That red head Ann sure could talk! Chelsea finally was able to collapse in her rented bed, and the best part was, she got a deducted price. All she had to do was help that Ann wait tables for one night, and her father Doug knocked the price down 100 gold. That was 100 G back in her pocket, just begging to be put in the "Chelsea's Irresponsible Betting" fund. She was behind on that already, this was almost three days out of work when she could have been earning money. Her poor, poor crops withering in the baking sun without anyone to water them...

Chelsea didn't want to dwell on that, it would only make her more depressed. Her day had been difficult enough. Everywhere she walked there were people, together. And they were all getting along! At the time she didn't understand how these people from small towns all never had any problems with each other, it puzzled her even more when she considered that this seemed to be the case on the Islands too. She'd met only one disagreeable person so far out of everyone in the Sunshine Islands, and that was Vaughn.

On a lighter note, Chelsea got to experience something that day she hadn't since leaving the city, waitressing. She had actually learned most of her cooking skills when she waitressed. Her old boss used to let her hang out in the kitchen after hours and practice some basic recipes. He used to joke about her culinary prowess, saying that one day she'd become a famous chef and he'd be able to say that he was the first she'd learned from. Those were some of Chelsea's most treasured moments, but after her mom found out... Well, she usually put it as that she was never allowed to go back. She definitely resented her mother for that. Creating something for the sake of others' enjoyment and nourishment, she'd never felt so fulfilled. Maybe that was why she decided to try farming.

Chelsea shook her head, she was not going to dwell on the past anymore. Back to waitressing, yeah, waitressing...

During the late afternoon, there had been very few customers. Chelsea had even felt guilty that she was getting let up 100G for serving barely a handful of people, even then, she split the work with Ann! But, by the time night hit, more and more people began to flood in to the inn's restaurant. It seemed the whole town heard the news of a new girl visiting. Everyone had questions about Chelsea, who she was, where she came from, how long she was planning to stay. Chelsea always just smiled and said she didn't like to talk about herself. She'd ask the customers instead about themselves, and they would talk and talk. There was one girl, Kayla... Karen? Chelsea was pretty sure it was Karen, but she lost count of how many orders of wine she'd brought for the girl. She even considered cutting her off, but the chicken-looking guy she was with did it before Chelsea had to. Karen hadn't been happy, and made a huge fuss. Eventually Chicken-Boy just took her home.

However, that wasn't even the worst of it what Chelsea had seen! When a reddish-brown haired boy came in, he and this blonde girl immediately had some words, some Chelsea refused to repeat. That was the first actual fight she'd seen between anybody in Mineral Town, and she became slightly relieved. These people weren't all perfect. No one else seemed fazed by their fight, though. She even heard Ann mutter something about how the two of them should just have sex already. Chelsea stifled a giggle, and thanked the Goddess no one but her had heard that comment. That was probably good for Ann's sake, too.

Now, staring at the ceiling of her room with her hands behind her head, Chelsea allowed herself to be sad that she had no one special. At least, not anymore. She'd never admit to anyone that she was upset, though. She couldn't deal with all those pitying glances she'd be given. How weak would everyone think she was? How weak would everyone realize that she was. Chelsea would die before she'd let anyone know. Turning her head towards the wall opposite her bed, Chelsea noticed something she'd scanned right over upon her first arrival. There was a phone in this room.

You could call her, her impulsive side said, see how she's been putting up with that abusive family of hers. Chelsea's rational side saw nothing wrong with a phone call, if that was all that came of it, but it was late...

No. Chelsea couldn't call her, it went against everything she believed him. That woman had accused her of so much crap, made her life a living hell for quite some time before she'd left. She wouldn't do it. She would never talk to Annalise again.

Chelsea climbed back in her bed, scared about what she almost did. All the effort she put into getting out of there... almost all for nothing. That night she slept fitfully, haunted by images of her past that she came so close to believing were either not real, or over.

XxX

"Aughh, my head," Chelsea said while grasping her throbbing temples. It was almost time for her to board the boat from Mineral Town headed to Sprout Island. In a matter of only a few hours, she'd be back home.

Home... That's the place where you are supposed to be happiest. Sure, Chelsea liked her old ranch, but was she really happy there? She was happier than before, so that counted for something. But before, she also had another person to care for that made her happy. After she lost that person, she also lost her happiness. That thought depressed Chelsea. Was happiness really so... reliant on others? She dismissed her thoughts, she could be happy without caring for another person. She'd submerse herself in her work and take satisfaction from being successful. She would create her own brand of happiness.

"Chelsea?" asked a sweet and soothing voice. Chelsea looked up and saw Elli staring at her with a smile. She knelled down next to where Chelsea was sitting in the sand. She seemed to be lost in thought. When Elli had approached her, she was staring off at the crashing waves and sighing. "Please be more careful, I don't want to see you here again anytime soon,"

Chelsea's face fell.

"Ah! Let me clarify, I don't want to see you again under these circumstances," Ellis said while waving her hand back and forth. Chelsea's face perked up at the clarification, she had liked Elli and it hurt to think that she didn't want to see her again.

"So did you actually come to see me off?" Chelsea questioned, getting straight to the point.

"Haha," Elli giggled, "You figured me out,"

Chelsea nodded, and the two of them sat in a comfortable silence for about fifteen minutes. Elli looked up after hearing a loud horn in the distance.

"There's your boat," Elli said, with a sad smile on her face.

"I guess so..." Chelsea said reluctantly.

"Seriously, Chelsea, I think you're funny," Elli started, "Come back for a visit, sometime, okay?"

Chelsea smiled genuinely, "Thanks, Elli. I just might take you up on the offer sometime,"

The horn sounded again, but this time it was much louder. The gentle sea breeze tickled Chelsea's face. It was time for her to go.

"Do you think you'll need any help with anything?" Elli asked.

"Umm," Chelsea contemplated for a moment, tapping her finger on her chin, "Would you mind telling Ann I say goodbye? That's really it," Chelsea shrugged and Elli smiled.

"That would be no trouble at all," Chelsea smiled to Elli, silently thanking her for being there during her moment of sadness. Not like Elli had even realized that she pulled Chelsea out of the start of a night of crying, but Chelsea appreciated it none-the-less.

Within minutes, the boat docked and Chelsea boarded. She spent her first moments on the ship waving to -was that a misty eyed?- Elli, until the boat was too far away for Chelsea to see her anymore. Without much thought, Chelsea decided to spend the rest of her boat ride below deck so she could get some sleep. This ride was reminding her too much of her first ride to the islands. That time she had been throwing up over the side of the deck every other hour. Sleep was definitely in her future.

XxX

There was a rapping on the door to Chelsea's cabin a few hours after sleep had claimed her.

"Miss," the voice said, "We've docked in the Sunshine Islands,"

Chelsea rubbed the sleep from her tired eyes and smacked her lips. She was finally home. She left out a sigh of relief, one that she didn't even know she'd been holding.

"Thanks," Chelsea called through the door. She gathered the few possessions that were with her, and tied her bandanna back around her head. Upon making her way to the boardwalk, she was surprised to find that there were actually people there... waiting for her? Chelsea had to have been the happiest person alive at that moment. There was Taro, Julia, Natalie, Mirabelle, Elliot, Will, and even Mark, standing at the end of the pier to greet her. Chelsea fought back the tears forming in her eyes, someone was there, in fact, not "someone" but "someones". Chelsea had people who were caring for her. She hadn't expected that to happen, not once in a million years. She found it extremely odd that her face fell after she realized Vaughn wasn't there. Why did she care about that jerk, anyway? She wasn't going to let that bother her again, not in this moment of extreme delight that she was swimming in right now.

"Chelsea!" Julia's voice sounded out in happiness, "Oh Goddess, I missed you so much!" she said while enveloping her friend in a tight hug.

"Oof-" Chelsea grunted, "I missed you too Julia,"

Before long, everyone was asking Chelsea if she was okay and how her brief stay was in Mineral Town. Chelsea merely shrugged them off by saying it was all okay, and letting them know how happy she was to be back on her ranch. Then she blanched.

"M-my, ranch... Are all my crops dead?" She asked, almost not wanting to know the answer. She absentmindedly brought her hands to her lips. Was everything okay there?

"Chels," Julia said, "Don't worry your pretty little head. Me 'n' Natalie have been watering your crops everyday!"

"What do you mean me and Natalie?" Natalie shot back, "Chelsea, I'm the one who has been doing work on your farm. Julia was just there giggling about how cute my brother was when she picked me up that morning,"

Elliot's face turned as red as a tomato and he avoided everyone's gazes as they all turned to look at him. Julia got red too, but at least her hair and her face didn't match.

Chelsea turned towards everyone, "You all have no idea how happy all of you being here makes me, thank you," she said with a genuine smile, then acknowledging special thanks to Julia and Natalie for their up-keep of her farm.

After that, most of the other villagers left and bid Chelsea a goodnight. All except Natalie and Julia who wanted a detailed account of everything that happened to her while she was in Mineral Town.

"Should we go to dinner, then?" Natalie suggested.

"I could eat," Chelsea said with a stretch, "There was really nothing to munch on all day on that boat."

Julia stared at her.

"I forgot snacks," she shrugged. And with that, the three walked themselves to the little cafe on the west side of the island.

XxX

Natalie snorted.

"That's seriously all that happened?" she asked blankly, "More stuff was going on here than with you. I never actually thought I'd say that,"

"Don't be mean, Natalie," Julia said, but it was obvious that she had been hoping for a little more gossip as well.

"Then what was so interesting going on around here," Chelsea challenged light-heartedly.

"Harvest Goddess Festival," both girls said.

"Yeah," Julia added, "Alisa's been planning everything meticulously for the past two days,"

"She was pretty worried when she found out you wouldn't be there for rehearsal,"

"Excuse me, what?" Chelsea asked. She had no idea what was going on. Rehearsal? For what? And who was Alisa?

"Alisa," Natalie said, though it was phrased almost like a question.

"She's the girl who lives at the church with Nathan," Julia said, "I thought I told you about her,"

Chelsea furrowed her brow, okay, it was sounding a little familiar.

"Go on," Chelsea said wile leaning in closer on their table.

"In celebration of the Harvest Goddess Festival, all the girls who live on the islands perform a dance in honor of the Goddess' birthday, which is on the eighth," Natalie explained impatiently, why didn't Chelsea know this already?

"Anyways, you're supposed to bring a date," Julia said.

Had Chelsea been drinking water, she would have spurted it all over the table.

"W-who are you guys bringing?" Chelsea stuttered. There had to be someone she could go with! She couldn't show up as the only loser without a date!

"I'm going with Pierre," Natalie said.

"And I'm going with Elliot," Julia added. Chelsea thought briefly, there had to be someone she could go with!

"Will?" Chelsea asked, "Is he going with anyone? I could go with him as thanks for him paying my hospital fees,"

Natalie laughed.

"That's just Will being Will! He's all chivalrous and stuff. He probably felt responsible for your accident, plus, I think Lily would get really mad at you for asking him to the Goddess Festival," Natalie said.

"Yeah," Julia agreed, "Don't read that far into his kind gestures,"

"Wait," Chelsea backtracked, "Who's Lily?"

Julia sighed, "Remember? The cute oriental girl I told you about? Treasure hunter? Does any of that ring a bell?"

Chelsea sighed too. She really did need to pay more attention when Julia told her important things.

"Sure," Chelsea said to appease Julia's frustrations, "Who is she then?"

"Will's wife," Natalie and Julia said in unison. Then Natalie reached for a sip of her strawberry milk.

"Huh, he's married at this age?" Chelsea stated in the form of a question, "Don't you think that's kind of young?"

"Chelsea," Natalie said sarcastically, "You're the only person who thinks it's young to be married at twenty-four,"

"Anyways, isn't there a more important matter for you at hand?" Julia reminded Chelsea.

"Oh crap I need a date,"

"And you need to learn the Harvest Goddess Dance," Natalie smiled evilly. There was an aura about her at that moment that just gave Chelsea the feeling that if Natalie had to learn some stupid dance, she was going to drag everyone else down with her. Chelsea made a mental note right there to not get involved with the planning of Natalie's wedding, whenever that may be. Talk about your bride-zilla.

"What about Mark, does he have a date?" Chelsea asked while changing the subject.

"I think he asked Sabrina," Julia bemused, and tapped her chin.

"And Denny's going with Lanna," Natalie added.

Chelsea paled. That means... there was only one eligible bachelor left.

She would have to go with Charlie.

"Like hell you're going with Charlie," Natalie said with an eye roll, almost reading Chelsea's thoughts.

"That's it, I'm not going," Chelsea declared loudly.

"Noooo," Julia begged in an annoyingly high-pitched voice, "He's not that bad,"

"Oh yes he is," Chelsea retorted, "Why isn't he going with Sabrina, anyways?"

"She asked him, but he turned her down flat, and that was weeks ago," Natalie said.

"Then why would this be any different with me?" Chelsea asked.

"Because he's different around you," Julia said, "He's not as mean and is more considerate of other people's feelings,"

Chelsea snorted, "I do not believe that one bit,"

"Alright, fine," Julia said, "That may not be true now, but I don't know... Maybe one day?"

"You just want to be related to me too after you and Natalie become in-laws," Chelsea said with a cocked eyebrow. Natalie giggled to herself, and Julia's face became a little red.

"My motives have nothing to do with this," Julia giggled to herself.

XxX

Sorry this took a few days to get out, I lost my motivation in the middle of it. Maybe that's because no one reviewed chapter five! :le-gasp: More reviews means quicker updates, and I'm going back to school on the 16th so it might take me even longer to update. But, I will never abandon this story! It's my baby and I've already done so much work on it...

Please review, I hope you enjoyed! C: