Chapter Eight:

The News

The very next day, I got the news. I don't remember who told me first, but all I remember is I didn't react the way I was expected, mostly because I was battling a bad hangover. I acted emotionlessly when I learned that Denny proposed to Lanna.

I know I had lost before I learned of the engagement though.

After I heard the news I went to work as I usually did, doing everything slowly because of my aching head and I just wanted to waste time. I wanted to keep busy so I wouldn't have to think of my final defeat.

But Natalie wasn't in on my plan.

Before I go on, I just want to say that I never revealed to Julia and Natalie my efforts in courting Denny. It's not that I didn't trust them, just that I knew they would stop me for my own good. I do wish I had let them, might have saved me some trouble.

"So the ceremony is supposed to be in seven days," Natalie said as I sheered one of my sheep.

"Yeah?" I asked just to prove I was listening.

"Yup! I think its real sweet that he proposed during the Starry Night Festival."

"Uh-huh."

"I heard that it was because of the full moon, do you think that's real?"

"Don't know."

"Okay, what is up with you?" she asked, fed up, "You're acting like a zombie."

"I feel like a zombie, Nat. I drank too much last night," I admitted.

"Really? You don't seem like one to drink much."

"I don't, but I was feeling a bit down."

"Why?"

"I didn't have a date for the festival last night."

"Really? But didn't you watch the stars with Vaughn?"

It didn't occur to me until that moment that I had, and I began to wonder about the full moon theory the Witch Princess told me about, but I didn't feel the need to worry about it.

"I did…but I didn't invite him, he just sorta came…"

"You mean you guys aren't dating?"

My eyes widened it shock, "What gave you that idea?" I asked.

"Well, I just assumed…"

"Well, assuming just makes an ass out of you and me."

"Geez, no need to lecture me, Chelsea," Natalie said, "I can see you're in no mood to talk, so I'm just gonna go."

Before I could apologize she was gone. I knew I was going to hear about it from Mark later, but I decided not to worry about it and instead try and relax and enjoy the late Winter day relaxing and fishing in the river that went down my ranch, I wasn't going to look for anyone and I wasn't going anywhere. But there were people who were all too happy to look for me.

"Oooh, Chelsea!" Lanna sang as she skipped towards me. Denny was jogging behind her.

"Great…" I muttered just before she reached me. I had long since recovered from my migraine but that didn't mean I was in any way happy to see either of them.

"Hey, Chels, guess what?" Lanna asked once she had my attention.

I didn't answer right away, so she did for me.

"Denny and I are getting married!" she revealed.

"Congrats guys," I said, forcing a smile.

"Yeah, yeah! Oh, but I have to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Will you be my maid of honor?"

I stared at her speechless. Was she really asking me to be her maid of honor? I couldn't believe it, so I just nodded to try and get over the shock.

"Oh, thank you Chelsea! Meet me at the Café in an hour, kay?" she didn't wait for a response and skipped off much like she came.

I was feeling guilty, and wanted to run after her and tell her that I really couldn't be her maid of honor. Whoever heard of one that tried to destroy a marriage before it even happened? But Denny stopped me from doing that.

"Thanks again, Chelsea," he said, I hadn't realized he was still there, "She really does appreciate it."

"Why ask me?" I asked.

"Because you're her closest friend, and you know Natalie, she isn't into that sort of thing and Julia…well Lanna has never felt comfortable with Julia."

He was right, of course. Natalie wasn't the type to know what a wedding should be made of and Julia had a way of being a bit critical without making it obvious.

"It's…it's not a problem, Denny," I said deciding that I could do this, as my own way of asking Lanna forgiveness.

"I'm, um, sorry too."

"Huh?"

"I know that…Vaughn told me…"

My eyes widened and all that went through my head was that damned cowboy told on me, he told him that I was trying to break them up, how could he? But he told me something else.

"He said you really liked me, said you were a bit upset I never noticed and I…I guess I should have," he said.

I blinked, I couldn't bring myself to believe it. I can't say that I never thought about telling Denny everything right then and there. Telling him that I could make him happier than Lanna ever could—but I knew that wasn't true, so instead I smiled.

"Denny, don't you dare apologize on such a happy day," I scolded him, "There isn't a thing in the world you need to say sorry for to me, so shut up and go join your fiancée or continue to spread the good news, or whatever you were doing."

"Chelsea…thanks! You're a good friend, to both of us," he said before running off.

I met up with Lanna an hour later, just as she told me to do. For a straight week we met there in the afternoons after my ranch work. We picked out a bouquet, she ordered a dress, and we spent days trying t figure out who sat where. There were only a few who felt close enough to Lanna or Denny to attend, but Lana made the biggest fuss over who should sit where.

"Since Mark is the best man he should be in front…oh and Natalie should be with him since they're dating and all," Lanna said a few days before the ceremony.

"How do we even know they'll sit where they're supposed to?" I asked, a bit tried from the day's work. It was already the last day of Winter and I was a bit sad to see the snow go.

"That's your job."

"I was afraid of that."

"Hmm, you're making Vaughn come, right?"

"I think he should at least be there, if he can," I said, at the same time thinking it wouldn't hurt him to smile for the occasion either.

"Okay! So we'll just have him sitting in front with you," Lanna said, scribbling it down.

"Huh?"

"You know, since you two are dating."

"What?"

"Aren't you two going out?"

"No…"

So Natalie wasn't the only one who thought that.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" I asked her.

"Well, you guys just spend a lot of time together," Lanna said.

"He's my friend," my best friend.

"Well…I'm still sitting you two next to each other," the way she said it indicated she wasn't going to change her mind.

"So, the wedding—you know, just to make sure, is Spring 2nd?" I asked.

"Yup!"

"Well, then I don't think Vaughn could make it anyways, it's a Friday."

"I don't care, you're making him come!"

"Why?"

"No one should be alone on a wedding day."

After we finished planning for the day, I went home to get ready for the night's festival and I wondered if Lanna was talking about Vaughn, or me.

At the festival that night, Chen and Charlie hosted the event and passed out bowls of buckwheat noodles. Most everyone was congratulating Denny and Lanna still and asking them details about the upcoming wedding.

I noticed Vaughn standing to the side of the action and decided to say hello.

"Vaughn, what're you doing here by yourself?" I asked approaching him.

"Is it any different than I usually am?" he asked.

I laughed, "No, not really."

"You doing alright?"

"Hmm? Of course I am."

I wasn't really, I had been growling gradually depressed as the date approached, knowing that I would become what I feared the most: a maid of honor.

"You're not too good at lying," Vaughn said.

"Well, it doesn't matter much. As long as Denny and Lanna are happy—I am too."

"Chelsea…"

"Vaughn, really don't worry about me. Concern doesn't look good on you."

"I still want you to be happy."

Before I could respond, Chen thanked everyone for coming and said there was extra Buckwheat flour if anyone wanted some.

"I think I'm going to snag some," I said, "Before Pierre gets it all."

"Go."

I didn't see Vaughn until the next day at the New Year's festival and neither of us mentioned Lanna's wedding again. And the day after that was Lanna and Denny's big day.

Author's Note: Yeah, I'm late. I've spent the last few days working out a virus on my computer. Sorry!

Disclaimer: Harvest Moon and all characters belong to Natsume