Chapter 13

Gyration Leads to … ?

Luke

Watching Kasey with the Witch was kind of irritating, for some reason. I couldn't really place it, but something about his easy slouch while she stood so close to him and the way she was subtly batting her eyelashes just rubbed me the wrong way. That and he was the one who found the mushroom. All this time stuck with the Witch and I hadn't even beaten her challenge! I never was a good loser, and this felt a lot like losing.

The Witch strolled back into the forest and Kasey watched her go before turning back to me. "So, you and the Witch?" He said with a little smile. The question hung in the air, ambiguous. I had shirked off the question earlier, but what should I say now? Really though, what was he even asking?

"Ah… yea." I said, grinning and adjusting the knot of my bandanna. Might as well answer vague questions with vague answers, right? "She caught me in the forest and told me I had to help her find one of those mushrooms." I shrugged my shoulders. It was a little embarrassing really, to admit I was being pushed around by her, but hopefully my casual dismissal worked. They said he was the guy helping the Harvest Goddess, so he had to believe in the supernatural more than my dad at the very least. If he knew that the Witch could really do magic then he probably understood why I went along with her demands.

"Hm… Yea that Witch Princess certainly has her temper." Kasey cracked a little smile. I let my slight embarrassment slide at that, it seemed like he would have done whatever an irritated Witch Princess asked just like I did.

The silence dragged on for a few more seconds and I fidgeted for a change in subject when it seemed he didn't have anything more to say. "Yup... Oh hey, Kathy invited me down to see the new dancer tonight at the bar. It's Saturday night so there's sure to be plenty of people there, plus it's my day off, too. You wanna come?" I rambled on. Seemed about time that I get to know the guy a little better anyway, and I wasn't about to let some mushroom-weirdness get in the way of what was supposed to be an awesome day. The weather was still amazing, and the day was drawing to a close. It was about to time to head into town, grab some dinner, and meet up with my friends in the bar. I wasn't a big fan of the trappings of adulthood, but being able to go out with my friends was pretty cool.

"Sure!" His face lit up in the most genuine grin I'd seen on his face yet. Was he the kind of guy that just smiled to make other people feel comfortable? I couldn't quite tell.

The bar was loud and busy, like it generally was on Saturday nights. People weren't the way they used to be, with the land in the poor state it had been, but they still got pretty rowdy when you put them all in the same room. When Kasey and I walked through the door, Chase, the rude chef, was already frying up some food behind the counter. Kathy and her dad, Hayden, were carrying a loud conversation with my best friend Owen, the burliest miner around. The bar doors banged shut behind Kasey and I and Kathy caught sight of us. "Well if it isn't Kasey, savior of the four elements!" She grinned and winked. Owen tensed up a little bit, something probably only I would notice, and turned in his seat. "Get your butt over here! You too Luke, you've been hiding out in the forest way to much lately."

I waved and smiled at Kathy like I always did and walked over to sit with Owen at the bar. Kathy had that older sister vibe to her that just drew people in; she'd always been that girl to keep the other kids in line when we were growing up. Not that she didn't get into her own fair share of trouble as a kid. Kathy knew how to rough-house and break stuff just as well as any of us boys, but she was way better at talking her way out of a tight spot. She was the same age as Owen at 21, about a year and a half older than me, and we'd all grown up close. I wondered how old Kasey was – he seemed like he might be older than me but I wasn't quite sure – and how we all would have gotten along if he grew up here too.

Owen ordered another cocktail and I didn't even have to ask before Kathy placed a coconut drink down in front of me. "You boys need anything to eat?" She offered helpfully. "The night's still young and it's no good to drink on an empty stomach." We all took her up on the food and she told the peachy-haired chef to cook us something up. The best part of living in a small town like this was that people came to learn what you liked and didn't like. I could trust that Chase, rude as he might be, wouldn't serve me something gross. At least as long as I didn't piss him off.

The three of us ate in companionable silence, focusing on stuffing our faces, while Kathy went about the bar making sure everybody was happy. There was a slow trickle of townsfolk coming into the bar and from the sound of things people had heard that Selena had come to dance. Toucan Island wasn't far away; many people in town had taken the ferry to the island at one point or another and met Selena or her parents. Kasey turned to me and spoke up.

"Have you met Selena?" He asked with a simple smile. "I visited the island when the seas calmed and she followed me back hoping to dance. It caused a little bit of a mess with her parents, but I'm glad Kathy is helping her with her dream."

"Yea Kathy is quite the woman." Owen said with a grin and a quick glance to where Kathy was talking and laughing with Phoebe, the inventor, and an unfamiliar man in a cowboy hat. The slight flush of his cheeks that was already building from the alcohol darkened further when Kathy glanced toward us and threw Owen a little smile. His crush had really grown quite obvious over the years, even to me, but he still hadn't made his move.

"Yup Kathy's the one that told me Selena was here." I said quickly, trying to draw attention away from Owen. If Kasey stepped on his toes over Kathy then things would get weird. Owen could get a bit jealous and I didn't want a repeat of the time Chase got a little too liberal with his compliments of the blonde woman. The Goddess only knows how he would take it if Kasey said something after Kathy was already praising his work on saving the island. Owen, despite being a gentle giant, wasn't above a bar fight if he was drunk enough. "I met her earlier today but I don't think we'd met before that. Well who knows though, my memory isn't that great. I was thinking though, why would her coming here cause problems with her parents?"

"She uh… Well she sort of ran away." Kasey cleared his throat and blushed slightly, seemingly embarrassed. "She stowed away on the boat when her parents said they didn't want her to leave."

I gave a little whistle at that tidbit. "Well she sure is courageous. Lord knows what Pops would do if I ran away. Hopefully everything works out with her parents."

"I think it will." His voice sounded a little distant at that, but I didn't dwell on it, my mind already growing fuzzy from the drink. It was only a few seconds after our conversation ended that the volume started to rise in the bar. We'd been sitting on our stools for a little over a half hour at that point; the sun had set and the bar had grown crowded. People were pressed together on barstools and around the tables scattered across the room. Kasey stood up and started milling around the bar, making conversation with everyone else, and I settled in to wait for Selena's appearance, nursing a new cocktail.

I didn't wait long.

The lighting in the bar dimmed slightly and the people around me grew quieter as the stage lit. Through the dull quiet I could actually hear the soft clinking of Selena's bracelets and the coins that hung from her shirt and pants. Just as she reached the center of the stage, the music started. The beating of the drum started low and deep, then was joined by a faster drum. As the faster drum started to beat time, Selena started the slow gyration of her hips. Her hands and arms moved mesmerizingly around her and she twirled in circles, the movement of her hips growing in speed as more exotic instruments took up the melody. I don't have words to describe what an amazing dancer she was; she held the audience captive for the entire performance.

The room erupted into applause and the exotic redhead made eye contact with me when she came out of her shallow bow. I have to admit, by the time the music stopped Selena had me feeling a whole lot of things I wasn't comfortable feeling in public. I blushed deeply, gave a loud whistle for her performance, and grinned wide. The lights in the bar came back on and Selena made her way over, smiling and waving as everyone shouted their compliments.

"Well? Did you like it?" She said, but it wasn't a question.

"How could I not! That was pretty awesome; you're a really great dancer." Selena smiled and leaned in towards me slightly, her hand coming up to just barely brush against my arm. Even though the bar was loud, I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I'd dated before, of course, but I'd never been around a woman like Selena. She practically oozed sex appeal; she knew what she had and she knew how to use it. I desperately hoped that I didn't look like an idiot and she'd chalk my blush up to me being kind of drunk.

"Really?" She asked with a little smirk, reaching up to brush her long bangs back into place.

"Even better than on the beach." Is what I would have said if Kasey hadn't come up behind me and stolen the words right out of my mouth. She danced for him on the beach too?! Her hand left the bare skin of my bicep and she turned to look at him, her lips parting in a beautiful smile. He relaxed into that obnoxious slouch of his and put that stupidly cool smirk on his face. Selena was giving him this look like he was the most interesting thing in the world, the look she had just been giving me. I couldn't tell if I wanted to puke my guts out or deck Kasey right then and there, but maybe that was just the alcohol talking.

"Thank you." She said, fluttering those long eyelashes at Kasey. My stomach clenched and my mouth tasted a little sour. Why didn't she thank me for my compliments? Before I let my face screw up into an ugly expression I distracted myself by downing the rest of my coconut cocktail, somewhat resenting the tropical flavor for the first time. The whole situation was kind of confusing. How long had they known each other? Did Selena like Kasey better than me? I didn't want her too, I realized simply. She was beautiful, and fiery, and I liked the way she paid attention when I spoke – even if it was only to hear me talk about her. Just when I was about to open my mouth and say something, probably something stupid, the bar fell silent.

"Marry me."

The words, which definitely weren't a question, hung heavy in the air. It was a very forward thing for Owen to say, and the everyone in the room turned to watch the unfolding scene.

"I… I…" Kathy stammered, her faced flushed red with embarrassment. "That's kind of random…" She muttered, wringing her hands.

"What? Does the idea bother you?" Owen had probably had more to drink than anyone in the room but his voice was clear, his words well-enunciated.

"Um… It doesn't bother me…" The room was still dead silent, watching expectantly for how this would work out. It wasn't the most traditional of proposals, but some things just didn't happen the traditional way between kids like us. "But! I'm worried about what will happen if I get married!" She amended quickly, and a quiet murmur spread around the room.

A dry cough of a laugh came from Hayden back behind the bar. "I'm worried about what'll happen if you don't get married!" He shouted out with a grin. It was no secret that Hayden got along with Owen as if he were his son.

"So, what d'ya say?" Owen asked with a big grin of his own.

"Ah…" Kathy went back to wringing her hands. She was outgoing, but she never did like being the center of attention like this. "Yes!" Her blush grew even darker as Owen let out a triumphant woop and swept her up in his arms.

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and I glanced around me for other people's reactions. Most of the room had little smiles on their faces as they forced their way through the crown to congratulate the couple or returned to their conversations. Selena's eyebrows were raised high in an expression of surprise, but Kasey just gave a little satisfied nod, as if he knew this was going to happen. It was all a little confusing, but I let the feeling go in favor of pushing my way towards my best friends.

"Congratulations!" I bellowed, crushing the two of them into a group hug. "It took the two of you long enough!" Kathy and Owen both laughed, linking their hands together. I felt like my grin might split my face in two as I got swept into the festivities of their engagement. By the time I left the bar I was drunker than I'd ever been and half the town was still in the bar either drinking or slumped over the tables. My mind was too clouded to dwell on much of anything but I felt a deep satisfaction at Owen and Kathy finally acting on the chemistry that they'd been dancing around for years. I stumbled back up the path towards home, certain to vomit if I took the mine cart but needing to fall into bed ASAP. It was late, and the next day's work never was delayed for a hangover.

Author's Note: You guys! I can't believe I went that long without updating! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last few chapters and thanks for all the well-wishes I got during that little hiatus. I hope everyone had a lovely time over the holidays. It's been hell trying to get this chapter out but I think I might have finally gotten it right. I was going to update yesterday, but it was my birthday and I have an evening class this semester so things were pretty crazy. Chapter 14 should be up later today.

Things should return to two chapters a week Thursday updates after this unless I hit another roadblock. Would you guys want me to switch to uploading the chapters on separate days (like Tuesday, Thursday) or is doing two at a time like I have been ok?

Thanks for reading! Please review!