3.Things start.
warning: swearing, alcohol consumption
I wake to the sun beaming in my face and hear a rooster.
It’s my first morning, my first year on the my farm, it’s spring and alive.
I stumble out of bed and rifle through the tote that Leah left and find coffee with a French Press. I kiss the coffee, thanking Leah. "Oh thank thee Goddess of all things delish and artisanal.” They set me up for a couple of days. I grin to myself thinking about my best friends and how much I love them. I drink my coffee, walk out my front door and see that I have mail sticking out of my mailbox. Some turnip seeds to start me off, from Mayor Lewis, turnips? Do I like turnips? I thought they were poisonous. And an advertisement for Pierre’s. Ads here
too?
Grampy left me all the tools I need for farming. Simple Hoe, watering can, pickaxe, axe and… damn, it’s tiring being a farmer. After pick-axing like one rock I’m exhausted and decide to take a
gentle walk into town.
I introduce myself when I see someone new. Everyone is pretty friendly. This one guy was kinda rude but I don’t care, we all have our things.
At Pierre’s I meet Caroline and their daughter Abigail. Right away I notice something about her. She is almost glowing but in the way a blacklight “glows” she
feels different to me, she has that otherness about her. Her hair is violet, not dyed, I can tell it is naturally purple I don’t know how, I just do. Her eyes are blue-green and filled with intensity. She has mostly dark colors on, which look very nice against her pale skin, a long blue vest over a V-neck gray shirt. Torn, black jeans. Her boots are brown, badass and nicely worn-in, they seem to say, “I can kick your ass, So I dare you to mess with me". A
cute little bow finishes the look. Wait a bow? And I like it? Yeah I like it. Her overall “ness” is striking, she looks tough but somehow still cute. I mentally slap myself again as I turn and make like I’m busy with a box of oatmeal. How much is this? Oh, full of fiber
and oats.
I don’t blend in as well as I thought because Little miss purple head walks over to me, raises an eyebrow, and pokes me in the chest with her black-nailed finger “So you’ve moved into that old farm?? That’s too bad, I used to like exploring there
alone.” She looks perturbed. I’m perturbed that she’s perturbed, I push her finger off my chest and retort “Oh so you were trespassing?” I raise my eyebrow back and flare a nostril. We glare at each other but before she burns a hole in my face, I smile what I think is a charming smile,“but you’re more than welcome to still explore it, I don’t intend on
completely clearing it away. I’m not a Joja mart you know.”
I hold my hands up and say: “and besides these gamer/city hands aren’t used to farm life yet.” Abigail’s eyes light up slightly but still suspicious, she asks “You play video games? Do you play Journey of the Prairie King?“
“I
have played it,” I reply “but I like simulation games and RPGs.” She smiles and seems to “glow” more.
“I
guess You’re not all that bad.” With that glowing smile and bratty line, somehow I think I’m smitten.
As I walk home to Love Life farm. I have a conversation in my head and it goes something like this:
“She’s only like what 20? Barely? What the Yoba am I thinking? I’m a bit older than her and I am not sure what her whole deal is…
But I can’t shake her smile, it keeps floating back around into my thoughts even as I mentally reprimand myself.
You just got here in this amazing town, you will
not screw it up by impulsively chasing some younger goth/gamer girl. Her Dad is the town merchant and who knows what else is going on! Fairy Ring Dancer (Thanks Mom and Dad as if I wasn’t weird enough without the name) focus on your farm. I decide to just stay on my farm and work hard. I have to just play it close to home. Keep my head down. I sigh, I’m not good at keeping my head down. I have blue skin.
I walk up to Love Life farm kicking stones. I huff and kick one rock particularly hard. I look up and see Leah and Elliot sitting on the front steps.
They are both sipping a beverage and I grin. “Have one of those for a thirsty farmer?” Elliot hands me a beer and the bottle opener and I join them. “How was your first day Farmer Fairy Ring?” Leah asks.
“Tiring, I thought I was in better shape than this.” I reply sagging in exhaustion and shame. “Fey, you’ll get there.” Leah says putting a hand on my knee and leaning against me. “it just takes time and patience.” Elliot moves up a step to sit besides me and puts an arm around my shoulders. “You’re going to do great things here. I know it.” He gives me his twinkling smile and I swoon platonically, just a bit. He continues “This place, this life has been procured especially for you.” He gently puts his hand on my shoulder. I smile filled with warm fuzzies.
“Am I interrupting something?” We all turn our heads to see Abigail standing there. My heart skips a beat, my breath catches in my throat, mental slap, I start turning red. Luckily Leah Chimes in with
“Well, Hi Abby”
“Hello Ms. Abigail” says Elliot “Come, join us.”
She looks at me and says, “Hi Farmer, I decided to take you up on your invitation” When she says farmer she raises an eyebrow and smirks, hidden in there is some sort of challenge that makes me feel very wiggly.
I stand and even with my blue skin I know my cheeks are burning pink. Pushing past the pink I grandly say, “Welcome Fair Maiden, to my Queendom!” And I bow before her and wave her to have a seat.
She rolls her eyes but chuckles. She sits between Leah and Elliot on the bottom step, I am sitting on the step above them kinda above Elliot with Abigail below to my right. I take a huge swig of my beer.
Elliot asks “How are you Maiden Abigail?”
As she starts to answer she moves up on the step next to me “Im doing ok I guess, Mom and Dad have been hounding me to do my online courses but I hate it. Dad insists that I study business and other boring business related classes”
Did she just slide a little closer? I
must be reading into it.
Dang it, I had just decided to not follow this road and she shows up on my doorstep, sitting next to me smelling… so intoxicating.
Leah and Elliot don’t seem to notice so I decide to just play it cool. I lean back onto the step behind me and start letting my beer buzz take over. I grin. Leah looks up at me “what is
that grin for?”
“I am just feeling good.” I say closing my eyes.
“Do you mind if I have a drink?” I hear Abigail say.
“Of course not” says Elliot opening a beer and handing it to her.
I turn to Abigail “if you could study what
you want, what would you study?”
She thinks for a minute and answers with a light in her eyes “The supernatural and occult, anything to do with all things creepy and spoooooky. There is so much out there we don’t know about. Mom doesn’t like that I am into “dark” stuff though.” She goes quiet and looks down at her beer, not so much sad but frustrated.
“Without the dark we wouldn’t have the light.” I say, “We need both of them for either to make sense.” Where did that come from? I feel like a pseudo guru for saying it.
“Deep thoughts with Fey.” Elliot says as he finishes his beer. “And with that, I’m off. An idea just blossomed that I
must get to paper” He dusts off his bum, straightens his overcoat and heads off, already deep in thought.
Leah finishes her drink and gets up “Okay I guess I’ll go too, do you need company home Abigail? I don’t mind…”
“Nah, I know this valley like the back of my hand, I’ll be fine. Thanks.” Leah gives me a hug and heads off. Abigail next to me sips her beer. I feel awkward not sure of what to say. But Abigail seems content to sit in silence so I take a clue and do the same. I finish my beer. My stomach rumbles, I’m hungry all of a sudden.
“Hey, are you hungry?” I ask Abigail “I’m sure I have something.” Abigail looks at me and damnit if I my heart doesn’t skip a beat again. What the heck, how does this keep happening? It’s not like I haven’t been with other people. I am not newly dating and looking. Even as I think this, I am appreciating her bright green-blue eyes.
“No, I ate dinner before I came.” Her response snaps me into the moment.
“Uh, So did anything inspire your visit?” I ask “NotthatImind, I mean I did say you’re welcome to come and explore…and you s
till are welcome… to come… really I
don’t mind if you want to explore.” I realize I’m rambling and shut up.
Abigail shrugs “I Just wanted to check it out. Wanted to be sure you really didn’t clear everything away. After all I need somewhere to come explore.”
I look up at the gorgeous land around me and grin “This land is so amazing, I don’t really want to take away its natural aesthetic. I’ll do my best to keep it beautifully overgrown.” I feel like I’m beaming at the forest around me.
I turn to look at Abigail and she turned away quickly. Had she been staring at me? Her cheeks appear red and did she just say?? “somewhere to come and explore” implying she’d be back? I get a little goofy in the head at this and the world starts to spin.
Abigail cuts my spin short as she stands up and takes a huge chug of beer and quickly says, “Well I’dbettergo,okseeya,I’mgoingtotakethisfortheroad.” She holds up her beer and walks off.
I sit, a little downcast as I watch her quickly disappear down the path.
Was that weird or was it just me? Why did she get so nervous? I sigh big and let my mind wander around ideas of purple hair. I do like her, I think I may even
like, like her. She has me captivated but there is still the issue of if… if I’m her “type”.
Sigh, so I’ll be her friend and try to behave.
I finish my beer and collapse into bed.