When I first laid eyes on her, my heart skipped a beat.
That's what people say, right?
I guess it's supposed to sound romantic or something, but in reality, it just makes you feel like you're gonna throw up.
I wanted to look at her, but at the same time, the desire to keep myself as far away from her as possible just kept growing.
Less of a chance of screwing things up, I suppose.
I was new to town, and wasn't really feeling it out here in the boonies. I guess my room and board were both okay, and the food was worth it alone. It didn't hurt that there was a little bar downstairs, but I could tell by the night of the first day that the place was dull as dirt. Something told me that nothing had changed here for a long time, and it wasn't about to any time soon.
It's weird, feeling like you're being absorbed into this giant bubble of boredom that you can't escape. I guess a better word for that bubble would be Mineral Town. Small village on the coast – the next town about an hour's walk away. There were footpaths, not roads. People didn't travel unless they took the ferry. It was pretty easy to see that once people came to town, they either left before too long or they set their roots with no intention of seeing anything beyond the horizon.
My roommate was a strange combination of the two. Or maybe he was the exception. He seemed adamant about staying, but didn't have a job lined up yet. Dunno how you expect to stay long without an income.
Prices were cheap, though. The food was good, wholesome. No frills. That's one of my favorite things about a place like this, I suppose – honest simplicity.
One of my favorite things about her, too.
She had a glass of wine in her hand, but she wasn't drinking it. There was no sort of sign that she was waiting for anyone, and it was hard to tell if she was simply people-watching like I was or if she was deep in thought.
Yeah, she was gorgeous, but it honestly didn't matter if she wasn't, because there was something about her that just drew you in. Commanded attention. Maybe it was those sharp eyes or air of confidence she gave off. Hell if I know.
I did know one thing.
I had to know her name.
But asking for someone's name means you have to talk to them. Introductions and stuff. I hate all that. I don't think it would be a stretch of the imagination to say that I'm the worst person at small talk you would ever meet.
But for some stupid reason, I wanted to know what she called herself. I wanted to hear her say it with her own lips. I wanted to know if she had that silly twang that everyone in this area seemed to have. I wanted to know if she talked like the people in the city I grew up in.
I wanted to know if she was bored here, too.
Her bright green eyes latched onto mine, and that's when I felt it.
The awful pang in my stomach and chest.
I wanted to sink into the floor and vanish, but at the same time, the idea that I had her attention gave me that awful jittery, giddy feeling. Butterflies in my stomach? I'm pretty sure that's what people call it. I think I'm just going to call it what it is – nausea.
She nodded in my direction. "Yo, UMA."
I sheepishly tugged on the bill of my hat, remembering the letters that had been embroidered on it. "Hey."
Well, now I had done it. There was absolutely no way she would think that I wasn't the coolest guy ever.
That was sarcasm, by the way.
What kind of person just goes "Hey"? Gaping like an idiot was surely helping my image.
"You gonna come over and join me or not?"
She was smiling?
Probably laughing at me inside of her head. Seeing what kind of a dork had managed to wander into town.
"Uh, yeah."
Of course my voice decided to crack then. I almost tripped over my stool before managing to walk over towards her, my drink sloshing over my knuckles. Any sliver of attractiveness I had was surely thrown out the window by now.
She granted me a few of my wishes all at once. "I'm Karen. I'm here at least a few times a week, and you're a new face. Traveler?"
She had a deeper voice than I expected, and I was pleasantly surprised. The twang was mellow and sweet as she spoke.
I shook my head. "Name's Gray. I just started renting here."
"Nice!" Karen appeared genuinely enthused, "We can always use more fresh meat around here. I'm sure you've noticed how exciting it can be around these parts."
By some miracle, she didn't seem to notice that I had spilled my drink.
Then by my special brand of terrible luck, she deftly reached for a few napkins and passed them my way. I waited for her to smirk or tease, but she continued talking.
"That's not to say that there's nothing to do around here. I'm sure you've probably walked around town and seen the sights. We've got the beach, the hiking trail, fishing, the lake, Mother's Hill, oh, and the hot spring…" I watched as she counted them off on her fingers. "Honestly, you'd think the town would be swarming with tourists with all the stuff around here, but I guess it's like they say – location, location, location, yadda-yadda." She rolled her eyes and took a long sip from her glass. "I guess it just means we get to enjoy them more ourselves."
"I've spent enough time in a crowded city," I found myself saying. I hesitated. "But… I do kinda feel the whiplash."
"I can imagine it's a big change. I used to want to go out to the big city and leave this place behind." She stared into her glass. Karen looked back at me, and the look on her face told me she regretted letting that slip. "I guess I'm not exactly filling you with confidence, huh?"
She really wasn't.
"S'okay." I had to remind myself to stop touching my hat. "I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, honestly. I wanted something quieter, I guess."
She leaned forward to look at me over her drink, her lips stained with wine. "A little too quiet out here?"
"Not sure yet," I replied honestly.
"It can be for me, sometimes… but," she looked back at me, those piercing eyes of hers gleaming, "Well, if you get bored, I'm always happy to hang out. I help my parents manage the general store and I could use a little more excitement. You have a job laid out yet?"
For a moment, I almost wanted to ask if they were hiring. "I just started an apprenticeship through my gramps- uh, I mean with Saibara over at the smithy."
"Ah, a fellow family business kid." She smirked as she cradled her chin with her hands, leaning on the counter.
Those eyes… I wished again that I could work with her.
Still, I couldn't help but feel like she was a little patronizing.
"I wouldn't call us kids."
"You're cute."
My cheeks felt hot. Maybe it wasn't that bad...
She looked at me apologetically. "I didn't mean to insult you. I'm just saying we live in an area where no one ever wants to retire."
"People must really like what they do here."
She shrugged. "I think people are just really comfortable with their routines."
I couldn't choke back my laugh. "You're describing Gramps – ah – Saibara to a T."
She smiled, and I was taken aback at how beautiful she was. "You can call him Gramps if you wanna. I think it's kinda cute."
I gulped. How am I supposed to respond to that?
Her airy chuckle made me look up from my lap.
"You blush easily. That's also pretty cute."
Any other person I would have made at least some sort of comeback. Instead, I found myself smiling, to my horror. Cute would probably be the last word I'd use to describe myself. For some strange reason, it didn't bother me as much when she said it.
She looked at me, and I'm sure she was waiting for some sort of reply.
My mouth refused to make words, and the playful wink she gave me further melted my brain. So, like the idiot I am, I took a huge gulp of my drink to try to buy myself some time.
Naturally, I choked on it.
She didn't laugh at me, but there was an amused look on her face as she took another sip. "Relax, we have all evening."
I allowed the stupid grin to come back on my face. Maybe things wouldn't be so boring here, after all.