Claire woke up the next morning to an assault on the senses. The loud noise, accompanied by the rumbling of the shared bed, drove her out to the middle of the room before the stench hit her. She didn't expect such a rude awakening, but after looking at the clock, she found that she wanted to be up anyway. It was after eight o'clock and she wanted to head back to the farm to feed her animals before it got too late.

"Goddess, Ann! You are not allowed to drink like that again!" Popuri gagged, her eyes watering. The young woman pulled the blankets over herself and buried her head under her pillow, wishing that it wasn't time to get up.

The redhead let out a sigh of relief. "Hey, better out than in, right?" A smug smile spread across her face, but it quickly faded as she held her stomach and went a little pale. Her head began to throb a bit and she relaxed on the mattress, eagerly getting acquainted with the additional space she had now that Claire had left her.

"Hey, Gray!" Kai's voice echoed on the other side of the wall. "There's that sound again! What do you think it could possibly be?"

"I dunno, but one thing's for sure. It's not coming from downstairs this time," his roommate replied. Claire realized that he was referring to Ann's bedroom being directly below their shared room.

The men were silent for a moment. "I guess you can't blame that one on the Doug," Cliff said innocently enough, but a little too loudly. Karen and Claire chuckled in response.

Kai and Cliff started laughing when Gray's solemn voice cut through their mirth. "Out."

"Oh, come on. Papa would've been proud of that one," the sulk could be heard in his roommate's voice.

"That was a good one," Kai agreed. "You're just jealous you didn't think of it first."

"That's it! Both of you, out!" A hint of a laugh could be heard in Gray's voice.

"Why don't you leave? I'm not going down for breakfast for another half hour or so. I doubt Cliff's eager to leave as well. You were up pretty late macking on those girls next door, huh, buddy?"

Claire was shuffling through her things. "I'm going to take a shower. Does anyone need to use the bathroom?" She grabbed her bag and put her hand on the doorknob.

Popuri's face was buried in her pillow and she let out a moan. Ann rolled over in bed, and Karen was getting dressed for the day.

"Go for it. Looks like everyone else is pretty keen on getting more rest." Karen pulled on her shirt and looked at her friend curiously. "You and Ann were up really late. You sure you don't want to go back to sleep?"

The blonde shook her head. She was tired, but the thought of using a shower was more appealing; she had only bathed in the hot springs since she left the city.

"Suit yourself." The young woman pulled on her shorts and stretched her arms. Her face lit up as if she suddenly remembered something. "Hey, Claire?" Her voice was gentle as she sat down and patted the spot on the bed beside her, beckoning her friend to join her.

She turned around. "Yeah?" She set her things on a nearby chair and took a seat beside her.

Karen ran a brush through her hair. "Did you have fun last night?"

"Oh, yeah," Claire smiled. "Tons." She watched her friend's tresses gleam in the sunlight as she pulled the brush through them.

She let out a soft chuckle. "I'm glad. You're starting to seem more like yourself."

Claire wasn't aware that people had been able to notice her change in demeanor, and she felt a slight pang of guilt. "I-I'm sorry if I haven't been very pleasant to be around," she murmured, wringing her hands in her lap as she avoided Karen's gaze.

"Oh, I didn't say that to make you feel that way," Karen replied, moving the brush to the blonde's hair. The young woman was a little surprised, but she let out a content sigh and relaxed; the brunette was gentle with the combing and Claire was reminded of her older sisters helping brush out her hair before school in the early morning. Being young and taken care of, with no real basic responsibilities – the memories brought a warm glow to her stomach and a twinge of wistfulness. The young woman closed her eyes, relishing in the tender motions of the brush. She was a little startled when her friend began to speak again. "I'm just glad that you're feeling better… Your hair doesn't look like it needs washed," her friend commented. The golden strands looked very clean and healthy.

"I know," Claire admitted sheepishly. "I washed it last night, but I have been dying to use a shower again. It's been nothing but hot springs since I moved here."

She caught the hint of dissatisfaction in her friend's voice. "Ah, you miss the city life and your fancy conveniences?" Karen smirked as she worked on a particular tangle; it seemed Claire's roughhousing the night before with Ann and Cliff had left her a bit disheveled. A genuine smile spread across her face. Claire had appeared to be carefree and more confident in herself, and Karen felt a small sense of pride for her. This feeling wasn't limited to the way Claire had carried herself around her friends; from what she had observed, she had handled the situation with Gray very maturely and it looked like she was well on her way to healing.

"I'll be honest, I wish I had a bathroom in my house," Claire confessed, feeling a little petty for saying so. A year ago, she would have laughed at the notion of living in a house without a washroom, but now she was grateful simply for the fact that she had a place to bathe within walking distance. It was funny how priorities changed, she realized.

Karen gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder as she continued to brush. The old farmhouse was the only one that she knew of in town that didn't have indoor plumbing. "I can imagine that being a pain." She hesitated before continuing. "Hey… speaking of pains… I'm a little surprised that Gray approached you last night."

She hadn't thought about it much since it had happened; a frown crossed the young woman's mouth. "Yeah… He was trying to apologize again, but…" Claire bit her lip and turned her head to face her friend. She looked up at her with wide, mournful eyes, and Karen couldn't help but wonder if Claire had picked up this expression from Cliff. "I… I wonder if I was too hard on him."

The brunette hardly felt that this was possible and that a little bit of discomfort on Gray's part was something he deserved, but she didn't think it was wise to say so aloud. Instead, she pretended that she hadn't been listening in on their conversation the night before. "Well, what did you say to him?" She ran the brush through Claire's locks once more and her body relaxed as she turned so that Karen could continue with her grooming.

"I said that I didn't want to talk about it last night. I can't remember what I had said word for word, but I told him that tonight wasn't about us – it was about Ann." She looked over at the bed on the far side of the room and Ann let out a soft snore as her name was uttered.

"Well, that sounds about right," Karen gave her friend a smile, setting the hair brush down on the bed.

Upon noticing that her friend had finished with her hair, Claire looked over at her bag of things. "Ah, well I guess I had better-"

Karen leaned forward and hugged her friend around the chest. "The shower isn't going anywhere…"

"K-Karen?" Claire was caught by surprise. Her friend was always very affectionate, but she detected a hint of sadness and need in Karen's body language – a desperation, almost. "Is something wrong?"

The brunette buried her face into Claire's shoulder. Karen had startled herself at her own actions. While she had been brooding lately about Claire, she hadn't expected her true feelings to reveal themselves to her. "I'm fine…" Her deep sigh seemed to suggest otherwise. "It's just…" She held her friend tighter, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Claire found herself mirroring her friend's mannerisms and emotions. She turned to face her and put her arms around her, fighting back her mysteriously misty eyes. "Karen, I'm worried about you…"

"Don't be." She let out a soft chuckle as she placed a kiss on the blonde's forehead. She blinked away her tears and shot her a rueful smile. "Ah, sorry about that… I just…" Karen shook her head as she cleared her throat softly. "I miss having a monopoly on you, I suppose…" She remembered the blonde exiting the spring mine and staring at her in bewilderment as they introduced themselves. She recalled the next day showing her around town, the young woman looking to her for guidance. They had brought along Cliff as well, and she realized at once that perhaps she never had Claire's sole attention to begin with. The young man, while shy, had been eagerly seeking her focus as well, whether he fully realized it or not, and he had been very successful.

A pair of wide blue eyes stared back at her guiltily. "I-I'm sorry we haven't been hanging out as much. I'll try to be-"

"I want you to have other friends, too," Karen cut in. It wasn't as if they hadn't spent much time together; things had just been so hectic lately that it felt like a lot of time had passed. "I know my logic doesn't make much sense… I guess I just want you to be happy, but I'm fighting my own immature impulses." She knew that Claire's increasing closeness with Cliff and Ann wasn't something for her to get jealous of, but she found herself doing so anyway. The brunette gave her an apologetic smile as she broke off the hug, patting her on the shoulder. "You'll always be my best friend no matter how many friends you make, so make as many as you like."

"You're my best friend, too," Claire replied, hugging her tightly. "You can have more than one best friend, you know," she murmured. A smile spread across her face. She had never been able to say that before in her life – her childhood was spent mostly in solitude with a few sparse school friends.

Karen let out a soft chuckle and kissed the top of her blonde head. In her opinion, Claire was far too precious sometimes. "Oh, I know." She wrapped her arms around her and spent the next few minutes simply enjoying the quiet moment alone with her best friend.

0o0o0o0

Claire was eager to freshen up in the bathroom of the inn. Turning on the faucet, she rifled through her bag and produced her bottle of soap. After removing her clothes, she closed her eyes and entered the shower, letting out a refreshed sigh as the water hit her.

She was immediately reminded of early morning showers with tired, dry eyes refusing to open as she stumbled into her stand-up stall. A blend of fragrances from her soap and hair care products would fill the steamy room and she would stick her face in the trickling water, willing herself to wake up. Claire realized that today wasn't that far from this experience; the warm water made her realize how tired her body still was from the night before. A bucket's worth of water over her head typically snapped her out of this stupor.

Her stomach began to twist as the usual worries from the city began cycling through her head out of habit. Work is soon. I have to brace myself for being scolded by Mr. Frederick and receiving another project to bring home. There's no telling what I did wrong this time, but surely he'll find something… Rent is due next week. Lunch is in the freezer, but I need to go to the grocery store soon to get more food… I'll write to Mum and Dad when I get home tonight… I need to take out the garbage; the trash bin is getting really full. I really should be putting more time into preparing my meals; all that salt surely couldn't be good for me, and I'll start putting on weight. A couple of my skirts are already getting snug… Oh, I have to do some laundry tonight. How am I going to get everything done tonight? Why am I spending money on food I don't even really like? I hope the girls don't introduce me to someone weird at the club again…

Her eyes snapped open as she burst from her daydream, some soap getting into her eyes. She let out a tiny squeak in discomfort as she came back to reality. A wave of relief washed over her as her heart slowed down, realizing that these worries were no longer part of her life. Such petty things she used to get so worked up over… She let out a deep breath as she finished washing and stepped out of the shower.

"Welcome back," Karen smiled at her as she entered the bedroom. Popuri was rubbing her eyes and brushing the hair out of her face with a yawn as a pale-faced Ann was holding her stomach and attempting to stretch at the same time. "So how was your modern shower, city girl?"

A smile crept across Claire's lips. "Actually… I think I prefer the hot springs," she admitted with a laugh.

0o0o0o0

"The quiche is just about ready," Doug rolled up his sleeves and poured seven glasses of orange juice in rapid succession with an accuracy that could only come from decades of bartending. "Take a seat, girls. I'm assuming the guys will be down in a minute?"

Ann shrugged as she pulled herself up on a barstool, quickly draining her glass of orange juice.

Claire sat down beside Karen and tasted her beverage. She hadn't drank orange juice since she left the city and it was just as delicious as the grape juice she had sampled back at the winery – fresh, but not overly sweet. The food in Mineral Town wasn't overly seasoned, and she liked that about it. It seemed the cooking style out here focused on natural flavors and fresh ingredients.

Doug caught the look on her face. "Good, ain't it? Pete's oranges go into that juice. Kid's got an orchard, you know."

"Oh, wow…" The blonde's eyes widened. She couldn't help but feel like she was more than just a little bit behind in progress on her farm. After all, Pete wasn't much older than herself. Should she put in an orchard on Mystic Acres? How did one even begin a project like that? Maybe she should research the subject a bit…

Her friend noticed the concerned look on the farmer's face. "Well, Claire's got the best tomatoes," Karen replied, putting an arm around her friend's shoulders.

The bartender grinned. "That's right. Take a wild guess what is in today's quiche?"

The blonde's proud smile was impossible to remove from her face. She was reminded once again how her line of work affected those around her so directly. She had never worked a job that brought her so much satisfaction. "Thank you for buying my produce." Claire bowed her head humbly, her cheeks glowing.

Doug laughed. "And I can thank you for growing it. Business has picked up since you started farming here."

She smiled as a trio of men came down the stairs, two of them deep in conversation.

"I'm telling you, you guys would make a killing at the festival. Just think how many couples will be going and how many young saps would want to buy their girlfriend some sort of jewelry or trinket," Kai smirked, leading the way to the bar.

Gray sighed. "I will kill you if you bring it up to Gramps. He'll be busy with the fireworks, which would leave me with running the stall. Besides, I've… already got plans for that night…" The young man blushed deeply as he pulled his cap over his eyes.

Cliff quickened his walking pace and eagerly took the seat next to Claire. "Hey!" His blue eyes were lit up despite the lack of sleep he had gotten the night before. He hoisted himself up on the bar stool and accepted the orange juice at his seat, thanking Doug. "How much?"

He shook his head. "Just enjoy." Ann's father held up a hand as if to keep Cliff from protesting. He turned away to get the plates ready for breakfast.

"Good morning, Cliff." Claire couldn't help but smile at him, a rush of memories hitting her at all the fun they had the evening before.

"Good morning," he echoed the greeting as his eyes met hers. "How are you feeling this morning?"

She let out a soft giggle. "I'd be lying if I said I was bursting with energy." She studied his eyes and admired the smile on his lips for a moment. "You look a little drowsy yourself."

He couldn't help but notice that she was looking at him a particularly kind way and his cheeks felt warm. He tried to think of something to say, but his mind was blank as those friendly sapphire eyes gazed at him fondly. He drank it in for a few seconds, his heart pounding in his throat, and he prayed for time to stop.

"You all look a little drowsy," Doug refilled the glasses of juice with a laugh. "So, Gray, how was that cocktail that Ann made for you last night?"

He gagged in reply. "I guess I've had worse…" Gray shrugged as he took a seat at the bar.

Ann shot him a dirty look from across the bar. She hadn't intended on telling her father that the men had come into the room; she hadn't exactly asked for his permission. "Uh, Dad, I can explain-!"

Popuri held her head in her hands. "Our song really was better, Doug, but Gray ruined it. We made him drink all three shots as punishment."

The redhead's glare turned to the woman sitting beside her. "P-Popuri!"

"Well, in that case, I guess you'll be needing some extra coffee," Doug smirked, pouring a mug for Gray. "I know it's a popular hangover cure."

"Pah," Gray folded his arms across his chest and rolled his eyes, "I'm not hung over. Try getting a mug for Popuri; she looks trashed." He cleared his throat. "That being said… I still wouldn't mind a black coffee, Doug." He kept his voice low.

The bartender nodded. "Of course." He swiftly poured a mug for his customer in a very businesslike manner, but Claire caught a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Eh, you need some coffee, too, man?" Gray looked over at his roommate. "You're lookin' a little haggard for it being this early. You stay up too late with the ladies?" He raised his eyebrows.

Cliff took a sip of orange juice. "I was up way too late…"

Claire took a moment to look around the bar. A familiar pastor sat at a table in the middle of the room, sipping at his coffee. Upon seeing her, he gave her a friendly wave. The young woman quietly slid off of her bar stool and trotted over to him, a little surprised to see him outside of his usual place in the church. A yawn escaped her mouth as Carter reached over and pulled open the chair beside him. She was grateful for the seat; she felt a little woozy now that she was moving around.

"Good morning, Claire. Did you party too hard with your friends last night?" he gave her an innocent chuckle.

Had it been that obvious? She felt an unfamiliar throb in her forehead that was a bit different from a headache. Her entire body felt sore and her stomach was unsettled. She realized with embarrassment that she must be hung over. Her eyes drifted back toward the bar and Popuri was asking Karen to "turn off the sun". It seemed the farmer wasn't the only one who was feeling the effects from last night.

"I think I did have a little too much," she confessed ashamedly, half expecting a scolding from the priest.

Carter gave her a knowing smile. "It can take a few times before you learn your body's limits." His voice was kind and not reprimanding like she was expecting. She was surprised to hear a hint of experience in his statement and she wondered what kind of life Carter led before he decided to become a priest. "Are you looking forward to the fireworks festival?"

"Oh, yeah!" the young woman grinned as she bounced a little in her seat, her energy immediately returning to her. "I really can't wait to watch the fireworks!"

"Fireworks are just one part of the evening," Carter reminded her. "Mayor Thomas has been trying to boost attendance in recent years. There's food, dancing, and of course, booths and games. Naturally, I'll be running my own booth," the priest gave her a friendly grin as he stirred his coffee. "Be sure to stop by and say hello."

She almost asked him what he was running, but she decided to let it remain a surprise. "Oh, of course! I want to see and do everything!" she said a little too loudly as her heart began to pound in anticipation. Another night of no worries and fun with everyone – she could hardly stand the wait.

He let out a soft chuckle at her reaction. She seemed much more cheerful than the last time he saw her, but he refrained from saying this aloud. He had a feeling that doing so would dampen her spirits. "I'm glad you're looking forward to it. It's all May and Stu talk about, and Cliff's pretty fired up about it, too."

"Are you excited, too?" Claire asked with a grin.

If Carter was, he didn't show it; the priest often had such a mild demeanor. "Of course," he shot her a serene smile. "After all, I get most of my donations during this festival," he added with a snicker. "I've got to work on my ghost stories. So far, I think the only one I can really scare is Ann."

"Ann?" The blonde cocked an eyebrow. She thought that if anyone would not be afraid of scary stories, it would be her.

"Oh, yeah," Carter nodded emphatically as he took a sip of coffee. "I probably shouldn't spread this around, but she gets spooked pretty easily when anything involving the supernatural comes up. I found out a few years ago when I was practicing my stories and she came to deliver lunch at the church." He paused and took another thoughtful drink. "I wonder if that's why she doesn't come to the church all that much… I wish I could show her that mystical things don't have to be scary." A small frown began to spread across her features.

"That's strange. She doesn't seem to mind the Goddess Spring," Claire pointed out.

The priest's face relaxed. "Ah, I'm not surprised. The Goddess Spring is… a very special place to a lot of people in this village. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a special place to you, too. Some people claim that they have actually seen the Goddess herself there when making an offering."

"That's what Karen said," she remembered.

As if on cue, the brunette called her friend. "Oi, Claire! Your food is going to get cold!"

"I'll see you soon," Carter smiled at her kindly. "Take care of yourself."

She stood up and bowed politely, remembering her hangover as she did so. "You as well."

0o0o0o0

"So, Claire… If you're heading back to the farm, I'd be more than happy to walk you there," Cliff's voice was soft as he gave her arm a gentle touch. She looked up at him and his cheeks flashed crimson as their eyes met. He immediately retracted his hand, ducking his head in embarrassment for being so bold. He was surprised that his instincts to get so close to her were taking over even now that they were both sober. "Ah… I mean, I'm going to go fishing today, anyway, and I thought we might as well enjoy the walk together."

She found that she was a little disappointed that he had pulled away. "That sounds nice. Koro would be happy to see you, too, you know. It's been a while for him." She pulled her bag onto her shoulders as she stood up.

She flashed him a kind smile and he couldn't help but return the gesture. "He's a sweet dog… Well, if you don't mind, I will go upstairs real quick to get my things and I'll be right back down."

She felt small flutters in her stomach as she took a step toward him. "I can go up with you and help…" she volunteered, unaware of the huge grin that was spreading across her mouth.

"Um… Sure. Th-thanks." His eyes widened in surprise at her offer and the fact that she appeared to be keen on being glued to his side. Was this really happening, or was he still dreaming? He stood up and pushed in his barstool, trying to keep his heart from pounding out of his chest.

They both jumped when they heard a strangled sob on the opposite side of the bar. "Oh, goddess… why? Not again…" Ann had ducked her head between her knees and was breathing deeply. Claire watched in shock as her companion let out a small sigh. "CLIFF!"

He gave the blonde an apologetic look. "Sorry…" Cliff headed to the other end of the bar, the frown on his face growing. Claire found herself following him, her blood running cold as she saw Ann's slumped over figure. The redhead was sweating profusely as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Oh, good, you're here… Bucket, please."

Her friend let out a disapproving sigh as he went behind the bar and produced a plastic bucket with Ann's name written on it. He set it on her lap and she stuck her face in it, letting out a deep sigh.

"Thank you." Ann's voice echoed in the plastic container as she shuddered. "Ugh… I thought eating enough would keep me from getting hung over as well... I've got mouth sweats and I feel like I'm gonna puke," she moaned.

"Well, I'm thinking the food might be part of the reason of why you feel so sick." Cliff's voice wasn't unfriendly, but Claire caught a critical tone in it. He held out a hand to her. "Come on; I'll help you up. Let's get you back to your room."

The redhead let out a small cry. "I don't want to move. My stomach hurts too much."

Her father heard the familiar moan of his daughter. He tossed his tea towel on his shoulder and let out a sigh. "Cliff, can you get her out of here before she starts putting people off of their food?" Doug reached into the pocket of his apron and placed a small stack of coins into the palm of Cliff's hand. "And can you take care of the room upstairs?"

"O-Of course, but…" Cliff's face turned pink as he stared at the money in his hand. "Doug… I… I really don't feel comfortable accepting this," he whispered. Upon remembering that Claire was standing right beside him, he turned from pink to red.

"It wouldn't be right for me to ask you to work without pay. Please take it." He gave his tenant a stern look. "I won't take no for an answer."

Cliff forced a small smile on his face as he knitted his brow. "Yes, sir…" He put the coins in his pocket and turned toward the sick young woman. "Come on, Ann. Let's get you more comfortable."

She was glued to her seat. "I'm not walking. I'll barf for sure." She let a dry heave into the bucket.

"Ann, go to your room." Her father kept his voice low, but Claire could see that he was not happy with her behavior in the bar. "Go with Cliff."

Cliff helped Ann down from the stool and put an arm around her waist. Claire silently led the way and held the door open for the two of them to enter the innkeepers' quarters.

As soon as they got through the doorway, Ann hunched over her bucket and began to moan, her sounds of misery amplified by the bucket. Cliff helped her into the bathroom and she immediately pulled the door closed behind both of them. Claire waited nervously on the other side of the door, pacing the hallway.

"A-Ann! I thought you were coming in here to throw up! I-I'm not staying in here with you!"

"I need you to hold the bucket if I need it!" she whined. "Goddess, my insides feel like they've been twisted with a fork! Stay with me and keep me company!"

Claire heard the bucket land on the ground with a loud clank. "Hold the bucket in your lap. I'm not going to sit in here while you… augh! Wait for me to leave the room first!"

"I can't help it!" she cried miserably. "This isn't the time for being polite! I feel so sick!"

"I'll check on you in a little bit, okay? From outside the bathroom door!" Cliff added meaningfully.

"Y-You're leaving? Don't bother coming back!" Ann wailed as Claire heard the plastic bucket clatter across the floor.

The young man pulled the door closed behind him, muttering under his breath. He turned around and noticed Claire still waiting in the hallway and he immediately turned red. "Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were still here!"

"It's okay," Claire reassured him. Her eyes were drawn to the bathroom door. "Is everything alright with Ann?"

He let out an exasperated sigh. "She has a tendency to be a bit unreasonable when she isn't feeling well. I'm sorry… I guess we'll have to take our walk another time," he gave her an apologetic smile as he reached on a hook in the hallway and donned an apron. "I gotta clean the room upstairs and then I'll be right back down to check on her." He took a broom and bucket from another hook and looked back at the young woman regretfully, slinging them over his shoulder. "I'm really sorry," he repeated once more.

Claire shrugged it off. She didn't see Cliff's caretaking of Ann as him ignoring her. Besides, Ann was the one who was in need. While she would have really enjoyed Cliff's company, she understood. She was a little surprised that she still managed to feel a little disappointed, however. "It's no big deal. You didn't know Ann was going to get sick like this."

He frowned, and she noticed that he was staring that the bathroom door with an exasperated look. "Ugh… I had a hunch she would… See you later, Claire." He rested the broom handle on his shoulder and headed out to towards the bar so he could access the guest rooms.

The young woman stood there silently for a few minutes. She knew that she should be heading back to the farm soon, but her feet refused to move. Just knowing that her friend was on the other side of that door and feeling miserable made her uncomfortable with the notion of leaving. "Hey, Ann, I'm still here. I can keep you company by talking to you from the hallway," she removed her rucksack and rested her back against the wall.

"Ah, I'm not abandoned! Yay!" Ann's weak voice echoed on the other side of the door, and Claire noticed that she already sounded a little better and more upbeat at the notion of someone keeping vigil. "I'm really sorry about all of this. I didn't mean to do this to you guys."

Claire slid her back against the wall and brought her knees up to her chest as she sat on the floor. "What are you talking about?"

"It's my second day as a twenty-three year-old and I've already managed to screw up," Ann lamented through the wooden door.

"Screw up how?" Claire asked.

"I ate too much and drank too much. I'm no better than a silly kid with no self-control. I managed to make Cliff angry, and I know Dad's gonna chew me out later."

If Claire was to be perfectly honest, everyone had partied a little too hard the night before. "I don't think anyone's mad at you," she replied gently. "I think they're just both concerned about your well-being."

"Well, it wouldn't kill Cliff to be a little more patient with me. If he knew how my stomach feels right now, he'd know that I was putting up a strong front."

Claire raised her eyebrows; she felt that their mutual friend had been almost too forgiving of Ann's behavior. Claire felt a slight pang of guilt. Was she being too hard on Ann?

"He took off like he had something else to do," Ann continued, her voice muffled through the bathroom door. The toilet flushed, and Claire could hear the faucet turning on. "… I suppose I should be grateful he agrees to help at all. When Dad used to enlist Gray to help, I often sent him away. That guy can be so unsympathetic," she let out a bitter, humorless laugh. "I mean, I'll be literally crying in pain and he'll try to slip out the door so he doesn't have to deal with me." The young woman gingerly stepped out of the bathroom and led the way to her bedroom.

Ann's words resonated a little too much with Claire. She recalled Gray's shuffling footsteps toward her door as she had her face buried in her table, her heart shattered. That action alone was one of the main reasons she was unhappy with him at the moment – his downplaying of a situation that Claire thought was important had broken her heart. "I know exactly what you mean." She immediately regretted her words.

The redhead wasn't sure what to say. She didn't think it would make Claire feel better to know how many people knew about the conversation between her and Gray, so Ann avoided revealing that she knew much about it. "Yeah, he can be a jerk." An awkward silence followed as Ann threw herself down on her bed and let out a sigh. Claire found herself sitting down at the foot of the bed, unsure of how to help.

She realized that spending time with him during the party hadn't been all that bad – she had even laughed at one of his jokes. "Hey, it was pretty funny when you tackled him, though," she giggled shyly.

Ann grinned. "True. I actually smack the guys around a lot," she boasted proudly. "Gray gets hit the most by far, though." She stretched out as Claire gently pulled the covers around her, letting out a yawn. "Wow, I actually feel a lot better," she added offhandedly as she looked up at her friend in surprise, noticing that her nausea had vanished.

"I'm glad." Claire had a tender smile on her face and Ann had a hard time remembering a period when she didn't care for the farmer very much.

"I smacked Kai with my broom handle a while ago. He invited the guys to his beach shack to pig out on leftovers and he didn't ask me. He said that he thought I wouldn't be interested. Can you believe that? I sure don't!" Ann let out a snort as she folded her arms across her chest.

Claire had a feeling that Kai wanted to make sure that the others were able to eat and that inviting Ann might jeopardize this, but she decided not to say so. After all, she didn't want to get hit as well, she thought with an inward laugh. "And why do you smack Cliff?"

"Sometimes just for good measure," Ann nodded to herself as she adjusted her pillow. "Or when he goes out too much… He's been going to the mountains a lot lately." She bit her lip. "He's working himself too hard and doesn't eat enough. Someone has to watch over him!" Ann let out an exasperated groan. "Men…"

"Well, between you and me, we'll make sure he gets fed, alright?" Claire patted her friend's arm.

"Sure…" The young woman let out a sleepy yawn. "Speaking of fed, I bet you've got a hungry puppy and horse waiting back at home."

"Ah, and a couple of chickens now, too," Claire stood up and grabbed her pack. The break from work had been nice, but all good things must come to an end, she supposed. "Well, I guess I'd better get to it. I hope you feel better, Ann."

"Oh, I will," she rested her eyes as she made herself comfortable. "See you around."

"Bye." The blonde waved and left, gently closing the door behind her.

Ann blinked her eyes, staring at the ceiling. Having animals that depend on you for their well-being... I mean, sure, I've got Tabs, but that's not the same… And an entire farm to take care of… Ann found she was a little jealous that she didn't have that kind of responsibility herself.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come on in."

A rather frazzled Cliff entered the room with a couple of homemade spears strapped to his back and a bag thrown over a shoulder. His ponytail was loose and disheveled and his cheeks had a healthy glow from activity. "Oh!" His eyes scanned the room before he walked over to the bed. "Ah, how are you feeling, Ann?"

"A little bit better, but not because of you." Her frustration from earlier began to bubble back up to the surface, but immediately began to quell as she noticed he was still wearing an apron that was reserved for cleaning. He smelled of lemon cleaner and she realized at once that he must have been scrubbing down the room that had been used last night for the party. She let out an inward sigh of relief that she wouldn't be charged with that task today, but felt a slight pang of guilt and sadness that a responsibility had been taken from her. She observed the way he was breathing a little faster than normal. "You looking for Claire?" Surely he had run down the stairs to try to catch her as she left.

He brushed a few brown tresses out of his eyes and his cheeks turned redder they way they always did when her name was mentioned. "Uh, yeah… I was told that she was still here."

Ann looked up at her friend. It would be nice to have a second person keep her company. After all, her stomach still hurt a little bit and she had relished in her time with Claire. Since he had moved here, Cliff had sat at Ann's bedside a few times while she recovered from overeating, and she enjoyed the attention he gave to her. The young man had a gentle nature and his kindhearted vigil never ceased to make her feel loved and special. Ann saw the slight perspiration on his forehead frowned. While she could ask him to stay, something about it didn't feel right; it couldn't be more apparent he had his heart set on seeing Claire again today. Perhaps this was part of growing up, she realized. "Well, she just left. She must have gone while you were coming down the stairs. If you hurry, you can probably catch up to her."

His face lit up, but his smile quickly faded, a slave to his own guilt. "Are you going to be alright here by yourself?"

Ann gave him a knowing look. "I'll be fine. Go ahead."

"Alright. See you later." He whirled around so quickly he hit himself in the face with his own hair.

She stifled a giggle. "Uh, Cliff?"

He froze in his tracks, causing the sticks strapped to him to lightly tap the back of his head. "Yeah?"

"You might want to take off that apron first."

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: Maturity is the theme of this one. Karen and Ann struggle to be what they see as mature adults. Honestly, I don't know if anyone who is considered "mature" ever really feels like they are, haha. The chapters are naturally reaching a new standard in length: 6-7k words. I'm really interested to know what you guys think. Are they too long?

Thank you to everyone who is following along and reading this story. It means a lot to me, and I greatly appreciate your feedback! See you in the next chapter! :)