On Horseback

Chapter 15: My First Experience At Becoming Drunk

I woke up the next morning to find snow falling from the sky. There wasn't any snow on the ground yet, but it was falling. I let out a sigh. Winter was my least favourite season and the only reason I did like Winter was because of the Star Night Festival, which was fast approaching.

There was a note on the table in the shop that I noticed once entering the room. "'Ann, I'll be back later. I bought a ticket to the city to buy gardening tools for next year. I'll be back around three,'" I read aloud to myself. Shrugging, I said, "Well then! I guess I'll have to make my own breakfast...why couldn't Dad have left some pancakes or something on the table?"

My cooking always left people in tears, so I was afraid of eating my own food. Instead, I decided to pocket 1000G, and head off to the bakery. It would be better eating a great cook's food than a below average cook's food.

I opened the door to the bakery to be greeted by a big white smile. It was Elli, of course.

"Ann! How nice to see you!" she exclaimed. I smiled back at the baker and said, "Same here. How have you been lately?"

"Well," Elli began. "Jeff almost broke his arm the other night. Grandma was shocked when this happened, and had to scream at the top of her lungs for me to come running. You know, with her legs out and everything that she cannot run. It is a shame, but we get through the days like she did have her strong, healthy legs back."

Elli talked for a few more minutes and then said, "Oh, yeah, I'm sorry, Ann, care to be seated?" I quickly nodded and sat down at the table closest to the exit. If I didn't have enough money on me (which I'm sure I did) when it came time to pay, I'd just make a run. Elli would, obviously, scream at me later.

Flipping through a notepad, Elli asked me, "Ready to order yet?" The menu was only one sheet of paper, so making up my mind was never difficult at all. "Yes," I replied. "The breakfast special, please with a pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream." Elli snatched my menu and said, "Wonderful! Tea for a drink, I presume?" I nodded and she was off.

A few minutes later, as I was scanning the walls of the bakery, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Cliff behind me. "Hey, I haven't seen you around in the longest of times," he told me. I moved over, so he could sit down next to me. "Ditto," I said, laughing.

We made typical chit-chat for ten minutes before Elli came dancing over to me with my big breakfast. "Here you go, Ann! Oh, I say! Who invited this boy in?" she questioned me. A chill ran down my spine for a moment, as I was thinking that Elli had just insulted Cliff.

"Why, this is Karen's cousin, Cliff," came my reply.

Elli looked at him suspiciously for a moment and then said, "Oh, come now! Karen lives at the vineyard with her parents and her boyfriend, Mr. Kai. There is no way in hell that this boy is related to them!" I was stunned. Cliff was stunned. How could sweet and gentle Elli say such a thing about someone?

"How can he not be related to them, Elli?!" I shot back at her.

After snickering for a minute, she answered, "Well, he's a vagabond."

Cliff was hurt after Elli said that and quickly left. I looked at her and said, "I never knew that you were such a bitch, Elli." The baker laughed an evil laugh, and then said, "Why don't you run after what appears to be your little hobo boyfriend?"

That had did it.

I picked up the food that Elli had me...and shoved half of it down my throat. I then drank all of my tea and said, "Waste not, want not. I didn't want to waste it all, since this is obviously a good meal. But I don't want the rest of it. See? Waste not, want not. So, here!" I screamed, tossing the plater of food at Elli, who screamed.

The rest of the food landed on Elli and I ran out of the bakery, leaving the money on the table.

I ran to the vineyard, where Cliff was. He and Karen were harvesting the remaining grapes of the Autumn. "I can't be that the grapes did so well this year! That Jack certainly is one fabulous guy!" Karen said every now and then, before she even noticed me.

"Hello!" I called out to Karen, who saw me and said, "The gate's open! Just give it a little jerk and come on in! I've got news for you!" I complied.

Karen and I ran into her house and then up into her room, which was looking neater than ever. A baby cradle had been placed in the side of the room, where the plants used to be. "Eh? Why did you get rid of the plants?" I curiously asked my best friend.

Sasha came up before Karen could answer and said, "Karen! Kai and I -which rhyme by the way- have decided that your big day is going to be in the Spring! Either the first or second Sunday of the season. We need you two to be wed as fast as possible. Well, before the baby comes, anyways, or else you're both going to be thrown out of Flower Bud. Never attempt this again! I mean, well, next time it won't matter, but you know what I mean! Oh, and here are the blankets."

I started giggling and jumping up and down. "You and Kai are getting married?" Karen started giggling too, and replied, "A-doobley! Err, yes, we are! You know how the town law is you're not supposed to have children until after marriage?" I nodded my head. "Well, Kai and I have to wed now because we're expecting a child!"

I shrieked. Literally.

"YOU'RE PREGNANT?!" Karen threw her arms int the air and shouted, "Yes, I am! Yahoo! The baby is expected in the Summer!" I had never been so excited in my whole life. Besides getting out of high school...which I already mentioned. Or was that Karen?

"Anyways," Karen said. "I'm going to the bar now. I'll talk to you tonight."

Before I went to the bar that night, I stopped by Jack's farm to see if he was home. I checked the barn, chicken coop and knocked on his door several times. It didn't appear that he was home. I'd probably see him at the bar, since all of the men were going to be there. Or, the majority, anyways.

I opened the door to the bar to hear techno dance music playing. I never liked techno, and techno dance hurt my ears anymore. Karen was serving wine and beer to several of the tables. I saw Cliff sitting at the farthest table in the top-right corner of the bar. It looked like there was a lot on his mind.

"Cliff...?" I said as I approached him.

My friend looked at me and said, "Ann...I can't sleep in a cave during the Winter. I'm going to have to leave Flower Bud."

Wow. That was fast. That's all he had to say and tears started developing in my eyes. "Are you sure? Couldn't you stay with me?" Cliff shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I don't want to. We don't have a future together."

That's when my jaw dropped. "We WHAT?!"

Cliff didn't look like he was joking around with me. "Ann! I know that we're sort of a small couple, if you want to say that, but...I just don't love you. Do you love me?"

Before I got my chance to reply, Karen came over to me and gave me a beer. "Drink it, Ann, I'm sure you'll be fine!" And then, she grabbed my left arm and swung me over to the middle of the bar, where most of the guys were dancing. "Drink it right here."

I wasn't exactly sure what to do. I wasn't used to being in the spotlight, and this was no doubt the spotlight. I opened the beer bottle and looked inside. Yes, I was curious. I hadn't ever drank any alcohol in my life before, and this was going to be an interesting start. I began drinking the beer in sips and then I poured the rest of it down my throat.

Looking around the bar, I still saw the same figures that I saw while coming in. I looked at Karen and said, "So, aren't I supposed to feel drunk now, or something like that?" Karen laughed. "That was the first beer you ever had and you're not drunk. I certainly am surprised, Ann. Here, take a wine. You'll get dizzy to this for sure."

I drank the wine in a minute flat. Karen gasped.

After that, I looked around and started to feel very uncomfortable. "Ka-Kar-en?" I said, looking at Harris the mailman, who tried to get away from me. Karen quickly turned me towards her and then said, "Whoa! Whoa! Ann, I'm right here! Maybe you should sit down!"

As if cursed, I said, "Uh-uh! I'm dancin' now!"

Throwing Karen off of me, I jumped onto the dance floor and kicked my shoes off. "EEEK! SCREAM, PEOPLLLEEE!!!" I hollered, everyone in the bar taking notice. I began doing insane, funky moves that I never knew I could do. A second later, Harris, Jeff and Karen joined in with me. Since they couldn't follow my random moves, they just did a dance that Karen had taught them a few years back.

Suddenly, a song called All Alone came on. Whenever I heard this song, I always thought of my mother. "Ann! Get a grip of yourself! ANN!" Karen kept yelling. I didn't know what I was doing now, all I knew was that I was looking down at everyone in the bar from somewhere high up.

Kai and Karen were both trying to get me down, but it wasn't working. "I am never letting her get drunk, again!" Karen insisted once I jumped off of what I was standing on: the counters. I ran over to one of the far tables and smacked right into Cliff.

"Ann," he said. I shook my head and got up from the ground. I rubbed it where I had bumped my arm. "Oww, like, yeah?" He grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eye, asking, "Do you damn love me?" I was still a little crazy, so I answered, "Why, of course! I thought you'd never ask! Why?" Cliff shook his head. "You're still drunk. I'll ask you later."

For the rest of the night, I was jumping around the bar. Karen was very surprised. Even she didn't go that nuts over alcohol.

Finally, the bar had to close. It was midnight. Karen grabbed me and dragged me outside, where I started to feel normal again. "Wow. What happened?" I asked her, as if everything I had experienced was just lost.

Cliff came up behind me and said, "Ann. I have to tell you that I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon for the city." I was alarmed. "Excuse me?! But you can't! You know that I love you!" Karen smacked her forehead with her hand. "Are you still drunk, Ann? Cliff found his family! He's living with us!" All of a sudden, I froze. Cliff had tricked me into admitting my true feelings for him.

"Excuse me? ... Again?! WHAT? Why did you have to ask for my feelings? You knew that I was falling in love with you, you ass!"

Karen hit her forehead with both hands this time. "Cliff, I think we'll have to walk Ann home."

Was I still drunk? Oh, lord. Something wasn't feeling right...Did Cliff ask for my feelings because he wanted to have a future with me...Wait! What had happened in the bar? Or was I just dreaming?

What was going on here? ... Oh, I feel a hangover coming on.