On Horseback
Chapter 10: Summer Out
I woke up on Summer 29th feeling rather depressed. Summer was almost over, and it was my favourite season of the year. I'd better spend the next few days doing something exciting, then.
Gray still had the two tickets to the city. He said that he was going to use them, which amazed me. He said that he was going to go next season, Autumn, due to the fact that it's his favourite season of the year. Popuri was going with him too, so that she could get away from her depression: No flowers or any big green life during the season. She'd better enjoy her trip.
The shop smelled of delicious coffee beans that morning.
"What's the occasion, pop?" I asked Dad. My father was pouring coffee into every mug we owned. "Hm, sweetie?" he replied. "Oh, yes, the Mayor's coming over later this afternoon with me. We're going to be chatting about a new building that we'd like to construct on the water."
I gave Dad my usual smile and then said, "Well, I'll be going out now. See you later." I waved to my father as I exited the house, and stepped into the unusually cool air.
Cliffguard was out in the field running around. I blew him a kiss and walked out to the crossroads. I walked into Jack's farm, and he was harvesting which appeared to be the last of his tomatoes and the last of his corn. The plants would have to come down now, or they'd wither in the autumn weather.
"Need any help?" I called out to my friend. Jack looked over at me and cried, "No problem, Ann! I just finished all of my chores for today! Do you want to go anywhere?"
Before I could reply, I froze for a minute.
My heart skipped a beat.
"Ouch...Oh, Jack. Whenever I see you now, I feel - flirtatious..." I murmured under my breath. Then I looked back up and said, "What the hell is wrong with me? He's just a great friend! That's all!" to myself.
Jack came over to me and handed me some wool. My eyes nearly popped right out of my head. "Oh! JACK! You shouldn't have!" I rubbed the wool in my face and my arms over and over before I decided what I was going to do with this.
"So, yeah, where do you want to go?" he asked me again. I pondered for a minute. "The tour of the Mayor's mansion is already over and there's no where to go in the mountains anymore. Dating -or just site-seeing- is becoming awfully hard, and only because we have few attractions. The restaurant is out though, because of that damn bridge that collapsed on the mountain."
Jack looked at me in an oblivious state and then said, "Well, Summer is almost over, why not we go down to the beach?" I smiled and said, "Oh, yes. Why not?"
Jack decided that it would be like a picnic again, and decided to pack more food than last time, as I was twice as hungry. I'm never going to skip breakfast again. "What are you packing?" I asked him. Jack grinned, an evil grin, and answered, "Ah, but you'll see at our arrival of the beach."
Picnics were always so suspenseful, just to see what's there to eat in the basket full of goodies. He opened it up to reveal the meals-to-end-all-other meals. I was delighted! Chicken, coleslaw, sandwiches of all kinds, organic grapes (I'm guessing from Karen's vineyard), pickled turnips and a pitcher-sized bottle of limeade. This was going to be a great picnic!
I pulled out all that I wanted to eat, and began devouring it. It was either Jack who cooked this, or Elli. Elli was the greatest cook I'd ever met. She could create any dish without messing it up. This could've been her cooking. "Jack, did you cook all of this?"
"Of course I cooked this!" Jack exclaimed gleefully. "Why do you ask?" I looked him in the eye for a moment. I wasn't going to tell him what I really thought, so I said, "It's absolutely delicious!" I embraced him again, and fell into the coleslaw.
After eating, I quickly ran back to my house (which was a two-minute walk away) to get my swimsuit. This was going to be fun, as the season was coming to an end.
Jack and I both jumped off the dock at the same time, and hit the water pretty hard. Jack looked as if he was in pain for a few seconds, but ended up not being. I was okay, but could've sworn I was going to get a bruise on my left leg.
We swam for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and, yes, hours. The sun was already setting by the time that we dried off and said goodbye to each other.
"Be at my house by 11:00 a.m. sharp!" I called to him and I went inside.
The last day of Summer, Summer 30th, looked like it was going to be pretty mild. Forecasts call for mild weather somewhere in the 20s with overcast skies in the evening. Rain was predicted for the following day, which, if I remember correctly, is Elli's birthday!
I had to buy her a present, but couldn't interfere with my schedule with Jack. I'd get her something later in the afternoon. That's a thought that I'd have to hang on to, if I could. Birthdays could be so hard to remember, thank the lord that Elli's is on the first day of a season. That's what makes her's so easy to remember.
"Hello, Annie-pie," Jack greeted me the next morning. I was still in my room, again, brushing my hair, but changed this time. "Hey! I'll be out in a moment."
We decided that we were going to go visit Popuri at the flower shop. She was becoming more of a friend to me, now. All because of Gray, though. But still, we were becoming friends. Except that she didn't like picking on Maria, which I cursed her for under my breath, but continued on with life.
We enter her mother's shop, Florist Lillia, and was greeted by none other than Lillia herself. "Hey guys! Popuri is in her room packing for her trip to the city tomorrow!" I grinned at Jack. Popuri was going with Gray. They could both get alone time for at least a season or so.
We walked into Popuri's room. It was actually quite stunning, as I wasn't used to seeing pink everywhere you looked. Pink bed, pink walls, pink bureaus, pink carpets, pink tables and even pink ceilings! Yeesh, talk about an obsession gone overboard. A perfect example right here.
"Ann! I'm so happy that you came! I was wondering if you could lend me your knitting set. Gray is going to teach me to knit while we're in the city." Popuri couldn't knit and she wasn't the greatest cook around. I could knit, for one thing, but didn't want to give my materials to her.
"If we find any other sets that we can buy in the city, we'll mail this one back to you, is that okay?" I hesitated for a moment. I loved knitting. But she was becoming a great friend of mine. So I probably should, just to show that I care.
"Yes, Poppy, you can borrow it. You lose it and the dragon version of Ann will be out to kill you!" I exclaimed. Jack began laughing and Popuri stuck her tongue out at me.
Her luggage was endless. She already had three cases packed full and she was still scanning for more to take with her to the city. "Nah, I guess that's all I'll take," she finally announced, and wheeled everything in the shop.
"I'll come by tomorrow morning to pick the set up, Ann," Popuri told me as Jack and I exited the shop. I mouthed "Okay" to her and we were on out way.
It was a beautiful Thursday afternoon. It looked like the forecast was going to be wrong; the skies were so clear that you could probably see your reflection in it. So blue...
I pulled Jack into my cousin's shop and asked him if he had anything that was worthwhile to sell to me. "Why?" he asked me before he would answer. I looked at Jack, and looked at Rick, saying, "My friend's birthday is tomorrow!" Rick got up and said, "Well then, give him -or her- this beautiful red vase I just purchased from the blacksmith next door. He says that it's broken, but he's just strange."
I said 'bye to my cousin to realize that it was already 4 p.m.! The stores were going to be closing within the next hour so I decided to let Jack know that we should be going on our way home.
"I'll see you tomorrow, in the Autumn," we said to each other.
On my way home, I smiled.
Flirtatious. That's how I describe Jack now.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
And the romance heats up a notch! Ann's feelings are beginning to grow stronger for the country lad! Read and review! We'll see what happens next! :)