ERR MAH GAWRSH, NUU CHYAPTURR! Expect all chapters to be significantly shorter from now on. :P Also, changing up the old plot just a bit.

Spring 25th

"And now for the weather!" Jamie leaned out of the doorframe of his bathroom and peered at the TV.

"Well, John, it should be sunny in the southern region for the remainder of the day, with the high being 87 degrees and the low being 84 degrees. Up to the northern region, we've got some clouds coming in..." chirped the cheery brunette on the weather channel. The farmer turned back to his bathroom sink, pulled the toothbrush from his mouth, and spit.

As Jamie's feet padded softly against his carpet, the muted voices of the TV became louder.

"In other news, another reported sighting of the infamous Phantom Skye has taken place in Mineral Town, and locals are saying-"

The television set made a small plink as Jamie turned it off, already hearing what he needed to hear.

He slipped his poncho over his head and whistled for his dog. "C'mon, Calvervtutrp! I'm leaving now, so you'd better get here before I lock you in all day."

Calvervtutrp whined softly from the comfort of Jamie's bed, but got up nonethless.

With a click of the lock behind him, Jamie made his way to his crops. Soon enough, he got lost in the monotony of his daily work, and the sun climbed higher into the sky. Everything was going fine. Perfect, actually. The cows were happy, the crops were growing exactly as planned, and almost all of his chickens were now giving golden eggs.

So why, then, could Jamie not shake the feeling that something was off? He stood back up from where he knelt, pulling a weed from the ground, and his vision fell on the river to the west. 'Of course... She hasn't bothered me today,' he realized.

Not that he was concerned or anything. His rival was such a bother that it really made a day all the more better if she just left him alone. But as it dawned on him that he hadn't seen her in not one day, but quite a few, he couldn't help but wonder for the reason behind the sudden absence. She couldn't have quit the farming business already, could she? No, impossible; if she'd quit, the town would be in an uproar. Perhaps she was sick? It was rare, but every now and then a person could get sick and be out for as long as two weeks. Even so, it was hard to imagine someone as energetic as Tina falling ill and being incapacitated for so long.

'And with that stubborn attitude towards her farm, it's doubtful that anything but death could keep her from work,' he snorted. Didn't Alex once mention that she'd even fainted while trying to chop a tree down in one go on her first try? "Idiot..." he mumbled.

And it seemed that she never learned from her mistakes, so it was completely possible that she'd gone and overworked herself again. But he really wasn't worried. The thought of such reckless stupidity merely disgusted him, that was all.

Looking at the sky over him, Jamie couldn't help but think that it was another perfect day for fishing. And he had been meaning to ship some fish for a while. And it had been so long since he'd gone fishing in the west river... And there were always plenty of Yamame in said river...

So, with these perfectly logical reasons that were not, in any way, emotionally influenced, Jamie went back into his home and prepared for a fishing break.

In the end, he decided to fish at the northern end of the river, at the base of the waterfall that fell from the cliff. The farther he was from his rival's house, the better. 'Out of sight, out of mind,' he reasoned. As he walked down the path that lead to the bridge, he couldn't help but glimpse at Tina's house. Everything was just so tiny- the land, the house, and the patch of crops struggling to grow.

Jamie was about to keep on walking towards the bridge when something in her window caught his eye. Sitting on her kitchen table was none other than the old box they'd pulled out of the lake the last time he saw her.

It wasn't really a surprise that she'd kept the smelly thing. Jamie knew enough about Tina to know that when she said she'd do something, she would do it or die trying. He'd seen it in the effort she put into working each day, running from place to place, and Jamie grudgingly admitted that it was an admirable trait.

Even still, putting it on the table? Most people would just put something like that in their closet and forget about it. He shook his head and kept walking. Really, what business of his was it if she wanted to keep trash where she ate?

After finally reaching the waterfall and casting a line, time seemed to not pass at all. Jamie seemed to always have that problem; no matter how many fish he caught, it all just moved so slow. The sound of water rushing and trees rustling in the wind melted into the silence, and he found himself spacing out every now and then. It was sort of a weakness for Jamie. He was always an impatient person, and his mind tended to wander when he wasn't occupied.

His thoughts, however, were always centered on important things, like estimating how much money he would make that day, devising plans for staying in first place at all the festivals, and which note to get next. Not that he'd even gotten a note in a while, which was troubling. After all, he'd been doing everything right. He had a successful farm, he won every competition, and he shipped more of anything than anybody. So why was it that he'd gotten 34 and then stopped? There had to be more notes than that, or else the Goddess would be back by then. What stumped him even more was that his rival seemed to be attracting notes like honey attracted flies. It was highly unlikely that Tina would ressurect the Goddess before he did, but still, knowing that Tina was making such quick progress wasn't a comforting thought.

An eternity of throwing useless Daces and Rainbow Trouts in between a few Yamame back into the river passed, and Jamie decided it was time to leave. It was getting late, and he still needed to put his animals back in before retiring for the night. Walking over the bridge once more, eyes downcast, he heard a familiar voice shout out.

"Hey, Jamie! Jamie, what's up?" He grimaced. 'Ugh. Her.'

"What is it now, Pigtails?" he sighed lethargically. She giggled, as peppy and bubbly as ever.

"Well, it's been, like, forever since we talked! Where have you been, silly?"

At this, he was almost insulted. 'Where have you been?'- As if he was the one who'd disappeared! He cocked an eyebrow and looked up to meet her eyes. Upon doing so, he noticed she was covered in random splotches of dirt, her hair was a mess, and she was knee- deep in her crops. The cherry blossom tree that used to be in the corner of her land was now a jagged stump.

"Where have I been? You're the one who didn't show up for the Horse Race or Flower Festival. And so what if we haven't 'talked' in a while? Talking to someone I hate would just be a waste of time," he sneered.

Now it was her turn to be smug. "First off, I was at the Horse Race. I guess you just didn't see me. Secondly, it's true that I wasn't at the Flower Festival either, but I was... um... busy. And thirdly, you're talking to me right now, aren't you?"

He immediately stiffened, pink dusting his cheeks. "Well- I just wanted to know what was keeping my rival from competing with me!" he snapped, forgetting to ask what she was so 'busy' with.

Tina smiled knowingly, and Jamie couldn't help but feel a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. "Ah, I see," she purred like the cat that had caught the canary. "So you were worried about me, weren't you?"

He crossed his arms and looked away, blush deepening. "N-no way, stupid! I told you, I only care about pummeling you in competition!"

"Mhm," she quipped, obviously not believing it. Infuriated, Jamie swung his hands to his sides and balled his fists. "And another thing! The Swimming Festival is on the first day of Summer, so you'd better be ready! If you try hard enough, you might just make second place," he smirked.

"Awww, counting down the days 'till you'll see me again? How sweet! I'll be sure and practice extra hard just for you," you oozed.

"Aaaaughhh!" he cried, spinning on his heels and stomping home. 'Stupid me and my big mouth, stupid Pigtails, stupid, stupid, stupid!' he raved, now completely red.

Back in her own yard, Tina couldn't help but laugh. All of a sudden, her bout of insecurity over befriending Jamie seemed ridiculous. Jamie was always saying harsh things he never meant, and she berated herself for not knowing any better than to believe them.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she went inside and rummaged through her things in search of her swimsuit.

Wow, this took a whole 3 days to write! But I think I'm getting better. Like, I can actually see an improvement in my skills... I think.

I hope you like the shorter chapters, because they'll probably all be like this from now on, unless it's a really important point in the plot. I don't wanna make things too long, you know?

Reviews make me do a happy dance!