A/N: Hello! Sorry for this late update. But here's the sixth chapter!
If there are some corrections, I'm really sorry. I hope you enjoy reading this!
Word count: 1755
So, without further ado, here's Chapter 6!
Pretty Boy
by TheMaskedGirl
"Claire, I'll just get your bags," Jack said and ran off to the ferry.
The townsfolk crowded around her and introduced themselves all at once.
"Hi, pretty lady. My name is Stu. Do you like bugs?"
"May the goddess bless you with love, health, and guidance. My name is Carter. If you need someone to talk to, I am ready to listen. If you have questions about life, about your existence, I am more than ready to teach you."
"Oh, hello. You look so pretty. You look just like my daughter except she has black hair like me. My, my. You look so small, but I have a feeling you're pretty strong. Oh, you have to come to our daily talks in the square. Anna and Sasha will be there too. Lillia used to come, but she got sick. By the way, have I told you your hair looks really nice? Oh, dear. I forgot my manners again. I'm Manna."
"My name is Doug. Please come by our inn."
"Hello, Miss Claire. It's nice to meet you. I am Basil. Mary told me a lot about you."
"If you're ready, see you at the inn at nine in the evening. I'll give you free wine if you can drink more than me. I'm Duke, by the way."
"Miss Claire, my name is May. Would you like to play with me?"
"May, darling. The kind lady might be busy. Oh, I'm Barley. I'm in charge of the Yodel Farm."
Claire's head started to spin from all the noise the villagers were making. They were being friendly, but it did no good to Claire who was tired from the journey. None of the villagers noticed this though for they continued what they were doing.
"Hmph. I'm Saibara. You look like a fine lass."
"We've met before. I'm Harris."
"My name is Sasha. Please come to the Supermarket. And please teach my daughter how to cook."
"Uhm... My name is Jeff... Ooh, my stomach. P-please help me."
"Hoho. Need anything built? You Gotz it! Hahaha. That was funny, wasn't it? The name's Gotz. I'm the village's carpenter."
It was too much for the blonde. She lost consciousness and fell into the tanned arms of a young man.
A young man named Kai.
9:55am
"Claire, are you awake?"
She was in a soft bed and the room was warm. She heard voices, lots of voices, and most were unfamiliar. But two voices stood out, two voices she knew very well.
She opened her eyes, but the bright blinded her forcing her to close them. The crowd hushed when she opened her eyes.
After a moment of silence, Jack spoke, "Claire, are you okay?"
She opened her eyes again, bit by bit until she got accustomed to the light. She smiled at her brother. "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry for fainting on you like that."
"What happened anyway?" her brother asked again, the visitors behind him forgotten.
"Have you been eating properly, Claire?"
She looked behind her brother and saw her dear friend Kai. She shot out of bed and tackled him into a hug. "Kai!"
The tan man laughed and hugged her back. "Hello, Claire. I missed you too."
Jack pouted. "You weren't that excited when you saw me."
Kai smirked. "I can't help it if I'm that hot."
Claire rolled her eyes and hit him lightly on the head. "You're so full of yourself, Kai. But no, I haven't been eating properly since you left," she said honestly and she sat back down on the bed.
Jack raised his brow. "What are you talking about?"
"Yeah, what are you talking about?" a young woman with fiery red hair tied in a tight braid and wearing a jumpsuit asked pointedly.
Kai and Jack looked at her and the others who were lounging in the room and laughed sheepishly. "Oops, we forgot you were there," the former said.
The redhead rolled her eyes. "How can anyone forget I'm here?" Then she looked at Claire and flashed a big, genuine smile. "Hi. My name is Ann."
The other girls stepped forward and introduced themselves.
"Hiii! I'm Popuri! It's really nice to meet you!" the one with pink hair said.
"Hello, I'm Elli," a girl with a pixie cut hairstyle said.
A brunette whose hair was dip-dyed blonde flipped her hair and said, "Karen, the best drinked in this town. But yeah, it's really nice to meet you."
And lastly, a timid young woman with black hair in a loose braid and who wore thick-rimmed glasses said, "It's nice to see you again, Claire."
Claire smiled at her in recognition. "Mary!" She stood up from the bed and gave the girl a hug. She turned to others and smiled. "It's nice to meet you too. I hope we can be great friends."
Ann nodded energetically. "Of course! I can't wait for you to get settled down. I'm going to show you the whole town!"
Jack chuckled. "But before that, I need to talk to my sister first."
"Of course, of course. Swing by at the Supermarket if you want to hang-out, Claire," Karen said and smiled at her.
The others waved goodbye. "Don't forget to come to the hospital if you feel sick!" Elli reminded her.
"Come to the poultry farm if you want to play!" said Popuri.
"I'll be at the inn!" Ann announced.
"And you can always find me in the library," Mary said softly.
Jack pecked Mary's cheek before she went out. The others followed her and soon, only Claire and the two men were left in the house.
Claire feigned a frown and lay down on the bed. "I'm so tired. I need to sleep," she said.
Jack pulled her into a sitting position and glared at her. "No. Explain first."
She bit her lip and laughed nervously.
Kai stood up and inched his way to the door. He held the knob, but was stopped by the brunet. "Kai, you're staying. Sit down." He sighed and sat back down on the chair he previously occupied.
Jack's gaze on his sister softened. "Tell me what happened," he said softly.
Claire smiled sadly. "I never told you this, but I have-well, had a boyfriend."
The boy farmer maintained his cool demeanor. "Continue. I want to listen to you first before I scold you."
She started playing with her long mane and said, "He was wonderful. He was sweet and charming and beautiful. He was almost perfect. I didn't even care that he was a thief." Jack's eyebrows rose when she mentioned her ex-boyfriend's profession. "I loved him. But he had one flaw. And this flaw ruined our relationship." Claire's eyes filled with tears as she whispered, "He's a lying cheat."
Her brother glared at the ceiling. That man hurt his precious sister!
"He cheated on me with my best friends! I saw him kissing one of them, but I let it slip. But it happened again and I couldn't take it anymore." Claire wasn't weak anymore. She held her face high, the tears refusing to fall. "So I turned him in to the cops. I turned Skye in."
"Good. Let him suffer," he hissed. He felt the monster inside him rage. He wanted to see this bastard who hurt his sister and beat him into a bloody pulp. He turned to Kai. "What about you? What's your part in this?"
Kai was nervous. He had never seen Jack so angry. "Claire... fell into depression."
"And?"
"I took care of her."
"And?"
"I lived with her."
*10:08am*
The door slammed in Kai's face. "I didn't sleep with her!" he shouted. "I swear to the goddess, I didn't even touch her!"
The door opened and Jack's head popped out. He glared at the tan man. "You. Lived. With. Her."
"It wasn't his idea," Claire chided. She opened the door and pushed her brother aside. She beckoned Kai to get inside. "I asked him to."
He hesitantly went in, eyeing the angry man.
Jack closed his eyes and counted one to ten in his mind. He opened his eyes and said, "Sorry, Kai. I just don't like the idea of my little sister living with a man."
Kai nodded in understanding. "No problem, man."
Jack sat down on the couch and Claire sat beside him. Kai occupied the single couch near Claire's side. Though Jack had calmed down, he was still a bit scared.
"How did you end up in her house?" Jack asked.
"I visited her when I came back to Forget-Me-Not Valley. Then she fainted when she saw me. Apparently, it was because she was starving herself."
"You were what?!" Jack exploded and shot up from his seat. He started pacing around the living room.
Claire rubbed her temples. "Jack, sit down. And I wasn't starving myself."
Kai snorted. "Please. If you don't call that starving, then jumping off a cliff a thousand feet from the ground without a parachute or anything isn't suicide."
"Claire Summer Willocks, you are grounded!" Jack shouted.
Claire stood on the couch and shouted back, "You can't ground me, Jack. I'm twenty years old!"
He stopped his pacing and went in front of Claire.
"I'm twenty-three years old and I'm taller than you!"
"Usually, but I'm taller than you now!"
"Stop!" Kai shouted and stood in the middle of Jack and Claire.
But the siblings paid no heed to him and continued their bickering.
"You think you can decide for me just because you're older and you're taller?"
"I can because I'm your big brother!"
"That's stupid!"
Kai sighed. If he couldn't stop them through shouting, then he would have to devise a plan.
10:20am
He went back to Jack's house holding a basket. He opened the door to find the siblings still standing where he left them. They were looking at each other in the eyes, firmly standing their ground.
That's what happens when two people are as stubborn as each other. But at least they stopped shouting, he thought. He went to the dining room and laid the contents of the basket on the table.
He called out, "I bet you still haven't eaten breakfast. Come on, I brought some from my resto."
The scent of the food reached the siblings, but neither refused to move first. Until Jack's stomach groaned.
He blushed, embarrassed. He went to the dining room in defeat.
Claire smiled triumphantly, jumped from the couch, and happily skipped to the dining table.
Kai grinned. I'm a genius.
See you soon!
Love lots,
TheMaskedGirl