So this is it, the fourth chapter :o I never thought I would finish it. I have been very busy this summer and am SO sorry for taking this long. I really hope the next chapter will be up quicker as I would like to get the majority of the story done before school starts.
Chapter 4It didn't take long to gather all of my stuff. I hadn't even brought a suitcase full, other then cloths what was I suppose to bring? Everything I had once loved to do in the city seemed inappropriate for a farm. Ipods, satellite dishes, they just didn't seem to fit in. I probably wouldn't be able to fit a satellite dish in my suitcase anyways…
I buckled up my bag and glanced down at my watch. It was almost ten o'clock in the morning, there was still plenty of time to kill before the boat left back to the city. I let my legs cave and sunk to the floor. It was dusty, and grimy, but there wasn't a single chair in the house I was going to attempt to sit on. The legs on the kitchen chairs looked so old and eaten away by termites, there was a large chance any signifigent amount of weight would have made them collapse. For know, the floor would do just fine. I sighed; sitting here on the floor for four hours was going to get pretty boring. In that time I could say goodbye to people, taken a walk, hell that knows what I would have done. I didn't choose to do any of them, all I did was sit there and listen to the ticking of my watch, that, and the sounds of my heavy breathing echoing through the empty space, were the only noises that I heard for almost 3 hours.
I was just about to crack from the seemingly ever-lasting silence when a sudden shrill bark awoke me from my trance. I could feel the hairs on my neck raise as another loud bark echoed throughout the small room. It went on barking like that for at least ten minutes before I became so indescribably annoyed I couldn't take it any more. It may have meant leaving my now comfortable spot on the hard floor but I was willing to do ANYTHING to shut this barking menace up. I crawled over to the door and pushed it open.
The sun was now at it's brightest, and the sight of such a sharp light on my eyes made me cringe. I blinked, trying to get used to the awful light, when I spotted the annoying canine that had been causing all the racket. He was small with cute floppy ears and an adorable red bandana tied around his neck. I might of thought he was cute if he hadn't been driving me up a wall for the past ten minutes. It was only after I could properly see through the sun again that I noticed the dog was frothing at the mouth. And he had his hackles up. I wasn't an expert in dogs by any means, but by the sight of him I could tell he was not very happy. I stood there. Petrified to go any closer, from the fear that this dog would scratch me, or worse, bite! He let out another howl followed by a serried of unmistakably angry growls.
After ANOTHER five minutes of this, I worked up enough courage to move closer. I took one step, towards him. My now asleep legs threatening to collapse underneath the weight. I smiled, maybe if I looked calmer or nicer. He might stop looking at me like he would attack at any minute. I was wrong. As soon as I started cooing at him to come over, or, "be a good puppy" he started bolting towards me, teeth barred and ready to attack. My first instinct was to run, I was close to the house maybe six feet away, but as I turned to escape to safety, my legs collapsed. I fell hard on my right ankle, and pain seared through my hole body, immobilizing my ability to put any weight on it what so ever. I started to crawl on one foot and slowly reached the door. He just reached me as I slammed the door and sat safely in the comfort of my little brown house. I gasped for breath as the darkness once again engulfed the little room. I reached down and gingerly touched my ankle. I yelped as pain shot through my leg. A lone tear ran down my cheek as I tried to get up on as one foot. I reached my hand out for the wall and tried to steady myself. it hurt so much. I pressed my head against the door, listening to see if the dog had finally left. I couldn't hear anything, and after a little while I opened the door and gasping in pain, started hobbling towards what I remembered to be the doctors clinic.
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I stared down pathetically at the pink cast that know covered the majority of my foot, and shin. "Stupid dog" I mumbled under my breath, knowing it was mainly my fault. I peered down at my watch, to find it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. "shit" I said quietly, not wanting the well mannered nurse to here my potty language. The boat had left almost half an hour ago. Unless I swam home, there was no hope in me getting back to the city, at least not today.
I sighed, and wiped the sweaty hair off my cheek well trying to remember the next boat schedule to the city. Was it Tuesday? Or was the next one Thursday? Shit, I didn't have time for this; I could check the schedule on the way home… if I ever got home. Lets see, if it was three o'clock now that meant that the doctor had been gone for almost an hour, trying to find a suitable pair of crutches for my bony arms. I fell back on the hard white bed I was sitting on, mainly from frustration, but partly from sadness. I was finally going to get to see my parents and now this! I let out an angry growl just as the nurse appeared in the room with a pair of old crutches (finally)
After almost another hour of trying to learn to walk with two pieces of wood stuck in my armpits, I was on my way home. The doctors office wasn't that far from my house, but with a broken ankle I thought the walk would never end. With each step my armpits grew sorer, and me a little more pissed. After two streets I stopped and took a break. Only one more block down and then I could relax and take it easy. I shut my eyes and thought of my mom and how she would have fussed over me if she saw me now. I had been treated like a princess when I just got a cold, a broken ankle and I'd probably give her a heart attack. All I wanted to do now was go ho-
" Claire? What happened to you" my eyes snapped open and I stumbled backwards landing flat on my but. I peered up to see it was Gray. He looked worried and a little scared.
" oh my god Gray you scared the crap out of me" I said blushing madly as I tried to get up without injuring myself even more. " I uhh, I broke my ankle, no biggy" I stared at the ground trying to hide how embarrassed I was. No biggy? I must be losing my mind to say something like no biggy.
" Are you alright?" he asked now looking even more concerned, " how did you break it"
I finally stopped wobbling even to tell him all about the big "dog" event. Even when I finished telling him he didn't laugh, he actually looked sad.
"your leaving?" he asked obviously trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. " I thought you were here for good… I didn't think you would wimp out THAT easily."
I stared it him trying to figure out if I should be insulted. " well… I wouldn't really call it wimping out" I said a little angrily " I just don't think it's for me"
"Yah right" he said almost laughing, "your like, the toughest girl I know. Not to mention stubborn. You and farming were made for each other."
"I'm only human Gray god, I cant do everything. I hate it here, I hate this farm I hate my house. I never liked work, I hate dirt I just want to go HOME."
"I can't believe your saying this, you really want to quit? Just like that? What about all the work you've done so far." He said his expression turning from disappointment to disbelief.
"Open your eyes Gray" I said angrily "I haven't done ANYTHING, I can't do anything. This isn't right it's not me. I can't farm worth a damn, I would think it was obvious".
" Fine then, go be like every other stuck up bitch princess that decides life is to hard and give up, I have only known you for a few days but in that time I have figured out that you are not one to give up, why all the sudden are you acting like a big priss, what happened to the girl I saw on the mountain." He shouted.
I didn't say anything. Everything he was saying was true, but at the time, I didn't want to believe it.
"You know what fine, I don't care go be a stuck up snob. Let mommy and daddy solve everything. Don't expect any sympathy from me." He finished, his face now red with anger.
" Well… fine…. I will." It sounded stupid but I didn't care. I sighed and grabbed my crutches. Pain surged through my aching arms. I went a few feet then turned my head back. He was still standing there watching me hobble away. But he looked sad, and even after all the yelling, after what he had called me. I knew I was going to miss him.
I stopped and took a deep breath " I'm leaving tomorrow, that's it."