Hey guys! First off i want to say thanks to all you guys who reviewed. I'm really sorry about the whole RickxKaren thing, really i hate Rick. I would loooove to do a KarenxGray thing, cos he is so, so sweet. But trust me the RickxKaren thing will not end well, i won't give away the ending but i'm not planning on it lasting, which is why i'm not doing KarenxGray. So pleeeaaase just bear with me!
Thanks alot guys!
12. The date
The day of the date arrived and Karen hurried to get ready, putting on makeup and throwing on whatever she could find. Finally she gazed at herself in the mirror "perfect" she thought "too perfect for Rick". She chuckled to herself at her own joke, checking to make sure no one was watching. Soon she heard a knock on the door and her mother ran upstairs excitedly to tell her Rick had arrived. Karen could tell that her mother was incredibly happy that she was dating Rick again. Somehow she had never quite approved of Jack, but she had always loved Rick.
"Karen! Rick's here! Oh he looks so handsome!" Sasha said in a high melodic voice. Karen forced a smile and tucked her hair behind her ears nervously. She then walked gracefully down the stairs in her black high-heeled boots and her rather short black skirt. She spotted Rick waiting at the door with a big grin on his face, she was shocked to find he was wearing different clothes from his usual chicken farmer ones. She didn't even knowhe owned other clothes. He was wearing a white shirt and black trousers and Karen had to admit he looked half-decent that evening. He was carrying a giant bunch of red roses mixed with a few beautiful black ones. She smiled and accepted the roses happily.
"I'll just get a vase for these and we'll get going." She said sweetly and hurried to the kitchen. She found a clean glass vase and tenderly placed the roses in it, stroking the petals delicately. She poured in some fresh water from the tap and then hurried back to Rick.
"Are you ready?" He asked offering her his arm. Karen nodded and linked her arm around his. They then strolled out of the door.
"So where are we headed first?" Karen asked, breathing in the fresh evening air. It was dark and the stars twinkled brightly, the moon was just a slit in the sky but glowed brilliantly nonetheless.
"I was thinking first we would have dinner at the inn. Then we can have a stroll up Mother's hill and look at the stars from there, then we can head on over to the beach." He said happily and Karen nodded. They arrived at the inn and Ann served them with a huge smirk on her face which Karen tried to ignore. They sat at the table and Ann handed them menus.
"Good evening, would you like any drinks?" Ann said, emphasising the word drinks to hint that they should buy wine.
"Just a pineapple juice for me thanks." Karen said calmly, giving Ann a smug look. Ann scowled and looked at Rick who thankfully had missed them both making faces.
"Yeah, erm... I'll have a grape juice please." He said. Ann frowned but hurried to get their drinks returning moments later. Then they ordered the food, just a basic meal of burgers and chips. Ann kept trying to make them have a fancy dinner, hinting all the time but Rick just kept it casual.
Karen was glad he hadn't overdone things like she knew Jack would have, somehow she didn't like being spoilt too much. After dinner that sat talking in the peace of the inn, about life and general goings on. She was amazed that Rick didn't mention chickens even once. Suddenly though, the door burst open and the evening rush came pouring in. All the regular alcoholics filed in and took their regular seats. Rick and Karen frowned at each other, showing that neither considered this the ideal situation.
Ann gazed at them sympathetically and then hurried to serve the other customers. Soon most of the others were drunk and some had become rowdy. Duke began arguing with Doug slurring his words in his drunkenness.
"Shut up old man, why should I pay for your beer, it was lousy. My wine is better!" He slurred aiming a punch at Doug's face. Doug moved his head slightly and Duke missed.
"Duke, you've had enough okay, go home. I'm sure Manna will be glad if you actually turn up tonight." Doug said calmly wrenching a glass out of Duke's hand.
"I'll tell you when I've had enough. Shut up about my wife, just 'cos yours is dead!" Duke said loudly. The inn went silent. Even the drunks knew when Duke had said too much. Rick stood up and walked towards the bar, glancing at Karen to make sure she was watching.
"Duke! That was a cheap shot. Get out of here!" Rick shouted, standing up to a man at least three times his size. Duke loomed over Rick and eyed him angrily.
"Shuddup chicken boy, before I punch your chicken lovin' face in, you got that?" Duke said angrily. Rick glanced at Karen then stood up taller, puffing out his scrawny chest.
"No, get out and go home. You're ruining everyone's evening. You're just a freeloading drunk, get out!" Rick said angrily. Duke's eyes widened in rage and he glared at Rick.
"HOW DARE YOU BOY!" He yelled, spitting in Rick's face. Rick took off his glasses and wiped the spit off them before perching them back on his nose.
"Duke, just get out!" Rick said again, but slightly more timidly. Duke suddenly grabbed a glass bottle and banged it on the counter, making the end fall of and glassy spikes remain. Rick gulped but stood still watching as Duke held the bottle. In one swipe Duke slashed the bottle along Rick's face and Karen cringed as she heard Rick scream. Red blood poured from his face as Karen ran to him. Doug grabbed Duke and shoved him roughly out of the inn, wiping his hand on his shirt in disgust.
"Oh my God, Rick! Are you okay? Why did you stand up to him, that was so stupid!" Karen said angrily. She quickly helped him out of the inn and headed to the hospital.
"I know it was dumb... I just..." Rick began.
"I know." Karen said kindly and Rick smiled, looking terrifying with the blood on his face. They reached the hospital and watched as the doctor gasped at Rick's face. He sat down on a bed as the doctor checked him for infections and how deep the wound was.
"It's not infected... not that deep. I'd say you got off lucky, you won't even have to have stitches. We'll just sort you out, then you go home and get some rest. The pills for the pain I'm going to prescribe you will make you drowsy." The doctor said cleaning off the blood and adding bandages.
"I'm sorry Karen... this isn't how I meant the date to be you know." Rick said apologetically.
"Really? I thought you meant to get into a fight with a drunk and get your face slashed open." Karen said sarcastically. She then looked at him sympathetically and smiled. The doctor chuckled and sprayed on some disinfectant, he then handed Rick a bottle of pills.
"Take these twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. They will make you drowsy so don't operate heavy machinery and you should be fine." The doctor said.
"What heavy machinery am I going to operate here?" Rick asked.
"It means don't use your Mom's sowing machine." Karen said laughing. Rick scowled.
"Or save your chainsaw massacre for later in the year." The doctor said with a chuckle. Karen laughed and Rick made a sad face.
"Okay you can go now, I'm afraid you'll have to schedule your date for another night." The doctor said with a yawn. He then shoved them out of his hospital and hurried up to bed.
"I don't suppose you'll want to go on another date with me..." Rick said sadly, kicking a stone on the path.
"Oh I dunno, this was pretty fun. Besides I said one date and I'll see. This really only counts as half a date, so if you like you can take me out on another half." She told him smiling.
"Really? Thanks! Next time I won't mess things up okay." Rick said happily, doing a little jig on the spot.
"I would say yes... but after that jig..." Karen said hesitantly. Rick looked at her shocked making Karen laugh.
"I'm kidding." She reassured him. He heaved a sigh of relief and began to jig again.
"You know my pills won't make me sleep for another hour, do you want to quickly go to the beach?" Rick asked, looking in the beach's direction.
"I think that would make the date count as a whole one though..." She said hesitantly.
"I don't care, I'd rather one whole one than two halves." He told her honestly.
"Okay then, let's go." She said skipping off towards the beach. Rick followed her grinning stupidly. They reached the beach and Karen skipped upon the white sand. The stars were shining brightly against the bright sky, as they had for the whole evening. She ran over and sat on the dock, looking out over the ocean. For once she wasn't thinking of Jack as she looked over the vast expanse of water, she was thinking of Rick.
He had changed and finally she could see them together. It had been a disaster date, but it had been a fun disaster and had turned out better than she could have imagined. Rick sat down next to her and looked out with her.
"Are you thinking about Jack?" He asked calmly. It was with empathy rather than jealousy, like he understood exactly what she was going through.
"No, for once, I'm not." She said honestly, turning to look at him. Rick continued to look out to sea, and she could see worry in his eyes.
"I know what it's like... to have someone you care for deeply go away." He said serenely.
"You do?" Karen asked furrowing her brow, trying to think who Rick was talking about.
"Yeah, my dad. He hasn't written in a long time, I don't know if he's still alive even. He hasn't sent us a letter in ages. Mom's health has been deteriorating because of it, she worries about him every day. She and Popuri are still hopeful, but I'm almost sure he's dead." Rick said sadly. She looked at him in sympathy. She had never realised it was the same, Popuri and Rick had been suffering all that time, they were as good as fatherless.
"I'm so sorry." She said, unable to think of any advice she could give.
"Don't be. You know what it's like to lose a loved one too. But you get over it. My Dad's been gone for so long... I got over it years ago. We were close, it was nice having a dad." Rick said, obviously thinking back to the happy times.
"Do you ever wonder... that if you hadn't let him go, if you'd told him to stay, things might have been different?" She asked, thinking back to the time when she'd had the chance to make Jack stay.
"I used to. But then you begin to realise, that your choices affect everyone around you and if you always dwell on whether your choices were right or wrong, you may forget to think about the choices you have to make now. Every day you have choices and right or wrong you deal with them." Rick said. She gazed at him in awe, it was like a strange wise being had descended upon Rick and given him worldly wisdom.
"You're right." She said smiling.
"Like now, you have the choice to make. Do you want to wipe the slate clean and start all over again, or do you want to make a different choice and see where that path takes you?" He asked, the wise being still talking for him.
"You've grown up a lot in the last few years." She said, dodging the question. Rick smiled and looked at her questioningly.
"I don't know. But I would like another date." She said honestly.
"Same here." Rick said and Karen smiled. He then reached for her hand and grasped it tightly. Looking into Rick's eyes she almost felt calm, she could see the same hurt in his eyes, the same feelings of betrayal and hopelessness and just knowing that she wasn't the only person to feel that way helped.
It had never crossed her mind how Rick must have been feeling for all those years. He must have felt so lost and alone, with his father gone and his mother and sister still believing he would come back. But worst of all she hadn't been there to help him, to listen to his problems and give him advice. She had been selfish and dumped him just because a better catch came along and that made her feel so guilty. Yet she had been the one to make Rick apologise to her, she had felt angry at the things he had done to her. But she had started the feud. She had started everything, she had ruined Rick's life and her own. If she had only picked Rick, then Jack might have still been alive.
They spent the entire night there, both just thinking about their separate thoughts. After a while Rick spoke again.
"Karen, when would you like that date?" He asked, letting go of her hand. She analysed a calendar in her head and found her life to be pretty much empty. She smiled and tapped her nose secretly.
"Plans always seem to turn out a disaster, why don't I just come and find you whenever?" She said with a shrug. Rick smiled, the idea seemed quite charming.
Eventually Karen stood up and did a cat-like stretch, Rick stood up too and looked out over the horizon.
"It's almost morning." He said croakily. "I've got to get up and feed the chickens in an hour."
"My parents are gonna wonder where I am! I've got to go!" She said panicking. She gave Rick a quick peck on the cheek and headed home. She opened the door slowly, to stop it creaking and then she crept up the stairs. She arrived at her bedroom door safely and breathed a sigh of relief. She slowly opened the door and yelped in shock as she spotted Sasha waiting on her bed. The gossip wheels never stopped.
"What time do you call this?" Sasha demanded. Karen slowly looked at her watch and glared back stubbornly.
"About 4:30 in the morning... wait... oh now its 4:32." She said cheekily. Sasha gave Karen a steely glare, making her knees weaken with fear. She hastily collapsed on a chair opposite the bed.
"And where have you been?" Sasha asked standing up and beginning to pace around the room.
"At the beach with Rick." She said coolly. Sasha paced faster, grinding her teeth in anger.
"And what were you doing there?" Sasha asked angrily. Karen rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Not him, if that's what you're asking." She retorted. Sasha fumed, she was not getting the answers she needed to make for good gossip.
"What were you doing then? Fishing?" Sasha demanded sarcastically.
"Um... it's called talking, much like we're doing now except without the raised voices. You know it is possible for two people to just talk." She replied sardonically, rolling her eyes again.
"How dare you take that tone with me!" Sasha shouted. Karen sighed and shifted to her bed.
"Mom, I haven't slept all night, I'm tired. I just want to go to bed, okay?" She said boredly. She then curled up on her bed and began to drift off. Sasha growled and then stormed out of the room muttering to herself something along the lines of "no good brat".
The next morning Karen shook herself awake and hurried to her bedroom window. She pushed aside the dull black and white curtains and stared out over the street. A hint of summer was in the air, as there were only five days left of spring. She yawned and then hastened to the bathroom to get dressed.
Half an hour later she headed out of the house, slamming the door hard on her way out. She smirked to herself, if that didn't get her mothers attention nothing would. She skipped down the street and over to the poultry farm to meet Rick. She had finally made her decision, she would ask Rick for another date and then she could move on with her life. The wound that Jack had left didn't hurt nearly so much anymore, it was still painful, but she could ignore it.
As she arrived at the poultry farm she spotted Rick feeding to his chickens and she smiled. Rick's chickens were some of the fattest around because Rick cherished them like they were children. He wouldn't let any harm come to them and was always talking about how wonderful they were. Karen could never help wondering how delicious it would be to sink her jaws into their succulent fatness. But she always had to push that thought aside, although it was hard.
She watched Rick for a few moments, he was talking to the chickens whilst feeding them, crooning at them and telling them "you are so cute, yes you are". Before Karen would have laughed at a spectacle like this, however now she liked Rick again, she found it embarrassingly cute. She sighed, love does crazy things to people. But was it love? Could she love the same Rick that had caused her so much pain just a few years before? Smiling she walked over to him and coughed loudly to announce her presence. Rick jumped and stood up straight, banging his head on the chicken coop roof.
"Ouch!" He said rubbing his head. "Oh good morning Karen, how did you sleep?"
"I slept alright thanks, sorry about startling you. I just came to thank you for last night." She said innocently, but laughing inside her head at Rick banging his head on the chicken coop.
"Last night, it was a total disaster. But it was fun anyway." He said grinning broadly. "Would you like to come in for some breakfast?"
He gestured towards the house calmly and began to walk towards the door. Karen nodded and followed. Inside it smelt delicious, like a mixture of potpourri and eggs cooking. Karen breathed in the fresh scent that always seemed to be in the Iris household. Lillia was standing at the stove cooking eggs for her sons arrival, smiling and humming a jolly tune at the same time. She spotted Karen and smiled, grabbing another egg to cook for her.
Karen grinned at the mother's intuition it had taken to realise she would need more eggs, Sasha had never been as good at it. But Lillia had always been a better mother than Sasha. Even though she was perfectly healthy and with a husband to help out she was still not as good a mother as Lillia. Lillia had managed to be a great Mom even with her husband abroad, perhaps never to return, and her illness that the doctor couldn't cure. But Lillia was just one of those amazing people.
Lillia gestured to the table and Karen gratefully sat down, Lillia then placed a plate of scrambled eggs on toast in front of her. She then sat down next to her smiling happily.
"It's lovely to have you join us for breakfast Karen, I don't see you as much now that Popuri's moved out." Lillia said, delicately spooning some egg into her mouth.
"Well thank you so much for having me here and giving me breakfast, it's delicious." Karen said gratefully taking a bite.
"Yes, it womderfal foo haf oo." Rick said his mouth full of scrambled eggs.
"Manners Rick." Lillia said laughing. He swallowed quickly and apologised, wiping his mouth on a serviette. Lillia ignored him and turned to Karen, her blue eyes shining with sadness.
"How are you at the moment Karen dear?" Lillia asked, sounding concerned. Karen knew this wasn't just a casual, "how are you" this was a "are you over the horror of having your boyfriend die"? Karen swallowed and looked at Rick desperate for a way out. Rick however took the hint the wrong way and mentioned something about errand to run. So she was left unable to avoid the question, unable to run or to hide. So she took a deep breath and looked up at Lillia again.
"Well I'm getting over it." She reassured her. "But to be honest it still hurts."
Lillia looked at her understandingly, tears shining in her eyes. Karen gulped, this was going to become a chat where both of them cried about their loss.
"I know how you feel Karen, you know about my husband... but at least he's coming back." She said laughing nervously. Karen frowned, she could tell Lillia was getting uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry I don't mean it like that... I just meant... well I'm sorry for your loss... and if you ever want to talk..." She said nervously.
"Uh-huh." Karen said with a nod. She breathed a sigh of relief, Lillia had just given her a get-out-of-jail-free card. "Thanks a lot Lillia, I'd better go. I'll come by and talk another time."
Lillia nodded and sighed gratefully, she wanted that awkward conversation no more than Karen did. She waved goodbye and then headed out the door, smiling at her fortune.
The last few days of spring Karen and Rick spent talking, getting to know each other again, like they had before. They both had a new appreciation and understanding of each other which made them hope that this time their relationship would laugh. Their relationship was moving fast though, already they were closer than close and felt a spiritual bond forming between them. Karen was sitting in the bar talking with Ann and Popuri as she did every morning before she went to see Rick. Popuri was gulping down her second orange juice and Ann was drinking a large mug of coffee, while Karen was made content with herbal tea.
"Isn't it nice to have met your soul mate?" Popuri marvelled, her eyes glistening with joy to think of Kai.
"I don't know if I believe in that crap... what do you think Karen?" Ann asked taking a gulp of coffee and slamming the mug down hard on the table.
"I'm not sure... see I always thought Jack was my soul mate, but now he's dead and I have Rick, I'm not sure." She said casually. She laughed when she saw her friends faces, there was nothing like mentioning Jack in a sentence to make them panic. "Guys chill."
"Sorry but I don't believe in it." Ann said coolly. "I don't believe Cliff is my soul mate, we just get along well."
"God Ann, you're so unromantic. Isn't it nice to think you have some kind of spiritual bond with your boyfriend?" Popuri asked dreamily.
"Nope." Ann said casually shrugging. Popuri made a face like she had bitten into a particularly sour lemon and turned to Karen.
"Come on Karen, don't you feel like you and Rick are on the same wavelength all the time and you could never be truly happy with anyone else?" Popuri asked hopefully. Karen thought for a minute and then shook her head.
"Nope. The only guy I felt like that with was Jack, and he's 6 feet below sea level about now." She said, taking huge satisfaction in seeing her friends cringe, and trying to ignore the twinge of pain she felt.
"Well anyway, soul mates don't exist. I don't want to believe that I have to find my soul mate or I'll never be truly happy, otherwise none of my relationships would last..." Ann started.
"Relationship." Karen corrected her with a grin.
"I may have more in the future... anyway what I'm saying is that I think there are guys you get along with and those that you don't. None of you are meant to be." Ann finished, looking smugly at Popuri.
"What ever." Popuri said pouting. At that moment the guys walked in and Ann smiled.
"Speak of the devil." She said grinning. Cliff smiled back and walked over to give her a big hug. Kai hugged Popuri tightly and gave her a long kiss on the lips, and Rick hugged Karen too.
"Aww look at us, one big happy family." Karen said laughing. Kai smiled and the other guys shuffled their feet awkwardly.
"Well anyway, I've gotta go. I'll see you later Rick." Karen said smiling and heading out of the door. When she left Rick smiled and brought a silky blue feather out of his pocket.
"Oh Rick it's beautiful, are you gonna propose to Karen with it?" Popuri asked happily.
"No I'm going to propose to Barley with it, what do you think Poe?" Rick asked sarcastically.
"Are you sure that's a good...? God Rick you're so mean." Popuri said pouting. Ann smiled and looked rather jealously at the blue feather.
"So when are you thinking of proposing?" Ann asked eying the feather longingly. Rick smiled proudly at it and gently ran his hand down it. He then looked at them, his eyes bright and shining, he raised his hand to his nose and tapped it gently. Popuri growled angrily and looked at Kai for support. Kai shrugged, he'd really rather not get into a fight with Rick. Rick gently tucked the feather back into his shirt pocket, gently patting it closed.
"I must be the luckiest guy on earth." He declared before skipping out of the inn. The others looked at each other and smiled, Popuri and Kai were fondly recalling in their heads the day he had proposed. Ann shifted her feet awkwardly wondering when, if ever, Cliff would propose. She sighed, she knew better than to pressure him, guys don't respond too well to pressure.
"How about lunch?" She suggested, before heading into the kitchen to make them some sandwiches.
Eeeek, Rick proposing, that's gotta be a lot of girl's worst nightmares!
