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Remember to review again! :D lol
After a lovely night with Claire, Alex found himself walking through the streets of Mineral Town toward his clinic. He had a silly grin on his face, feeling as light as a feather. The soothing silence that now was his companion helped him review the past events on his mind, making him feel slightly nervous for his actions.
"I wonder what got over me…" He mumbled to himself as he remembered when he closed the distance between them with a simple kiss on her rosy pink cheeks. It was an impulse that he couldn't resist, yet he couldn't explain it with full logic. He could tell that she didn't mind at all, but it still bugged him slightly.
Of course, there was a bit of awkwardness after that little scene but everything went great overall. Sitting behind the waterfall to simply talk and enjoy each other's presence, discussing their experiences in life and just having a good time.
His home came to view, and he immediately gave a look at his clock. "Hm… its 10:30pm already? I'd better hurry and get home."
He did so and was surprised to find everything off. He then remembered that Elli had gone to Ellen's house and was probably asleep by now; playing with Stu and taking care of her old grandmother was tiring after all. After closing the door, he walked all the way to Elli's room to make sure that she was asleep. The door was locked, so he just would have to tell her about his encounter tomorrow.
After changing into his PJs he sat on his bed with his head in the clouds, placing a hand on his head softly with a chuckle. "Oh Claire, what the heck are you doing to me…?"
The next morning, he got up a bit late, so he hurried to get ready. After bathing and changing into his clothes for the festival he walked down the stairs, finding Elli on the sofa reading a magazine on her party dress. "Oh Alex! You look so handsome!"
"Why… thank you, Elli!" He grinned, his head up high. "You look amazing too!"
She thanked him and placed the magazine down, taking a good look at the clock on the wall. "Well, you better get going! Claire is probably waiting for you already!"
"But how did you-"
She just giggled and combed his hair with her fingers. "I just know. Now get going, Gotz'll be here any minute too."
"Gotz?" He raised an eyebrow as he walked to the door.
"Don't get any ideas, Alex." She smacked him in the head playfully. "It's just as a thank you; now go!"
"Okay, okay! I'm going! Sheesh…" He laughed, running out the door before she would smack him again. "I'll keep an eye on you two, so don't get too comfortable together! If you do, I'll know!"
Elli just laughed and stuck out her tongue, telling him to go already and to stop being a busybody. Apparently the town's atmosphere was light and happy, because as Alex walked by the houses and buildings, he could hear the townspeople telling each other to hurry to the plaza.
On Sunset farm, Claire had just finished putting on her dress and makeup. She smiled on her reflection on her mirror, twirled on the light purple dress, and then combed her hair with her fingers for a final touch. After adjusting her flowers right, she rested her back against the wall feeling butterflies on her stomach of anticipation.
"When is Al going to get here?" She said to herself softly, looking at the door every five seconds. She took a deep breath and placed a hand where his lips were a few hours ago. She sighed deeply and smiled, hearing a loud knock on the door. 'Oh my Goddess… he's here! What do I do!? Just relax, Claire… you can do it… I can't do this!!!'
When she opened the door, she came face to face to someone she wasn't expecting. It was a man with dark sunglasses, a silly and colorful hat and yellow clothes. He had long and black hair and had a suit case. He just grinned, opening it to show her some kind of apples.
"I'm Won. I'm a traveling salesman. Want to buy my apples? They're delicious! Want to hear their names? Yes? They're long names! Here I go! This one here is called a-"
"I don't want to buy any, thank you." She said, ready to close the door.
"WAIT!"
"What!? I'm waiting for someone; can you please come another time?"
He ignored her and took out a vase. "This little beauty is only for-"
"I SAID NO!" She walked inside and threw the door closed. The man just stood there in confusion, then stormed out of the farm angrily.
Right before she could laugh of what happen, another knock was heard. This one was a bit shy and soft, but loud enough for her to hear. 'Please be Al… please be Al… and not that weirdo! I want to see Al!'
She opened the door and saw the same man that was at the church. He was wearing different clothes and looked quite handsome as if he was going to the festival too. "Uh… can I help you?"
"I… wanted to apologize for yelling at you. I was a bit nervous, you see, I don't talk to strangers and-"
"That's nice, but I'm busy. I'll listen to whatever you want after the festival is over, okay? Now get out of my farm!"
"Uh… alright. Look, I'm really sorry about-"
"OUT!"
He ran out of the farm, bumping into the black haired doctor. Alex just raised an eyebrow and shrugged, too excited to even care about the awkwardness of the matter.
A third knock was heard on Claire's door, causing her to stomp her foot. She pulled herself together and walked to the door, running a hand over her dress to make sure it was in its place. With a deep breath she opened the door and closed her eyes, not looking at the young man that stood there with wide eyes.
"I said it was okay! Can you go away and leave me alone!? I'm waiting for-" She opened her eyes and saw that it was Alex with a confused expression on his face.
"…What?"
"Oh my… I'm sooo sorry! I thought you were someone else!"
"You look…" He said, opening and closing his mouth, thinking of something to say. "Wow!"
She giggled and looked at the ground shyly. "Thanks. You look great! Shall we go?"
"Of course." He smiled, wrapping his arm around hers.
They walked toward the Rose Square in excitement, but neither saying anything to each other. They were wrapped in comfortable silence, the kind that you'd like to last for ever. Once they made their way to their destination, they were surprised by the beautiful decorations.
Flowers covered the brick walls, saying their hellos by sharing their gentle smell. There were beautiful centerpieces for the tables that were made to shine once the night came upon them. Also, a few tables were placed; they had different amount of chairs, from two up to six. A lot of villagers were also there, those who were on time that is.
"Sorry we're late." Alex said cheerfully once they were in the crowd. The mayor looked at their direction and waved, pulling Claire's arm brutally.
"You're up!" He said, pushing her toward the rest of the girls on dresses. She looked around in confusion, asking Elli what was wrong with the plum-like man.
"He just gets excited on this festival, don't worry." She smiled, telling her were she had to go.
The music started and the six girls were twirling and dancing gracefully from side to side. They were aligned just right and moved at the exact same time. It seemed that the rhythm of the joyful music penetrated their skins and caused them to dance as beautifully as ever.
Once it was over, there was enough food for everyone as an after party. They all had fun and enjoyed each other's company as a family. Once the light of the day was gone, the lights of the lampposts and the centerpieces gave a delicate touch to the blackness of the night.
Everyone was sitting on tables just chatting and having fun with their friends and family, except for Karen, who was mysteriously sneaking around the punch table with a questionable bottle in her hand.
Alex was having a great time; it was almost as a prom with everyone dressed up. Of course, the main attractions of the party were the six young girls in the long and fancy dresses. He drank a lot of the punch during the whole activity, which tasted a little bitter, though he didn't pay too much attention to it.
Then he excitedly walked over to his date with a glass of the juice for her. She was sitting on a table for two on one of the corners under the shadow of a tree.
"Claire, I got you something." He smiled and sat down on the chair across from hers. He noticed that she was wiping off tears as she sat up straight.
"Oh, thank you!" She grinned, taking the glass. He tilted his head to the side and looked at her carefully. Her face scrunched up a bit as she looked at her drink. "Al, this glass smells… like the juice has something strong in it…"
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" He asked gently, not listening to what she had said. "Are you feeling okay?"
She smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing… let's enjoy the party, alright?"
"Claire," he sighed, grabbing her hand that was on the table. "What's the matter?"
She took a sip of the juice, which tasted slightly like alcohol, looked away and sighed. "I was just remembering something sad… but really, let's just have fun."
He cupped her chin softly and made her look at him. The softness in his eyes made her feel better, but the worry in them made the opposite for her. "You can tell me anything… please?"
"It's just that… this reminds me of a party that we were doing for my parents when I was younger…." She sighed, another tear slipping by. "They were so happy together…"
"What happened?" He was caressing her hand with his thumb, trying to calm her down a bit.
"They said that they would be back in a minute, so they left me with my aunty. I really thought that they'd be back for me…" She bit her lip and sobbed softly. "Aunt Kasey took me to her house as soon as the party was over… they still hadn't come and I was worried. The next day I heard them arguing with her… very loudly, but when I went to see them they were driving off and… then I never saw them again."
He frowned and sat closer to her, rubbing her back comfortingly. She continued explaining, willing to get it out of her chest for once and for all. "After a few days we left to New York, where I lived until I moved here… I couldn't stand it."
"What was wrong there?"
"Everything… Aunt Kasey wouldn't stop saying how my parents didn't love me and how thankful they should be for her taking me away. She reminded me what a bother I was for all of them, especially her… and how it would be best if some stray bullet would get me someday… And how I should just get out of the house… and disappear…"
She cried softly as Alex held her closer. "Shhh… there, there… it's okay…"
"I did everything that I could to please her; I even worked in some company because she loved their products and I could give her discounts and free stuff! I was foolish… I couldn't take it anymore when she started with physical violence, so my cousin helped me escape. She gave me some different clothes in case my aunt would look for me, so she wouldn't recognize me… and that's all I brought from my loving home."
…oOo…
"Aren't they adorable?" Elli mumbled to Gotz from a table a few feet away. The tough man nodded, smiling brightly.
"Yeah, they make quite the couple."
"Did you say couple? Who?" Manna asked, grabbing a chair and sitting with them at the table. "I was just going to get more jam bun but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation! You say that there's a couple? Oh please, do tell me who!"
"It's… no one, Manna." Elli smiled, resting her head on her hands. "We were just talking."
"Oh! Don't tell me you two are going out now as a couple! You guys are very cute together, now that I think of it. But wouldn't it be hard for someone like Gotz to go and visit you so often? I mean, he lives on the other side of town! But well, I guess love surpasses all obstacles, right?"
"Manna!" Gotz looked at her with a frown, his serious glance scaring the woman. "Stop speakin' such nonsense. We weren't talking about us, now if you'll excuse me if I'm wrong, but the food table is on the other side of the Square!"
"Oh, erm… yes. Sorry about interrupting your evening, it wasn't my intention. I guess sometimes I get quite carried away with my talking, but what can I say? I just love chatting with you guys! You're so nice, but so is everyone else in this town… I wonder why we're such a great place to live in and yet so few people are here. Haven't you thought of that?"
"Ahem…"
"Um… I'll be leaving now! Enjoy the party!" The black haired woman got up and walked away, but instead of going to the food table like she had said, she headed to a table with Anna and Sasha.
"Heh, that woman and her gossip…" Elli shook her head, laughing under her breath.
…oOo…
Alex was at loss for words after hearing what his friend had said and didn't know what to do. He wiped some tears away gently, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Claire… I'm sorry for making you remember those things…. But don't you believe what your aunt said. You don't deserve those insults, or the violence… or the tragedies that she wished for you. I'm really sorry."
She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "Don't be… I'm sorry for ruining the night, Al. Please, don't mind me and enjoy the party."
Before he could answer she stood up and walked toward one of the Square's exits quickly, the one that lead to the beach. He just sat there on the table, looking at the empty chair were she was a few moments ago. He had no idea that she had been through all of that on her childhood; he was in complete shock.
A few hours passed and everyone left home, all except for Alex. He stayed on the table, waiting to see if Claire came back. She was in no condition to be alone, but at her state it was probably best for her to think. Everything of the festival was almost cleared up on the Square except for his table.
Doug was cleaning up what was left and was amazed to find Alex still outside. He asked if he was going to stay there the whole night since it was already around three in the morning, making Alex feel worried. Claire hadn't come out yet, what if something bad happened to her? What if she did something stupid to herself?
He gulped and stood up, finding his way to the dark beach. The only sound that could be heard was the crash of the waves against the shore. He felt fear approaching when he didn't find the blonde girl; it was starting to eat his insides. He had Goosebumps and fast breathing, little by little panicking because she didn't come to his view.
He looked behind the umbrellas and under the stairs but there was no sign of her. He was about to yell her name in desperation but sighed in relief when he saw her sitting on the edge of the dock. He walked toward her softly, hoping that she felt better already.
"Claire…?"
"I've been thinking… and all those bad times were probably for the best." She mumbled, not looking up at him. He frowned and sat beside her, paying attention to her words carefully.
"What do you mean?"
"If those things wouldn't have happened to me…" She sighed, raising her view to look at him. She saw the worry on his eyes and smiled, as if telling him that everything was okay. "If everything turned out great for me on the city… then I would have never come to Mineral Town."
"Perhaps… it's a possibility that you'd become Claire, the big businesswoman of New York." He said, nudging her slightly as if to get her spirit up. Truth was that he was thinking about how different his life would be if she had never appeared there. He didn't know why, but that thought made him feel a bit sad.
"But if I stayed there, I know that I wouldn't be as happy as I am now." She closed her eyes, changing her view to the moon that shone on the black emptiness of the sky.
He smiled, getting the feeling that she was better. The fear and worry that covered him a few moments ago disappeared with the simple smile that his angel possessed. It shone brighter than the moon, and made her look almost unreal. "You're happy here, Claire?"
"Yes… I am now." She sighed and hugged him, letting the heaviness of the pain go and welcoming the warm feeling that Alex offered. "This is where I feel at home. Well, not at home, but… you know what I mean."
He wrapped his arm behind her back and pulled her closer, letting her rest her head on her shoulder. "Why is this place so important to you?"
She grinned and sat closer, getting butterflies on her stomach again. "It's all… because I met you here."
He blushed as he heard the words that came out of her mouth, not knowing if it was true or something that he had imagined. He hoped that she had really said those things because it made him feel good, he felt happier than ever before.
"I-I'm sorry for this, Al." She pulled away from him softly, looking at the ocean below. "I ruined the fun for you tonight… and I wasted your time by telling you something that should be forgotten."
"You never waste my time, Claire." He smiled, gently running a hand through her hair. "I'll always be here to help you out with your problems, no matter what they are. Count on me, okay?"
"You mean it?" Her eyes were big and shinny, full of hope. "You're not telling me just so I would feel better, are you?"
"No. I'd never lie to you, Claire." He hugged her tightly and smiled. "I may not be a psychologist… but I'm willing to do all I can to help."
"That's good enough for me." She grinned, hugging him back. "Thanks… for being my friend."
…oOo…
The night was dying quickly and the sun would be up in just a few hours. He yawned and stood up, holding a hand out for her that she gladly accepted. While they walked through the quiet paths of the town, Claire noticed that Alex was barely awake. She laughed to herself as he just walked forward, his eyes half asleep and his footsteps as heavy as rocks. He was a bit wobbly at his steps too, almost as if completely disoriented.
'That spiked punch really got to him…'
Once they arrived to the farm, she opened the door and took out some extra sheets and pillows. She placed them on the couch and smiled at Alex, who was resting his back against the wall completely asleep. With a roll of her eyes she grabbed his arm and dragged him to the bed, and in a few minutes he was completely out and comfy. Claire took off his tux and left him in more comfortable clothing.
She walked to the other side of the house and changed into her PJs, making sure that he was asleep. After placing her dress on the lower side of the bed with his, she turned off the lights and walked to the couch, giving one last look at his sleeping form. She smiled and dropped on her not-as-comfy pillow, mumbling sleepily. "I should have made you sleep in the couch…"
A few hours later she woke up, rubbing her stiff neck. "Oh man… this is so not meant for sleeping!"
She looked at the bed and noticed that Alex was close to the edge, leaving enough space for her to sneak in. Being too sleepy to think about it twice, she crawled beside him accidentally kicking her dress to the floor beside his own in a very messy manner.
The next morning was cold and quiet as the rain poured down heavily. Claire yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes with a sleepy face. She looked at Alex and noticed that was still out of his senses. The clock told her that it was six in the morning, so she sighed and stood up to look for something to do.
"Of course, it just had to be raining… a day stuck on the house. Just great."
Alex coughed softly and rolled in the bed, still asleep. She smiled and walked over to him, getting a strange sheen in her eyes. She didn't pay too much attention to the clothes on the floor, which looked as if sleeping wasn't the only thing that went on. It wasn't her intention though; she just wanted to make sure that he wouldn't let them at her house by accident.
She looked out the window and noticed that the weather was pretty bad, almost too bad to go outside. Her stomach rumbled, causing her to pout and look through some boxes that were still there from the moving. After a while, she found what she needed and started to prepare some breakfast for the two of them.
The sweet smell of cocoa pinched Alex's nose gently and dragged him back from his dreams. He blinked a few times for his eyes to adjust to the light, but as soon as they did he sat up startled. "Where am I!?"
"Shhh! Keep it down, it's still early." Claire smiled from the couch, looking at his direction. His face was expressing the biggest confusion ever, making her giggle. "You're at my place. Don't you remember?"
"…Remember?" He looked around, then at himself. He noticed that he wasn't wearing his tux, but instead was wearing something he never would wear in the presence of anyone else; a simple white sleeve-less shirt and thin shorts which didn't do much to cover his boxers. His eyes widened as he gulped, looking around. "What happened last night?"
She noticed that he was a bit freaked out, so she sipped her cocoa and shrugged as calmly as she could. "Hm… not much."
"But then why am I here? And like this?" He said, pointing at himself as he sat up straight. "What happened?"
She just shook her head and petted her couch, signaling him to sit beside her. He did so; curious and anxious to know what happened. "We were talking on the pier and then you… walked me home."
He sighed and held his head. "That still doesn't explain why I woke up at your… your bed!"
"You make it sound like such a big deal." She shrugged, raising her eyebrow when his face showed even more worry. 'Just what is he thinking!?'
"Claire, it is a big deal…" He looked around worriedly, but his view got blocked by a cup of hot chocolate that Claire was holding up. "Um… this is kind of serious…"
"Drink up while it's still hot." She smiled, handing him the cup. "Just relax; I doubt that anyone saw us when we came, they don't know you're here."
He took the cup and Claire noticed that his hands were shaking. She frowned slightly and looked at him, not knowing if he was like that because of yesterday's punch, or if anything else was bothering him. "Al, what's wrong?"
"I…" He mumbled but stopped when he saw the clothes all over the floor. His eyes widened and a blush appeared on his cheeks, giving him the appearance of a red tomato. 'Oh my… those are our clothes… what did I do last night!?'
"You're probably still a bit confused. You don't drink regularly, do you?" She asked, receiving a shook of his head as an answer.
"W-why do you ask that?" He had no idea what was going on, but it worried him.
"You had too much punch." He still looked confused, making him look like a lost puppy. "Al, the punch was spiked... I'm surprised you didn't smell it."
"Oh no… no-no-no…." He shook his head, letting it rest on his hands as he bent over on the couch. She looked at him worriedly, rubbing his back.
"What's the problem? You have a headache?" She had no idea that the things that she was saying were making him get very different ideas of what she meant. "You seemed to be having so much fun yesterday… it's sad to see you like this now. Anything I can do to help you feel better?"
"Claire, whatever happened last night… I-I can't say anything about it… I don't remember." He sounded upset as he mumbled those words. "Can you please tell me… w-what exactly happened?"
He was having thoughts, and the ones that he was having weren't good at all. First of all, he, a doctor, had gotten drunk at a party… he didn't remember much from yesterday; he didn't even remember how he got to her house to begin with! Then, he woke up at her house, in her bed, dressed in almost see through clothes, the rest of it scattered all around with no memory of what happened.
To put things short, he was worried and scared. He had never had so much alcohol that he couldn't remember his actions, and by the looks of it, his actions weren't exactly the ones a man like him should have done. Apologizing and hoping that nothing happened seemed to be the only options that he could think of, unless things got worse that is.
"Al? Are you listening?" Claire placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. He blinked and looked at her, not knowing what to say. She just sighed and looked at him with the most worried look ever. "Why are you so red and shaky? Are you catching a cold?"
He stood up, his eyes stuck on the floor like glue. "I didn't know… about the drink… or anything… I'm sorry if I wasn't at my best behavior yesterday…"
"What are you talking about?" She tilted her head to the side. He couldn't come around to say anything or even move. "Al…?"
He gulped worriedly, his heart racing. After a deep breath he sighed and looked at her, his blood rushing to his face once more. "Claire, did we…? Did anything big happen here last night… between us?"
He didn't finish explaining completely what he meant and looked around. She looked at the direction he was facing, saw their clothes on the floor and got the hint. She got as red as he was a few moments ago, shaking her head. "No! Al, you just passed out here! I took off your tux so you'd be more comfortable and let you sleep on my bed, but nothing like that happened!"
He looked at her, physically relaxing. He took a big breath and sat down, his legs feeling weak and wiggly. He was so relieved that he even started laughing, causing Claire to laugh along with his chuckles. She bit her lip and punched him in the arm playfully, still laughing nervously.
"Just what kind of person do you think I am? Kidnapping you and then taking advantage of you because you had too much to drink!" She laughed wholeheartedly, her face still red from the whole mess. 'Though it's not such a bad idea...'
His face was just as red as hers, embarrassment clear on his features. "I'm sorry! It's just that everything seemed like you did…! Um… I mean, we did! Err… oh man… I'll shut up now…"