A/N: I'm really, really, really sorry this took so long! I really do apologize, especially those who took their time to send me a message telling me to finish this story. :( Here's my usual lame excuse, then: I have this AVP (Audio Visual Presentation) Project, and it's a huge client. It's sorta like a job, and we have to make a video promoting a college university, so I've been sitting at the edge of my chair, waiting to fall down. They've been pressuring my co-workers and I about the deadline coming up soon, so I haven't had the time to write this. The AVP isn't really finished, so I might still be slow in updating. Really sorry!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARVEST MOON! XD
"The stupid festival is tomorrow and I still don't have anything stupid to wear!"
Things have gotten out of hand. The house was a terrible mess. Clothes were scattered everywhere, the bed was left completely catastrophic, and sets of makeup were disordered on the small table in front of her mirror. In short—everything was a total disaster.
"I'm so stupid for stupidly thinking that I could stupidly pull off something as stupid as this! Stupid Mineral Town for stupidly coming up with this stupid…" Claire ravaged through her drawers in a panic, looking for the dress she was forced to buy for a party at work back when she lived in the city, but so far, no luck. "It has to be here somewhere."
She screamed in triumph when she discovered the dress at the deepest, cryptic, mystifying parts of her suitcase. Claire held it proudly. She admired the faint sapphire color that the dress emitted, decorated with small beads that still glittered even after all the years it had been put away. It was tight around the waistline, perfectly showing off a girl's figure, and the hem was split until the knee, where you could see a seductive portion of her legs.
"Finally." A small smile tugged on her lips, clearly proud of herself. "Now to try you on."
Excited, the blonde undressed and slipped into the fabric, loving the feeling of silk brushing against her skin. Her strap reached her shoulders and she searched for the zipper that was little inches above her bottom. When she had found it, she carefully pulled it upwards. Zip, the thing sounded. However, the unexplainable happened.
It won't close. Her azure eyes widened in horror. "No way. I won't believe it." In frenzy, she shook her head. "I've been working on a farm! I exercise everyday! I work hard every day! How could I have gained weight?"
What could she do now? The festival was tomorrow, and there was no way she could just magically lose pounds overnight. Where was she going to find a dress by the day after today? "I could use a fairy godmother right about now." She sighed, slumped on her bed.
Coincidentally, her doorbell rang. Well, that was fast. I wonder what she looks like.
Energized, she reached for the door, opened it. Her fairy godmother had brown hair, a large stomach, broad shoulders, and wore a white shirt and navy blue jogging pants. Her fairy godmother also sported a brown mustache and had small beady eyes. It was Gotz. He was holding a dainty white box in his rough hands. She tried to hide the disappointment forming on her face. "Gotz? You can't be a fairy godmother… If you were, then you'd have to be my fairy godfather."
His reply was a raised brow.
Claire's cheeks turned beet red after realizing what she had said, while the woodcutter found his laughter. "I'm no fairy godmother, but today, I'm something in between those lines."
Embarrassed, she scratched her head. "Really, now? What do you have there?" She pointed to the white box he cradled softly in his arms.
A grunt came out of his breath, and he held the box out. "Here, I have no use for this, so you can have it." Carefully, he opened the box and revealed a gorgeous white dress. She gasped momentarily, and gently took it out, feeling the fabric sliding out of its home. It was beaming with wonderful flower patters on one of the thin straps, simple, see-through crystalline laces dangled at the waistline, and the long, streaming skirt flowed elegantly to the floor, as if it were dancing.
It was absolutely, stunningly beautiful.
"It belonged to my daughter." Gotz revealed. He stared at her with solemn, gentle eyes, and gripped the box tightly as he watched while Claire marveled at the dress.
Frowning, the farmer shook her head violently. "I-I can't…"
"You don't have to say anything, Claire. I want you to have it, because I know you'll take good care of that dress." He insisted. Reluctantly, the farmer took the white box from his hands, and set it on top of her bed. Afterwards she placed the dress beside it.
Claire held the woodcutters hands lovingly, full of gratitude. Her eyes pierced his somberly, and uttered two words that could never be enough to express how she feels.
"Thank you."
He gave her a knowing smile. A smile Claire had never seen before, and she watched as he turned his large back towards her and marched outside the farm, his figure getting smaller and smaller, as it vanished into the woods.
I've got a dress for the festival… I have to tell Mary! Excitedly, she ran towards the library.
Mary's smile seemed sort of fabricated to Claire, she tucked her blonde hair behind her ears, and asked what was wrong. Her best friend frowned and paced restlessly on the shelf-covered library walls. She grumbled something Claire couldn't understand.
"He still hasn't asked me to the festival." She revealed.
Claire tilted her head in confusion. "You mean Gray? I thought you two go every year?"
"I thought so too, per se. However, as you can see, he still hasn't asked me, and that's postulating for trouble." The librarian mumbled through her teeth ever so slowly. It made Claire shiver through her spine.
Right. I probably shouldn't ask her what postulating means right now. "Oka-y… do you want me to talk to him?"
"No!" She said that rather quickly for Claire's taste.
"Why not?"
"Because you're probably the reason he's not asking me in the first place!" Mary snapped, and boy had she snapped. She walked over to Claire, and each step grew heavier as she neared her. Now, this struck the farmer as odd. She wouldn't know of any reason why Gray wouldn't ask Mary to the dance because of her. Maybe he just wasn't going to the festival this year because of something. She didn't know what it was, but it was something.
"Maybe he's sick?" It was futile trying to make excuses, but it was better than nothing, she thought.
"Do you honestly believe that?" Mary inquired. Skeptically. "Seriously, Claire. I think it's because he's going to ask you."
Her azure eyes widened. "Wh-what? Are you listening to yourself? Why on earth would he do that?" She watched as Mary's eyes narrowed and sat on the chair behind her desk. "I mean, even if he were to ask me, I still wouldn't… or rather, couldn't go."
That made the librarian's eyes lit up. "What?"
"I'm going with Cliff."
"But I thought you weren't going because you didn't have a dress?"
"Well yeah, but… Gotz gave me his daughter's, so…"
Mary was smiling now. "Cliff likes you? And you like him?"
Claire shook her head frantically. "No, no. no! Cliff likes Ann! You should know that. We're going together because he doesn't have the balls to ask her. He's too much of a wimp, but I think I kind of want to set them up at the festival."
"How are you going to do that?"
Confidently, Claire sat on the counter, wearing a huge grin. "Well, when Cliff and I are dancing, I might feel a certain headache coming in, so I might ask Ann to accompany Cliff while I rest at one corner of the square."
"That will leave you without a date, Claire."
She shrugged. "Meh. I can manage."
"Wouldn't that be… embarrassing?"
"I don't need a boy just to have a good time, Mary."
With that, Mary smiled. "Okay then. I'll come over tomorrow after lunch to fix your make up."
Suddenly, Claire wrapped her in a suffocating embrace. She heard her friend grunt as she squirmed to adjust between her arms. "Thanks, Mary! I was hoping you'd say that! I have no idea what to do with make-up, it's alien to me." She cried in mock horror.
"I'll call Gray to tell him he'll be picking me up at your place." She smiled.
The following day was quite busy for Claire, as she woke up earlier than usual to finish all of her work before Mary arrives at her farm. When she had, though, she was oozing sweat all over, and she smelled terrible. She stepped into the bathroom, turned the shower on, and let the warm water wash away all of her filth. She let out a slight moan.
"I could stay here forever." Her bathroom was beginning to be covered in fog, and it was high time she got out.
Claire's thoughts drifted to the dance. She wondered about what could happen after she arrived with Cliff. Will the townspeople be shocked? Will Manna spread rumors about the two of them? Will Ann get mad… and… will Gray?
She shook her head frantically. Enough 'wills,' Claire, of course he wouldn't. I mean, why would he? It's not as if he likes you or anything. You're just thinking he does because of what Mary said. You know better.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden knock on her door.
"Claire?" Her voice, followed by a few soft bumps on the door, called out to her excitedly. "Open up."
"Coming."
Mary's voice immediately took over upon opening the door. "Oh, Claire, you have to show me your dress! It's no good if your make up doesn't match it. This festival only happens once a year, after all. Everything has to be perfect!"
"Calm down, tiger. It's not going anywhere." Claire told her while walking towards the end of the room, where she kept the box. Her hands found their way towards it and carefully opened it, revealing the beautiful white dress. She watched as Mary's eyes widened in awe by Gotz's daughter's dress. It was a fitting reaction for the well-deserved coiffure.
Through her glasses, Mary sneered at the farmer. "Well now, I see you'll have no problems looking hot tonight." She giggled.
Claire could feel a blush creep into her cheeks. "Liar." She said, followed by a laugh.
"Let's get started."
She sighed. "I have a feeling this is going to be nasty."
Her feeling was right. They spent hours of ironing their hair, applying eye shadows and blush-ons and other horrible beautifying stuff, not to mention the whole backbreaking process of tightening the girdle on their waists. It was an absolute nightmare.
While Mary was applying the eye liner for Claire, she frowned. "Don't even think about crying! You'll ruin everything!"
"I can't help it! When you stretch my eyes like that and it's all exposed, it's going to tear up!"
"Hold it in!"
"I can't!"
Before Claire knew what was happening, Mary had her lying on the bed, unable to move because of the librarian's entire weight on her shoulders, and it wasn't a figure of speech.
"Damn it, Mary! What are you doing?"
"Hold… still." The dark-haired girl uttered through her teeth, drawing on the lines of the blonde's eyes.
The farmer willed herself not to cry. She had to please Mary today, since they almost had a fight yesterday. Stupid Gray. "Are you… finished?"
Her friend shook her head. "This will be much easier if you'll just hold still."
After hours of struggling, arguing and rampaging, they finally finished. Well, putting make up on Claire, at least. Mary still hadn't started on hers, and both of them were in a panic. Claire was filled with regret now of not calling Elli. As she watched Mary carefully apply her eyes with eye-shadow, she was struck with realization.
"I forgot to feed my chickens!"
Mary stood up, turned to face Claire wearing a tempestuous look on her face. "Oh no, you don't Claire. I'm not going to let you march around in that chicken coop after ages of putting on that make up of yours! Let alone ruin the dress Gotz gave you!"
"B-but Mary… I have to feed them, or they'll get sick." She protested.
Mary shook her head. "I know, Claire, I understand. It's just that, your make up…"
"Sorry, I won't carry them around and I won't ruin anything that's plastered on my face. Promise." She raised her right hand, as if swearing an oath, and smiled.
To Claire's surprise, Mary smiled back, and waved her hands as if to shoo her away. "Fine, go and feed your pets or something."
She let out a small laugh and darted towards the door.
The sky was beginning to darken. Judging from the beautiful indigo color it was in; she figured it was almost six. She had to hurry if she wanted to be ready before the boys arrived. She inhaled the fresh air she longed to breathe in, because she couldn't do so inside the house with the perfume Mary was spraying on herself. Despite her friend's insisting, she refused to be sprayed on perfume. Claire couldn't handle much of the stuff. Besides, wearing perfume just wasn't her style.
She grunted. It was hard walking around in the dirt with the shoes she was wearing, and getting to the chicken coop was taking a bit longer than usual. Was the coop always this far?
"That was a weird sound just now."
Her head turned, surprised by the voice that snapped behind her. When she saw his face, though, she wasn't the least bit surprised by who she saw.
"Go away." She said, fixing her gaze to the chicken coop again.
Gray gave a low chuckle, and hearing it annoyed her. She felt his gaze on her as she walked towards the coop. "What are you doing?"
"Forgot to feed my chickens."
"It's not every day you wear something like that. Care to turn around?"
His tone was cocky, and it was really pissing her off. Why was she so mad, anyway? They stood in silence for a few seconds before she decided she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of dragging her into his pace. She continued her walk to the chicken coop. Why is it so far today?
"Fine, I'll just see for myself." He started taking steps towards her, and stopped when they were directly facing each other.
Claire frowned, because she felt her cheeks beginning to flush. He eyed her from head to toe, and she didn't like the fact that she was feeling like a monkey in a zoo. Gray had been staring for a while now, and he cleared his throat. She didn't seem to notice.
"It's a waste."
She tilted her head to the side, showing her confusion. "Huh?"
"I-I'll feed your chickens for you!" He yelled in frustration. This time, Claire noticed the way he was blushing, and creased her eye brows.
"Are you sure? You look a bit red to me. Maybe you should rest."
She walked towards him, and was about to touch his forehead when he took a step backwards. "I'm… fine," he said, and opened the door to the chicken coop. She hadn't realized they were standing in front of it until now. Claire followed inside.
Inside the coop, the atmosphere was stuffy. Claire watched as Gray gathered the feed from its container. He would know. He'd been in her farm several times. He glanced at her and frowned. "Don't move."
She huffed, folding her arms in defeat and sighed. Awkward silence crept inside the room as the both of them refused to start a conversation. Gray leaned towards the ground and sprinkled the feed into their bins, and when it became full, he moved on to the next one.
"When did you ask Mary?" She asked, breaking the silence.
The sudden question caused him to pause, but he quickly returned to sprinkling the feed. He watched the clucking monsters devour it all. "I didn't."
She frowned, for the third time today. "Then why are you here?"
He stood up, stretching. "I'm here because she asked me."
Claire felt anger rising through her veins. "Why didn't you? You go together every year, don't you?" She shook her head frantically when she was aware that she had raised her voice. "She was waiting."
"I didn't want to go." He said. This quieted Claire. Both of them were staring at each other now.
"Why?"
He didn't answer.
Every bin was full of feed by that time, and Gray quietly exited the coop. Reluctantly, she followed after him.
She grunted again. He was walking too fast, and it was hard enough for Claire to walk in heels, so it didn't make it easier when she ran. She yelped, because she stumbled on her own feet and closed her eyes, preparing to trip and ruin Mary's hard work and Gotz's daughter's dress.
Claire squinted as her eyes opened, wondering why she hadn't fallen yet, and when she felt a strong grip on her upper arm, she met with his gaze in surprise.
She hadn't noticed it before, probably because she was busy trying to be mad at him, but he was really handsome today. The tuxedo suited him well, and despite the way his cap failed to present him in a formal manner, it matched perfectly well to show his character. Of course, Claire never thought of him as ugly or anything, in fact, she thought the exact opposite. She just didn't realize it because of the constant feud that happened whenever the two of them even so much as breathe in the same air. However, there was no arguing happening now, and she was free to look at him as anything but a guy whom she always argued with.
"You okay?" His voice snapped Claire back into reality, and felt her cheeks flush again.
She nodded. "Yeah, thanks." They let go, and walked towards the door to her house. This time, it was too near. "Oh, and thanks for feeding them." He nodded.
Upon opening the door, she called out. "Mary, your date's here."
There was a sudden twinkle in her eyes, and she smiled shyly as she met Gray's azure eyes. "Hi, Gray." He waved to her and complimented on her dress. Claire frowned. He didn't even say anything that resembled a compliment towards her ensemble. A sudden knock on her door gave her no time to be angry, though.
"Must be Cliff." Gray guessed.
His guess was right, when Claire opened the door, she was greeted by her date. He would have looked extremely handsome, if not for the huge bruise that exhibited on his face.
"Cliff! What happened to you?" She cried in concern.
He merely laughed it off, glanced at Gray and then to Claire, and said: "I tripped."
Hahaha, I must seem mean for posting this cliffhanger after a slow update. I'll try to pick up the pace.
Massu Chan: Hahahaha, I really love your enthusiasm! Well, I'll make sure that Ann won't be sad during the festival-I hope she won't slap Claire, though. XD
HMHanah: Thank you! Here's my update, finally. XD
xXx Tinkies xXx: We all love us a good jealousy! But none of that... yet. :) I'll try to update soon.
StellaAllets: Ahahaha! I love Gotz, too! I just had to put him in here.
CliffAnnFC: It's okay to go mental, then I'd have a partner in crime! XD Thanks for the review.
xXWaffleLuvaXx: Thank you! Here it is! 3
Next chapter is in Gray's point of view, look forward to it, please. XD
