Chapter 2
What is This?
The next morning I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling of the inn. I didn't move yet, I just rolled over to look at the clock. It was only 5 AM but I knew I wasn't going to get back to sleep. I silently crept out of bed, changed and opened the door. Suddenly Gray sat up. He looked at the clock and then back to me.
"Where are you going so early, Kai?" he asked, still half-asleep. I was glad for that. "Just getting an early start, you know, early bird gets the worm type of thing." he nodded and fell back to sleep.
I stepped out of the inn and quietly closed the door behind me. I looked down at my watch; it was only 5:20. I suddenly found myself walking in the direction of the farm, where Jack would be living. I got there a little before 6 o'clock. I looked around, surveying the farm. It seemed like a homely place.
I could hear a few chickens in the distance; it took me only a few seconds to locate them. I saw that he had his fields already prepared for the summer crop. His horse was running around inside a fence nearby, and his dog was asleep in the dog house.
Suddenly the door opened and Jack walked out. He looked at me and I froze. Why had I come here? I had no excuse ready! Except maybe. . .
"Hey Kai, what's up?" said Jack. I walked over towards him. "Uh, hey Jack, I just came by to let you know that my beach shack was open, and that you could come by anytime to check me. . .I mean, it out. Check it out." My eyes grew wide at my mistake. "Um, and now I have to go. Bye, Jack!" I said, running off.
I ran all the way to my shack and slammed the door when I ran inside. "What just made me say that? What is my problem? Check me out? Ugh, now he'll think I'm a gay freak or something!" I thought to myself. I closed my eyes, and sighed, sliding down to the floor. I then heard a knock on the door followed by Popuri's voice.
"Kai, you in there?" she said. "It's me!" Great, just the last person I needed to see right now. "Yeah, I'm here," I said back, unlocking the door. I opened the door to be greeted by her huge smile, and managed to plaster on a fake one to not ruin her moment.
"Hey my baby girl," I said, winking at her. She always loved it when I did that. . .," Well, listen, I'd love to talk but I'm kind of busy, you know, setting up and everything," I said, thinking up a fast excuse. Was that all I'd be doing all day?
"Oh," she said, her smile fading, "because I was hoping you'd come take a walk with me in the mountains like we usually do. It is Summer 2nd, remember?" she made her puppy-dog eyes at me.
I mentally cursed myself for letting the occasion slip my mind. We had made a pact ever since the first year I was here that we would go for a mountain stroll on the second day of Summer. I was supposed to have used yesterday to set up and be free today.
"Well," I said, "I guess this stuff can wait. Come on, let's go!" She giggled and we set off towards the mountains.
As we got to the mountains she sighed. "It's so beautiful up here in the Summer. . ." she said, laying her head against my shoulder. We went over and sat down on a rock next to the goddess pond and she started rambling about something. It was then that I saw him. Jack walked up into the mountain with an axe.
AN AXE? I let out a shaky sigh as I watched him go over to an old tree stump and begin to chop it. False alarm, no need to get nervous. I quickly looked over to Popuri and put on a mock frown.
"I'm sorry Poppy, I have to get going now, some business to take care of." She gave me her puppy-dog eye face and I just rolled my eyes, saying, "Good- bye Popuri."
When she finally left I worked up the courage to walk over to Jack. As I approached him, he put his axe back into his rucksack and nodded as I got closer.
"Hey, Kai." he said, putting on a smile. "Hey, Jack." I said, nodding back. "Look, I'm sorry about this morning, it's just I, uh. . ." He raised his eyebrows at me, "There's no need to apologize for anything you said this morning, it's ok, really." he replied. I sighed in relief; maybe he hadn't noticed my slip-up.
"Well, I have to get going now Kai, you can come around anytime, maybe tomorrow. We could. . .talk." he winked. What was that for? "Good-bye, Kaaai" he said, stretching out the "A" again.
I walked away feeling that odd feeling again that I had gotten at our first meeting. As I walked back to the beach I thought to myself about Poppy, and I thought about Jack. How they Made me feel so different, and yet so the same too. Was I. . .
Falling in love?
***
A/N: I got a review for one of my other stories (Sincerely, the Stalker) which you guys may remember. I just wanted to show this to all of my fellow Cliff fangirls.
Review By: Zeo339 bulls* WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST JACK?? CLIFF IS JUST SOME WANDERING IDIOT WHO CAN'T EVEN GET A JOB UNLESS YOU ASK HIM TO HELP YOU!
You really need a life dude...
GET REAL!
The next morning I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling of the inn. I didn't move yet, I just rolled over to look at the clock. It was only 5 AM but I knew I wasn't going to get back to sleep. I silently crept out of bed, changed and opened the door. Suddenly Gray sat up. He looked at the clock and then back to me.
"Where are you going so early, Kai?" he asked, still half-asleep. I was glad for that. "Just getting an early start, you know, early bird gets the worm type of thing." he nodded and fell back to sleep.
I stepped out of the inn and quietly closed the door behind me. I looked down at my watch; it was only 5:20. I suddenly found myself walking in the direction of the farm, where Jack would be living. I got there a little before 6 o'clock. I looked around, surveying the farm. It seemed like a homely place.
I could hear a few chickens in the distance; it took me only a few seconds to locate them. I saw that he had his fields already prepared for the summer crop. His horse was running around inside a fence nearby, and his dog was asleep in the dog house.
Suddenly the door opened and Jack walked out. He looked at me and I froze. Why had I come here? I had no excuse ready! Except maybe. . .
"Hey Kai, what's up?" said Jack. I walked over towards him. "Uh, hey Jack, I just came by to let you know that my beach shack was open, and that you could come by anytime to check me. . .I mean, it out. Check it out." My eyes grew wide at my mistake. "Um, and now I have to go. Bye, Jack!" I said, running off.
I ran all the way to my shack and slammed the door when I ran inside. "What just made me say that? What is my problem? Check me out? Ugh, now he'll think I'm a gay freak or something!" I thought to myself. I closed my eyes, and sighed, sliding down to the floor. I then heard a knock on the door followed by Popuri's voice.
"Kai, you in there?" she said. "It's me!" Great, just the last person I needed to see right now. "Yeah, I'm here," I said back, unlocking the door. I opened the door to be greeted by her huge smile, and managed to plaster on a fake one to not ruin her moment.
"Hey my baby girl," I said, winking at her. She always loved it when I did that. . .," Well, listen, I'd love to talk but I'm kind of busy, you know, setting up and everything," I said, thinking up a fast excuse. Was that all I'd be doing all day?
"Oh," she said, her smile fading, "because I was hoping you'd come take a walk with me in the mountains like we usually do. It is Summer 2nd, remember?" she made her puppy-dog eyes at me.
I mentally cursed myself for letting the occasion slip my mind. We had made a pact ever since the first year I was here that we would go for a mountain stroll on the second day of Summer. I was supposed to have used yesterday to set up and be free today.
"Well," I said, "I guess this stuff can wait. Come on, let's go!" She giggled and we set off towards the mountains.
As we got to the mountains she sighed. "It's so beautiful up here in the Summer. . ." she said, laying her head against my shoulder. We went over and sat down on a rock next to the goddess pond and she started rambling about something. It was then that I saw him. Jack walked up into the mountain with an axe.
AN AXE? I let out a shaky sigh as I watched him go over to an old tree stump and begin to chop it. False alarm, no need to get nervous. I quickly looked over to Popuri and put on a mock frown.
"I'm sorry Poppy, I have to get going now, some business to take care of." She gave me her puppy-dog eye face and I just rolled my eyes, saying, "Good- bye Popuri."
When she finally left I worked up the courage to walk over to Jack. As I approached him, he put his axe back into his rucksack and nodded as I got closer.
"Hey, Kai." he said, putting on a smile. "Hey, Jack." I said, nodding back. "Look, I'm sorry about this morning, it's just I, uh. . ." He raised his eyebrows at me, "There's no need to apologize for anything you said this morning, it's ok, really." he replied. I sighed in relief; maybe he hadn't noticed my slip-up.
"Well, I have to get going now Kai, you can come around anytime, maybe tomorrow. We could. . .talk." he winked. What was that for? "Good-bye, Kaaai" he said, stretching out the "A" again.
I walked away feeling that odd feeling again that I had gotten at our first meeting. As I walked back to the beach I thought to myself about Poppy, and I thought about Jack. How they Made me feel so different, and yet so the same too. Was I. . .
Falling in love?
***
A/N: I got a review for one of my other stories (Sincerely, the Stalker) which you guys may remember. I just wanted to show this to all of my fellow Cliff fangirls.
Review By: Zeo339 bulls* WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST JACK?? CLIFF IS JUST SOME WANDERING IDIOT WHO CAN'T EVEN GET A JOB UNLESS YOU ASK HIM TO HELP YOU!
You really need a life dude...
GET REAL!