1 Ch. 2 Loneliness Ends
After a few weeks after moving in Maria's mother and father had really adjusted to the weather and people. Maria had no friends yet but that's because she couldn't get the nerve to say hello to anyone. Maria's father was in a mess. The library worker was quitting because he claimed he didn't get paid enough. The librarian left town on a boat and claimed to never return. Maria's father was now disappointed because he would need to close up the library. Maria heard the whole thing. She walked in slowly. "F-f-f-f-father, I'll work at th-th-the l-library," she stated.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Maria nodded. "Okay, you're off every Monday and the first 10 days of summer and winter," he explained.
"Y-y-you don't n-need to p-pay m-me," Maria added on. "S-since I l-love books I'll b-be happy t-to w-work there."
She walked out of the house. "Oh and tomorrow's the Flower Festival," her father shouted out the door.
Maria walked around. She walked into the bakery. "Hello," a young girl named Elli greeted. "I'm Elli."
Maria looked down at her feet. "I'm Maria," she mumbled.
"Oh everyone has heard of you," Elli giggled.
"T-They have?" Maria asked.
"Yes," Elli giggled. "And you're just as shy as they all say!"
Maria left. Elli waved bye out the door. There was a party at the flower shop. "Must be someone's birthday," Maria thought to herself.
Maria walked in. A girl with pink hair was opening a gift. Aria looked at a small gift. The tag read Popuri. Popuri's mother waved. Maria waved back shyly. Popuri opened the present and pulled out a brand new blue dress. She got it from Gray, Popuri told everyone. Maria walked out of the flower shop. She saw a butterfly flying through the town. It landed in a girl's hair. That was the girl she saw at the beach. The girl was screeching and trying to yank the butterfly out of her hair. Maria walked over to her. "Get it out," the girl commanded.
Maria pulled the bug out gently. The other girl put her nose in the air and walked away. Maria stood there all alone. She walked slowly home and ran to bed.
The next day Maria's mother woke her up early. "Wake up," her mother said. "You got a festival to go to."
Maria got out of bed. She walked to the square. Everyone was having a good time. Maria's father told her to go back where all the other girls are. Maria walked back behind the horse race gate reluctantly. A man was counting up all the votes. "Karen," you are the goddess again this year," he announced.
"Again," Karen bragged, "Wow everyone must love me!"
The announcer mumbled some words. He handed her the costume. All the girls then walked out in an orderly fashioned way. They threw flowers all around. Maria just stood there though. "Now it's time to choose your dance partner," announced the mayor.
Everyone was asked to dance. Accept Maria. Maria was standing there all alone. Then the music started and everyone started dancing. Tears began to form in Maria's eyes. Not because she wanted to dance with someone but because she was lonely, so Maria sat on a bench on the one side and she stared at everyone dancing. Then a slow song came on and everyone was slow dancing. Even her mother and father were. Maria must've been the only one there not dancing. That really didn't bother her though but she was lonely. Maria got up and she walked out. Her mother stopped dancing and chased after her. "Maria, what's wrong?" she asked.
Maria turned around. "I can't ex-explain it," Maria replied.
Her mother looked down and sighed. "Maria, you're going to have to get over your shyness or nobody will ever be able to help you with your problems," she explained.
"It's j-j-j-j-j-j-just that I have n-n-nobody to t-talk t-to ever and I-I am g-g-getting kind of l-lonely," Maria stated.
"That's why you need to start to talk to people and try to overcome your shyness," her mother tried to explain.
"I can't," Maria replied. "I w-wish we wouldn't h-h-have ever m-moved! I-I hate it h-here!
Maria turned and ran off into the distance. Maria's mother stood there. "If only you would have given it a chance," she said to herself.
Maria ran out onto the beach. She laid there in the sand. The boats were dropping off people. A boy got off the boat. He walked over to her. "You all right," he asked.
Maria got up. She looked at him. "Y-yes I'm f-f-fine b-b-but lonely," she stated.
The boy looked at her. "My name's Jack," he said. "What's yours?"
Maria stood up. "M-m-m-my n-name is Maria," she replied.
"I can see that you're a very shy person," Jack commented.
Maria didn't laugh. "I c-c-c-cannot h-help it," she explained. "I'm just not a-able t-to g-g-et used to n-new p-p-people as q-quickly a-as all t-th- the other g-g-girls here."
Jack laughed. "It's alright," he said. "People are different in many ways."
Maria looked down at her feet. "So w-what a-are you h-h-h-here f-for?" she asked.
"Oh my grandfather died last night and I'm taking over the farm," Jack said. "It's called the Golden Ranch."
Maria looked up at Jack. She could see herself in his eyes. His eyes glittered in the sun reflecting off his eyes. Maria's hair sparkled in the sun. She looked back at the ground. "You don't need to be that shy around me," Jack pointed out. "You can be as open as you need to be with me."
Maria smiled at Jack. She nodded. "I-I-I'll r-r-remember th-that for next t-time we talk," Maria said.
"Why don't we go for a walk," Jack asked.
"B-b-b-but you're missing an i-important f-festival," Maria pointed out.
"Well then why don't we go together," Jack said.
He and Maria walked to the festival. "You know you seem very familiar," Jack exclaimed. "Almost like I know you."
Maria shook her head. "I-I-I d-don't t-think we had ever m-met," she said.
"No, I think we have before," Jack said. "I think you and I go way back from a while ago."
Maria thought for a moment. "N-No remembrance," she stated.
"Oh well," Jack said.
They arrived at the square. The people were all still dancing. Maria and Jack started to dance. Maria was uncomfortable with the whole idea. Another slow song came on and everyone started to slow dance. Maria gave Jack an uncertain look. She didn't really know him, and didn't think that they should slow dance. They walked over to a bench and talked for awhile. "Now I remember you," Jack exclaimed. "Do you have a book like with a whole bunch of fairy tales in it?"
Maria nodded. "I gave that book to you awhile ago," Jack pointed out.
The festival ended and everyone went to the bar for a huge party. Mari didn't though. She walked home and went to bed. Maria wasn't lonely anymore. She had found someone she could relate to.
After a few weeks after moving in Maria's mother and father had really adjusted to the weather and people. Maria had no friends yet but that's because she couldn't get the nerve to say hello to anyone. Maria's father was in a mess. The library worker was quitting because he claimed he didn't get paid enough. The librarian left town on a boat and claimed to never return. Maria's father was now disappointed because he would need to close up the library. Maria heard the whole thing. She walked in slowly. "F-f-f-f-father, I'll work at th-th-the l-library," she stated.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Maria nodded. "Okay, you're off every Monday and the first 10 days of summer and winter," he explained.
"Y-y-you don't n-need to p-pay m-me," Maria added on. "S-since I l-love books I'll b-be happy t-to w-work there."
She walked out of the house. "Oh and tomorrow's the Flower Festival," her father shouted out the door.
Maria walked around. She walked into the bakery. "Hello," a young girl named Elli greeted. "I'm Elli."
Maria looked down at her feet. "I'm Maria," she mumbled.
"Oh everyone has heard of you," Elli giggled.
"T-They have?" Maria asked.
"Yes," Elli giggled. "And you're just as shy as they all say!"
Maria left. Elli waved bye out the door. There was a party at the flower shop. "Must be someone's birthday," Maria thought to herself.
Maria walked in. A girl with pink hair was opening a gift. Aria looked at a small gift. The tag read Popuri. Popuri's mother waved. Maria waved back shyly. Popuri opened the present and pulled out a brand new blue dress. She got it from Gray, Popuri told everyone. Maria walked out of the flower shop. She saw a butterfly flying through the town. It landed in a girl's hair. That was the girl she saw at the beach. The girl was screeching and trying to yank the butterfly out of her hair. Maria walked over to her. "Get it out," the girl commanded.
Maria pulled the bug out gently. The other girl put her nose in the air and walked away. Maria stood there all alone. She walked slowly home and ran to bed.
The next day Maria's mother woke her up early. "Wake up," her mother said. "You got a festival to go to."
Maria got out of bed. She walked to the square. Everyone was having a good time. Maria's father told her to go back where all the other girls are. Maria walked back behind the horse race gate reluctantly. A man was counting up all the votes. "Karen," you are the goddess again this year," he announced.
"Again," Karen bragged, "Wow everyone must love me!"
The announcer mumbled some words. He handed her the costume. All the girls then walked out in an orderly fashioned way. They threw flowers all around. Maria just stood there though. "Now it's time to choose your dance partner," announced the mayor.
Everyone was asked to dance. Accept Maria. Maria was standing there all alone. Then the music started and everyone started dancing. Tears began to form in Maria's eyes. Not because she wanted to dance with someone but because she was lonely, so Maria sat on a bench on the one side and she stared at everyone dancing. Then a slow song came on and everyone was slow dancing. Even her mother and father were. Maria must've been the only one there not dancing. That really didn't bother her though but she was lonely. Maria got up and she walked out. Her mother stopped dancing and chased after her. "Maria, what's wrong?" she asked.
Maria turned around. "I can't ex-explain it," Maria replied.
Her mother looked down and sighed. "Maria, you're going to have to get over your shyness or nobody will ever be able to help you with your problems," she explained.
"It's j-j-j-j-j-j-just that I have n-n-nobody to t-talk t-to ever and I-I am g-g-getting kind of l-lonely," Maria stated.
"That's why you need to start to talk to people and try to overcome your shyness," her mother tried to explain.
"I can't," Maria replied. "I w-wish we wouldn't h-h-have ever m-moved! I-I hate it h-here!
Maria turned and ran off into the distance. Maria's mother stood there. "If only you would have given it a chance," she said to herself.
Maria ran out onto the beach. She laid there in the sand. The boats were dropping off people. A boy got off the boat. He walked over to her. "You all right," he asked.
Maria got up. She looked at him. "Y-yes I'm f-f-fine b-b-but lonely," she stated.
The boy looked at her. "My name's Jack," he said. "What's yours?"
Maria stood up. "M-m-m-my n-name is Maria," she replied.
"I can see that you're a very shy person," Jack commented.
Maria didn't laugh. "I c-c-c-cannot h-help it," she explained. "I'm just not a-able t-to g-g-et used to n-new p-p-people as q-quickly a-as all t-th- the other g-g-girls here."
Jack laughed. "It's alright," he said. "People are different in many ways."
Maria looked down at her feet. "So w-what a-are you h-h-h-here f-for?" she asked.
"Oh my grandfather died last night and I'm taking over the farm," Jack said. "It's called the Golden Ranch."
Maria looked up at Jack. She could see herself in his eyes. His eyes glittered in the sun reflecting off his eyes. Maria's hair sparkled in the sun. She looked back at the ground. "You don't need to be that shy around me," Jack pointed out. "You can be as open as you need to be with me."
Maria smiled at Jack. She nodded. "I-I-I'll r-r-remember th-that for next t-time we talk," Maria said.
"Why don't we go for a walk," Jack asked.
"B-b-b-but you're missing an i-important f-festival," Maria pointed out.
"Well then why don't we go together," Jack said.
He and Maria walked to the festival. "You know you seem very familiar," Jack exclaimed. "Almost like I know you."
Maria shook her head. "I-I-I d-don't t-think we had ever m-met," she said.
"No, I think we have before," Jack said. "I think you and I go way back from a while ago."
Maria thought for a moment. "N-No remembrance," she stated.
"Oh well," Jack said.
They arrived at the square. The people were all still dancing. Maria and Jack started to dance. Maria was uncomfortable with the whole idea. Another slow song came on and everyone started to slow dance. Maria gave Jack an uncertain look. She didn't really know him, and didn't think that they should slow dance. They walked over to a bench and talked for awhile. "Now I remember you," Jack exclaimed. "Do you have a book like with a whole bunch of fairy tales in it?"
Maria nodded. "I gave that book to you awhile ago," Jack pointed out.
The festival ended and everyone went to the bar for a huge party. Mari didn't though. She walked home and went to bed. Maria wasn't lonely anymore. She had found someone she could relate to.