Chapter 13, Riding and Tea
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SUMMER 3RD – THURSDAY
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Chelsea's POV
I stretched my arms as I continued to walk down the stone path in order to reach the ranch. I already did my usual morning routine. Checking the mailbox, eating breakfast and other things.
I finally reached the ranch and I had two surprises waiting for me. Well, truthfully one surprise.
"Will! What are you doing here so early!" I said to him, clearly surprised.
I heard Vaughn scowl, who wasn't too far from Will.
"I just asked him that a second ago, but he dodged the question."
Will gave him a slight questioning look.
"I wasn't avoiding the question at all. I just didn't have the time to answer it. But, if you must know, you might as well hear me explain to Chelsea."
He looked back at me and smiled slightly.
"I figured I come to the ranch early to watch you work and as soon as you are done, we can immediately go horseback riding."
"Watch me work?" I thought.
That alone sounds very- awkward…
Vaughn scowled out loud again.
"Don't you have your own work to do?" Vaughn asked, obviously irritated.
Will shook his head.
"Since I just got here, I don't have much to do. Mind you, I do have a set schedule for each day. But, I might have to rearrange some things on my schedule…"
Will looked like he retreated within his thoughts, leaving something unsaid... Vaughn's scowl woke him from his thoughts though. I then noticed that Mark was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey… Where's Mark?"
I saw Vaughn open his mouth, about to answer my question, but Will beat him to it.
"I asked Mark to bring a calendar to my yacht. He briefly told me that there are certain events and such on the island. I would like to participate in some if that is possible. So, by him giving me a calendar, I'll know about all of the events." He explained.
I nodded my head in understanding. Once again, Vaughn scowled, but this time he said, "Let's get to work Chelsea. We don't have time to waste unlike some people."
It's obvious that he's indicating Will… Will, I think, understood what Vaughn really meant, because he gave him a quick glance, though his face expression stayed friendly, maybe even amused.
Vaughn walked to the stable first and I followed him, while Will followed me.
Vaughn opened the door and held it briefly for me to walk in. Once I was in though, I saw him close the door hard- most likely in Will's face…
He immediately walked up to Dash and took out a brush to brush him down. To keep me busy, Keeper gained my attention. I bent down to pet him and scratch behind his ears. The stable door opened once again and Will entered the stable of course. He didn't look annoyed at all, even after Vaughn's rudeness towards him.
At the sight of the new person, Keeper happily barked at Will. Will looked down at him and smiled.
"Hey boy… What's your name?"
Keeper barked in reply, as if he was answering his question. Will chuckled lightly and said, "Is that so? Well, nice to meet you too."
He looked at me and whispered, "What's his name?"
"Keeper." I whispered back.
He nodded his head and looked where Vaughn was, or rather; he was looking at the horse.
"Is that Dash?"
I nodded my head in reply.
"Indeed he looks like a nice horse… He looks healthy, has a strong posture, and he looks like he has been trained well… Your doing?" He asked, the question directed at me.
"Well… I haven't been here long, only for about a season… So… It would be more correct to say that it's thanks to Mark before I came along…"
"I'm sure you still contributed to it all."
I shrugged my shoulders to that in reply, agreeing with him a little. He then looked around, the whole stable.
"I don't see a saddle or a bridle(1) anywhere…" He said, almost to himself but loud enough for me to hear him.
He then looked back at me.
"I'll go back to my yacht and bring back a bridle for Dash."
Vaughn immediately stopped his work and he scowled at Will, along with a glare.
"Why do you need a bridle? Dash can do fine without it."
Will looked at him, all of his attention directed to him.
"I do not mean that I want to put it on Dash… I kind of have no choice."
"What the hell does that mean?" Vaughn questioned him, his voice rising in anger.
"What I mean by that statement is that Chelsea can't ride Dash without one."
"And why not!" Vaughn questioned, voicing my silent question.
"You heard her… She has only been here for about a season. That isn't enough time for her to gain the horse full trust or for her to be directing it. Since I'm assuming she hasn't trained the horse herself, she can't possibly know the signals used to direct the horse in different directions. By her riding the horse without one, she will most likely get hurt."
Vaughn scowled at him and said, "Dash trusts her more than you think! She doesn't need to have a long history with him to gain his trust! All animals have an animal instinct, and as long as Dash trusts her, she can easily direct the horse!"
"It's better to be safe than sorry. I still think it's best for her to use one."
Vaughn stalked up to Will, his stature slightly towering over him with a glare very clear on his face. Will didn't look the least intimidated.
"Are you telling me how to do my job?"
Will rested both of his hands behind his back, them clasped together, almost like a soldier. He looked at Vaughn straight in the eyes and said, "No I'm not… That wasn't what I was implying at all… I'm just stating that it's safer… She can get hurt…Unless, you are telling me that you don't care for her wellbeing?"
Vaughn didn't scowl as I expected him to. Instead, he repeated what he said a few moments ago, though much quieter.
"And I'm telling you that she'll do fine without it."
It was as if Vaughn was daring him to go against his advice- his words. He was scaring me. Will may not have lost his own temper, but the way he is responding and not reacting to Vaughn's clear anger, frightens me as well (for his safety maybe?).
And then, at the same time, they both looked at me and said, "What do you think?"
"Crap!" I thought. I so didn't want to get involved in this.
I looked at both of them, from one to the other. Why do I have to pick which side I should be on?
"This should be an obvious one. Vaughn is the animal tradesman on this island. You should trust his judgment… Though, Will does have a horse and it looked healthy and such yesterday… Ah… Now I see the problem… You're on your own…!" My conscience said to me.
"Yeah, thanks a lot conscience!" I thought sarcastically.
I looked from one to the other again. Both of them waiting for me to pick a side… And I decided to- run out of there. There was no way that I was going to put myself in the middle of that!
I continued to run until I reached the inside of the chicken coop. Guess I belong there- I'm chicken. At least, in that situation…
Vaughn's POV
Chelsea ran out of the stable to- who knows where… I guess she didn't want to pick… Though truthfully, she should have picked mine without hesitation, and not even considering this man's in front of me.
He was facing the door and he blinked his eyes, probably just as surprised that she ran out like that. He finally shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the door. He left the stable, leaving me alone with Dash and Keeper. I scowled once again, feeling more annoyed than usual. I quickly grabbed some of the pet food and put some in the feeding bin for the horse and some for the dog. I didn't want to stay here long- most likely that Mr. Rich Boy was with Chelsea (or looking for her). Of course I still don't like him! He's already telling me how to do my damn job! Acting like he's an expert in the subject! I know he has a horse, but I'm sure he isn't an expert with animals overall! In fact, I have a feeling that someone else takes care of his horse while he goofs off! He seems to be giving me more and more reasons to hate him (not that we'll ever get along anyway)!
I shook out any other thought concerning that annoying man and I left the stable. I just saw Will leaving the barn, where the cows and sheep rested.
"Chelsea must not be in there if he is leaving it…"
So, I headed towards the chicken coop. Will went inside first before I reached it. I opened the door and sure enough, Chelsea was inside. Will just waited on the side while leaning against the wall, watching her work… I forced myself to ignore his strange and creepy habit of watching her; I looked around the coop instead. I didn't see any eggs on the ground; she must have collected them all already…
"You gave all of the chickens attention already?" I asked her.
Chelsea nodded her head.
"I'm working on the last one now." She said.
I saw Will push himself off of the wall and he said, "I'll be back Chelsea. I'm going to get Arthur ready… And I'll bring you a bridle."
He left the coop before I could scowl at him or even argue with him once again about that... But, while he is away…
"Why didn't you take my side?" I asked her, keeping my tone in check.
I heard her sigh loudly before she put the chicken she had in her hands back down. She faced me, but she was looking down. She twirled her fingers nervously.
"I ah… I didn't know whose side I should take truthfully."
I scowled at her answer. I didn't like what I was hearing.
"How can you not know which side to take! In fact, you shouldn't have needed to think about which side to take! It should have been mine!" I didn't know why I was yelling at her. I mean, yeah, she should take my side, but, still, I guess yelling's just a habit.
"Well yeah but… You have to admit that he does kind of have a valid point… I could get hurt…"
"I don't believe this…!"
I sighed, doing a poor job of hiding my anger.
"Chelsea… You're being silly! You'll be fine without it! You won't get hurt…!"
She sighed once again.
"You don't get it… You should at least understand slightly why I might be taking Will's side… I know you're right, but I need to think about my safety too… Especially about safety…"
I saw her left arm rub her right arm gently… I don't know if she did it subconsciously or not, but it reminded me why she's being so- not carefree right now.
I sighed once again before I said, "I can't believe you are falling for that superstitious stuff Chelsea."
"Well Vaughn… It's getting kind of hard to not believe in it- even a little… First, Natalie got hurt… Then I got hurt…. And then Pierre got hurt… To follow that, I was almost poisoned by that toadstool and killed by…"
She suddenly stopped.
"Killed!" I thought, looking at her surprised.
She never mentioned anything to me about her almost being killed! Not just that- but almost killed by what! And when did this happen!
I was about to ask her, but she continued before I could.
"You tell me if I should be cautious or not… I don't want to ride Dash, fall off, and somehow be stomped to death by his hoofs…!"
I winced at the gruesome image that formed in my mind with that scenario. I shook it out of my head though.
"Are you sure that I should trust your judgment- 100 percent?" She asked me.
I stood there for a second, not responding to her question quickly. I was about to answer, but the chicken coop door opened once again. Not surprising, it was Will. He let himself into the coop and he smiled at Chelsea. In his hands was the bridle, most likely for Dash. I scowled at him, aggravated that he interrupted my conversation with Chelsea. He of course, ignored me. He looked at Chelsea.
"You're still here I see… Will you be done soon?" He asked her.
"Impatient are you? Well, you're going to have to wait!" I told him.
"I don't mean to rush her… It's just that I am excited!" He said to me, smiling as well.
I scoffed in reply. Chelsea looked like she ignored the both of us; though I thought I saw her sigh.
"Just the cows and sheep are left and then I'll be done…" She said, maybe to the both of us.
We all left the chicken coop and went to the barn next. I went back to work, working on the first cow I saw while she went to tend to the sheep. As for Will, he just stood by the door- watching her once again… Chelsea either ignored his gaze on her or she was doing a very good job hiding her discomfort…
There was silence in the barn for the next few minutes, but Will broke that.
"The cows look healthy… And so does the sheep…"
I continued my work, but I scowled and said to him, "What? You're going to tell her how to do her work too!"
I had a feeling that he shook his head before he answered me.
"I wasn't planning to say such a thing… I just want to comment that they look high-quality enough to enter even the most prestigious contests. If any of them ever entered, well-"
I had a feeling that he looked directly at Chelsea.
"It's guaranteed that she'll win." He finished.
I scowled, but more to myself then to him. He seems to be complimenting Chelsea a lot- almost since he got here. Doesn't he have something to do!
I finished with the cow I was brushing and moved on to the next one. From the corner of my eyes, I saw that Chelsea's face was slightly red. I once again scoffed, but to myself mostly.
"That's nice of you to say Will." She said to him, though she continued her own work, not looking at him.
I saw her put her brush away and she took out the milker. She walked over to the cow I finished brushing a moment ago. She began to milk her, and Will remained silent while we worked.
Sometime later, Chelsea and I finally finished the work inside the barn. The only thing that needed to be done now was to bring the tons of gallons of milk to the shipping bin. Thank goodness that there is one inside here too.
Chelsea picked one up, but that was when Will interrupted her. He stood next to her with his hand holding onto the handle as well… I'm wrong… His hand was gently on the top of hers- she was the one holding the handle.
"Let me take that if you don't mind. You'll rough up your hands that way."
I scowled.
"I can't believe this! He's doing her job! Why doesn't he just go somewhere! And why the hell would she care about her hands anyway? She's been doing this job ever since she got here!"
"It's not like she'll agree for him to do it… So, calm down a bit…" My conscience said to me.
She stuttered for a moment it looked like before she replied.
"It's okay Will I can-"
"I insist." He said, interrupting her once again.
She looked at him briefly while he kept the smile on his face. She finally sighed in defeat, albeit reluctantly.
"Okay…"
She let go of it and he held on to the handle without the item falling to the ground. My scowl just deepened.
"Well… This isn't right…" My conscience said to me, stating the obvious.
Will carried the tank with ease, not even tripping with the heavy weight. I grabbed one for one hand and another for the other hand. Will put his into the shipping bin and then I did too. I went to go grab two more, and then I noticed Will grabbed two this time- though I thought I saw a hint of pain on him (work too much for him?). He looked at me, and I saw the glint of 'challenge' in his eyes. I frowned at his expression.
"Looks like he wants some sort of contest." My conscience stated.
I grabbed a third tank in my right hand and carried them over to the bin without difficulty (not much anyway). Will saw this and he grabbed a third tank as well. He headed towards the bin with them in his hand. I slightly grinned.
"I wonder how far he'll go… Let's see if he'll break or not."
This time, I grabbed four tanks in total- two in each hand. Sure, it's a little heavier and it slightly dug into my skin, but it didn't hurt much due to my gloves. As I brought them to the bin, I saw Will do the same. Though, he was in more pain then I was, since his hands are bare. Though, I saw him ignore the pain as he slowly walked to the bin to put them in.
"Well, I can't carry more than four at once…"
"That's not true… You can carry one more…" My conscience replied to me.
I don't know how that is possible… But, I thought about what my conscience implied- and I did not like the answer I came up with.
"There is no way in hell I am going to carry one in my mouth!"
"Either that or you lose to him…" My conscience, once again, answered my problem.
Will was about to pick up four again to bring to the bin. I only have but so much time left… Damn it!
"I'm going to need a dentist after this!"
I picked up one and I put the handle into my mouth. My teeth literally gripped tightly on the handle. The metal handle made my teeth hurt and made me want to drop the thing; the weight of the thing didn't make it any better- pulling my teeth down. I picked up four in total for my hands and I walked over to the bin. I ignored Chelsea's quizzical look towards me and focused more on Will's look of surprise- and defeat. I saw him look down at another, most likely debating if he should do it or not. But, in the end, he decided not to.
If the handle wasn't occupying my mouth, I would smirk at my victory. He may have money and other royal-like crap, but I know for sure that I'm not lazy and I'm most likely ten times stronger than him.
"Don't smirk too soon… You have to keep doing this until all of the milk has been put into the bin."
"Damn it!"
Some painfully teeth pulling time later, we finished. Will looked like he was about to collapse, he did look slightly sweaty on the forehead. Me on the other hand felt fine- or as fine as I can be. My muscles ached a little, but that was all…
Will looked at Chelsea, who was by the door the whole time- watching us do her work… I feel like I was just tricked…
"I'm going to get Dash ready- along with Arthur… I'll be waiting for you outside…" He said as he left, almost in a hurry.
"I bet I'll find him passed out on the ground… If I do… I'll 'accidently' step on him."
I then looked at Chelsea, slightly pissed off with her.
"What is wrong with you?" I asked her, keeping my tone almost flat.
She gave me a confused look.
"What are you talking about?"
"Why did you let him do your work? You can do it just fine."
"Well I did try to refuse… But he kind of insisted you know…"
"You're getting lazy… You're turning into Mark…!"
She sighed and said, "I wouldn't worry about it too much. I don't think he'll offer to help me again or anytime soon… He looked kind of exhausted… I hope he'll be okay…"
"She hopes he'll be okay…! What the hell about me!"
"As usual Vaughn, if you want, you can take a gallon of milk with you."
I shook my head. I don't want any of it- especially since Will touched some of them. Even if I wanted one, I can't remember which ones I moved and which ones he moved… Maybe next time…
"Well, I'll see you around then." Chelsea said to me before she left the barn.
Chelsea's POV
As soon as I stepped out of the barn, I saw Will with the two horses. His horse was on his right side, his right hand resting on its back lightly. As for Dash, he held the reins in his other hand. He smiled at me, as expected.
"Ready?" He asked me.
I nodded my head and I walked up to Dash. I heard the barn door open and Vaughn walked out. He briefly looked at me and then he looked at Will. He scowled slightly and then he walked passed us- most likely to do his work inside Mirabelle's shop…
I sighed.
"He's more sour then usual…"
I stood by Dash and realized just how big he was. There was no way that I could get on the horses back without hurting myself… Jumping is out of the question, I can't jump that high…
"You need help to get on his back?" Will asked me.
I nodded my head of course. He bent down, slightly on his knees, putting his two hands together while lowering them and he said, "I'll give you a leg up… Be careful not to fall…"
"Are you sure you want me to step on your hands?"
My shoes are dirty. Full of dirt from different things that I stepped on. I didn't want to dirty his hands with him possibly getting sick if he didn't wash them right away.
He nodded his head in reply, him staying in that position.
I picked up one foot and carefully stepped onto his hands. I then applied some of my weight into that foot. His hands did waver a little, but not by much. As quick as I could be, I applied the rest of my weight onto his hands while trying to get on Dash's back. At the same time, Will pushed his hands upward to help me along. I was able to somehow swing my other leg over Dash's back, and now I'm on his back. I grabbed the reins so that I wouldn't somehow fall. I looked at Will from my position and wondered how was he going to get on the back of his horse?
"What about you Will?"
He smiled at me and said, "Don't worry about me…"
He walked behind his horse, stopping a few feet behind his horse. Before my eyes could even blink, he did a few complete back flips- doing each one gracefully. His last back flip took him high enough into the air, and he did a slight turn with his whole body. And he landed on his horse's back, without breaking a sweat. I looked at him with my mouth agape.
He smiled at me and said, "I'm ready."
"…. How did you do that!" I asked him.
I remember when I was a kid I tried to do back flips, but they're a lot harder to do then it looks. But, the way he did it- he made it look easy. I could do cartwheels, but back flips are another matter…
"Practice." Was his answer.
His face expression turned slightly serious.
"Can you ride a horse?"
I nodded my head.
"The knowledge is a little fuzzy, but it's like riding a bike! You never forget once you're on it!"
Experimentally, I lightly kicked the sides of the horse with the heels of my shoes. In reaction, Dash moved forward, at a reasonable walking pace. Luckily I was somewhat expecting that or I might have fallen off his bare back (he doesn't have a saddle on). Will moved his own horse with ease. Though, I had to wonder how he was supporting his balance. What is he holding on to? Arthur doesn't have reins on it nor a saddle.
I looked closely around his horse's neck and saw a thin, white string (rope maybe?) around its neck. It wasn't on its neck tight, but it was tight enough. The string itself was practically invisible, almost impossible to notice unless someone knew it was there or if someone was looking for it (like me).
I focused my attention ahead of me, and we were just leaving the exit of the ranch.
"Where will we go first?" Will asked me.
We exited out of the ranch and I pulled the reins to make Dash stop his slow trotting. Will stopped as well.
"Doesn't matter where we go first… You can pick which way to go if you want…"
He looked where we at, West Town at the moment.
"I remember Denny telling me this is West Town… What are the buildings here?"
I pointed to the closest one, the Inn.
"That's the Inn. You can go there and sleep for the night and such of course."
I then pointed to the other building closest to us, Taro's house.
"This house right here would be Taro's house. He's an old man that is a retired rancher. If I need any advice on anything concerning ranch work, I go to him for advice. His two grandkids and daughter live with him… You met his two grandkids yesterday… Natalie, the one that was in the wheelchair, and Elliot, the one wearing the glasses."
"I had a feeling they were related… They both had pink hair, and their face features were slightly similar- especially around the cheekbone area…" Will commented.
"Their mother has pink hair as well and her name is Felicia… You can't miss her… She's a very nice woman… Very motherly and caring."
Will nodded his head.
"The one right next to their shop is the animal shop. That's where-"
"Julia works with her mother. They most likely sell animals for your ranch."
I looked at him in surprise.
"Yes… How did you know that?"
"Julia told me yesterday when she introduced herself… Remember?"
He remembered that? He has good memory…
"Well, besides that, Vaughn also works there. He's the animal tradesman for the island."
"He works there? Then why is he at the ranch?"
"Well… He's technically helping me… Before you came, I use to have a broken arm and I couldn't do the work by myself. So, Vaughn volunteered to help me…"
"You had a broken arm…! It's okay now though- right?"
He looked at my arms, his eyes filled with concern. He was probably trying to figure out which arm I broke.
"Or maybe it's something else." My conscience whispered. I pushed the thought away, though.
"My right arm is fine now though." I said, assuring him.
He looked at my face, a slight confused look on his face.
"If he was helping you due to your arm being broken- then why is he still helping you?" He asked me.
I shrugged my shoulders at him lightly. The reason Vaughn gave me was because he just wanted to. I don't understand why, but I don't ask questions… I might have to ask him to stop helping me though… I need to do my work myself. Mark hired me to do the work. He didn't hire two people to do it- let alone, three if Will is counted…
Will didn't push anymore about that issue. He pointed to the building right across from him.
"What's there?"
"That's Chen's shop. He sells various things that are useful. He sells oil, chocolate bars, seeds, rucksacks, bait for fishing, a few furnishing units, lotto tickets(2)-"
"Lotto tickets?" Will asked me.
I nodded my head.
"Well, it can be called a lotto ticket… If you have the money to buy one, you can either scratch it to get lucky- and possibly win double the amount the ticket cost. Or, you can give the ticket away to someone as a gift and that person can sell it back to Chen for the same amount the ticket cost. Of course, the person can scratch too if he or she wants to try their luck…"
Will frowned and said, "I hate those things."
I looked at him in surprise.
"You wouldn't want one of those things if someone gave it to you as a gift?"
His frown deepened.
"If someone gave me one of those things, I will literally hate them…"
He looked at me, his frown loosening.
"Mind you, I rarely hate anyone."
I said nothing. However, it made see a clearer side of him. He doesn't seem to be the type of person that is greedy and, possibly, money is the least of his worries or wants (needs)… What exactly is his reason coming to this island?
Before I could ask him, he pointed to the building across from Chen's shop.
"And that one?"
"That's Gannon's carpenter shop. You can't mistake that building with another's. You see the wooden boards beside his shop? It might be hard to see them from this position, but whenever you see them, that's how you know that's his shop. He's the best person to go to concerning anything that needs to be built or fixed. He may look- intimidating, but I can guarantee you that he is the nicest person on the island. He has a daughter named Eliza… You met her yesterday."
He said nothing; he just looked at the building. So I continued.
"Speaking of kids… The other one that you met yesterday was Charlie. He's Chen's son. He also works at his father shop. He's the go-to guy to make certain accessories and such. He may be young, but he knows his work pretty well."
I'm not sure if Will heard me or not because his gaze didn't leave Gannon's shop.
"You said Gannon is the best person to go to for building objects?"
I nodded my head at him.
"Including boats?"
"Uh… Well, I don't know about that, but you can ask him."
"Hmmm… If you don't mind, I would like to visit that shop for a moment…"
"Oh I don't mind at all! I'll just stop by to see Julia real quick. Just come get me whenever you are ready!"
He nodded his head once and he guided his horse towards Gannon's shop. I guided Dash to Mirabelle's shop, stopping in front of the shop- and I had a problem…
"How do I get down?"
Time to figure this out!
I gripped the reins of the horse tightly and with the same hand, I wrapped my arm around his neck. I swung my right leg over, being careful to not fall. Once I was stable, I let go of his neck, but not the reins. I hopped off his back. A short shock went up my legs, but it wasn't bad overall. I then let go of the reins. I patted Dash's head, appreciating that he stood still while I was trying to dismount.
"You're a good horse…"
I didn't bother tying the reins to a pole or something; I don't think he'll go anywhere, he'll probably (ok, hopefully) stay put. I walked up to the door and opened it.
Julia's POV
I was sitting on one of the stools in front of the counter, reading a short book. I wasn't really reading it much; I was too busy looking at my cousin's expression. He looked pissed off when he entered the shop earlier and he still looks pissed off now. He's right now is his usual spot, standing by the backdoor with his arms folded over his chest while leaning against the wall. I couldn't read his eyes, the shadow of his hat was covering them, but his posture told me that he was angry about something.
Just then, the front door opened, the bell chiming throughout the shop. I looked away from my book (and Vaughn) and there stood Chelsea. She smiled at me and waved slightly. I smiled back at her.
"Morning Chelsea!" I said to her in a slight sing-song voice.
"Same to you Julia." She said.
She looked where Vaughn was and said, "And hello once again Vaughn."
He said nothing to her; neither did he make the effort to move. Chelsea shrugged her shoulders, maybe figuring that he just doesn't want to talk.
"Anything new Julia?" She asked me.
I shook my head.
"Nope… You're not here to buy anything?" I asked her.
She shook her own head at me. I put the book down on the counter and I clapped my hands together once.
"That's great news!" I said to her.
She looked at me with an eyebrow raised.
"And why would that be good news?"
"Because-! That means I can go to the hair and spa room on Will's yacht!"
I grabbed her shoulders and brought my face a little close to hers.
"Chelsea…! You have got to try it out! That room is like-like- heaven!"
She rolled her eyes at me and said, "It's heaven to you Julia. Though… Maybe I will go and try it out someday…"
"You should! It's relaxing and that's something you need!"
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Maybe later I will go with you."
I let go of her shoulders. I looked at my cousin from the corner of my eyes. He was still looking down, but I could tell he was listening to us. I smiled to myself, suddenly having an idea.
"He wants to hear our conversation that badly? Well then, I'll give him something to listen to."
I looked at Chelsea and gave her an innocent smile, or one I hoped looked innocent.
"Tell me Chelsea… What do you think of Will?"
I saw Vaughn stiffen a bit, but he remained in his spot, while still looking down. A reaction I expected from him. I held back my grin.
Chelsea tilted her head to the side slightly.
"I think he's a very polite person." She said.
"I thought so too… But, that wasn't exactly what I was talking about."
She looked confused and I could practically imagine a question mark appear over her head.
"What are you talking about then?"
I smiled at her, not being able to hide my slick smile anymore.
"I'm talking about his looks Chelsea… Don't you think he looks kind of adorable? Not as adorable as Elliot, but he's pretty darn close…" I said, my mind slightly drifting off to Elliot.
I saw her face turn slightly red and she began to stutter a little. Unfortunately, before I could get a clear answer from her, the door opened once again. I looked towards the door, annoyed for the interruption.
"Well speak of the devil…"
The person turned out to be Will. He looked around the shop briefly, absorbing everything most likely.
"Nice shop… Looks cozy too…" He said as he walked up to where me and Chelsea were.
"Morning Will!" I said to him, being a little loud.
He waved at me lightly.
"Good morning to you as well Julia."
He then looked at Chelsea.
"I'm sorry if I took too long… I'm ready when you are."
I looked at Chelsea, confused on what he was talking about.
"Ready? What does he mean by that?" I asked her.
She looked at me, her face no longer slightly red.
"I'm giving Will a tour of the island… We're going horseback riding together."
I looked at her, surprised with the fact. I can understand her giving him a tour of the island, but doing it while on horses! As far as I know, she only has one horse on the ranch… Are they riding on it together!
"I guess that explains Vaughn's sour mood…"
I kept the smile off my face, despite how difficult a task that may be.
"I didn't know you two were sharing a horse."
Chelsea shook her head quickly, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks, and said, "He has his own horse. You didn't get to meet his horse yesterday…"
"If you would like to meet him, he's right outside." Will said to me.
I looked out the window from my position. I could see the heads of two horses. One was brown (Chelsea's- Dash is his name I recall) and the other was white, that one most likely being Will's.
"I'm assuming yours is the white one?"
Will nodded his head.
"His name is Arthur."
Well isn't he the ideal 'prince'. Not only does he wear white, but he has a white stallion.
"His coat looks shiny…" Where the heck did that come from? (I may be Vaughn's cousin, but, I do not use that sort of language!)
Will smiled at my comment and said, "I try my best to take good care of him. He is my best friend after all."
I gave him a slight skeptical look.
"Sounds almost like something Vaughn would say… Hmmm… How long has he had this horse?"
Before I could ask him, Chelsea thought it would be best for them to leave.
"I'll see you around Julia." She said while heading towards the door while waving at me.
I waved back to her. She briefly looked at Vaughn and I saw her sigh, a very silent one, and then she left. Will was only a step behind her, waving goodbye to me as well.
"Oh! Wait a second Will!"
He had the door halfway open, but he looked back at me.
"Yes?"
"You know the spa and hair salon on your yacht… You think I can go there now?"
He smiled lightly at me and said, "My yacht is your yacht. You and anyone else can go on it anytime."
I screeched in glee and I think I saw one of his eyes wince a bit- I must have screeched a little too loud.
"Thank you! You have a very nice day!" I said to him in that sing-song voice of mine.
He shook his head slightly and I heard a low chuckle come from him. He then left, closing the door silently behind him.
I heard a scowl come from a certain person. I looked at him with a small smile on my face.
"You're jealous of him Vaughn?"
He then scowled at me.
"Why the hell would I be 'jealous' about some damn rich kid!"
"Well… He's not exactly holding back to hang out with Chelsea. Is that it? You don't like him hanging out with your girl?"
He once again scowled at me, but he added a glare this time.
"I thought I told you before that it's not like that."
"I must be reading your body language improperly then."
"Look! I'm only pissed off because he tried to tell me how to do my damn job earlier! Not only that, he practically did Chelsea's work!"
I smiled at him, the type he hates.
"How would you know if he was at the ranch or not helping her?"
I saw him stiffen, completely frozen. He must have realized his mistake, but it's too late to take it back or try to lie about it. I chuckled at him, further embarrassing him.
"So that's why you have been late lately! I thought it was because you had been waking up late! But, now I know the truth! You've been helping her at the ranch! And I have to wonder, why is that?"
He said nothing to me for about a full minute, still standing in the same spot. He then moved towards the door.
"I don't have to answer to you- or take your accusations. If I'm needed for work purposes, just look for me."
"Wa-Wait Vaughn! I have something for you!"
His hand was on the doorknob, but he turned to look at me, clearly irritated.
"What!" He snapped at me.
"Jesh! Couldn't you at least say 'Yes' to me politely! You can probably learn a thing or two from Will…"
He just glared at me, but I ignored it and continued with what I wanted to originally say.
"Anyway… Some sort of letter came for you." I said, as I took said letter from behind the counter.
I held the letter out to him. He snatched the letter from me and looked at it.
"This isn't a letter… This is an invitation…" He said, sounding slightly confused.
I'm confused too. Who would invite Vaughn over? That person was either crazy or they accidently invited the wrong person. Both sound possible…
He pulled off the seal from the lower part of invitation. He opened it and I saw his eyes scan the inside of it. He frowned slightly a few seconds later.
"It's an invitation to some tea party… What the hell- who sent this?"
He looked at the letter again and his frown deepened.
"It's from that weird girl…"
I gave him a look with an eyebrow raised.
"Uh-huh… And who would that be? I'm sure said 'weird girl' would have a name."
He closed the invitation and looked at me.
"It's from Sabrina… She's inviting me to some tea- thing today at 5PM…"
He looked confused for a moment before his the line of his mouth turned downward.
"I'm not going to some tea party. I'm not some stuffed animal that is forced to sit around the table to drink imaginary tea."
"Oh Vaughn! That's so mean of you! You should at least check it out!"
He shook his head at me.
"I don't think so." He said, it being his final answer.
Just then, the front door opened once again. It was my Mom. She left to just go talk to Chen. Sometimes she leaves the shop just to go talk to someone.
"The weather is nice today." She commented.
She looked at us both. I had a feeling that she realized that Vaughn and I were 'arguing'.
"Okay you two, what happened?" She probably thought that Vaughn & I were on the point of using the pots and pans as weapons again. (Long story, don't ask.)
"Nothing." Vaughn and I replied in unison.
"Don't try to hide behind a lie you two. Either tell me or I'll find out."
I pointed to the invitation in Vaughn's hand.
"Vaughn was invited to a tea party and he's not planning to go."
He scowled at me, angry that I gave him away.
"Really? That's nice to hear. And why aren't you going Vaughn?"
"Because the person inviting me is weird. She says things that don't make any sense." He explained.
"Vaughn… You hardly talk to anybody, let alone be invited to places. Why don't you go this one time? If you hate it, politely excuse yourself with a reasonable excuse to leave."
"Aunt Mirabelle… It's a tea party. That alone doesn't make me want to go. I'll probably be surrounded by stuffed animals and imaginary friends that only she can see."
"I think you're taking it a little overboard. As I said Vaughn, give it try…"
He folded his arms over his chest, being very stubborn, not giving in to my mom's advice. My mom of course didn't change her mind.
"Either you go willingly or I'll gladly take you there myself and stay. You want that?" I had to hand it to her, Mom can sure be pushy when she wants something. Pushy enough to make even Vaughn cave.
Vaughn mumbled something under his breath. He walked passed my Mom and he left the shop. He may not admit that he just lost the verbal 'battle' with Mom, but he's going to that tea party. My mom shook her head and went behind the counter.
"Any customers so far today?"
I shook my head.
"Today's kind of slow…"
I gave my mom a pleading look.
"Can I leave Mom?"
She nodded her head in reply. She picked up the book I was reading before and began to read it herself. I clapped my hands a few times.
"Spa here I come!"
Chelsea's POV
We were at the top of the mountain looking at the scenery beyond, while still mounted on our horses. In unison, we both turned away from the scene and headed back down.
"The scenery is very beautiful… Too beautiful for words…" Will commented.
I nodded my head in agreement. But, by being there on the mountain top- my mind can't help but wander to that night… I'm talking about the meeting with Mark… I can't help but be reminded about it. Just being there brings back those feelings I had- and his words… I need to get out of here…
"Are you okay?"
I shook my head, erasing any other thoughts concerning that night.
"I'm fine!" I said to him with a forced smile.
He blinked his eyes at me, but he didn't push the issue.
"There's so much here… There is the church, the mine, the mountain top, and of course, I can't forget the Witch Princess… I still can't believe a witch lives here…"
"I know it's hard to believe she's a witch, but she is. If you push her patience enough, she'll surely turn you into some animal- or worse…"
I shuddered at other possible things she can turn someone into.
"Not only that… You said there is a Goddess living in that pond?"
I nodded my head.
"I wish you could meet her…"
He didn't give me a weird look, like I expected. He actually believed me.
"I wish I could too…"
We were finally on the path once again; ready to find that certain path to cross the bridge once more. But, a certain person was pacing among the trees- or near them at least. The person turned towards us and he scowled a little. I ignored his scowl.
"Hello once again Vaughn… Seems I am bumping into you a lot today."
Will waved at him lightly, a friendly smile on his face. Vaughn just glared at us for a few moments, and then without a word he went back to his pacing. I silently sighed to myself.
"Is he still angry with me?"
I shook my head. He's angry with me just because I didn't 'side' with him. Will moved his horse ahead of me. I looked at Vaughn again, him still pacing.
"I'll see you around Vaughn…" I said to him.
He didn't bother stopping his pace or even acknowledging me. I shrugged my shoulders slightly and then I urged Dash to follow Will.
We crossed the bridge, bringing us back to West Town. Will turned to look at me.
"I would like to go to the beach real quick Chelsea. Do you mind?"
I nodded my head and agreed to go with him. We turned our horses towards the beach.
We reached the beach in a short time. The horse's hoofs hitting the soft sand, muffling their sound somewhat. As expected, Denny was sitting at the edge of the dock fishing and the two kids were playing some game. I followed behind Will, not sure why he was here in the first place. He kept making his horse walk until he reached where the dock just touched the sand. Will gained Denny's attention by calling his name. Denny turned towards us, his face slightly confused, wondering who called him probably. Once he knew who we were, he smiled at us and waved.
"Hey guys!" He said, cheerful as ever.
Will slightly bowed his head, a silent hello.
"I just came by real quick to tell you about your boat."
Denny's eyes widened.
"My boat?"
"Yes. I talked to Gannon earlier about him building you one. I think it would be better to own a boat then a rowboat. It's a sailboat too… As far as I know, the hull(3) will be a dark purple and the mainsail(4) will be white with purple strips… I hope you don't mind the design."
"Not at all! I don't mind one bit!" Denny said with a smile.
Will looked happy with that answer.
"In addition, I ordered a flag for the sailboat as well… The picture on it will be of your bird friend- Kuu."
At that, Kuu hopped up a little in glee on Denny's shoulder. I didn't hear it chirp in delight, but it looked happy. Denny laughed a little while looking at Kuu.
"Kuu thanks you for considering him. He's happy about the sailboat as much as I am!"
Will smiled in reaction to that.
"So, when will it be ready?"
"Gannon said that he should have it complete by next week, Monday. He said he'll bring it to you when it's complete."
"Awesome!" Denny said as he made a motion with his hand, in the form of a fist.
"Until then, if you want, you can go on the submarine- with Captain Hwoarang's assistance of course…"
Denny eyes twinkled a bit after hearing that.
"I'll take you up on that offer!"
He laughed a little and said, "You're going to spoil me, but I don't mind one bit! Thanks for everything Will, I really mean that!"
Will nodded his head.
"It's the least I can do."
Will waved goodbye to him and so did I. He waved to us back and then he went back to his fishing. We left the beach and we were, once again, in West Town.
"Let's head to East Town." I said as I turned Dash in the right direction.
Will followed behind me of course.
It didn't take us long to get into East Town. I pointed to the large mansion.
"That's where Sabrina lives with her father, Regis… Sabrina is the one that wears a pink sweater and she has on glasses. She has a talent for art as well… Her father… Well, you can't miss him… He has a rather- large nose… And he kind of looks likes a vampire…"
Will chuckled a little, probably at the face expression I made concerning Regis. We kept the horses moving on the stone path. I then pointed to the house with the purple roof.
"That's Pierre's house. He's the gourmet. He is short in stature, but his cooking skills are amazing."
I then pointed to Lanna's house.
"That's Lanna's house. She's the one that has long blonde hair and wears a green dress. She is a singer, but she came to the island to relax…"
I then looked at Will, a good question forming in my mind.
"Will… What's your reason for coming to the island?"
"My reason?" He repeated, obviously confused by my question.
"Well… Almost every resident that lives here has a reason for being here… Lanna, for example, was a famous singer before she came here. She came here to relax from her busy career, but she still works hard to come up with new songs. Denny is here because of the variety of fish he wants to catch. Pierre is here because he wants to try to learn new cooking ingredients and so on…"
"What's Mark reason for being here?" He asked me.
I thought about it… But, unfortunately (and surprising myself on how 'little' I know him), I didn't know the answer… Not a true answer anyway…
"I don't know his reason of why he is here… I just know that he is a rancher by- force I guess you can say…"
He nodded his head in understanding. He then looked ahead, but I saw something in his eyes. He looked like he was deep in thought.
"I'm here to relax… I just heard of this island while I was traveling a bit… So, I figured I might as well stop by and just- take a break… My yacht is nice and all, but it's pleasant to just come outside once in a while… Plus, this place is- different compared to, say, the city…"
"Yeah… I agree with you there… It is different here, but in a good way…"
He then pointed to the reddish wooden house.
"Whose house is that?"
I felt my cheeks flush a bit.
"That's my house…" I said in a low voice.
He guided his horse to the front door of my home. He looked at it with a glint in his eyes, possibly judging the look of my house. After a few minutes, though it felt like an eternity, he looked at me with a smile on his face.
"Your house looks charming! I especially like the little designs carved on the outside of it… The cow head as the doorknob is clever… This house looks like it came out of a storybook!"
I couldn't help but blush at his comment. I never thought of my house in that perspective- coming out of a storybook… That's a new one…
"I would like to see the inside of your comfy home one day…" He said.
I hope he didn't mean now…
He moved Arthur away from the front of my door and he joined my side once again.
"So… What's up ahead on the stone path?"
"If you keep going straight, all the way in the back, there would be a bridge that leads to the jungle. Shea and his 'adopted' parent Wada live there."
He gave me a surprised look.
"You mean there are two people living there!"
I nodded my head.
"Yeah, but Wada barely speaks full sentences… He speaks very little… So, if you ever meet him, don't say too much too him… You can't mistake him to be Shea either- he has some sort of gecko in his mouth…"
I never understood myself why he has a gecko in his mouth… Maybe they're nutritious…? But, isn't it alive? I decided not to dwell on that right now…
"The Hotel would not be too far from the bridge, it's to the left of it…"
I cleared my throat before I continued. Just thinking about Pierre and Natalie. . . Oops. There I go again. I cleared my throat once more.
"Before you reach the Hotel, there is a small path that leads to the left. On that path would be the Café and the Diner. The Diner gets crowded around dinner time and the Café is crowded on some days around lunch time. It's best to go to the Café for something light or for something sweet- like desserts. The Diner is the best place to go to for a full meal."
Will nodded his head, hopefully absorbing all of the information I told him. He looked elsewhere, and then he pointed.
"Where does that path lead to?" He asked me.
I looked where he was pointing, and he was pointing at the path between Lanna's and my house.
"That path leads to the bridge that would take you to the Meadow. Most festivals take place there."
"Hmmm…"
He guided Arthur on that path and I followed behind him. We crossed the bridge, the hoofs of the horses hitting the wood. The meadow was empty at the moment, and I saw Will look around.
"This area is pretty large…"
He then looked at me with a smile.
"How about we give the horses some exercise? Not just that, maybe I can teach you how to ride without the reins. Of course, that all depends on you."
I smiled at him lightly and said, "Sure. That sounds like fun."
Sabrina's POV
It's 4:50PM now… And I'm a nervous wreck… I sent the invitation earlier today, and I can only hope that he'll come…
"What makes you think he's coming? Most likely he won't come." My conscience stated to me.
Well, it doesn't hurt to get the things ready anyway… Just in case he does come… It would be rude of me to invite him and then not have the things ready…
I looked down at the set up things on the table in my father's small office. He's not using it at the moment… He's right now not even in the house… He's at the mountain for some odd reason. I already set up the tablecloth, the whole tea set (two teacups, a teakettle, a plate filled with mini egg sandwiches, a small bowl holding blocks of sugar cubes, and napkins- all in the same design and the pottery was imported), and the two small brown one-sitter couches I made as comfortable as possible.
I forced myself to sit down in one of them. I took a big breath and I slowly let it out- still nervous as I can possible be. My body shuttered for no apparent reason ever few seconds. My nerves felt on edge… How can I be calm at a time like this? I'm inviting the very man that I can't help but stare at sometimes.
"Don't you mean all of the time? I still think he's not coming… Even if he does, what will you guys do?" My conscience once again said to me.
I felt my face go pale. I didn't think that far ahead… What will we do! I felt nervous all over again.
"Maybe I shouldn't answer the door… That is, if he is even coming…"
I felt my face fall and despair hit my heart and my bones… I would be disappointed, but then again... It would be my fault for doing this at the last minute…
I looked at the clock hanging on the wall, beside the big picture behind my father's desk… It read 5:05PM… And I don't hear the familiar sound of the doorbell throughout the mansion. I sigh and I feel myself go on the verge of tears… I should have known better…
Ding-Ling-Dong
For a second, I thought it was my imagination, but then I heard the sound of the bell becoming fainter throughout the mansion. It's real!
I quickly stand up from my seat and run through the hallway until I stood in front of the door. I quickly patted myself down and then I opened the door, just a crack. I poked my head out and I lightly smiled at my somewhat expected visitor.
He blinked his purple eyes at me and then he touched the brim of his hat lightly, doing it all without saying a word to me- not that he needs to. Just his presence is enough for me.
I opened the door wider and I stepped out of my home for a moment.
"I'm so glad that you could make it!" I said to him, doing my best to smile politely and not faint right there on the ground.
He still said nothing, though I saw him clench his hand and then he unclenched it. I stepped back inside my house and then I stood behind the door, holding it. He stayed outside for a moment longer and then he slowly stepped inside my house. I gently closed the door behind him and locking it. I saw him look around with his eyes only, not moving his head at all. Being quite polite and subtle if you ask me.
"We're going to have tea over here…" I said to him in a low voice.
I saw his eyes sweep over everything once more before he followed behind me.
"He's here! He really is here!"
I forced myself to keep my excitement down and I stopped in front of the small table. He stopped beside me and I saw him look down at the table, his expression blank- so I can't tell what he might be thinking…
"Y-You can take a seat in either seats…"
He took a seat to the one on my right, and I took the one across from him (the table separating us).
His eyes were still focused on the items on the table. I looked at him and noticed he still had his hat on.
"If you want y-you can take your hat off…"
I have never seen him take off his hat. In fact, I have never seen him without his hat on his head…
He quickly shook his head, basically saying 'No'. I sighed inwardly. Pity… He would probably look nice without his hat on… Plus, it's common courtesy to not be wearing a hat indoors, especially when invited inside another's home… But, I'm not going to bother him about that- I don't want him to leave.
"W-Well if you're hungry, you can have an egg sandwich…"
He looked at the plate that held the sandwiches. I'm silently hoping that he'll take at least one… I worked really hard making them into absolute perfection and I arranged them on the plate as a pyramid…
I heard him sigh, it was very quiet, but I heard it none-the-less. He lifted one of his hands and took one. He looked at the sandwich, as if it was some foreign object he never seen before. After what felt like an eternity, he brought the sandwich to his mouth and took a small bite out of it.
I held my breath, waiting for his reaction. He was just being calm the whole time, chewing the bite in his mouth slowly- very slowly… I felt like he was doing it purposely. I was having a hard time waiting for him to say something, so I asked him.
"H-How is it…?" I asked him, my voice shaking.
His eyes shifted to me, making me almost gasp at the sharpness of them.
"It's… Okay…" He said in his usual gruff voice, but it didn't sound cold.
I couldn't help but smile and I finally breathe in ease again.
"Would you like some tea?" I asked him.
He lightly shook his head. My face faltered.
"O-Oh… I made a special brew just for this occasion… I made a special herbal tea that is good for coughs…"
He sighed again, louder this time, but it was one of defeat.
"Fine…"
That was all he said, but it made me smile still. I poured him some in a teacup and I poured myself some.
I put in two sugar cubes in my own. I would do his, but I'm not sure how many he wants… I stirred the contents and I took a small sip of my own. I saw Vaughn put in some cubes in his own, he stirred the contents and then he took a sip of his own. I saw him shutter, maybe in disgust?
Well, he at least took a sip…
For the next few minutes, there was nothing between us except silence… I don't know what to say…
"Told you this would happen…" My conscience said to me, almost mocking me.
I fidgeted with the ends of my pink sweater. I'm stretching the material, but I'd rather look down at my sweater then him. He's probably glaring at me or-or- worse…
Maybe I shouldn't have invited him…
I heard him sigh out loud, probably getting impatient- or to get rid of this awkward silence…
"I saw a book titled, "All about Autism(5)." What is autism…?" He asked me, his voice low.
OH! I know this!
"Autism is basically a mental disease. The history is quite fascinating! Autism wasn't discovered until-"
I have never felt so relaxed in my life.
Vaughn's POV
I am still sitting here, in this mansion. At least 40 minutes went by…! I'm right now trying my best to not twitch my eye. She is still going on about autism and its history… What is she saying now? Well, let me tune my ears back on…
"….There are many anecdotal reports, but few systematic studies, of aggression and violence in individuals with ASD-"
I tuned my ears back out.
"I can't take this anymore…! I need to leave anyway… Need to catch my boat back to the city…"
I interrupted her by clearing my throat- loudly. She instantly stopped talking (thank Goddess!) and looked at me, confused of why I interrupted her.
"Look… I got to go…" I said to her bluntly.
She nodded her head and stood up as I stood up from my own seat. I walked down the hallway, her trailing behind me. I don't see the point, I can lead myself out. The place isn't that big.
She somehow got in front of me and she opened the door before I could reach it. I stepped in-between the doorframe. I looked at her and I touched the brim of my hat. I have to be polite or I'll never hear the end of it from my aunt.
I saw her eyes look away from me and I think her face turned red- though I'm not quite sure…
"Th-Thank you for coming over…" She said, in that usual small and meek voice of hers.
I just shrugged my shoulders, not finding it such a big deal. I was about to step out, but then what she said made me stop.
"Ca-Can we do this every Thursday- at the same time?"
I snapped my head around to look at her, and I felt my eyes widen. She wasn't looking at me.
"What…?" I said, unsure if I heard her correctly.
"I-I would greatly appreciate it…"
So, she wasn't kidding- neither did I mishear her… I was planning to tell her 'No' because I always have work to do. But then if my aunt got wind of this (and she somehow always does), I decided to give a vague answer instead.
"I'll think about it." I said to her.
She seemed satisfied with that answer. She bowed at me slightly and quickly said, "Goodnight…!"
The door was closed in my face pretty much. I shook my head and turned away from the door. I walked away from the front door of her mansion. I was about to turn to go into West Town and then head to the beach, but a familiar voice made me stop in my tracks.
"I'm beat!"
That's Chelsea's voice. I only heard her because she was being loud.
I turned towards the way it came from. I saw her and Mr. Rich Boy at the end of the path- they were still on the back of the horses. They were in front of Chelsea's house. I walked towards them quietly, but I stopped a few feet short of them. Far enough to not be noticed, but close enough to hear them.
"I am too… Are you hungry?" He asked her.
"It's more like I'm starving! I missed lunch…"
I had a feeling that he smiled at her.
"Why don't you join me for dinner on my yacht?"
Chelsea looked at him and I just stood there, watching- and somehow waiting for her to respond. She finally shook her head.
"No thanks. Maybe next time." She said to him.
"I understand…"
I saw his head lower a bit, as if he was looking at Dash.
"Why don't you go inside your home while I bring Dash back to the ranch."
"That's okay! I can bring him back mys-"
"I insist."
She said nothing. She sighed a minute later, in defeat. I mentally rolled my eyes. Again, she's not putting up that much of a fight! What the hell is wrong with her? If I were in her shoes, I'd just go ahead and take the horse back myself.
"Okay… But be careful with him…"
"You can trust me Chelsea…"
She gave him a look I couldn't decipher. I saw her tightly grab onto the reins and she lowered herself to the ground, landing on her feet. She didn't do it perfectly, but she did it well enough.
"Goodnight Chelsea. Have sweet dreams… Not that you won't."
"Goodnight Will…" She said as she turned away from him and entered her house.
Will grabbed the reins on Dash and he pulled him along while his horse rode forward- and that was when I made my presence known. I casually (or as close to that as I could) walked out of the shadows and stood in front of his horse, forcing him to stop.
I didn't scare him as I expected. It was as if he was expecting me… He gave me his stupid smile.
"Evening Vaughn. Can I help you?"
I scowled at him.
"I'll take Dash back to the ranch."
He shook his head at me.
"I offered to take him back, I should do it."
"Either give me the reins quietly or I'll gladly knock you off your high horse."
I didn't mean to make a pun out of it, but it strangely fits. He needs to be knocked off his high horse if you ask me.
He looked at me and blinked his eyes. In reply, he extended his hand to me that held the reins. I snatched them out of his hand. I immediately started to remove the unnecessary contraption from around Dash's mouth. After I got it off, I tossed it at him. He somehow caught it with both of his hands without falling off his horse.
"You put that on him again, and I'll put it around your head!"
His horse neighed and it stomped its hoof on the stone path- as if it understood my harsh words towards his 'master'. Will patted his horse neck gently to calm him down, and he did almost immediately.
"That depends if Chelsea wants to go horseback riding with me again or not… But, she might not need them next time. I taught her how to ride without the reins a little. She'll be very good at it with more practice… Something I'm willing to do with her, whether I have time or not. Even if I don't have time, I will gladly make time for her."
I scowled at him, along with a glare. He ignored both, making his horse move forward, away from my deadly glare, away from anger, away from me.
I didn't move until I was sure he was gone. I patted Dash's head and neck.
"That thing probably bothered you- right?"
The horse just looked at me in reply. I patted his head once again.
"Come on… Let's take you back home…"
I kept a hand on his neck, somewhat guiding him to go to the ranch. I tried to push that annoying rich kid words out of my mind… But I couldn't… Especially those certain words he said…
"Something I'm willing to do with her, whether I have time or not. Even if I don't have time, I will gladly make time for her."
And those words continued to echo in my head…
TO BE CONTINUED…
AUTHOR'S COMMENTS/NOTES
(1) Bridle: This is basically the more accurate term for reins. It's a piece of equipment to direct the horse. More information on this can be found online easily.
(2) Lotto tickets: They're not called lotto tickets in the game. They're just called 'ticket' with a certain amount in front of it. Either a 10,000G ticket or 1,000,000G ticket. Both are useless and only good to ship to complete the shipping list. But, you only get like half the amount if you ship them. You can only get the full amount if you sell it back to Chen.
(3) Hull: This is the area that holds the passengers on a sailboat. It's the area that keeps the occupants above the water, to float in the water.
(4) Mainsail: The part of the sailboat that makes it moves. The 'curtain' that the wind blows on to move it.
(5) Autism: This is really a mental disorder. I used this term because I am playing with words (or definitions to be more accurate). It means:
"Autism: mental disorder marked by impaired ability to communicate and form social relationships and by repetitive behavior patterns." – From Science Daily Website [Article titled, "Rate of Autism Disorders Climbs to One Percent Among 8-Year-Olds"; Def. in Image]
Am I being smart- or being funny? :) Especially the way I'm using it. More information can easily be looked up about this psychological disorder.
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