CHASE

Chase woke up the next day terribly unrested. After a gruesome day of cooking in that dreadfully hot kitchen, he was about to get up, get dressed, and do it all over again. With a roll of the eyes and a flick of the covers, he swung his legs around the side of his bed and used all of his energy to hoist himself up.

He spent quite awhile at the bar just talking to Hayden after Kathy decided to leave early. He wasn't sure what possessed her to go, especially since he and Hayden weren't necessarily "close." They had chats every now and then, as Chase did with everyone in the Brass Bar, solely due to the fact that he worked with them. So for the first time, he sat down and had a conversation with him and enjoyed himself. He ended up staying a lot longer than he initially planned; he even stayed to have a few drinks with him.

And that was why, this cloudy morning, Chase felt his eyes weigh him down, and his chest ache for rest. Nevertheless, he stood up, and got dressed.

Chase loved his job. He did. While his sluggish actions may not have necessarily proved it, there was nothing he loved more than cooking. It had always been his passion, ever since he was young. His father was a chef and his mother baked, so he constantly lived a life of both of his parents working furiously in the kitchen. It was a lifestyle he enjoyed; he loved the idea of blending all types of foods and sauces and spices to create something that magnifies flavors and explodes them. When he tried out for the job at the Brass Bar, there was no second-guessing that Yolanda had to make. Almost immediately, he was hired.

He packed up his things for the day and grabbed his keys. He walked out of his front door, closing it behind him and walking out. It was early—barely eight in the morning—and the sun was just starting to rise over the horizon. With a satisfied smile, Chase made his way through the Flute Fields to then enter Molly's farm area.

He glanced over to see the dedicated farmer and best friend hard at work. She was watering her crops, which were growing and flourishing. He long waited for her to glance over in his direction, because these "good mornings" were routine. Finally, as if on cue, she lifted herself up, turned her head in his direction, and waved with a cheery smile.

"Morning Chase!" she called down the way.

He smiled softer back to her, and gave her a smaller, more abrupt wave. "Morning. Will I be seeing you for lunch today?"

He was expecting the usual: a wide smile, and a head nod with closed eyes. It was rare for her not to stop by for lunch, especially since Chase worked especially hard on her meals. Molly could be relatively picky, he noted, and he wouldn't want to send her something of poor quality. That was the last thing Hayden needed was for his cooking to turn people away; everyone in the joint needed their jobs more than anything. It was the only way any of them knew how to keep money rolling in.

But to his dismay, she frowned and shook her head no. Puzzled, he stared back waiting for a proper reply. She said, "I made plans with Anissa today. She's having me over to have lunch with her family. Isn't that exciting?"

Chase would be wrong to say that he was thrilled. He looked forward to Molly's visits; it was a nice break in his long workday. She usually had some exciting things to talk about, whether it was some exciting achievement she completed on her farm or her silly crush on Luke. Sometimes she'd complain about Kathy, because Kathy was definitely the more out-going, energetic of the duo. Molly was quiet, sweet, and relatively reserved. She almost didn't fit in with her "Crew," and yet fit in perfectly. She was the perfect addition to keep that strange mix balanced. He figured that that was it, and that the other four realized it as well, whether it was a subconscious realization or not.

He lied and said, "Yeah, that's awesome. I'll see you later then?"

"Of course!" she cheered back.

She was always so happy.

With that, he continued along the path, walking to Harmonica Town. The walk was definitely something he enjoyed most when it came to his work. It was always so peaceful, at least, when it wasn't storming or snowing down on him. Today, it was cloudy with the sun trying to peek through every small little crevice each cloud made. It was strangely beautiful.

When Chase crossed over into Harmonica Town, it was delightfully quiet, which it normally was. Except for one alien action that occurred in front of him.

The Ocarina Inn doors opened. They didn't open all the way, just a bit, and a body slipped between the crack the wooden doors created. At this point, Chase had stopped in his tracks to watch the scene in front of him. He normally would've carried on, and he did, up until the moment when he realized who was sneaking their way out of the inn doors.

Kathy took two steps out the door, peeking in both directions when her eyes matched with Chase's. He stood there in a strange disbelief; where exactly was she coming from? Why was she leaving at this hour? And why did she look so terrified?

"Kathy?" he wondered, finally approaching her. "That's you, right?"

"Shit," she muttered, yet still loud enough for him to hear. "Yeah. Hi."

"What…are you…"

"I owed Colleen a favor. She asked me to come in early today to help clean up."

"What kind of favor was this?"

"I…I can't talk about it. I told her I wouldn't."

Chase was now in a normal speaking range to her, confusion more than anything clouding his mind. He wanted to believe her story but he couldn't quite grasp it. Instead, he egged her on a bit more, hoping that maybe she'd fess up about something.

So he called her out. "Are those the same clothes as yesterday?"

She quickly glanced down at her attire, before looking back up at him. With a straight face, she said, "No."

"And is that the same makeup from last night?"

"Chase, quit it. It is not."

He sighed. He figured there was nothing else to do other than be brutally honest. Maybe she'd say something then. "Kathy, I honestly don't give a shit what's going on, but lying to my face is pretty fucked up."

She was startled by his sudden use of language. He cursed occasionally, except when he did it did roll in in floods. Disregarding her reaction, he urged her.

"Tell me what's going on."

Her face fell and she sighed. Her hair, which was normally pulled back into a neat ponytail, was messy and down. She ran her fingers through it, and stared up at the sky for a quick second with defeat in her eyes.

"Uuuuugh fuck fuck fuck. You can't say anything to anyone alright?"

He nodded.

"Especially Molly."

Damn. "Alright."

"Yeah, I've been…messing around. With Calvin."

Granted, those were the words he was expecting to hear slip out of her mouth, but knowing that this wasn't just imagined and that she actually said them was what surprised Chase. He always viewed Kathy and Owen as being a model couple. They were no Renee and Toby, but nevertheless, they had fun, they were comfortable, and they were most definitely into each other. So knowing that Kathy was being unfaithful took him for a ride of emotions. And it was barely eight in the morning.

"For…how long?"

"Too long," she replied, disappointment wavering over face. But suddenly, a small smile appeared. "But sometimes I say not long enough."

"Kathy!"

"Two seasons, alright? Two damn seasons."

Whoa.

"Look," she started, "I know I'm being wrong to Owen. You of all people don't need to tell me that I'm lying to everyone right now. So please, don't."

"They're best friends, Kat."

"I knoooow. If anything, Calvin should be getting some of the heat on that subject, don't you think?"

"Well, of course. It was more a statement than anything. I just never could've pictured you cheating on him."

Suddenly, she perked an eyebrow. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really."

"Well, fuck." She threw her arms in the air, rolling her eyes. "I figured that no one would be surprised. I've had my slutty days in the past so I figured everyone would just be like, 'Yeah, Kathy cheated, but is it that shocking?' But you have to come along and say this and make me feel even worse about myself. Which I told you not to do, so, y'know, thanks."

"Were you really expecting people to find out?"

She sighed. "I had no clue what to expect. I played out every scenario in my head. Someone seeing us and blabbing to the whole island, Owen walking in on us, Owen overhearing me, Molly overhearing me… there's just so many ways that this secret could get out, y'know? So yeah, I prepared for the worst. Would I like it better if no one found out? Yeah, duh. But here you are, the first time I ever decide to spend the night at his place and you friggen catch me sneaking out. What are you even doing awake at this hour?"

"I always go to work at this time."

"This early?!"

He nodded.

"I didn't realize your shifts were that long."

"Yolanda and I are the only two running the kitchen. So yeah, we kind of have to keep it going. It's rough, but it pays. I also get to be in a kitchen all day doing what I love so there's nothing to hate."

"Yeah…I gotcha. Ugh, shit. I still can't believe you caught me. No one has yet."

Now he perked an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

She nodded, putting a hand on her hip. "Yeah, oddly enough. Two seasons and no one catches us, that's a pretty rad streak, right? Probably a record."

"I mean, I can't say that I know anyone else sneaking around the island."

She threw him a look, but he couldn't resist by throwing her a smile in response. Now that he knew, at least now he could pick on her about it. It was blackmail. And while Chase was no Gill, maybe this could come to his advantage. It was Kathy after all, and she'll do whatever she can to save her ass.

"Ha ha, very funny. You're not going to tell Molly though, right? She's so good. She'd break the news to Owen for me if she could. Which she'd probably convince me to do."

"I mean, is that such a bad thing?"

"Right now, yes. This is my decision Chase, and I'm the only one facing the consequences."

That was false and he knew it, because now he was in on it. So if anyone else knew that he knew, people would find reasons to point fingers at him. The thought of that made him shudder. Overall, he figured, she was right. It was her fault. So if anyone was going to get the majority of the heat between the two, it was a fair ninety/ten. Maybe ninety-five/five.

"So you're not going to tell Molly, right?"

As much as Chase craved to tell Molly, as she always told him everything, this was a bit larger than a lot of things she and him gossiped about. This was personal for Kathy, something he wasn't even supposed to witness. And he did consider he and Kathy friends, at the most, definitely friendly at the least. So for her sake, since clearly she had it all figured out, he nodded.

"Yeah. Sure thing."

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" she squealed, leaping to hug him.

Taken aback from the sudden affection, he tensed under her touch and she retreated to find him staring at her with wide eyes. She responded with a wider smile. "Seriously, you're the best."

"Alright, just go back home and wash up. Maybe put on some fresh clothes," he teased.

"Will do! Bye!" she squeaked, before running off.

Chase just shook his head, trying to soak in everything that had just happened. He certainly wasn't expecting his morning to start off that way. The last thing, the very last thing, he expected to see was Kathy sneaking out of the inn after a night of fun activities with Calvin. Calvin. While the pairing did seem to somewhat fit, his mind had just comforted to the reality of her and Owen. They were always together, always acting like a couple, so the thought of her messing around with another guy, for half of a year nonetheless, shook him up. Trying his best to toss it aside, he continued down his path to the Brass Bar.

Upon entering, Hayden was setting the tables. He glanced up and smiled at the sight of Chase in the room.

"Chase! I have a question for you."

Oh great, he thought, why is today starting off so strange?

"Yeah, of course."

"Have you seen Kathy? She wasn't home when I got there. And I didn't see her this morning, so I was wondering if you had any idea of where she was."

Ironically I just saw her.

"Um…" he had to cover for her fast. He pretty much just promised her that he would. At least he indirectly did. "I know she slept over Molly's last night."

"Again?" he wondered. He shook his head, continuing to place the placemats on tables in front of him. "Those two girls, I swear."

"Ha. Yeah."

Chase didn't perform well under pressure. He wasn't good at lying; that's why people always took him as such a crude guy. He was blunt and to the point. He remembered once when Molly—before they were friends—looked him dead in the eyes and shouted, "You know what? You don't have a filter. You just say whatever the fuck comes to mind, not thinking of who you're hurting!" That was the first time he had ever heard her curse. There weren't many times after that where we had; Molly really didn't use foul language. He remembered that day clearly though, it was the first time in awhile where something somebody else said really made him reflect on himself. After that moment, he found himself becoming strangely nicer to the farmer and he even apologized to her. It was the strange start to a beautiful friendship he'd always say, and she'd usually just laugh at him.

Yolanda busted through the kitchen doors, her wrinkles frowning and her eyes targeted right on the young chef.

"You're late!" she barked, her voice echoing throughout the empty joint.

"Sorry Yolanda," Chase said almost robotically as he sauntered his way into the kitchen.

"Yeah yeah yeah, say sorry later when you're cleaning every dirty dish in this damn place!"

As Chase was working furiously in the kitchen later that day, Yolanda came up to him and said sweetly, "You have a friend sitting outside waiting for you."

His ears perked up as he turned around to look at her, except she had already walked away. Setting aside what he was doing in that moment, he cleaned off his hands and made his way into the restaurant. He looked around, hoping to find Molly. He half-expected her to say, "Surprise! I always come, silly, how could you think I wouldn't?" but he knew that that was most likely not the case. And his hope turned out to be nothing but a fantasy when he turned and found Gill sitting comfortably at the table he normally found Molly.

"Gill," he sighed into a smile, slipping past him and sitting down across from him.

"Look at this." Gill whipped out a stack of papers. Alarmed, Chase watched as he flipped through them in surprise. Why on earth was he doing this right here and now?

He finally turned to whatever page he wanted, somewhere in the upper 25th percentile of the stack, and turned it around to face Chase. He glanced down and saw the thin, fine print, and he wondered to himself if he even wanted to bother reading it. He then figured quickly, right before Gill went to speak, that he was just going to tell him what was written anyways. So he merely just stared at it, wondering how Gill could have possibly found the need in him to read through this.

"It says here—RIGHT HERE—that Toby hasn't been paying any of his bills. Do you realize this, Chase? Do you see what this means?"

Chase sighed. "What does this mean?"

"It means I smell something fishy. Something horribly, horribly fishy about this guy!"

"Ha-ha, very funny."

"My father and I have been letting this freeloader live on our island for free. Free! I knew there was something up with him. No one could possibly be so happy and carefree all the time. I mean, for Goddess' sake all he does is fish. Fish. All the time. This is incredible. Finally, something!"

"Gill, he still lives under Ozzie's name, I'm assuming. Did you ever bother to look under his name?"

Gill stared at him, and immediately began shuffling through his stack of papers furiously. With a satisfied smile, Chase leaned back and watched the mayor's son struggle at the other end of the table. After thirty seconds of rummaging and reading, Gill removed the papers in defeat, finally looking at Chase in front of him.

"Hi," he finally said.

Chase smiled, crossing his arms. "Hi to you too. So, is there anything else you wanted to show me? Or was that it, another plan to get Toby removed off the island?"

Gill shrugged. "I don't think I had anything else that was of importance."

Chase couldn't help but shake his head with a laugh. "What's your deal with him, anyways?"

"He's just… too happy. And carefree. The world is not that simple. You need structure. He needs structure. He needs a mentor." Suddenly, Gill smiled. Chase recognized that smile. It was devious, and he was up to something. "I could take him under my wing! Teach him everything I know! Then, when I'm mayor, I could hire him to work in my office as he would've had proper training for years from no one better than the future mayor himself."

"You're off your nut."

"This is a brilliant plan."

"I really doubt Toby would comply."

"I'll approach him tomorrow, and we'll start Monday. Yes, yes. My first real assistant. Especially one who will be doing it for free."

Chase realized very quickly that Gill had quickly tuned him out. He watched as his friend, the criminal mastermind, came up with this devious plan in his head, as a devilish smirk spread across his cheeks. Suddenly, Chase's head snapped up at the entrance to see a small burst of orange energy break through the doors. His stomach dropped; the last thing he needed right now, other than evil mastermind Gill, was Maya.

"Hey guys!" she cheered as she happily plopped herself down next to Chase. "What're we talking about fellas?"

"Gill is planning on making Toby…his assistant…" Chase glanced over at her with a fake, sarcastic smile. She looked back at Gill, giving him a semi-reassuring smile.

"That's…exciting…!" she lied, before looking back at Chase and giving him a real grin. "What're you up to though?"

"Just getting a break and talking to this moron."

"Hey!" Gill snapped, finally out of his trance. "I heard that."

"Glad to know you're alert."

A strange silence fell over the group, before Hayden walked over to the table with large smiles. "Hey guys," he said, handing out some waters to the trio. "Chase, shouldn't you be in the kitchen?"

"I'm…on break," Chase smiled. He knew it wasn't a real break, but if Yolanda gave him the opportunity he wasn't going to oppose.

"Where's Molly? She's usually here at this time."

"She's eating lunch with Anissa and her family."

Hayden smiled. "Well isn't that nice." And with that, he walked away.

Chase brought his eyes back down to Gill and Maya, Gill giving him a suggestive smile. Chase, puzzled, threw him a look, which caused him to smile even wider in return. Disturbed and yet a little bit curious, Chase asked, "What?"

"So? Have you told Molly that you like her yet?"

Chase rolled his eyes. Yes, he liked Molly. When he and Molly first met, he couldn't' stand being around her. He especially couldn't stand it when she walked in with her "Crew," because all they did was shout and create a disturbance in the Brass Bar. But one day during lunch, she walked in and he didn't even see her there, causing him to spill someone's meal—like he could remember whose—all over her shoes. He feared that she'd get upset, especially due to the fact that he took so much pride in his food and now it was literally all over the ground and her feet. She took it well though, to his delighted surprise. And since then, he always found a soft spot for her. She would come into the bar more often, ordering the same dish that he covered her in, and they always got around to having small talk more, to then digging deeper into each other's personal lives. She wasn't as shallow as he made her out to be. She was genuine and sweet, but had a lot more depth than he initially realized. When he saw the more intimate, deeper parts of Molly, he suddenly found himself attracted. He hadn't been able to shake the feeling ever since. He's felt this way for her for almost a full year now, but the thought of telling her his feelings terrified him to the core.

"No, of course not."

"How come?"

"Because. I'm not about to ruin my friendship with her because of this…whatever it is. Besides, she doesn't like me."

"How are you so sure?"

"I just know." He wasn't about to spill that she liked Luke. Only he knew about that, anyways.

Maya decided to chime in. "Well I think it's for the better!"

Of course you do, Chase thought to himself. He was very aware of the crush Maya had on him. Maya was Yolanda's granddaughter, and ever since he got the job as the chef in her kitchen, she had a crush on him. It was until she tasted his cooking that immediately got her attached. Chase and Gill were great friends, and Maya ended up tagging along most of the time. Overall he didn't completely hate her company, just when she made her feelings for him obvious did he feel uncomfortable in his own skin. Sometimes, or maybe even all the time, he just wanted to leap out and watch his life from an outer body experience. And then maybe see what Molly was doing.

Gill knew about it too. That was why he willingly chose to ignore her comment. He did it quite often; Chase always found himself chuckling quietly to himself, even though Maya could very easily notice. "I think she needs to know. I mean, you've been feeling this way for so long."

"Yeah, and?"

"She might like you and she's just not showing it! You honestly never know."

You honestly never do truly know. But there was one thing Chase was positive on, and that was that Molly had no feelings for him in return. And the reality of that always tore his heart.