For the days that followed Ann's thoughts drifted beyond the clouds and stars. Thinking of Jack continually spurred her to get her work done, but left her restless when she had nothing else to do. She thought herself pathetic sometimes, sitting on the fence with a sore heart with the decision that after they hugged for such a long time on the 19th, she couldn't face him for awhile, and at the same time all she wanted to do was run by his farm, throw her arms around him and stay with him as long as she possibly could.
Cliff, however, made a big thing of Jack and Ann as an item since he caught a glimpse of them on the day of the Dog Race. On one of Ann's peaceful days he was up in Moon Mountain and she found him there sometimes.
"So how come you don't swing by to bug me anymore?" Ann asked him on one day in particular. She had read about a special bunny that came by in the winter and would search for one whenever she had time, but instead of a bunny she found Cliff.
Cliff looked as if he had taken personal offense, then changed his facial expression and told her flatly, "Because you and Jack are an item now, and I don't want to make it look like anything...you know, bad."
"What do you mean?" Ann's eyes bulged and her face turned pink. "Jack and I are an item? Since when?"
"You two aren't going out?" Cliff's eyebrow raised. This was certainly news for both of them. Cliff didn't expect her not to be seeing Jack that way, and Ann simultaneously wondered why she hadn't started going out with Jack in the first place.
"Not as far as I know!" This was absolutely crazy.
"Well, it just sort of looked like you two were going together, so I thought I'd stop coming by. You don't need my help anymore." Cliff's expression was glum and he fixed the blond ponytail on the back of his head, then folded his arms and looked the other way.
"WHAT?!" Ann burst. "D'you think that I only wanted to use you to get Jack?! I thought you wanted to be my friend." Ann looked hurt and stuffed her hands into her overalls with force. "I can't believe you would think something like that, you're so STUPID!!!!!!!!!"
"I was only trying to help you get what you want!!!" Cliff yelled, and thank goodness they were the only ones in the mountain that day. "I just thought that...if you and Jack were dating, it would be inappropriate for me to hang around. You said yourself that you don't want me around."
"Where did you hear that from??" Ann barked, although she already knew the correct answer.
"Karen. I know you two had a disagreeable conversation at the Dog Race, but she was entirely on your side after she thought about it, and chased me off telling me not to bother you. Are you happy now???"
Something punctured Ann's heart and made it burst into fluid. Suddenly she realized she really needed to apologize to Karen and it was too late. Now that Karen was on her side, Cliff had seen the bad part of her best friend, and he didn't deserve that-she did.
"So I've been purposely avoiding you just so as not to get on your nerves. Sometimes I wonder why I even get involved with your little problems. I should have known it would come to this," Cliff continued, "and you know what? It's fine. It's just fine. I have nothing wrong with leaving you alone. It doesn't-"
"CLIFF!!!!!!" Ann screamed. "For God's sake, just SHUT UP!!!!!! Sure, I said that, but it was because I used to be frustrated by you getting in the way between me and Jack. It's all my fault that Karen chased you off. I don't hate you, and I don't want you to avoid me. For awhile you were just being so nice to me all of a sudden and I thought you really cared. You called me your friend, and that's what I wanted to be!!!!! If you're just going to forget about me like that, well, some friend you are! Oh I... I don't care," she burst and began sobbing.
"Geez, and now I go and make her cry." Cliff sighed and gave in, putting his arms around her. "Don't cry, Ann, I really didn't mean to upset you, I-I was just so bothered by the thought that you didn't want me around after you let me stay for so long."
"I've been so selfish accepting your help and not doing anything for you. You're right, and I'm so sorry," she sobbed into Cliff's jacket. Cliff shushed her and rubbed her back with his palm. As Ann calmed, she realized how she never noticed how tall Cliff really was, and that scent of him. Something made it seem like she knew this scent from somewhere, something clean and sweet and spicy at the same time. Whatever it was, it made her feel nostalgic. He must have sensed the same thing, holding her like that for the first time, because he, like Jack, had kept her longer than she thought he'd let her stay.
Cliff, however, made a big thing of Jack and Ann as an item since he caught a glimpse of them on the day of the Dog Race. On one of Ann's peaceful days he was up in Moon Mountain and she found him there sometimes.
"So how come you don't swing by to bug me anymore?" Ann asked him on one day in particular. She had read about a special bunny that came by in the winter and would search for one whenever she had time, but instead of a bunny she found Cliff.
Cliff looked as if he had taken personal offense, then changed his facial expression and told her flatly, "Because you and Jack are an item now, and I don't want to make it look like anything...you know, bad."
"What do you mean?" Ann's eyes bulged and her face turned pink. "Jack and I are an item? Since when?"
"You two aren't going out?" Cliff's eyebrow raised. This was certainly news for both of them. Cliff didn't expect her not to be seeing Jack that way, and Ann simultaneously wondered why she hadn't started going out with Jack in the first place.
"Not as far as I know!" This was absolutely crazy.
"Well, it just sort of looked like you two were going together, so I thought I'd stop coming by. You don't need my help anymore." Cliff's expression was glum and he fixed the blond ponytail on the back of his head, then folded his arms and looked the other way.
"WHAT?!" Ann burst. "D'you think that I only wanted to use you to get Jack?! I thought you wanted to be my friend." Ann looked hurt and stuffed her hands into her overalls with force. "I can't believe you would think something like that, you're so STUPID!!!!!!!!!"
"I was only trying to help you get what you want!!!" Cliff yelled, and thank goodness they were the only ones in the mountain that day. "I just thought that...if you and Jack were dating, it would be inappropriate for me to hang around. You said yourself that you don't want me around."
"Where did you hear that from??" Ann barked, although she already knew the correct answer.
"Karen. I know you two had a disagreeable conversation at the Dog Race, but she was entirely on your side after she thought about it, and chased me off telling me not to bother you. Are you happy now???"
Something punctured Ann's heart and made it burst into fluid. Suddenly she realized she really needed to apologize to Karen and it was too late. Now that Karen was on her side, Cliff had seen the bad part of her best friend, and he didn't deserve that-she did.
"So I've been purposely avoiding you just so as not to get on your nerves. Sometimes I wonder why I even get involved with your little problems. I should have known it would come to this," Cliff continued, "and you know what? It's fine. It's just fine. I have nothing wrong with leaving you alone. It doesn't-"
"CLIFF!!!!!!" Ann screamed. "For God's sake, just SHUT UP!!!!!! Sure, I said that, but it was because I used to be frustrated by you getting in the way between me and Jack. It's all my fault that Karen chased you off. I don't hate you, and I don't want you to avoid me. For awhile you were just being so nice to me all of a sudden and I thought you really cared. You called me your friend, and that's what I wanted to be!!!!! If you're just going to forget about me like that, well, some friend you are! Oh I... I don't care," she burst and began sobbing.
"Geez, and now I go and make her cry." Cliff sighed and gave in, putting his arms around her. "Don't cry, Ann, I really didn't mean to upset you, I-I was just so bothered by the thought that you didn't want me around after you let me stay for so long."
"I've been so selfish accepting your help and not doing anything for you. You're right, and I'm so sorry," she sobbed into Cliff's jacket. Cliff shushed her and rubbed her back with his palm. As Ann calmed, she realized how she never noticed how tall Cliff really was, and that scent of him. Something made it seem like she knew this scent from somewhere, something clean and sweet and spicy at the same time. Whatever it was, it made her feel nostalgic. He must have sensed the same thing, holding her like that for the first time, because he, like Jack, had kept her longer than she thought he'd let her stay.