I woke up to the sound of rain hitting the window. My parsnips were ready to be harvested so I boxed them up and walked to Pierre's. He bought them but I felt like he was ripping me off a bit. Unfortunately, I had nowhere else to sell my crops. I bought some more seeds while I was there and went back home and planted them in the rain.

The rain was cold on my face. I laughed, remembering standing out here in the rain as a kid. My grandpa would always say, "You're going to catch your death out there." As much as I wanted to check out the mines, I didn't want to miss spending time in the rain. I decided to take a walk in the forest south of my house. I wandered around and eventually sat down by the side of the river. Everything was so peaceful. The sound of the rain hitting the trees was almost musical. I don't know how long I sat like that when suddenly the rain stopped hitting me. I looked up to see Abby hovering over me with an umbrella.

"You're getting soaked, what are you doing out here?" she asked.

"Just enjoying the sound. I love the rain," I said, and then added, "Do you want to tell me what's been going on with you?"

She sat down beside me. "I'm sorry I've been acting weird. I'm just used to having Sam and Sebastian all to myself... Then Sebastian turned me down, and they both give you so much attention. I guess I was feeling jealous."

"Oh," I said. "I didn't realize you were feeling that way. Is there anything I can do to help?"

She shook her head. "No, it's my thing. You haven't done anything wrong. I'm not mad at you or anything. I just need to get used to not being the only girl around," she said.

"We could do some stuff just the two of us, if you want," I said.

She smiled and said, "I'd like that."

"Oh! How about we go to that shop in Zuzu where I got that dress you liked?" I suggested.

"That would be awesome! How about tomorrow?" she asked.

"Sure, meet me at the bus station at 11?" I proposed.

"It's a date!" she exclaimed, handing me the umbrella. "If you're going to stay out here, at least keep this."

I hesitated "Don't you need it?"

She waved it off. "No, I'm headed back to my house. I promised my dad I would help him at the shop. I'll see you tomorrow," she said, beaming.

I spent the rest of the day by the river until the rain stopped. Then I headed back to my house for the night.

I woke up early and got my farming done. Then I went inside and cleaned up. I hadn't really had a reason to dress up lately. I realized now that I had basically worn overalls or jeans every single day since I had moved here. I pulled out a black skirt and a white button-up shirt. Then, in an attempt to tame my hair, I used a curling iron. It was still a bit frizzy, but it looked way better than when I had started. I put on a tiny bit of eyeliner, which was about all the makeup I was capable of doing. I smiled and headed to the bus stop.

Abby was already there wearing a matte purple dress and a black leather jacket. We both looked each other up and down. Then she said, "Damn, we look good." We both laughed. Then we got on the bus and headed to Zuzu.

When we got to Zuzu, we walked around downtown a bit. Abby was curious about all the vendors on the street. She staked out a hotdog cart and told me we had to go back there before leaving. Then we walked to the shop. It was a thrift shop and it had been my favorite place to buy clothes before moving.

Watching her walk around the store was like watching a kid in a candy shop. Her eyes lit up as she walked around grabbing clothes. I was happy just to be here with her. I had no money, so I wasn't planning on buying anything. She went to the dressing room and when she came out, she was wearing a black a-line dress. It fit her figure perfectly.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"You look gorgeous," I said.

She blushed and said, "Thanks." Then her eyes lit up again and she went running past me. I turned to see her grabbing a pair of thigh-high lace-up black boots. She put them on. It truly completed the outfit.

"Are you going to get anything?" She asked.

"No," I said. "I just wanted to get out of town for a day."

"Okay, well, I'm done shopping. Let me go pay and then let's get a hotdog!" She said, hopping over to the cashier. She paid wearing the outfit she was buying. We walked to the hotdog stand. She ordered one with everything on it and then she made fun of me when I ordered a hotdog with ketchup only.

We headed back to town. When we got there, she said, "Hey, we're all going to the saloon tonight at 6. See ya there." I nodded, realizing she had said it as a statement and not a question.

I laughed as soon as she was out of sight. She seemed back to her usual self. It made me happy. I went back home for an hour. I was exhausted and considered not going to the Saloon. I thought about the way Abby had said it though. I felt like if I didn't show up, she was in the type of mood where she would show up at my house and drag me there.

I got there before anyone else, so I ordered a pitcher of beer and sat down next to the pool table. I thought about practicing my pool, but before I could, Sebastian walked in. He stopped in the doorway and looked at me. I was locked in a gaze with him. There was something about his eyes. I just couldn't look away.

Suddenly, he was playfully pushed out of the way by Sam. "Dude, why are you blocking the doorway?" Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Sorry..." Then Sam looked at me and said, "What's the occasion?"

Confused, I replied, "What?"

"You're all dressed up," he said with a smirk.

I looked down at my clothes. I had completely forgotten I had been wearing them. "I went to Zuzu with Abby today," I said. Then the door opened, and Abby walked in, wearing her new dress and boots. She had accessorized with a black choker and her leather jacket. Both Sam and Sebastian turned. Their jaws dropped.

"Wow, Abby, you look amazing," Sebastian said, and Sam agreed, nodding his head vigorously. I don't know why, but that made my stomach drop churn. Abby looked so pleased though. Maybe this was what she had been feeling.

Abby started telling them about our day, so I sat on the couch and started thinking about the mines. I was planning on going in them tomorrow, and I was excited about it. I planned out some snacks to pack and what to wear. I snapped out of thought when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Sam.

"Where'd you go?" he asked. "When?" I replied. "Just now. You looked lost in thought," he said.

"Oh," I said. I didn't really want to tell him I was going to the mines. He looked so happy, and I knew he would worry if I told him. So I said, "I was just planning out my week," which technically wasn't a lie.

"You look kind of sad. Are you okay?" he asked. I guess I did feel kind of down. Not really sure why though. I was impressed that he noticed before I did. At that moment, Abby put an upbeat 80s song on the jukebox and started dancing around the pool table.

Sam and I both laughed. It was nice to see Abby so happy. She had been so down since Sebastian had turned her down.

"Come on," Sam said with a smile, holding his hand out to me. I couldn't help but smile back. I reached out, and he pulled me off the chair and into his arms. I was really bad at dancing. So we ended up swaying in small circles. One of my arms was on his shoulder. He held the other one on his chest, and I could feel his heartbeat. He wrapped his other arm around my waist and pulled me in closer. I couldn't stop staring at him. His hair was falling in his face. I wanted to reach up and brush it out of his face. His eyes met mine. Why did he look so serious? When the song ended, we weren't even moving anymore.

Suddenly, I was pulled out of his arms. A new song was playing, and Abby said, "My turn!" and started twirling me around. Then she pulled me in close. "So are you and Sam...?" she whispered.

"Oh, no, we're just friends," I said.

"Just checking, you two seemed very close," she said with a wink.

The song ended, and I saw Sebastian and Sam had started a game of pool. Sebastian leaned in to me as I walked past him. "Should I let Sam win for once?" He paused before saying, "Nah." He smiled sweetly at me and then went back to the pool game. I spent the rest of the night talking to Abby and joking with Sam and Sebastian. It was really nice, and I was glad I came out.

I woke up early and put on jeans and a hoodie. It might be hot outside, but it would be cool in the mines. I grabbed all the supplies Marlon had given me, then I headed out.

When I got to the entrance of the mines, I swung my sword a couple of times, trying to remember what Marlon had taught me. Then I carefully climbed down the ladder. When I got to the first level, I realized there was no ladder to the next floor. I started mining the rocks, knowing I would need them if I ever wanted Robin to build something for me.

After breaking open five rocks, I found a ladder under one of them. So I headed to the next floor. I was surprised when I saw a green blob hopping around. This was definitely not what I expected. It hit me a couple of times, but I was able to take it down with a couple of swipes of my sword. It was exhilarating. I spent the rest of the day going through the mines and killing the different creatures. I unfortunately didn't find anything special. I got to about the tenth floor before I needed to head home.

As I was walking past Robin's, she waved me over. She looked distraught. "Have you seen Seb?" she asked.

"No, I haven't. Is he missing?" I asked.

"He left on his motorcycle this morning. He should have been back by now," she said, her voice breaking.

Just then, Maru came running out of the house. "Mom, a hospital in Zuzu just called. Sebastian got in an accident. They said he's in critical condition. They need you to get there right away," she said.

Robin was freaking out. "I've got to find my car keys," she said with tears in her eyes.

"We'll take my car. You shouldn't be driving," I said, seeing the panic in her eyes.

"Thank you, Rosie. I really appreciate it," she said, and then we headed to Zuzu.

To be continued...