Distractions

by TennantBird

Audrey, a hard-working, independent girl, moves to Waffle Island with the intention of training at the carpenter's so she can start her own business someday. The last thing she expects is to fall in love - especially with someone like Luke.

3. Chapter 3

"Achoo!" I sneezed.

"Bless you," Bo said politely.

I was about to thank him when two more sneezes were unintentionally let loose from me. I sniffed, resisting the urge to wipe my nose. I glanced over to see Luke hunched over, turned away from me. I raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Was he snickering? "What's so funny?" I called over to him irritably, knowing he was laughing at me.

He immediately straightened and waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing, nothing." I could tell he was fighting off a smile.

I frowned. "What?"

"Nothing!" he repeated, trying to smother another round of snickers by covering his mouth with his hand.

Reaching the end of my patience, I marched over to him. "What are you laughing about?" I demanded.

He seemed to shrink away from my intense glare. "You'd only get more mad if I told you," he squeaked. When I didn't reply and my glare didn't soften, he finally gave in. "Well... It's just that... you have adorable sneezes." He started laughing again.

My face turned beet-red. Ugh, I should've listened to him when he said I'd only be more angry. Humiliated, I turned and stalked away without another word. Unfortunately, Bo couldn't help a chuckle either.

"Oh, not you too," I snapped, cheeks still burning.

"Aw, don't be so prickly," he said light-heartedly. "Is having a high-pitched sneeze such a bad thing?"

When everybody laughs at it, yes, I thought miserably. I was about to say it out loud, but then another sneeze came. Luke started cracking up again, right as he had begun to calm down.

I rubbed my temples, squeezing my eyes shut. It was going to be a long day.

Turned out, by the end of the day my girly sneezes were the least of my worries. After we had returned inside, my nose turned into a faucet. It was disgusting; I used up half a box of tissues. I was almost to the point of just shoving two wads of it up my nostrils, but then decided I'd look like a moron and wasn't quite so fed up as to stoop to Luke's level. Face it, he'd totally do that if he was the one with the runny nose.

"Well," I said, pausing to blow my nose for the millionth time; "seems as though I'm sick."

All three of the guys nodded. As if the trash can full of crumpled cloth hadn't proved that already.

"How about you stay home, Audrey? If you're not better by Sunday, that is." Bo sounded hesitant.

I sighed and nodded. "I was about to say that myself..."

He looked relieved. I guessed that he had been expecting me to protest against the idea, and he was glad he didn't need to convince me. I wasn't an idiot; I knew my limits when it came to my health.

"Do you need me to pick up some medicine for you?" Luke asked, almost hopefully.

I shook my head. "I can do it myself."

"If you say so."

I was mildly surprised he didn't insist. I coughed. Whether it was from my sickness or to break the slightly awkward silence that ensued I couldn't honestly say. "Well... See ya."

"Get better soon!" Luke and Bo called after me. I sighed as I closed the door behind me. Two days after I turn eighteen, and I catch a cold, I thought glumly. Thanks for the birthday gift, Mother Nature. You shouldn't have. The day before we had had off; it was the Art Festival. Of course, I didn't go. My fear of crowds was still there despite my getting used to having friends.

That night was miserable. I only caught about three hours of sleep. The rest of my time was spent using tissues, getting water for my sore throat, coughing, and glaring at the ceiling. I was glad the next day was Saturday; my day off anyways, but I cursed myself for what a dolt I was for not getting medicine right after work. I'd have to go as soon as I could, because I was starting to get a headache on top of everything else.

At five-thirty in the morning I decided there was no sense in trying to sleep anymore, so I got up and dressed. I did my hair as slowly as I could, staring at myself in the mirror. Dark circles under my brown eyes made me seem pale, and I frowned at my reflection without registering it at first. Was this, minus the dark circles, how I appeared to everyone? A constant frown on my face? I never realized how unfriendly I must have looked. Although, my actual personality wasn't too far-fetched from my appearance, I reflected gloomily.

I made myself some breakfast and ate it sluggishly. I don't even remember what I was thinking; probably complaining to myself of my condition.

Finally it was almost eight o'clock. I could finally go to the doctor's office and get some relief! The thought energized me and I set off at a brisk pace to Waffle Town. I hadn't been downtown for a while, note since I had last stopped at the general store at the beginning of the season.

I passed a couple of people I vaguely recognized from my Ocean Festival experience and waved wearily to them. They didn't stop for a chat as they normally would have, though. I supposed my slightly haggard appearance sort of warded them off. Fine by me; I wasn't exactly in the mood for small talk. I was pretty sure I had lost my voice, as well.

It felt like it took forever to reach Meringue Clinic, but I made it. I opened the door, expecting a quick exchange with the nurse and then to leave, but... there was no one there.

"Hello...?" I tried to call, but, as I had suspected, my voice came out half-hearted and gravelly. Unless they were close, nobody could hear me. I sighed uncomfortably and wondered what I should do. After a few moment of waiting, I started walking around, looking for any signs of someone. The back room was where the doctor and his grandmother had their living quarters, so I didn't go in there.

Maybe they had another patient. I hated to intrude, but if it wasn't an emergency, then would it be so bad if they just left for a second to retrieve a bottle of medicine? I decided to try upstairs. I tread carefully so if someone was asleep I wouldn't disturb them.

When I got to the top of the stairs, I heard voices. Quietly, I walked forward. I couldn't explain why I was being careful anymore. As I got closer to the back of the room, the voices became clearer.

"How does it feel to have the tables turned? Now you're the one who's sick." A soft, chuckling female voice. I only remembered who it belonged to when I saw a glimpse of dark brown hair from where I stood behind the curtain; Anissa, the droopy farmer Craig's daughter.

A small cough sounded. It could only belong to the doctor, Jin. "Well, I can't say I love the medicine..."

Anissa laughed again.

"Either way, thank you for taking care of me," he continued. I could hear the smile in his voice. "This is very thoughtful of you."

"Oh, it's my pleasure. I enjoy taking care of others." I could imagine her blushing. There was a moment of silence, then she spoke again. "Well, I suppose I had better get some more herbs really quick. I'll be right back."

I caught my breath in terror. What would she do if she caught me snooping?

"Wait." Jin rescued me by protesting. "I want you to... stay by my side."

Anissa paused, obviously puzzled. "I'll be right back," she repeated.

"No, I mean... Stay with me, forever."

I didn't hear anything either of them said after that. My face burned red with guilt and embarrassment that I had been eavesdropping on such a personal moment between two complete strangers, but also with something I couldn't quite put my finger on... Longing? An image of Luke flashed through my mind, to my horror.

Oh, no no! I shook my head vigorously, my braids slapping my sides. Now I was blushing at my own thoughts. You can wait a bit! For a nice, sensible man, no less.

I retreated back downstairs, hoping neither of the couple had noticed me, though I was still wrapped up in my disturbing thoughts. I sat down on a bench in the main room and tried to sort out my feelings.

"Oh my." A voice suddenly interrupted me in my mulling. "I'm sorry, have I kept you waiting?"

Slightly startled, I glanced up to see the old woman who worked as a nurse here walk out of the back room; Jin's grandmother, if I remembered correctly. But I couldn't recall her name for the life of me.

"Audrey, isn't it?" she checked, making me feel even more ashamed that I couldn't think of her name. I nodded, but when she got a good look at my face her eyes widened in alarm. "My dear, your face is flushed! Do you have a fever?"

"No!" I croaked, too quickly. "No, I don't think so. It's just a cold." I coughed into my arm.

The nurse didn't look convinced. "Let me take your temperature, just in case."

I sighed but didn't argue. I wasn't feeling the most spirited, especially after witnessing the mushy scene that had taken place upstairs. The old lady put a glass tube in my mouth, then after a minute or so removed it, squinting at the reading. "Well, you were right. Not a fever after all. But I assume you want some cold medicine?"

"Yes, please," I whispered. Talking in a normal voice made my throat hurt even more.

As she searched her cabinets for my medicine, she tried to make small talk with me. "I'm sorry Dr. Jin can't see you; he's actually sick as well."

"Oh, really?" I managed, trying to act surprised. It just made me feel more guilty. "That's ironic..."

She smiled. "But he has that sweet girl Anissa taking care of him. He'll be better in no time." She set a package down on the counter. I rose up out of my seat to claim it. The nurse proceeded to instruct me on when and how to take the medicine, then wished me luck in getting well quick, and then I was finally headed home.

Once I was safely within the confines of my tiny home, I took a dose of the medicine and promptly buried my face in my hands as I sat at the table. If anyone came in, I could easily tell them it was because I had a headache. But that would have been a lie; the medicine was efficient and was already making me feel significantly better.

I could only with it would work the same emotionally.

Sighing, I removed a hand from my cheek and gently took the garnet charm on my necklace between two fingers, stroking the smooth surface of the gem with my thumb. Luke might be in love with me.

The thought had crossed my mind before, just not in such a blunt statement. I closed my eyes, pained. There was no certain way to tell unless he said it to my face, of course. But I had a feeling, despite my lack of experience in such things.

Luke might be in love with me. The concept repeated itself in my mind, so many times it didn't sound like a sentence anymore and more like incoherent gibberish.

What was so bad about this revelation, are you wondering? The answer was simple; I'd have to break his heart.

My hand holding the necklace clutched around it at the mere idea. I didn't want to hurt Luke; I really didn't. But if he was, in fact, in love with me, it changed nothing. I was still going to move on in three years. It just might be... a little more painful than I had anticipated, unfortunately.

All my hard thinking on top of being ill was beginning to wear me out. With a ginormous yawn, my arms folded on the table and my head sank down onto them. I was too tired to get up and climb into my bed.

Right before I drifted off, one more thought whispered in the back of my mind; Or should it be... "I might be in love with Luke"?

I was too exhausted to be angry or shocked, let alone argue, with myself.

I woke up at around three pm from my fitful nap, and after taking some more medicine I decided to stay awake.

Seeing no point in keeping my hair up - it wasn't like anyone was going to see me - I undid my braids, looking at myself in the mirror again as I had that morning. As I combed my fingers through the last twist, I noticed how different I looked with untampered hair. It cascaded down my back in a mint-green waterfall, making me look older and more sophisticated even in my cherry-print pajamas; almost like a different person altogether.

Mature? Sophisticated? Sounded right up my alley. But I was mildly bemused as I found my feelings rejecting the look. I think I knew why, though. The braids reminded me of when I was younger; when my father was still alive. He would do my hair in that same style every day. They reminded me of days when I thought nothing of my future. When I was carefree.

And lately, they were starting to remind me of Luke.

I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my forehead. Stop it, I scolded myself. Do you want the road ahead to be even more painful than it already will be?

Telling myself I couldn't believe what an idiot I was being, I set to fixing myself a small snack. I was pretty hungry.

Unfortunately, eating didn't waste very much time. I realized I had next to nothing to do. Even though I was sick, I wasn't tired anymore - at least, not for the moment. What else was there to do when you're sick besides sleep? I tried to remember back to the days of when I had to stay home from school with a cold or fever. My mom was there to take care of me, and we'd talk or I'd read a book. I had no books.

I glanced around and the small TV sitting against one wall caught my eye. The idea of just laying around and watching television all day didn't appeal to me, but like I said; what else was there to do?

With a sigh I pulled up a chair and set myself up with a blanket, a box of tissues at my side, and a cup of tea. I switched on the TV.

I passed the time by watching the news for a while, then the variety channel. The cooking show, hosted by that girl Maya, was on. It occurred to me that I had heard she wasn't very good when it came to the culinary arts, but I didn't dwell on it too much as my mind began to wander.

After a while I glanced at the clock. It was five-thirty already, I noted with raised eyebrows. TV sure was a time-waster. No wonder they say it rots your brain; I couldn't say I actually learned anything useful in the whole two hours I spent in front of the screen. Oh well. At least it passed the time until dinner.

I got up to prepare myself another cup of tea, along with my evening meal and another dose of medicine. I wasn't too hungry, so I just made myself a bowl of miso soup with some rice on the side.

I was just scooping the last bite of rice into my mouth when there was a knock on the door. Blinking, I turned my head to stare at the entrance to my house, wondering if it had been my imagination. Nobody should be visiting; not even Luke. I could be asleep for all he knew.

But I knew better. Of course it was him. Nowadays I couldn't expect anything else, really.

"Audrey!" Sure enough, it was his voice yelling through the front wall of my house. "Come on, it's us, Luke and Bo! Let us in!"

Bo's with him? Now I was curious. Since a sensible person had accompanied Luke, I had less reason to be suspicious. Don't ask me what I was suspicious of. It was Luke. What more of a reason could you want?

I had barely any time to stand up when Luke's impatience got the better of him. "We're coming in," he warned over Bo's protest before the door opened. Of course, I had forgotten to lock it. I sighed and plopped back down into my chair, seemingly in exasperation. Really, I didn't feel it was worth the exertion to walk ten feet to where the two boys were standing. You knew I was sick when I was feeling too lazy to cross a small room.

"I could've been asleep, you know," I grumbled. I was still in my pajamas!

"Well, you weren't," Luke retorted cheerfully. Behind him, Bo looked apologetic, which softened my feelings slightly. But I was still annoyed.

"Do you want to get sick too?"

"Bah, you're not contagious anymore," he replied confidently. "You caught the thing yesterday and you've been taking medicine, right? And even then, colds are really only spreadable before the symptoms start, if I remember correctly..."

I crossed my arms and kept silent. This wasn't really an argument over his wellbeing; it was an issue of my pride. I didn't want visitors coming and pitying me. But...

"Come on, just be happy your friends are here," Luke said a little more gently.

"Okay..." I gave in. "Now, why are you guys here, really? You didn't come to have a sympathy session for the poor sick girl, I hope."

A mischievous glint lit up in Luke's eyes. "How'd you know?" He and Bo exchanged glances, and then he grinned. "You up for a climb?"

I pulled my blanket around my shoulders, shivering. "Why are we on my roof at six-thirty on a Fall evening?" I could see my breath and it was starting to get dark.

"Because it's a full moon tonight," Bo said. "We figured you might be lonely at home by yourself, and you might want something fun to do, so..."

"Oh," was all I could say in response. Then I rubbed the back of my head and smiled ruefully. "You know, I probably wouldn't have thought anything of it if you guys hadn't have come."

"Really?" Bo looked taken aback. Then we both laughed.

"Hey guys! I got the dumplings!" Luke's voice called from the ground. He clattered up the ladder. I was just beginning to wonder how he had carried stuff up when he emerged with a bulging tool bag. I had to shake my head, but I was still smiling.

Luke's thick eyebrows raised. "Whoa, what happened? Audrey's grinning!"

To my internal amazement, and probably everyone else's, instead of feeling irritated at Luke's teasing I laughed some more. This was probably the most I had laughed since before my father died.

Maybe my cold was getting to my head. But even if it was, I found myself not caring. I was with my only two friends I'd ever really had outside of family; you were supposed to have fun and let yourself go a bit, right? Besides, this was the most happy I'd felt since... well, you can guess.

Luke matched my grin, delighted at me opening up a little more, and came to sit down on my right. Bo was occupying the left side. My blue-haired friend pulled out three large bundles and passed two of them to me. I gave one to Bo.

"This is a lot of dumplings," I observed, eyebrows raised as I unraveled my napkin. The contents spread out across my lap.

"It probably would've been more fun to make them if you were there," Bo admitted. Luke nodded in assent, and I found myself blushing. Good thing it was dark.

I took a bite of one of the soft round delicacies. "Mmm!" I exclaimed with my mouth full. I swallowed. "These are great, guys."

"Thanks," they both laughed. "Well, I bet you if they were made by Chase they'd taste better, but still, thanks," Luke added modestly. I rolled my eyes and nudged his shoulder with mine. He looked at me and for some reason I couldn't take my eyes away from his.

"Hey, the moon is up!" Bo's voice finally wrenched me away. Why was my heart practically doing a tap dance in my chest? I subtly took a deep breath. Yeah, my cold was definitely messing with my brain, I was sure of it now.

We all admired the moon and chatted and ate our dumplings happily as the giant glowing orb rose higher and higher into the starry night sky. The only drawback was that as the night wore on, it only got colder, and my thin blanket wasn't doing much to help no matter how tightly I pulled it around my shoulders. Soon I was shivering, though I didn't dare complain. I had many reasons not to.

Unfortunately, Luke caught on pretty quick. After we finished all the dumplings, he spoke. "Audrey, you must be freezing," he said, as if I was the one without a blanket. Without waiting for my opinion, he scooted closer to me. So close we were pressed together. I stiffened in embarrassment, but then felt a little better as Bo did the same. But Luke was still closer. As in, if we turned our heads towards each other, our noses would almost be touching. For some reason all I could really focus on was that fact, my face gradually heating up the more I thought about it.

Just friends! We're. Just. Friends.

It was probably approaching midnight when the tolls of my illness got the better of me. Even though most of my symptoms were fading - my nose was merely slightly stuffy rather than a constant stream of nastiness - all of a sudden I was exhausted. So tired, in fact, that I forgot about Luke being so close. It didn't even register with me when my head gravitated to his shoulder as I fought to keep my eyes open. I just wanted to stay awake a minute longer; I wanted to tell the guys something.

"Thanks... you guys," I murmured drowsily. "This whole thing... was really nice of you. You've made me really happy." A small smile stayed on my face as I dozed off.

After he was sure I was asleep, Bo spoke. "Audrey has really changed since she first arrived here, hasn't she?"

Luke shook his head, careful not to dislodge my position on his shoulder. "Nah, she hasn't changed a bit. This side of her was just hiding for a long time."

The younger boy looked thoughtful, then he smiled. "I guess you're right, huh?"

I woke up in the morning in my bed. I blinked at the ceiling, then sat up. I was still in my silly cherry-patterned pajamas. I started to wonder how the guys had carried me down from the roof when a slip of paper on my nightstand caught my eye. I picked it up.

In messy handwriting that could only be Luke's, the note read;

Yo,

Just wanted to let you know that Pops let you have today off. Glad you had fun last night. Hope to see you tomorrow, but if you're still not feeling well, just let us know!

-L

P.S.; You look great with your hair down. It really suits you! I've always wondered why you keep it in braids most of the time; I would've thought that was too childish for your tastes. Anyways, see you soon!

My cheeks warmed as I read the last part. I wasn't quite sure whether to smile or frown at the complement; it conflicted with my reasons for wearing my hair in braids.

The next day, I briefly considered wearing my hair down anyways, but then decided against it. I couldn't let Luke's opinions sway me so easily. I was starting to worry myself.

When I arrived at the carpenter's, everyone gave me a warm welcome back, but the air seemed to be buzzing with excitement for a reason other than my return. I was curious but didn't ask, though I got an explanation later in the day.

"Did you hear, Audrey?" Bo asked after Luke came for his shift in the woods. "Dr. Jin is getting married to Craig and Ruth's daughter, Anissa. It's been a really long time since there was a wedding here, so it's kind of a big deal."

I'm sure all the color drained from my face at the mention of the doctor and farmer girl, but luckily I was behind a tree where no one could see me. I forced myself to keep swinging my copper axe. "That's nice," I replied, hopefully sounding politely indifferent.

"Really, it's too bad," Luke contributed to the conversation. "Anissa is pretty hot."

A strong emotion I was not used to experiencing surged through me. Now my face was burning, and again I was glad for the cover of the tree. Jealousy.

Why was I feeling jealous?

Keep working, Audrey, the sane part of me advised. I was silent for the rest of my time outside, losing myself in the rhythm of my strikes and boiling in my own turbulent emotions.

I was relieved when Friday came again. Finally, a day off to myself. Actually, two days; the flea market took place the twenty-second of every month, but I still wouldn't attend. Maybe I'd actually stop thinking of Luke for once. It was beginning to scare me, how often the boy with the flaming bandana appeared in my thoughts. At completely random times, too.

That week I had unwittingly reverted to my old self; withdrawn and quiet. My responses to people were short and curt. Not even Bo could draw a smile out of me.

I was oblivious to myself, but what I did notice was Luke, who seemed to be frowning quizzically at me instead of his usual grin. I wondered what his problem was, but I was trying to avoid him as much as possible at the same time. The feelings that flooded me whenever I saw him... were not to my liking. And most distracting.

After I silently exited the building on Friday, eager for a good night's sleep and a two-day weekend, Luke turned to Bo, a helpless and miffed look on his face. "Did I say something wrong to her? Why is she acting like this?"

Bo shrugged, also looking troubled. "It... might've been when you called Anissa 'hot'."

Luke's eyebrows drew together. "But Audrey wouldn't get worked up over something petty like that..."

She might if she liked someone, Bo longed to say, but couldn't get the words out. He didn't know how Luke would react to that. Would it go to his head and end up scaring me away?

Either way, Luke wasn't talking anymore. He had sat down at the workbench by the window - where I usually sat - and was staring outside, his chin on his hand. Bo's eyes trailed to the window as well, and he saw it was getting pretty windy.

With a sigh, he left Luke to his pondering and went to help Dale with dinner.

A good night's sleep was too much to hope for, wasn't it?

Near midnight I was startled awake by a noise I couldn't identify. The wind was howling outside, so I assumed it had been a tree branch slapping against the wall or something. But then I heard a pounding on the door.

I groaned into my pillow. Really, Luke?

Since last weekend, I shouldn't have really cared about him seeing me in my nightclothes, but I put on my sweater and jeans anyways. I left my hair as it was.

I cracked the door open. "It's a stormy night at twelve in the morning, Luke. What could you possibly want?"

He was fully dressed as well. The fang hanging on his necklace glinted in the moonlight. I resisted the urge to feel for my own pendant. The sky was perfectly clear, contradicting to the winds moving at nearly twenty miles per hour.

"Oh, good, you're dressed," he said perkily, ignoring what I said. "Wanna do something fun?"

I peered at him suspiciously. "This isn't some sort of completely weird dream, is it?"

Luke laughed, and despite my annoyance and dread that he was here, my own spirits lightened somewhat. He grabbed my hand. "Come on, I'll show you." And he whisked me off before I even had a chance to blush.

He led me up the familiar path I took every day on my way to work. I seriously wondered where he could be taking me so late at night.

Soon we were at the clearing, and then... he hopped over the fence, letting go of me as he did so. My hand instantly felt cold, but I was staring at him. "We're allowed to go over the fence?" I almost shouted, the wind masking my voice from any light sleepers.

"Sure we are! Just not allowed to cut trees past the fence." He held out his hand again. "Want help over?"

"I'm not a wimp or anything," I said, disgruntled, sticking my tongue out at him as I climbed over after him.

He grinned. "I know. I was just trying to be gentlemanly." I shook my head and he took my hand once more anyways. "Not far now. Don't trip on any logs."

Luke guided me through the woods - which were more vast than I had originally imagined. Or maybe the dark made them seem bigger. In any case, we traveled for about three more minutes, the only sounds audible being the leaves rustling above us in the wind and an occasional snap of a twig. No animals were out in the wind storm tonight.

I nearly bumped into Luke when he stopped, since I was mesmerized by the tranquil woods. When my attention was diverted ahead of us, I gasped. The biggest oak tree I'd ever seen loomed before us.

As I gawked, I nearly missed Luke say, "Pretty cool, huh? We're gonna climb it!"

"What?" I asked absently. Then I registered what he had said. "Wait, what?"

Beside me he was grinning triumphantly, as if he'd already reached the top.

"You're insane. Climbing one of the tallest trees in the forest, at night, with no harnesses or safety precautions of any kind whatsoever? What could you be thinking?"

He tilted his head to the side. "I said we were gonna do something fun, didn't I?"

For a moment I struggled to fight off a smile. Luckily the ever-growing feeling of incredulousness overpowered my hysteria. "But... But..." I sputtered. "There are no branches at the bottom. How do you expect to get up?"

"There are plenty of handholds in the bark." He walked over to the tree and hoisted himself up a few feet by grabbing at the trunk.

"Oh, so you've done this before?" That would make me feel a little better, at least.

"Um... Kind of."

I raised an eyebrow at him. He couldn't see me, but my silence was just as effective.

"I've made it like, half-way," he admitted. "Oh, just get over here and climb. You're not chicken, are you?" He turned and offered his hand once again, the mischievous glint in his eyes returned.

Pressing my lips together at his mockery, I ran to the tree and started climbing up next to him.

"There you go!" he praised. "That's more like it!" He continued up as well. I was left scrambling after him. Which I was not happy about. Somehow this had turned into a race in my head. I shouted a taunt at him, and he answered with one of his own. We began bantering and laughing as we climbed.

We must be high up now... I hadn't looked down since we began. Luke paused, panting, and sat down on a branch. I tried to reach the limb as well, but as I reached out, my foot slipped from its place.

I caught my breath. For a paralyzing moment that seemed to last forever, yet probably took no more than a heartbeat, I began to fall.

"Audrey!" Luke yelped, the horror evident in his voice. He thrust his hand out, snatching mine in the nick of time.

Fortunately, he had been straddling the bough he sat on. If he hadn't been, he probably would have fallen with me.

Speechless, I brought up my other hand and gripped his tightly. I was literally hanging on for my life.

"I've got you," Luke assured me breathlessly. With some effort, he pulled me up until I could reach the branch on my own. Even as I heaved myself up, his arms hovered protectively around me, just in case.

When I was securely seated, I risked a glance downward. Well, I probably wouldn't have died after all. Definitely a few bones would be broken, but unless I fell head-first, not dead.

Luke and I looked at each other. Then burst out laughing as if on cue.

There was definitely something wrong with me. I should have been angry, shocked, still scared out of my wits; anything but amused! And yet for some reason none of those emotions even attempted to appear.

"Hopefully that won't happen again," Luke said, more seriously. I nodded. "All right, let's see if we can reach the top!" Without further adieu, we continued climbing, though we made an effort to stay closer together.

About a minute later Luke came to a halt and glanced back to the ground. "This is about the half-way point," he told me. "Now's where the real challenge begins!"

"Bring it on!" I replied, exhilarated by the height and adrenaline pulsing through me. I felt ready to do anything; my scare just several minutes ago seemed a thing of the past.

"That's the spirit!" he said in approval, then we took off.

After twenty minutes of weaving through branches and helping each other up from time to time, I suddenly caught sight of the sky. Tapping Luke's shoulder, I pointed upwards. "We're almost there."

"Awesome! Let's find a branch to sit on."

Luckily oaks are sturdy trees that don't have very many puny twigs for branches near the top. We had no trouble finding a limb that could support our weight while giving us a great view at the same time.

It wasn't until I sat down that I realized how tired I was. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving my arms and legs shaky and sore. I also noticed, as I wiped the back of my hand across my forehead, that I was quite sweaty. I would've been embarrassed, but Luke wasn't any better off than me in those departments.

"Well, we did it," I managed after catching my breath. "But now I'm really thirsty."

Luke laughed. "Me too. But it was so worth it, don't you think? I mean, where else can you get a view like this?" He spread his arms wide, a gesture to the clear sky above us. Stars twinkled everywhere. It was even more beautiful that the last weekend's moon watching, if I said so myself.

"Very true..." I breathed, in awe of the spectacular sight. I almost didn't notice Luke subtly scoot closer to me. Almost. It's hard to move sneakily when the branch you're sitting on rattles at every slight disturbance.

I cleared my throat, keeping my gaze on the sky in an attempt to cover up the awkwardness. "So, Luke," I began, preparing to ask the question that had been weighing on my mind since we started this whole fiasco. "Be honest; why on Earth did you make me climb a tree with you in the middle of the night?"

He thought for a moment, probably choosing his words carefully. An anomaly for Luke. "Because I missed your smile," he finally said.

Caught off-guard, my startled gaze flicked to him for a moment. His attention was carefully trained on the stars, though, as mine had been. "Wha-?"

"You seemed really down this past week. Or mad. Or something, because you totally closed yourself off. And Bo and I were worried." Now his golden eyes met mine in a sidelong glance. "So I figured, 'maybe she just needs something fun to do'."

"Oh." I sounded strangled. Were my mood swings that noticeable? Also, I felt completely and utterly guilty, because it had been Luke in the first place who had set me off. I felt ashamed of myself for getting so beside myself just because he had called another girl attractive.

"Bo suggested you were put off by me calling Anissa hot," Luke told me. It was hard to tell in the moonlight, but I thought his face looked a little red. "If- If it was that, I'm sorry..."

"No, no!" I said, a bit too quickly. "It wasn't that at all. I just... had a lot of stuff on my mind." It wasn't entirely a lie.

"Ah, good, because I thought that Bo's reasoning was a little far-fetched anyways. I mean, you're definitely not the type of girl to get weirded out about stuff like that, am I right?" He laughed, an attempt to relieve some of the tension.

I forced myself to contribute a few chuckles and desperately hoped he couldn't see my horrified face.

"Oh, wow, a shooting star!"

Infinitely grateful for the change in subject, I returned my gaze to the sky. "Yeah, there's another one!" Chill out. Just enjoy yourself for once, some inner part of me demanded.

"Great, one for each of us." Luke grinned. "Hurry, make a wish!" He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.

What? A wish? I don't know what to wish for... I'd never wished on a shooting star before. Not even when I was young. It seemed so childish to me now...

I prepared to disappoint Luke when he would immediately ask me what I had wished for, but he didn't say anything at all after he opened his eyes again. When he saw me staring questioningly at him, he guessed what I was thinking and laughed. "Jeez, Audrey, I'm not that nosy. Don't you know it's bad luck to tell other people your wish before it comes true? If you do, then it'll never happen."

"O-Oh, I see," I muttered, turning away, again ashamed.

We sat in silence - Luke content, me practically squirming with guilt - for a while, until he spoke again. "Okay, we'd better make our way back down. It'll be dawn in a few hours."

I nodded restraining myself form sighing in relief. Don't get me wrong; the stars were amazing, but I'd been drowning in my own misery for a good half-hour.

"Now, getting down is harder than coming up..." Luke began instructing me on how to properly get down the tree. I listened to him intently, trying to drown out my other thoughts.

Even though it was more difficult going down the giant oak tree, the journey downwards still seemed much faster than the way up. Before I knew it we were standing at my porch again.

"Um, thank you, Luke," I said awkwardly. "I guess I did kinda need something fun to do. This was really fun."

He nodded, grinning goofily as always. "Anytime, Audrey."

I had to smile. "Good night."

"Ditto!"

And with that he began to walk away.

I don't know why, but I was slow to open my door. I stood there a few moments before turning around. But as I pushed on the doorknob, Luke's voice stopped me half-way.

"Wait a sec, Audrey!" he exclaimed, running back towards me. "I forgot something."

I was about to ask him what he could have possibly forgotten, seeing as he never brought anything but the clothes on his back in the first place, but he hadn't been talking about an object. Before I knew what was happening, Luke was by my side, planting a kiss on my cheek. Then as quick as he had been there, he was back to running down the path. "See ya Monday, Audrey!"

Dazed, I floated inside my house and sank onto my bed, my hand on my cheek where his kiss still lingered. I was sure my face was all sorts of shades of pink and red, and my heart was going completely nuts.

Then I realized; I couldn't deny it anymore. The symptoms were too glaringly obvious to ignore them. I was falling in love with Luke.

And I had to stop.

The beginning half of Sunday was spent mulling over how I was going to do it. Break it to Luke that we couldn't be doing this; not unless he wanted to move away with me in three years. But that seemed so unlikely I just left it out of the equation.

I wondered how he would respond. I narrowed it down to three main reactions; first, he could deny it, say he wasn't in love with me. In which case I would feel like an idiot. But I had not imagined that kiss the night before, and I didn't think he'd go so far as to claim that hadn't happened. So this was the least likely to happen.

Next option was anger. This one almost seemed the best, because I could handle mad people. I felt the emotion often enough to know what to do.

Lastly, and this was the most likely, he'd just be sad. In any of the scenarios I'd definitely break his heart, but with the other two reactions he wouldn't show it so plainly.

I know this all may seem a bit silly. We only really had crushes on each other, and even then it hadn't been for very long. But I had to take this seriously; I had to nip the bud before it bloomed, because if it did bloom, I didn't know if I could bring myself to cut it. And then where would my dreams for my future be?

So that afternoon, I marched to Waffle Square, braving my agoraphobia, feeling ready to throw up and burst into tears at the same time. I was breaking my own heart here too, you know.

I had no trouble finding the carpenter's stand. Ignoring everyone else's greetings, I went straight up to Luke, who was hawking to people to buy furniture I had made. "Hey, Audrey!" He sounded surprised, but pleased. "I didn't think you were coming."

I swallowed hard. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" My voice was a wisp, and I was amazed he even heard me.

A concerned frown formed on his face. "Yeah, of course."

I led him outside the arch that marked you were entering town and away from the path a bit, where no one could hear us.

We stood there for a moment in silence. I focused on the yellow grass beneath me; I had totally forgotten my rehearsed conversation.

"Take your time," Luke said gently, in understanding. That made me want to cry all over again. How could he be so kind when I had come here only to hurt him?

I had to say something, now. "I-I'm sorry, Luke, but we can't continue this." I was still looking down.

"What are you talking about?" When I dared a glance up, he was looking at me quizzically. But there was something in his eyes that told me he had guessed what this was about.

I tried a more direct approach. "I know you're in love with me." I couldn't believe I was saying this - I sounded so insensitive; so sure without much proof - but I had to push on. "And... And I'm scared, because I think I'm in love with you too." Here came the threatening tears... I couldn't bring myself to say anymore for the moment.

Luke didn't say anything either until the mixture of shock and embarrassment left his face, for the most part. "Being in love is nothing to be scared about," he said with an unsteady chuckle.

I shook my head. "It is for me, because I'm leaving in two-and-a-half years! Don't you see? We can't be together!" It seemed I was getting more worked up about this than he was.

"What? You're leaving? Since when?" He looked genuinely confused.

I blinked. "I never told you...?" Oh no. This was going to be worse than I thought. My plans had always been so clear in my head, I guessed I'd just assumed everyone else knew...

"No. Since when were you going to leave?" he repeated.

"Since I first got here! Three years from when I got here, I'm going to move to the city so I can start a carpentry business of my own." My voice became quieter the longer I spoke. "This was all for training."

"Oh." His eyebrows drew together, considering what I said. "Well, don't tell me you didn't think you'd make any friends here."

Honestly, I hadn't. "But friends and lovers are different."

Luke tried to grab my hands, but I pushed them away. "I'll go with you when you move, then," he said simply.

I was surprised that he suggested it, and my heart leapt at the idea, but... "No. I can't ask you to leave your dad and Bo."

"Yet you can ask yourself to?"

Startled, I looked back at his face. He was suggesting that I just stay on Waffle Island?

"You know, Pops and Bo care about you too! I'm not the only one who will miss you!" Now he was frustrated.

The tears were spilling over, running down my cheeks now. If I said anything I'd start sobbing.

"But I can't ask you to give up your dreams." His eyes lost the fire in them, accepting he had lost. "If this is really what you want - if this will make you happy - I won't stop you."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. Then, after a moment's hesitation of looking into his crestfallen eyes, I ran. I felt like such a coward; such a horrible person. But I didn't know what else to do.

When I finally stormed inside my house, I kicked the first thing my foot could reach, which happened to be my suitcase. It slid across the floor and hit the wall with a satisfying thud, making the front flap pop open for a second. I thought I saw a bulge in it.

For some reason I went over to investigate, wiping my nose before lifting the cover up. There was a pocket on the inside that I hadn't noticed before. I wondered how it could have escaped me.

Unzipping it, I pulled out a yellow square of fabric. I had to stare at it in confusion for a moment until I recognized it as my baby blanket.

My teeth clenched. My mother had slipped it in after all. Why'd I have to find it now, of all times?

I stared at the blanket for a few more seconds before burying my face in it and weeping again.

I had done what was for the best. Right?

The next week was pure torture.

I tried to avoid Luke, but he didn't seem to want to steer clear of me. Maybe he thought we could still be friends. But didn't he understand that if I got close to him again, I'd just end up falling for him again too?

If it wasn't bad enough that he had been trying to be kind, every time I talked to him I saw the hurt in his eyes and sensed the hesitance in his words. As the last week of Fall wore on, his attempts gradually ceased.

Bo and Dale seemed to pick up on Luke's half-hearted energy and my bitterness, but kept quiet. Bo looked about ready to explode from worry and unasked questions, though. I almost felt bad. But I wasn't ready to talk yet. I didn't know if I'd ever be. I had given this wound to myself, and it wasn't healing as easily as expected.

On the first day of Winter, I woke up to find the surrounding landscape covered in snow. The white flakes were still coming down as well.

Some people find snow beautiful and calming. Others find it a nuisance. Me, when I look out a window and see snow, I flinch. Unlike most people, I do not have happy childhood memories of snow. My memories are filled with terror and sorrow. Because it was a snowy night that the news of my father's death was brought to me; it was snow that had killed him.

I still recalled it as if it were yesterday. That morning I remembered my father going to work, as always, but Mom had seemed stressed. The snow as coming down pretty hard. Dad reassured Mom he'd be fine, and kissed her cheek before heading out. Shawn, thirteen at the time, kept talking to Mom the whole day, as if to keep her preoccupied.

Six-year-old me, not able to comprehend what my mother was worried about, busied myself with a puzzle for most of the day.

When it was time for Dad to come home, there was no routine opening of the door accompanied by stomping boots, no scooping me up in his arms and bringing me to the dinner table. Mom and Shawn's faces became a little pale.

Suddenly, a half-hour later, the door burst open. I hugged myself as a burst of cold air wafted inside and looked up, expecting my father. But instead of the familiar green and wise blue eyes, a muscular black-haired man stood. It was one of my father's co-workers, Al, if I remembered correctly.

My mother and brother rushed over to him, knowing something was amiss. "Dan's missing," was all the man said, huffing as if he had run here as fast as he could.

Mom put her hand over her mouth in horror, while Shawn immediately got their Winter coats and boots out. He then came over to me and told me to stay put, assuring me me that he and Mom would be back soon. Then all three disappeared out the door.

I made my way to the window, where I sat dutifully and awaited their return, along with my father's. The snow was so thick I could make it out in the darkness. When I looked back on it, I was surprised at how calm I was.

Two hours later, they returned. Dad was not with them. Mom was sobbing. Shawn had his teeth gritted together, as if in pain, and dry tear paths were streaked down his face. I stared at my older brother wide-eyed as he told me the harsh truth; that our father was dead. He had been found deep in the woods, crushed by a fallen tree.

That was the first time I had truly felt fear. I knew what being "dead" meant, even back then. It meant the person was gone, and never, ever coming back. The brutal reality crashed down on my child self, and I let loose a long, heartbroken wail, and ran to my mother's arms.

A bird flying past my window snapped me back to reality. I sighed and prepared for another painful day at work.

On the third I went to the Sundae Inn for dinner, on an impulse. The bar had opened but they were still serving food, so I ordered a salad and picked at it miserably.

"Hey, Audrey, what brings you here?"

I glanced up at the unfamiliar voice to see Luke's friend Owen. His red hair and gray eyes were unmistakeable even though I'd only met him once. "I'm eating dinner, what does it look like?" I said brusquely. Usually I made an effort to be polite to strangers, but my facade was wearing thin as of late.

He raised an eyebrow and proceeded to sit at the chair across from me. "You know, Luke's been acting pretty strangely. You don't seem to be in a good mood either. I'm finding it hard to believe it's just a coincidence."

I clenched my jaw and stabbed my salad with my fork instead of replying. I didn't meet his gaze.

"I thought so." Owen sighed. "You know, Luke really admires you. He's told me too many times to count; he thinks you're smart, pretty, hardworking..."

I was too despondent to even blush. "I know," I interrupted him quietly. "I know he thinks that."

Owen's tone changed to puzzlement; "Then why...?"

"You don't understand!" I burst out. "You couldn't get it even if you tried." I had plans. Dreams that I wasn't quite willing to let go of just yet.

But I also wasn't quite willing to let go of Luke just yet, either. And it was tearing me apart.

I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping across the floor. Several bar patrons stopped what they were doing or saying to glance my way. Without another word, I set my payment for my food down on the table and turned to leave.

"Audrey," Owen said. I paused, but didn't turn back. "I might not understand your reasons for doing this, but... Try to reconsider. Luke is really hurting right now, and I can tell you are too."

My face dark, I swept myself out the door and swiftly returned to my house. I only allowed myself to cry for five minutes.

Surprisingly, the week went by quickly after the encounter with Owen at the bar. I would have expected it to seem long and sullen, but before I knew it it was the seventh. I'd had a nice, relaxing Saturday, and as I burrowed under the warm covers of my bed that night I dared to think that maybe I was finally getting used to things between Luke and me.

But then a stab of sorrow drove through my heart, and I knew I was still a long ways off from getting over that boy.

I didn't know what time it was, but it was very late when the frantic knocking sounded on my front door. I leapt out of bed instantly, a dreadful feeling already welling up inside me.

Bo stood on my front porch, panting, his freckled face alarmed. "Luke's missing."

I took a step back, shocked. It was so similar... "How-?"

"No time to explain. We have to find him!" Bo was practically pleading. He knew I had been intentionally avoiding our friend the past week.

He didn't have to say it twice, though. Pulse already racing, I ran with Bo, who led me to the clearing. Snow stung my face. Oh Goddess... I thought faintly, my heart in my throat. It's a snowstorm.

Dale was already there. "Good, you're here. Let's split up. Luke's in the woods."

Bo and I nodded and we each assigned ourselves different sections of the forest. I chose which way I thought was in the direction of the oak tree.

"Luke!" I yelled desperately.

I can't lose him too.

"Luke!" I sprinted as fast as I could to nowhere in particular.

If he dies...

"Luke!"

I stumbled over a root, caught myself, then paused. My hands on my knees, I tried to catch my breath. It was a blizzard, I had no coat, and yet I was sweaty.

"Where are you, Luke?" I called pathetically, knowing full-well nobody could hear me. I was on the verge of tears. Again.

And suddenly, I realized something. I wouldn't have been able to leave Luke even if I'd wanted to in the first place. My attempt to sever our relationship, breaking his heart as well as my own, was completely futile. I was here on Waffle Island to stay.

Now I not only had to rescue that idiot, but I had to tell him. That I was sorry. And that I loved him.

Refueled by my epiphany, I charged onwards.

A half-hour later, though, I was beginning to feel dispirited. I knew he wasn't dead, but maybe one of the others had found him. I was also tired, and my hands, feet, and face were beginning to feel numb despite my running.

Ten more minutes, I decided. Then I'll turn back. And if Dale or Bo hadn't found him... I'd search again.

I was nearing the end of my time limit when I saw a dark silhouette of a person through the haze of snow. It had to be him. Relief and excitement flooded through me, and a smile came to my face as I lunged forwards, calling wildly to him.

I was running too fast to stop in time when I heard a sharp, threatening crack from above. My shouts to Luke turned into a cry of pain as a large branch from a pine tree snapped and brought me to the ground along with it.

Cheeks and eyelids stinging with cold from the face plant I had performed, I lifted my head and twisted it to try and see what had just happened. When I tried to wriggle out from the bough's hold, my left leg turned into a pinnacle of agony. With a gasp I froze in place, not daring to upset it anymore. It continued to throb.

My body heat was melting the snow beneath me and icy water seeped into the fabric of my pajamas. My stupid cherry-print pajamas. What kind of an idiot goes out in a blizzard at night, in their pajamas? Certainly not me. But there I was. Maybe it was true when people said love makes you crazy.

"Luke!" I wailed, desperate for a different reason now. What would happen if he didn't come? Reality hit me like a tsunami; I could die.

"Audrey?" It was faint, but definitely decipherable.

I almost felt like crying in relief. "Luke, over here!" I never imagined I could possibly be so happy at the mere sound of boots crunching in snow, coming towards me.

I strained to look up at Luke. His voice held the alarm that I couldn't see through the snow in his face. "Audrey! Oh, Goddess, what happened? Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?" I snapped without thinking, my exhaustion getting the better of me. "Sorry... I was running towards you when a branch fell without warning."

"Give me a minute and I'll have you up in no time." With as much care as he could afford, Luke pushed the heavy tree limb off me with a grunt. Then he set to helping me stand.

"Wa-Watch my leg!" I warned, too late. A yelp of pain escaped me as he accidentally jarred my left leg. "I think it's broken," I added through gritted teeth.

"Sorry!" he apologized quickly, wide-eyed. "If it's broken, you can't walk on it. Let me carry you."

I was about to protest when a wave of drowsiness overcame me. Suddenly I was too woozy to object. I was also shivering - the cold had finally gotten to me.

I don't even remember if I felt any pain when he hoisted me up. All I can recall is my arms around his neck, face buried in his jacket shoulder, and just being content to be in his arms.

It was well past noon the next day when I woke up. Groaning, I rubbed my eyes and took in my surroundings, vaguely recognizing the clinic. I sat up. My pajamas had been replaced with a soft blue robe. Attempting to wiggle my toes, I discovered I couldn't move the ones on my left foot. But there was no discomfort.

I considered lifting the blanket to see what had become of my injured leg, but it was so nice and warm underneath it. I was still weighing my options when the old nurse appeared. I still couldn't remember her name.

"Ah, good. You're awake," she said with a kind smile. She walked to the other side of the closed-off area I was in and opened a wardrobe. I caught a glimpse of my pink nightclothes, but the old woman brought something else out instead. She turned around and in her hands were two wooden crutches. "Let's give these a try, shall we?"

So I had broken my leg. As I swung my legs over the side of the hospital bed, sure enough, there was a white cast covering my left leg from the knee down. I glanced up at the nurse, trying not to be embarrassed. "I'm really sorry, but I can't remember your name..."

"Oh, that's all right," she chuckled. "It's Irene."

Shakily, I stood up, trying to put as little weight as possible on my bad leg. Irene handed me the crutches, and I clumsily situated them underneath my arms, with some help from her. Then I hobbled over to where I had more room and tried practicing with them.

"Looks like you've got the hang of it," Irene congratulated me. "You'll have to deal with these for around two weeks before we can remove your cast, I'm afraid."

My face fell. "That will hold me up at work."

She shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry, but that's how long it will take to heal..." She then seemed to remember something. "Speaking of work, you have some visitors. I almost forgot. Let me go get them." The old woman turned and shuffled down the stairs.

A smile had just appeared on my mouth when loud footsteps pounded up the stairs. "Audrey!" Luke ran towards me, then stopped short in front of me. "Thank the Goddess you're all right! I kept wanting to come up here sooner, but Pops and Bo wouldn't let me while you were sleeping. They thought I'd yell or something and wake you up..." He trailed off his babbling, and I saw the longing in his eyes. I realized he still thought that I was leaving in two years. He thought I didn't want him near me.

I dropped my crutches and hugged him, burying my face into his shoulder. "Don't scare me like that ever again," I choked out, muffled by his jacket.

After a second of hesitation, he returned my embrace. "I'm sorry. I didn't know I would cause so much trouble."

A short laugh escaped me. "What were you doing out there, anyways?"

"Well... I had to let off some steam. I was kinda frustrated and depressed since your, uh... rejection."

I pulled back to look him in the eyes, but his wouldn't meet mine. He had sure done a good job of hiding most of those feelings in the following weeks after that painful conversation. Although Owen seemed to have picked up on them.

"Luke," I said. He reluctantly met my gaze. "I decided I'm not moving. I'm going to stay here on Waffle Island. With you, if you can forgive me."

He stared at me for a moment, as if making sure he'd heard right, then grinned ear-to-ear. Without another word, he leaned in and kissed me, full on the lips.

We broke apart laughing, though my hands stayed around his neck. I heard a rustle to the side, and glanced over to see Bo staring at me as if I'd sprouted wings. I laughed again and let go of Luke, who crouched down to grab my crutches for me. We then walked downstairs to break the news to Bo and Dale at once.

And for the first time, I was truly happy.