Cracked Shells
I had just gotten back from a morning of foraging when I noticed a letter sticking out of my mailbox. Curious, I unfolded it right there on the dirt path. It was from Mayor Lewis, inviting everyone to the annual Egg Festival happening tomorrow. I sighed. Socializing wasn’t exactly my thing, but apparently, this was one of those "can't miss" events.
Spring 13 arrived, and I could already tell the whole town was in a frenzy.
Banners stretched across the square, villagers crowded together chatting like they hadn’t seen each other in years, and the smell of freshly baked bread teased my stomach. Apparently, today was the big Egg Festival.. The town square was alive with colorful banners, lively chatter, and a smell of freshly baked goods that made her stomach growl.
Today was the Egg Festival, and Cass had barely dragged herself out of bed to attend. The only reason she bothered was because Mayor Lewis had made it sound like some kind of "must-do" Valley tradition.
I wasn’t planning to participate in the egg hunt itself. The idea of running around like a lunatic while strangers watched? No thanks. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas.. The idea of scrambling around the streets in front of a crowd wasn’t her thing. Unfortunately, she didn’t get a choice.
“Oh no,” Cass mumbled when she saw her name scrawled across the contestant list on a nearby signboard. “Who...?”
“Guess you’re with me.”
I turned, and there she was—Haley, arms crossed, glaring at me like I’d personally ruined her day., arms crossed, looking equally unimpressed.
“Wait… what?” Cass’s stomach dropped. “I didn’t sign up.”
“I didn’t either,” Haley huffed. “Emily put me down because ‘I need to socialize more.’” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Ugh, I hate this festival.”
Cass wanted to agree, but before she could, Mayor Lewis announced the start of the hunt.
“You better not slow me down,” Haley warned as they stood at the starting line. Her voice was sharp, but her eyes flickered with something Cass couldn’t quite place...nerves?
“Not like I wanted to be your partner,” Cass shot back.
The whistle blew, and they were off.
I bolted one way, Haley dashed the other. I dug through bushes, checked behind barrels, and peeked into flowerpots. Every time I found an egg, Haley would swoop in like a seagull and snatch it up, flashing her smug smile like she was doing me a favor.
They scoured bushes, behind barrels, and even peeked into flowerpots.
Each time Cass found an egg, Haley would breeze by, snatch it up, and flash a smug smile.
“You know, this is supposed to be teamwork!” Cass snapped after the third stolen egg.
“Please,” Haley said, flipping her hair. “I’m just making sure we win.”
I clenched my teeth, fists curling at my sides. Fine. If Haley wanted to play dirty, I’d just go the other way. in the opposite direction.
She found a tucked-away patch of eggs near the carpenter’s shop and hurried to gather them. But before she could scoop them up, Haley appeared again, stopping just short.
“Relax,” Haley said. “I’m not stealing those.”
Cass narrowed her eyes. “Why not?”
Haley hesitated, shifting on her feet. “Because... you actually found those.
Fair and square.”
I blinked. Was... Haley being fair? That was weird. Suspicious, even. Maybe she just felt bad for me.
The rest of the hunt was less chaotic. They still bickered—Cass called Haley bossy, Haley called Cass slow—but the tension started to feel... less sharp.
Almost playful. When the final whistle blew, their basket wasn’t the fullest, but it wasn’t empty either.
“I guess you’re not the worst teammate,” Haley muttered as they stood near the prize table.
“Gee, thanks,” Cass deadpanned. “You’re not the worst either.”
For a moment, Haley actually smiled. It wasn’t smug or sharp—it was small, almost shy, and Cass couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to her than just the snark and designer clothes.
“Hey,” Haley said suddenly, her gaze flicking to the side. “Don’t tell anyone I didn’t cheat you out of those eggs.”
I smirked. “Your secret’s safe with me.” For now.
As they parted ways, Cass realized something strange—she didn’t regret coming to the festival after all.
The sky had started to dim by the time she made her way back home. Her boots crunched along the dirt path, her basket still half-full of food she got earlier that morning. The farmhouse stood quietly ahead, its windows glowing faintly in the evening light.
Cass stepped inside, placing her basket near the door before collapsing onto her bed.
The ache in her muscles reminded her of the long day, but oddly enough, she felt lighter than she had in weeks. Maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all.