Complicated

Part 3- "…I…I…"

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

"Here, Nike!" called Elsie, hitting her upper legs softly. Her brown dog ran over to her, panting. She picked him up, and hugged him. "At least you care." She smiled. Nike always made her smile. While she played, she didn't notice the shadow getting closer and closer.

"Uh, Elsie?" said a voice behind her. Elsie spun around, her skirt twirling with her.

"Cliff?"

"Uh, yeah, Elsie-"

"I don't want to talk to you," Elsie turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Cliff extended his arm, trying to reach her. He missed again. Elsie continued to walk away. 'Don't let her go, Cliff.' Said a voice in his head.

"Elsie, stop!"

"What?" Elsie asked. She faced him; his eyes showed his thoughts, words and emotions before he even said a word. She looked down, trying to look bored. She did her best to look like she didn't care about him.

"Elsie…I…I…like you,"

"What?" Elsie looked up, searching Cliff with her eyes. Trying to find a reason it wasn't true. Not that she didn't want him liking her; she just wanted to make sure he wasn't setting her up. Nothing appeared, his eyes showed his words, his tone reflected his words and his words reflected his eyes and tone. Nothing about him was about to set her up.

"Really?" asked Elsie, hopeful. 'Maybe it won't be so bad after all.' Cliff nodded, and looked into her eyes. Elsie felt like she was going through time and space, she hadn't ever looked into Cliff's eyes before. She had always been looking at his bird or the ground.

"I was wondering…"

"What?" asked Elsie.

"I was wondering… If-If you were seeing Gray,"

"Are you jealous too?" Elsie got angry; she wasn't going to tolerate jealousy.

"N-No. It was just I haven't seen Gray or you much lately, but now that I think about it, Mary hasn't been seen lately either," concluded Cliff.

"Now I know you came here to say something other than that, what is it?"

"Well, I-I wanted to-to see if you liked me," Cliff looked down; obviously he didn't have what Kai had- ability to talk easily with girls. Elsie didn't know what to say, she wanted to say yes, and she felt like saying no. She had no idea why she wanted to say 'no'.

"I, well, I…I…" Elsie tried. "I, well, yes."

Cliff suddenly smiled. Elsie did too.

"Thank-you Cliff!" Elsie hugged Cliff, she didn't feel unhappy anymore. "You always make me happy."

"Is that all?"

"Well, and I smile, and-" Cliff stopped her. He kissed her then immediately remembered something, and dashed off. Everything happened so fast, Elsie only realised he had kissed her after he was gone. She didn't know what to say, so she let it sink in while she played with Nike.

Then on the first day of summer, after many days of Cliff and Elsie talking to each other, the Mayor came up to them.

"I hear you sing," he said."No one here sings, could you sing for us?"

"Uh I guess,"

"Just sing a bit, you don't have to sing five hundred songs," he laughed. "Just remembered to meet at the Rose Square at noon." When he had left Elsie turned to Cliff.

"Did you tell him?"

"What's so wrong about it? I just thought it might liven things up for the 1st of summer,"

"Well, I guess you didn't do anything wrong,"

At noon at Rose Square, Elsie went with Cliff to find the mayor.

"Is he singing too?"

"I can't sing," Cliff blushed. The mayor turned to everyone and announced,

"We have our resident singer here!" Now Elsie blushed. She wasn't used to having so many people watching her.

"Come on Elsie!" urged Karen.

"Oh okay," Elsie stepped back. And she began,

"And when I touch your hand

It's then I understand

The beauty that's within

It's now that we begin

You always light my way

I hope there never comes a day-ay-ay

No matter where I go

I always feel you so," Elsie paused. The mayor nodded for her to go on.

"'Cause you're everywhere to me

And when I close my eyes it's you I see

You're everything I know

That makes me believe

I'm not alone

'Cause you're everywhere to me

And when I catch me breath

It's you I breathe

You're everything I know

That makes me believe

I'm not alone!

You're in everyone I see

So tell me

Do you see me?" Elsie looked at Cliff all through the chorus. Cliff knew it, and he felt her eyes. Though no one else knew and they all just clapped when Elsie finished singing.

"I know plenty others, but not today," Elsie said. "One is enough for one day."

"You were great, I forgot to ask were you thinking of me when you sang that day when I barged in?" asked Cliff.

"Yes, and no. I was angry, because that's how you did act. I could sense you didn't want to act like yourself so you could leave. Everyone talks about you. They think you'll just get up and leave. I was sort of planning on you hearing, sort of," Elsie replied. "Because maybe you'd change and I-I really like you."

Ann suddenly came rushing through everyone.

"Hi Cliff. Remember you were going to come to the inn with me today after Elsie's song?"

"Wait a minute, I don't think I did say that. Did I say that?" Cliff answered. Ann was bluffing it and getting angrier by the minute. Elsie didn't know it though.

"Yes-yes you did. I remember,"

"Is she telling the truth Cliff?" Elsie was beginning to think he had been playing her.

"Ann-she's, well-" Cliff stumbled. He knew what to say, but he didn't know how to say it. He wanted to say Ann was bluffing, but Elsie had run away again.

"Now look! Just leave her alone!" Cliff turned to Ann. She hadn't expected this; she had expected Cliff to like her more. She turned and walked away, angry.