When One Door Shuts
Sam got the text from Sebastian that he was close to town, so the blond took a deep breath and headed out the front door toward The Stardrop Saloon. He threw his skateboard on the ground and hopped on, the wheels making a rhythmic click on the cobblestones as he sped along the path. The anxiety about this conversation had been gnawing at him all week, even when he and Abigail were together. It had to be done, though. Sam only hoped that Sebastian took the news well enough that their friendship would remain intact.
As planned, Sam arrived at the local Friday hangout before Sebastian, so he ordered a cup of coffee for his best friend and got himself a Joja cola from the vending machine. After tucking his skateboard behind the red couch facing the entrance of the arcade, Sam took a seat and took a swig of his sugary drink. His best friend arrived shortly afterward, wearing his usual black hoodie, and sat down on the blue sofa perpendicular to him. "Thanks for meeting me," Sam said, offered Sebastian the mug of coffee.
"Heh, trying to butter me up, I see," Sebastian joked, looping his fingers into the handle of the mug and taking it from Sam. He shifted over to the cushion that was slightly less worn down and took a sip of the bitter drink. It was the perfect drinking temperature, so he drank in nearly half the mug before asking, "So what's up, Sam?"
The blond tapped the Joja cola can in his hand with nervous fingers. "I... uh... have some news." His eyes darted to meet Sebastian's puzzled gaze. "Personal news," Sam clarified. "I think you oughtta hear it from me."
Sebastian's teasing smirk immediately fell and he leaned forward in his seat, holding his warm coffee mug between his knees. "Is everything okay?" He paused, then hesitantly added, "Did something happen to your dad?"
Sam shook his head, "Nah, nothing like that," he assured Sebastian, who then visibly relaxed. The taller man chugged the last of his drink for courage, and slammed the empty can on the couch beside him. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst. "Abigail and I are dating now!" he announced quickly, as if his words were being forced out of a pressure cooker. Sam's eyes remained fix on the floor, as he was too afraid to see the expression on Sebastian's face. "I... didn't want you to have to hear it from anyone else or get caught off-guard tonight." He paused before finished, "You're my best friend, Sebby..."
"Well, that sucks."
The blond looked up to find the blue couch beside him empty and Sebastian already leaving the arcade. Sam chased after him. "Dude, I know this probably came outta nowhere, but I wanna talk this out and stay best friends!" Sam grabbed Sebastian's shoulder to stop him from leaving and his best friend turned in confusion.
Sebastian's expression did not look angry, like Sam had expected. The programmer appeared confused, if his friend had to guess. The raven-haired man gestured toward his friend with his mug, "I'm just outta coffee, you spaz."
"So... you're not mad about me and Abigail?" Sam asked hopefully.
Sebastian shrugged Sam's hand off his shoulder. "I'm kinda pissed you two took so long, honestly."
The skater squinted at Sebastian suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean? You had a thing for Abigail for ages, fam."
"Apparently you did, too." The shorter of the two rolled his eyes and he quickly asked Gus for a refill on his coffee before stating, "Once the dam broke and Abigail straight-up told me we were never going to happen, I figured she was after someone else." Threading his fingers through the handle of the new mug of coffee, Sebastian said, "And after a few days it dawned on me. 'Sam's the only other guy she hangs out with.'"
"Hey!" Sam puffed out his chest and crossed his arm defensively, "What makes you think I didn't ask her out?"
Sebastian's lips pulled back into a smile, "You're too good a friend to do that to me, Sam. As demonstrated by the fact you did not even tell me you liked Abigail, too." Sebastian prodded Sam in the ribs with his elbow. Sam grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck guiltily at his friend's words. The older of the two looked over his shoulder to check his surroundings before adding, "Besides, not to say that Abigail isn't a good friend, but she is way more impulsive and really goes for it once she's made a decision."
The blond eased his stance and followed Sebastian back toward the arcade. "So... you're okay with this?" he questioned, hopping onto the old red couch.
Sebastian opted to continue standing and loitered near the pool table. He shrugged and tested the temperature of his drink. The coffee enthusiast was disappointed to find the liquid scalded a bit of his tongue. "I wouldn't call it 'okay,'" Sebastian admitted, swirling the steaming liquid in his mug in a desperate attempt to cool its contents, "but if it had to be anyone else, I'm glad it's you, Sam." His dark tapered bangs blocked a clear view of the expression on Sebastian's face as he leaned against the rim of the table, but Sam thought he saw the slight upward curve on his best friend's lips. "Besides, Abigail's not the only girl in town. I want to see how things go." He blew into the mug, and took a sip of his coffee. Sam could have sworn it was on purpose so he did not have to talk anymore.
The blond sprung up from his seat and planted himself in front of Sebastian so the hoodie-clad man could not escape scrutiny this time. "So, Violet, huh?" Sam said with a waggle of his eyebrows.
While Sebastian would have loved to pretend he was still oblivious to how poorly he hid his feelings, that game was over now. Not to mention the basement-dweller had not spent any considerable time with the female villagers around his age other than the new farmer. Playing it off as a local who had already lived in Pelican Town, or someone who lived out of town would have been a ridiculous stretch of the imagination for anyone in town. Giving up on watching his coffee cool, Sebastian set the mug down on the pool table. He had burnt his tongue enough trying to stall. "Yeah, well, she's hung up on some ex-boyfriend from what I hear," he grumbled quietly. Sebastian massaged the patch under the sleeve of his hoodie absently, but it did not go unnoticed by Sam. "But for now I just want to hang out more and get to know her better anyway," he admitted with a shrug.
Sam frowned, and leaned against the pool table next to Sebastian. "Huh. I assumed Violet hadn't ever dated, but I those are the kinda things you find out when you get to know someone better."
"Hey, you already have a girlfriend, leave some of the 'getting to know someone better' for the rest of us," Sebastian teased, setting the bait for a trap as he spied a streak of amethyst hair from the corner of his eye.
"I can't help but give the ladies what they want," Sam replied with a shrug.
A chill ran down the blond's spine as a voice came from the archway into the arcade. "Who are all these other ladies that want you, Sam?"
"H-hey, babe," Sam laughed nervously as the color drained from his face, knowing fully well that it was Abigail behind him. "Very hypothetical ladies," he explained as he turned and gave his girlfriend a peck on the cheek.
She pulled the collar of his faded denim jacket so their faces were level with one another. "Good. 'Cause if you were to ever cheat on me, I'd hunt you down and kill you, Sam," she informed him an eerily saccharine smile.
Sebastian burst out laughing and tapped his fist against the pool table, "Shit! I dodged a bullet with you, Abigail," he said in amusement at the casual threat of murder from his friend.
Abigail's eyes took on an icy quality as she shot him a death glare, "Oh, don't flatter yourself, Sebastian. You were never a fucking target."
"Says the girl who can't even beat the first level of Journey of the Prairie King," Sebastian prodded. "Your aim sucks."
The amethyst-haired woman flipped Sebastian off and took her usual seat on the bright blue sofa. "This is why you're still single." She kicked up her heel and crossed her legs as she sat down on the blue couch, as if she were claiming a throne and daring Sebastian to challenge her.
"Ooooooh, damn!" Sam hooted, not even bothering to suppress his body's amused convulsions as bent over at the waist. Abigail rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, and leaned against the back of her seat to get comfortable.
While Abigail's comeback did knock him down a few pegs, Sebastian had to admit he liked the new angle his personal relationships had shifted. Things were starting to improve between him and Maru, even if his relationship with Demetrius appeared to be at a stand-still, they were not getting worse. Hell, even gave his friend group got enough of a budge in the right direction that he found he was genuinely enjoying himself. Could you really call it a friend group if you couldn't fling insults at each other on the regular? It was like he and his friends were so concerned about stepping on eggshells around each other that no one realized the eggs had already hatched. Now that the tension was gone, they were free to be themselves again.
So even if this was not the way Sebastian imagined how his life would be when the new year started, Sebastian was grateful that Violet's presence in Pelican Town catalyzed the necessary change in his life. Still, he hoped Violet might get over this former flame of hers so he could finally try asking a girl he liked out one day. The programmer decided he was not going to miss his shot this time around, if given the chance.
Violet finished conducting her usual business at Pierre's General Store and upon exit, she heard a strange grunting sound off to her left. It was old Mr. Mullner, who from the looks of things, could not reach his mail into the back of the mailbox from his seated position in the wheelchair. He sighed audibly, slumping back into his chair, and grumbled to himself about how the person delivering the mail should not shove it in so far.
The farmer had only formally met him briefly when Alex insisted she meet his grandparents, but she had made sure to speak to the Mullners at the Egg Festival. While George seemed to be the stereotypical grumpy old man, Violet thought it was only polite to offer assistance. However, Penny beat her to it, "Here, let me help you, Mr. Mullner!" the red-head said to her neighbor, gently rolling the balding man's wheel chair out of the way. Penny reached her yellow-sleeved arm into the mailbox to retrieve the envelope he desired, then turned around and handed him the letter. "There you go!" she said cheerfully, flashing a friendly grin to the old man.
George, who seemed flustered that the young woman and literally moved his person without permission, voiced his annoyance. "Hmmph. I could've done it myself!" he growled, snatching the envelope from the woman. "And I can certainly move around on my own!" George's wrinkled face frowned deeply, "How feeble do you think I am?" he questioned, snapping like an old turtle at Penny. The ginger clammed up immediately and it looked like she was on the verge of tears.
Violet decided to step in and approached the pair to make sure the situation did not escalate. Mr. Mullner scowled when he saw the farmer coming toward them and Penny twisted to face her. "Violet? You were watching us?" she asked, embarrassed that someone else might have witnessed the scolding her neighbor gave her for trying to help.
The newcomer nodded, "Yeah, I was. You did a kind thing there, Penny," Violet said to reassure the young woman. George's face twisted with conflicting emotions at Violet's words.
"Thank you," Penny replied quietly. "I just wish George wasn't so upset..." Her emerald eyes glanced over to the scowling Mr. Mullner who avoided her gaze.
"I think what upset Mr. Mullner was that you moved him out of the way without giving him the opportunity to do it himself." Violet's assessment seemed to catch George's attention, which indicated she might be somewhere close to the truth.
Upon reflection, the woman in the canary-yellow shirt realized that she had been rude by not asking before pushing George's wheelchair. "I was only trying to help," Penny told her neighbor in a penitent tone.
The old man's face fell and George tugged at the sleeve of his green jacket. After a moment's pause, he let out a raspy sigh. "No, no... I'm sorry, miss," he responded apologetically, averting his gaze self-consciously. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry." Finally, he bestowed a compliment on his young neighbor, "It was actually very kind of you to help me out."
Penny nodded, sniffling slightly, but quickly regained her composure. "That's okay, Mr. Muller," she told him as she inhaled a deep, calming breath. "I understand."
Before much else could be said, George wheeled himself into the house and quickly shut the door behind him. The teacher watched him go and wove her fingers together in front of her body. Her lips curved in a pensive frown. "It must be difficult to grow old..." she thought aloud.
A nervous laugh escaped Violet. She hated thinking about human mortality, especially her own. "It's just a different part of life," she replied, trying to play it cool. But as usual, the farmer betrayed her actual thoughts with a secondary comment. "Though luckily it takes a while to get there."
The straight-laced young woman nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, we shouldn't ignore the reality of aging," she agreed. After a moment of contemplation, she continued, "I guess the sooner we come to terms with our mortality, the more time we can spend really living in the here-and-now." Penny stared back at the door of the Mullner household and the two stood in silence for a few moments before the teacher tried to awkwardly excuse herself. "Well, it was interesting talking to you, Violet. I should go."
"You sure you don't want to hang out with the Friday night crowd at The Stardrop Saloon?" the farmer asked. Penny was shy, but that did not mean she did not want to be invited out places. Violet knew what that was like.
Penny sighed, "I... don't care to see my mother drink herself into another stupor," she told Violet, fixating on the grass beneath her feet. The red-headed woman sounded so defeated, it broke Violet's heart a little.
"I see..." the farmer replied, now understanding a bit more about Penny's home life. "I hope to see you around, then."
The two women were about to part ways when Elliott hailed Violet from the path toward the saloon. "Hello, Violet! Miss Penelope! What a pleasant surprise!"
Penny stopped dead in her tracks and her emerald eyes grew wide. The ginger slightly hid behind Violet as Elliott sauntered over to the pair.
"I was just stopping into The Stardrop Saloon to relax after an eight hour writing session," he informed his neighbors. "I coincidentally just received word that a publisher wants to add my latest short story to their anthology! Would you ladies care to join me for a celebratory drink?"
Violet's cobalt eyes stole a glance back at Penny, who prodded at the ground with the toe of her flats. "I... don't care for alcohol," the teacher replied in a barely audible whisper.
Whether or not he heard Penny, Elliott seemed to catch her meaning. "Ah, my apologies for the rude assumption. I would gladly treat you to your favorite beverage that has not been fermented or perhaps a meal, then?"
Penny's cheeks flushed slightly and Violet could not tell it was because she was embarrassed that Elliott was so willing to accommodate when all she was trying to do was decline or something else. "I..."
No one had ever had never offered to treat her to anything, so Penny was not sure whether or not it was rude to continue to decline the offer when Elliott was just trying to share his good fortune. And yet, stepping foot into The Stardrop Saloon was something Penny feared. Penny worried what her mother would think - but more importantly, what everyone else would think. If the daughter of the town drunk started socializing at the local bar, maybe people would see her differently. The villagers might say that she was on the way to following in her mother's footsteps. Penny wanted so desperately to escape her mother's drunken shadow.
Elliott, noticing that Penny seemed uncomfortable, spoke up again, "I understand we hardly know each other, miss Penelope. Please know that I will not be offended should you decide to decline my invitation."
Her emerald eyes glanced up at Elliott's striking figure. He reminded her of a respectable male lead in an Austen novel, with his mannerisms and attire. The teacher realized to herself that if she could not speak to someone as polite and gentle as the beach-dwelling poet, she was doomed to live in that dirty old trailer with her mother forever. Penny dreamed of getting married and having children of her own someday, so needed to build her confidence to finally make a turn things around.
Besides, this was not even a romantic proposal for an intimate meal alone. This was a special occasion in a public space with a small group of villagers. Not to mention Sam always went to the saloon on Friday evenings. Sam was so easy to talk to so maybe if she got too nervous she could just join him wherever he was standing. She could socialize for an hour, right? These were the same neighbors with whom she socialized on community festival days. Surely, Penny could be brave for an hour... Clutching the hem of her bright yellow shirt, the ginger finally said, "I suppose a glass of lemonade would not hurt anything."
Violet caught herself before her jaw hit the floor. Although she and Penny had hardly spoken, her body language screamed social anxiety. The farmer had to wonder what made the shy woman change her mind so quickly. Was this Penny's triumphant carpe diem moment?
Elliott squeezed between the two women and extended the crook of his elbows to escort them both inside The Stardrop Saloon. Violet already knew the drill and looped arms with the silky haired man. Penny, once she realized what was going on, followed suit, though she did not hold her body as close to Elliott as did her companion.
The trio entered The Stardrop Saloon as Elliott announced their presence with a friendly "Hello!" Violet saw Leah had already claimed their usual table. The artist's face lit up in surprise when she saw Penny with them, but waved them all over in her usual manner as she pulled up an extra chair.
Elliott, on the other hand, approached the bar and theatrically ordered their refreshments. "Bartender! Fetch me your finest ale. And bring some lemonade for the ladies!" Gus bristled slightly from being reduced to "bartender" by the poet, but the portly man knew that Elliott was still relatively new to Pelican Town and the poet was a little eccentric. So, Gus decided not to hold it against his customer and went to fill Elliott's request.
"Hey, don't hold out on me, Elliott," Leah called out to her best friend, feigning disgruntlement.
The author let out a hearty laugh and amended his previous request. "Make that two lemonades for the ladies and a glass of wine for Leah!"
"What? Am I not a lady to you anymore?" Leah asked as Elliott came to join the trio of women.
"I assure you I only jest," Elliott replied sweetly as he took the chair opposite Penny. It was clear that the author was in a good mood today, which was a relief for Violet. Elliott had been so down since he received the wedding invitation, it was great to see her friend smiling again. The deal with the publisher must have been the boost he needed to get out of his slump.
Emily brought the drinks on a tray and set them in front of the quartet. "There you go, sir," the blue-haired bartender said with a friendly wink. As each person grabbed their drink off the table, Elliott held up a hand to indicate he wanted to speak first. "Wait," he said, raising his pint toward the ceiling, "I propose a toast! To..." His honey-colored eyes scanned the women around the table, seeking inspiration.
"To our friendship!" Violet proposed, hoisting her cold drink into the air. The farmer hoped the toast would further establish her relationships with Elliott and Leah and secondly let Penny know she was welcome to hang out with the trio again in the future.
"That's a great idea!" Elliott nodded with satisfaction. "Here's to us!" he shouted, with Leah and Violet chiming in agreement. Penny receded into her chair slightly, but still sipped her lemonade on cue.
"What is the story about?" Penny ventured to ask the author in a soft voice. "The one you're writing, I mean..."
Elliott beamed at the chance to talk about his work with someone new. "It is a romance novel about a flight attendant who falls in love with a traveling architect."
The farmer's eyebrows rose. "So they fall in love in like, four hours?" Violet inquired doubtfully. "That's a Disney-fast timeline, if you ask me."
The author shook his head, "Of course not!" he said, denying the criticism. "Her love interest is a frequent flyer on the airline," Elliott explained.
"What's the setting?" Leah asked curiously.
Elliott's long hair slid off his shoulder as he turned to the red-headed artist. "The Golden Age of Flight for the casual traveler," he pronounced dramatically, "Which means either the late fifties or early sixties. I have not quite pinned down the precise year, but ." This answer surprised Leah. From what she knew of her friend, he liked to stick to the late 1800s to early 1900s. Leah was often convinced the man was born in the wrong century. So this novel would be something new for Elliott altogether.
"No offense Elliott, but I have a hard time imagining any romance on a plane," Violet said, adding her two cents. "Everything is so cramped and there's no privacy!" she complained. "Unless... the main couple is into that sort of thing?"
"Certainly not!" the author protested, with an offended gasp. "The planes of yesteryear were much more lavish in their style than their modern counterparts." The author pondered for a moment. "Though I suppose that is not particularly obvious to those who are more accustomed to contemporary flights. It has been a rather long time since I have boarded a plane. Perhaps I ought to reconsider the setting..."
"I'm sure the setting is less important than how you portray their love for one another," Penny added quietly, finishing the last of her lemonade, which she had been nursing the whole conversation to avoid speaking. The ginger thought it was sweet that a man was writing love stories, though she was afraid to say so.
The man smiled at her, "Yes, I agree most fervently! True love conquers all obstacles, even writer's block!" he chuckled to himself. While his expression seemed genuine, Penny wondered if Elliott really was a romantic at heart or if he only wrote those kinds of stories to appeal to readers like herself.
The mousy woman set her empty glass down on the tabletop and her emerald eyes glanced at the clock as she tuned out of the conversation. Only ten minutes had passed! She promised herself that she needed to stay an hour. The teacher spied her mother sitting at the far end of the bar, though Pam had not seemed to notice that her daughter was there. That was for the best, Penny thought with relief. The last thing she wanted was her mother to cause a scene.
Elliott covered his mouth as a hiccup escaped his lips and his face became slightly flushed from the ale. "Strong stuff," he mused with a hearty laugh. The celebrator then stood up decisively. "I feel like dancing!" he announced emphatically. He extended an upturned hand toward his best friend. "Leah, would care to join me?"
"Uh... sure," the artist agreed as Elliott began pulling her toward the center of the bar to dance beside Demetrius and Robin.
The pair remaining at the table watched the best friends go. "It's good to see Elliott happy again," the farmer mused aloud, hoping to ease into a conversation with Penny.
Her companion shifted in her seat. "Was Elliott unhappy?" she asked, if only to be polite. Penny remembered that Elliott had to be escorted home by both Leah and Violet the evening of the Egg Festival. Frankly, the schoolteacher had been appalled by Elliott's overindulgence. It reminded Penny of her mother's irresponsible behavior.
Violet nodded. "Yeah, the woman Elliott loves is marrying his brother this winter," the farmer shared, leaning her elbow on the table to rest her head on her hand. "He got the letter right before the Egg Festival and he's been really torn up about it ever since. Well, until today..." Violet's lips curved upward in a slight smile as she watched her friend dance and laughed at Leah's attempts to keep up with Elliott's jovial, tipsy footwork. "Today I can tell he's making a real effort to move on." Penny noticed that Violet's deep blue eyes looked sad as she spoke and wondered what caused it. While Penny was not as loquacious as she wished, the young woman decided to make an attempt. Violet had helped her earlier with Mr. Mullner, so Penny figured she could try to return the favor with some moral support.
"Is that something you have in common with Elliott?" Penny inquired the pastel-haired woman beside her.
The new farmer blinked and the melancholy air around Violet dissipated, like fog evaporating in the sunlight. The newcomer exhaled a sharp breath of air through her nostrils and she smirked in amusement. "I guess you could say that," Violet agreed. "But the wound's a bit older in my case. And while I would have definitely said I was in love to anyone who asked me at the time, I can't say for certain that was the case now." Violet tugged at the strands of hair near her ear and sighed, "It was more like... I wanted to feel needed by someone..." the farmer confessed quietly.
Penny pursed her lips, unsure of how to respond to such a candid statement. The pale red-head twiddled her thumbs in her lap and shifted uncomfortably in her seat until Violet finally asked, "Have you ever been in love, Penny?"
The shy schoolteacher froze at such a personal question. "I-I..." Although Violet's faze was still fixed on her friends dancing across the saloon, Penny was terrified to tell the truth, especially to someone she hardly knew. Honestly, she was scared to admit it to herself as well. There was one person Penny hoped would love her back someday. She just never had the courage, not even that evening they spent up in the high branches of their favorite tree, to tell him how she felt. As if her thoughts were a stage cue, Penny heard Sam's laughter across the room. When she saw Sam's lithe form across the room, however, she felt an awful lump in the pit of her stomach. Sam stood by the pool table, his arm casually draped around Abigail's shoulders. What was he doing? Was he just being friendly? Penny thought back to her latest conversation with Sam, trying to remember if he had mentioned the grocer's daughter. But all of Penny's questions were answered wordlessly as Abigail turned her head upward and gently pressed her lips to Sam's.
No... Before she could think, Penny felt the white-hot tears forming in her emerald eyes. She stood up to leave, bumping into Elliott's chest as he returned to the table with Leah. "Ah, my sincerest apologies. Were you eager to dance as well?" the poet said with a charming smile. However, the curve of his lips inverted as soon as he saw the tears running down Penny's cheek. He tilted his head to better see her face and his hair fell to one side as he leaned in toward her. "Whatever is the matter, miss Penelope?"
The ginger shook her head and downcast her eyes to hide her pained expression, her neat hair bobbing to and fro as she did so. "I-I'm sorry, I have to go..." the teacher apologized as she pushed past Elliott and fled out the door as fast as her legs could carry her.
The trio stood watching Penny go in utter confusion. As the door slowly clicked closed again, Leah looked troubled. "What happened?" she asked the person who had been sitting at the table with Penny.
Violet grimaced, embarrassed that she might have been the cause for Penny's distress. "I was watching you two, honestly." It was hard not to watch how oddly graceful Elliott was despite his playful mood. The farmer shifted uncomfortably in her chair, "I didn't want to just sit here in silence, but maybe I made things worse with personal questions..." Violet reflected regretfully.
The two women turned their heads toward Elliott to ask his opinion on the matter, only to discover he was now missing from the bar as the heavy wooden door of the saloon swung shut.
Author notes:
Xena182 created fan art of Sebastian and Violet together. Check it out at "i.m.g.u.r.c.o.m./.a/aAFJCoF" without the bolded spacing periods. FFN doesn't like links.