Yes! Another chapter! I know I'm making fast updates, but just you watch, when school starts, I'll barely make any! I'll try to get as much done as I possibly can. The reason why I named this chapter that was because it...well...read for yourself, and you'll know what I mean.
"I beat you to work, today!"
"Since when did you start working at Town Hall?"
"Well, I figured since you can't be my rival in pranks, I decided you could be my rival in getting to work first."
"Akari, don't you have a farm to tend to?" Gill wanted her to go away. He wanted to win this bet, but Akari was so annoying. Ever since they became friends, she would see him everyday. 'I guess friendship comes with a price. I don't know how Chase manages like this.'
"Yeah, but I finished! I'm getting better at this whole farm thing! Besides, it's another rainy day. Oh how I love autumn, but it rains too much!"
"I thought you liked the rain," Gill said in a mocking tone.
"I do, but then my animals can't go outside." Akari whimpered. "Do you think Chase will play outside with me?"
"Actually, I heard he was sick." 'Not like anyone goes to the Inn on rainy days...'
"What?! We haven't played with each other in forever...I'm sad..." She turned toward Gill, facing him. Then a smile grew onto her face. "Gill, will you play with me?"
"I'm sorry, Akari, but no." He kindly rejected her "kind" offer.
"But, we can play in the puddles! C'mon, it'll be fun!" She tugged on his arm.
"My final answer is no." 'So straightforward...'thought Akari.
"Chicken."
"What?"
"That's right! I called you a farm animal! You're afraid, I'll beat you!" She pointed at him with an accusing finger.
"Beat me in what?"
"You're afraid that I'll be better at splashing in the puddles than you! Admit it! You're afraid!"
"Oh yeah...I'm really afraid..." he said sarcastically.
"Please, Gill? C'mon! Nobody actually comes to Town Hall!" 'Nobody, huh? Then why are you here?'thought Gill. "Because I'm your friiieeend..."
Gill stared at her in shock. "How did you know what I was thinking?"
"Because I'm a psychic, Gill. A psychic!"
"Are you really?"
"Heh, no. I'm a ninja, remember?" [referring to chapter 2]
"No, seriously. What's the actual reason?"
"You were thinking out loud."
"Oh..."
"So, now can we play?"
"Go on, Gill! Go have fun with Akari!" suggested Elli.
"No, I must work! There is no time to goof off!"
"No one's here, and you already finished your paperwork. Heck, you finished next week's work, too. Go!" Elli moved her hands in a shooing motion.
"My father wouldn't approve of this! As the Town Hall Administrator, I should be working to help the island!" Gill sat down stubbornly. The room stayed silent for a few minutes; the only noise keeping it from being so quiet was Elli talking on the phone.
"Uh-huh? Yeah, okay, bye-bye!" Elli hung up the phone. "That was your father, and he did in fact, approve! He says you're so antisocial, so get off your butt and go have fun with your new friend."
"I don't believe you."
"Wanna bet?" Elli dialed the phone again. "It's for you!"
Gill took it. "Believe it!" said Mayor Hamilton. "Go have fun, son! Now, go!"
"Father, stop talking to Elli! You're infecting her!" [referring to chapter 5] Then he gave the phone to Elli. "Fine, Akari, you win. Let's go." He grabbed his coat off of a wooden coat rack stand. He didn't need a hat like Akari because his had a hood.
"Yay, I win!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him outside. Elli giggled. "Okay, Gill! So, you know what to do, right?" She nudged him.
"Yes, we're just splashing around in the puddles. How much easier could it get?"
"Gill, it's not as easy as it looks. You have to be careful."
"For what?"
"For dust bunnies!"
"Akari, that doesn't make sense! It's raining!"
She ignored every word he was saying and just skipped in each puddle. It looked as if she were playing hopscotch from the way she was jumping about. Gill just walked around; he was careful not to splash any water.
"Gill, you lose!"
"What? I thought we were just having fun!"
"Yeah, and you lose for not having fun!"
"I am having fun!"
"Prove it then!"
Gill tried thinking up an excuse. "I walked into a puddle."
"My god, you're right!"
"Of course, I'm right. I'm a genius, aren't I?"
"I still win this round! Round Two! Okay, now were going to catch drops of rain in our hands!"
"What kind of competition is this? It's pointless!"
"Don't question it, Gill! Respect it! After all, you were the one who told me respect is earned not given. So, respect it!"
Gill stared at her. "Akari, that doesn't make sense either! Most of the things you say, don't make sense!" Akari stared at him with her huge eyes.
"I don't make sense?"
Guilt started consuming Gill. "Fine, we'll do this stupid competition. Just, drop it already. I'm sorry, okay?"
"Ready?"
"Set?"
"Go!" Akari ran frantically around the square, dropping every drip she collected. Gill on the other hand, just stood in one place, catching each individual raindrop.
"Okay, now let's see who won, Akari." He walked slowly to her. "I win."
"Aw, no fair, your hands are bigger."
"Even if we had the same size hands, I'd still win because you only have one or two drops of rain," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Ah-hah! Touche, Gill! Now it's a tie between us. Time for a tie breaker!"
"So, what are we gonna do?"
"I don't know...got any ideas?"
"Yeah, I got one. Let's go inside."
"Aw...that's no fun...let's go visit poor, sick Chase!"
"Fine, one quick visit!" Gill took her hand and led her to his house.
---
Chase was relaxing in the comfort of his own home. He sat down sipping some orange juice. Chase didn't like being sick, but seeing how gloomy it was outside, he felt happy to be in his warm, cozy house.
"Chase!" Akari barged right in without even knocking. Chase spat out the liquid in his mouth.
"WTF?! A-Akari!" He yelled, wiping his face with a napkin. "Oy! Who said you could come in?" He pointed at her with an accusing finger.
"What do you mean? The door wasn't locked." 'Note to self: Always remember to lock the door, otherwise someone like Akari might come in unexpectedly, scaring you to death.' Chase slapped his forehead.
"Well, since you're already here take a seat." Chase closed the door, but Gill's hand stopped it. "Gill, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working?"
"Akari wanted to visit you."
"Yeah, I can tell, but that still doesn't explain wh-"
"We were playing outside in the rain, then she wanted to visit you."
"Oh...well, come on in." Chase held the door open for him.
"Chase!" Hearing his name, he turned to his energetic friend. "Do you have any of that orange juice left?" she asked, staring at his glass.
"Sorry, none left." Akari frowned and reached for Chase's, but he moved away from her. "Akari, if you hadn't noticed, I'm sick, so you don't want to catch my germs."
"But, I want orange juice too." She pouted.
"Akari, listen to Chase!" Gill scolded her.
"Fine. So, Chase? What have you been doing?"
"Sitting on my butt...watching TV, drinking orange juice...you?"
"Going to Town Hall...begging Gill to go outside in the rain with me, splashing in puddles...visiting you...yearning for orange juice...same old, same old..."
"Akari, with you, things never change."
"Exactly, that's why I said same old, same old."
"I beg to differ. Akari, has changed. Now she's asking me to play with her. Before she didn't even make eye contact with me," said Gill.
"Yeah, Gill, but now we're friends!...Yep!...Three friends..." Akari held Chase's hand and Gill's hand. "Friends..."
Gill broke free of Akari's grip. "I'm going to go to Town Hall now. I have to work."
"No, Gill! Stay!" She begged.
"I think I overstayed my welcome, Akari. This isn't even your house. It's Chase's."
"Oh, then I guess I'll go too..." she said sadly.
"You're leaving me?" Chase wore a pout on his face.
"What do I do? Stay or leave?"
"I was only kidding, Akari. I'm gonna go take a nap, so you just go." Chase yawned. "I'll go take a nap right now." Then he scuttled to his room. "Bye Akari...bye Gill..."
Akari and Gill exchanged looks. "Chase is weird when he's sick." Gill chuckled. "Gill, can we go play outside some more? Please? But, I want Chase to play with us too, but he's sick." She pouted.
"Akari, I have work to do, so go play in the puddles by yourself."
"Whaaat? You mean you don't like playing in the rain?"
"Exactly."
"Hate rain? That's like hating fun!"
"I don't hate fun, I just don't want to." He left Akari in Chase's house, but she followed him like a lost puppy, wandering the streets.
"Please?"
"No, Akari."
"Pleeease?"
"No."
"Pleeeeeease?"
"No!"
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-"
"Akari, you may be annoying, but I won't play outside with you."
"...eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-"
Gill felt his brain pound inside his head. He couldn't even hear himself think anymore. "Okay, okay! Fine! You win! I'll play around in the rain with you!"
"Woohoo! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-"
"Akari, you can stop that."
"I wish I could, but it's so much fun I can't stop. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?...Okay, I'm done." Gill took her hand. The sooner he splashed in the puddles, the sooner he could get back to work.
---
Finally, after three days of nonstop rain, the sun came out of the clouds, shining over all of Waffle Island. Chase stood in the Sundae Inn wearing a frown. The sun may have brightened everyone's day except his. It's been forever since he actually played or hung out with his best buddy. 'Where was she? Hanging out with Gill? She's always with him now.'The thought of Akari being with Gill made Chase shudder. He was fed up with waiting for her to come. He left work and marched over to Town Hall.
"Gill!"
"What?!" Gill looked up at him. "Oh, Chase...I thought you were Akari."
"Wait, you mean, she's not here?"
"No, why?"
Chase scratched the back of his head. "Well, I thought she was with you."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know where she is. Maybe you should go look in the places where she usually is."
"Well, she's usually in the Sundae Inn, but lately, she's been here in Town Hall."
"Well, I don't have the time to go help you, so- whoa!" Chase pulled his arm and started dragging him out of Town Hall. "Chase, I demand you stop dragging me! My clothes will get ruined!"
"You gotta help me find Akari. What if something bad happened to her?" Gill looked at Chase. He saw the worry in his eyes.
"Fine, just let go. We'll look for her together." Chase let go of his grip on Gill's arm, allowing him to stand up. "So, where shall we look first?"
"Praline Woods. She might be there with Luke or something."
When they walked past the carpentry, they heard chopping sounds in the distance. "Yep, Chase. Luke must definitely be in Praline Woods."
"Luke!" called Chase. The carpenter smiled and waved.
"Hey guys! What're you doing here?"
"Luke, where's Akari?"
"Akari? Hm, I haven't seen her in forever, and-"
"Wait, you mean she's not here?"
"No, why?"
"We were hoping you would know because Chase can't find her," said Gill.
"Here, I'll help you guys." Luke joined Chase's search party! Doo-doo-doo-doo! (videogame noises) "So, is this serious? Is she like really lost, and you guys are worried sick about her? Or is she just hiding from you guys, so you wanna find her?"
"The first one," said Chase.
"Hm, this is serious. Where do you think she could be?"
"I don't know, that's why we're looking for her." Luke pursed his lips and crossed his arms. "Uh-oh...don't tell me, Luke...you're-"
"That's right."
"It looks like your thinking face."
"Yep!"
"Don't hurt yourself this time!" Last time Luke made his thinking face, he thought too hard about something and hurt his brain. Only so much can fit in that head of his.
"Ah-hah! Follow me!"
"Luke, I doubt we'll find Akari here," said Gill. They were in the church. Chase and Luke searched the whole place, while Gill stood there at the altar. "Why would she be here in the first place? This place is small, so if we just call her name, she would come out."
"Why didn't you say so sooner?" asked Luke. Gill wanted to strangle him, but he restrained himself from doing so. Having friends has taught him how to do so! Luke cupped his hands around his mouth. "Akari!"
"She's not here, Luke!" yelled Gill.
"See? Its your negativity that prevents us from finding her."
"That doesn't make sense!" The church doors opened.
"Hello boys! What are you three doing here?" said Mayor Hamilton, "Gill, why aren't you with Akari?" He cocked his head to the right. "Well?"
"We're looking for her."
"Did you check her home?" Gill and Chase slapped their foreheads, embarrassed that they didn't think to check. Luke just wore a happy grin, wondering why they smacked themselves.
"Thanks Mayor Hamilton. We'll go check. C'mon guys." Chase pushed them out of the church and down the hillside. "Okay, I'm not pushing you guys anymore. You both have two feet that aren't broken, use them." Then he walked ahead of them into the Caramel River District.
Luke knocked on her door with a silly expression on his face. "Akari, are you home?" There was no answer. "I don't think she's here." He frowned and leaned against the door.
"Where do we go now?" asked Chase, the most worried out of the trio.
Luke yawned and placed his hand on the door knob. It opened and he fell backwards. "Ow!" He rubbed his back.
Chase took a peek inside. It was dark and quiet. "Why wasn't the door locked?"
"Heck if I know," said Luke, the clueless one out of the bunch; he stood up. "Let's take a closer look. I've never been in Akari's house."
"Luke, we shouldn't be going in here without her permission," said Gill, the voice of reason.
"C'mon, Gill! Lighten up! Akari won't mind!"
"Luke, we should listen to Gill."
"Chase, you've never seen Akari's house either, have you?"
"Uh...n-no...she's never invited me. I don't think anyone has visited Akari's house before."
"Then come on! Akari's nice, she won't get mad!" Luke convinced, actually dragged, the two others in. "I can't see anything. It's too dark."
"Luke, let's go outside. This isn't a good idea," said Chase.
"Okay, I got a hold on the curtains." Luke opened them up, revealing light into the room. "That's better."
Chase grabbed Luke's shirt. "Luke, are you some sort of nimrod? You could have waken up Akari." He pointed to the sleeping girl.
"Oh...so, she's been asleep all day..."
"C'mon you guys, we should really go now." Chase walked toward the door.
"I agree, come along, Luke."
"Chase..." Luke stared at him with his gold eyes. "Do you...like her?...Akari?"
"Of course, I like her, she's my best friend."
"No, I meant do you love her? Like not as a friend, but you're like you know? In love with her?"
Chase sighed. "Yes..." A warm smile appeared on his face. "I do love her." Gill felt his stomach tighten. 'Why did it hurt to hear that?' Gill looked at her. She looked like the way she did the other day when she wanted to play outside in the rain...like an angel. Chase sat by her on her bed; he played with her hair.
"Hey Chase?" asked Luke, "Does Akari love you too?"
"Probably not." He stood up, but something stopped him. It was Akari. She was still out of it, but she had managed to get a hold on Chase's hand in her sleep. He tried pulling away, but she wouldn't let go. "Hey...hey Akari...Can I have my hand back?" he whispered softly.
The girl slowly opened her eyes but not all the way. "Hn?"
"Hey Akari." Luke waved at her. She nodded before going back to sleep.
"Akari? Can I have my hand back?" She woke up once more, eyes still tired. Akari stared down at her hands. She opened them, showing Chase's stuck there. Akari stared at it sleepily, taking a moment to register what was going on. Her eyes cracked open, and she let go. She hid her flushed face under her blanket. Usually Akari was used to holding hands, even if they were of the opposite gender, but this time she was shocked. "Akari, are you okay?"
"No, I'm sick," she said in a quiet voice.
"That's what you get for playing outside in the rain," Gill said in a rather gentle voice. He was glad to see that the girl was acting normally, and she wasn't hurt or lost.
Akari sneezed. "I'm tired too..."
Chase tucked her in. "Get some sleep then."
"Wait...how did you guys get in here?" Chase and Gill's faces turned into a soft shade of pink, making it barely noticeable, but the way they acted made it obvious. Akari didn't seem to notice though.
"Well, you see," Chase began.
"Luke leaned on your door and fell backward," said Gill.
"Gill and I tried to get him to leave with us, but he wanted to see your house."
"End of story."
"Oh...okay then..." She laid back down. "Bye..."
"Bye Akari," the three boys said in unison. Luke was the first to exit, then Chase, and Gill came out last, locking the door behind them.
"Another case solved by yours truly," said Luke, "Well, see ya!" He ran off.
"Um...thanks Gill...for helping me out..."
"No problem...so...you like Akari?"
"Um...y-yeah...I do. Is that a problem?"
"Huh? Oh, n-no. No, not at all." 'Yeah, no problem, except I have to steal her from you...' "Well, I'll see you later then...bye."
"Bye."
How was that? Am I jumping too far ahead of myself? I mean, is this happening too quickly? I just wanna know...'k, thanks for reading, bye!
