Choosing not to look too long at the mess that was her farm, Claire gave one last look at Toby, then hurried past the tall grasses, down the path leading out of Bluebell Ranch. The sun was out, but cloud coverage ensured cool air, and a pleasant breeze lifted her hair as she slowed to a walk. To her left were tall evergreens in orderly rows; they towered over Mineral Town and produced a scattered network of shade and light as the sun streamed through their branches. The other side of the path was lined with bushes, and fencing ran its length.
Claire soon came to a fork in the road with a sign nestled in the bend. "North side of Mineral Town," read Claire. "And south side that way. Bluebell Ranch... well, it's not like I'll have any trouble getting there." She continued along the first path, slightly unnerved by the overall quietness of the town. She hadn't seen a single person since her arrival, other than Mayor Thomas. Then she stopped as she caught sight of two girls turning onto the same road she was on. They seemed to be engaged in some sort of debate, and didn't notice her at first. One of the girls was in overalls too—she had orange hair that was tied into a plait with a white bow. The other girl's hair was long and brown, except for two sections of blonde in the front. She was wearing cutoff, knee-length shorts tied with a belt, and a plain white top with a purple vest.
As they walked closer, she could hear their conversation.
"Karen, I'm telling you, you overcharged me on those ingredients!" The redhead had her hands on her hips as she walked, and she was glaring at the other girl, who shook her head. "I counted it twice. The flour was twenty bucks, and the chocolate was ten. I really don't see what you're getting worked up about, Ann."
Ann pouted. "Well, I'm down forty bucks for some reason, and that's ten more than what I should be."
"Are you sure Doug didn't need to borrow some money, or someth—" Karen stopped midsentence, and stopped walking as well. Ann halted a second later. They both stared at Claire with interest. She felt she should speak up, so she cleared her throat.
"Uh, hi! My name's Claire, I just bought the ranch down that way." She pointed, then continued. "I'm, er, I'm sorry I overheard your argument, I mean, I wasn't trying to—" Claire stopped awkwardly and grinned, sheepish. Ann smiled broadly in response. "Well, hi there! My name's Ann. I'm the daughter of the innkeeper here, and, oh, this is... Karen." She gave Karen an evil look.
"Nice to meet you," said Karen breezily, keeping her cool. "Bluebell Ranch, huh? Well, it's not in the best shape, as you must have seen, so it could really use someone to fix it up. Nice to know it has a new owner. And I'm sorry you caught us at a bad time." Claire shrugged. "No big deal," she said. "Hope you guys can work it out. Well, be seeing you around!" She started off down the path again as Karen and Ann said their goodbyes, and then the two resumed their argument, their voices fading off as the distance between them and her grew.
"Well, they seemed nice enough," admitted Claire to herself, feeling considerably more cheerful. "Let's just hope the rest of the townsfolk are that friendly."
A/N:
Things are looking up for Claire! Though it seems like she's just ignoring the situation of her farm (and wallet) in favour of mingling... could come back to bite her later.
Will Claire be able to befriend the other villagers as well? Or will she meet an evil nemesis in their midst? Only Chapter 5 will tell!