Complicated

Part 2- Elsie's Voice

-Disclaimer- I do not own the songs Elsie sings, or the characters from Mineral Town.

Cliff had decided to make sure Elsie was okay, and walked after her. He went slowly, still trying to make sense of what had happened. He looked through her window, and saw her on her bed. Her face was buried in her pillow. He reached her room just after she began singing.

"…I like you the way you are,

When we're driving in your car,

And you're talking to me one

On one. But you become

Somebody else round everyone else.

You're watching you're back like

You can't relax. You're trying to

Be cool, you look like a fool

To me. Tell me-e!

"Why'd you have to go and make things so

Complicated? See the way, you're acting

Like you're somebody else get me frustrated.

Life's like this, you fall and you crawl and

You break and you take what you get and

You turn it into honesty! Promise me I'm never

Going to find you fake it…" Elsie sang. She hadn't noticed it but Cliff was listening to her through a crack in the door.

"I'm sorry if I did look like a fool," said Cliff entering.

"What? Cliff? Were you listening to me?" Elsie asked. She had jumped back when Cliff talked and her heart was almost leaping out of her. Elsie hide her diary behind her, praying that he hadn't seen it. Cliff showed no response.

"Well, um… kind of," commented Cliff.

"Please, Cliff, go. I'm not in the mood to talk and since you heard me, I, well, just…" Elsie tried. She couldn't explain herself. All she needed was time to think, about why she came, about why everything became complicated, about Cliff, about Kai and Rick and Gray. Elsie stood up, absently dropping her open diary on the bed, and left in a hurry. When she had exited Cliff moved closer to the diary, and picked it up. He silently read the words, his conscious nagging at him. He ignored it and read up to the words, 'I can't explain how much.' He looked up, whipped his head around and shoved the diary under the pillow, closed.

Elsie didn't talk to anyone for three days, she was debating whether to stay or leave Mineral Town. Karen decided not to do what they planned to do, but by then all the girls had forgotten. She saw Elsie's upset face and she felt she should have comforted her, but didn't know how. Elsie had tears in her eyes almost every day, and she practically forced herself to play with her dog, feed her animals and water her crops. Cliff, though, was probably the most effected of all. He felt responsible. He knew she had being thinking of him when she had sung.

Everything around Elsie sunk into her fast, Kai talked to Popuri more, Karen and Rick were together more and Elli and Doctor were also talking to each other a lot, but the doctor hadn't cared much for Elsie and Elsie hadn't cared for the doctor. Though Cliff never talked to Ann. If Ann tried to talk to him when Elsie was walking even 10 feet away he wouldn't budge. Ann practically pulled out his arm trying to move him. She was getting angry with Elsie; it was like she had bewitched him.

Kai had given up on Elsie, and she knew it. She knew Rick had too, though she didn't know about Gray entirely. He just disappeared, and so did Mary. Maybe they went into the library more. She knew about everything except Cliff's odd behaviour. She hadn't cared about Cliff since his unexpected appearance when she wasn't happy. If she had cared she would've known why he acted different when she was around. She also hadn't thought of why her diary was under her pillow when she had left on her bed. She just thought she had put it there instead of laying it on her bed. Though all that changed on the fifth day…

"Have you seen Cliff?" asked Ann on the fifth day at the inn.

"Yeah, he's acting so strange lately," commented Karen. "How old is he?"

"16, why?"

"Elsie's 16. Remember?"
"What are you thinking?"

"Maybe he likes her," stated Karen.

"Do you think?"

"Isn't it possible?"

"Well, I guess," said Ann. She didn't like Elsie anymore from this.

"Oh, hi Elsie!" greeted Karen, nudging Ann.

"Hi," mumbled Elsie, sitting down.

"Would you like to see Cliff?" asked Ann.

"No," replied Elsie sharply. "I just came to sit, I just thought… I just thought…"

"What did you think?" questioned Karen. At that moment Cliff came down the stairs. Elsie saw him, and bolted.

"Wait!" Cliff tried to stop her, but missed. "What are you lookin' at?" Cliff turned on Ann and Karen.

"Nothing," replied Ann.

"Let's go," whispered Karen to Ann.

Cliff regretted missing Elsie, for another day. Whenever he saw Elsie, she'd always enter some place. He was getting the feeling she still hadn't gotten over what happened. Then there was also the other part of him that said she was waiting, waiting for him to come.

That night Elsie wrote in her diary,

'I feel like leaving, and then I think of Cliff. He makes me stay. If only I knew if he cared for me, then maybe, just maybe, I'd be happy again. Then maybe my storm cloud would leave. Oh, how I wish I knew if Cliff liked me!

-Fall 30th'

At the same time Cliff wrote something in his diary.

'Today, I thought I saw Elsie glance at me before entering the supermarket. She looked at me with eyes full of some hope, yet some darkness, and sadness. I couldn't help feeling like I should I be running after her more. Though, how would I look? Running after a girl who kept disappearing? Maybe she's changed her mind about me and is seeing Gray, I haven't seen Gray lately. What if she likes Gray now? Well, I'll never know if I don't talk to her. But first I have to sleep, and then see Gray, and then I'll ask Elsie.

-Fall 30th'