Chapter Two

High School, 11th Grade

And from then on, we would walk to and from school together, rain or shine, because as that day had proved, it was easier to be wet and cold than deal with Karen. One day in late Spring, we walked down the quiet dirt road, and sunbeams dappled his reddish brown hair playfully, in contrast to his sarcastic, quiet personality. I could never quite put my finger on the color of it. I could never quite put my finger on Gray either. The first day we met was the most he'd ever told me about himself, and we'd walked together for an hour, twice a day, for about a year now. He'd wait at my mailbox, attempting to pet the cows until I came out.

He walked the same way he sat, all hunched up, with his hands deep in his pockets, like he was waiting for someone to come smack him on the back. The breeze in the air was warm and light, and flowers waved us through on both sides of the road. Even with all the beauty in my home, I still couldn't wait to ride the first wave out of here.

He broke the silence first, when we were over halfway home. "Tell me about Mary, Claire," I laughed out of surprise. "What do you want to know?" He stood straight in shock, and his freckled cheeks broke out in color. "I-I-I just wanted to break the ice with her. I'm almost 18 and have never had a girlfriend before. My bad if that's funny to you, asshole." His embarrassment quickly turned to irritation, and I reminded myself to dial it back. "She spends almost all her time in the library. She knows all the shelves by heart, basically. She's super smart, she could tell you 100 crazy facts and still have 100 more. Umm…" I racked my brain for a way to describe my childhood best friend. To me, she was just Mary. I felt a little bad for not seeing her as more. "She's obsessed with plants too, her dad is Basil, a traveling botanist. She can't cook for shit. She's scared of cows, too."

Gray's face lit up goofily as he cut off my ramblings. "Scared of cows? Me too. She's nice. I see her in the library a lot, but I've never talked to her," I smirked. "You should. She's real cute," I let a sly grin slip out of the side of my mouth and watched him scramble for words. "It's uh, it's actually, I'm not really," I laughed and bumped into him with the edge of my backpack, gravel rocks skittering all over from his stumble. "It's okay, I'll keep your secret. Just so you know, she has a crush on you too!" I winked at him and he just rubbed his hands on the back of his head and kept strolling.

We were quiet for about 15 minutes. I looked over at him. "You know, I don't know shit about you. Other than your name. What's your deal?" He laughed and looked at me cock eyed. "My deal? I'm Gray. I'm 17, and I moved here in the Fall of 10th grade. I live with my grandpa, the blacksmith. Saibara. I call him Pops. My mom was 18 when she left home. I was one month old when she left me at an orphanage. She said she didn't want to do it without Duke in her note. I haven't heard anything about her or from her since. She left me a note too. She said she named me Gray because I was born on the grayest day she ever lived in her life, but when I came out so did the sun -" Gray stopped himself and turned completely red, even his neck. "I'm so sorry. I don't know why I said any of that," I shrugged.

"It's okay. We're friends, Gray. That's why I asked." I put my arm around his shoulder briefly and I could have sworn I saw his cheeks light up, but he puffed up his collar and lowered his head before I could get a good look. "I have a photo album with pictures of my mom, and she's smiling, she's SO happy, in all of them and sometimes I pretend I'm in every single one. I don't remember my mom ever being happy around me. She hated being stuck on a farm in the country, and would go on trips to the city every few weeks. My dad says when she was around, it was the brokest we ever were," I looked at the dirt road in front of me. "Welcome to the club nobody wants to be in then," said Gray, falling into step with me.

"You were actually one of the first people I noticed here. I've been noticing you for a while. When I was looking for my grandpa's house, I saw you in a white tank top and shorts, bringing egg and milk deliveries to people with a donkey hooked up to a cart," I looked up at Gray in surprise. "Yeah?" I asked him. "And what did you think? Did you think that you don't hook an animal to a cart, you hitch it?" He lightly pushed me, scooting up clouds of dust with our feet. "Shut up. I-I thought you looked like you were on a mission," His eyes twinkled at me strangely. "Oh, yeah? What else? What did you think of Mary?" He hunched up even more, like I was trying to pry national secrets out of him. The buildings of the town crested into view over the hill as we walked. "Hurry up! Tell me! We're almost to my house."

He looked at me suddenly, and said nervously, "I told you. I thought Mary was cute and that she was nice," I poked him in the ribs, prodding him for more. "What about me though?"

"Well, Claire, honestly, I thought you were one of the most - "

"Claire! CLAIRE!" A familiar voice distracted me and cut Gray off mid sentence. "Claire! I'm home for repairs!" Kai screamed at me from the middle of one of my dad's fields. He dropped the ax in his hand next to the pile of lumber by his feet and started jogging over to us. I waved enthusiastically and screamed back, "Hey, babe! Hang on!" I looked back at Gray, feet already dancing in anticipation. Kai reached up and hopped the fence easily, wrapping his arms around me. "Sorry, Gray but I gotta cut this short, I'm so sorry!" I said, while Kai ran his fingers through my hair. "What were you going to say though? I'm the most what?" He shrugged and saluted me. "It's nothing. I'll see you around." Kai laughed sharply and waved at Gray mockingly, "That's right. It's nothing. Run along now, Metal Shop. I can handle things from here on out." I waved at Gray, who was already walking slowly down the dirt road to the Blacksmith's. "Don't talk to him like that… Anyways! What are you doing here?" I squealed, turning around and slamming myself into his broad shoulders. He wrapped his arms around me again, and I felt my heart flutter. He was so tall, my head barely reached his collarbone. The sweat on his brown skin twinkled in the sunlight as he wiped his brow and looked down at me with an expression of mock dismay. "No 'Hello'? No 'Nice to see you, babe!'?" I laughed and punched him in the chest. "I'm sorry, I'm just so surprised to see you, it's only Spring 15th! What brought you back so early?"

"You remember my brother, Skye, right?" I nodded my head disgustedly. The only time I had ever met Skye was when I was 15, and he had us smoke a joint with him, then he tried to run his hand up my thigh. Thankfully, Kai had stepped in and we hadn't seen him since. "I thought you two fell out. What about Skye?" Kai sighed, a deep sigh, as though he knew what he was going to say would make me angry.

"He has a delivery he needs me to make to Denny. He's going to pay me 75,000G!" I shot Kai a dirty look. "Goddess knows what he's going to have you deliver. The Sunshine Isles are so far from here, Kai! Can you even make it that far? You've never taken your houseboat out to open sea like that before, you've just been up and down the coast line," A defiant, angry look came over his face.

"It's 75,000G, Claire! That's enough to fix up the boat, and find us a place wherever we want! We could get an apartment in Fontine, and do whatever we want after this. Then you can come traveling with me next Summer," He sounded breathless and my heart melted a little bit. Maybe I was being too harsh. Maybe I'm only mad because I don't know what it's like to live on your own so young. "What is he having you deliver?" I asked. Kai sighed again, softer this time. "Fish, maybe. Untaxed cigarettes and whiskey, probably. Something. I don't know," I jabbed my finger into his chest, my anger instantly reignited. "I think you do know, and you just don't want to say anything," Kai faced half of his body away from me. "It's 75,000G, Claire. I don't know what else to tell you. That's life changing cash for me. For us. I can achieve so many of my dreams," My hands shook with anxiety and anger. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know if my anger was validated. "What dreams? Your dream of roaming the coast, what you already do now?! What if something happens? What will I do then? What will you do?"

Kai seemed so carefree all the time, I didn't even think of the possibility that he might be hurting for money from time to time, living life the way he did at 18 with a 9th grade education. "I don't know, Claire! Come with me, if you're so worried. We can make the delivery then immediately sail back to the coast and find a city to settle in until next Summer. We can even come back here, and visit your dad and Mary, to say goodbye, if you want."

That stopped me dead in my tracks.

I paused, mulling it over. Could I? Logistically, yes.

I could get the money I'd saved from birthdays and holidays and the sporadic pay Dad gave me, I could sneak out of the house and meet Kai at the docks, I could be out of Mineral Town forever and for good by morning if I really wanted.

Should I? That was the real question. I was seeing first hand what leaving everything you have and know, without some type of education and funds for backup got you, struggling to make ends meet by selling food and working short stints at restaurants, just to pay for ingredients, for gas for the boat and coal for his grill. But an apartment overlooking the water in Fontine and Kai all to myself for the Winter sounded magical. We'd even have money leftover to cushion us for the next year to come, if we spent it right.

I got lost in images of us blowing steam off of hot chocolates in our mittens, of us walking through snowy streets in the morning, cuddling in a cozy apartment, or maybe a cottage with a fireplace, at night. Maybe I could convince him to buy me a flat screen TV, like Antoinette was always bragging about having. It would have more channels than hers could even handle. "Earth to Claire," Kai said impatiently, waving his hand in my face. "Will you come with me?" My heart sank to my knees because I knew I had to say no. I had to save more money, and wait until the time was right to leave everything I ever knew. I know it would seem backwards to him because I was so eager to turn 18 and leave, but some small part of my gut kept screaming at me to say no. At least not right now. I couldn't ignore that feeling, as hard as I tried.

"I-I'm sorry, Kai… I won't go with you, but I will be waiting here for you," I smiled up at him sweetly and hugged him close to me but his frown didn't disappear. "Okay, babe. I get it. It's a lot to ask of someone like you," I pushed him back so I could see his face. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" My voice rose, and my anger did too. "Oh, you know. It's not that you're weak. You're just someone who needs time to work up the nerve to do things."

My nostrils flared out, "'It's not that I'm WEAK?'" I screamed the last word at him and he shrunk back. "For an 18 year old who lives on a dog shit houseboat, you have some fucking nerve!" He'd never heard me yell before, not even if I got hurt. "Hey, calm down, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He reached his hands out to grab my shoulders and bring me back to his chest, but I yanked myself away and stood my ground. "I just don't want to go, Kai. It's not like I'm breaking up with you," Kai huffed proudly and stared at me in a way I'd never seen him stare at me before. "What? What, Kai?" I challenged him. He stood silent, that smug expression still painting his face. "I'm sooo sorry I'm worried about your safety on a 350 mile trip! In a houseboat!" Kai snorted and walked closer to me. "That's not the joke. The joke is that you'd never break up with me. I'm the best thing that's happened to you, one of the only people that talks to you around this armpit. If anything, I'll be the one breaking up with you," he crossed his arms and smirked. A stick broke behind him suddenly and he turned his head to look at the trees behind us.

I turned on my heel and stormed across the field to my house, having had enough of whatever act he was trying to put on. Unfortunately, I forgot my backpack next to his feet, but I wasn't going back to get it now. I heard rustling behind me and assumed Kai picked it up and hoped he would bring it back later.

He didn't. But he did come over that night, with a bouquet of wildflowers, some cookies Ann from the Inn had made, and a conch shell he found at a beach on Toucan Island. He even brought my dad a 6 pack of beer. He made us all dinner and didn't bring up his delivery at all. After dinner, sitting on a hay bale watching the sun set, he kissed me over and over while he apologized for how he acted earlier. It was the stress, he said, of having to choose between the love of his life and his oldest brother. It was the stress of choosing between life changing money, endless family approval or settling for being excited about a 10G tip.

Then he asked me to come with him again. "Kai, I'm sorry, I just can't. I have one year left of school, and then I can go anywhere with you," I wrapped my arms around him and started kissing his neck lightly. He shook me off. "You don't actually want to leave next year. You want to stay here for the rest of your life, like all your townie friends. You've been leading me on," I blinked at him, unsure of what to make of this sudden change.

Kai's brown eyes bored into my soul until he looked away, turning the rest of his body too. I grabbed his shoulder and spun him to face me and cupped his cheek. "Kai, I love you. I would never do a thing to hurt you, I promise. I'll be here in Mineral Town, waiting when you get back, like I always do. Nothing will ever stop me," His deep, dark eyes got even deeper and darker as he teared up. I brushed the tears off his high cheekbones and kissed him. "You really promise, Claire? I don't think of anyone but you and I've been waiting to get you out of here for a long, long, long time." He kissed me back, hard.

"I swear on everything, babe. I'll be here, getting ready, and when you come back, I'll be on that dock, waiting for you." He pinched my cheeks and kissed my forehead. "I love you, I know that this will be a new start for us." The sun had finally set, and our discussion had finally ended. How could I say no to money that would kickstart our dreams, no matter how it came our way?

I figured the less I knew, the better. Kai came by the next day with heart shaped waffles he'd special ordered from the Inner Inn for me. Ruby, the owner and cook, was also Kai's aunt and one hell of a cook. She put small edible flowers and berries as garnish and Kai included some of Basil's homemade maple syrup, which he must have gotten off of Mary, because it wasn't for sale anywhere. I sat up in bed and inhaled all the sweet smells and started to dig in. Kai sat next to my bed on a chair, and as I started to slow down my pace, I noticed he had a worried look on his face. "What's wrong, baby?" I said with my mouth still full. He chuckled and his face lightened. "Seeing you stuff your face completely made me forget what I was thinking about," I swallowed my mouthful of sugar. "No, seriously, what's wrong?" Kai sighed and put his head into his hand. "I'm just a little worried about the weather, is all. It's a really time sensitive delivery, Denny is expecting someone to come take half of what I'm dropping off 3 days from today."

I was shocked at the capacity of what Kai was going to do, after being so proud to not end up like his family. "Why are you so desperate to get this money? Why do you want to get me out of here so bad?" He shook his head sadly. "I can't stand leaving you after only a few months every single year anymore. I really can't. I know it's unfair of me to feel this way, because you weren't raised like me, but I need you to see the world with me, Claire. I can't just settle for making snow cones with you for three months out of the year anymore."

I felt his pain. I really did. "I'm… sorry Kai." I whispered. He stroked my back and hair and whispered back, "It's okay."

My father woke me up for breakfast the next day, Saturday. I was incredibly shocked, because Saturdays were the biggest chore days, and usually breakfast for him was that instant black sludge he called coffee, and a cigarette while he fed the chickens. Sometimes, if he felt like spoiling himself, he'd microwave some oatmeal to bring in a thermos while he did his chores.

Today, he had the table set beautifully, he even put flowers in a jar as a centerpiece. He had a pile of scrambled eggs, a plate full of bacon, toast, and crispy waffles covered in apple slices. 'He must have especially pulled down his 20 year old waffle maker that he only pulls out for Yule and the Starry Night Festival.' Syrup sat in a white and pink flowered crock, and homemade yellow, flower shaped pats of butter sat under a small dome.

"I didn't even know we owned this many dishes, Dad!" I stood at the bottom of the stairs that lead into the kitchen in pure awe. My dad chuckled softly. "Well, I had to get your ma somehow, kiddo. It sure wasn't the country boy angle that did her in," I sat down, still slightly amazed that my dad made all of this. He handed me a plate with eggs, bacon and buttered toast on it, and started fixing me another for waffles. "I-I, uh, wanted to talk to you, Claire," he scratched his head. "It's real important, and I know we don't have that type of bond, but-" I interrupted him and grabbed my plates. "You're my dad. Just because I have different goals than you doesn't mean we don't have a bond," I dowsed my waffles in syrup and cut out a huge bite before continuing, "Please, tell me what you were going to say, Dad."

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Well, don't lie now, but anyways… I wasn't exactly eavesdropping or being nosy, but it's a small house, and sound travels, and our windows are right next to each other's…" He trailed off and it became clear he was going to need me to coax this out of him. "What did you hear? I wasn't - you know I wasn't… doing anything with Kai in there, Dad," I said, getting slightly defensive.

"It's not that, Claire. I'm worried about all of this boy business, though..." As he droned on, I felt guiltier and guiltier, he basically said it himself, we barely have the regular father daughter style bond. At least when I leave, he won't be missing much. What would there be to miss? Shouting at me that he's hungry? Hollering at me that the bus is coming? I shook my head, trying to think of all the good times. My cow, Cheese, that he bought and let me name, so that meant I could keep her forever. When I had a homecoming dance that Rick had asked me to in 9th grade, and my dad bought me flowers, and took pictures of me on his Kodak camera, and then he framed them in the hallway after. All the dollhouses he made me as a kid, and painted in the most fantastical ways. "Claire? Claire?" I looked at my dad.

"Sorry, I spaced out. What were you saying?" My dad stood up, shaking his head. "I was saying to be careful, and play your cards close to your chest with this one," he lit a cigarette and exhaled in my direction. I coughed and fanned the smoke away. "I know we don't talk much, Claire, but trust me when I say this guy is a bad seed." Then he walked out the door.