me. It was small, but then again I wasn't expecting much. It seemed to be about the same size as my old apartment from the outside. Besides, I didn't need all that much room for just myself and my two boxes of things I brought. I looked to the left of the house and found a small little field filled with various weeds, twigs, and branches. I didn't pay much attention to it because I figured I would explore the field more when I was about to start tending to the crops and everything.

The most exciting thing though was that I got my own mailbox. How cool was that? Back in the city, I had to share a mailbox with everyone in my building basically. Talk about an awkward Valentine's Day…

I guess I had an awed look on my face that tipped the mayor off, "Well I'll let you go inside and settle in. All the basics are in there: fridge, stove, oven, bed, everything you'll need to get started," He explained. I nodded and shook his hand again.

"Thanks a lot. I can't explain how excited I am right now!"

He chuckled, "Well we are very pleased to have you. Everyone is anxious to meet you, so perhaps after you get yourself set, you can head over to the town and meet the townsfolk? If you have any questions, you can find me at the Town Hall most of the time."

We said good-bye after I thanked Hamilton again, and I headed inside my new house. It was small, but big enough to be comfortable and not cramped. It had everything the mayor said it would, along with a big box with the word "TOOLS" painted on the lid. I opened it to find a hoe, sickle, watering can, hammer, and an axe. They were nothing fancy, just your basic tools. They were all I really needed anyways. I think. I don't know. I wasn't too sure how this whole farming thing went exactly.

I checked my watch and realized it had already been an hour since I got onto the island. I let that sink in for a moment - an hour into my new life - before deciding I should start to unpack my things.

It was rather depressing to realize 21 years of life could fit into two regular size boxes. On top of that, one box was filled with clothes. After putting all of my clothes into the dresser (mostly jeans, t-shirts, and a a couple hoodies), I set to making the bare house feel a little bit more like home. I nailed the Pokemon clock that my mom had gotten me for my 5th birthday up on the wall, praying I would remember to take that down before I had any girl over. A calendar went beside that. I tore the sheets that the bed had already and tossed them into a corner. They would probably have to be washed - Who knew who used them before?

After an hour of "interior decorating", I was pleased with how the house turned out. I sat down on the bed, pulled out my laptop, and wrote a quick email to my parents. I explained how I arrived, was safe, and moved in already. It was short, but I figured I could send a better one later in the week. This one was just to reassure them that I wasn't dead. I googled a few pointless things on the internet while trying to decide what my next move should be.

Hamilton's words rung in my head, "Meet the townsfolk!" Eh, why not? I would need to meet everyone at one point or another. Might as well get everything done in one day! I did a quick one-over in the mirror, decided I looked presentable enough, and made my way back into town. At least, I think I was headed in the direction of the town. I wasn't too sure. The island was pretty big after all.

Eventually, I found the Town Hall of Waffle Island. I walked in and was immediately greeted by a cute looking girl with short brown hair, "Oh! You must be Ryan!" She had a soft voice and a bright smile. She was probably a few years older than me though.

"Yep. That's me!" I said, walking further into the building. She was sitting behind the counter so I reached out to shake her hand.

She smiled again, "Hi, I'm Elli. I work for the mayor. It's nice to-"

"ELLI!" A sharp voice interrupted her sentence, "Who are you talking to? You are supposed to be working!" A guy, probably around my age, walked down the stairs. He had long blonde hair and a sharp nose. He was dressed in a sweater vest and a pair of plaid shorts. Either this kid was the Know-It-All type, or he just had no sense in style. Judging by his high and somewhat nasally voice, I was going to guess the first one.

Elli just rolled her eyes and teased, "I am working, you moron. I'm introducing myself to the new islander, which if you look, is part of my job description! Gil, this is Ryan. Ryan, this is Gil!"

The boy, Gil, looked over at me. He gave me an up and down and then flipped the hair out of his eyes. He didn't seem all that impressed. He nodded, "Yeah, well I'm Gil. The mayor is my father."

The resemble wasn't very clear, but I wasn't going to question or mention it. I stuck my hand out, but Gil just eyed it wearily before turning on his heels and heading back up the stairs. I glanced at Elli hopelessly, but she just shrugged in return.

"He isn't a very pleasant fellow most of the time. Don't pay any mind to him. Everyone else on this island is so sweet, so don't let Gil ruin your first impression on us!"

I gave her a smile, "Of course not. I'll see you around, Elli. I'm off to meet everyone else! See you."

And boy, did I meet everyone else. My mind was spinning trying to keep names with faces and faces with stores. Simon and his wife Barbara owned the General Store. Jin and Irene ran the local Clinic. Jake and Colleen run the Inn. The Inn's food is cooked by Yolanda (who has pink hair, should I be concerned?) and served by Chase and Maya. Craig and Ruth are fellow farmers, along with their daughter, Anissa. And finally, the tailor shop belonged to Shelly and her two granddaughters, Luna and Candace.

There were still a few buildings to check and a lot more people to meet, but it was getting late and my eyelids were starting to get heavy. I was pleased with my progress so far though. Everyone I met seemed really kind and helpful, so I figured this couldn't be a terrible place to live. Hell, there were even some cute girls here. Bonus!

"Yo!"

I jumped at the sudden voice. I turned around to see a young guy with blue hair leaning against a tree. As he waved me over with a gloved hand, I realized what his other hand was holding. An axe. Um, call me crazy, but I think talking to strange blue haired guys who carry axes around at night usually is frowned upon. But…This was a new place to me, and I wasn't exactly sure how it operated, so maybe this was normal! So after a second debate of "He is so going to kill you," and, "No. He's not!", I took a deep breath and headed towards him.

"Who are you?" He asked when I reached him. He stayed relaxed against the tree, but his golden cat-like eyes were curiously looking me over. He really did have blue hair. Why do people on this island have such weirdly colored hair?!

I sighed, this was about the millionth time I had to explain this today. I rushed out that I was the new farmer, my name was Ryan, and how I just moved here. His eyes trailed off after about five seconds into my speech, but when I said farmer, they snapped right back.

"Ahh. So you're replacing Kevin? Finally. Only took this island about six months to move on," He said. I asked him what he meant by that, but he just shrugged, "Not important. The name's Luke. I work at the Carpenter's with my dad and little bro."

That explained the axe. I think.

I tried to shake his hand, but he misread the signal and gave me a high five instead. He didn't even think twice about it. We talked for a few more minutes about pointless things before Luke asked, "Hey. I was just about to head off to the bar. You wanna come with? We could chill for awhile longer!"

I was just about to say yes when I remembered how long my day had been. It was only around 9 at night, but it felt much later. I replied, "Actually, I was going to head home and get some sleep." Luke looked genuinely disappointed to hear that, so I offered we could go tomorrow night. We said good-bye and headed in the opposite directions. I found my house a lot easier than I thought, and the second I laid down on the bed, I was out like a light.

Waking up the next morning was a pain. I tried setting my alarm for six o'clock - you know, farmer hours - but ended up not rolling out of bed until a little after 7. Even that is early for me. After reading a quick how-to book I found in the tool box, I was out in the field. I slammed the hoe into the soil and sighed in frustration. This was taking forever to start planting. It took me over an hour and a half just to clear the field of weeds and various rock/branches. And this whole "hoeing" (Is that the proper conjugation? Eh, who cares.) thing was not going to make the list of my favorite activities.

Thankfully, and I mean that, it was still early into spring, so the weather was cooperating well. The air was still pretty cool and the sun wasn't beating down on me quite just yet. I didn't want to think about how difficult it was going to be doing all this work in the summer. I pushed that thought out of my head and got back to work. After another hour all the seeds were planted and I was just finishing watering them all. I was sitting with my back against a tree near the field, taking a break, and a voice called out.

"You look like you're working hard!"

I looked over to see Renee, the daughter from Brownie Ranch, walking over off the trail. I waved and then pointed to my newly finished fields, "Hey now. Look at all that work I got done!" It was then when I realized how sweaty and probably gross looking I was. Perfect conditions for talking to a girl. A cute girl. I decided Renee was cute as she got closer. Her short brown hair framed her face, and her light brown eyes had a teasing look about them.

She just laughed, "Okay, I guess you're right. The field is looking awesome, by the way. I bet you're worn out, huh?"

I shrugged, "It hasn't hit me yet. I'm sure if you check back in in about an hour or so, I'll be dead though!"

She began to walk around the tree and I ended up looking up at her. She glanced down, "Well you might want to try and stay alive for a bit longer because I came here for a reason!" She pointed towards the large wooden building that hide behind my house. She said, "That's a barn, in case you didn't assume that already. Here, follow me."

I got up, with a little reluctance, and trailed behind her to the barn. She showed me the inside, which was mostly empty apart from left over hay and the feeding bins. She also showed me the door that lead into the chicken coop.

"My parents are willing to give you a baby calf and chicken for free if you promise to work hard and take good care of them…" Renee said suddenly. I looked at her in surprise, not sure how to reply. She grinned, "It's a welcome to the island gift. If you don't want it though…"

I interrupted her, "Oh no no no. That'd the perfect actually, but I don't want to impose or anything. I don't want the island to think I mooch off people!"

"It's fine. We did it for the last guy here too. We're more than happy to help," She smiled and began towards the door, "Come with me. We'll go back to Brownie and get you set up!"

After I got back to my farm, I was the new and proud owner of a baby calf and a baby chick. The hardest part was naming them. Renee helped out and the cow was now known as Queen and the chick was Rori. Not bad, I decide. Renee's dad taught me how to care for each animal, and her mother supplied with me a brush and a milker. I literally couldn't get over how nice these people were, and I found myself saying thank you over a thousand times.

Renee and I were just closing the barn doors to go back outside when Luke came strolling over, "Hey! What's up, Renee?!" He asked loudly.

"Oh, nothing much. How are you?"

Luke grinned widely, "I'm stellar. I was just going to see if Ryan was free to kick it. That's why I'm here!"

I nodded, "Sure. I just finished work for today, I think." I gave Renee a curious look, asking if there was anything else she needed to tell me, and she shook her head. "In that case, I'm good to go. I might need to shower though…"

"I should be going. I kind of skipped all my chores today to come here…" Renee mumbled, sighing as well. I thanked her again for all of her help and gave her a big hug. Next thing I know, she had a big blush on her face and she stampeded out a good-bye to Luke and I before leaving. Huh. A blush. That's usually a good sign, right?

As soon as she was out of hearing range, Luke bombarded me with questions.

"Is something going on?"

"Do you like her?"

"Does she like you?"

"Bro, are you going to ask her out?"

"When are you going to ask her out?"

"Want help asking her out?"

"Bro. She wants the D."

A little overwhelmed, I just told him that nothing was going on. It was the first time we actually talked. Which was true. He accepted that answer and changed the subject.

"Are you down to hang at the bar tonight? I might need a wingman. I could totally be yours too!"

I thought about it for a second before I agreed. Luke seemed like a cool guy, and I could use a couple of friends on the island. I nodded, "Yeah, that works. What time?"

He paused, check his watch, and said, "Eh…It's like 5 o'clock now, so how about 9? You could shower and take a nap - cause bro, you look dead - and we can meet up at the Inn then? Bueno?"

We agreed on a time and Luke left with a wave. I went back into my house and realized how hungry I was. The fridge though, when I check, was of course, empty. Figuring it would kill some time, I headed out the door in search of the General Store. I tried to recall it's location from memory, but it was no use. After twenty minutes, I faced the fact: I was lost. Everything in this town was in walking distance, so why was it so hard to find the main town?!

I was relieved when I crossed paths with Hamilton. I waved him over, and he greeted me, "Why hello! How was your first day?"

"Great. It was busy though, but I supposed I should get used to that." He nodded, and I continued, "I was actually looking for the General Store? My fridge is empty."

He nodded excitedly. Apparently, he didn't get asked for much help or something because he was very happy to help out. Hamilton basically grabbed my hands and ran the entire way to the store. He pushed me through then door and announced, "Ryan needs food!"

I was met with two very strange looks for the store-owners, Barbara and Simon. I laughed nervously and said, "Uh yeah. I should have stopped in last night, but it slipped my mind. Hamilton was nice enough to show me the way cause I got lost.."

They nodded in understanding. Barbara stepped forward, asked what food I need, and ran off to collect it after I gave her the list I wrote. I handed her the money, thanked both of them, and exited through the front door. Hamilton left right after he shoved me through the door, so I had to find my own way back home. Thankfully, I did without too much trouble. When I got back home, I put the groceries away and tried to think of what to have to eat. I decided on Mac N Cheese and a Coca-Cola. It doesn't sound like much, but it was probably my favorite thing to eat ever.

I adjusted the small TV in the house so I could see it from my bed; I should probably invest in some chairs or a couch before too long. I sat on the bed and flipped the TV on. Just like I thought, there were only a handful of channels the island offered. I settled on the local news and was met by Elli's face in front of a weather map. She was smiling and spoke with pep in her voice, "If you're just joining us, I was explaining how there's a 80% chance of rain tomorrow morning, and how it should stop by midday."

Pro Farmer Time: This meant I wouldn't have to water the seeds I had just planted today the next morning. Score.

The camera on the TV suddenly switched and Gill's face appeared where Elli's once was. He drawled in a share voice, "Thank you, Elli. A big welcome to Ryan, the newest member of our island's family. I'm sure everyone will be very kind and open to him as he begins to settle in." There was some definite ice in his voice; it was easy to tell. I wasn't sure why this kid seemed to dislike me so much after only speaking a few words. I literally think I only spoke about five words to him. I don't think anything I said could have offended him so much. I didn't do anything!

After a few more minutes of TV, I glanced at the clock. I debated for half a second on whether or not I had enough time to take a nap before meeting up with Luke. Who was I kidding though? There was always enough time for a nap! I shut the TV off and crawled under the covers on my bed. I had barely laid my head on the pillow before I was out like a light.

Still slightly groggy, I walked up to Luke. He was bouncing on his feet, hands stuffed deep into his pockets, "Yo, what's up bro?"

I shrugged, "How's it going?"

"Pretty good. I'm stoked for tonight. Well - actually - before we go in, I need a favor. Usually I would have my little bro - Bo - do this, but he gets real nervous around girls… Wanna be my wing-man for the night?" He explained, rolling his eyes with the mention of his little brother.

I laughed and shrugged, "Sure. Not a problem. Any certain girls you're trying to impress?" Luke's face turned bright red, and I knew I had guessed right. "Aww, who is it?" I asked.

His blush deepened, and he muttered something under his breath that I didn't catch. It was sort of funny seeing him get so nervous on the topic of girls. I asked him to speak up and he said, "Candace…"

Well, that was surprising. That pair seemed like total polar opposites. Candace was so quiet that I had to work hard to get her to speak a whole five words when I first met her. Luke, on the other hand, was like a five year old kid with ADHD who had an energy drink. Make that TWO energy drinks.

"It's sorta a new thing. I just started to like her a few weeks ago. I never really noticed her; She's kinda a wallflower, 'ya know?" He explained so fast that I had a hard time keeping up. He continued, "But then one day I tore my bandana and had to take it to the tailor. Candace fixed it up so good that you can barely even notice! I was super impressed. Then she just smiled at me, and it was like - BAM! I was a goner."

I patted the kid on the back and nodded, "I feel you. I totally understand. I'd be happy to be your wingman."

Luke pumped a fist in the air, "Sweet!" He rubbed his hands together as if he was about to do some tough physical labor, "Let's go!"

I had been in the bar once already when I introduced myself to the owners of the Sundae Inn, where the bar was located. A few people were scattered among the tables that were in between the Inn's desk and the bar's counter. I recognized a few people: Maya and Chase, the two cooks/waiters, were sitting across each other. The Inn's owners, Jake and Colleen, were talking, and even Mayor Hamilton was enjoying a drink. Luke walked up to the counter and shouted, "Hayden! My man! What's up?"

The bartender, Hayden, lifted his head in acknowledgement to Luke's greeting. This man was huge, and looked like he could crush me in a second. It didn't look like he ever skipped a day at the gym when he was younger, or maybe even still now. He looked like the kind of guy who would eat you alive if you ever dated his daughter.

Luke, though, was not fazed at all, "Hook us up with two blueberry cocktails, would ya?"

Hayden nodded, but then he shifted his gaze over to me, "Who are you?" he asked gruffly.

I hesitated for a minute, but soon held my hand out and said, "I'm Ryan. I just moved here." When his hand reached over, I immediately flinched, expecting his handshake to put mine out of commission for awhile. Surprisingly though, he just shook it friendly-like and gave me a warm smile.

"Welcome then. Nice to meet you," He said. He went to go make the drinks and said, "Jake mentioned you before. He said you're the new rancher?"

"Yes sir."

He laughed, but it sounded more like a bark in a way, "Then you've got your work cut out for you. Don't worry about the bill tonight, it's on the house. Consider it a welcoming gift."

Luke pumped his fist into the air again, "Hell yeah! Thanks, Hayd!" Luke lead me over to the tables, where we started to hash out a battle plan to help him win Candace over. I was okay with girls: Not a loser, but also not a player. I gave him some simple advice to start off with:

1. He would have to get past her shyness. He can't get anywhere with her in a relationship sense if she's too busy hiding behind her hair. He'd also have to accept the fact that she IS shy and learn how to work around it.

2. He would have to get her to open up and let him in, so he can learn more about her and the things she likes. Find out what to talk about.

3. In order to get number 2 to work well, she would have to trust him. He had to show her that he is a really nice guy who generally just cares about her a lot.

Luke was listening so intently to the advice I was giving him that I was somewhat expecting him to whip out a notebook and start taking notes.

"Here's where you can start…Figure out what kind of flowers she really likes," I offered, bringing the drink Luke ordered me to my lips. It was a little fruity and really girly, but overall not that bad. Not bad at all actually.

"Why?"

"So you can give her the flowers. Girls love it when guys do that, especially randomly without a real reason. It's thoughtful!"

Luke thought about this, "Well how do you figure out what kind of flowers she likes?"

A voice suddenly spoke from behind me, "Flowers who likes? Aw! Are you trying to woo me, Lucas?" I turned around to see who was talking, but as soon as I did so, my mouth went dry. This girl was gorgeous. I mean, there's not even a good enough word to explain it. Long blonde hair was thrown into a ponytail, and her bangs were brushed aside to reveal big green eyes. My heart rate had to have doubled when I first saw her.

It probably didn't help that she was in a mini-skirt either…

Luke broke out into a grin and replied sarcastically, "Oh yeah. You know it! You're the only one for me, boo!" I didn't understand how Luke could be so unaffected by her presence. I didn't understand how he wasn't getting all nervous like I was!

She smiled and I swore her attractiveness went up another 10 levels, something I didn't think was possible. She rested the tray of drinks that she was carrying on her hips, "Well, let's see. You can start the process of wooing me by, first, bringing me flowers everyday. That's a good start!"

I just sat there for awhile as the two of them continued to joke around and laugh. I remained quiet, trying to find my voice and the words to say to introduce myself. Or words at all. Just say something, Ryan! Anything!

"Oh! My bad! I totally forgot to introduce myself," she said, moving her eyes onto me.

I stuttered, caught of guard by the attention, "Oh. Uh…My name is R-Ryan," I managed to get out. I could feel my face heating up after I tripped over my words, and I prayed she didn't notice.

"Well, Ryan, it's nice to meet you. I'd shake your hand, but this tray is starting to get a little heavy," She explained, shifting said tray over to her other side. She smiled, "Besides, I think Hamilton is about to call my over for another drink in…3…2…"

"Kathy! Kathy, I need you!" Hamilton yelled from across the room. Kathy just rolled her eyes playfully and laughed.

"I'll stop by in a little bit on my break, okay? Holler if you need anything!" She walked away and it was hard to tear my eyes away from her retreating figure.

Luke, though, didn't even seem to care that she left. He went straight into pounding me with questions about my life and the city. He had grown up on the island his entire life, so he was curious about the "outside world". I explained to him that the city was an okay place to live, although it did get crowded easily. There were some cool things to do and see though. He suddenly cut me off though and whispered, "Bro! There she is!" His "whisper" was more like a ragged yell. He was rushing to smooth down his hair when Candace walked over.

She spoke so quietly that I almost didn't catch was she said, "Thank you for inviting me tonight."

She sat down in between Luke and I, and there was only a minute or two of small talk (awkward talk). Soon enough, Luke began to just take control of the conversation and steer it anyway he wanted. Sure, he was doing most of the talking, but he gave Candace plenty of room to speak too. I even saw her crack a genuine smile a few times. I had to admit, she was actually sort of pretty now that she wasn't hiding behind her sewing machine. She was all Luke's though. I would make sure of that.

Best wingman ever.

Out of nowhere a loud crash and the shattering of glass made everyone in the room jump and look around. No one said anything until a voice in the back yelled, "Dammit!" I craned my neck to see the blonde girl who was over here before kneeling down to pick up glass.

I quickly excused myself from the table by saying, "I'll be right back," and headed over. I was surprised no one else got home and offered to help except me. I kneeled beside her and began picking up pieces of glass before I even asked, "Need any help?"

"Oh thanks! I'm such a klutz sometimes; it's ridiculous," She said, laughing quietly at herself. We finished throwing what seemed to be a couple of broken mugs back onto the tray.

I lifted it up before she got the chance, "Where would you like this?"

She told me to just follow her and lead me into a room behind the bar's counter. It was a pretty small room that was just filled with a some hanging cabinets and a sink that held a pile of dirty dishes. She took the tray from me and dumped the broken shards into the opposite side of the sink. She looked back at me, wiping her hands on her apron, and said, "You're the new guy I just met. Ryan, right?"

I nodded, trying not to jump for joy at the mention of her remembering my name. Play it cool, Ryan. I replied, "Yeah, that would be me. I don't think I ever got your name, though…"

"Kathy St. Thomas," She said, sticking her hand out. She had a surprisingly firm handshake for a girl. And I couldn't help but notice how warm and soft her hands were. Not to be creepy!

Wow. No matter what, that just sounds creepy.

She was really pretty, I realized. I mean, I knew she was pretty before, but now that I was closer up, I realized just how pretty. Like insanely pretty. I never knew what people meant when they said a person had nice cheekbones, but whatever they were, Kathy had them. She also had these really green eyes hidden behind long eyelashes. She had a cute little nose where a some golden freckles were splashed across. She was a few inches shorter than me and my six foot even.

Wow, now I sound even creepier describing her. I'm losing it.

"Kathy," I repeated, "Nice name."

She smiled, and I realized she had dimples too. Not obvious ones, but the kind of dimples that make you want to keep her smiling just so you can see them.

Before even thinking of the consequences, I blustered out, "Can I buy you a drink or something? On your break?" Right after the words left my mouth, I wanted to shove them back in. It was such an unsmooth way to ask a girl out. Usually I'm a lot smoother, but then again, most girls aren't this attractive.

With a laugh, Kathy took a step back. She moved her head up and down my body so slowly in order to check me out that I knew she was just kidding. She looked back up at me and asked slyly, "Depends…What are your intentions?"

I feigned innocence, "What? Can't a guy ask if a girl wants a drink without having any deeper motives? Maybe I just want to blow some cash that's burning a whole in my pocket!"

She raised an eyebrow mockingly, "Uh-huh."

I continued to play along, "Fine. If you must know, here we go: First, I intend to get you completely smashed."

"Sounds interesting. Please go on."

"Then I plan on bringing you back to my place. You'll be too out of it to remember not to go back to stranger's homes. Then, I'll bust some moves and seduce you."

She was trying to hold back a laugh. She commented, "Oh good. Everyone could use a good seducing every once in awhile."

"My thoughts exactly. Good, we're on the same page. And then you'll be too distracted by me and my seducingness, you won't notice me stealing your money and knocking you out."

She gasped dramatically, "And what do you intend to do with my unconscious body?!"

I shrugged, "I don't know. Probably just add it to my collection of girls silly enough to accept my offer for a drink." I paused and winked at her, "Interested?"

She placed a hand on her heart, "Well as totally romantic and tempting as that sounds…I would totally accept…"

"You can even have your own coffin…" I added.

She cracked a smile, "If only I was 21."

I tried not to show how disappointed I was. Trying to keep up the act, I replied, "Oh well. There are plenty of other girls to lure into my trap then, I suppose."

"I'm sure you'll find somebody else," She said, her voice thick with sarcastic sympathy. There was a moment of silence where we just looked at each other before bursting into the laughter we had been trying to hold back. She collected herself long enough to ask, "Do you really have a collection of girls?" before starting to laugh all over again.

I scoffed. "Oh yeah, of course. I keep them hidden under my bed." I tried to do that crooked smile thing I heard girls find attractive, but I'm not sure if it was successful or not. I couldn't help but think about how I had just met this girl, and it already felt like we had been best friends for awhile.

She rolled her eyes and walked past me back into the bar, "Well, Ryan, it was nice meeting you. I'm honored you told me all about you and your seducingness out of everyone in this bar. I have to get back to work though, and I'm guessing you have to get to bed soon. Farming and all meaning waking up early."

I shrugged; I wasn't tired five minutes ago, but now that she mentioned it, I could feel the heaviness behind my eyelids. I looked over to Luke and Candace, but after I realized how much fun they were having on their own, I decided it was better if I didm't go interrupt to say goodnight. I looked back to Kathy who was smiling over at their table too, "I guess you're right. I'll see you around?"

She nodded, "Yeah, more than likely. I work her every night but Sundays. I'm always walking around town though during the day. If you ever want to talk or hang out, you know where to find me!"

I smiled, "Sounds good. I'll let you get back to work then. Nice meeting you."

"Backatcha. Oh, and thanks again for helping me out earlier!"

I made my way to the door, but as I reached for the handle, the door swung open from the other side. A big guy, probably a solid 3 inches taller than me strolled in, bumping his shoulder roughly against mine. I was going to say something, but then I saw how huge he really was. He could probably crush me just by staring at me long enough. He bellowed, "Kathy! I'm here, baby!" as he walked in.

My shoulders slumped, of course a girl like that already had a boyfriend. I was stupid to think someone wouldn't have already "claimed" her by now. Well…Maybe there was still a small chance for me. A little hope. Right?

I hope there was a little hope.

Well, there you guys go! Hope this was written better than my first two original chapters! Please feel free to leave a review to let me know how I'm doing. Thanks for stopping by! :)