Next day, Claire do all the farm work then see that it's almost time for Gray to finish his work.

"Welp, time for the plan." She smiles devilishly.

Claire waited out of the blacksmith building for Gray to come out. She heard the door creaked, she turns to see Gray. He has dirt all over his face and clothes. He's sweating from hard work. He has his jacket all ties up around his waist so his white tank top shows off his muscles. He took his hat off to wipe his forehead with his arm. Claire can feel her face grow red so she looks away and ask him if he is ready or needs a little time.

"I'll need to take a shower. My body is achy all over." He frowns as he stretched and some of his joints popped. "Wanna come with me?" Gray asked tiredly.

Me with Gray… in shower…

Claire is blushing ravishingly, Gray gave her a weird look then realized.

"Oh, god no! I don't mean like that! I'm asking if you wanna come with me TO INN and I WILL take the shower. While you wait for me downstairs with Ann." He moved his hat to cover his red face. "Geez stupid blonde, you…" he mumbles frustratedly "for fuck's sake" then clears his throat, "let's go."

Claire nods then start to strolling down the town with Gray. She looks down on the ground the whole time with her face being red with the perverted thoughts going through her head.

—

"I will be right back." Gray trudges upstairs.

Claire sits on the barstool and hits her forehead on the table, she groans, "what the fuck is wrong with me. Ann! Can I have a beer?"

Ann raises her eyebrow, "it's only 1:30 pm… you alright?" Claire normally asks for beers at late night. Rarely at afternoon.

"Yeah, long day." She laughs. "Just need one beer to resolve the stress."

Ann nods then went to get a glass of beer, she looks at the table zoning out.

Ann clears her throat, "hey, what's up?" Claire got snapped outta it and see that she have a beer in front of her, "Why is your face red? Is it about Gray? Did he piss you off? Do you need me to kick his ass or something?"

She stammers then laughs, "no, he didn't. He didn't do anything wrong. Don't worry about it." She looks at the drink smiling sadly.

"Claire… are you sure you are ok?"

"I will be."

—

Claire finished her beer when Gray sits next to Claire. Claire jumped, didn't hear him walking down.

"Oh! Geez, don't scare me like that!" She laughs.

"That's a payback for last night… you nearly gave me a heart attack." Gray gave her a small smile, "so are we ready?"

"Yeah, let's go," Claire says.

—

Gray stands outside of the library and Claire is hiding behind the bush. Mary came out with a book in her arms and saw Gray, "hello, what are you doing out there? Are you waiting for someone?"

Gray nods, "actually I was waiting for you and I would like to take you to mother peak. There is something… I would like to tell you ." Gray tries his best to not stammers. He blushed at Mary because she is so beautiful.

Mary smiles, "Alright, let's go."

Claire watches them go, she is happy, but, at the same time, she's jealous. She walks outta the bush and then bumped into someone.

"Watch where you are going!" The girl sneers, Claire rolled her eyes, "geez Karen. I wasn't paying attention. So sorry. See you later."

She proceeded to turn away but Karen said something under her breath.

"What did you say?" Claire stopped.

"Oh nothing, I was thinking about the good memories back in school…" she giggles, "remember that? At the party? That was so funny."

Claire glowered at her, "that.. that shit isn't funny. It could destroy me but I realized back then that I was a better person than you were and I still am a better person than you are." Their faces are so close to each other. Karen ahh's, "You? Better? Don't make me laugh, Piggy!"

She glares at her then at the ground when she heard her old nickname. "You fucking bitc-" Popuri and Ann got in the middle of them and moves them away from each other. Popuri is hugging Claire's side, and Ann is in front of Karen holding her back.

Ann is confused, "alright, alright, what's going on?"

Claire scoffs, "well apparently, I bumped into her and tried to apologize but she keeps saying shit about me."

Karen says, "I don't accept the apology from people like you."

Claire scoffs then starts to walk away. Popuri went up to Karen's face and say something that Claire couldn't hear but she saw Ann's shocked face at what Popuri said to Karen. Popuri may be the kindest person you ever met but she is the one you wouldn't wanna mess with.

Claire finally arrived at her farm and then take out the secret stash from the fake flower pot. The sounds of lighter flicking as it lits, she inhales the cancer stick. Feeling the smoke filling up her lungs… she blows it out. Ah, the sweet poison.

She continued to smoke the cigarette, jolted when she said her name being called.

"Claire!" Popuri and Ann caught her.

Fuck. Me.

"Well, it is not what it seems like you think," Claire tries to think of an excuse but Popuri goes to stand next to her and grabbed a box of cigarettes to smoke one, "I don't care anymore right now, I'm beyond the stress. Kai is leaving in a few weeks and Karen… ugh," she growls then sighs, "geez I haven't smoked this in a long time... let's see when was my last time... aha, not since after high school…"

"I did stop back then too but I only smoke whenever I'm stressed or whatever." Claire shrugged.

Ann flaps her hands to get smoke away from her, "ugh, that is nasty. I don't know how you guys can smoke this. I've tried once but I nearly puked." She faked gagging.

They all laughed but stopped when they heard someone running toward the farm, and there was gray standing there panting, "Claire I have to talk to you… alone." He looks at the girls.

"Well girls I think it's time for y'all go. I'll see y'all later," Claire told the girls. Popuri took one more cigarette with her it's for later in case she needs one. Ann follows after Popuri. The girls left the farm and then gray just lend on the house, and cover his face with his bandaged hands.

Claire throws the almost done cigarette in the ashtray immediately, "Gray… What's wrong?" She walks over to Gray and see that he has a sad look on his face. "C'mon, let's go in the house."

Claire brought Gray in her house. Gray is sitting on the couch with a stoic look on his face. Claire sits next to Gray, "What happened? Did you forget to tell her again?"

"Nope," his voice cracked, "I didn't forget. I told her and…. She likes someone else…" his beautiful blue eyes are filled with tears but he won't let them fall because he is a "manly man". Claire's heart is heavy for gray, she hates to see him sad and it's almost too unbearable to see him like that. It's very rare to see Gray in this state… fragile and vulnerable. She grabbed him in her arms and hug him tightly, "It's ok Gray, you will find someone else who loves you as much as you do for them. It is not the end of the world." She felt him shaking and her neck is wet… he's crying… his hat fell off of his head, landing on the floor. Claire's fingers went through his hair and the other hand rubbed his back. "It's ok Gray, I got you."