It was from this day forth that the eleventh grade kids of our wondrous school decided that we'd put aside our differences for the united front of getting Miss Snotnose fired. No one was happy with her teaching style, and if there was one thing that two towns could agree upon, it'd be a conflict.

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. The sun was blazing hot, and the amount of work I still had to do on the ranch was giving me a headache. Then, out of nowhere, a burlap sack was hitting me in the head, and I had two forces of headache acting upon me.

"Jerk!" Nami yells. She runs over, her pale skin flushed from over-exertion no doubt. "Sorry about that. Rock's an idiot, and he's taking our horse to go gallivanting off with his friends. Though I don't know why I'm telling you about this, since you were probably invited."

I chuckle and hand her the bag. "Yea, I was invited. But I'm not going; I've got a lot of stuff to do back at the ranch. If you want, you could saddle up on my horse. It's not like we live far away from each other."

Nami shrugs and we walk over to the stables. We both mount the horse, and Nami wraps her slender arms around me as we ride back to the valley.

"Do you think our valley is beautiful?" she asks suddenly.

I take us over the bridge, heading towards a familiar path. Right about here there was a magnificent waterfall, and Flora and Carter were excavating mines.

"I do," I say, laughing to myself, "but not because of the nature. In terms of nature, we've got one waterfall and some pretty trees. It's the people that make our valley beautiful. We might bicker, but really we all do love each other, and we'd do anything for each other. That's why we've lasted this long. I think that's beautiful."

Nami nods. "I think that's beautiful too."

For a little while, we ride in silence. The silence isn't awkward or weighted with anything though, it's calm and serene.

"Oh," Nami says, "is there any chance we could pop by Vesta's farm? I told Ruby I'd get her some ingredients for her dishes tonight. It's a cook-out or something, for old-folks only."

"Ah yes, the cook-out," I respond. "I guess it'll be me and Toby then."

"Who's Toby?"

"My dog," I say, "Takakura always goes to the cookout, and my cows will be long sleeping by the time he gets back."

"Do you usually spend all of your time alone?"

I bite my cheek but keep talking, "I guess so. I mean, Takakura is pretty old, and he was more my father's friend than mine. He helps out a lot during the day so that I can go to school, and hangs around at the bar during the night, or just in his own home. I know I can go to him if I need anything, but I wouldn't say we're friends. And I can't very well have a full on conversation with chickens and cows. I suppose I do spend a lot of time on my own."

Nami looks at me sideways again, as if debating whether or not to say anything. Finally she says, "You're too stupid to risk being alone all the time. I'll have to help out."

I'm surprised. Before I can come up with a witty retort, we're at Vesta's farm.

Celia and Marlin are already inside, having left early from school to cover their hours at the farm.

"Hey," I say to Marlin, who tosses me a jug of milk. We clink glasses and drink, then sit on the fence while Nami goes to buy her ingredients from Celia.

"We've got to do something about this teacher. She's driving everyone nuts," Marlin says, laughing.

"I know, but what can we really do? She's a power-hungry important figure in school, and we are farmer kids. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but for some reason, I don't think getting her fired is really going to do anything. We'll still be on edge for the next person who tries to throw a dig at us, and we'll forever be known as the kids who couldn't accept who they are."

"Then what do you propose we do, Einstein? We can't wait around for her to leave, or for Galen to come back. He's still crushed from losing Nina and I don't blame him for not wanting to walk into a school where everyone hates each other."

"All we have to do is freeze her out. Whatever comments she makes, or jokes she cracks, just ignore them and focus on work. We'll be star students, and she won't have an audience. As for Galen, I'm not too sure."

"Your plan for our devil-teacher seems good in theory, but with guys like Cliff around, it's not going to take very much to push them off the edge."

I sigh. Life on the farm was getting way too complicated.

Nami exits with a fuller looking burlap sack. Celia waves to me. I take an apple out of my Rucksack and toss one to her. She smiles and bites into it. I wave goodbye, and Nami and I ride our way into the heart of the valley.

The Inn is a little while away from Vesta's shop. Ruby was Rock's mother, and Nami freeloaded off of them. She had wanted to pay, but Ruby and Tim (Rock's father) had insisted she just work in the kitchen with Ruby some nights and stay there for free. Rock and Nami had clashing personalities, which always kept things light and airy in the Inn. People would come in all the time, some to sleep, some to eat, and some just to socialize. My visits were mainly to bring Rock back home after he'd fainted or got into a fight. Ruby and Tim always felt indebted to me for some reason. I wondered if Nami felt that way for them.

"Hey Ruby!" Nami says. "I brought the ingredients! Rock went out with some guys from school, but he'll be back before the cookout I think."

Ruby walks out, tan skin and short black hair, with a perpetual smile on her face. "That's great Nami, thanks a lot! And it's great to see you Jack! You're looking healthy as ever."

"Those Tempura dishes you made me have got me feeling better than ever," I say, smiling.

"You should try my Gratin," Ruby says, winking at Nami.

"It's the best," Nami says, smirking.

Confused, I slowly ask, "What's Gratin?"

Nami drops her sack on the ground and stares at me, wide-eyed and disbelieving. She turns to Ruby. "To the kitchen, Ruby, we need to go to the kitchen."

We enter the kitchen, and Nami takes down some onions, butter, and a jug of milk, three rice balls, and flour. "Get out," she directs. "You'll taste the beauty in a few minutes."

I laugh and exit the kitchen, pausing to examine a piece of artwork in the lobby. There were swirls of blue and green, with a brown straight line that seemed to be slowly spun around. I smell interesting smells from the kitchen, but keep examining the painting. For some reason, I imagined a much deeper meaning to the painting. As if the brown was someone, or something, being grounded, but slowly being enveloped by the wind and sky. It wasn't an angry painting, leading me to believe that a stubborn stone was changing, evolving, and growing to swirl and be free. It was artistic, and…brilliant. In the corner of the painting were four letters that made me furrow my brow: Nami.