All right guys, this late update is due to family matters, nuff said XD. There's an important ad that I put down at the end of the story for a site I've found and go to everyday (I mean it) so please read so we HM lovers here can make that site fun again!
Thanks for reviewing my peeps!:
Pepsipiggy: I'm glad it brightened your day! Sorry for the late post and sucky thanks but I did my best! . (oh yes, poor Julius. He just can't control himself XDDDD). Thanks for the review, and thanks if you're still reading this even after my long hiatus XP.
MidnightXMusic: Lol it's all good brah (ya kno, like bro but only they go "brah" I find this amusing XD). Does he want to get rid of her innocence? Is it the heart! ( Total D. Gray-Man reference right there XP). I love your reviews, ya know that? Well...you do now. Thanks for reviewing and I'm uber sorry for the slow update. T-T
ryu1300: Thank you very much for saying so. I'm really trying to capture the essence of all the characters well. That goes double for Julius because I'm trying to make him sound as usual without making him seem too flamboyant. It's getting increasingly hard DX. Thanks for reading and thanks for the awesome review!
Azn-Rinny: My Asian friend :D. Guuuurl you is so nice ta me! XD. I'm incredibly happy that you reviewed again and that you still love this story. I hope this crappy update doesn't change your mind, I just really needed to put something up and I finally got out of some things and blah blah blah :P. I'll spare you the details. Anyways, thanks for always reviewing and thanks for making feel like a supah special author. (P.S. That commercial was totally funny! XD).
FlamingIceWolfGirl: Yeah...Candace and Luna didn't seem too happy last time we saw them huh? Let's hope things are better this time around (and by that I'm totally foreshadowing some mishap about to happen XD). Thanks uber much for reviewing as often as you do, it's really nice to come back to so many reviews ^-^.
sakuralove123: I was glad I updated too! I'm so sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up, I tried my hardest for you all! Thanks for reading and thanks for reviewing, it's not required so when I get so many it's like a bunch of fireworks on the screen of my laptop XD. Thanks again!
Invader Cakez: By the time you read this your sickness has probably gone away but (I wish you well for the rest of December .)! Oh...and that really is fun to say. I said it out loud at least five times lol! Thanks for reviewing! I know I say it often, but it really does mean a lot to me!
CheyenneANan: Your review made me so happy! I love when people mention my other stories as well, it means that I'm being recognized as an author and not just for one nicely written story. I'm gonna try and update faster and more frequently so please do not despair! I do it for the people T-T! Lol. You're a lot of fun to talk to...too (wow...English is soooo redundant o.O). Lol, well, it's not a soon update but here it is. Thanks so much for reviewing!
Mishaay: It's a British accent, but she hates it. The reason shall be revealed at a later date (I'm so evil!). Aw, thanks so much (I seriously went AWWW when I saw what you said about my story writing X3). I can't wait to read something of yours! I bet I'll love it so don't get so down on yourself! Lol, btw that was a good guess to the letter (not saying anything, but it was good guess)! Thanks for reviewing!
I love you all and I hope you stuck around for this long over due chapter! I'll be updating Dodging Bullets in the next few days so all you DB fans keep your heads up, Molly and Chase's adventures aren't at a halt!
Without any further obstruction...Please enjoy this chapter! (Even if it's a little choppy due to...problems -_-').
~~~~*Molly's POV*~~~~
"I'm going to draw Malon and Cauli right here on the leg!" Renee exclaimed happily. She had drawn the Windmill on Horn Ranch and was deciding to put my animals grazing around it. I smiled at her and looked at everyone else's work. They all weren't Picassos, but their drawing wasn't bad.
Anissa was currently concentrating on drawing the rolling hills and flowers of Marimba farm on the side of my desk. Selena had decided to draw an ocean with tropical sunset colors on the other side of my desk. Phoebe was drawing the sparkling crystals and mysterious stones of the Garmon Mountain Mines, in which she loved to explore. Maya drew the Inn's dining area with multiple, delicious, food on all the tables. It was on the bottom front of the desk. Kathy drew, right next beside it, the Brass Bar with multiple cocktail glasses on the tables. Truly like a night and day of the villager's routines in Castanet. I was indecisive on what to draw still.
"Wow, this is quite delightful!" I exclaimed happily and everyone nodded in agreement, though too concentrated on their work to turn to me. I turned to Luna who was drawing very slowly. She seemed spaced out. I frowned slightly and looked at Candace who wasn't drawing at all. Were the two of them all right?
"Are you two all right?" I jumped at the voice and turned to see Renee staring at the sisters, asking what I was only thinking of asking.
All the others looked up at the two girls as well.
"Now that I think about it...why aren't you drawing Candace? And, Luna, you've had a sour face on since we've been here." Kathy said.
"I...um..." Candace murmured.
"We haven't reached that part of my list yet." Luna said.
"Geez, Luna. You and you're silly little lists. Don't you see that as a bit...I don't know...chil-"
"Finish your damn drawing instead of that word, Selena." Luna growled and everyone's eyes widened. Luna gave a "humph" and went back to whatever she was drawing.
"Excuse-"
"Selena, don't. This might have something to do with the 'Emergency Sleep Over' thing." I heard Kathy whisper to her. Selena only gritted her teeth and then went back to her drawing as well.
To change the subject, I quickly thought back to the whole emergency sleep over thing.
"So, what are our plans?" I asked. Luna looked at me for a second.
"You'll see." She said and then analyzed her picture. She gave a slight nod and stood up.
"All right, everyone done?" She asked.
"Well, Molly didn't draw anything." Maya pointed out and I looked at everyone.
"Molly, it's your desk! You have to draw something!" Renee insisted.
"I...I just don't know what to draw." I explained.
"Think of something fast, I'm not moving on until everyone does one." Luna proclaimed in a rude voice.
"Candace didn't draw anything!" I whined.
"She's the exception! Now draw!" Luna said with some of her playful tone coming back.
I pouted and began to draw something random on the top part of my desk.
Everyone watched behind me as I did so.
"What is it?"
"I think I know what she's doing."
"That's pretty neat!"
I heard the multiple voices say from behind me until I was done.
"Happy?" I asked Luna and she raised an eyebrow at my drawing. It was a gold chained necklace that looked like it had charms on it. The charms looked like little jewel versions of the different areas of Castanet. It had Harmonica Town, the Garmon Mines District, the Church Ground, Flute Fields, Fugues Forest , and the Farmlands...my farm as the middle charm. I put a little charm linking all of them at the bottom that said "Castanet: L.A.Y.O.R" on it in cursive letters.
Luna's lips twitched a little into a grin, but she quickly let it slip away and gave a thoughtful look to the ceiling.
"All right. Time for the next thing on my list." Luna announced, right before the lights flickered.
"Oh great..." I groaned, I didn't have any candles at the moment.
"Don't worry, I asked everyone to bring flashlights and a few candles just in case the lights went out." Luna said and I saw everyone getting out the sources of light for just-in-case purposes.
The lights stopped flickering and I breathed a sigh of relief. I hated lack of electricity.
We went on with Luna's plans for the night. They consisted of nail art, eating junk food, and blabbing about gossip around the island which I wasn't really able to obtain or notice yet since I was still new here.
Then the lights went out completely...
"All right. This brings us to the next part of my plans." Luna declared through the pitch black and smell of nail polish.
I had a bad feeling as I heard the rustling of a bag coming from Luna's direction. After a moment, a flash of light filled the room and Luna's face was illuminated ominously with the light.
"SCARY STORIES!" She blurted out in a scratchy voice and some of the more squeamish girls shrieked.
Just then, Selena's stress ball flew across the room and hit Luna in the head.
"Ouch! SELENA!" Luna shouted and Selena crossed her arms.
"Luna, I'm sick of these childish, yes I said childish, games you are playing with us. I don't want to stay here for more than at least tonight so tell us what it is exactly you called an emergency sleep over for?" Selena demanded and Luna jumped to her feet.
"That would be interfering with the whole process!" Luna.
"Like I really care about your process! Just tell us what's going on all ready!" Selena.
"Are you crazy?" Luna.
"That's my line!" Selena.
"ENOOOOOOOOOUGH!" Everyone jumped at the sound of Anissa's angry voice before she gave an exasperated sigh.
"Luna, care to explain?" She said sweetly and her face was creepily illuminated by the light before she gave a kind smile and the light came back on.
"Whoa..." Phoebe murmured.
With that face, I would see Luna as one crazily brave person to actually deny Anissa's request.
The pinkette cleared her throat and looked toward her sister, Candace.
"All right, all right. I basically called this thing so Molly and Candace could discuss something that happened early this morning." Luna explained, my eyes widened and Candace glanced at me before looking back down,
"Oh dear...look here, nothing happened! I'm telling you the straight truth!" I exclaimed to Candace and Luna.
Then something completely unexpected happened.
"LIAR!" Candace shouted and everyone jumped back, even Luna.
"Cand-"
"You're a liar. I know what type of person Julius is. If nothing happened...if nothing happened then why were you two still at the store so early and you were basically naked!" Candace said with gritted teeth.
Everyone in the room, excluding Luna, Candace, and me, gasped.
"I'm trying to tell you that Julius and I had to take shelter there during the storm. I wasn't going to sleep in my perfectly good clothes so I of course borrowed some of Mira's. I was kind of naked due to the fact that I had to take a shower and I had all ready told Julius not to peek so-"
"That would just be convenient if I believed you, right?" Candace said.
"Wh-whoa...I'm telling you the truth here." I tried and suddenly got this tinge of anger.
"A-and why do you care if anything did happen?" I shouted. Candace's gaze shot up to meet mine and I could've sworn I saw a red tint to her cheeks. If that was the case then...
*BANG, BANG, BANG!*
A series of loud bangs came from my door and I couldn't help but shriek out of surprise.
"What's going on in there?" The distinct sound of Julius' voice came from the other side of the door. Without thinking it through, I went and answered the door and came face to face with a soaking wet Julius. I could see that his umbrella was abandoned by the cross road that lead to either Harmonica Town or Flute Fields. I put two and two together and realized that he must've heard some shouting and rushed over to check on me.
I was about to open my mouth but Julius suddenly let out a large breath.
"Goddess Molly, how can so little people make such loud noises. I thought someone was attacking you." Julius said and I realized something really surprising.
Julius had been worried for me.
"We-we're all right. It's a slumber party, Julius." I explained and he put a hand to his jaw, covering his mouth.
"That's right...Gill did mention something about that, didn't he?" He muttered. Before I could get another word out, someone started talking.
"Nothing happened, huh?" Kathy inquired with a smirk and I started to protest.
"Were colleagues, we look out for one another, if I'm not there to do my job then he can't do his and-"
"Why are you trying to explain yourself to us? We weren't asking all that, just that nothing happened." Phoebe said.
"What is it that you're talking about?" Julius asked, finally catching his breath. An unusually cold breeze for Summer swept past me and I immediately pulled Julius into the house, in fear that he might catch a cold.
"Stay there." I told him and quickly grabbed a towel, not caring what the other girls were seeing from this turn of events. Like I would risk Julius catching pneumonia because I didn't want them thinking we had had relations the previous night.
"Get out of that coat and wrap this around you." I told him and he gave me a blank stare.
"What?"
"What's going on here?" He asked pointing to the women behind me and I turned to the girls. The majority of them were covering their eyes or giving shocked faces. Luna just looked at the wall and Candace was looking straight at us with anticipation (the kind where you're expecting things to go downhill for yourself). I turned back to Julius swiftly and gave him a look that said that I was fed up with this.
"Uh oh..." He muttered and clung the towel to his chest.
"They're bloody stoopid is obviously what is happening. I cannot believe that they seriously think that you and I had...were...had relations of any romantic type! I mean...bloody hell you're my colleague for Goddess' sake!" I shouted, probably red in the face. I let out a deep breath and could feel my blood pressure dying down. An amused smile played across Julius' lips and I gave an exasperated huff.
"What? What is so humorous Julius? Please, tell me for I would absolutely love to know."
"You're bloody accent, dear." He said and I threw a hand to my mouth, turning to the women behind me.
Fortunately, they weren't very concerned with that, everyone was too focused on the fact that Candace just sped past both Julius and I and out the door I had forgotten to close.
. . . . .
Hold on a minute...
"CANDACE!" Luna shouted in worry, hesitation wasn't practiced here since I basically sprinted out the house after her. She was going to get herself sick in this type of weather.
I saw her running down the path, feeling a little thankful that we all hadn't dressed in our pajamas yet so her clothes provided some sort of protection.
"Candace! Candace, come back!" I yelled after her, but she kept going. I didn't think she was able to run so fast!
When she reached the gravel area, her lack of shoes caused her to slow down and allowed me to catch up to her. I took her by the arm and gripped her firmly so she couldn't escape.
"Candace! What's the matter with you?" I shouted and she looked me in the eyes as her baby blue hues let tears escape them.
"You...you like him too! Don't you?" Her voice wavered with her words.
"What? Who, Julius?" I asked incredulously before swinging my arms in the air.
"No, that's ridiculous!" I exclaimed and she shook her head.
"I can tell..." She muttered and I began to rack my brain for any proof for myself that I liked the purple-haired man.
"Candace, what can I do to make you believe that there is nothing, and I mean nothing, going on between Julius and me?" I asked her and she stared at me momentarily.
"...If you'd stop being around him so much...I know it's selfish but..."
I all ready knew where she was going with this and I felt an anger boil beneath my skin.
I was not going to make Mira take the shop back over during her mourning, I would not leave the store and have Julius helpless (the book helps only if you can remember every content), and I was definitely not handing over duties given to me by Ms. Mira to a love-struck girl.
"Candace, I'm sorry to tell you that-"
"CANDACE!" The unmistakable sound of Luna's voice, drifted through the rain, and the pinkette came barreling toward her sister.
"Candace, stop running off like this! You're making me worry!" Luna said, her stubborn face warding off tears that threatened to accumulate.
Candace only stared at her before murmuring something and Luna nodded her head, as if agreeing to whatever she asked.
"I'm sorry, Molly. Candace isn't up for this sleep over so we'll be going home. Tell the other girls that the emergency sleep over is canceled." Luna said and faced me with a smile.
"We'll pick our stuff up later, kay?" She said and I felt this unsettling feeling in my heart.
"That's fine...um...get home safely then. This rain is awful so make sure not to catch a cold." I replied and the sisters turned to go.
How else could this day go wrong?
I jogged back to my house, soaking wet and panting, to be greeted by a mob of girls seemingly interrogating Julius.
"Now, we'll ask you one more time, Julius. And if you don't answer, Phoebe is going to make some type of machine, specially made for interrogating men like you." Maya (out of all people) had threatened.
"Now what do you mean by that!" Julius said through gritted teeth.
"Break it up, girls!" I shouted and everyone turned to me, Julius with a death glare.
"Okay...break it up girls and guy." I corrected myself.
"Where's Candace and Luna?" Anissa asked worriedly.
I bit at my cheek a bit before answering.
"Luna decided that the emergency sleep over wasn't an emergency anymore so everybody is free to go." I said and everyone looked at one another in shock.
"I know, I know. It was just so sudden but technically it's for the best since a storm is coming and I have nothing prepared-"
"We've never gotten out of one of Luna's emergency sleep overs before...ever!" Kathy said and the other girls rejoiced as they started packing up their bags.
"Wait, so no one really wanted to come?"
"Molly, we love hanging out with you and all...but have you seen the weather? I'd rather be in my own bed than on someone else's floor during a typhoon." Selena said and everyone nodded in agreement.
"Well...that's a load off my chest..." I said, relieved at their reactions.
Quickly, every girl grabbed umbrellas out of their bags (probably an item requested by Luna) and started for the door. Anissa and Renee headed for Flute Fields together while the rest of the girls headed for Harmonica Town, Phoebe probably planned to take shelter in her father's Camera Store.
"Bye-bye Brit!" I heard Selena yell from the path and cursed my slip up before closing the door behind me.
I heard a low chuckle come from behind me and nearly screamed.
"Could you tone your voice down, just a tad?" Julius asked and I held my fist up threateningly.
"Okay, I'm so sorry that I scared you. It's your fault that you didn't remember I was here though." He insisted and I pushed passed him.
"Whatever. Aren't you going to leave?" I asked and he smirked.
"Well, I was. But since everyone thinks we're such a lovey dovey couple I figured there would be no harm in me staying her for the night." He explained.
"This isn't a joke, Julius." I said, I wanted to tell him that Candace had gotten hurt by this event...but I'm pretty sure that would hint that Candace had feelings for him, and I don't think Candace would like that one bit.
"Well I find it pretty amusing." He said.
"Hahaha. Seriously, why are you still here?" I asked as I twisted my hair over the towel that Julius decided to leave on the floor.
"I don't know...maybe this envelope." Julius explained and I squeaked as I noticed that he had, indeed, opened the envelope and was reading the contents inside of it.
"That's an invasion of my privacy!" I exclaimed, reaching for the envelope. Julius was so into the letter that he only moved me away with his hand and continued reading, as if it were his business.
His eyes widened considerably as he neared the end.
"Molly..." He said, in a hushed tone. What had that letter said!
"Molly...you never told me that your father was a famous artist!" He exclaimed.
I blanked...what had the letter said?
"It says here that your uncle on your father's side wants you and a design team of your choosing to come to your father's art show to design clothes inspired by your father's artwork! In a competition!" He said and looked at me excitedly.
"Do you know what the prize is?"
I shook my head wordlessly.
"The chance to have your own fashion line!"
Julius was a lot more excited than I was apparently because I only took a seat on my couch. I stared into space at the wall and moments later Julius joined me on the couch.
"You're supposed to be excited..." He grumbled.
"I'm sorry..." I whispered and turned to him.
"I'm sorry...I don't think that's a good idea." I explained to him and he gave me a shocked expression.
"Molly, this is a big opportunity! Not only can you start your own line, but this can be good for Mira's business if we use some of our best techniques for the accessories. Why don't you think this is a good idea? How could you not?" He asked.
"Because, Julius. There are things about my father's side of the family that you and no one else needs to know and if I were to go and take you with me you would more than likely found such things out." I explained.
"What could be so bad?" Julius asked.
"Starting with my father...he's dead...he's been dead for a while now...this art show is in his honor. My father's side of the family...you don't want to mess with them." Julius gave me a shocked and questionable expression, as if he were asking for more.
"Julius...not only can I not go back to that town where my mother is still living...but I can't go back because my father didn't just die! He was murdered! In cold blood no doubt."
Please don't be mad, I know it was a sucky way to end this chapter and that this is all I had after my long hiatus! But the truth comes all the way out, and now we're going to be faced with some new things (and dangers). If you thought this was going to be a more mellowed out and less action packed story than Dodging Bullets...then you thought WRONG Lol! Seriously, my very serious stories have to have some type of action!
PLEASE READ: Any way, before I go I want to let you guys know that I've joined another site that is dedicated to Harvest Moon lovers. It's called
H a r v e s t d r e a m s . n e t (without the spaces). It's a super fun forum site. You can make your own character to roleplay with or you can post creative writing (poetry, stories, fanfics) submit drawings (creative stuff doesn't have to be strictly harvest moon but if it is then the site owners might ask to use it for the site somewhere). It's pretty slow right now because a lot of members have been busy and stuff, but I go there everyday so you can always contact me there (same username) everyone is welcomed it's an E (K) rated site so no cursing or sexual stuff is even permitted and no one asks you about inappropriate things.It's really fun and you do heart events like in some harvest moon games only your RP character and the other person's RP character will be involved in this (don't worry, no one takes it as serious relationships there. It's your non-real fantasy character and their non-real fantasy character and is only in the permitted RPing areas. Other areas you are yourself and the person whose RP character you're RP character is in a relationship with will just be your friend on the site. NOTHING SERIOUS (because I wouldn't be on the site if people to it that way). It's a great community but we need help bringing it back to its former beauty (it looks a bit plain right now with Angelo as the forum's banner). We just need more people so please stop by and check it out!
We also talk about things other than HM so don't be afraid to share other interests! Thanks for reading you guys!