Chapter 22

Fireworks

I stand here

all alone, looking out at the waters

lights shimmering, reflecting

off of the surface of my soul

They're far away

deep in the dark blue

of my emotions

the reflection struggling to reach me

I reach out and wave my hand

it acts as an eraser and the lights disappear

everything is still

until a light flickers behind me

I turn around and you're there

lights and sounds erupting in the background

were you always there

waiting for me to turn around?

I go to wave my hand again

retreating back into the darkness

but you reach out and stop me

Wait

You whisper, so softly. So softly.

Molly woke up the next morning refreshed and ready to face the trials of the day. She quickly ate breakfast and left Finn to finish the morning chores, arriving in town thirty minutes before the start of the festival to go over things with Gill and the mayor. Thankfully, they had set up most of the booths and activities the day before and could quickly go through the schedule together.

The first event would be the fishing contest which Molly was in charge of running, followed by a swimming race, a cooking contest and lastly, a volleyball tournament. These would all be spread throughout the day and the festival would end with a fireworks spectacular put on by Cain, as he always does each year. Molly would also be helping pass out water among the villagers to make sure everyone stayed properly hydrated.

It was 9 am and people started flooding onto the beach area bringing foldable chairs and umbrellas, staking out their spots for the day. Molly and Gill stood next to each other greeting everyone who walked by. Molly earned a few snickers from Kathy and Owen but she chose to ignore them lest her embarrassment give her away.

Gill turned to her and thanked her for helping out, saying that he was going to go and double-check that everyone at the booth area had what they needed.

"My father will be making the announcement for the fishing contest soon so you can go stand by the docks. Be sure not to fall in this time, okay?" He said with an air of scolding her.

"I won't!" she replied, indignant. Would she be remembered by that drowning incident forever, she wondered? Gill smiled and patted her head before walking away.

Molly blushed. She felt like she was being treated like a child and didn't know how to feel about it. Granted, her public relation skills were lacking but she felt like she was handling herself rather well, considering. Letting out a small sigh she walked over to the docks. Minutes later, the mayor announced that the fishing contest was to start in ten minutes and for all participants to gather near the docks. Each participant would have a bucket that they could fill with as many fish as they could catch within the time limit. Whoever catches the biggest fish will win the grand prize – a round-trip boat ticket to whatever destination they chose on the route guide.

Molly only had to wait a few minutes before Toby and Paolo showed up, trusty fishing poles in hand.

"Hi," Toby said, smiling at her per usual. She smiled back and replied the same.

"Ozzie's not with you?" She asked the pair of cousins.

"Naw, he's going to continue manning the booth. We take turns each festival and this time he lost in rock-paper-scissors!" Paolo said, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

Molly giggled. "Someone's excited."

"He sure is. He thinks he's going to beat me, but I'm not about to go down without a fight," Toby said, ruffling Paolo's hair. Paolo smiled cheekily back.

"I'll win this time for sure, just you watch! Molly, you have to cheer for me, okay?" Paolo said, opening his container of worms and proceeding to fix them on his hook.

Molly laughed but replied that she was a judge so she had to stay neutral. Paolo pretended to pout and got another pat on the head from Toby.

Toby leaned towards Molly and whispered in her ear so that only she could hear.

"You say that, but you're actually going to be supporting me, right?"

"W-Wha?" Molly spluttered out, turning red due to his proximity. His breath tickled her neck as he chuckled.

"I'm just kidding, I know you can't take sides. Besides, I already received my good luck charm."

"What good luck charm?" Molly asked as he backed away, moving to his designated spot. He just smiled in response and started to get his gear in order.

Molly was confused but shook it off and continued checking the other participants in, which included Renee, Bo and Taylor. Once everyone was in position she checked her watch, waiting until exactly 9:30 to start. She blew the whistle, signaling the start, and let them know that they had until eleven o'clock to fish. At that time she would measure their biggest catch and announce the winner.

Since Molly was refereeing, she couldn't stray far from the docks and so she spent the time talking to everyone who was competing and ended up having a nice conversation with Renee. Although she was on good terms with all of the villagers, the only girl she was close with was Kathy, which was perfectly fine – after all, its better to have one close friend than five friends you can't trust. However, Molly missed her friend group from college and had to admit that even with Kathy around she could sometimes get lonely.

She also made sure that the contestants were properly hydrated and got Hayden to help by bringing them over juices from his booth.

Soon enough it was time to end the competition and Molly's whistle sounded out clear and sharp against the cries of the seagulls flying overhead.

"Alright, times up! Please sort out your fish and I'll be around with my measuring tape to determine the winner shortly," she said, taking out her tape and a clipboard so that she could write down the numbers.

She went around to each person, measuring their catches. Toby ended up being last and she gave him a small smile, proceeding to measure his fish.

"I'm really glad you were in charge of this event this year."

"Yeah? I don't think I did anything special though," Molly said, a bit shy. Even though she didn't do much she was still rather nervous, especially now that everyone's eyes were on her.

"You say that but usually it's Gill that's in charge and he would never engage in conversation like you did. He'd just stand there with his arms crossed the whole time," Toby said, thinking about past competitions.

Molly chuckled, "Yeah, that sounds like him. I should really point out that his people skills are lacking but I'm not sure if I really want to get into that right now."

Molly checked the numbers on her clipboard and smiled, straightening up.

"It's time to announce the winners, everyone please gather round!"

Molly stood on top of a nearby box and waited until all of the contestants and spectators were quiet before announcing the results.

"In third place is Renee, with 47 cm! In second place is Paolo, with 60 cm!"

Renee and Paolo bowed as the villagers cheered, Molly giving them a clumsy round of applause as well, clipboard banging against her hip as she kept it in place.

"And finally, in first place, with a giant catch of 75 cm is...Toby!"

Toby smiled sheepishly, looking embarrassed by all of the attention. As he walked up to receive his prize, Molly shook his hand, congratulating him.

"Good job, Toby. Paolo will have to wait until next year for another chance, huh?"

"I don't think I'll lose as long as you're around," Toby said, taking the boat ticket and putting it safely away in his pocket.

Molly blushed. "You make it sound like I have power over who wins, but surely it's up to skill and a bit of chance."

"Sure, but I have something extra."

"And what's that?" Molly asked.

"My good luck charm," Toby replied, looking directly in her eyes.

Molly blushed some more, not sure of what to say but was spared the necessity of a reply as Craig came over, taking pictures of her and the contestants with their fishes. As she took a picture with Toby she was overly aware of how close they were and how their shoulders were occasionally bumping against each other. She didn't know how one day her and Toby could be normal and the next he was making her heart race. Molly felt like she never got this nervous around guys back in the city, but then again she had never been surrounded by such nice and handsome (yes, she'd admit it – everyone was quite handsome here) guys before.

Soon enough, the photo sessions were finished and the crowd disbanded, leaving Molly to tidy up and report over to Gill and Mayor Hamilton. She was still in a bit of a daze and was thankful to be relieved of her position.

She bought some juice from Hayden and went over to talk to Kathy who was sunbathing on the beach. Kathy removed her sunglasses and gave Molly a teasing smile.

"So? All done with your community service?"

Molly rolled her eyes. "What am I, on parole? No, it went fine, all I did was measure some fish."

"So, who won?" Kathy asked, setting her sunglasses on her face again and stretching out, soaking in the late morning sun.

"Toby, of course."

"Of course! He couldn't lose in front of you, now could he?" Kathy said, grinning.

Molly bit her lip. "Actually, about that..."

She continued to relay what had transpired between them, getting interrupted periodically by Kathy's ohhs and ahhs.

"Girl, he may be cheesy but I'm telling you – that boy likes you. He's definitely dropping hints. Why don't you think about it? I think you guys would make a great couple. You're both laid back, dedicated to your work and super friendly!"

Molly groaned. "But I didn't come here to get a boyfriend, I came to work! And besides, even if we did date, it wouldn't work out..."

"Why not? How do you know?"

"Kathy…," Molly said, hesitating. She had always wanted to ask Kathy more about her past, specifically about her mom but was always a bit afraid of bringing it up. Some people took a long time to get over certain experiences and she never wanted to give off the impression that she was trying to pry. Molly felt that this was a good moment, however, and continued on, hoping she didn't offend.

"Kathy, don't you ever wonder why your mom ran out on you guys? Like, I'm sure she loved you and your dad but even so…?" Molly said, trailing off. She glanced over at Kathy and heard her breath deeply through her nose.

"What's this all of a sudden?"

Molly shrugged, "It's not entirely random, but it's fine if you don't want to answer. I know it's a sensitive subject."

Kathy paused for a second before responding.

"Yeah, I wondered. Still do. We never saw it coming. She seemed as happy as could be until one day she just blew up and left with all of her stuff, never turning back. I was young, so I can't remember much, but I was happy so isn't that proof that I was loved by my parents and raised in a happy home? Dad says that mom must've been suffering by herself and that we just didn't notice it. He tends to blame himself, but I don't think it was his fault. I don't think it was anyone's fault, really. Mom just couldn't handle this life – she didn't want it. People change and that's just the way it is."

Molly frowned. She couldn't imagine how much pain Kathy and Hayden must've went through when her mom left and thought it was amazing that Kathy could speak so calmly about it.

"Aren't you ever...scared? That your future may end up similarly? Like you said, she was happy until she wasn't, how can we tell that something is going to go wrong? What are we supposed to do when people change?" Molly wasn't intending to get into this type of conversation but couldn't help it. She was seeking justification of her fears and seeking answers to them.

"Maybe, but not really. Sure, we can't stop people from changing but we can always do our best to understand them as they do. I don't hate mom for leaving us. I'm not saying it was right, but I'm sure she had her reasons. Although, I'm equally sure that if she had talked to dad about things, like if she hated living here, then I'm sure dad would've moved somewhere else with her rather than be separated. It was rough after she left but I'm still thankful for all of the happy memories she gave me. Dad says so too...he says he'd always choose a life with her in it, even if she were to leave, than a one where they were never together at all. I can kind of understand that. Even though sad things can happen, the happy memories will always make up for it as long as you choose to remember them that way."

The two sat in silence for awhile, each contemplating what was said.

Kathy broke the silence first by clearing her throat. "Woah, sorry, didn't mean to go off on a rant there."

"No, no! Sorry for asking all of a sudden." Molly said, laughing a bit awkwardly.

"Why'd you ask though?" Kathy questioned. She didn't mind but it was rather out of the blue.

"No, it's just...you mentioned Toby and…," Molly said, not really wanting to go into detail at the moment.

"Wait, is that what you're worried about, Molly?" Kathy asked, a bit incredulous. Did her disdain for relationships stem from fear rather than unwanted distractions?

Molly blushed, looking away. "N-no, it's just…," she said struggling to find some way to evade the conversation and was rescued from having to answer by Owen, who came to tell Kathy that the swimming contest was about to start.

"You got away this time, but don't think you're off the hook just yet," Kathy said, giving Molly a poke. "By the way, when are you going to take off that hoodie and let us see some skin? Aren't you hot?"

Molly hugged her hoodie closer. "I feel weird being in a bathing suit. Somehow it's weirder wearing it in front of people you know than it is for strangers..."

"Molly, look around you. Everyone's in a bathing suit, even Hamilton! And do you know why? Because it's hot. You're going to get heat stroke if you keep wearing that thing, just take it off!"

Molly pouted but obliged. She was feeling rather hot now that the sun was directly overhead and beating down on her overly-clothed body. She took her gray hoodie off to reveal a coral colored bikini with white seashells adorning the front. She never went to the beach back home so her bathing suit was actually the same one that she wore when she was in high school.

Owen, who had stayed silent until now, whistled as Molly's hoodie dropped to the ground. Both Kathy and her gave him a punch on the arm shouting, "Stop that!" in perfect unison.

"Ow!" Owen chuckled, obviously not hurt by their punches. "I'm just giving credit where credit is due. Not that I think you're anywhere near Kathy's level but I'm pretty biased so, you know."

"That did not make anything better," Molly said, glaring at him and crossing her arms, trying to cover up her chest.

"Sorry my boyfriend is an idiot," Kathy said rolling her eyes but obviously pleased by his indirect compliment. Molly just raised her eyebrows at the both of them and shook her head. She went back to their area and grabbed the sunscreen, letting Kathy know that she was going to borrow it. Molly sat there putting it on as she watched Kathy and Owen continue to stretch. She was so absorbed in thinking about the conversation with Kathy that she almost didn't hear someone come from behind and was surprised when someone plopped down next to her.

"Chase?! Oh my gosh, you scared me!" She said, dropping the bottle of sunscreen.

"Uh, sorry? Someone's out of it," Chase said, frowning as he wiped off a bit of sunscreen that had landed on his calf.

Molly sighed. "I guess I'm just tired."

"That makes two of us," Chase said reclining back on his hands and letting the sand run through his fingers. "I was up at 4 am creating my dish for the competition today."

"Oh, wow, that's early. You must want to win?" Asked Molly who was trying not to look in Chase's direction as he was only in his swimming trunks and consequently bare-chested.

"Well, when you enter a competition you enter to win, don't you? Plus, it's my chance since Yolanda is home with Maya today doing special training, not that it'll do her any good. I've never seen anyone so hopeless at cooking that Maya. Anyways, they both hate hot weather so they never come to this festival."

"That's a bit of a shame, although I didn't think you liked hot weather either?" Molly asked, remembering Chase complaining of the warm weather several times while she visited the bar.

"I don't, but like I said, with Yolanda out of the picture the cooking contest is mine to win. Plus, there are up sides to warmer weather," he said, glancing over at Molly in her bathing suit.

Molly, not having noticed this, kept talking as normal. "You must be confident, huh? Well, I look forward to tasting your dish later. It'd better not disappoint!"

"Please, how could I stand to disappoint you?" Chase said with a slight smile.

Not knowing how to respond, Molly turned her focus to getting Kathy's attention so that she could help her put on the rest of her sunscreen.

"Kathy!" Molly called out as they finished with their warm-up. "Can you put sunscreen on my back real quick?" Molly tossed her the bottle only to have Kathy catch it and toss it back over to Chase.

Kathy suddenly had an idea.

"Sorry, Molly. Owen and I need to get over to the start line, I don't have time. Since Chase is there, why not have him do it?" She said, grinning and quickly walking away with Owen in tow.

Molly stood up spluttering, asking, and failing, to get her to come back. She stood still, watching as everyone headed towards the ocean to spectate, completely unaware of the dilemma unfolding behind her.

Chase sat upright, clutching the sunscreen between his hands, a battle of good versus evil playing out within his head. Kathy just told him to put sunscreen on Molly's back. Her back, that was exposed...because she was wearing a bikini. He had to admit, part of the reason he came to sit next to Molly was to get a look at her in her swimsuit, not that he could actually completely face her due to his embarrassment.

Now he was given an opportunity that seemed too perfect to pass. But, did he actually dare? Would Molly even let him? If he said he would, would she look at him with disgust, thinking he was a pervert? Could this actually backfire? Was it even alright to put sunscreen on the back of a girl you weren't even dating? Would the Goddess smite him where he sat?

He slowly looked up at Molly, eyes trailing from her tiny ankles to the nape of her neck. He gulped. He just needed to stay his usual neutral self. If he didn't give anything away, it wouldn't become an issue, right?

"Uh, Molly? Do you want me to put it on or not? If you don't, you'll get sunburned and regret it later when you can't sleep on your back tonight. It happened to me before and I was uncomfortable for days. Although, you may not burn as easily as me…," he trailed off, trying to sound aloof but persuasive at the same time.

Molly didn't turn around right away, fiddling with the shorts she was still wearing over her bottoms.

Sensing discomfort, Chase backtracked, "Or, you could always wait for Kathy to come back, you could always just sit in the shade until then-."

"No, it's fine. It's not a big deal and you're right, I don't want to get sunburned. Actually, I burn pretty easily, so…," Molly said quickly sitting back down, back to Chase so that he wouldn't see her blushing face. He was right, she could just wait for Kathy and have her do it when she's done, but some unknown part of her wanted to accept his offer. It's not like he was a complete stranger, after all. She even felt like maybe they were becoming friends. Friends rubbing sunscreen on each other's backs was perfectly normal…right?

"Okay, sure," said Chase, shrugging like it was no big deal even though his ears felt like they were on fire. He squeezed a bit of sunscreen onto his hand and slowly moved towards Molly, putting it right on the center of her upper back, above her bikini strap.

As soon as she felt the sunscreen on her skin, she let out a small squeal of surprise. "It's cold!"

Chase looked up to see her turned in his direction, ever so slightly, her cheeks brilliantly flushed. He felt a jolt go through him which caused his hand to slip and smack flat against her back.

"Chase?!" Molly jumped, surprised.

"S-Sorry, my hand slipped," he stuttered, proceeding to rub in the sunscreen and trying to finish quickly. This was turning out to be far more dangerous than he thought it would be.

They both sat in silence, hearts thumping against their chests as Chase finished applying the sunscreen, closing the bottle with a click of the cap.

"Alright, I'm done."

Molly turned around and took the bottle, placing it back in Kathy's bag, being careful not to look in Chase's direction lest her face give away her nervousness.

"T-thanks. I appreciate it," she said politely, coming back to sit next to Chase, albeit a bit further away than before.

"No problem," he said in response, clearing his throat. They both sat in silence until, feeling too awkward, turned towards each other.

"-Um!"

"-Uh"

Before they could get anything else out, a whistle rang shrilly in the background, signaling the start of the swimming competition. Molly stood up suddenly and started to walk away.

"Oh no, they've already started! Kathy'll kill me if I don't cheer her on. Are you coming?" she asked, turning back to look at him.

"No, you go ahead, I'll stay here."

"Okay…," she said and ran off towards where they were racing.

Chase let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and flopped back onto the towel, lying down. He was going to have to get back at Kathy for this somehow. Chase blew his bangs out of his face and moved onto his side, watching Molly cheer for Kathy.

He knew he was on a dangerous path and traveling at a dangerous speed. It was like the mine cart ride from the Garmon mines to town – it was so intense it almost gave you indigestion and there was nothing you could do to stop it. You just continued to hurl down towards the end at break-neck speeds. However, unlike the ride where he knew once it was over with he'd arrive safely at the church grounds, this ride's final destination was completely obscure.

Part of him wanted to step on the brakes and head back towards safety. After all, he wasn't really one for thrills but the other part of him, the part that was afraid of regret, was curious to see what the final destination would be like. He rubbed the back of his neck feeling weary and got up, heading over to the cooking booth to start setting up his tasting plates.

Molly glanced back at their spot and saw that Chase had gotten up and left. She wondered if anyone had noticed how red her face was as she ran over to cheer on Kathy. She wondered if letting him do that was the best decision since now she didn't know how he'd be able to face him next. It was more embarrassing than the time that Owen had kissed her. How a kiss, no matter how drunken, could be less embarrassing than just some sunscreen on the back, Molly didn't know, but now she had to get the sensation of Chase's fingertips trailing against her shoulder blades out of her head.

She sighed, sinking into a low squat as Kathy and the rest came swimming in towards the finish line. She wondered if she was being too overly-conscious of not just Chase but Toby as well and determined that it would only make matters worse if she acted differently. So, she decided that she would go about as normal and hopefully, in doing so, their relationship would go back to normal as well.

The swimming contest ended with Kathy coming in third after Owen and surprisingly, Selena, who took first. Everyone gathered around Selena, congratulating her and praising her swimming skills. Selena, who didn't look like she was used to so much attention, despite being a dancer, blushed slightly, avoiding everyone's eyes and kept saying "it's only natural, I grew up on a tropical island, after all."

Luke was among the crowd of people and came up to Selena, reaching his hand in the air for a high-five. When she didn't immediately return the gesture, he grabbed her wrist and slapped their hands together by force.

"Ouch! Luke, that hurt!" Selena exclaimed, rubbing her palm.

"You got Luke's extra hyped up high-five, 'cause that was DYNAMITE!" he said, pumping both fists into the air.

Selena looked confused but not displeased as she stepped away, still cradling her hand.

Luke then headed towards Molly, eyes taking in her swimsuit along the way.

"Hey, Molly, what's up? You gonna come watch me and Bo dominate the volleyball tournament later?"

"I guess so, but don't be shocked when I don't cheer for you," Molly retorted, raising an eyebrow teasingly. "Don't forget that Kathy and Owen are entering, too."

Luke clicked his tongue dismissively. "Owen might have muscles but they can't beat mine and Bo's teamwork. Everyone will be amazed at our brother power!"

Molly laughed as she spotted Bo in the background, rolling his eyes.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see about that. Are you going to come see the cooking contest?" Molly asked.

"Heck yeah, what beats free food?"

"True that," Kathy said, coming up behind the both of them and swinging an arm around Molly's shoulder, leading the way. Once they got a few steps ahead of everyone, she whispered into Molly's ear.

"So, how'd you enjoy the massage session with Chase?"

Molly, terribly embarrassed, punched Kathy in the side, telling her to be quiet. Kathy coughed, massaging the spot where she was hit.

"Geez, no need to get violent. I was doing you a favor," she said, smiling mischievously.

"What favor? That was torture." Molly said, face as red as a tomato.

Kathy laughed until her eyes were watering.

"Sorry, sorry, but you should see you two at the bar, you know, all shy and avoiding each other's gazes. Dad said so too. I guess it's not just Toby whose eye you've caught. Now the question is – which one of them has caught your eye?" She asked with a cheeky grin.

"We are not talking about this right now. Besides, I've already told you, I'm not looking for a boyfriend!" Molly sighed, suddenly tired. "Please stop trying to be a matchmaker."

"You may not be looking for one but it doesn't mean that it'll stop one from looking for you. Someday you're going to have to stop running away."

Molly stopped, shrugging Kathy's arm away. "I'm not running away."

Kathy sighed but didn't say anything besides, "Sorry, sorry, I'm just fooling around. Now come on, if we're too slow we won't get any food!"

Molly, along with the rest of the villagers, went to each contestant's tasting booth to taste and judge their dishes. How the contest worked was that everyone was free to taste a bit of each contestant's dish and at the end they write on a piece of paper who they thought was best and handed it in to Gill, who then counted the total and decided the places that way.

Molly separated herself from Kathy and the group so that she wouldn't have to get teased when she made it to Chase's booth. She surprisingly had a hard time getting through the amount of people standing in front of his booth to even get a taste, though.

"Wow, you're popular," she said squeezing past Taylor and Chloe who had Chase's dish in one hand and an ice pop in the other, the only hint to her embarrassment being the slight flush on her cheeks.

"My food's popular, which is the biggest compliment a chef can get, really," he said, handing her a small plate and wondering if the redness on her cheek was a blush or sunburn.

"It looks delicious, what is it?" she asked, taking a bite and giving her approval with a small Mm!

"Chicken cassoulet. It's normally a winter dish but I adapted the ingredients to fit the theme. Lots of fresh herbs, perfectly ripe tomatoes, crisp salad and tender cold chicken. So, what do you think?" he said, smiling as she took a big last bite.

"You weren't lying when you said you'd win, this is amazing! Everything is so fresh."

"Well, when your neighbor has the best crops in town…," he said, giving credit to Craig's produce.

Molly sighed in envy. "I hope my crops will be as good as his one day."

"They will be and when they are, I hope you'll let me cook with them," he said, genuinely interested.

Molly smiled and laughed, saying in a British accent, "What an honor it would be to let my humble crops give themselves up in service for any of your dishes, sir Chase."

"Truly a fitting end for such brave produce, I will make sure their noble services are not in vain, m'lady," he said giving a slight bow, his mouth twitching.

Molly gave him a look, amused that he was playing along and silently took her leave as others came up to get a taste of his cooking.

Once she and the other villagers voted the winners were announced (Chase taking first place, as he predicted) and she went to go buy some food from one of the stalls while waiting for the beach volleyball tournament to start. It was almost 6 pm so she getting rather hungry and felt much better after eating some yakisoba.

Kathy, Owen, Luke and Bo were sitting next to her snacking until after the event was finished. There were only four teams of two participating so the finalists would be decided after the first round.

Kathy and Owen, as well as Luke and Bo, came out victorious after the first round which meant that they would be facing each other in the finals. Luke and Bo went off somewhere while Kathy and Owen came to sit by Molly and take a break before their next match.

"Good game," Molly said, handing them their water bottles.

"Thanks," said Kathy gratefully, taking the bottle from her and chugging it down.

"Now you'll have to face them," Molly said, smiling as she pointed Luke and Bo out, who were doing some crazy stretch moves on the rocks near the edge of the beach. Kathy rolled her eyes while Owen shrugged and flexed his muscles as if to say they were no match for his guns. They continued to talk to each other for a few minutes before hearing a loud OUCH from their right.

Multiple people within the vicinity snapped their heads around and saw Bo lying in the sand, holding his ankle. Molly had barely gotten two steps in before she saw Jin coming around with his first-aid kit. A few of them had gathered around Bo as Jin examined his foot.

"Seems like it's just a sprain, thankfully," Jin declared, starting to wrap his ankle.

"But, but, I'm in the volleyball tournament," Bo said, wincing.

"Absolutely not. You are in no state to play. Sorry, but you'll have to drop out."

Bo and Luke turned towards each other, frowning.

"What should we do? You have to have two people in order to play…," Bo said, looking up sadly at Luke. "Sorry, Luke..."

Luke came and patted him on the shoulder, "No problem. It was my fault anyways, I probably shouldn't have made us do stretches over here. Since we need two people, I guess I'll just have to-"

Luke stopped mid-sentence when his eyes landed on Molly and he set his fist down on his palm saying, "Ah-ha!"

Molly threw her hands in front of her, already anticipating his thoughts.

"No, no, no, no, no," she said, taking a step back.

"Aw, come on, Molly, you heard 'em. I need one more person to play or else I'll have to forfeit. You're fit, you're a farmer, can't you help a friend out?" Luke asked, pleadingly.

Everyone stared at Molly at this point, making it very hard for her to say no. Luke asked again, grabbing one of her hands and staring at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Ugh...fine," she said, finally giving in. Luke, along with a few others who were around, cheered and, after making sure Bo was fixed up, headed back towards the net to play the final game.

"Guess our opponent has changed, but that doesn't mean that we'll go easy on you," Kathy said, giving her a high-five through her side of the net.

"Just the way we want it!" Luke said, slapping Molly on the shoulder. She shot him a glare and heaved a long sigh. How does she always get caught up in these things? Not wanting to pull a muscle, Molly started doing some warm-up stretches and looked out at the crowd. Thankfully, it seemed like people were just sitting around the court area rather than actually paying that much attention, but she still felt very much exposed – in more ways than one.

As she looked out at the crowd her eyes met with Toby's who was sitting next to his uncle and cousin. They all waved and smiled big for her, Paolo cheering, "Go for it, Molly!"

She waved back, a bit shyly and kept looking around. She wondered if Chase had decided to stay after the cooking contest and thought that he had already went home until she saw him by the stairs by the docks. Their eyes met and he waved, mouthing out the words G-O-O-D L-U-C-K.

She flashed a small thumbs up and turned around, suddenly self-conscious.

"What're you looking at?" Luke asked, coming up behind her.

"Nothing," she said a bit too quickly, earning a suspicious look from Luke. "Are you ready?"

He narrowed his eyes in Chase's direction.

"I'm always ready. Let's do this," Luke said, bringing his hands up and signaling her for a high-five. Molly sighed but smiled. It may be a bother but it's not like she actually disliked volleyball. Molly had to stand on her tiptoes to reach his hands as he was so much taller than she was. She gave him a hard high-five and they both came back, smiling and ready to fight until the end. Molly didn't look it, but she was actually rather competitive.

The game was played without too many incidents except for when Luke fell on top of Molly claiming to have dived for the ball the same time as she did. Whether or not she believed him wasn't the problem, rather it was the fact that his hand landed directly on her butt when he fell over. He apologized afterwards saying it was an accident but that didn't erase the embarrassment Molly felt over someone 'accidentally' feeling up her butt. Despite that, it was a fun game and after some long final rallies between the two teams, it was Kathy and Owen who triumphed in the end.

All four of them shook each other's hands, saying good job and rather out of breath.

"That was pretty intense. I didn't expect you to be that good at volleyball," Owen said, referring to Molly.

Molly, slightly indignant, said, "What's that supposed to mean? I don't look athletic to you?"

"I didn't mean that," Owen said defensively.

Molly laughed and waved him off. "I'm just joking. Actually, I was on the volleyball team in middle school and played a bit on the weekends when I was in college so it's not like I have no experience at all."

Luke, Owen and Kathy all nodded their heads, impressed by the new information.

The people around them started trickling back to their spots, getting prepared for the fireworks which were due to start in half an hour's time.

Molly spent quite a bit of time trying to brush all of the sand off of her body while they talked as it was starting to get itchy.

Kathy started to do the same but gave up quite early on. "This is going to take forever if we do this by hand," she said gesturing to the both of them. "Why don't we go wash off in the ocean then dry off and change before the fireworks start?"

"Great idea!" Owen and Luke said, immediately heading towards the water.

Molly took a step back, not liking the direction the conversation had turned in.

"You guys go ahead. I don't really want to get wet...I'll just keep brushing myself off back by our towels."

She started to head back towards their spot, ignoring Owen and Kathy's 'boos' until she was suddenly lifted off of the ground and flung over Luke's shoulder like a sack of flour.

"Luke!" she almost screamed, frightened from the motion. How in the world could he lift her so easily like that?!

"Stop being such a party-pooper, Molly. What good is a swimsuit if you don't use it for swimming?" he said, holding on tightly to her back and thighs as she struggled to get loose.

Molly struggled hard to get loose. Not only did she dislike the way he was handling her (just where did he get off touching her so casually – not to mention that his hand was getting dangerously close to her butt...again!) but she was also rather terrified of being thrown in the water so suddenly like this. The sun was already set and the water shone, dangerously dark and incredibly calm. Molly knew there wasn't a danger of drowning this time but she certainly didn't want to have a panic attack in front of the entire town.

"Luke! Put me down, right now!" she said, struggling to free herself from his grip. "This isn't funny!"

"What's the harm in getting a little wet? I'll teach you what fun is." Luke said, taking another step towards the sea.

Molly looked around in desperation. He wasn't going to understand and how could he, she admonished herself. It's not like he knew she had aquaphobia. It's not like anyone knew, except…

That's right, Toby! Toby knew and maybe if she called out to him he'd get her out of this pinch without having to explain everything. She looked around, straining her eyes to try and find his silver hair which she knew would be gleaming in the moonlight, but she couldn't. She lowered her head, heart beating frantically against her chest and resigned to herself to her fate.

This was her fault for not being open and trusting her friends to understand her feelings. She squeezed her eyes shut, her eyes starting to water as she braced herself.

"Luke, didn't you hear Molly? She doesn't want to go in the water. Put her down."

Molly's eyes flew open and she turned around with difficulty.

"...Toby?" she whispered, all of her tension suddenly disappearing with hearing his calm and steady voice. However, that reliable voice had a bit more of an edge to it at the moment than it normally did.

"It's fine, Toby. She doesn't really mean-," Luke started, but was cut off by Toby, lightly gripping one of the arms holding Molly captive.

"I think she did mean it. Right, Molly?" he said, finally making eye contact with her and giving her a quick, small smile.

Was Molly imagining it or did Toby actually look angry?

"T-that's right. I mean it, Luke, so put me down!" she said, slapping his back as if to emphasize the point.

"You really should put her down," Kathy said, chiming in. She had gotten back out of the water as soon as she'd heard the edge of panic start in Molly's voice.

Luke grunted and gently put her back on the ground. "I was just trying to have some fun, no need to gang up on me guys, geez."

Molly's legs buckled as she was set back down and she sank to the ground, Toby catching her arm and guiding her down, kneeling to sit beside her.

"Are you alright, Molly?" Toby asked, concerned etched into every part of his face. Molly gave him a weak smile and sighed.

"Yeah, my legs just gave out on me is all. I'll be fine in a second."

"Wait, Molly, what's going on? Are you okay?" Came Kathy's voice as she too kneeled beside her. Owen was out of the water by now as well and soon, all four of them were huddled around her.

It was now or never, Molly decided as she looked up and focused on Kathy's face.

"It's fine, I'm just…," she sighed, taking in a shaky breath. Why it was so hard to say this she wasn't sure, but she knew it was the right time to start everyone or else she'd have to keep avoiding these types of scenarios her entire life. "I'm...afraid of water. I...panic when I'm submerged in water so...I always avoid swimming or going near the water..."

Kathy and Owen exchanged a surprised look between the two of them. Luke, suddenly aware of what his actions had caused, felt devastated.

"Molly, I...I'm so sorry, I had no idea...I-," Luke said, stuttering a bit.

"It's fine, Luke. I know you didn't have any ill intentions. I never told you anyways..."

"So when you almost drowned awhile ago, that was because…?" Kathy asked, placing a hand on her knee.

"That...was a bit different, but yeah. I can swim, as in I took swimming lessons before, but now I…," she stopped, not ready to get into the rest of the story. "Anyways, I don't like the water and now you know. We're good so you can stop looking like that, Luke."

Luke's face was all regret as he realized how much he must have scared her. Molly sighed and got up, Toby's hand still on her arm. She turned to him and told him she was alright to walk on her own.

"It's fine. I'll walk you over to your stuff," he said and gave her a reassuring squeeze. He was glad Molly told them of her phobia but a part of him was a bit sad that it wasn't just him now that knew her secret.

"Wait, did Toby know?" Luke asked Molly, acting as if Toby wasn't directly next to her.

Molly blushed, aware of how the situation might have seemed and Luke's insinuating question.

"I did," Toby answered and an awkward silence befell the group until Kathy broke it, grabbing both Owen and Luke and leading them towards the water.

"Let's go finish washing off. Toby, we'll leave Molly to you. Thanks," she said, squeezing Luke's arm as he made a noise of protest. "And I'll talk to you later," she said, addressing Molly this time. Molly reassured her that she'd talk to her tomorrow and allowed Toby to guide her away.

"Sorry about that...and thanks," she told Toby quietly as they made their way back to get her stuff.

"You don't need to apologize. I'm just glad I noticed in time." Toby replied, looking ahead. If he was being honest, he was still quite upset as he remembered witnessing Luke flinging Molly on his back and Molly herself, protesting against him. As soon as he had registered what was happening he found his feet moving of their own accord and running to make sure he stopped him in time.

"I'm glad you did...I was actually looking for you and had given up when you suddenly showed up behind me."

"You were looking for me?" Toby asked, his chest suddenly feeling strange.

"Yeah, you're...I mean, you were the only person who knew that I was afraid of water, so..."

They arrived back at her spot and she started gathering her items. Toby watched her silently as she did so, feeling happy that she would look for him when she needed help. When did her existence cause his emotions to be so erratic, he wondered? When did her smile be all that he needed to feel as if he was the luckiest man in the world? When did a simple high-five with another man make him feel so jealous? When did her panicked voice make him feel so desperate?

He kept watching her in silence and noticed that her hands were still shaking, ever so slightly as she packed things away. Molly stood up and turned towards him, gripping her sweatshirt so that Toby wouldn't notice how her hands were trembling.

"I'd like to stay for the whole fireworks show, but I think I should head back soon…," Molly said, smiling somewhat sadly. She would've liked to have stayed to watch the whole thing but really didn't want to be interrogated by Luke or whoever else may have witnessed their earlier exchange.

"I understand. Shall I walk you home?" Toby asked, putting his hand on the small of her back, protectively. Molly was going to respond but stopped as she noticed Chase walking quickly towards them.

"Molly, are you okay? I saw you collapse on the beach earlier as I was packing up my food…," Chase said, eyes taking in the position of Toby's hand.

"I'm fine," Molly said, trying not to get too deep into a conversation at this point. "I'll...I'll explain some other time. I think I'm going to head back now though."

"Oh, I was going to do the same," Chase said, not mentioning the fact that he was hurrying to pack up in hopes that he could sit by Molly when the fireworks started. "I'll walk you home."

At this point, Toby took a step forward, still keeping his hand on Molly's back. "I was just going to walk Molly home, but thanks for the concern."

Chase and Toby stood staring at one another, trying to gauge how stubborn the other may be, while Molly stood awkwardly between them trying to process just exactly what was happening. Just as she was going to say that she could walk home by herself, Gill came running up to them, panting and out of breath.

Molly wondered if this was perhaps a dream and if Gill was going to offer to escort her back home as well. What Gill said instead almost made her collapse onto the ground again.

"Molly, I just got a call from your mother at Town Hall because she couldn't get through to your landline. You'll want to go home and pack, it's your father. Apparently, he's been in an accident and he's at the hospital now."

Toby and Chase looked at Gill and back towards Molly who's eyes were round in disbelief.

"W-what?" she said, clutching at her sweatshirt as the first of several fireworks exploded loudly above their heads.

KA-BOOM.