Author's note- Thanks Awesome Rapidash, Ekoaleko, NightimeRoseOX and Sarah303 for your reviews! The flashback in this chapter is in italics. Also, sorry this isn't as long as some of the previous chapters, but I hope everyone enjoys it anyway!
Chapter 10- True friends
It was as though Summer was starting all over again. After being cooped up for two days, the occupants of Mineral Town were all eager to enjoy the fresh air and good weather just in case another storm hit. Most people headed straight to the beach, but Ann decided to stay behind.
Instead, she had gone to Jack's farm to help him clear the debris caused by the awful weather. She was actually quite glad when Cliff said he was needed at the Winery, so couldn't come. Not because she didn't want to be with him, but because she wanted to ask Jack, her best male friend, his opinion on what to get Cliff for his birthday. It was only a few days away and still Ann didn't have a clue.
"We're holding a small party at the Inn on the sixth, for Cliff, you know," she told Jack, as she threw a large branch aside. "Feel free to come if you want, but it will be a very small party. Cliff was reluctant to have one at all, but I managed to convince him."
Jack stopped to mop his brow half-way through a vigorous assault on some troublesome weeds and turned to nod his head at Ann, "Yeah, sure, I'll come," he said. "How old will Cliff be, then?"
"Twenty-one," Ann replied, tiredly. She had feeling clearing this field would be a lot easier if it wasn't so unbearably hot. She glanced up into the cloudless blue sky, sheilding her eyes from the glare of the sun as she did so. At that moment Jack let out a long, low whistle from somewhere to her right.
"The big two-one, eh?" he said, looking pretty impressed.
Ann shrugged, "It's not that much of a big deal. I'll turn twenty-one on the seventeenth myself."
"Really?" Jack looked unusally thoughtful for a moment. "Wow. And to think you were just eighteen when I moved here. I can't believe how much time has gone by, and now you're grown up. You're a woman," he sighed, then looked at Ann and smiled. "You were my very first friend in this town, back when this farm was a dump and I was just about to give up. I guess I've got a lot to thank you for."
Ann felt herself go instantly red at Jack's words and quickly turned away so he didn't see. Everything Jack said was true, though. She was one of his friends when he first arrived in Mineral Town. She had been so excited at the thought of a new farmer, but soon realised Jack was finding things tough. They helped each other out and soon became firm friends.
Ann could remember meeting Jack for the first time as clearly as if it were yesterday.
"Hello?" Ann called out. She glanced around the old farm, but couldn't see the new owner anywhere. As she was wondering what to do, a fat little puppy came scurrying towards her.
"Aw, aren't you sweet?" Ann beant down to stroke it's toffee-coloured long ears, "Where's your owner, then boy?"
"His name's Buttons,"
She looked up to see a boy, who couldn't be much older than her, emerge from the barn.
"Oh. Cute," Ann replied, to what she considered to be a less than friendly welcome. The boy wandered slowly over. On closer inspection, she noticed he looked quite distracted.
He wasn't looking at Ann, but across the sunlit farm spread out before them. "This place is in a mess," he muttered, more to himself than her.
Personally, Ann agreed, but decided it would be tactless to say so. "I'm sure you'll be able to get it looking nice again," she said bracingly.
At long last the boy turned to look at her. He had thick chocolate-brown hair (most of it was covered by a baseball cap so she could only see a bit) and had eyes the same colour. The most endearing thing about his appearance, or so Ann thought, was a cute spattering of freckles across his nose.
He regarded her with interest for a moment, before asking, "So what's your name? I'm Jack, by the way. Jack Taylor."
"Ann Lawson," she told him, "I thought I'd drop by to see how you were getting on, welcome you to Mineral Town, that sort of thing. So, er...welcome!"
For the first time, Jack's face broke into a massive, happy grin. He grabbed her now outstretched hand and shook it enthusiastically, "Pleased to meet you, Ann."
"Oh, me and Karen have broken up, by the way," Jack announced suddenly.
Ann was jerked back to the present by this startling piece of news, "What?" she yelped, and then, "Why?"
Jack sat down on a large, round boulder nearby and montioned for her do the same. Once she was perched there Ann asked the one thing she was dying to know. "Erm..." she began, tentatively. "Who ended it? Was it you or Karen? Or was it a mutual decision?"
For a while Jack said nothing at all and Ann began to wonder if she had been a bit insensitive. She wasn't unknown for it after all.
Then, at last, he spoke, "It was Karen," he told her.
"Karen?" Ann exclaimed, feeling shocked. If she was truthful that had not been the answer she was expecting, and to her great surprise she actually felt disappointed that it had not been the other way around.
But then, Ann reasoned, she only felt that way because Jack was a close friend. Who would want their friend to be dumped? They'd want it to be the other way around, right?
"I'm so sorry, Jack," she said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Jack just smiled.
"It's fine," he admitted. "I'm not too bothered really. It wasn't working out that well, and to be honest I didn't think it would last that long. Of course, I didn't tell Karen any of this."
"Why not?"
"I value my life," Jack replied simply, his eyes twinkling deviously.
They both collasped with laughter, even though it wasn't really that funny. "You're so mean!" Ann told him, once she had recovered enough to speak properly.
"I know. And I do like Karen; it's just that we were never really that well suited. I've got nothing against her really," he answered, with a careless shrug.
Ann nodded in agreement, though she wasn't really listening. Instead she stared directly ahead, apparently admiring the beautiful summer's morning, but not really seeing it. Mere months ago she would have been overjoyed to hear that Jack and Karen had broken up. Just a few short months in fact. Ann knew her life had changed so much in that short time and it still felt strange to her. Sometimes she wondered if it was all real.
"I think we deserve a break," Jack announced, cutting through Ann's thoughts for a second time. "Lets go to the house," he suggested, "I've got snacks."
Ann lept to her feet at once, "Say no more!" she grinned.
The sun was setting as Ann arrived back at the Inn late that evening. It'd had taken almost all day, but eventually she and Jack had cleared the field. And he'd come up with the perfect birthday present for Cliff.
Ann found herself grinning at the pure brilliance of Jack's idea as she drew up outside her front door. It was so simple really...
"Hey Ann! Ann!"
Whipping around at the sound of her name, Ann found herself blinking in utter disbelief at what she saw.
Mary- the quiet, dignified librarian no less -was hurtling along the street so fast it was a miracle she was actually able to stop. She drew level with a shocked Ann, her glasses askew and hair all over the place, and managed to pant out, "Me...and...Gray...g-getting...married. Shouldn't...have run. So...excited...though."
Laughing madly, Ann tried hard to look surprised by the news. A very difficult job considering she knew absolutely nothing about acting.
Fortunately, Mary was too breathless to notice anything, and was now doubled up with a stitch. "That's great news!" Ann said, patting her friend on the back. "You ok?"
Mary straightened up, looking ecstatic. She nodded, "Yeah, 'course I am. You'll be my bridesmaid won't you?" she asked. "Mom'll want to rope in all these cousins I've never heard of, let alone met. I'll tell her I-"
But Ann had suddenly thrown her arms around her best friend and engulfed her in a massive hug . She never completed her sentence. Ann had gotten the gist, however.
"Oh, Mary!" she whispered, feeling ridiculously sentimental.
"So you'll do it then?"
Releasing a relieved looking Mary, Ann found herself nodding, "Yeah! If that's not evidence of what a good friend I am, I don't know what is. I'm gonna wear dress for you, Mary. A dress! I must be mad!"
Within a few days, news of Gray and Mary's engagement had gotten all around town. Ann suspected Anna, who couldn't keep anything quiet for more than five minutes, of gossiping. As predicted she had drawn up a long list of bridesmaids for the wedding, but as she promised Mary put her foot down, and so the job was now going to Ann alone.
"You're the best friend I've got. I don't want anyone else," Mary had explained.
Ann smiled at that, grateful for her friend's support, but couldn't help feeling nervous about the whole thing. What if she did something wrong, or accidentally ruined her dress? It was a horrible thought, and one Ann just couldn't shake off. She didn't want to make a mess of the most important day in Mary's life.
Thankfully, the wedding wasn't until the very last day of Summer, giving Ann plenty of time to prepare. And as far as she could see, she was going to need it.
A/n- I had planned for more to happen in this chapter, but it seemed to come to a natural end at this point. Sorry for the lack of real plot development in it, I just couldn't fit it in. Next chapter will include Cliff's birthday and hopefully that should be posted soon. Thanks for reading!