Late in the morning, Ash found himself leaning against Cam's table by the cafe. Lillian hadn't yet finished with her chores, assuming she was busy tending to her plants. Ash didn't know very much about plants, but it seemed like it took up a lot of time in the day. He looked back and watched Cam trim the petals on a rose carefully.
"Why must you watch everything I do, Ash?" Cam asked, not looking up from his flower trimming.
Ash laughed, of course Cam would feel his stare. He tried to think up a lie, but on the spot lies were hard to think up. "I was just thinking," he decided to say. No doubt Cam would be able to see through any lie he could think up.
Cam's eyes flicked up to the other boy. "A little vague, are we?"
Ash shrugged, and Cam's eyes returned to his plant. Ash stretched a little, "It wasn't a lie," he told Cam. And it technically was the truth. After a few minutes of silence, Ash decided to ask what was on his mind. "Are plants difficult to care for?"
Cam's brow raised and he stopped mid-trim to glance up at his friend. Ash wasn't ever really much of a plant-lover, and he never really showed any interest in plants either, so this was a first for the two. Cam recalled Ash asking something similar when they were kids. Cam had found a beautiful red rose growing on the mountain, but Ash wasn't quite as impressed as Cam was. While carrying the rose back, Ash had asked "Is the rose hard to grow? Is that why you like it so much?" Cam had shook his head and let Ash wonder. This time, Cam wanted to answer him truthfully.
"Some are, yes. Plants are like people, they're all different."
"Could I," Ash paused, wondering how to ask what was on his mind. Cam waited patiently until Ash finally asked, "could I try and grow something?"
Cam was in a slight shock, wondering what had changed in the boy to make him want to try his hand at plants. But he nodded anyway. He grabbed the tools he would need, gave him set instructions, and hoped for the best. They were both hoping for the best. Ash would hate to disappoint his friend, and Cam would hate to see Ash discouraged by a dead plant.
Within an hour later, Lillian had finished weeding her plants and had joined the two boys by the flower stand, chatting and such. It was a wonderful day, and the three eventually decided to close up shop and do some fishing or bug catching. The early afternoon was an excellent time to catch bugs, as Ash had boasted. And it turns out, Ash was correct. The base of the mountain was bursting with wildlife. Ash and Lillian set about catching the insects, while Cam creeped along the creek bed for fish to catch.
Ash was also full of questions today, and with Lillian in mid-jump to capture a butterfly, he spoke up again. "At the end of the season, would you move to Konohana?" Lillian missed the butterfly and lost her balance, winding up falling at an awkward angle. From off to the side, Cam paused in his hand-fishing and glanced at her. She laughed, embarrassed, and Cam resumed his fishing.
Lillian looked up at Ash, who was watching quietly, no doubt waiting for an answer. But Lillian didn't really have an answer for herself. She hadn't thought of moving to Konohana, at first it was almost a dream, but now it was becoming something to stress about. There were a little less than two weeks left in the month, and eventually she needed to make a decision. She also needed to ask Phillip about it too. For now, Lillian simply shrugged and told Ash that she didn't know yet. Cam was eavesdropping shamelessly, and began to wonder if she wanted to move. She would have better soil there for her plants, and it's not like she particularly loved animals. Cam looked down at his reflection in the water. She would be happier there, he thought to himself and vowed not to stand in her way.
Cam picked up his bucket of fish and joined the other two. He mumbling a lie about remembering something Laney needed to excuse himself. Lillian nodded and let him leave the trio. Ash watched his retreating figure, knowing fully that Cam's excuse was a lie. But he wasn't so sure why he felt he needed to lie to his friends. Ash pushed the thoughts from his mind and he and Lillian went back to bug hunting.
Cam marched into the cafe, setting his bucket outside to protect the building from the smell of fish. Howard was behind the counter, and Laney was nowhere to be seen. Cam sat at one of the tables with a little sigh.
"What's troubling you, Cam dear?" Howard asked, propping his elbows on the counter and resting his head on his hands. Howard was always a sucker for rumors and drama. Cam would rarely indulge the man, knowing that if he told him, the town would know within an hour of Cam telling him.
"Just thinking," Cam told him, not really one to open up about his personal thoughts.
Howard decided to let it drop, glancing at his watch. "Oh, I hope Lillian comes by soon. I put a request for a piece of lumber and she told me she would bring it over later. It's getting a little late, I hope I can finish fixing the leak before five." Cam wasn't surprised, Howard was always trying to be the man of the household and fix things.
"You know I could do it, Howard," Cam offered. It was the least he could do for Howard and Laney after they've taken him in for so many years. Cam knew Howard wouldn't let him do the repairs, but he always offered anyway.
As expected, Howard went into his speech of how he was the man in charge, and how he had to do things himself. Cam didn't mind. In truth, he had no idea how to fix a leak anyway. So he excused himself and retreated to his room. He sat on the narrow twin sized bed and, for the first time in awhile, picked up one of the framed pictures from his nightstand. It was a picture from his past, before he got ill and his family moved him down here to live with a family friend, Howard. The city air was toxic for him. His younger sister stayed, though, and he hadn't heard from any of his family in a little under a year. This wasn't very disheartening for him, he did miss his family, but he had come to learn that blood didn't always mean family in your heart. He had Laney, Howard, Jessica, Ash, and even Cheryl. They had become his closest friends and family to him in the past thirteen years of living here.
Not wanting to stir up any more feelings, he sat the picture back down where he had it; faced down on the table where he wouldn't have to see it but wouldn't feel guilty for throwing it away.
Phillip and Reina were having a much better afternoon that the Bluebell bunch. Phillip decided to take her out for tea at Yun's, and they sat out on the porch enjoying the weather. Phillip was observing a redbird buzz past them when Reina broke the silence that had been sitting between them for quite some time. "Have you heard any from your sister?"
Phillip turned and caught her eye for a moment before turning back to the trees. He shook his head. He didn't really mind it, Lillian would surely write him or visit him eventually, wouldn't she? She owed him that much. "I anticipate her writing to me one of these days."
"Won't you see her tomorrow though?" Reina asked, sipping her warm tea. It was a nice afternoon for tea, and she was glad she decided to accompany him today. She was a little worried as to what this afternoon was to him, though. She didn't see it as a date, more as a friendly chat.
Phillip remembered that tomorrow was the cooking fest and he groaned. "Right, the cooking thing. I forgot." He cringed, wondering what he was going to do now. Last time had ended so horribly, he made Pierre vomit! He could only hope that he might find some books in the town hall library that may serve good use to him.
"Every week," she reminded him and smiled a little, seeing him be so against it made her laugh a little. "Maybe we could ask Yun or Nori to mentor us. We were the reason we lost last time."
Phillip nodded, "that is true, we should ask Nori for help." Nori was such a domestic wonder, she sewed, cooked, cleaned, and looked after Gombe. One day, Phillip knew she would make a husband very happy. He was a little reluctant to bother the woman, though. "Is she busy?"
Reina shrugged. "I am not familiar with her schedule, but we can stop by to chat with her and see."
Phillip didn't want to bug the woman, but he agreed anyway and the two paid for their tea and left. The pair eventually found themselves sitting at Gombe and Nori's table later. Nori had gracefully accepted teaching them to cook, and she set out a list of instructions for the two.
"You will need these ingredients, I am sure it will be easy for you, Reina. Most of the ingredients are natural plants and herbs," Nori said with a smile.
Reina nodded a bit, promising to see if she could find any of the required items. Phillip looked down his own list and noticed the majority of it was crops. He could handle that! His crops were due to be harvested tomorrow, so he could prepare his dish after his work was finished. Nori gave them some last minute instructions and tips, and the two set out to gather the items they needed. Reina found all her herbs, unsurprisingly. Phillip figured she knew the mountain better than anyone, especially where certain plants grew and didn't. Phillip gathered what he could and left the rest for the morning.
It was late now, and the crickets chirped loudly from the bushes. The stars in the sky were peeking out and the sun had recently set behind the mountains to the west. Reina shuffled her feet awkwardly, wondering what was going to happen next? What do people usually do when saying goodnight?
Phillip wasn't really sure either, but standing in front of Reina made him happy, even if they were both feeling awkward. He didn't want to make Reina uncomfortable, so he offered her a light, one-armed hug before racing off to his own farm. Reina barely had time to accept and return the hug before he shot off, leaving her in front of her house with a shocked expression. She was growing quite fond of the troublesome boy that she had been asked to tutor about growing crops. She sent a silent thanks to the Goddess and Ina for giving her the opportunity, and went inside.
The next day, most of the Bluebell and Konohana were up before sunrise, bustling with excitement for the cooking festival. The Bluebell folk had to be up early to tend to their animals and, for Lillian, her measly amount of crops that her farm allowed room for. Lillian had a busy schedule of milking her cows, brushing and ushering them out into the pasture, then making sure that Annabelle had done her part of taking the chickens out. Of course, her cat wouldn't let her down, and she exited the barn to see Annabelle stretched out on the fence casually. She let out a meow upon seeing her owner.
Lillian smiled at the cat, giving her a quick pet before running into the chicken house to collect her eggs for the day without the commotion of angry chickens at her heels. Returning to her house, she did an inventory of all her ingredients, wondering what she should make for the day. After deciding on a recipe, she set about turning the pictures on the page of a cookbook into a lovely meal that would definitely win first prize for her town. There was no way she would let her cooking-impaired brother win this time or any other time. This one was personal, she thought to herself with a little smirk as her tray went into the oven and she set her timer.
A knock at her door had her slipping off her apron and laying it on a nearby chair for later. She answered the door, surprised to see Laney standing before her. "Good morning! I was wondering if you were going to compete today and if you have everything you need," Laney said pleasantly. She gave Lillian a beaming smile.
Lillian wasn't sure how to reply, wondering if the entire town was convinced she couldn't do anything for herself. "I am competing, yes. And I'm almost finished with my dish," she told the blonde. Laney nodded slowly, and Lillian finished telling the blonde that she didn't require assistance.
Laney wasn't offended, she smiled again and said, "we know you don't. But don't be afraid to ask for help, Lillian."
Lillian wondered why she bothered to come by in the first place if she knew Lillian didn't need help. Laney bid her goodbye to start making her own dish, and Lillian closed the door, sighing. Bluebell was a strange place, she admitted. The people were strangely into everyone's business and she wasn't sure if she'd come to accept that yet.