Summer 7

Father and I are back on agreeable terms again. Just three days ago, he had apologized to me about everything and even asked to take up the position of Mayor, much to my surprise. It's like my whole life has taken a turn for the best in the blink of an eye.

However, I'm not so sure that Molly would agree. It seems that she has become quite accustomed to my company and assistance on the farm, as she was very reluctant about me moving back in with my father. I reassured her, explaining that I would try my best to visit in between trips to the Mainland with Father, part of his 'Mayor-in-Training' regimen. He is doing a great job at teaching me the tricks of the trade, and we both agree that I could very well become the mayor of Castanet by early fall.

Focusing, though, has been a struggle lately. I often find my mind wandering, no matter where I happen to be, whether it be in the office or at home. This is a problem I must work on, because Father and I are leaving for the Mainland tomorrow afternoon. We were originally supposed to leave today, but I had insisted that we stay an extra day because the Firefly Festival is tonight. Molly and I agreed to meet there so we could spend some time together before I leave.

Gill closed his green journal with a 'snap' and sighed, leaning back in his chair. He closed his eyes in high hopes that not seeing the huge pile of paperwork in front of him would somehow melt the unwanted stress away. No alcohol. No cigarettes. He vowed to himself that he'd give up such things when he discovered that he'd be Mayor soon.

And after he woke up beside Molly.

Alcohol and nicotine didn't sound bad at the moment either; the stress only lingered in his head like a nasty migraine. Some peace and quiet would be greatly appreciated, he thought.

That's when Hamilton barged in. "Oh, Gill, things are running so smoothly right now!" he chimed. "The preparations for the Firefly Festival are almost finished and we go to the Mainland tomorrow! I couldn't ask for a better turn of events myself."

"Neither could I, Father."

Hamilton looked outside the office window, overseeing the ocean town. "Working hard, I see?"

Gill rubbed his temples. "As always."

"Wonderful! I'll see you tonight, son."

He left the Town Hall without another word. Gill shoved his journal to the side, directing his attention back to the work that needed to be done on his desk. He had been putting it off for a while now, for the sake of being distracted, but it was crunch time and it had to be done.

After much sorting, filing, writing, and stressing, Gill was finally on his way to the Firefly Festival…late. He kicked himself for being distracted so much and putting off the work until the very last possible minute. Molly would sure be disappointed.

His feet carried him as fast as they could to the festival. He had hoped that she was patiently waiting for him, or even still there. When he reached the bridge that stretched to Flute Fields, however, he saw a different sight than what he had hoped for.

She was sitting on the riverbank beside a certain peach-haired chef. They appeared to be having a good time together as they sent the small paper lanterns down the river. His blood ran cold. He wasn't that late, was he? Gill Hamilton was never late. He peered down at his watch.

The festival was more than half-way through. Okay, so he was a little late. But since when did that give Molly the reason to go with someone else? The saddened feeling of betrayal quickly turned into anger as the future mayor spun around on his heel, high-tailing it back home.

"She stood me up."

"He stood me up."

Molly sadly looked down at the ground as she fiddled with a small piece of grass.

"What?" Chase asked.

"Gill stood me up…I can't believe it."

Chase tried to be understanding towards her, but in all honestly, he was angry that she was so naïve in putting all of her trust in him. It was really no surprise to him that Gill would abandon Molly when she had faith in him to stick to his word.

"I guess he doesn't need me anymore," she started again. "I take him in when he's low on cash and doesn't have anywhere else to go, I feed him, put up with his drunken antics, hell, I even have sex with him, and this is the thanks I get?" She made an angry hand motion in the air, and then looked down. "Now that he has what he wanted all along, I'm out of the picture…I'm sorry, Chase. You were right."

She had told Chase everything that had happened in the time that Gill lived with her. He remembered how his blood boiled when she had told him that they slept together, when the sheer thought of Gill even touching her infuriated him.

"All I have to say is that he's lucky he's gone for a week."

Gill's fingers were sealed tight around the railing of the boat as it rocked up and down with the strong waves. He tried to steady himself to alleviate the motion sickness, his shoulders arching as his stomach quaked with every motion the small ferry made.

Though an expert at working on internal affairs on Castanet, the once again ex-Deputy Mayor was inexperienced when it came to business which took place outside of the island. In fact, he had never even seen the Mainland, or at least didn't remember the trips he went on with his father when he was little.

But today was a different story. Land had just begun to pop into view and Gill silently thanked the Harvest Goddess for giving him something to steady his eyes on other than the miles and miles of the nothingness also known as the ocean. His father had yapped the entire ride about what to expect the following week, but his nauseous son had tuned out half-way through for the sake of keeping his scones down.

He tried to block out every image of Molly that threatened to break his walls. He had decided that he would focus solely on his lifetime goal of becoming Mayor. What was she to him, anyway? Lover? Just a friend?

His mind drew a blank as the boat pulled into port. He was slightly angered with himself because he simply could not think of a logical answer, reason, anything- that would explain his troubling feelings for her. Yes, he liked her, and cared about her as well, but could it ever grow to be something more than that? Could he ever love Molly?

He was unsure. This drove him over the edge, because he was Gill Hamilton, who was always sure about, well, everything. So why was he so doubtful, so baffled about something as simple as love?

"It's quite magnificent, isn't it?"

Hamilton's voice echoed in his conscious and drug him back to reality. They were standing on one of the many docks on the edge of the city, suitcases in hand, and a river of people flowing around them. Before them stood vast amounts of skyscrapers and buildings, many of which were corporate offices, banks, and hotels. Gill was in awe. The tallest man-made structure he had seen was the bell tower on the church, never before had he laid eyes on something as tall as he was seeing now.

"It's unlike anything I've ever seen…"

"There's even more to see! Let's go now, I'm sure the taxi is waiting for us."

Gill followed his father's lead, following the stumpy man through the swarm of people until he found himself in a taxi.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"Four Seasons Hotel," Hamilton answered. The vehicle took a quick U-turn before turning right at an intersection. He giddily laughed to himself, and then turned to Gill. "Only the finest hotel in the city."

Gill smirked with faux enthusiasm before turning his attention to the strange world outside. He had never seen so many people in one place at one time. Many were talking on cell phones; some were walking dogs, others lugging with them way too many shopping bags. Although there were many people, almost none of them seemed to be interacting with each other. They all seemed to be in a rush to get to where they needed to go. It was so unlike Castanet, where everyone was relaxed and there was no rush; people just lived.

The taxi continued down the long stretch known as Barnes Street, where all of the city's main activity seemed to be at. Although unfamiliar with the new environment, Gill was quick in memorizing the surroundings and landscapes, in case he were to ever venture out on his own. Another right at an intersection brought them to their destination, which sat directly on a street corner. Hamilton tipped the driver heartily before guiding his son out to the front of the hotel.

The Four Seasons was nothing other than marvelous, and grand in every way. It stood to be at least fifteen stories high, with the exception of the lobby. A bellhop stood on the carpeted entrance with a luggage rack at his side.

"Hamilton?" he asked.

Gill, who was too busy taking in the extravagance of the hotel, didn't even notice the younger man standing there.

"Yes, Hamilton," his father answered.

He smiled a pearly, almost fake-looking grin. "Very well. Welcome to the Four Seasons Hotel. Please, allow me to take your luggage."

Gill finally noticed the man in front of him. "Thank you."

"My pleasure. Right this way."

He led the Hamilton men into the lobby, which was nothing short of amazing. The granite floors seemed to glow from the not too bright, not too dim light raining down from the massive crystal chandelier which hung in the center of the room. On the floor below the chandelier were two of what had to be the most expensive, luxurious sofas in the world, atop of the world's most expensive carpet. In the back of the lobby was a stone water fountain with many tiers, sitting in between two grand staircases which both led to the first floor of the hotel.

Hamilton walked to the front desk that was on the right side of the room. "Reservation for Hamilton."

The young woman typed into her computer before looking up with a smile. "Two bedroom suite?"

"That is correct."

"Okay," she took a card out from a machine. "Here is your keycard. I hope you enjoy your stay."

The woman stole a glance at the youngest of the duo as the bellhop led them into one of the two elevators located on either side of the staircases. The ride to the top floor was awkwardly silent but thankfully short. Hamilton gave out another munificent tip, and the bellboy nearly skipped back down to the lobby.

Gill slowly opened the door of the suite and wasn't disappointed in what he saw, judging from the rest of the hotel. Walking in, the first thing noticed was the kitchen directly to the left, complete with only the highest quality appliances. Further into the room was a lavish dining table and wide window which provided a breathtakingly beautiful view of the sun setting over the city. The decorations of the chic room were top-notch.

"It's quite a sight, wouldn't you say?" Gill asked.

"Absolutely," Hamilton replied before letting out a yawn. "I'm exhausted. I would suggest hitting the hay soon; we have a busy day tomorrow."

"Father, I'm twenty years old."

He chuckled, a perceptive tone in his voice. "Okay, then. If you need me, I'll be in my room."

He trudged to the closest bedroom. Gill sighed as his hands found his pockets, a stoic expression on his face as he stared into the dimming landscape outside. He began to do what he always did when something troubled him; think. He thought about Molly, what she could be doing at the same moment, and found that the fact that he was not by her side was making him anxious. His eyes strayed from the now dark city as he lumbered to his bedroom to try and get some sleep, hoping the icy loneliness would melt away.

Molly lazily opened her bright amber eyes and directed them straight to her bedside clock.

"Jeez!" She shot straight up but a splitting headache sent her back down. She reached to her nightstand and snatched the clock, studying it as if it were some sort of peculiar relic. "What the hell? I thought I set this thing for six…must've slept through it."

She went to sit up again, slowly this time, and yawned loudly, stretching and scratching her ribs. She stood up, the sudden movement making her head pound even more as she stumbled to her dresser in search of her favorite pair of khaki shorts. After slipping on her work boots, she slipped outside into the bright summer sun to begin her farm duties.

She noticed how unusually tired she was after she finished. She found that even the easiest of chores, like watering the crops, made her fatigued. The intense heat could have caused it, she knew, but something about the way she was feeling was…off. One quick shower later, she was on Buck and en route to the clinic.

Dr. Jin held his stethoscope to Molly's chest, listening to her breathing and heart rate as she inhaled and exhaled.

"Well," he began as he removed the tool from his ears. "There's nothing that seems to be out of the ordinary…what did you say your symptoms were again?"

"I've been just so tired, I have a terrible headache, as well as aches everywhere…oh, and my stomach hurts too."

He pondered for a moment. "Ah, I don't know why I didn't see this earlier! It seems you might be catching the flu. It's been spreading around town, unfortunately."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Stay away from work for a while. Overworking yourself is the worst thing you can do. Try to get plenty of rest, eat healthy, and watch out for a fever that's over 103. If you get one over that, you call here right away, understood?"

She nodded affirmatively. "Understood."

"Good. Go home now, get some rest, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, Dr. Jin."

"It's my job."

When she got home, she plopped herself onto her couch and turned on the TV. It was true, there had been a few cases of the flu going around lately, and they weren't pretty. The doc said to not work, so how could she still farm? Maybe Chase would help…he was always there for her.

She reached over to the phone on the coffee table and dialed Chase's number. It rang three times before he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Chase. Have a moment?"

"Sure thing, Molls. What's up?"

"…I got the flu."

He sighed loudly and cursed under his breath. "That sucks. Anything I can do?"

"Well…that's kind of what I called about. Doctor said I shouldn't work, so I was wondering…could you stop by like, maybe every morning to help out? It'd be great if you could."

"Of course, Molly. Anything else?"

"…Some of your tomato soup would be nice."

"I'll be right over."

Gill stood in front of the City Hall, flabbergasted at how much his little Town Hall was belittled by this behemoth of a building. It was officially his first day of preparation, and he couldn't have been more excited, despite the fact that he had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep the previous night.

Today he would meet with a shipping agent and learn first-hand everything it came to know about importing goods to other islands. He was eager to learn, twirling his thumbs as he and his father entered the City Hall.

It was filled with many people, office workers, lawyers, and civilians as well. There were many different floors, each a different department, and in the center of it all, the Mayor's office. He and Hamilton stood there, waiting for the person they were planning to meet.

"Ah, there she is!" Hamilton said.

If there was anything that could take Gill's eyes away from the spectacular design of the building, it was the woman strutting towards them.

She shook hands with Hamilton. "Hi, it's nice to see you again."

"And you as well!"

She turned towards his son. "And you must be Gill."

They shook hands. "Y-Yes, that's me."

"I've heard a lot about you from your father. It's nice to finally put a face to it. My name's Gwyneth."

Gwyneth was a thing of beauty. Her heart-shaped face was framed by strands of dark brown hair, the rest pulled into a tight bun which sat on the crown of her head. Her eyes were a light shade of gray, observing Gill underneath thick, curled eyelashes. She had a small, pointed nose and ruby red lips.

Her style represented that of a woman from the 1950's. She wore a black, high-rise pencil skirt that stopped just below her knees. On top, she wore a black and white polka-dotted blouse with short and puffy sleeves. Her pumps matched the shade of her full lips.

Her face wasn't her only source of beauty. Her figure was exceptionally curvy, an hourglass shaped figure, with her main attention spots being her hips and bottom. She always seemed to attract the attention of many men wherever she went, whether she really wanted to or not.

"Well!" Hamilton started. "I'm sure you two have lots to do, I'll let you get to that now."

"Shall we?" Gwyneth asked Gill.

"Let's," he said, even more excited now that he was also learning from such an attractive creature.

"We'll see you later, Mr. Hamilton. Follow me, Gill."

He followed the woman out to the parking lot of the City Hall to find a black sedan sitting out front.

"Where are we going?" he asked as he buckled himself in.

"We're going to a ranch outside of the city. The couple who owns it wants to start shipping their products to other islands."

Molly stared down at her empty bowl of homemade tomato soup, feeling very grateful to have a best friend who can cook so well.

"I'll take that," Chase said as he swooped the bowl from her hands and took it to the sink.

"That was delicious, Chase! You gotta teach me that one."

"Maybe after you're better," he teased as he sat down next to her.

"I'm serious," she said in a discerning tone, but she couldn't stop giggling.

"Okay, okay."

"Thanks for everything. I couldn't ask for a better friend, really."

His violet eyes showed a hint of sadness before he sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just that…"

"What?"

"It's just… I'm really sorry for what Gill did. You deserve better than that."

"It's okay…he'll have his when he gets back. What goes around comes around, right?"

"Heh. Right."

She smiled her pearly whites, and suddenly he couldn't hold it back any longer. He leaned in and captured her lips in a quick kiss. When he pulled away and saw the look on her face, he immediately regretted the hasty advance.

"Wow…um…that was unexpected."

His cheeks reddened. "Y-Yeah, I'm so sorry, I-I really shouldn't have done that…"

"It's okay… heat of the moment, right?"

'Heat of the moment'? Did she feel it too? Or was it just him?

"Uh, yeah…look, I'm just gonna go now."

He got up and rushed for the door, grabbing the handle when Molly spoke up from behind.

"You know…there's a good chance that you might catch the flu now too."

He was too embarrassed to turn around; frozen in place like his feet were a part of the floor. "…It was worth it."

He swiftly opened the door and left.

What was that? She enjoyed it as much as he probably did, but when he kissed her…all she tasted was Gill. Why was she feeling so shackled to him still?

"Oh Goddess," she cried into her pillow. "What am I going to do?"

45 minutes had passed when Gill and Gwyneth finally got to their destination. They drove out of the city and into the rural part of the Mainland, which reminded Gill of home.

But something about the place they were pulling into felt vaguely familiar, as well. He finally realized what it was when he read the 'Greene Family Farm' sign on the side of the driveway.

Yes, I know.

I'm sorry for the delay, my summer has been pretty hectic lately and it was hard to find time to work on this. But I did it! :D

Anyways, I wanted to give you all a bit of a longer chapter simply because it took me so long. I know my writing is far from perfect, but please, if you see a mistake or want to give me any kind of pointers, advice, etc, message/review! I really want to hear your input! Thanks for reading :)