As he ate I scratched behind his ear for a moment before going to get myself some food. Too lazy to cook I simply grabbed a meal bar and made my way outside to get to work.
I decided to play some music from my phone as I watered the crops and harvested some hops. 'Oh shit if I make a keg I can make my own alcohol. Right?' I thought as I made a mental note to check on that later.
After a few hours of doing my normal routine I noticed my mailbox had a few letters in it. One in particular caught my eye.
'Luau? Oh shit I saw something for that on the valley's Facebook.' I pulled out my phone and quickly looked up the page.
'Fuck it's today? God damnit. What do I bring for the communal potluck? That sounds pretty weird actually. What if someone put in something really disgusting? Or allergies??' I thought over the bizarre event as I picked out a vegetable to add. I chose a high quality red pepper I had, some spice would add a nice kick.
'His birthday is coming up too... fuck me.' I groaned before opening up my messages.
Rosie- "Hey Haley you and Sam are like kind of friends now right?"
I texted her first because she seemed to have bonded with Sam or something because why else would she help him with our picnic date.
Haley- "mm I don't think he would say friends particularly, but I've known him for a while."
Rosie- "Alright well I was wondering if you would know what he would like as a bday gift? I saw his was coming up on the calendar."
Haley- "isn't yours coming up soon too?"
Rosie- "yea, but I've never celebrated and did something crazy. Normally just Mae and I drinking together with cake."
Haley- "Could I join you two this year?"
Rosie- "Of course!! She would love you."
Haley- "hmm well back to Sam, he would probably just like anything you gave him. Even just a kiss would probably make him happy."
Her response made me flash back to Mae's suggestions and my face heated up.
Haley- "but for like an actual item in particular? Lemme think."
Haley- "he's a big nerd, their whole group is lol. Plus he's into guitars and shit. Maybe get him something related to that? You could always make him something if you're the crafty type."
Haley- "maybe jewelry? Some guys actually love that shit. I got Alex a bracelet one year and he hasn't taken it off since lol."
Rosie- "alright tysm Haley<3"
Haley- "ofc, and we should totally hang out soon. I'll see you at the Luau later?"
Rosie- "yup! I've recently felt more motivated to go to social gatherings."
Haley- "I'm really glad :)"
I quickly opened up my messages with Penny next. After all, she had known him since they were really little.
Rose- "hey penny I was wondering if you had any suggestions for me for Sam's bday gift? I'm a bit worried I won't get him something good enough"
Penini<3- "from you he would love anything I'm sure. But he seems to be the type that really enjoys things that come from the heart. It doesn't have to be expensive, something small you made him would probably make his day."
Rose- "tysm Penini!"
Penini<3- "penini??"
Rose- "oops... autocorrect."
Penini<3- "ah๐ "
'If she knew I had her contact as that...' I laughed to myself before rummaging in the closet for an outfit. I wanted to also text Sebastian for his opinion since they were best friends, but I didn't have his number. I decided to just ask him at the Luau if I caught him alone.
I wore a Hawaiian shirt and tank top combo, they were the comfiest things to wear in the heat. For shoes I went with flip flops since we would be at the beach. The thought of getting sand in my socks or shoes made me shiver. The texture was uncomfortable.
As I was finishing up getting ready I saw a text from Sam.
Sam<3- "Are you heading to the Luau?"
Rose- "mhm! Just finished getting ready."
Sam<3- "see you there <3"
I smiled down at his text before turning my phone off and heading out of the house. The walk to the beach didn't take too long and by the time I got there I saw the whole town gathered. I felt a wave of social anxiety but I squished it down and forced a smile on my face as I walked over to the mayor to my right.
As I approached I noticed a plump man in an odd colored suit standing beside him. "Ah, Rose! I was just talking about you." Lewis smiled warmly as I walked over. He noticed my questioning look and quickly add, "Only good things I swear!" He laughed and the man beside him nodded in agreement.
"He was telling me how well Misty Farm has been doing. The whole town's economy has been thriving because of it!" The gruff voice of the stranger brought my attention to him.
He had a large mustache, it must be something the older men all had in common.
"I'm glad! Business has been great for me. I'm looking into getting a barn soon." I explained and the two men nodded. "I'm proud of the work you've been able to accomplish in the short time you've been here. You've really grown to be an important member of the community." Lewis's words made my heart swell with pride. It felt really nice getting approval from him.
He reminded me so much of grandpa...
"That means a lot, thank you. I have to go put my item into the potluck, so I'll chat with you two later!" I waved as I walked away.
I made my way to the large communal potluck and it was even more bizarre in person. Marnie stood beside it stirring and I stood next to her.
"Rose! It's good to see you, what are you adding?" The older woman asked as I began adding in chopped red pepper. "Just something to add a little kick." I said with a smile and she nodded, mixing in my addition. "Have fun!" She called out as I walked away.
'I really feel like I belong... this is kind of nice. I can't wait until Maw can be here to see this. Everyone will love her.'
I noticed Sebastian standing alone beside some sort of wooden pillar in the sand. Maybe a totem? I walked over to him and he seemed to be lost in thought.
Not wanting to be rude I simply stood there and waited until he finished his thought. After a while he seemed to notice my presence and he glanced over. "Hm?" He hummed.
"Heyyy Sebastiannnnnn." I dragged the words out as I used my friendliest voice possible. "Out with it." He stated and I frowned. "Not even gonna play along?" I asked and he rolled his eyes, but for a moment I saw what seemed to be a smile on his lips.
"Alright, well I was wondering if you could give me some suggestions on what to get Sam? For his birthday." He seemed to think over my question. "Have sex with him I don't know." He stated nonchalantly and my jay dropped.
"WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP SUGGESTING STUFF LIKE THAT?!"
He laughed at my reaction before shaking his head, "I'm joking." He assured me and I felt the warmth in my cheeks subside. "Make him something I don't know. I usually get him some new band shirts, don't steal my idea though." He quickly added the last bit.
"Very helpful..." I sighed and he shrugged, "Sorry, but making him something would probably make him the happiest. Or you could always resort to the first opti-" before he could finish his sentence I quickly sped away. In the distance I heard him chuckle.
After walking away from him I noticed Haley standing by the shore with Alex. She noticed me and quickly waved me over.
"Hi Rose!" She greeted me happily as I walked over. Alex gave me a quick "yo." I noticed the bracelet Haley had mentioned earlier. He wore a blue woven friendship bracelet on his left wrist. 'Adorable'
"Hey Haley, you look lovely today." I complimented and her cheeks went pink. "Wh- Me-? Haha... thank you. You look really nice too." She stammered and I couldn't help but smile. It was so nice seeing this different side of her that it seemed the whole town didn't know about.
"Were you two going to dance?" I asked as I referred to what seemed to be a dance floor behind them. Robin and Demetrius were already over there gently swaying with each other.
"Nah, just enjoying the music from over here. One year Sam and his group played 'WAP' on the speakers." Alex commented and I laughed. "He what? Oh my god that's hilarious."
"Banger." Haley nodded and Alex and I laughed. "That same year he put a pound of anchovies in the communal potluck..." Her face turned sour as she remembered the event. "Haven't been able to look at the potluck the same since..." Alex said with a sad sigh as he looked down at the ground.
"Sam leads the town in community service because of it..." Haley added and I glanced around the beach to look for the blond man in question. I spotted him on the other side of the beach with Penny.
"Rose, would you like a drink?" Haley asked and I nodded, "sure." We walked to the large Buffet tables in the center of the event and got ourselves some punch. I took a sip and turned to Haley. "Is this-?" She nodded with a sigh. "Yeah I guess Pam has struck again..." she walked over to Gus and told him to not let the kids get any of the punch. He groaned and nodded in understanding.
"Sooo, how's it been with Sam?" She asked as we walked on the dock. "It's been really nice actually. He seems to be the perfect boyfriend." I answered and she nodded slowly. We stopped on the edge of the dock.
"I'm glad he has a girlfriend like you now. After his last relationship everyone thought he would never date someone again." Her comment gained my interest. As if she could read my mind she explained a bit more.
"His last girlfriend cheated on him. And then afterwards went on to blame him for it. Something along the lines of 'he wasn't dreamy enough, what was I supposed to do?'" Haley gave me a brief explanation and I just gaped at her. "No fucking way! How could she do that??" I was absolutely stunned. Sam was such a sweet boyfriend and had planned that super cute picnic date for us.
'He's probably the most dreamy person I've ever met???'
"Yeah, it took him a while to get over that. It was a few years ago though. Right after senior year when we all graduated." She finished the story and I just stood there stunned. "No need to worry though, now that he has you I can tell he's a lot happier." She assured me as she put a hand on my shoulder.
Her words were comforting but I was still worried about Sam. Now I felt like it made a bit more sense why he was really physically affectionate.
"Hey I was wondering, would we be able to have another photo shoot type thing again? The fans of my blog really loved, and I mean REALLY loved when you had an appearance last time." Her question made me think, "Are you sure I'm the right person-" before I could finish being self deprecating she gave me a glare. "Okay, fine... I guess. Just let me know the details." I sighed and she grinned.
We walked back to the beach and I had a few more sips of the punch-alcohol mixture. "I'm gonna go chat with Sam, I'll talk to you later." I waved goodbye to Haley before making my way across the beach.
Sebastian had seemed to also join Penny and Sam as they stood by the shore. "Hey guys." I greeted as I walked up behind them. Penny gave a shy wave and Seb just nodded at me. Sam walked over with a grin and put an arm around my shoulders. "Glad you could make it!" He cheered and I noticed he had a cup of punch in his hands.
I took his punch cup and gave it to Sebastian. He sniffed it and reeled back a bit. We shared a knowing look and he walked to the trash can to dump it. "Heyyy- that was my sixth cup." Sam pouted and I gave him a pat on his back. "That's enough big boy, Pam put something... special into the punch. You don't want to overdo it, Kay?" He slowly nodded before standing behind me and leaning his head on top of mine. His arms wrapped around my waist.
'It's kind of cute how affectionate he is while drunk...'
Penny smiled sweetly at the sight of us. "I'm glad he has you Rose. He's seemed to be a lot happier lately." Penny continued smiling and my face grew warm. "Psssh I barely had anything to do with it. I'm just-" Sebastian walked back and interrupted me, "you're just the love of his life, yea we know." He rolled his eyes playfully and I opened my mouth to protest until I heard Sam giggle happily.
I reached a hand up and gave his cheek a pat. He leaned his head into the contact and I felt him smiling. 'God it feels so nice having someone as affectionate as him...'
"Sebastian, do you want the rest?" I asked as I offered my cup of punch. He debated it for a moment before shrugging and taking the cup, downing it in a few seconds.
Sam stayed quiet and nuzzled his head into my neck while I continued chatting with Sebastian and Penny. It was hard to focus completely with him so close, his warm breath hitting my neck. Clearly I must have looked a bit flustered because occasionally Sebastian would smirk at me.
"What made you decide to be a teacher for the kids?" I turned to Penny and she took a few moments to mull it over in her mind. "Mm I don't really have one set answer, just a bunch of reasons. They are such sweet kids, so I don't mind being able to spend a lot of time with them. Plus since we don't have a legitimate school here for kids their age I thought it was the right thing to do. Not to mention it's a nice escape." She explained before sipping her water.
"Escape?" I questioned and she almost spit out her water. After composing herself she quickly said, "Forget you heard that." Her face seemed to become a bit sad.
I decided to quickly change the subject since she had grown a bit uncomfortable. "Penny, you should join us for one of our hangouts. It might be nice to hang around people your age. The kids are great and all, but a little break could be nice right?" I suggested and she seemed to perk up. "That sounds lovely but I wouldn't want to intrude..." before I could argue with her Sam spoke up. "Nonsense! We woulsh love your company Penny." His words were slightly slurred.
"M-maybe." She stuttered.
"Rose, do you want a water?" Sebastian asked as he tucked his hands into his hoodie pocket. "Sure! Are you getting Sam one?" I asked and he nodded before walking off.
Vincent and Jas ran over from where they were playing in the water. "Penny! Look at this shell!" Jas cheered as she held out a rainbow colored shell. "Holy sh- crap! That's so pretty." I complimented as I caught a glance of it. Penny nodded in agreement, "You should put it on the shelf in your room." She suggested and the little girl nodded. Vincent glanced at Sam and laughed. "Is Rose a comfy pillow?" He asked as he pointed at Sam who was leaning on me with his head on my shoulder. "Mhm." He hummed in response to his brother and the two children giggled before turning to go hunt for more shells.
"Here." Sebastian held out two water bottles to me and I gave him a quick "thank you" . I turned to look at Sam and he frowned once he had to stand up on his own. "Sober up a bit." I opened one of the bottles and held it up to him. He took it and I opened my own, taking a sip.
"That's refreshing." I smiled, turning to Sebastian. Even with such breathable fabric I was feeling hot in the summer air. Yet Sebastian wore his thick black hoodie like usual. I knew not to ask him about it though, sometimes in public you just don't want to show your body. Or maybe he's just more comfortable in something like that, either way I understood.
We continued talking for a bit, Sam chimed in occasionally but most of what he said was nonsensical drunken words. Eventually the Mayor called for everyone to gather for the Governors taste test. Our group walked over and Sam stayed close beside me.
The Governor ended up really enjoying the soup and the rest of the town got their own bowl of it.
"Mmm it's a little spicy, I love it." I smiled after taking a sip of the broth. "It would have been funny if you added those little fishes again." Sebastian nudged Sam and I glared at him, "Don't give him any ideas, he probably would." I turned to Sam and he seemed to have been debating the idea. He caught me staring and quickly started eating his soup.
"I have to head home and finish this coding project I have. I'll see you two later. Penny give her my number so she can plan the hangout." Sebastian turned and walked away. "Here I'll text it to you." Penny pulled out her phone and sent the quick message. "I should go ahead and take Jas and Vincent home, wait- fist we have to go grab her books from the library." Penny said the last part mostly to herself. "I can take Vincent home if you'd like? I probably have to take Sam home anyways since he's still a bit drunk." I pointed to Sam sitting on the sand by the water.
"Are you sure?" She asked and I nodded. "Thank you." She gave me a sweet smile before walking off to go find Jas.
"Alright Sammy boy let's get you home." I grabbed Sam's arm and struggled for a moment to pull up this around 6ft man. Once he was up I saw Vincent walking over to us. "Miss Penny said you would be walking me home?" He asked and I nodded. "I can show you my latest drawing." He gave his usual toothy grin and I couldn't help but smile back, "I'd love that."
Sam stayed beside me as I walked with them towards the exit of the beach. His hand felt around for mine until he grabbed it and interlocked our fingers. Vincent watched the exchange and reached for my other hand to hold it. My heart felt like it was going to explode from cuteness overload.
Vincent let go of my hand and held the door open for Sam and I once we made it to their house. "You're such a gentleman." I complimented and the boy's face lit up. "Here I'll bring Sam to his bed and then you can show me the drawing?" I suggested and Vincent nodded before rushing off to his room.
At this point Sam was leaning most of his body weight on me and I struggled to lead him to his room. Half carrying him like this reminded me of the time Mae got so plastered after a work party I had to drag her out to the car. I smiled at the memory.
God I can't wait to see her.
"Stayyyy." He dragged out the word as he reached out for my hand. Sam tried to pull me towards the bed but I held my ground. "I need to go talk to Robin about a new project, but here." I pulled my hand away and instead cupped his face. I leaned in and gave him a kiss. His lips felt so warm.
I pulled away and tasted the faint residue of alcohol-punch on my lips. Sam didn't argue after the kiss and he smiled goofily.
I made my way to Vincent's room door and knocked even though it was cracked open. "Coming!" I heard him say before he ran out. In his hands was a slip of paper.
"This time I used markers that Jas got for her birthday. She also drew you something, but I think she wants to give it to you later. Don't tell her I said that." He whispered to me with a smile. I took the paper and my heart swelled.
It was a drawing of me and Sam this time. It was hard to tell what was exactly happening because a child drew it, but it seemed that Sam and I were kissing while playing guitar. Or I was biting his nose off.
"Awww I love it Vincent. Thank you. It's going on my fridge." I pulled him into a tight bear hug and he giggled. "I'm glad you like it! I'm gonna make a similar one for Sam too." He grinned up at me and I ruffled his hair. "Alright, well I'll have to get going to Robins
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