Two Towns and Mountain of Mistakes

Chapter 7

Their laughter echoed through the clearing as the pair paused to rest not far along the Mountain path. Lillian leant against the hollow trunk of a fallen tree, adorned carefully by Mother Nature with luscious moss and red spotted toadstools. The sunlight danced across a nearby stream and glassy droplets of dew glistened on the grass beneath their feet.

Relief washed over the delivery boy in the success of his not entirely well thought out plan, and Lillian's grin, her complexion truly glowing with joy, was the best reward of all. Perhaps now her curiosity surrounding Bluebell would be quenched and the mundane normality of the rivalry could continue. Dirk wasn't really a risk taker; he was content in his daily routine and he would hate to end up in trouble for rocking the boat. Lillian had somehow lit a fire in him, one that was beginning to blaze out of control. He couldn't say no to her! Her laughter made his heart sing and he relished this moment where he and he alone got to experience it.

The farmer closed her eyes as her heart rate finally began to slow.

'That was crazy!' She giggled.

'I hope Ash or Cam doesn't tell Rutger, he'd be only too keen to gloat to Ina about one of her citizens paying a visit.' Dirk shook his head at how ridiculous it all was.

The mention of the florist's name jolted Lillian's memory and she glanced to her apron where his note now seemed to be burning a hole with it's handwritten words.

~::~

Snip…snip…snip…snip

Cam stood over the sink in his work room almost mechanically cutting stems with his pruning sheers; a monotonous but necessary part of the job. Whilst most Bluebell citizens attended the Sunday sermon, each week he readied a selection of bouquets that some would take for grave sides, some for their hall displays. He preferred to visit the Church a little later in the evening, alone so he could gather his thoughts.

His mind was racing.

He couldn't deny how he felt when he saw her. He needed more time with her, but how? He wanted to believe that she had snuck to Bluebell especially to see him, but he wouldn't set himself up for that kind of humiliation.

For now, this is the best he felt he could do. His mind began to wander to the dynamic Dirk played in all this. She had never mentioned the postman to him. Was there something between them? Was what he felt he had with Lillian a mere fantasy?

As he readied his stall in the Plaza for this afternoon's opening, he tried to focus on something, anything other than Lillian. The tantalizing aromas of the blooms he arranged swirled in the breeze and he allowed himself briefly to enjoy the relaxation of that very moment.

'Hey pal!' A familiar voice sounded, 'How's tricks?' And the moment was gone.

Cam turned to be met by Ash leaning casually over his counter top. The two young men had always been good friends, and although Cam was rather introverted he felt he could open up to Ash in a brotherly sense.

'Hey!' Cam responded, 'You finished work already?'

Ash wrinkled his nose and chortled, 'Naa not really, just thought I'd stop by for a chat…I eh… I met Lillian today…' This was all a lot to process for one Sunday and Cam wasn't sure where this conversation was going. He could feel his cheeks heat slightly and he pulled the peak of his cap over his eyes to hide his school boy reaction. 'Woah, no need to be embarrassed! I just wanna know what happened. Pretty brave of her to march on in here, she must have had a motive?'

Ash could always tell when Cam was bottling something up and a few weeks prior he'd managed to encourage the conversation out of him.

'Nothing happened!' Cam stated, 'It hardly matters anyway because nothing's ever getting past this damn rift.' Agitated by the cruel reality of the situation, Cam rolled his eyes and wished the conversation would end already. His mind was tormented enough.

Ash could see that Cam was stressed and his expression dropped. With a lopsided smile he backed off a little and turned to look out across the Plaza. A long exhale parted his lips.

'Such a bummer.' He muttered. He had never seen his friend this caught up over a girl before. For years he watched Laney try her hardest to gain some form of acknowledgement from him, and whilst he had agreed to a couple of feeble dates he had never expressed any intention of taking things further. He wasn't one to give in to the town's expectations and always found it peculiar how the others his age where so obliging to settle with their suggested "match". 'Do you know when you'll see her again?'

Cam planted his elbows on his counter, resting his chin in his palms and watching as a few of the towns folk meandered across the town square, their distant conversations travelling in the cool, still air. Was this what his life would always be? Is this what he had returned from the city for?

He had a plan.

~::~

The hurried clack of Lillians boots across the paving stones taunted her as she hastily searched for privacy to indulge in Cam's note. She couldn't possibly wait until she got home!

Dirk had bid her farewell when they returned to Konohana in order to finish off a few errands before sun down. Whilst Lillian had enjoyed her morning with him and sincerely appreciated the risk he took in introducing her to Bluebell, she felt a sense of guilty relief when he had to go. They had spent practically the entire day together, and she couldn't deny that conversation always flowed and they rubbed along well. She knew too well that by now the towns folk would be starting to conspire. Something was missing though…

She rounded the corner by the Town Hall, it's magnificent oriental architecture casting a large enough shadow for her privacy as the sun slowly began to descend. The marigold rays burst from behind the structure, a warm glow of this golden hour highlighting the beauty of the town's landscape.

With a wary glance in both directions, Lillian delved into her apron pocket and produced the note. His sweet honeysuckle aroma was almost incapsulated in the paper. Unfolding it carefully, she traced her finger across his perfect calligraphic script.

Lilli,

Meet me tomorrow at noon by the waterfall. Call it a date.

She couldn't help but smile. Her eyes scanned over the words possibly hundreds of times. This was the consolidation she needed that he too must have been feeling the same. Their chemistry was epic if they could only admit it to each other. With Cam it was electric, whereas with Dirk it was… practical.

The mellow tone of the sunset gong radiated across the village and Lilian realised the time. She stuffed the note back in her pocket and gathered herself to get home before dark. As she took off, the evening breeze that flew wistfully through the twists and turns of the streets caught hold of the exposed corner of paper and plucked it carefully into it's grasp. Unbeknownst to the farm girl, the wind swirled the note into the air in a gentle vortex before discarding it politely in the Town Hall gardens.

~::~

'Not too far today, Ying!' The petite girl turned to wave goodbye to her grandmother who stood in the doorway of her Tea House, her brow furrowed with worry for her ill health granddaughter. She knew the fresh air was the reason her parents had sent her to Konohana, but it was the rambunctious nature of the child's best friend Rahi that caused the elderly woman so much dread. He was a tree climber, a bug capturer, a mud pie maker…all these things that Yun felt were too much for Ying and her fragility.

Her long inky black braid blowing in the early Winter breeze, Ying made her way to the Town Hall where Rahi, Ina's son, awaited her. Although he was still in the "girls have coodies" phase, he did like Ying… a lot.

He sat perched on the wall, swinging his legs, humming randomly; his brain working overtime to think of an activity for the young pair that day. He pondered flying his kite, but the wind wasn't strong enough. It was just as Ying appeared at the end of the path when the small, crumpled piece of paper caught his eye.

Leaping from the wall he scrambled for it as it flitted about the lawn, grabbing it in his small, chubby fingers.

'Hey, what have you got there?' Ying's voice rang like a bell. She skipped gleefully towards her friend intrigued by what he had found.

'It's a note!' Rahi exclaimed, 'But it has no name.' The boy scrunched up his nose, disappointed that it wasn't something more exciting like a map to buried treasure. Ying peeped over his shoulder, her eyes glinting as she read the message.

'It's for Lillian!' She sang 'Oh, how romantic!'

Rahi rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue as if to throw up.

'I wonder who it's from.' Ying continued, her little hopeless romantic mind thinking methodically through all the town's bachelors.

'Who cares?' Rahi droned, then suddenly an idea struck him. 'Hey, I know! Wanna play spies?' His eyes were alight with mischief as he eagerly awaited Ying's approval. The young girl's expression dropped. She loved playing with Rahi, but he did have a tendency to take things too far. She fumbled nervously at her stuffed Panda bear whilst considering his proposal. 'Come onnn, it'll be fun!' He coaxed.

'What if we get caught? Plus, the waterfall is pretty far, grandmother would be so angry if she found out!' Ying was not a rule breaker. She enjoyed the more lowkey games that they could play in the town like hopscotch and hide and seek. Rahi, now set on a day of adventure and misdemeanour, wasn't taking no for an answer.

'Aren't you even a little curious to know who Lillian's secret boyfriend is?' He knew she was a sucker for all that romance and fairytale stuff.

'…Okay fine! But nobody can know, like real spies!'

~::~

Lillian had been on cloud nine all morning. Whilst she had met with Cam several times in the mountain region, it never seemed like an actual date so she had never felt obliged to act or dress any differently. She had also never felt the need to try and impress him…but something had changed. As time had progressed and as their encounters had become more of a rarity, that burning curiosity they had surrounding each other had grown.

It was a Monday, a day that Lillian was usually bogged down with work. As she flew around her quaint cabin readying herself, the sacks of Winter wheat seeds that Gombe had delivered mocked her from the view out the kitchen window. She selectively ignored them; a job for another day.

Staring at her pasty complexion in the hall mirror she nipped at her cheeks to encourage a little colour. Her swarthy tan and freckles from working in the field all Summer were now practically non-existent. It was a cold, crisp day and as she layered up with a couple of sweaters, a scarf and her overcoat she planned her excuse if anyone was to question her absence. It had taken Lillian some getting used to when she moved to the small settlement, but with very few citizens it is almost a priority to keep on top of everyones business. She couldn't let her mind linger on the logistics of trying to date somebody from Bluebell, that was something she would try to conceal for as long as possible. When it came to Ina and Konohana there was no room for error; either you tow the line or you leave, and leaving was not an option.

The mountain atmosphere was incredibly pleasant that day, and she walked with a lilt in her step. She had told herself that she wouldn't let the triviality of "boys" and "dating" distract her from her goals, but her mother had always told her to follow her heart and when it came to Cam she had nothing but good vibes.

Glancing at her battered wrist watch, the hands read ten to noon. She left the beaten track and crept through the mossy undergrowth overhung with a canopy of ivy. Always vibrant with wildlife who thrived in the undisturbed nature, she walked to a soundtrack of toads croaking, rabbits rustling and birds chattering. A serene babbling brook flowed along side her route, the silhouettes of small marine life travelling in the currents and disappearing under a large stone bridge that towered above. As she neared the waterfall its roar echoed around the dark underside of the structure, gleaming droplets of moisture dripping on her hair and clothes.

Cam had made sure he was early. He sat nervously on the edge of an old wooden jetty, his emerald gaze studying the crystal clear water as it gushed into the plunge pool below. He couldn't help but obsessively check the pocket watch he kept in his waistcoat pocket, it's ticking hands tauntingly approaching noon.

What if she doesn't show? He'd be both humiliated and disappointed.

'Hey!' A familiar voice sang from behind him. His heart leapt.

There she was. Right on time. Twirling her long dusty blonde hair with her finger and smiling the sweetest of smiles.

Cam jumped to his feet to greet her, his mouth ever so slightly agape as he searched for something to say. He had always relied on sarcastic banter as a method of flirtation with Lillian, and he was comfortable with that, that was just their dynamic; He wasn't sure how to compliment her without it being cheesy.

'You made it!' He finally exclaimed bashfully, the pink hue on his cheeks matched hers at the initial awkwardness of the encounter. He knew branding this as a "date" brought with it a set of expectations that they had never experienced, but he wanted things to progress.

A nervous giggle escaped Lillian as she noticed the beautifully arranged posey of winter roses that the florist held by his side. Following her gaze to the gift he had handcrafted, with a smirk he presented it to her.

'I eh… I made this for you.' He cringed, desperately hoping she wouldn't think it was too much. He knew Lillian wasn't much of a soppy romantic like most girls he knew, but flowers are what he knew so he felt it was appropriate.

Lillian's heart fluttered in her chest. She had never seen such a beautiful bouquet, let alone received one. Her eyes sparkled as she reached out to accept the gift, holding them to her nose and inhaling their sweet scent.

'They're beautiful, Cam. Thank you!' She uttered.

The waterfall continued to gush with a loud yet soothing roar, tiny birds swooping and diving through the glade in which the couple stood.

'I was surprised to see you yesterday… Don't tell me the real reason you came to Bluebell was to deliver vegetables?'

Lillian chuckled, her petite hand covering her mouth as she continued to admire the roses.

'No… I just had to see it for myself! It's been like the forbidden fruit ever since I moved here.'

A little bummed that she didn't outwardly admit that it was to see him, Cam shook his head in disbelief.

'It's nothing special, but it's home.'

They moved back towards the jetty and sat down upon an old gingham picnic rug that Cam had laid out.

'It's beautiful! So different to Konohana. I can see why you're happy there.' Lillian continued. For a second she found herself lost studying his creamy complexion. His sandy brown bangs blew across his cat like stare, his jaw perfectly chiselled. A sigh escaped her lips catching his attention and as their eyes met Lillian looked away timidly.

Cam reached out and placed his hand atop hers. He had so much he wanted to say but words just weren't his strong suit. They saw each other so infrequently that he was beginning to feel there wasn't enough time for small talk.

The farm girl quivered at his touch. She felt as though she had known him always but yet barely knew him at all. She often wondered would their spark still be the same if they lived in the same town. Was it the distance that made it all so much more exciting?

'I invited you here today because…' Cam took a deep breath, his fingers tracing over her smooth skin, 'I wanna know what you think of all this.'

Lillian pursed her lips. Whilst she too wished for more clarity on their relationship she also feared that she would miss the commitment free, simplicity of their dynamic. Everything always became more complicated when feelings were addressed.

'Well,' Lillian began 'I think it's…complex.'

Cam gritted his teeth at this term, although he of course agreed.

'I just…I wanna know you…without having to hide… I just wish things could be normal and I could take you out to dinner or to a festival…' Cam had lived in Bluebell for most of his life and could never have imagined a circumstance like this. Like his fellow townsfolk he had accepted the division and hadn't really given it too much thought, until he met Lillian.

She let out an exasperated sigh and tentatively reached up to touch his cheek. Cam's body stiffened and he instantly panicked that he'd gone too deep too soon. His heart thudded and he could feel his hands starting to get clammy.

'Maybe we should just stay in the present…these are the cards we've been dealt, let's make something of it!' This type of positivity was typically Lillian, and one of her many elements that Cam admired. Living in the moment wasn't easy for an over thinker like him.

'Doesn't your unshakeable optimism ever get tiring?' He quipped.

The pair laughed for a moment and Cam couldn't help but get caught up in the way she glowed when that seraphic sound radiated from her.

'What's the alternative?' She stated rhetorically.

They settled in silence briefly letting the tranquility of the flowing water dominate. The midday winter sun shone down on them and for a moment it was as if their worries as individuals were irrelevant. Comforted by the other's presence they were able to stop obsessing about the unknowns attached to living such completely separate lives. They chatted idly for a while, he could have listened to her ramble about her farm endlessly. He loved the passion and drive that she had for her work, it's something he could relate to, but eventually the conversation drew more focused again.

'What's the deal with Dirk?' Cam eventually spoke up; A detail that had played on his mind since he witnessed the delivery boy stand so protectively by her in the café.

Lillian resisted an eye roll as she often asked herself the very same question. She didn't even really know the answer as it was a topic of thought she had been avoiding.

She threw her head back with a groan of frustration and this perked both Cam's interest and anxiety. Maybe there was something more to it?

'He's a good friend,' She finally came up with 'Although I think he wishes it could be more.' Cam raised a brow and lay back on his elbows to appear unfazed.

'You're not into him though, right?' He probed. Her answer would indeed be crucial.

Lillian turned to meet those emerald orbs which were brewing with concern as he yearned for some reassurance. She shook her head to console him.

'No. He's definitely not mysterious and brooding enough for me.' Her lips fought a smirk as she watched his ego grow visibly before her. 'What about the girls in Bluebell?' Lillian had often wondered if she had any competition, she wasn't really the jealous type but her thoughts were at times intrusive when they hadn't seen each other for a while.

Cam instantly grimaced when his mind began to recount Laney's numerous advances. Countless sweet gestures, but all futile. A situation he often found overwhelming considering they live under the same roof.

He sat up, reaching forward to sweep an unruly lock of hair behind Lillian's ear. He watched her cheeks turn practically chartreuse and his lips formed a smug grin knowing he had that effect on her. Her lilac eyes hid beneath her lashes as she awaited a response. She longed to be his, and his alone.

He knew he needed to do something to show her that he was serious, to prove that he wanted to make this work one way or another, to convince her that there was hope that they could be more than a failed product of their towns rivalry. As he leaned closer Lillian's heart pounded so hard she was sure he could hear it. His aroma was intoxicating and she felt as though she might melt beneath his touch.

As he pressed his lips to hers, her query no longer required an answer. It was as though her soul left her body for a second and watched as they shared this sweet, intimate moment. It was perfect.

Cam instantly relaxed at the absence of rejection. He truly wished that this instant could last forever, for it seemed that they were the only two humans to exist.

Except, they were not. Unbeknownst to the couple, just a few yards away peeking from behind a giant boulder, two sets of prying eyes watched.

~::~