"The moon goes through many phases and displays several colors, but I find my favorite moon of all is the bright orange moon that comes just in time for the harvest."
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.
Trent made sure to keep Gray at a distance for the rest of the week, which wasn't a difficult task. Gray had suddenly begun noticing him more, but he didn't make a move toward Jill for the rest of that week. And Trent was pleased, thinking he'd already won. Even though he tried to argue his reasons for doing all this, he was finding it inescapable to deny that he liked Jill. He liked her as a girl. But it wasn't the right time to court her now, not while she was acting like a California widow. But he'd use the chance that the coming Saturday would bring him.
Friday night, the lights on the streets lit small halos along the path she walked. Her feet drug along the cobblestone, feeling out each drop in the stones. She tried to tell herself it was wasteful, that her grandfather was waiting on her to take her home from her appointment, but her body took her there anyway. Standing in line with his brown door, she put the invitation in the letterbox. Though everyone had told her not to, she just couldn't fight her own heart. She was too young for those kinds of battles.
Saturday morning brought with it light showers, but by the afternoon they'd past. Jill thought that had to be a good sign.
Old Pete and Zack had their hands full moving things around. The tracker from the west barn to the east side one. Jack was busy cleaning the soiled hay and laying a fresh batch down on the barn floors, but it was starting to test him every time he turned around to find muddy boot prints tracking over the clean hay. Mrs. Sasha and her husband showed up in their Fargo closed back truck with the folding tables and chairs Old Pete had leased.
As Mrs. Sasha helped her husband unload the truck, she ushered her daughter inside to help Jill with the cooking. Jill smiled at Mrs. Sasha's proposal, but her mind was erupting in screams. Karen was dressed in what had to be her best dress. A dark violet hue with tiny bright blue flowers laced throughout it. Jill had never seen anything like that. It was fitted against Karen like wet paper.
"It that tailor made?" Jill finally spoke up as she lead Karen to the kitchen.
"I bought it in the city. At the heckling of my mother." Karen tugged at the fabric, which dripped through her fingers like water. "It's not my style at all though."
"Really?" That surprised Jill. Karen was always so well dressed at school. Certainly this was her favorite outfit and she was just being modest. Jill smirked, alright she'd see for herself. "Then would you mind if I borrowed it?"
"You can have it." Karen shrugged.
"Today?" Jill asked smugly, still not believing her.
That's when Karen blew up on her. "Are you serious?! I will get down to my knickers now if you have some clothes I could loan." Karen quickly eyeballed Jill, oblivious to the she'd given her shock. "You're pretty small, but I think I could fit into some jeans. You do wear jeans sometimes? You work on a farm, so it'd be natural." Grabbing Jill's hand she ushered her into the hall. "So where is your room?" And she started to open doors randomly until she found one with some feminine aspects. "You share a room with your brother?" She asked skeptically.
"Yes." The word fell from her lip. Jill was flabbergast. Karen was nothing like she had been told or imagined. Where was the refined, man stealing city girl Jill had anticipated to hate. This girl...reminded her more of Ann. Karen was completely oblivious to how uncouth she was acting. Was this the real Karen? Jill just couldn't believe it. "You're not trying to hornswoggle me, are you?"
Karen stopped and looked at Jill seriously, for the first time since she'd past the threshold. "Why would I do that? You're Gray's friend-"
"Isn't that a rightful reason to?" Jill cut her off, while turning away from her. She held her arm against her chest, as if she was trying to close off herself.
Karen cut her eyes away, finally understanding. "So you've been in a dander towards Gray, because of me?" Karen sighed. "I had no idea." She huffed before walking toward Jill and grabbing her dangling hand. "Listen," she paused a moment until Jill looked at her, "I am not sweet on Gray. I probably shouldn't say this, but it should be plain as the dairy who he really waits on."
Jill felt heat beginning to brush into her cheeks. Was Karen implying that Gray had feelings for her? She shook it down. Popuri had said this girl was cunning. She couldn't just take a word for evidence. She needed Gray to say it himself if that was the case. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have assumed your relationship." She put on a smile, but she still didn't completely trust Karen yet.
Karen smiled, earnestly, before walking towards the wardrobe. Jill was going to stop her, but she'd already pulled out a pair of Jack's pants before she could. "These might suit me fine." She undid the bow on the back of the dress and started the buttons. "Go on then." She cocked her head towards Jill. "You're going to wear it for your party, correct?"
Jill obliged. Karen's hips could fit nicely into Jack's pants, though they were a little long, so she rolled up the ends. Then she helped Jill into the dress. Jill had never seen her eyes pop as she did in that dress. When Karen finished tightening it with some pens and the bow, it melted into Jill's skin as it had on Karen before. The whole ordeal had started out awkward, but before she knew it her defense came down. Jill was laughing with Karen as they messed around with their hair, pinching eachothers cheeks for hue, and talking about the styles of city-goers. They were enjoying each other's company so fully they didn't noticed Mrs. Sasha walk in.
"Well, I'll be." She gasped when she saw the dress on Jill. "It looks good on you." Then looking at her daughter she placed a hand against her cheek. "That was kind of you. But…" -she evaluated her daughter up and down- "I can't say I'm thrilled about the substitute. It's a party, you need to wear a dress, maybe the one Jill wore to church this past Sunday?" She walked over to the wardrobe to look for it. "It would be such a pretty color on you."
"Mom, I like pants." Karen pleaded, having finally gotten into a pair since she'd returned from the city.
Mrs. Sasha ignored her and pulled out one of Jill's dresses. "This one will do. Now change. I'll go handle the rest of the cooking until you both finish." She smiled at them both once more, happy that her daughter had made a female friend, then walked out.
"Do you want this one back?" Jill asked, looking from the dress she wore to her dress hanging on the bed post.
"No. It looks better on you. Really." Karen fumbled with the trim of the dress her mother'd picked. "My mom is so pushy about me being ladylike. Says she didn't send me finishing school to come back a bigger tomboy. I might as well change again."
"I wouldn't have guess you were a tomboy, Karen."
"I hear that often. I have the face of a girl, but the spirit of a boy. Guess that comes from growing up without siblings." Karen laughed.
"Then you could also say the same of Ann." Jill joined in on the laughter.
"Huh?" Karen stopped laughing abruptly. "But…" Then she covered her mouth. Jill probably did know, she figured, and it wasn't her place. But why did Jill still not know about Ann's family history.
"What is it?" Jill asked, noticing Karen's odd behavior.
"Nothing." Karen laughed. "You're right about Ann. But she has seem more feminine lately. She must have finally found a boy who could best her."
"Right. That'd be Jack." Jill told her, but she was still wondering what had just happened. Something was off.
"I smell something good. Should we go help finish the cooking?" She picked up Jill's apron she'd been wearing earlier and handed it to her.
"Alright." Jill sighed. She wasn't going to get anywhere right now, but maybe she could work whatever Karen was keeping from her out later. When they'd finished they returned to the kitchen to help Mrs. Sasha finish cooking. Mrs. Lillian was there now too, having brought the twin's birthday cake.
Welcome to the world of Harvest Moon, and yeah this is a farming RPG. But I love this game so freaking much! It is crazy how much I love this. So, anyway, Jill is formally known as Pony in the series. She is the one of the first three girls to come out on Harvest Moon. If you couldn't tell I used Sara and the first Pete as their parents in this story. Jill is going to be seeing faces from all of the Harvest Moon games, so if you have a favorite, don't worry, it will show up eventually. But I have to start where my Harvest Moon game addiction started, Mineral Town.
*Hornswoggle - To cheat or trick
*Dander - Passion, emotion, anger
