So, this is one of the stories that I'm planning to continue, obviously. ^_^; I may just rewrite the first few chapters, or so... :P

I don't know how frequently I will update in the coming months. Truth be told, my life kind of sucks right now. It's hard to explain, but it's emotional issues.

...You know what? Why don't I actually just get to the story, instead of rambling away like this? Enjoy! :)


Chapter 8: Reflections

ROSE

Spring 22nd, late evening (just before total sunset)

So, well, today was… interesting. As you know, I spent some time hanging out with Toby by the dock that leads out into the ocean. Well, actually, you don't know the Toby part, but I was fishing. Sigh.

Okay, it is so obvious that the boy has a major crush on me. Like, really. I even thought I saw him darting around suspiciously on the cliff tops the other day! I mean, it sure looked like him; what with the pale blue hair and all.

But that, of course, isn't the issue.

I'm not really sure that I'm interested. In fact, I know for a fact that I'm not interested. I don't do love. I just… don't, because of how I was raised (like, really, when you can't love your own parents then it says something); I wasn't taught to love, and, actually, I was just taught to mistrust.

Yeah. My life actually sounds like it really sucked, now that I think about it. The only thing that makes me kind of sad is that now that I'm here, I'll never be able to get a driver's license if I don't leave, but, honestly… With the kind of record that I have, what DMV was going to agree to give me a driver's license, anyway? *laughs bitterly*

Well, regardless of that sorry fact, I kind of just went off on a major rant. Oh, well; it is kind of hard to keep track of all your thoughts in an orderly manner when you're writing it all down on paper… Maybe it's just me, though. I don't know.

In any case, how do I deal with Toby? How do I let him know what I'm not interested? I mean, maybe rehab is supposed to make people "change" so that they can love and all that, but to be quite honest, I actually kind of doubt that that will happen by this point. I mean, I spent 16 years without learning to love, and I think you do all your major development in that area by the time you're, like, 5. Who's to say that I even have the ability to learn all that now?

TOBY

I had to say that the day went very, very well.

I had fished down at the docks with Rose and, although we honestly hadn't really talked all that much beyond maybe, "Oh! Good catch with that mackerel!" or whatever fish it happened to be, I figured by this point I could say that I most definitely liked her.

I had kept stealing glances at her while we fished, but I didn't really think that she had noticed it, as intent on the line that she had cast out to sea as she was. I mean, I was good enough, after having so many years of practice, that I could usually fish without looking, but I knew that she couldn't. It didn't take me very long to figure that out when she turned her head northwest slightly to catch sight of the source of a birdcall from something avian flying past the island. A fish had bitten at her rod and it had leapt out of her hands, and it would have escaped into the swift water running below if I had not quickly grabbed it just as it passed by the bottom of the dock. She'd muttered a quick thanks and then resumed fishing, although I witnessed a sort of embarrassed blush creeping up her cheeks when I looked closely enough.

I sat on the roof of the Fishery, my legs hanging down off of the edge. I kicked them lazily and looked out to sea, thinking about Rose.

Suddenly, there was a shout from below me.

"Hey, Toby!" It was Luke's voice. I looked down.

"Hey, Luke, my man! What's up?" Truth be told, that was more of a Luke thing to say, but you couldn't deny that I spoke to impress. There was a covered bin below me that I used to jump down onto the ground without injuring myself.

"I was just searching for some awesome quest kind of things to do, when I heard Dale needed some more wood chopped! I was going to go to the Forest, but it might be fun to have someone join me. You down for that?" He looked rather excited about the prospect.

"Yeah, sure." I grinned. "Now?"

"Yeah, now!" He nodded. "Come on, man, let's go!" And with that, we ran off in the direction of the Flute Fields district.


Feel free to leave a review, if you please, ehehe! ^_^; I think that Toby was kind of out of character, at least in this last chapter. :c