A Raven
Logan had lived on her grandpa’s old farm for about a week now, but she hadn’t had much time to meet the townspeople of Pelican Town. Her days had been consumed with fixing up the farm, which had been abandoned for three years since his death. Surprisingly, nothing had decayed during that time, as if the farm had been patiently waiting for someone to return.
This afternoon, as she surveyed the land, she realized that the chores weren’t as demanding as they had been. She was done early for once before sunset. The fields were tilled, and the crops were planted and watered. With the sun slowly dipping and sunset finally arriving, she decided it was the perfect day to finally talk to some of the townspeople.
She made her way to the Stardrop Saloon. The saloon was known for its friendly atmosphere, all the locals seemed to come here later in the day. As Logan pushed open the door, she was greeted by the ambient sounds of chatter and the clinking of glasses. The scent of freshly cooked food filled the air.
Logan approached the bar, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement.
“Well, hello there! I'm Gus, You must be the new farmer. Say, what took you so long to come here?”
“Oh, just had to fix up the old farm.” She adjusts the flannel she had on. “I’m Logan, by the way.”
“Well it's nice seeing a new face around town, would you like a drink?”
“Oh yeah, that would be great.”
Gus gave her a pint of local ale. She picked up the drink and looked around the saloon. As she sipped her drink, she noticed some activity happening in the room to the right of the bar.
There was a trio of people her age that caught her attention. The first was a girl with purple hair that cascaded in loose waves down to her shoulders. Next to her stood a guy with striking, spiky blonde hair that seemed to defy gravity. The final member of the trio was another guy, dressed entirely in black, from his fitted leather jacket to his dark jeans and combat boots.
They were all around the pool table. Logan slowly gets up and starts walking over to the table.
“Hey, I’m Logan”
“Oh! Guys, it's the new farmer!” The blonde one speaks up first, “I’m Sam, this is Abigail and Sebastian.”
“Oooo, Hey!” Abigail walks up to Logan. “I always see you running in and out of my dad’s shop, but you never have time to talk”
“Oh you’re dad is Pierre?” Logan looks down at her.
“Yep!”
“I’m going out for a smoke break,” Sebastian says before walking out of the saloon.
Logan looks towards the door, watching Sebastian leave the saloon. As the door swings shut, a new figure steps into the room, instantly capturing Logan's attention. This woman is dressed in a vibrant blue tank top and a flowing pink skirt. Her face was delicately painted with layers of makeup. Her blonde hair cascades down her shoulders in loose waves, shimmering under the overhead lights.
Logan feels an unexpected flutter in her chest, her breath catching momentarily. She had encountered beautiful women before, but there was something about this woman that made her heart race with an intensity she hadn't felt in a while.
“Ugh, Haley,” Abigail says with a roll of her eyes, her voice sounding annoyed.
“She must’ve forgotten something, like her keys," Sam suggests with a shrug, his gaze casually following Haley's path. "Or maybe she just needs to talk to Emily.”
Logan watches as Haley navigates through the saloon with grace. Her eyes scan the room, and for a split second, they meet Logan's. Blue. Blue eyes exactly like Logans. There's a brief, electric moment of connection before Haley looks away, continuing her search.
Logan looks away and runs a hand through her auburn hair, trying to cool herself. She takes a sip of her drink before looking back at Abigail and Sam.
“How come Abigail sounds…annoyed…with Haley’s presence?” Logan asks.
“Cause she's a bitch. Simple as that.” Abigail looks over at Haley, “Typical mean girl too.”
“She rarely comes in here,” Sam adds.
Logan glanced back at Haley, feeling the weight of her unwavering gaze. From her spot at the bar, Haley’s expression was set in a stern, almost disdainful frown, a look that conveyed more judgment than curiosity. Logan couldn't help but wonder what she had done. Was it her choice of outfit, her face? A subtle heat began to rise in the air, making her feel uncomfortably warm. With a swift motion, she peeled off her flannel shirt, the fabric soft and worn, and tied it casually around her waist. Now left in a fitted dark grey tank top that clung to her frame, Logan couldn't shake the sensation that Haley's eyes were still drilling into her, intensifying her unease.
“Someone’s drooling,” Sebastian says when he walks back into the saloon and over the group. “Seriously? Haley?”
Logan didn’t realize that her mouth was slightly open, her lips parted revealing the gap in her front teeth. She quickly closes her mouth, swallowing hard before speaking. “What? No-...I’m just looking…Respectfully.”
“Sure.” He says before leaning on the wall. “She seems to want to kill you or something with how she’s staring at you.”
Logan stalks towards Haley, her feet moving on their own as if drawn by an invisible force. The dim lights of the bar cast shadows over her determined expression.
“Andddd we lost her,” Sebastian remarks from behind her.
Logan reaches the bar sliding onto the stool next to Haley. Haley, who was still staring at Logan, let out a scoff before rolling her eyes.
“Hey,” Logan begins, her voice steady but with a mix of some nervousness. She takes a moment to sip her drink, before speaking again, “I couldn’t help but notice you’ve been staring at me since you came in. Care to explain why?”
Haley's gaze flickers away for a second, then back at Logan, her expression barely changing, "Maybe I find you... interesting," she replies, “wait no, I’m judging your hideous pick of clothes.”
Logan’s expression falters, “Wow, rude much.”
“I’m just staring the truth, what’s with the horrendous outfit?”
“And we're not starting with a ‘hey, I’m Logan, what’s you’re name’ just straight into judgment. But to answer your question, I work on a farm all day, what I wear is supposed to be horrendous so I don’t get my actual nice clothing ruined.”
Haley narrows her eyes at Logan before sitting up straight, “I hate the fact you have a good point. Still, at least get dirty in style or something…” Her voice goes quiet at the end.
“Mind if I buy you a drink, hon?”
Logan caught a small glimpse of Haley’s cheeks turning pink before she spoke up.
“Haley.”
“Mind if I buy you a drink, Haley?” Logan corrects herself.
“Fine, but don’t expect this to change my judgment of you”
“Fine by me.”
Logan leaned against the bar and ordered a glass of ale for Haley. A silence came between them, punctuated only by the distant chatter of other townspeople and the soft clinking of glasses from behind the bar. Logan’s gaze remained fixed ahead, yet she could distinctly feel Haley’s eyes looking at her, a weight that made her pulse quicken. As her thoughts began to drift, she suddenly felt a gentle touch on her wrist, snapping her back to the present.
She blinked in surprise and turned her attention to Haley, whose eyes were wide and flickering with a mix of curiosity and embarrassment, clearly caught in the act.
“I was just admiring your tattoo!” Haley exclaimed, her voice shaky. “It’s um… really nice…”
“Thanks,” Logan replied, a small smile creeping onto her lips. “It’s a raven. I designed it myself, and one of my friends was kind enough to tattoo it onto me.”
“That’s so cool,” Haley said, “You’re a good artist. What made you choose to become a farmer instead of pursuing art? You could be big in the city.”
“The farm belonged to my grandfather. He gave me the deed when he passed away, so I felt it was important to keep it intact.”
“That's… really lovely of you,” Haley murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned her attention back to Logan's tattoo, tracing the design with her fingertips.
Logan sat quietly, taking in the moment. Each gentle stroke from Haley sent a thrill through her, and she could feel her heart rate gradually quickening in response to her touch. She couldn’t help but watch her, captivated by the way her eyes softened as they looked at her tattoo.
Logan took a deep, steadying breath, taking a sip of her drink.
This woman was going to be the death of her…
The two of them shared a moment of silence, the air thick with unspoken tension. Each drank their drinks silently, not speaking a word. After a few moments, a woman with blue hair, whom Logan assumed was Emily, walked over and handed Haley a set of keys.
“Sorry for the wait,” Emily said with a bright smile, “I couldn’t find the spare set. Oh, seems like you’ve met the new farmer!”
Haley accepted the keys with a quick nod, her expression unreadable. “Yeah, and now I’m leaving,” she replied, standing up abruptly. With her drink still untouched on the counter, she strode purposefully toward the door, her heels echoing against the wooden floor, leaving Logan sitting at the bar.
What a night.