Summer Flings [Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands]

Chapter 6: The Last

"YOU! SCARED! ME! SO! MUCH!" Chelsea shouted, whacking Julia with the pillow once per word. It was the next day – and late. Chelsea had gotten home in the middle of the night, accompanied by Mark, who'd refused to let her walk all by herself in the dark streets. Luckily, he'd been there to protect her, but her parents were so scared that they probably would have grounded her for life if they had only been awake enough.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Julia shouted back, defending herself using only her hands. "I promise it'll never happen again!"

"WE! GOT! LOST! IN! A FOREST!"

"I know, you told me that already! Just calm down!"

"NOT! UNTIL! YOU! PROMISE! TO STOP! SETTING! ME UP!"

"Alright, alright! I promise I won't set you up any more dates without telling you."

Chelsea held back her last shot with a great deal of effort and dropped her weapon. She took several deep breaths – in the nose, out the mouth, in the nose, out the mouth, just like yoga had taught her. "Alright. That's good."

"...right after this one."

"WHAT?!"

With a mighty roar, Chelsea hit Julia with the pillow once again. Feathers flew as the thing finally split, nestling themselves everywhere they could reach.

"Alright, first; ow." Julia rubbed her cheek, where the pillow actually hit her. A few white feathers were caught in her ponytail, but she didn't seem to mind. "Second, why are you so angry with me? I set you up with someone who I think you'd really like."

Chelsea scowled. "You've said that about every guy so far."

"But it's someone you know," Julia said, a smile playing on her lips. "Someone you've looked up to for a looooooooong time."

Chelsea's frown softened a little. "...who exactly are you talking about?"

"Oh, no one..." Julia let out a delicate little breath and started examining her nails. The smile stopped playing and came out in full force as she gave Chelsea a coy glance. "Just... William Regison."

William

Regison.

Chelsea's jaw dropped, nearly all the way down to the floor. "W-William... Regison?"

Julia grinned. "You heard me."

"But... but..." Chelsea sputtered, trying to find her words. "How did you manage to set him up with... with me? Doesn't he, like, only date royalty and celebrities or something?"

"Oh, I know a guy..." Julia smirked, as if she was sharing an inside joke with some special part of her mind. "I just described you to him and said that you were the friends with a cousin of the princess of Canada, and he said that you sounded perfect for Will."

"Will! You're on nicknames now!" Chelsea squealed – but then considered for a moment longer. "...but Canada doesn't have a princess."

"Well, he doesn't know that. Let him live, yeah?"

The doorbell rang downstairs, a shrill call that put an end to their conversation.

Julia smirked. "I'm guessing that's him."

Chelsea shrieked. "Julia, you're the best!"

"I know!"

Chelsea gave her friend a tight, tight hug, then scurried downstairs. She practically flung open the front door – to be met by a face she recognized from her tween years. A face she'd had hanging in various parts of her bedroom; a face that watched her from various posters as she slept.

William

Regison.

It paid to have Julia as a best friend sometimes.

"Hello, there." William smiled. He took Chelsea's hand in his and gave it a kiss.

She had to bite her lip to keep from squealing.

"I'm assuming you're..." William pulled back, gave another dazzling smile, and checked the palm of his hand. "Bralsey? Bralsey Scharmer?"

"...y-yes. That's me." Chelsea nodded sheepishly, a silly smile on her face. "Scharlsney Barner – I, I mean, Chelsea Farmer."

William grinned and pressed his lips against Chelsea's hand again. "It's a pleasure to meet you, m'lady."

Chelsea squealed.

By this time, Julia had made her way down the stairs. She watched the exchange with her arm resting on the banister.

"Heh," she muttered to herself. A smirk stretched itself across her face. "I'm the best bad influence ever."