Confinement
Part I
AN: I suppose Karen is quite out of character in this one, depending on how you think of her. But I've been playing Harvest Moon and found her character very interesting, and with some sprinkles of imagination, this story was born. And wow, that sounded insanely cheesy. Oh well. Read, and review if you'd like. I'd feel special. ^___^
It was warm out, that first day. I'd been leaning in the back corner of the supermarket-there were hardly any customers on Wednesday mornings-and reading a book, when he walked in. I almost didn't look up from my book, but I heard my dad spouting some crap to him about "it'll be great having a new face in town," and, "good luck running that farm all by yourself," and then, "Have you met my daughter Karen yet?"
That got me to look up. My dad pointed at me and the guy smiled at me. He was fairly handsome-nice body, but geeky hat. "Hi." He said nervously.
"Hey. Who're you?" I asked shortly. Popuri was probably already set on having him. Freaky pink hair girl.
"Jack." He said, staring down at his feet.
"Real chatterbox, aren't you." I commented dryly, and went back to my book.
Distantly I heard my dad saying apologizing for my apparent rudeness. I've always hated people who apologize for you, almost as much as I hate people who make your choices for you. That's why I hate my parents.
I started doodling on the inside cover of my book. Only a few customers came in, and my dad helped all of them. Before I knew it, the clock read 4 and I was out of there.
I decided to go visit Ann.we were good friends, so I could always get a few drinks on the house if I came before the evening rush. I usually didn't start drinking this early, but I was bored. Depressing day.
When I walked into the bar, I was greeted by screams and giggles. Ann and Popuri rushed over to me. "Did you meet Jack?" Popuri squealed, her high- pitched voice making my eardrums ache.
"Yeah." I was feeling monosyllabic.
"Isn't he sooooo cute?" Ann gushed.
"Sure." Remind me again why I was friends with these people?
"Are you going to make a go for him?" They asked me eagerly.
"No."
"Karennnn! Why not? I mean, you have Rick as a boyfriend! You totally deserve someone cuter!"
"So?" Shallow, shallow people.
Popuri sighed in disgust and flounced off, but Ann sat down at a table with me. "Karen, what's up?"
"This town sucks. Everything sucks." I put my head down on the tabletop. It smelled like stale whiskey. "I need alcohol." Ann squeezed my hand and brought me a beer.
"You're starting early." She commented.
"This town sucks." I repeated. She gave me a look.
"Karen, I worry about you."
"Why don't you just fuck off?" She looked hurt. Why does she even put up with my crap? Damn good friend.
"Sorry Ann.just having a crappy day." She nodded, then did this weird gasp thing and jumped in her chair, nudging me hard in the ribs. "OW!" I yelped.
Jack, who had just entered the bar and was the cause of Ann's seizure, looked over at us. He was, now that I had a better view, damn sexy. He had this tired, hangdog look that must have come from working on the farm all day, and nice muscles. Not huge, but nice. Still had that stupid hat on though.
Ann, of course, had to wave her stupid hand and call Jack over to our table. "Come sit with us!"
He wandered over, smiling slightly, and took a chair between us. "How are you two?"
I didn't even bother to answer. Ann, however, chirped a cheery, "Great! You?"
"Let me tell you," he mock-sighed, "the farm life is not all it's cracked to be. It's hard work!"
He went on like that for some time. I had spaced off for a while when I heard him saying my name. "Karen? Karen?"
"What?"
I looked over and noticed Ann was gone. I'd yell at her later for setting me up.
"I just asked if I could buy you a drink."
I was about to refuse, since it was coming from him, but who am I to turn down a free beer? "Sure, why not."
He grinned. "So what do you want to talk about?"
I gave him a confused look. I couldn't tell if he was joking, just trying to be polite, or actually interested in what I had to say. From my experience with guys, it would be choice number 1.
But I decided to try my luck. "Why the hell did you want to come here, to Mineral Town?"
He looked slightly taken aback at my vehemence, but then started talking. "You think this town sucks? Have you ever even been to a big city?"
I shook my head. Despite myself, I found I was interested in what he had to say.
"The city.is like the big bad wolf compared to this place. This place has never lost its innocence." Interesting. He was interesting. I pried my eyes off his face for a second and saw Rick waving at me from another table. A good excuse to get away-I didn't want to get to know him too well, because one, I'd never hear the end of it from Ann and Popuri, and two, I like Rick. Or I've forced myself into believing I like Rick.
My parents have this.thing. The thing is that I'm supposed to stop drinking so much, get married, and live happily ever after so they don't have to be ashamed of me. I couldn't care less what they think of me.
But nevertheless, I deduced sometime ago that I'd probably be the closest to happiness with Rick, so I've sort of made myself believe that I love him. It hasn't worked as well as I thought it would.
I walked over to him. He handed me a beer, my third. I could usually tolerate up to five before I got all woozy and crazy. He slung his arm around my waist and I instinctively flinched, but he didn't notice. Rick's an okay guy, but he's way too overbearing. The way he was wailing on Kai for dating Popuri last summer.
We went outside after I finished my drink, walked on the beach for a while. I think it was supposed to be romantic or something. He kissed me a couple times, and I responded automatically. It didn't go far-he was always a shy one. I had plenty of experience with the not so shy ones, since about two years ago; I'd gotten so bored that I started kissing any guy who had lips. It was an interesting part of my life, to say the least. It at least got me off the drinking for a bit.I really do get more a rush from making out than alcohol. But this apparently, as Ann informed, got me a reputation as the town slut, so I eventually stopped.
Now I had a rep as the town's newest drunk. I still can't decide which one is worse.
Rick eventually left, saying something about having to feed the chickens. I stayed on the beach, though it must have been nearing 11 by then, slipping off my shoes so I could wade in the waves. I've always loved the ocean.
I went in up to my knees and looked out across the water, feeling the urge to swim and swim until I couldn't see any land anywhere. But I couldn't. Because I was trapped here, in this tiny box called Mineral Town.
I heard someone behind me.
"Karen?" I turned around to see Jack. "Are you okay?" He made as if to touch my shoulder, then drew his hand back. "You're, you're crying." He said nervously.
I hadn't even noticed the sparsely scattered tears on my cheeks till now. "Oh. That. Sea salt makes my eyes water. Allergies, you know." I lied calmly.
He didn't buy it, I could tell, but walked over to stand next to me. "Karen, you're one of the most interesting people I've ever met." He said. I took a step away from him-I didn't want to hear this.
"I know we've just met, but would you.would you consider."
"No." I said. "I have a boyfriend. His name is Rick. We're exceedingly happy together. We're probably going to get married soon, and have several exceedingly happy children, who will in turn find exceedingly happy spouses and lead perfect lives. The end."
I walked off into the night, leaving a dumbfounded Jack behind me.
AN: Well, eh, yeah. Second chapter coming soon, I guess. Hope you liked it. Toodles.
Part I
AN: I suppose Karen is quite out of character in this one, depending on how you think of her. But I've been playing Harvest Moon and found her character very interesting, and with some sprinkles of imagination, this story was born. And wow, that sounded insanely cheesy. Oh well. Read, and review if you'd like. I'd feel special. ^___^
It was warm out, that first day. I'd been leaning in the back corner of the supermarket-there were hardly any customers on Wednesday mornings-and reading a book, when he walked in. I almost didn't look up from my book, but I heard my dad spouting some crap to him about "it'll be great having a new face in town," and, "good luck running that farm all by yourself," and then, "Have you met my daughter Karen yet?"
That got me to look up. My dad pointed at me and the guy smiled at me. He was fairly handsome-nice body, but geeky hat. "Hi." He said nervously.
"Hey. Who're you?" I asked shortly. Popuri was probably already set on having him. Freaky pink hair girl.
"Jack." He said, staring down at his feet.
"Real chatterbox, aren't you." I commented dryly, and went back to my book.
Distantly I heard my dad saying apologizing for my apparent rudeness. I've always hated people who apologize for you, almost as much as I hate people who make your choices for you. That's why I hate my parents.
I started doodling on the inside cover of my book. Only a few customers came in, and my dad helped all of them. Before I knew it, the clock read 4 and I was out of there.
I decided to go visit Ann.we were good friends, so I could always get a few drinks on the house if I came before the evening rush. I usually didn't start drinking this early, but I was bored. Depressing day.
When I walked into the bar, I was greeted by screams and giggles. Ann and Popuri rushed over to me. "Did you meet Jack?" Popuri squealed, her high- pitched voice making my eardrums ache.
"Yeah." I was feeling monosyllabic.
"Isn't he sooooo cute?" Ann gushed.
"Sure." Remind me again why I was friends with these people?
"Are you going to make a go for him?" They asked me eagerly.
"No."
"Karennnn! Why not? I mean, you have Rick as a boyfriend! You totally deserve someone cuter!"
"So?" Shallow, shallow people.
Popuri sighed in disgust and flounced off, but Ann sat down at a table with me. "Karen, what's up?"
"This town sucks. Everything sucks." I put my head down on the tabletop. It smelled like stale whiskey. "I need alcohol." Ann squeezed my hand and brought me a beer.
"You're starting early." She commented.
"This town sucks." I repeated. She gave me a look.
"Karen, I worry about you."
"Why don't you just fuck off?" She looked hurt. Why does she even put up with my crap? Damn good friend.
"Sorry Ann.just having a crappy day." She nodded, then did this weird gasp thing and jumped in her chair, nudging me hard in the ribs. "OW!" I yelped.
Jack, who had just entered the bar and was the cause of Ann's seizure, looked over at us. He was, now that I had a better view, damn sexy. He had this tired, hangdog look that must have come from working on the farm all day, and nice muscles. Not huge, but nice. Still had that stupid hat on though.
Ann, of course, had to wave her stupid hand and call Jack over to our table. "Come sit with us!"
He wandered over, smiling slightly, and took a chair between us. "How are you two?"
I didn't even bother to answer. Ann, however, chirped a cheery, "Great! You?"
"Let me tell you," he mock-sighed, "the farm life is not all it's cracked to be. It's hard work!"
He went on like that for some time. I had spaced off for a while when I heard him saying my name. "Karen? Karen?"
"What?"
I looked over and noticed Ann was gone. I'd yell at her later for setting me up.
"I just asked if I could buy you a drink."
I was about to refuse, since it was coming from him, but who am I to turn down a free beer? "Sure, why not."
He grinned. "So what do you want to talk about?"
I gave him a confused look. I couldn't tell if he was joking, just trying to be polite, or actually interested in what I had to say. From my experience with guys, it would be choice number 1.
But I decided to try my luck. "Why the hell did you want to come here, to Mineral Town?"
He looked slightly taken aback at my vehemence, but then started talking. "You think this town sucks? Have you ever even been to a big city?"
I shook my head. Despite myself, I found I was interested in what he had to say.
"The city.is like the big bad wolf compared to this place. This place has never lost its innocence." Interesting. He was interesting. I pried my eyes off his face for a second and saw Rick waving at me from another table. A good excuse to get away-I didn't want to get to know him too well, because one, I'd never hear the end of it from Ann and Popuri, and two, I like Rick. Or I've forced myself into believing I like Rick.
My parents have this.thing. The thing is that I'm supposed to stop drinking so much, get married, and live happily ever after so they don't have to be ashamed of me. I couldn't care less what they think of me.
But nevertheless, I deduced sometime ago that I'd probably be the closest to happiness with Rick, so I've sort of made myself believe that I love him. It hasn't worked as well as I thought it would.
I walked over to him. He handed me a beer, my third. I could usually tolerate up to five before I got all woozy and crazy. He slung his arm around my waist and I instinctively flinched, but he didn't notice. Rick's an okay guy, but he's way too overbearing. The way he was wailing on Kai for dating Popuri last summer.
We went outside after I finished my drink, walked on the beach for a while. I think it was supposed to be romantic or something. He kissed me a couple times, and I responded automatically. It didn't go far-he was always a shy one. I had plenty of experience with the not so shy ones, since about two years ago; I'd gotten so bored that I started kissing any guy who had lips. It was an interesting part of my life, to say the least. It at least got me off the drinking for a bit.I really do get more a rush from making out than alcohol. But this apparently, as Ann informed, got me a reputation as the town slut, so I eventually stopped.
Now I had a rep as the town's newest drunk. I still can't decide which one is worse.
Rick eventually left, saying something about having to feed the chickens. I stayed on the beach, though it must have been nearing 11 by then, slipping off my shoes so I could wade in the waves. I've always loved the ocean.
I went in up to my knees and looked out across the water, feeling the urge to swim and swim until I couldn't see any land anywhere. But I couldn't. Because I was trapped here, in this tiny box called Mineral Town.
I heard someone behind me.
"Karen?" I turned around to see Jack. "Are you okay?" He made as if to touch my shoulder, then drew his hand back. "You're, you're crying." He said nervously.
I hadn't even noticed the sparsely scattered tears on my cheeks till now. "Oh. That. Sea salt makes my eyes water. Allergies, you know." I lied calmly.
He didn't buy it, I could tell, but walked over to stand next to me. "Karen, you're one of the most interesting people I've ever met." He said. I took a step away from him-I didn't want to hear this.
"I know we've just met, but would you.would you consider."
"No." I said. "I have a boyfriend. His name is Rick. We're exceedingly happy together. We're probably going to get married soon, and have several exceedingly happy children, who will in turn find exceedingly happy spouses and lead perfect lives. The end."
I walked off into the night, leaving a dumbfounded Jack behind me.
AN: Well, eh, yeah. Second chapter coming soon, I guess. Hope you liked it. Toodles.