Hey again guys, now back home in England where it's a lovely 5'C ... :P Anyway here is Chapter 32, no mention of the person who fell out of the tree yet :D But i hope you like it and thanks again for the reviews :) Disclaimer - I do not own Harvest Moon or any of is characters x
Chapter 32 – Chelsea's P.O.V
I looked over at my farm and smiled, everything looked healthy. My crops were growing a healthy shade of green and Moo and Bells were sat outside together happily chewing on the grass. Yes, it turned out that Moo likes to eat grass. I guess it was like gender confusion but for animals, but I didn't mind as she gave me a lovely egg each morning. Dusting off my hands I placed my hand on my stomach where a little lump had begun to grow. It was only halfway through autumn but my belly had clearly swollen in size. I'd managed to grab a few baggy closes so that so far it wasn't noticeable that I was up the duff. Even Denny hadn't noticed and he was literally on me 24/7. Any chance he got he was touching me on my legs or hugging me close. And I guess they either thought I was getting a bit chubby or they just thought I was in a faze of larger tops. I turned around just in time for Natalie and Julia to come walking up my path towards me. I quickly dropped my hands before waving and popping my watering can into the tool box.
"Ready for dress shopping?" Julia squealed as Natalie shoved her fingers into her ears. I rolled my eyes before nodding. I had come up with a master plan to hide my bump under the dress … a shawl. Okay so it wasn't the greatest of plans but I was dithering between that or a fluffy dress and decided that if I wanted to look like little Bo peep then I could just watch the video of me in my school production when I was six. Julia came bounding up toward me and attempted to give me a hug but I shook her off before raising my eyebrows.
"Oh right the eczema, sorry" She said with pity. Oh yeah and I'd managed to convince everyone that I had a massive eczema problem to stop hugs and pretty much all human physical contact. Luckily there had been no show of the person who had fallen out of the tree half a season back when me and Vaughn had kissed so it put to the back of my mind. As Julia pulled on the edge of my shirt I quickly threw the rest of my tools close to the tool shed. I could put them back when I got back from wedding dress shopping. Which by the way should never be put in the same sentence as me, 'wedding dress shopping'. Euck. I let Julia pulled me all the way to the docks before I brushed her hand off.
"So do you have any idea what dress you want?" She squealed at me. I shook my head and shrugged.
"A long one?" I replied looking at her sheepishly. She rolled her eyes before turning to Natalie.
"What dress should she get?" She asked smiling. Natalie looked at me then back at Julia before replying.
"Jeans and a hoodie…" She replied before crossing her arms and staring at the ferry which was coming closer. Julia sighed before rolling her eyes.
"It's a good job you too have a fashionable friend with you or Chelsea would end up wearing a toga and a priest hat" She giggled.
"Hey that's given me ideas!" I said mockingly and Julia's face turned from giggling to utter horror.
"You dare and I will bury you in the sand and never let you out, you have to look nice for Denny." She smiled widely as I rolled my eyes and ran my finger across my throat to Natalie. She retaliated by holding two fingers to her neck and pretending to pull the trigger. I bit my lip to try not to laugh as the ferry pulled up. As they lowered the steps a familiar cowboy stepped off onto the decking. Julia gave him a wave before getting on at the other entrance. As Julia and Natalie were on the steps I turned to Vaughn who was looking at me. I pulled my top tight against my body to show him the bump before sticking my thumb up to say we were both okay. He nodded before walking off to the main island. I boarded the boat with Julia and Natalie and took a seat outside so my hair could feel the wind. As I sat down I felt a funny flick come from within my stomach. Was that the first kick? They must have recognised their Daddy. I smiled to myself before adjusting my top so it looked like the wind was giving me a huge belly.
Soon enough we arrived back into the city. Considering I hated it so much I sure was here a lot. Julia took hold of my hand and pulled me up the busy street towards a purple flowery shop with wedding dresses in the window. The title? 'Gorgeous Grooms, Beautiful Brides and Winning Weddings' I cringed and turned back to Natalie. We both had tied a fake noose around our necks and were pretending to choke ourselves. As Julia barged open the door a surprised looking lady dressed in black looked over at us. Inside was white, very white. I don't mean like the walls were white, I meant every single item in the room was white; from the dresses to the sofas, the Counter to the hideous high heeled shoes. And worst of all, the nauseating music that was playing in the background got on my nerves. It was a gentle beat that sounded like it should be in a lift. The lady who was dressed in black walked over to us and gave us a warm smile. Her eyes focused on my ring and she placed her hand on mine.
"Hello my name is Dotty, I'm going to be your personal assistance today in helping you find the perfect dress for your perfect day" She smiled in a nauseating way. Julia squealed but I was with Natalie who was pulling a disgusted face at one of the mannequins. Poppy lead us through into another room which had a better vicariate of colour where she stopped in the middle.
"So do you have an idea on what your colour theme is going to be?" She asked looking at me. I swallowed hard before looking around the room. The first colour I saw was purple.
"Err … Purple?" I smiled sheepishly. She nodded and led us over to a purple mannequin.
"Did you mean Light lilac, Dark lilac, maroon, violet or maybe this indigo colour?" She asked pointing to a colour chart. I looked back at Natalie who was staring at it with a confused expression but Julia was smiling in glee.
"Dark lilac?" I said, unsure if that was the right answer. She nodded and lead us further into the room until she came to a group of mannequins who were all wearing different designed purple dresses.
"This is the bride's maid dresses here, which do you like? I suggest this one, it has a flurry feel but doesn't poof out like a disaster and it has silk here around the middle to add to the total lilac effect" She said stroking a dress in front of me. I squinted at it before turning to Julia and Natalie.
"You like it?" Julia squealed and nodded but Natalie stared at it in the exact same expression I did.
"I love it Chels, can we try it on?" She asked me. I turned back to Poppy and smiled awkwardly.
"Erm could we try two of them please?" I asked. She nodded as called for another lady to come over and start pulling at the dresses. Poppy then took my arm and lead us away.
"And we should also have you try a dress on to see if they match, I think I have a perfect style for you here" She smiled as we turned the corner. In front of me stood a cream dress that was long, not too frilly and was strapless. I looked at it and smiled.
"I'll try it on then" I grinned at Poppy. She smiled and nodded before another woman came and started noting down stuff on a pad of paper. Poppy took hold of my arm again and lead us towards some changing rooms where two purple dresses sat. Suddenly the woman from before waddled in and placed the ivory gown on the rack in front of me.
"Okay, I'll see you at the other side" I whispered to Natalie before Poppy dragged me around the corner and into the biggest changing room of them all.
"Now if you don't mind I would like to take your measurements" She smiled as she whipped out a tape measure. Staring at her I didn't move. There was no way in hell some stranger was man handling my body. She waited for my reaction and when I didn't say anything she smiled again.
"Okay I just need some information then, first of all what is your usual dress size?" She asked still smiling at me. I relaxed my shoulders before turning to face her.
"Eight" I smiled at her. She nodded and looked me up and down.
"And are you with child because then we would have to look at the maternity option" She smiled again. A lump got stuck in my throat and I chocked ever so slightly. I looked around and it seemed Natalie and Julia were a good way away.
"Erm kind of but it's not obvious, is there any way that you could try and hide it for my big day?" I asked in a hushed voice. She nodded before whipping off out of the dressing room. I was left alone with a mirror and a white curtain. How fun. I slowly lifted up my top on placed my hand on my bump. The little life growing inside of me was going to have to be hidden, I still don't see how I was going to explain it when I went into labour. Immaculate conception? Do you think he'd fall for it? Of course not Chelsea, then again, it was Denny and maybe it could happen? Ahh I'll worry about that at the time. Poppy soon came back with a dress in her hands where she hung it up on the hanger next to me.
"Just come out when you're changed. And this should go with it" She smiled handing me a little shawl. See I wasn't so stupid after all.
After tussling with the soft material for what seemed like ages I was finally in the dress. I looked at myself in the mirror and could still see a small bump on my dress. I wrapped the shawl around it to disguise it before opening the curtains and stepping out. In front of me stood a gleaming Julia and a unhappy Natalie but when they both caught sight of me their mouths dropped open.
"Oh my gosh Chelsea you look gorgeous!" Julia squealed as she looked at me. I blushed slightly and turned around.
"You actually don't look bad in a dress" Natalie smirked as she awkwardly played with her dress which came up to her thigh.
"I wish the same could be said for me" She added in a muttered voice. I laughed and smiled at her. Julia also turned to her.
"Natalie stop whining, you look super pretty in that dress, I'm sure Pierre would love it" She smiled cheerfully as Natalie turned dark red.
"Shut up about Pierre" She said through gritted teeth before storming off back to her changing room. I rolled my eyes and looked at myself in the full length mirror. It hid my bump which was all that mattered. I turned to Poppy and smiled.
"Looks like we're getting them all" I said as she smiled and nodded. I walked back to my changing room and took off the cream coloured wedding dress. Damn that thing was heavy. I quickly pulled up my shorts just as I heard Natalie's voice at the curtain.
"Hey Chels I need to ask you something" I panicked as I looked around for my top but couldn't find it.
"Erm … I'll be right out" I said as I shoved aside the dress and found my top.
"Its fine, I'll be quick" She said as she opened the curtains and stepped inside. Her eyes fell onto my stomach which poked out just as I pulled on my top to cover it.
"What the hell is that?" She asked pointing at my stomach which was now covered up. I looked at her in panic before standing at the curtain so she couldn't get out.
"Now Natalie don't freak out" I said. Fudging hell, I did not want to be in this situation right now. She stared at my stomach just as I felt it kick.
"Chelsea it fucking moved!" She said louder. I shushed her and glared at her.
"Do you want the whole shop to hear?" I asked in a hushed voice. She slapped her hand across her mouth and stared at me. I sighed before looking up at her.
"Natalie you're one of my best friends right?" I asked staring her right in the eye. She nodded and continued to switch from looking at my stomach to me.
"And you would always stick by me, even if I was in the wrong?" I asked eyeing her carefully. She pulled her hand away from her mouth before speaking.
"I guess so" She replied. I nodded and closed my eyes for a few seconds before opening them again and sighing.
"Can I trust you Natalie?" I asked in a whispered voice.
"Chelsea, it's me. Of course you can, just please explain before I freak out and die right here on the floor" She said looking into my eyes. I sighed again and took a long, deep breath in.
"Well you know our little conversation about who we'd slept with?" I asked, so quiet that I wasn't even sure that I heard it. But she nodded none the less.
"Well the second guy … was Vaughn" I muttered. I guess I could have made up an excuse, bloated and very gassy? I guess it had to come out in the end. Natalie's face changed to around ten different emotions at the same time before her hand ran up to her mouth again.
"WHAT?" She asked still in a quiet voice. I nodded slowly before glaring at her to not make any loud noise. She then placed her hand gently on my stomach and stared at me.
"You slept with Vaughn?" She asked taking a hand off my stomach and resting it back at her side. I nodded before standing up right and dropping my hands away from the curtain.
"Twice. Well actually three times because after the dance we did it twice" I said but she ran her hands up to her ears.
"I do not need to hear the details" She whispered before dropping her hands back to the side.
"And so you're preggers?" She asked looking at my stomach. I nodded again and looked at her.
"Chelsea how do you think you're going to hide that?" She asked. I opened my mouth to speak but she continued.
"Never mind that, we're shopping for your wedding dress because you're marrying Denny!" She said, her expression a mix between confusion and what-the-fuck-is-happening.
"I know, it's a bit … fucked up but please don't tell anyone" I asked pleading. She shook her head and looked at me.
"I won't but Chelsea it's not fair on Denny, he has to know" She said looking at me. Natalie was the voice of moral reason, probable the most down to earth person you could ever find. If she thought it then it was obviously the right thing to do.
"Do you love Denny?" She asked me. I squished up my face before looking into her eyes. She sighed before running a hand through her red hair. Which I still thought was pink but she was dead set on it being red.
"Do you love Vaughn?" She whispered. I sighed and nodded slowly. She frowned slightly before wrapping her mind for something to say.
"Then why are you marrying Denny?" She cocked her head to the side slightly to look at me.
"You're going to have to ask Vaughn about that, it's what he wants" I sighed before moving to the side and taking a seat on the seat next to me. I placed my hands on my stomach and rubbed it gently. Natalie sighed before taking a seat next to me and nudging me.
"At least I know that you're normal and don't eat carrot's in mayo regularly" She laughed. I joined in and nodded.
"Trust me, the thought of it makes me feel sick" I laughed with her. "But I am craving chocolate and bacon" I said as I turned to look at her. She rolled her eyes before getting up.
"Well I need to get out of this" She said looking down at her dress in disgust. I also stood up and looked at her.
"What was it that you wanted to ask me?" I asked looking at her dress. It actually suited her, considering Natalie never wore a dress. It just proved how much she loved me.
"I was going to ask if this dress made me look … fat" She said looking at the ground. I burst out laughing before wiping away the laughter tears and looking at her. She had her arms crossed and was glaring at me.
"Are you sure you're not turning into Julia?" I asked winking at her. She rolled her eyes before playfully punching my arm.
"Piss off" She laughed looking down at me. SShe turned to walk out but I grabbed her gently by the arm.
"Oh and Natalie, please don't mention anything to Julia. Not just yet" I said looking at her seriously. She nodded before smiling and walking out of the curtains. I turned to face the mirror and lifted up my top to look at my little bump. Natalie was right; I didn't know how much longer I could hide this. It had sprouted way earlier than Doctor Trent had said. It was going to be the size of a beach ball by the time it came to the wedding. Maybe I could just pretend I was constipated and end it at that?
So Natali now knows, the secret is slowly getting out there :P Thanks so much for reading and please commment :) Maybe the person will spill later on? I hoped you liked it and thanks again :D Till the next update -