Chapter Six

Her red eyes stared in his. Uncertainty was etched in her face as she continued to look at him with curious interest. Jack stared back at her, but as he did so, he nervously moved from side to side. "W-what?" He had tried to ask this question casually with confidence. It didn't work.

"You're not... happy here?" She wiped her small hands on her dress, took one last look at Cotton, and started walking toward the barn door. "I have to go," she said in a quiet voice as she brushed past him.

He could smell her sweet scent as she moved by him, and he turned to stop her from leaving. "Popuri, please." He grabbed her with his gloved hand, and he could feel her thin arm under the cloth. "Let me explain myself."

"No, Jack." She stopped and he let go of her, muttering an apology as he did so. "You don't have to explain. You don't like it here... how could I overlook it before? You were always so quiet whenever you would work, and it was obvious that you didn't enjoy it."

The last sentence buzzed in his head. "Whenever I would work? You would see me working?"

At this question, Popuri's eyes widened and crimson rushed to her cheeks. While blushing, her eyes became as beautiful as two rubies, their warmness and twinkle captivating Jack. "Yes, I've... er, seen you work before while I was, uh... doing errands for mom."

After a few seconds of Jack staring...

"... Jack?"

"What? Oh! Sorry." Now it was Jack's turn to blush.

She smiled shyly. But, after a few seconds, it vanished. "You don't want to be here anymore, do you?"

He had to be honest with her. She was the only one in this town who would listen, let alone understand. "Everynight, Popuri.." he whispered. He hadn't meant to whisper, it just came out that way. "Everynight, I try to see what I really want. And the truth is..." He walked to the wall to his left and leaned against it with his eyes looking up. "The truth is, I don't know what I want. At all." He chuckled to himself. "I don't even know my damn feelings toward-" He stopped and looked at her, suddenly scared.

Popuri looked at him, confused. Was he about to let me know something personal?

Jack's mind raced as he quickly looked at his feet. You were about to say you weren't sure if you had feelings for her! Come on, Jack. Get yourself together.

"I think you should go..." he said suddenly, "I have a lot of work to do and all, and..." He trailed off, not making eye contact.

"Oh.. ok," she replied. Disappointment filled her voice, and Jack felt terrible hearing it. "If you ever want to talk about.. your situation at the farm, I'm here, ok?"

"Ok, thanks." He finally looked in her eyes, and he saw the same never-ending kindness in them that he had seen on the first day as a farmer.

"Bye," she said, and Jack opened the barn door for her. Holding it open as she walked through, he couldn't help but stare at her beauty. As she left the farm, her pink curls swirled with the cool wind. He didn't continue his chores until he saw her turn the corner.

With a sigh, he got back to his chores, his confused mind beating him up while working.