EPISODE ONE

"Are you going to be all right?" Ronald asked her as Katie got out of the truck, getting her bags. Katie smiled a little. "Yeah. I'm going to be fine."

They had driven all night, the sun coming over the horizon, but Katie wasn't tired. She felt jittery and excited, and was eager to look for the café.

Ronald chuckled a bit. "Well, you know my number, right? Call me if you ever get into to trouble." She nodded. "I know. I'll be fine, Ronald. Really." Ronald nodded back, seeming distracted by something.

"Of course. Good luck at your job, I know you'll do great. See ya, Katie." She smiled wider. "See you, Ronald." She shut the door of his truck, and watched as she drove off down the road, back to her hometown before turning and walking down the quiet road of Flower Bud Village.

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"Um…Ann? What are you doing?" Carl asked nervously, watching the redhead mix something in a bowl. She had come early to help him as usual, but Carl was beginning to regret ever letting her inside his café. He'd needed the help and badly, especially when no one had responded to his advertisement in the newspaper asking for employees, and Ann was the only one who offered to help. He couldn't complain too much, but…

"Oh, relax, Carl! I'm just making a Cake!" Ann said, scowling as she threw something else into the bowl.

"I don't think you're supposed to use Spinach," Carl muttered, turning away from Ann. He needed to escape somehow, but there was no way he'd leave her alone in his kitchen, especially when she had the habit of making things explode.

Ann stopped mixing, hearing her. "Oh…you…aren't?" she asked blankly, staring at the contents of her bowl.

Carl rubbed his temples. All this stress was giving him a headache. "No. Ann, if you would just let me handle the mixing and stuff, and you could put things into the…oven." He winced as he said the words. Letting Ann near an oven might not be such a good idea.

"Oh! Great! Should I put this into the oven then?" Ann said, dumping the batter she'd just been mixing into a cake pan.

"No, don't…!" Carl started, reaching a hand out to stop Ann as she slid the cake pan into the oven and beamed at him.

"It's all right! I already put it in," she said cheerfully as the horrible smell of burnt Spinach reached Carl.

"Get out of the way!" he cried, pushing Ann over to the side and opening the oven. Oh, Goddess. Why did he ever ask Ann to help him out?

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"Gina, is there someone in this village who has long black hair?' Dia asked, watching the nurse straighten something on the bookshelf. She stopped when she heard Dia. "Long black hair? I don't believe so," Gina said, frowning. "But why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," Dia said casually, sighing a little. So obviously the woman wasn't even in town…but Dia knew her somehow.

She started coughing suddenly, and Gina turned around, looking worried. "Dia, are you okay?" Dia's chest felt tight, but she managed to smile weakly. "I-I'm fine."

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Katie swung her bags as she walked, feeling energetic and exhilarated by the fresh air of Flower Bud Village. Everything seemed so new exciting here.

She laughed a little, spinning around once. She was all alone on the street. Everyone must still be in bed, she thought, checking her watch. 6:18AM.

She took another breath of the cold morning air, but stopped. It smelled like something was…burning. Katie walked a little faster, in the direction of the smell. What was that? It smelled so strange.

She came upon a small building. She smiled again, seeing the sign read 'Calloway Café'. But the smoky smell was definitely coming from the building. She moved closer just as the door was thrown open and a young man stepped out looking irritated. Smoke wafted out after him.

"Ann…what were you thinking? I already told you. Milk, Eggs, Butter, Breadfruit, and nothing else unless I say so," he was saying. A girl came out after him, her bright red hair back in a ponytail. She was flailing her arms around as she spoke, seeming very upset.

"Carl, I'm so sorry, really! It was a total accident! I wasn't paying attention!" she wailed, and the man sighed.

"Ann, just…just open a window. Please," he asked wearily, rubbing his temples. The girl nodded solemnly and went back inside the café.

Katie took this opportunity to step forward. "Um…excuse me? I'd like to…" she started, but the man cut her off.

"I'm sorry, miss, but we're not open yet," he said, watching the girl open one of the windows, smoke rising out of the café, carrying more of the burnt Spinach smell with it. "That's good, Ann. Thanks."

"No, I don't think you understand. I want to get a job," Katie said quickly, pulling out the newspaper clipping from her pocket. "I read about it in the…"

But the man seemed distracted, like he wasn't really listening. "Please come back later. We open at nine o'clock," he said, turning to go into the café.

"No! Wait!" Katie cried, getting a little aggravated. "I want to work here!"

He stopped, finally hearing her. He looked over his shoulder, looking surprised. "You do?" He turned back around so he was facing her, and eyed her. "Aren't you a bit…um, you know, young? I don't think I'll be able to hire you…"

"I'm eighteen," Katie said, raising an eyebrow. "Is that a problem?"

The man looked at her doubtfully, before shrugging. "No. Just making sure. Hold on a moment." He poked his head back into the café. "Ann! Come out here, please."

The girl soon appeared in the doorway. "Yes, Carl?"

"Ann, you're fired. Give me your apron," he said briskly, holding out a hand to take the apron from her.

"Wh-what? Oh, Carl, I told you, it was just mistake!" the girl protested, but he kept his voice firm. "Ann, give me your apron." The girl looked very disappointed, but obeyed, taking off the apron and handing it to the man. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I guess I can always help my dad at the Junk Shop." She trudged off down the path, dragging her feet as she walked.

He watched her leave before turning to Katie. "You're hired," he said, tossing the apron to her and then turning to go back inside the café. Katie stood there, holding the apron in disbelief. "What? Hired? But I…"

"Come on inside," he said, holding the door open. Katie raised her eyebrows before following him inside the café.

"So, um…your name is Carl, right?" Katie said, looking around the Calloway Café. "Wow! It's so cool!"

Carl smiled a bit. "Yeah, I'm Carl. And thanks; I tried my best to fix it up. But what is your name?"

"Oh, I'm Katie," she said, looking back at Carl. He was already going towards a door in the back, so Katie hurried to catch up.

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