Imperfect Pieces

5. city girl

dedicated to phoebe for no particular reason... you being awesome and being my name twin probably had something to do with that though

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He wakes her up at the crack of dawn, just when the light begins to penetrate the pitch-dark sky.

"Honey, get up. It's time to get to work."

She rolled over in bed and pulled the covers over her head.

"But I want to sleep," she whined

He nudged her again.

"C'mon, you can do it."

Reluctantly she opened her eyes and grabbed her father's hand, pouting unhappily.

"Fine."

✦

Lily did not like farm life.

She missed the crowds, the shopping, and the concrete jungle of New York.

She missed her old friends and having people around her at all times.

Now it seemed like the only ones she could talk to were the animals.

"Not that you're not a good listener," she assured Betsy, the cow she was milking. "But it gets so frustrating when you can't answer me."

Betsy just stared at her with those big black eyes, chewing on some hay.

"Moo"

Lily sighed.

"It's okay, I know it's not your fault. It's just that having a farm had always been dad's dream and I don't want to ruin it, but I can't stay here any longer." she said as she took the bucket and laid it aside. "I feel like I'm going to go crazy soon."

"Are you seriously talking to a cow?"

Lily shrieked in surprise, pressing her hand to her beating heart.

She quickly turned around, looking for the source of the voice. In the doorway of the barn she saw a tall boy, not much older than she was. He had a cowboy hat over his dark blonde hair and he was wearing a plain white t-shirt, grinning at her in the most annoying way possible.

"What the hell were you thinking, creeping up on me like that?"

"Oh please, calm down princess. It's not like you're hurt."

She huffed unhappily, brushing off the straw on her shirt. It wasn't just that. She just hadn't seen a single boy in a month, not to mention a good-looking one, so she was a bit flustered in front of this mysterious farm boy.

"So..." the boy hesitated slightly, looking at her critically. "Not to be rude, but who are you and what are you doing in my barn?"

Lily raised an eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips.

"Your farm? More like my dad's farm."

The boy's hazel eyes lit up with recognition.

"Oh, you must be Lily Sinclair right? Your dad told me you were coming."

She frowned, not liking that he knew who she was but she had no clue where in the world he came from.

He smiled at her, looking much more friendly than before.

"I'm August. I help your dad around the farm."

She glanced at his outstretched hand dubiously and shaked it after a moment of consideration.

"Um, well it's nice to meet you." she said uncertainly, her cheeks colouring slightly.

Who knew that a short visit to her father's farm would change her life forever.

✦

Lily leans against August's shoulder, sighing audibly. They were sitting on a picnic mat out in the fields, watching as the sun set.

"I don't want to leave."

"I know."

The sky was a mixture of pink, vibrant orange, yellow, and a touch of purple. Beyond the barn all you could see were golden fields. The light was dancing on the stalks of wheat and crawling towards the ground. Day was fading fast, and the sun soon dissapeared under the horizon.

"August, you won't forget about me will you?"

He laughs at her, as if it were a ridiculous idea.

"Of course not. I'm more worried that you will forget about me, city girl."

Lily smiled, knowing that whatever happened in the future, she would always remember August William McGill.

"I'll never forget."

"Good."

They don't talk much after that and spend their last night together looking at the stars. Those twinkling orbs of light seemed to be made of moonlight and hung transfixed in the dark sky. The universe seemed to be incredibly large as they lay beneath the blanket of stars.

When it was dawn and the sun began creeping up the night sky, Lily gave August one last kiss.

For giving a simple city girl like her an adventure that she would treasure forever.