THE AUTHOR THE STORY THE CHARACTERS THE LINKIES THE CREATORS
Saturday, June 6, 2009 ~ 5:17 AM
Chapter 3 - Where do we go from here?


"Mayor Oscar, I demand an explanation right now!"


the boy yelled firmly, banging his fist onto the desk. His eyebrows were narrowed as he glared at the short, chubby man in front of him. The fat guy was actually the town's mayor, even though he looked like someone out of a kid's cartoon. He had brown hair, that balded in the middle and a ridiculously huge mustache. He sank down in his seat as he bore a nervous smile, sweating and trembling at the fury of the boy that stood before him.


I, on the other hand, just sat in my chair blankly, too tired and confused to say anything



After that, cough, little incident, we were pretty much shouting at each other comically, as if we were mad, headless chickens or something. Then, we regained our common sense and decided that it was best to get to the bottom of this and go visit the Mayor, who was in charge of mostly everything, including property.


This was so weird... the farm's weird, the tiny little Mayor's weird...


My life's officially weird.


I think I just can't get over the fact that I got traumatized by a semi-naked boy.


Mayor Oscar coughed, shifting his roud specs a bit, trying to avoid the gaze of what's-his-name.



"Erm, well, I sorta... can explain."


"You better!" he warned and the Mayor cringed again.



"Ah, well, why don't you take a seat and calm down, my boy?" the short man guestured to the chair beside me.



The boy rolled his eyes and sat down reluctantly with a huff. He crossed his arms and waited for an explanation.


"Ermmm.... so, you're Juliet Williams, am I correct?" the little man asked, looking straight at me. I nodded in response and he a frown emerged on his chubby face



"I knew this would happen eventually," I could hear him mumble under his breath.


I raised an eyebrow and he cleared his throat.



"Ahem, well, I should probably get this down clear... Erm well, you see, it so happens that both of you," He paused you look at both of us for a breif moment and continued again, "Have both purchased the farm. However, indivisually."



"So, we both paid for the farm?" I opened my mouth for the first time and asked, tilting my head slightly.



"But who owns the farm? We can't possibly both own it! I never saw this person in my life!" the boy outbursted, pointing at me.


"And how the hell did we ended up buying the same farm?" I added, ignoring the boy's rudeness.



"I havn't finished yet," Mayor Oscar said, raising his gloved hand. "You see... Errr... well, it is kinda my fault you both got into this situation..." He began guiltily, look down and kicking his legs out like a child. "Actually, Matthew--"





"IT'S MATT."




"Erm, right. Actually, Matt," he pointed to the boy, "bought the farm first." He then pointed to me with his other finger. "But then, A highclass lady and businessman who came to town about a few days later, saw the farm and wanted to buy it. I didn't really have the heart to reject them... or their handsome amount of money, which was at least thrice the amount of what Matthew paid. So... ermm... yeah."


The boy, who I assume was named Matthew, or Matt, or Mattie, or whatever, stared at him in disbelif. I stared too.


"SO YOU JUST TOOK BOTH OF OUR MONEY WITHOUT THINKING?!" Matt and I screamed at him, nearly bursting a vein. We stood up and leaned in forward, making him shrink back into his chair.


"..Yes..." He squeaked in a small voice.


NOW, I was mad!


"How could you do that!!"


"I can't believe you!!"


".. Well, it was a lot of money.." Oscar said reluctantly, twidling his thumbs, half afraid that we would both pummel him to death at any second.


This little man was REALLY testing my paitience!


"So, what are you gonna do about it, buddy?" Matt gritted his teeth in frustration. "Knowing you, I doubt you can return either of us the money, cos' you already spent it!!"


"Ha-ha... about that..." He laughed nervously, signalling that it was true.


"Ermm... well, I could always save up and return either of you the money... but one of you will have to leave..."


Both of us looked at him and back away, thinking about this.


I... could go back? To New York?


I thought about it hard, rocking my brain. I could, couldn't I? This was the perfect reason to not move. I could go back to how I used to live. In the busy city, partying the day and night away.



But... was that really what I wanted, I thought, shutting my eyes.


Suddenly, I remembered the first time I saw this sweet little town. How it managed to lift off the burden off my shoulders and kill off all my stress just by being here. I remembered how happy I was, thinking that I could start afresh. How nice it would be start again in a new town where no one knew my name...



No. I'm not moving. I want to stay in Mayflower Town.



"I'm not moving," I said, but to my astonishment, the boy said the excat same thing at the same time!


So he wants to stay too?


I looked at him and he looked back.


Our faces said the same thing; 'I'm not backing down.'


"Err... hmm.. Oh dear. Hmm... Matt did pay for the farm first... then again, Juliet paid more... Then... there is ONE solution." Oscar muttered, scratching his face. He crossed his short legs and clasped his hands together.


"You two could share the farm!"


"...Say whut?"


"Think about it! Two people = half of the farm work!! Also, since it's my mistake, I'll make sure you two get a horse, FOC!! (Free of charge)"


I thought about it... Hmm... Half of the farm work... sounds tempting...

But do I really wanna living with this weird dude for who-knows-how-long??

He seemed to be a bit rash and for god's sake, HE SLEEPS IN HIS UNDERWEAR.

I glanced over at him and he seemed to be thinking too.

Finally, he said, "Can you really get us a horse?"

Mayor Oscar shrugged, his mustache twitching. "I could try."

Matt grinned, "Sweet!"

Oscar looked over at me and I shrugged. Then, I grinned.


"But you have to pay for all of our electricity and water bills." I said, the evil grin on my face. "As long as we live here."


"W-what?!" The mayor gasped in horror.


"Hey, because of YOU, I HAD TO SEE SOMEONE IN HIS BIRTHDAY SUITE. I COULD'VE BEEN SCARRED FOR LIFE IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT ONE SINGLE PIECE OF CLOTHING!" I whined dramatically, putting the back of my hand onto my forehead, pretending to be on the verge of fainting. "And.... there's the fact that what you did was a crime.... We could always, ALWAYS go to the police to settle this matter..."


"Hey!!" Matt looked offended as he glared at my dramatic bluff with his bright blue eyes slightly. "What do you mean, 'scarred for life'?!"


"So, go, or no go?" I asked, returning back to normal status in a blink of an eye.



Oscar heaved a sigh, his mustache seemed to droop in defeat along with his shoulders.



"Fine..."


"WHOO! I rock!" I cheered, swinging my hands in the air, walking out the door of the Mayor's cottage, AKA, his office.


I feel rather high right now... I think it's an after effect of sleep for more than five hours on a ship. While standing up.


"So, I guess you'll be living with me then..." I looked over at the person next to me. He stood next to me, hands behind his head. He looked at me as if I had an octopus dancing on my head, but I ignored him and his imagination.


"Yes, yes, Matthew."

His left eyebrow twitched and he turned to me, slowly, like a rusted robot.

"Don't.Call.Me.Matthew." He said hotly, as if on the verge of exploding.

I realised that he had some weird problem with being called Matthew. I grinned cheekily as I chimed innocently, "Why not, Matthew? That is your name, right? Matthew, Matthew, Matthew~!"

He twitched some more, and he looked as if he was on the verge of attacking.

"Ooooh, are you gonna jump at me? I'm so scared~!" I sang in pretend fright, laughing at how annoyed he was.

It was actually kinda cute.

Suddenly, he smirked, and rolled his bright blue eyes, putting his hands back to the back of his head. "Whatever, JU-LIE~" he sang back in the same tone, walking off in a random direction.

"What Julie?! Hey, don't leave me here!!" I darted off in the same way he was going, trying to catch up with that cheeky little brat.

He stuck out his tongue at me, and I glared, a pout on my lips.

I take back that 'cute' part.

"Idiot... I was only playing, you don't have to get all huffy. If you don't like 'Matthew', I'll call you 'Mattie!'"

"...What the hell? MATTIE?! Sounds like something you'd call a hamster or something!!"

"I think it sounds cute."

"Well, I think it sounds horrible."

"Sure.... Well... what do you want to do now?" I asked.

"Slack." He answered in one word.

"... I can see how the farm got to that condition." I said, now seeing the light.

"Hey! It was already like that when I got here, okay! Don't judge me until you know me. Which, of course you don't."

"Right.... well, is there a convince store anywhere? Maybe we could get some stuff to help in our work."

He rubbed his chin in thought. "Yeah. There's one just down this path."

"Great!" I chirped happily, skipping forward. "Well, let's get to it, Mattie!" I strained his nickname on purpose.

He cringed, rolled his eyes and followed suit, replying,

"Right back at you, Julie."





Chapter 2 - A New Life And Mistakes?

Friday came by faster than I thought.

I soon found myself at the departing place, more ready than I ever thought I'd be. The strong, salty, yet somewhat comforting smell of the ocean flooded my nose as I made my way towards the dock, tugging along my big suitcase, which thankfully, had wheels at the bottom.

Pulling along my suitcase, I handed my crumpled ticket to the ticket-collector and gingerly climbed up the thick wooden plank that was wedged between the dock and the entrance of the ferry.

I gazed upon New York as I leaned against the metal railing that prevented people from falling over the edge. I could see thick grey smoke coming out of the chimney of factories and tall, high-rising buildings that were probably only going to get higher.

Will I miss this place when I'm gone? I wondered.

Would I miss the sound of zooming cars and honking horns?

Would I miss the loud chattering of strangers on their cellphones?

Would I miss the giggling and laughing children that often came by the nearby park?

I closed my eyes and laid my chin on the steel railing. A breeze drifted by and soothed me.


... Would... I... miss... him?


"REACHING MAYFLOWER TOWN IN 5 MINUTES!! IF THIS IS YOUR DESTINATION, ALL PASSENGERS TO GET READY IMMEDIATELY!"

A loud, ear-piecing horn blew and I jerked my head up, startled. We were here already?

I rubbed the sleep away from my eyes and found myself on a chair. I must've dozed off accidentally.

I yawned a bit and looked around for my suitcase. Where did I put it now...?

"Ah, shoot..." I mumbled to myself. It would be disastrous if I had lost it.

"Excuse me miss," someone said and I looked up. It was a guy in a uniform with a polite smile on his face, perhaps one of the workers here.

"Is this yours?" he asked, pointing to the suitcase at his feet.

"Oh, yes! Yes it is. Thank you." I said, slightly surprised. "I was wondering where it went off to."

"It must have slid off over there, because that's where I found it,"the guy told me, pointing off to the left. "Ferry rides can be quite bumpy because of the unruly waves, you know."

"Yeah... the sea is quite unpredictable." I agreed, nodding.

"So, are you heading to Mayflower Town?"

I blinked at him at the sudden question. He looked embarrassed for a moment and shook his head.

"Sorry. I shouldn't be so nosy." he laughed nervously and waved his hand. "My bad."

"No, no." I quickly said, smiling. "It's alright. I don't think you're being nosy. Yeah, I am."

He looked at me, relief on his face.

"Really? Most people usually take this ferry to get to the more popular Ruby Island. Is this your first time going there? Are you a tourist?"

"Not really.. well, it is my first time going there... but I'm going to sort of live there." I muttered. It was weird saying that I was going to live in a place where I had never been before.

"Oh. Tired of city life? Well, I suppose everyone wants a new life every now and then." A big smile spread across his face.

Suddenly, the horn I heard earlier blew again and the guy looked panicky. "That's my que! I better go back and help. It was nice meeting you, miss! I wish you luck on your new life!" He nodded one last time before scrambling off.

"Yeah... a new life..." I said softly, looking down.

I smiled.

Before I knew it, the ship set shore and I got ready to get off the ferry.

I took a look around me, at the beach that I was setting foot on for the first time in my life.

The beach was small, but very clean. The light yellow sand was filled with colorful seashells of different shapes and sizes scattered here and there and not a sight of rubbish was to be found, compared to the beach back home, which was rather polluted.

It was a sudden, but nonetheless, nice change.

I found a staircase that lead the way to town and I slowly struggled to drag my heavy suitcase up.


"Stupid, if I knew I was gonna have to go through this, I wouldn't have bought so much clothes..." I grumbled under my breath.


When I finally managed to climb up the stairs, however, what greeted my view was so much more different than what I was used to.


In place of those grand, tall, buildings that towered and covered the gray clouds above, there were these small, short cottages, that were just big enough for 3 to 6 people to live in. They were old looking, yet stood strong and I could actually see the sky, which was also different. Instead of being filled with dark clouds, it was painted a soft baby blue color that matched the calming atmosphere of the rest of the town. The roads were made of some kind of red-colored brick and were slightly bumpy. They were more designed for walking then for driving. In fact, I couldn't see a single car in sight.

And... Grass.

Patches of green invaded most of the land, outside of the rough gray roads. They gave out a sweet, minty fresh scent that drifted through the cool air.


It felt fresh. New. Cooling . Calming. Like after a heavy rain.

It felt great.

It shocked me. This was the first time I have ever felt so strongly about a place before and I couldn't help but smile and take in the lovely fresh scent drifting in the air.

I loved it.

It was as if a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, and for the first time in a long time, I actually felt happy.

Smile still on face, I ran through the town, laughing like a small child. If anyone was watching, they'd probably thought I was mentally ill or something.

I didn't care.

I was too happy to care and I wanted to show it. I was so sick of being gloomy and depressed and I didn't even know it. I wanted the whole world to know that I felt free. I felt like myself again.

I wanted to rub it in their faces... because I can.

...Then, I realized that I was lost.

"Damn." I said, scratching my head. I shouldn't have done all that mindless running.

My fingers were all red and numb from pulling my suitcase around as I ran and I was strating to kind of regret it. Guess I was too into the moment.

I wondered if Mayflower Town had taxis. Usually I'd catch one if I get lost. But..

I looked around and saw no vehicle in sight.

"Which way is which?" I glanced around at all the different paths I could take. For such a small town, there seemed to be millions of different ways I could go.

At last, I decided to ask for directions.

I spotted a local policeman and waved over to him. He pointed to himself and I nodded as he walked over.

"Can I help you, miss?" he asked in a polite tone.

"Erm... yeah. can you direct me to a place called Breezy Patch farm?"

"Sure! You just go down that path right there and head right after that turn. You'll be there in no time!"

"Thanks a bunch!" I said, relieved to see that it wasn't very far. Mayflower Town was a small town afterall.

"No problem. Hey, are you new?" The policeman asked, tipping the end of his hat a little bit.

"Yeah," I replied, a sparkle in my eye. I was suddenly really excited and fired up to be a part of this town. "My name's Juliet and I'm moving to Breezy Patch farm today!"

"Ah, that's great. I guess you'll be on your way then?"

"Yup. It was nice meeting you..." I stared at him, wondering what his name was.

"Kenny." He grinned. "I'm the town policeman, if you havn't noticed the uniform!" he joked, chuckling a bit,

"Yeah. I did. It looks great on you, by the way!" I complimented and rushed off. I felt like complimenting everything and everyone at the moment. This town had some strange effect on me and I didn't mind one bit.

"But, hey--"

I think that Kenny was calling me, but I just turned my head and waved He looked slightly confused but i did not stop. Okay, maybe it was a bit rude but I wanted to see what was in store for me so badly. I was so sure that the farm would be as nice as the rest of town.

I could see the end of the road just peeking in front of me. That must be the farm up ahead!

I could see a gate up ahead and I headed towards it. This was it.

"Oh. My. God." I said.

I was speechless.

But not in a good way.

"THIS PLACE IS A MESS!!!" I exclaimed, not believing my eyes.

There were pieces of rocks, from pebbles to boulders all around the planting grounds where ripe, fresh, green vegetables were supposed to be! I could not see a single living crop in sight. Even the tree stumps that were previously trees were dead and rotting. The only living green thing on the planting grounds were ugly overgrown weeds that were not edible.

There were no animals either... I guess they don't come with the farm, even though there was already a chicken coop built, plus a stable for cows, sheep and horses.
I looked to the left and saw the place where I was supposed to live in.

The farm house was in no better condition than the rest of the farm.
It was old, the faded yellow paint was already peeling off and it made it look real ugly. The roof was also a mess. Some of the wooden planks look bigger than the others, and the nails were done in untidily. There was no way that thing was going to keep out the rain.

What the hell? Was I dreaming?

... Did mum and dad get cheated of their money?

.... No. I have a feeling they did this on purpose.

But....

"WHAT THE HELL!! HOW DO THEY EXPECT ME TO LIVE HERE?!?!"

I groaned and picked up my suitcase again and walked towards the farm house. I might as well check it out. I placed my hand on the dusty, rusted door knob and opened the door. It made a loud, creaking sound as I pushed it open and stepped inside.
The place was dark... I hope there was electricity. Please say they have electricity.

I went in further, stupidly trying to feel for something in the dark and ended up tripping over something... or someone....

The 'thing' made a yelping nose and started to growl, shocking me.
What the..?

Then, I heard a groan, and that scared me even more.
I stumbled backwards and hit an unknowned object.

"OWWWWWW!!! THAT HURT!!"

W-what the hell?!?!?!?

That really frightened the crap out of me! I couldn't stand it any longer, I screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" it screamed back and I fell backwards onto the wooden floor.

Seriously, what is going on in this creepy house!!

All of a sudden, the lights flickered on and lighted up the whole room.

And I stared at the sight in front of me, my jaws dropping to the ground.

"WHO ARE YOU!!" I screamed again in question, pointing my index finger at the thing, no, BOY, standing right before me.

His hand was on the light switch on the wall and he stared back with the same expression I was probably wearing on my face right now.
Then, I noticed something very disturbing...

I looked at his white, red-polka dotted BOXERS.

"OH MY GOD, PUT ON SOME PANTS!!" I yelled, covering my eyes in embarrassment. My face was as red as a tomato. What was this? A pervert?!

"W-wha-- AHHH!!!" I could hear him exclaim in horror as he realized what I was talking about.

The boy scrambled around looking for some piece of clothing, making loud noises on the wooden floor as I stood there weirdly, covering my tomato-shaded face.
"Who are you?!" He demanded and I peeked a little behind my fingers, hoping that it was safe to look.

He was now wearing a pair of jeans, but he was still shirtless. I put down my hands and I looked at him speechlessly, wondering what to say.

When I first looked at his face, I immediately noticed a scar on his left cheek. The boy had a kinda cute face. A bit chubby. Not those fat kind of chubby, but those kinda that you would like to pinch and squeeze. He had untidy chocolate brown hair and sparkling bright blue eyes that shone under the white ceiling light.

He didn't look like a pervert.

A tiny frown was plastered on his lips as he stared at me hard.

"Don't look at me like that!" he cried, and I blushed a bit. Did I stare?

"Well, stop looking at me like that, then!" I snapped back, glaring slightly.

"I'm not the one who likes to break into other people's houses! Who are you and why are you in my house?!?!" The guy asked in an angry tone.

Wait... what did he mean by in his house?


WHAT THE HELL?




By Post:
Chapter 3 - Where do we go from here?
Chapter 2 - A New Life And Mistakes?
Chapter 1 - Letter: I'm moving WHERE?!
The Prologue

By Month:
October 2008
June 2009