~Hello Readers!

Sorry this chapter took a little while. Hope you like it.

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I heard a loud ringing coming from a table next to me. I tried to ignore it, but it just got louder and louder and wouldn't stop. I squeezed me eyes shut and smacked whatever it was. I heard a thud and the ringing stopped for a minute.

Then it started up again.

I groaned and looked at the floor, "Stupid alarm clock," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. I picked it up and turned it off. Well, Time for my first day working at the inn. I stretched and got out of bed. I thought about changing into some other clothes, but then wait, I still don't own any!!!

I sighed. I should go around town sometime. I needed to buy some things. Maybe Maya could give me some more errands to run today. I looked around and saw a hairbrush on the nightstand. It had a card under it.

~ Akari

I thought you might like this. I noticed you didn't have any luggage

with you when I showed you your room, so I wanted you to have my extra

hair brush. Oh, and I asked Haydon if you could start your bar shift at 8:00

instead of 6:00 so I could take you to get some clothes. You'll love the stuff

Candace and Luna make!

~ Maya

I would have to thank her later. I picked up the brush and worked to get the knots out of my hair. Why did my hair always get so tangled? After I finished I walked downstairs and looked around for Maya, trying to avoid Chase. When I didn't see him, I figured the coast was clear and I walked around to continue my search for Maya. She never seemed to be around when I wanted to talk to her. I sighed and turned back towards the stairs, about to go check her room, when the front door of the inn opened to reveal a very tired and annoyed looking cheif. He looked surprised at first, and glared at me just like he had yesterday. I scowled back at him. Was this ever going to get old?

Maya came down the stairs just then to see the two of us having a glowering contest. "Good morning Akari!" she said cheerfully, and then she looked up, "Oh Chase, you're here early!"

The silence lasted a while until Chase finally broke it, "I'll be in the kitchen." He stormed off and left Maya and I on the staircase.

I turned to ask her something, "So, what would you like me to do today?" Maya folded her arms across her chest and thought.

We walked down the stairs and towards the bar counter. You could see into the kitchen from there. Chase was cooking something, he still looked angry. We sat down on some stools by counter in front of the kitchen.

"Well, I'm not really sure," Maya replied. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chase turn slightly towards us. Maya didn't seem to notice. "Yolanda told me this morning that we still don't have a lot of milk, so someone is gonna have to leave to get that. And we need to go to the General Store to pick up some more silverware."

"I could go," I suggested. I would be more than happy to get away from Chase. I didn't like to be somewhere I felt I was unwelcome.

But Maya shook her head, "No Akari! Not after yesterday. You should hang around here and do something else. Something that won't get you put in the clinic again."

I could see Chase turn back to what he was making, looking annoyed. I sighed. "So who's gonna go and get the milk and silverware?"

"Hm…" Maya thought, "Well, I could go get them and you could wait the tables while I'm gone."

I froze.

Chase slammed one of the cabinets.

Maya looked towards the sound, "Chase! What's wrong?"

He groaned, "I don't want her carrying anything I cook!" He practically yelled as he pointed at me.

"Why?" Maya asked. She seemed really confused.

Chase opened his mouth to answer, but I did first, "He thinks I'll drop something." I said turning to scowl at him.

Just then a relatively short woman with pink hair came in. She was wearing an apron and a red bandana around her neck. "Chase! That's no way to treat our new guest."

Chase looked over to her, completely surprised. "Yolanda, she's accident prone-"

"Chase, you've barely known her for two days!" she cut him off, "Now Akari is going to wait tables today and I'll hear no more complaining from you!"

Wow, Yolanda sounded like she was scolding a little kid.

Chase sighed and went back to the dish he had started when he first got here. Yolanda came over to me, "I'm sorry Akari. Chase isn't usually like this."

Great, so he only hates me.

"Oh, it's fine," I said.

"Well, I'm going to go to Brownie Ranch to get some milk. Bye Chase! Bye Akari! Bye Yolanda!" Maya waved as she ran out the door. As she did, Luke came in.

"Hi Luke!" I waved and he turned around.

"Oh, hey Akari!" he said cheerfully and walked over to me. "What are you doing here?"

I sighed, "Well, my house isn't done yet, so I'm staying here…"

Luke looked at me a little annoyed and confused, "Did the mayor tell you to stay here?"

I nodded.

"Did he say your house would be built soon?"

I nodded again, I didn't see the point in the questions. Then Luke slapped himself in the forehead. "Why does he always do this!?"

"What?" I asked. I was completely lost.

"The mayor's always doing this. He advertizes that there's plenty of room on the island and has the new guests stay at the inn until the houses are built." Luke pinched the bridge between his nose, "But he never tells us carpenters that we need to go build houses for these people! He always forgets that little detail!"

I really wanted to hit something just then, but it wasn't Luke's fault I didn't have a house, so I tried to be polite. "So does that mean you'll start working on it soon?"

He stopped pinching his nose and looked up at me. "Well no, I can't. My dad has me scheduled to work on some renovations first. And then we have to enlarge some of the barns over at Brownie Ranch. That's why it's a pain when Mayor Hamilton doesn't tell us these things. It'll take about a week or so until we'll have time to work on your house."

I'm… gonna be stuck here… for a week… with Chase!?

I wanted to scream, I wanted to break everything in the inn right then and there. No way!!! I'm going back to Anissa's house the first chance I get! I'm not staying here for a week! Not if Chase is gonna scowl at me every single time he looks up!

"Uh, Akari… are you okay?" Luke asked. He looked a little frightened.

I tried to calm down… again. I sighed, "Sorry Luke. I'm just really anxious to get my own house." I motioned for him to lean closer, and he did. "I don't really want to stay at the inn very long," I whispered.

"Why?" he asked.

"I… I guess I just don't feel very welcome here…"

Luke understood what I meant and glared at Chase over my shoulder.

"Luke, it's nothing," I insisted. "We just had a misunderstanding."

"If you say so," he said, still eyeing Chase angrily.

I sighed and got up from my seat. "Come on Luke! You came here for a reason. Did you want something to eat?" I asked.

"Oh, right! I forgot. Sure, I'd like some food," he said.

"Okay, you can go sit down while I get you a menu," I replied as I went over to the counter. Luke sat down and I came over with a list of breakfast choices.

"So do you come here to eat a lot?" I asked him as he looked over the options.

"Yeah. Lots of the other villagers do too. Maybe you'll get to meet some," he said. "I'll have some Omelette Rice." Luke handed me the menu back.

"Kay, I'll go get it!" As I walked over to the counter I realized I'd have to talk to Chase. I groaned internally and I put the menu back in the pile. "Chase, Luke would like-"

"I heard him!" He practically yelled as he slid a plate of Omelette Rice down the counter.

"Well sorry for doing my job!" I retorted sarcastically as I picked up Luke's order and brought it over to him.

"I see what you ment about feeling unwelcome," he said a little loudly so Chase would here.

I sighed and placed his food on the table.

The rest of the day went smoothly. Luna came by and introduced me to her sister Candace. She seemed nice, but she wasn't very talkative. Luna said Maya stopped by their store and asked them to drop off some clothes for me. Apparently Maya couldn't wait for me to go with her to get clothes. I tried to refuse, but they insisted. They stayed for lunch before heading back to the Tailor's. Some other villagers stopped by too. I got to meet Toby, a fisherman that hangs around the dock, and I got to thank Jin for taking care of me when Chase brought me to the Clinic the day before.

"Oh it's quite alright," he said. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes very much," I answered trying to sound cheerful.

We didn't have a whole lot of customers, which isn't much of a surprise I guess since it's such a small town. It was getting late and we only had a few customers left. A traveler named Calvin was one of them. He seemed really nice and he talked to me a lot while I watied tables. He was much nicer than Chase, and more mature than Luke. I guess you could say I had a bit of a crush on him.

Chase and I didn't speak to each other at all since his hearing was obviously good enough to get the orders without me needing to repeat them, so all I did was pick up the food once it was made and clear the tables once it was gone.

I waited on a bar stool as Chase finished up the last few dishes. Calvin had ordered Shark Fin Stew. Chase set it on the counter, "Don't drop it."

Wow, he spoke, I thought to myself.

I rolled my eyes and picked up the soup. It was heavy. I struggled to hold it up as I carried the soup to Toby's table. I was almost there when…

I stepped on my shoelace.

Everything seemed to slow down. I started falling forwards. The soup was weighing me down so much that it was impossible to right myself. The floor approached quickly. I only had two options. One, I could drop the soup and catch myself with my hands. Or two, I could just fall on my face.

Don't drop it

I could hear Chase's order repeat itself in my head. He'd never forgive me if I just let the soup fall. As much as I hated him and as bad as he treated me...

I wanted to be friends with him.

And that would never happen if I dropped his food.

I held the bowl up and squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the impact.

BANG!!!

I heard some gasps and a yell. Someone called my name, and I blacked out.

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Sorry, I know. It's kinda corny. I didn't know what else to write at this point.