- - - - - - -
"Hey, Cremia?"
"Yes, Anju?"
They were standing atop of the roof of the Stock Pot, beating rugs as the daylight dwindled in the west.
Anju paused. "Hey, Cremia," she repeated. "Have you ever thought about love?"
Cremia, confused, said, "Love?"
It had been a few weeks since Dotour had been elected mayor. That night, in fact, a celebration was to be held when the purple-haired man was sworn in.
Anju blushed terribly. "I, uh, that is to say…"
Her friend, who secretly had been noticing how pleasant Kafei's smile was to look at, insisted, "Me? Love? Never!" She pondered for a moment. "Well… I love my father, and Mama, even if she died. And… Even little Romani, although she can only babble on about silly things."
Anju, to Cremia's surprise, laughed. "Oh, not like that, Cremia!"
The ranch girl stared. "What? Like a boy? Do you love anybody?"
Anju's eyes widened before she looked away. "M-Me? N-No, no r-really."
"Hmm," was all Cremia said, knowing the other girl was lying. Because her own feelings might be brought up, however, Cremia didn't call Anju on it.
"This is all hypothetical, of course," began Anju slowly, "but… Well, if you loved someone, Cremia—"
"Which I don't!"
"Yes, yes, neither do I. But I said hypothetical, right? Anyway… If you, um, liked anybody… What would you, um, do about it?"
Cremia could not come up with a single word to say as a reply.
"Well?" Anju prompted after a few minutes of nervous waiting.
"I would have no idea," Cremia said, becoming cross for no reason.
"No idea about what?"
Anju, whose mouth had been open to speak, froze.
Kafei stepped closer. "What's wrong with her?" he questioned Cremia, gesturing at the statue-like girl with one hand.
Anju came back to life, shaking a bit. "Nothing. Y-You just startled me."
"Whatever."
"What are you doing here?" Cremia wondered, folding some heavy rugs over her thin arms. Lately, she had been being a lot nicer to Kafei. She couldn't help it.
"Just wondered where you two were. You're going tonight, right?" Kafei absently played with strands of his purple hair.
Who was he talking to? Both of them? One of them? If so, which one?
Kafei coughed.
"Yeah, we're going," Cremia answered finally. "Everyone is."
Anju, unable to speak, smiled weakly and nodded.
"I figured we could go together. All of us," he added, seeing he had been being a little unclear.
Cremia's spirit rose. She had been worried that Kafei intended to ask only Anju. "Oh, that's good."
He was a bit confused. "Good? I guesso. Anywho, you'd better get ready and all."
Anju's deep sapphire eyes were slightly blank. "Oh, is it sunset already?"
"Nearly. C'mon, Anju, let's bring these rugs in." Cremia had to grab hold of her friend's skirt and tug her along.
Anju nearly tripped due to this. "Um, bye, Kafei," she got out before she was inside.
Kafei was left to stand there alone, puzzled.
- - -
"Do I look all right?" Cremia consulted her friend. They were nearing the blazing fires of the party, which was beginning at that moment beneath the Clock Tower. Anju sported a conservative dress of blue, while Cremia was wearing one of peach and deep yellow.
It was the first time Cremia had been to a real party, especially with so many people attending. Her usual calm temperament was thrown out the window, replaced by a modesty and nervousness reminiscent of Anju.
"Very nice," Kafei said. He looked at Cremia strangely. "Do you have makeup on? Your cheeks are all pink!"
This only made Cremia blush harder. "I-It's probably just the light."
"Hm," Kafei replied, not really that concerned about it. He had on a fancy silk tunic that was white and leather leggings dyed black. "I hope Father isn't angry with me for being late."
"People are only just coming," Cremia assured him, trying to be cool while quietly feeling if her two pigtails were even.
"Two girlfriends for the young Kafei!" remarked a Goron man in a deep voice, stepping forward.
"Oh, Master!" cried Kafei, putting some distance between himself and the two girls.
"Hello!" Cremia, who had only seen a Goron twice before (and only just recently), shrugged off her shyness at this occasion.
The Goron grinned. "I can't blame you, Kafei, for keeping such cute company! I rather envy you." He gave a laugh that reminded Cremia of an expectant volcano.
"Oh, Master," groaned Kafei. "They're my new friends, that's all."
"I know, I know," chuckled the man.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Cremia said, her heart recovering from the flight it had just taken. "I am Cremia of Romani Ranch."
"I-I'm Anju. Of the Stock Pot," spoke her friend quietly.
"Ooh! They even have cute names!" The Goron stood up a bit straighter. "I have a name too, but you can just call me 'Master.' I was your boyfriend's teacher a few years back."
"Master!" It was the first time Cremia had seen Kafei blush.
"Yes, yes, and I tease him mercilessly." The Goron gave the girls a wink. "How old are you girls? Fifteen? Sixteen?"
"Just eleven," giggled Anju.
"I'll be twelve next month," Cremia piped up, as flattered as her friend.
The man looked shocked. "So young! I don't believe it! You're both so pretty—not to mention mature!"
Cremia and Anju giggled more, looking at each other with big smiles on their faces.
"I'm surprised you're younger than this shrimp here." The Goron poked Kafei, who had, all of this time, been quite silent and confused.
"Really? How old are you, Kafei?" Anju asked.
"Twelve. Almost thirteen," he added to sound a bit better after being beaten down by their words.
"Oh," Cremia commented. "I thought you were younger."
Kafei crossed his arms. "Humph! Well, I'm going to go speak with my father—the new mayor!" And he marched off, just like that.
Anju eeked and scurried after him.
"Oh, I'm far too cruel to him," The Goron remarked, still chuckling a bit to himself. He looked at Cremia, the only who remained, saying, "He really is a good lad."
"I know," Cremia replied, a bit somber as she watched Anju join Kafei and walk rather closely at his side.
"Rather smart as well." The Goron put a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Don't look so sad; it doesn't suit a beautiful young woman to appear so forlorn." Something captured his attention, and he took his leave of her with a polite farewell.
Cremia sighed and, on a sudden wave of unpleasant emotions, retreated to a dark corner to sulk.
- - -
"Hi there," whispered Cremia to a shaggy little puppy that had come under the wooden stall to join her.
The dog yipped happily as the girl scratched behind his ears.
"Shhh! You'll give me away!" she exclaimed at the dog, putting her hand over its mouth. A nip to her fingers and the dog was free, scampering off towards the firelight where, possibly, more friendly folk were waiting.
Cremia gladly would have followed it, but she just could not now. Here it was, her first party ever, and she was on the ground hiding in the dark corner. She had been hiding so long now, though, that it would be too embarrassing to come out and admit it.
She finally mustered up the courage to leave, but she heard the sound of a familiar voice nearby, along with the slightly frazzled sound of Mayor Dotour.
Kafei was saying something. "And anyway, I gave him back his money."
"That was good of you," the boy's father said. "It is best to give back lost items, even if it's something you want." He switched topics after a few minutes. "Kafei, now that I'm mayor, we'll probably be here for a long time. I'm sorry we had to give up our adventurous life, but your mother grew tired of it."
"It's okay, Dad."
"So, how are you liking Clock Town, Kafei?"
"I like it a lot," the boy said earnestly.
"I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time with those two girls."
"Anju and Cremia? Yeah. They're the only other kids my age around here, 'cept the daughter of the man who runs the games. But she's always chasing after some guy. It's weird. But I like Anju and Cremia."
"They nice girls?"
"Oh, yeah. And they always like to listen to all of our adventures. It's fun."
"Kafei…"
"Yes, Dad?"
Dotour paused. "Nevermind. Anyway, I was thinking about your future. Once we get moved into the Mayor's Residence, I need to find you another tutor."
"Oh," Kafei said quietly. "But I kinda liked staying at the Stock Pot."
"I know, but we can't stay there forever. It's a cafeteria, not an inn." The new mayor added, "Besides, the Residence is just a short distance from the Stock Pot anyhow."
"Oh." Kafei was a bit happier this time. Suddenly, he realized, "But if I go back to having a tutor, I'll have to study all the time."
"Not all the time, Kafei. But you need to keep up your studies. Your mother will be angry otherwise. You'll be thirteen next week, son. You'll be a man before you know it, and you need an education."
Cremia, still listening silently, was a bit embarrassed for some reason. She had never had a tutor, only knowing what she had taught herself. Also, she'd heard that Kafei's birthday was next week. Should she get him a present?
Kafei answered dejectedly, "Yes, Dad. I'll study hard." But Cremia, from right near him, could hear a little sigh of sadness.
His father spoke again. "Well, one of your friends will be heading back to Romani Ranch soon, you know."
"What? Cremia will?"
Cremia blushed to hear him talk of her so panicked.
"Yes, so you won't be missing spending time with her. She's only on vacation here."
"Well, I will have Anju."
Cremia felt her heart shattering into a million pieces. As soon as she was sure Kafei and Dotour had left, she scrambled out of the square as fast as she could, running in some direction. It didn't matter where she was going. She just had to get out of there.
Kafei doesn't care about me. He only wants Anju! I hate him! I can't wait until I can go back to the ranch!
Suddenly, she bumped into a rather distraught Anju.
It was dark, so the other girl couldn't tell that Cremia had tears streaming down her face. Anju yelped, "Oh, who is it?"
"Cremia."
"Oh, Cremia! Where have you been?"
"Nowhere—hey, what's the matter?"
Anju gripped her friend's two hands, squeezing tightly. "Oh, it's terrible! You just got to help me!"
Cremia wiped her eyes, hoping her companion couldn't see. "Just calm down a minute. What is it?"
"I told Kafei I'd meet him in North Clock Town, but my mother is making me go home! Please, please go and meet him for me! Cremia, you just got to!"
Cremia froze. After what she just heard, she couldn't do that!
Anju was really panicking. "Please! Mother'll kill me!"
Cremia sighed. "Sure, sure. Go home now, I'll find Kafei and tell him."
"Oh, tell him I'm so sorry!" cried Anju as she ran away, presumably towards where her mother waited impatiently.
The remaining girl stood there for a moment, tried to figure out where she was. This was East Clock Town? How had she ended up here? She sighed, slowly picking up her sandaled feet to walk up the slope past the various shops and the bank. Each step was heavier than the last. She did not want to see Kafei.
Still, she kept going. She had promised Anju, and Anju had promised Kafei. Promises were very serious things. If Cremia did not fulfill hers, she would be hurting both her best friend and Kafei.
Kafei.
As she entered the park area that was North Clock Town, Cremia saw Kafei's figure highlighted by moonlight, sitting on a pillar in the corner. She swallowed hard and walked closer to him, his words echoing through her mind. Kafei did not care about Cremia. All that mattered to him was Anju.
"Anju?" Kafei asked nervously, hopping down from the pillar to come eagerly over. "You here?"
"No," the girl said nervously.
Kafei halted. "Cremia? Where's Anju?"
- - - - - - -