Author's Note: Hello world! So, it has been quite a bit of time since I've last updated. My apologies for that. I plan on eventually taking the time to edit my previous chapters, as I've progressed a bit in my writing skills since I've started this fanfic.
I'll stop babbling now so you can read. Enjoy!
!
A week after Rick and his dad left Forget-Me-Not Valley…
"Rick!" A boisterous voice called. Rick had been walking to the beach alone before the voice called. He turned around to see it was Kai, in his usual purple garb. "Hey, what's up man? Why didn't you tell me you got back a week ago?"
Rick didn't respond at first and just smiled at his best friend. "I just forgot," he replied. "I've had a lot on my mind recently."
Kai cocked his eyebrow in his usual boyish way. "Oh, do I sense some hot, steamy, and juicy romance troubles," he teased lightly. Rick chuckled.
"Something like that actually."
Kai's expression immediately switched from a relaxed face to an expression of utmost seriousness. "Wait really? I never thought you would ever take an interest in girls! This one would have to be extra special to get your attention."
"She is," Rick stated.
"So, who's the lucky lady? Let me guess: she's blond, short, blue eyed, wears overalls, tomboy, independent, adores chickens, and has never been outside of Forget-Me-Not Valley," Kai said with a mischievous smirk dancing on his face.
Rick blinked in surprise. "You've been talking to Popuri, it seems, or else you wouldn't have described Claire perfectly."
Kai shook his head. "Had I not been talking to Popuri I wouldn't have known that you made the dumbest mistake you have in your entire life. Rick, you've yet to explore the sea of fish swimming around you. And this Claire hasn't either, from what I understand. You can't promise to marry her; she's absolutely starving for attention, dude. By the time you re-enter her life, she'll have forgotten about you and already have started dating the next eligible male that smiled at her," Kai scolded.
Rick's light-hearted face turned into a frown. "Kai, I'm not like you. I want to settle down and have a family at some point in my life. Something in my gut tells me she's the one. You like to explore your options; I like to love when I find it. I've never met a girl like her in my life. And I don't plan on letting someone as special as her go."
Kai shook his head with a look of disbelief, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Rick, you're just seventeen. You're getting committed to things you aren't ready to follow through with. By the time she's old enough to marry you, it will have been 3 years since you last saw each other. That's a long time to wait, and plenty of time to forget. You should be happy to remember this as just a summer romance and nothing more."
Rick shrugged off Kai's hand. "If that's what you think then I think it best that I don't stick around you. We obviously have different priorities."
Kai seemed shocked at Rick's coldness. "Dude, we've been best friends since we were babies. You really don't mean that?"
Instead of responding, Rick turned around from the direction he was going and began walking home. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a letter to write to my future wife."
!
One week later…
Rick walked towards the mayor's house for his daily retrieval of mail. He used to hate when Lilla asked him to do it, but now he relished every single trip; he couldn't wait to hear from Claire.
When he reached his house, he knocked on the door lightly. The mayor opened the door, blinding Rick with the saturation of red he wore. "Good morning Rick. Are you here to pick up the mail?"
"Yes sir."
The mayor shuffled to the back of his home to pick up a single envelope from the table it sat on. "Here you go, only one letter I'm afraid."
Rick took a quick glance. His heart leapt when he saw the address it came from, though he hadn't been expecting a letter.
"It's no problem sir, I was expecting this one," at that he hastily took the letter and almost entirely forgot to say goodbye to the mayor before racing home. However, he was so impatient to open the letter, he decided to go sit on a bench to read it.
Dear Rick, (Rick had to smile at Claire's beautiful handwriting.)
You don't truly mean that, do you? That was so cruel of you to say those things about me! (Rick's face fell in confusion.) I'm not a desperate…well I refuse to say the rest of those words in case this letter reaches hold of your mother or sister. You should be ashamed of yourself! I was ready to marry you for the Harvest Goddess' sake!
You have broken my heart in such a terrible, immature way! I want absolutely nothing to do with you! Don't write to me ever again!"
With complete displeasure,
Claire
A lump formed in Rick's throat; he felt like his heart had been torn out of him. What happened? Whatever letter she got, that couldn't have been from him. He would never call her a "desperate" anything.
Sudden realization dawned upon him. Rick got up calmly from the bench, taking a moment to shut his jaw tightly before running towards the beach with a splurge of intensity never exuded by him before.
!
Rick burst into Kai's shack, seeing the Karen talking with Kai with her usual, annoying, bubbly self.
"So, then I was like, well why don't you do the dishes! You were the one to make the mess, not me! And she got so angry at me you have no idea!" Karen finished her story, making Kai and her chuckle. Kai looked up from the counter and smiled in greeting at Rick.
"Ah, Rick! It's nice to see you here. I thought you were never going to show up," he said in an upbeat tone. His smile faded slightly when he noticed the determined expression on his face, making his smile look more desperate than anything else. "Uh, Karen, could you give me and Rick a moment alone please."
Karen turned around to glance at Rick briefly before silently leaving the shack. Whatever it was, she knew she didn't want to have any part of it.
Kai closed the door after her before shutting it tight. "What's bothering you man?"
Rick tackled Kai. "WHAT DID YOU SAY? WHAT DID YOU SAY TO CLAIRE?!"
"I didn't send Claire anything!" Kai protested as he tried to scramble away from Rick. He had never seen Rick this livid or violent before. That tackle left an unpleasant impression on him, and he didn't want to be around with Rick long enough to find out the other impressions he could leave.
Rick blocked Kai from leaving before grabbing his collar. "YOU WROTE TO HER AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU SAID!"
"I did you a favor!" Kai yelled. "Goddess, dude! You were making a complete idiot of yourself! Now thanks to me, you'll never have to worry about seeing her again! You need to chill out!"
Rick gritted his teeth, trying to gain composure. "You had no right to do what you did! You only think about yourself!" He paused, straightening his back. "Don't ever talk to me again. And you stay away from my sister, far away. I don't need flipping playboys like you associating with her."
Kai just raised an eyebrow defiantly. "You're just clouded by anger. You'll be crawling back here asking for forgiveness by tomorrow morning. And if not that, you're sister will be hauling you over here."
Rick walked up towards Kai, staring him down. Without another word, he punched him square in the face, knocking him over, before walking out, a storm cloud of emotions lingering over him.
