Chapter 3: Sherbet Sunset

"Hey man, wanna go up to Moon Mountain?" yells a slightly older and much leaner Cliff from the entrance of the farm, his arms showing the evidence of labor and his hair a darker version of the blonde it used to be. He nods towards Ann with a wink, the red-head who still hadn't quite figured out how to tame her amber locks. She is unaware of Cliff's suggestive gestures as she is too busy fretting with a bobby-pin that's hanging in a knot of copper hair.

"Uhh, we're just gonna hang here for a bit, we'll catch up with ya!" replies Jack from the pasture of his grandfather's farm. Jack had always been somewhat lean, but recently his shoulders had broadened and he had grown to be taller than most of the men in town. Ann yanked at the bobby-pin and out with it came along a clump of hair. The expression on her face reveals her displeasure in the fact that Jack and Popuri weren't coming along, but no one seems to notice her audible sigh.

Jack remains sitting up as the long, smooth pasture grass brushes at his shoulders. He closes his eyes and takes a long, deep inhalation then smiles as he looks out at the sun that was beginning to melt into the horizon.

"It looks like sherbet ice cream…"

"Haha, what does?"

"The sky!" Jack looks down at the girl lying beside him in the grass. A long-time friend whom he has always cared for but recently his feelings have started to take on a more mature nature. Her eyes are closed so he takes the opportunity to let his eyes linger a little longer on her, noting the shape of her chest and the sharp decent it takes into her petite waist. She is wearing a pale yellow sun dress that she had worn for the past few summers, only this year it seems to fit her differently. She sits up abruptly, her long pink hair tumbling forward to conceal everything he had just been looking at. All the blood rushes upwards into his face as he becomes worried that she had caught him.

"Heyyyy…why didn't we go with Ann and Cliff to Moon Mountain?" she asks innocently, "and boy do you look sun burnt!" Though he is thankful she didn't notice his blatant ogling, he couldn't help but laugh at her naivety.

"We didn't go with Ann and Cliff because Cliff's gonna try to get it in…" he gives her a sly expression as he makes a thrusting gesture with his fists. This time her face becomes red with embarrassment.

"Nuh uh…Cliff's not like that and neither is Ann," she retorts matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah, well what does that mean?" he asks playfully, "you love flowers and butterflies, and that's all they do is have pre-marital sexytime." She furrows her eyebrows and puffs out her cheeks in her trademark puffer-fish madface.

"Stop teasing me, I don't want to talk about it." They become quiet as the sky takes on less of a sherbet hue and more of a vibrant bowl of fruit cocktail shade.

"Do you remember that music box we buried when we were kids?"

He thinks for a moment, "Hmm, maybe I do. Man, it's been so long I can't really remember." She goes on in detail about the size and shape of the box, the type of music it played, the way the sky was that day, the color dress she was probably wearing, all in an attempt to jog his memory. "Okay, maybe I kind of remember it, but I don't have a clue where it is."

She seems disappointed in his answer and despite his attempts to change the subject, her mind is set on finding the music box. Before the sun sets completely, they begin their walk to Popuri's home since her parents are very strict about enforcing her curfew. On their way into town, they meet two of their friends at the crossroads.

"Mary…Gray!" she runs up to greet them and hugs the girl, "where you guys been all day?"

"We were at the library," replies Mary in her characteristic soft tone. Gray directs his response towards Jack.

"Not all of us have the luxury of goofing off all day, there's studying to be done and work to finish." Jack seems unfazed by the remark as Popuri continues on.

"Hey, do you guys remember that music box we found when we were kids? I don't know, for some reason I was thinking about it and that beautiful song it played, only I'm not even sure if I remember the song, but I really really would like to see it and maybe we can fix it—"

"I remember." Gray stands with his hands in his pockets, his ball cap obscuring his eyes under the shade of the bill. Like the other boys, he has changed too, growing almost as tall as Jack with his arms also showing the muscle of physical labor and a farmer's tan.

"Oh really, Gray!" Popuri clasps her hands and jumps in excitement, "do you know where it is?" He responds to her question with a sigh and a grunt. Mary looks down at her feet that don a pair of brown loafers, which causes her long, dark hair knitted into a braid to fall forward over her shoulder. In an attempt to relieve the awkward silence, Jack assures Popuri that they will all do their best to find the music box. Gray walks away without another word and Mary follows behind. An oblivious Popuri waves goodbye and continues down the dirt path.

"Geez, what's with Gray. He's always butthurt about something," observes Jack as he and Popuri stop in front of her yellow brick house that seems to have flowers spilling out of the window sills. The sunset leaves behind a warm shade of pink in the sky, Popuri's favorite color.

"Mmm, that's just the way he is. He's always kinda moody but he means well!" and with that innocent remark her thoughts go immediately elsewhere, particularly to a small blue flower that is growing between the cracks in the sidewalk. As she kneels down to observe it- but not pick it, for that is against her flower morals- Jack takes the opportunity to ask her something he had been putting off for quite a while.

"Hey, Poppy…do you wanna go to the Goddess Festival with me?" he knows that this question carries with it a lot of weight, for asking a girl to the Goddess Festival is essentially asking her on a date. Popuri touches the delicate petals of the tiny blue flower for a few more seconds before replying which causes him to silently regret asking.

"I'd love to go to the Goddess Festival with you! Did you know that when I was born, the Goddess Festival fell on that same day! And my Mommy always said that I was like the Harvest Goddess reincarnated but that's silly because I don't believe in reincarnation and the goddess isn't even real but still, I thought that was so cool because everyone always says it's funny because I love flowers so much and of course the Goddess loves flowers too!" she continues on until the light on the front of the house blinks and comes to life, informing them that their day had come to an end.

"Okay, so I'll see you at the festival then?"

"Well that's not for a few days, I'll see you before then!" she replies with a smile as she stands in front of the open front door. Light from inside the house pours onto her, giving her silhouette an ethereal glow, "see you later, Jack! And watch the baby flower, don't step on it!" Jack is cautious of his footing as he makes his way back to the farm. Lost in his own thoughts, he doesn't notice Gray and Mary parting at the crossroads, an occurrence that was not part of their usual routine.