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Summer 17, Year 1
Today is Sam’s birthday and he decided he wanted to go camping in the Cindersap Forest, west of Leah’s house. Having grown up in suburbs and the city, the rural life already felt like camping to me, but apparently it can become even more rugged. I know all of the younger villagers were invited - Harvey included. We haven’t talked much since the Luau, but I chalk it up to my busy schedule, I hope.
The farm has seen a lot of upgrades that require more work and attention; chickens, a weird black chicken, ducks, cows, goats. Expanded the corn fields for fall, a pond for my sturgeon, and began making plans with Robin to repair the old greenhouse so I hopefully don’t starve this winter.
Having the bus repaired, still needing to properly thank Seb, I’ve been exploring the desert. Visiting Sandy, an eccentric ruby haired woman, at the shop called Oasis, and even picking up some expensive starfruit seeds. Needless to say, it’s been a busy summer.
I harvest a batch of blueberries and hot peppers, picking the orange and peach trees, visiting the animals and restocking the machines, and collecting some sunflower honey, making a pretty decent haul. I glance over my farm and smile proudly, I’m really starting to get the hang of this farming thing.
I shower and dress in a loose tank top and baggy shorts, heading toward Pierre’s to rob him. I quickly make off with a pocket full of gold and try to go into Harvey’s clinic, but it’s locked. 3:10pm, must’ve just missed him.
– –
I pack my bag for the camping party; a few jugs of pale ale I’ve test-batched, a bottle of blueberry wine for Harvey, a pop-up tent with sleeping bag, a blanket, and a hoodie if it gets cold. I found a tigerseye in the mines I think Sam would like, and grabbed one of those weird black spotted eggs for Sebastian. It’s just after 6pm and I make my way south to the forest.
I find the clearing near the Wizard’s Tower that is now set up with a big bonfire and tents in a circle around it. There's various folding chairs and log stumps everyone is sitting on around the fire, and I hear Sam playing his guitar. He’s quite good at it actually.
I approach the circle and take a quick glance around, everyone’s there except Penny and... Harvey. “Ah, the benevolent farmer! Just in time to hear the story of my first true love and greatest catch,” he sends a wink to Leah and she rolls her eyes, “And where is our trusted physician?”
“I’m not sure - hadn’t had the chance to catch up with him today,” trying to disguise the anxiety creeping up my throat. “Well, I’ll go fetch him myself if needed. There’s no reason for him to weasel out of this gathering.” Maru speaks up, “Penny talked to him earlier and she mentioned he agreed to be here, so I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” They’ll?
I keep my face straight so as to not let on my surprise and hurt, and I walk toward the birthday boy. I display the tigerseye in front of him and he gasps, “Hey, hey, hey! You remembered! Now that's what I'm talking about!” While he marvels at the mineral, I hand Sebastian the spotted egg, “For your help with the bus. I genuinely wouldn’t have gotten it working without your help.”
At first he furrowed his eyebrows, inspecting it curiously, “Whoa... This egg speaks to me... I'll put it on my desk. Thanks!” He shows it to Abigail next to him, “Hmm... I wonder, if I put this under my pillow, will it hatch? Hehe... only one way to find out.” I find a seat next to Elliott and he begins telling his story about his true love, which also happens to be an octopus.
The sun has set and the darkness surrounds us. I passed around the jugs of pale ale to those who wanted to drink and Sebastian passed around his special cigarette to those who wanted to smoke, leaving Alex and Maru as the only sober ones.
Just as I am debating whether to show up at the clinic, Harvey and Penny walk out of the forest into the light of the fire. “Ah! There they are, now the party can really get started,” Sam glimmers. Penny points at Harvey, “This one wasn’t going to show , but I convinced him otherwise.” My heart sinks to my stomach, what does that mean? Maybe he is avoiding me...
He gives polite smiles and waves to everyone and catches my eye, giving me the same treatment. The only open seats are the two between me and Maru, and they promptly take their places beside us.
I look at him and his eyes are glued to the fire. “Hey,” I whisper to him. He meets my eyes, “Oh - hi.” “I was starting to think you wouldn’t show...” “I wasn’t really planning on coming... I h-have a lot of work to catch up on.” If my anxiety wasn’t bad before, it definitely is now.
I try to brush off his abrasiveness to work stress and dig in my bag for the wine, handing it over to him. “Since I know you don’t like beer. New batch of blueberry wine, it shouldn’t be as sweet as the strawberry,” I wink at him.
He takes the bottle out of my hands, “That was thoughtful of you. Thank you.” He immediately opens it, taking a big swig of it so that the entire circle stops what they’re doing to watch him. “Damn! Doc is ready to party,” Sam cheers.
“Skull Imploders?” “Yep, that’s what we agreed on,” Sam, Sebastian and Abigail all nod their heads. “We decided to go with experimental noise rock.. Kinda makes your.. skull.. implode,” Sam explains slowly. “It was either that or honky-tonky country music… I probably would’ve quit,” Abigail laughs. “Or cheerful pop music… Do I look fucking cheerful?” Sebastian points to his face and we all laugh.
“Ooh! No hi-energy dance music? We could’ve used it for our Pilates class on Tuesdays,” Emily excitedly glances over at Harvey, he gives a nervous laugh. “Nah, I think the rock vibe fits you guys the best,” Alex confirms. “We actually have our first public appearance in Zuzu city coming up this fall,” Sam excitedly announces, “You all should come! It’ll be great.”
“So,” Abigail calls my name, “How’s the work in the mines? I know you’ve been training with Marlon in the mornings.” I nod my head and swallow my swig of ale, “Actually I reached the bottom of them earlier this week - all 120 levels! Also tried the Skull Caverns, but almost got my ass handed to me.”
Harvey shoots up to look at me with his eyebrows furrowed and pets his mustache, “Y-You’ve been going into the mines?” I meet his eyes, feeling like a child about to get scolded by their parents, I reluctantly nod my head. He glances at the scar on my arm, takes another sip of the wine, and stares back at the fire.
“And are you enjoying the Valley? Are you glad you moved here,” Leah sweetly asks. “Well we know she’s been enjoying the beach,” Sam slyly remarks. Harvey and I both shoot glares at Sam. “W-What do you mean,” I ask in a shaky voice. Sebastian announces, “Sam and I went back to the beach at dark after the Luau to look for a toy Vincent was crying about losing and we heard your uh- grand finale.”
My heart drops for like the third time tonight. The circle starts gasping and giggling, all of their eyes staring at us. Harvey’s face turned white as a ghost and he’s holding his hands. “You’re a lucky guy, Doc. Maybe if I were able to make Penny scream like that, we’d still be together.”
Penny let out a yelp and Harvey stood up out of his chair, “I think it’s time for me to head back to the clinic. I hope you all have a wonderful night, be safe.” He doesn’t even look at me as he’s turning to walk away. Sam yells after him, “Don’t worry, Harvey. What we talk about in this circle stays in this circle, right everyone?” Everyone nods and agrees but Harvey is still walking away.
I get up and run after him, “Harv - Please, wait for me.” He turns to me and gives me a look that I pray to Yoba I never see again. “Please,” he asserts my name, “Don’t f-follow me. I...” He’s shaking his head. “Harv, I am so so sorry.”
“Just leave me a-alone for right now… Please,” he sounds defeated, “I… need some time to myself, o-okay?” We stare at each other for another moment before I nod and he turns away, leaving me in the dark forest with the fire glowing behind me.
I shuffle back to my chair and everyone is quiet, waiting for someone to break the tension. I look up at Sebastian, “You don’t happen to have any more herbal remedies, do you?” He gives me a smirk and immediately lights up a rolled one from his pocket. “Corrupting the Doc… Huh, Farmer?” Shane finally speaks up after being quiet all night and that’s what he says?
I glare at him, “Clearly not the fucking time, Shane.” He raises his hands, “Look, all I’m sayin’ is that Doc is a guy who takes his… imagine… real serious. Being a professional ‘nd all.” I think he’s trying to give me advice?
“The beach!? I’m surprised he even agreed to that,” Haley gushes. “Okay... Maybe I fucked up,” I breathe out. Maru whispers, “Maybe?” “Don’t stress too much on it, you’re lucky it was just me and Seb that… heard you…” “It was just shocking that it was the Doctor. Now, Sam? Totally. Harvey? Never in a million years,” Sebastian passes me the remedy.
“How did you even know it was us,” I regretted the question as it left my mouth. They both give each other looks and shift in their seats. “We… Uh-” “Crept over to the tidepools to see what was going on...” “Found a cloud of white shirts and recognized your hair… Bouncing on top of the Doc…” Penny starts coughing on her beverage and the boys have beet red faces with wide smiles, oh my Yoba.
“May have watched him pull you off-” “Okay! Okay! Got it,” I interrupted the tag-team story, “Holy fuck.” I might vomit. “I think it’s quite romantic. Breaking the stern, somber physician out of his cold shell… Making him live, feel younger,” Elliott exclaims my name, “I think you’ve given me inspiration for my novel.”
“If I knew we had an audience, I would’ve charged you for the show,” I joke as the sweat is dripping down my back. “Well, we know you’re definitely a good girl,” Sebastian gives me a shit-eating grin. I gasp with stinging cheeks, “I will literally fucking kill both of you.”
“How long have you and Harvey been going out anyways? I know you were gawking at him at the Egg Festival,” Abigail fishes. “Officially… Almost two weeks.” “Unofficially?” Am I really about to spill it to all these people?
I stare at Abigail while taking a last puff before handing it to Leah. “Y’know, Hon,” Emily changes the subject, “Being a barmaid and all, I hear a lot of things about a lot of people all the time.” “If you’re talking about Lewis and Marnie, we all know,” Sam interrupts.
“Yeah, Shane, when is she going to dump Lewis for Marlon? It’s so clear he’s got a thing for her and Lewis doesn’t deserve her anyways,” Abigail rambles, “Besides, Marlon is the hotter twin anyways.” Leah gasps, “Twin?!”
“As I was saying,” Emily regains attention, “Out of all the stuff I hear, it’s never about you and Harvey… Well, other than that one thing Shane blurted out-” “That I said sorry for,” Shane gives me a guilty look. “So, I would tell Harvey not to worry himself sick… And maybe don’t put him in that position again? I don’t think his anxious heart can take it.”