Our night together, the night of the Firefly Festival, seemed to dissolve any awkwardness or uncertainty I've been feeling toward Annie. It was comfortable again to be around her, or as comfortable as it ever was, and even that was strained before. But despite that, it still felt slightly different when she came bounding up the dirt path from the Sunshine Ranch to my house, when I saw her image emerge from the surrounding trees to my front lawn, when we saw each other around town, everything was a little different, yet comfortable enough to really get use to.

She hadn't called me though. And it still ticked me off.

She poked her head around the medical curtain, smiling her big goofy smile. "Hiya Vannie!"

My father, too, seemed to change in her presence. I attribute that simply to the suggestive way he found us the morning after the festival. Nevertheless, he made it a point to treat her same he would anyone else. My mom, on the other hand, seemed to embrace Annie even deeper into her heart, her opinion of Luke and Angela's daughter unwavering. It was pretty strange. "Would you stop calling me 'Vannie'? We're not little kids any more."

She pouted. "Why does everyone keep saying that to me? I know we're not kids, but having affection or love of any kind towards someone isn't childish you know."

"I guess so. But why are you here?"

"Hello, my knee!" she pointed down and sure enough, she skinned her knee, blood trickling down her thin legs and staining her white socks. I couldn't help but notice the very, very short black skirt she was wearing. Could Annie have worn that particular article of clothing and skinned her knee on purpose so that when I administered the bandage I would see…No, of course not.

"Come over here, Annie. Sit on this cot." My dad gestured to the nearby bed, patting his hand on the surface. While she made her way over I retrieved the bandages and some sort of herbal healing balm my mom mixed up during her free time. Dad cleaned the wound with some alcohol, and then began to layer the thick sap onto the cut. Annie wasn't going to have any of that, and squirmed and squeaked in pain.

"Shit! What is that stuff, acid?"

"A concoction of Anissa's. I know it stings, but it works too." He tried to continue when Annie quickly retrieved her knee, bringing it up to her chest and cradling it like a mother to a baby.

"You are not going to put that medicine from Hades onto my knee! Just wrap it up and let's move on with the rest of our lives." My dad sighed angrily, but obliged, wrapping her need with the white rolled up bandage. When he was finished, she hopped to her feet, happy once again.

"Thanks Dr. Jin! What do I owe you?"

"Don't worry, it's on the house." Something about the way he said that, and the smirk that followed and disappeared in a flash, rubbed me the wrong way. Satisfied, Annie bounced out of the clinic and to wherever the mental atrophy spends their days.

"Why did you say it like that?"

"Like what?"

"You know Dad, like there's some sort of esoteric bond between you two."

"Son, I think you've been working too hard. You're becoming a little paranoid. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?"

"Now? So soon?" I looked at the wall clock, seeing it was 10:30 in the morning. We've been open for only two in a half hours.

"Yes, now. You're young; you need to live your life. Enjoy it."

But I shook my head. "I am living my life, I like working here. I don't want to leave; practicing and learning medicine is my life, and aside from you and mom, that's the only thing important to me."

My dad actually looked sad when I said that. The only other time I've seen him like that was when he discovered Mom had an incurable disease. He shook his head, slowly, and wheeled his chair back to his desk, filling out forms.

"Yes! Take that Mom and Pop!" Dancing up Waffle Town's main stretch, I was pumped. So much so that I think I could've stopped a truck if I had to. I had finally saved up enough money to buy my own plot of fertile farming land, not too far from where Mom's crops grew. Finally I could grow my own food—as in, no spinach ever!

I bounced up the stairs leading to the town square, so caught up in my reverie that I didn't even notice Vivian until we collided. Oh boy, I've done it now.

"Sorry Sugar wasn't paying attention." I said, when I noticed how jostled up the collar of Vivian's shirt was, and the bruise on its side. Certainly our fall didn't cause that. While Blondie composed her, I looked up and noticed Heath walking out of town hall, face flushed.

"Annie, you bumbling idiot, watch where you're going!" She glared at me before pushing past, nearly knocking me down again. Heath flustered, tipped his hat towards me, and brushed by. Could the two have made the library (they were always there anyway) into their own little lost nest? I need to remind myself not to check out or even touch any of the books on the second floor.

"Hiya Elli, how's it going?" She looked up from the stack of paper work that occupied the majority of her desk, looking tired. "You okay? You look…near death."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Gill's been…skipping out on his responsibilities."

"You mean his royal high-strungess is being delinquent?"

"Yes he is…don't tell anyone Annie, but Luna and Gill are trying to conceive. They've been visiting Dr. Jin frequently in hopes of Luna being pregnant, but with no luck thus far."

"Aw that's…sad."

"Vivian's been trying to help, especially up in the library. But unfortunately, there's no work up there."

"I wouldn't say that…"

"What was that, Annie?"

"Nothing! I want to buy some land though," I smiled. Maybe that's why Vivian, the queen of mean and cleanliness, ran into the open and awkward arms of our timid little Heath. What about Matt?

"Annie, are you okay? You seem pale," Elli's face changed from tired to tired and concerned.

"I'm fine, let me point out what plot of land I want to buy on that map there."

Once the paper work was filled out and filed away, and I left with my deed, I decided to detour from the Souffle Farm and to Matt's seaside shanty. I was dreading it though; Matt knew all too well about mine and Vivian's track record. He would probably be skeptical coming from me. I just didn't know what to do.

So I made an immediate right turn from his front step, and left.

Annie followed me home that evening from the clinic. She tried to be secretive and discreet, but failed horribly. "Annie, something on your mind?"

Reluctantly she emerged from behind the shipping box. She smiled, as usual, but there was an unspoken uncertainty about the way she presented herself. "Have heard that Gill and Luna are trying to…conceive. Of course you do, you work at the clinic."

"That's what's bothering you?"

"Well, no, but I think its part of it. How are Luna and Gill getting along, I mean with all the tension that I assume comes when you're trying to have a baby."

"They've…been hostile towards each other. I don't think it's anything to worry about, but you can cut the tension between them with a knife. Why?"

"Well, I think it's starting to get to Vivian."

"That's understandable, considering—wait, did you say Vivian?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Considering you're relationship—"

"Dammit it's going to hurt Matt!" She punched me in arm. Somehow it didn't hurt.

"What was that?"

"For the past few days I've been planting and farming and such. I'm too tired to really be physically violent with you." She crouched down, pressing her knees to her chest. Something came over me; obviously whatever she was talking about was really getting to her. I crouched down in front of her.

"Annie, could you cut to the chase? None of this is making any sense."

A deep, shaky breath. It seemed I was making her nervous being this close. "Okay. I saw Vivian and Heath leave the town hall together, and they were…disheveled."

"Like…what?"
"Like they were necking. Vivian had a hickey on her neck. Fresh."

"How can you tell?"

"Just trust me. It was."

"Okay, so what?"

"Sooo…Matt, one of my closest friends, is crazy about Vivian and he's been pursuing her and she must've been leading him on because she's shacking up with Heath, and that's my problem!" she said all this like one long word, saying it in one breath.

"I see now. Have you told Matt yet?"

"Wait a minute! Shut up a second!" She jumped to her feet, rubbing her chin and furrowing her brow. "Yes…yes, it's perfect! It all makes sense now that I've said it out loud! Yes!"

"Now what are you talking about?" She threw her arms around my shoulders, bouncing on her toes. To the untrained eye, it might have seem she was air humping me.

"Thank you Van!"

"For what?"

"I have no idea! But thank you!" Before running off, laughing loudly, she pecked me on the cheek.