Chapter Nine: Hana...

When I enter Hana's store, she smiles. "Good morning, Juliet."

"Hi, Hana. Um, you know... I'd like to thank you for being there for me and for telling me to keep holding on with Neil."

A few weeks ago, Neil and I had gotten into the most awful fight. I came to Hana's in tears and she convinced me to stay with him.

Hana tells me, "I knew you could change that boy. Dunhill was telling me how he was worried about Neil. After all, Neil was the only youthful, single boy in this town."

"I think anyone who's around his age could have changed him," I tell her. "It's just that I was the one who happened to move in. You make me sound like a Messiah or something."

"No, Juliet, it had to be you." For a while, she doesn't say anything. Then, she tells me, "There was another girl, here, about a year ago. She was sweet, but she never tried to even have a relationship with Neil."

"Really?"

Hana nods. "She was sent here by her parents. Neil was a little interested, if you need to know, but she didn't care about him. He was heartbroken.

"You changed him. I mean it. Okay?"

"Okay...?" I swallow. "Hana?"

She turns to me. "Hmm?"

"How do you know if... you're in love?"

Hana grins. "You'll know." She sets out a bag of seeds. "You'll... know."

Author's Note: That was possibly the shortest chapter ever, but... yeah... please review.