Chapter 15:
Chelsea took a long drink of her coffee and stared out at her newly planted fall seeds. Lifting the cup back to her lips, the dirty muck at the bottom filled her mouth as she spit it out all over her red rain boots.
"Well shit." Sighing, Chelsea walked back inside her house and placed the cup in the sink for later cleaning. Walking over to her dresser, she scrambled around inside to find something. Pulling out a black hair tie, Chelsea slipped her long brown hair through the small rubber band. Grabbing her bandana off the top of her dresser, she tied it around her rubber band and knotted it at the top.
Walking over to the sleeping puppy on her pillow, Chelsea stroked its soft head and lifted up her red rucksack. Locking the door behind herself, Chelsea slowly headed towards the beach.
…
The boat was just docking as Chelsea glanced up to see a certain cowboy exit the ship. Breaking out into a sprint Chelsea stares ahead at Vaughn as he slowly looks up to see the rampaging farmer.
Smiling at Vaughn, Chelsea slows her pace as she takes a step and gets her foot stuck in an open knot in the wood. Falling slowly to the floor below, Vaughn took a step forward and grabbed onto Chelsea. Gripping Vaughn's shirt, Chelsea gazed up at the cowboy and smirked.
"Thanks."
"No prob." Balancing her self out, Vaughn stood waiting for her. "Ready?"
"Yeah. But don't you want to put your stuff away at Mirabelle's?" The soft sand swarmed around their feet as the pair walked up to the town.
"Nah. And anyway Julia said that you got a couch for me to stay at. I'm gonna be helping you with your studies so it'll be good for me to always be on hand."
"But what about your work?" The two stepped onto the coble stone roads and began to head straight towards the farm.
"I can get it done when I have free time. Or I can do it in a different town."
"Oh. Well, let me take a bag. The climb up to the farm seems to be getting steeper by the day." Holding out her hand, Vaughn rolled his eyes and handed Chelsea his small duffle bag.
"Or you're just getting fat."
"What!" Chelsea spun her head to his and glared at him. The soft mildew grass licked the sides of their boots as the two stood in front of the door.
"Nothing. Nothing. Just un-lock the door already. Or are you just going to stand there and make your guest wait."
"Oh shut up. I'm going as fast as possible."
"Yeah, for a fat person." Vaughn whispered as Chelsea pushed the door open and a black blur pushed down Chelsea and sailed into Vaughn's chest.
Dropping his bag, Vaughn tumbled backwards into the dewy morning grass. Bursting out laughing, the small black husky slobbered Vaughn's face as he could barely get his eyes open. When he yelled for Chelsea to get the puppy off of him.
"Awww. Your no fun." Grumbling, Chelsea lifted off the puppy and stuck out her hand for the mad cowboy.
Glaring at the farmer, Vaughn got up by himself and walked into the house. Sighing, Chelsea dropped the puppy and watched it run around the farm.
Walking into the house, Vaughn lay stretched out on the couch with his head relaxed on the back part. Smirking, Chelsea tip toed slowly over to the kitchen and opened up one of the cabinet doors.
Pulling out a pot and an old wooden spoon, and began to bang them together and yell while running in circles around the house.
Bolting up, Vaughn's eyes break open.
"I'M AWAKE! DON'T KILL ME!" Stopping mid step, Chelsea stared at Vaughn in wonder and slowly stepped towards him as he glared her down. "What was that for?"
"Just having some fun."
"Oh." Slowly resting back into the back of the couch, Chelsea poked his cheek. Causing his right eye to open slightly and stare at her.
"What?"
"What do want for lunch?"
"I don't know. Some food that's edible."
"Thanks man." Walking over to the door, Chelsea grabbed her rucksack that lay next to her red rain boots. Slipping on her boots, she tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "Look tell me when I come back, around…umm how about eleven. I taking Bud on a walk and I'm gonna be at the docks fishing if you need me."
"Fine. Bye." Closing his eyes, Chelsea sighed and slowly closed the door behind herself. Twisting her rucksack around so she slightly has it in front of her, Chelsea rummages through its contents till she pulls out a small metal whistle. Bringing it to her lips, she blows a long noise and strings it around her neck. As a black blur comes dashing towards her. Slowing down, Bud trots along Chelsea as she walks from her house to the pier.
…
Chelsea slowly tucked her fishing pole back into her rucksack and slipped the small circle of wax paper around the top of an old can of worms and brought a rubber band around the top of the can. Dropping the can into her rucksack also, Chelsea smiled down at Bud and scratched behind his ears.
"Hey Buddy. You hungry? I am too." Climbing up the sandy beach, Chelsea passed the purple shack on the east side of the beach. Waving to a sleepy Denny slowly walk out of it, she exited the beach and entered the town.
Passing Chen' General store and Gannon's the four way cross section of the middle of town, now had a large bulletin board posted across from the shipper's house.
Slowly walking over to the large board, Chelsea gazed upon the mass amounts of upcoming events or activities the island was producing. There has been so much growth since I came here. It's almost as though the one piece this island was missing was a farmer. Chelsea smiled as her eyes gazed over the large laminated calendar posted in the center of the board. Small strings pull off of days and show larger fliers with more details.
Bud barks suddenly causing Chelsea to jump out of her skin and turn around to see whom the visitor was. Mark.
"Hay Chels!"
"Hi Mark."
"I see your also checking out the board. Taro and I just set it up this morning."
"I see. It's really nicely made. However…"
"Well, shoot. There's always a catch."
"No there's no catch. I just want to help improve it."
"Right?"
"Well, you have all this nice paper. But shouldn't there be like I don't know town pamphlets too. And shouldn't there be a small overhang above this so all your hard work won't go to shreds because of some messily rain."
"I guess. But that costs money Chels. Money we don't have to spend. This came out of both mine and Taro's pocket."
"Yours? Mark that's outrageous!"
"How?"
"Mark, the only way town's like our's make money is taxes."
"Taxes?"
"You've never been taxed on?"
"Well no. I just moved out last year."
"Mark, how old are you?"
"22. Why?"
"Nothing. I got to go. Oh and tell Chen that I need to speak to him later!" Chelsea jogged off towards the farm, as Mark stood delirious in front of the bulletin board.
Scratching the back of his head, he stared at Chelsea as she ran off. "How did she know that I was going to Chen's?"
…
Skipping over to her house a loud crash rung through Chelsea's ears. Instantly stopping then breaking out into a sprint, she threw open the door and stared at a discombobulated Vaughn.
"Vaughn? What-"
"Don't ask." He glared at Chelsea and shoved the two fallen fabric bolts off of himself.
"Don't tell me not to ask! This is my house after all! Now what happen?"
"Ugh. Your so annoying." Vaughn slowly got up and walked over to the couch. Plopping him self down he pull out a book and began to read as Chelsea stormed over to him fuming.
"Vaughn what the hell were you doing with my fabric? I need that to make my clothes."
"I was just rearranging stuff."
"Rearranging? Why would you need to do that?"
"Well, I'm gonna be staying here most of the time right?"
"So?"
"I want it to look how I like it to look." Chelsea rose and eyebrow and shoved a small finger into Vaughn's chest.
"Look Buster. This is my house. Mine. It doesn't say Vaughn's farm on the property deed now does it." Chelsea doesn't wait for Vaughn to respond. "No. My property. My rules. Got it?"
"Sure girly."
"Don't 'girly' me. You want lunch you better work for your share."
"What?"
"Don't 'what' me cowboy, " Chelsea began to move towards the kitchen and take off her shoes at the same time. Throwing them into the corner by the bathroom door, she dropped her rucksack and began to roll up her sleeves.
Bending down, Chelsea pulled out a medium sized pot and placed it on the stove. Crawling in a tad deeper, she threw over her shoulder on to the floor a bag of flour. She crawled deeper….
Deeper…
Deeper…
Chelsea was entirely inside the cabinet. There was silence and Vaughn stared at the empty space that once was filled with Chelsea's body.
"Chels?" Vaughn some what shouted at the direction of the kitchen. "Hey Chels! When's lunch? I'm famished!"
There was a long pause when suddenly; a huge bag of oats came flying out of the cabinet.
"Wow!" Chelsea came crawling out after it smiling and dusty. "Man it's dusty under there."
"Mmhmm." Vaughn's eyes went back down to his book as Chelsea stood up and held the flour and oats in her arms.
Sorry! I haven't had the time with finals and the words weren't coming out as good as i wanted. Things just haven't really been working with this chapter. I know it sucks. See you next time.
Oh! I forgot, one reader suggested i should continue A Flyer & a bottle of Brown hair Dye, so i might continue.