Pelican Town Gossip

Sam had taken you on a short walk to the bridge by the beach. The night air was cool against your skin, and your shoes made a shuffling noise on top of the brick bridge. You leaned against the cool stone, and looked into the water. You could see the moon above you reflected, as well a distorted image of your own face. It was you, but blurry, and you couldn't help but stare right at it. 

“So… Um…” Sam cleared his throat, waiting for you to turn towards him.

“What’s up?” You asked. “Is everything okay?” 

Sam looked paler than you’d ever seen him, and his hands were stuffed into his hoodie pockets. His blonde hair was rippling against the empty wind. “Yeah, it’s just…” He cleared his throat again, and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d like to take you on a date.”

“Oh. A date?” You said without thinking. 

“Yeah. Um, I’ve got tickets to this carnival in Zuzu city on Sunday.”

The expression he wore on his face reminded you of being asked to prom in high school. The sheepishness, the way he refused to look in your eyes, and the awkward tension.

You hadn’t considered dating in the few short days you had been here, but as you looked at Sam anxiously awaiting your answer, your heart completely melted. He had been kind to you, and he was cute, so there weren't many logical reasons to say no. Except one. 

“Sam, I have to be honest with you, I don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship.” You answered. You thought of your ex. How devastated you were when you learned he was cheating on you. How he gaslit you into staying with him. How he cut you off from your family, and your friends. You thought of Cherise, your old best friend, telling you that getting back with him was a mistake. If only you would have listened, then, you wouldn't have had half of the deep invisible wounds you carried underneath your skin. You wouldn't wince when people went to hug you. You wouldn't shiver when starting the dishwasher. Small, seemingly random moments, they all lingered in you, carrying tangible consequences. 

“I’m not asking you for any extreme commitment here. Just a date.” Sam said quickly, looking anywhere but in your eyes. “Really, I mean it. No pressure at all.” He insisted. 

Sam was kind. You believed him when he said no pressure. Besides, you had always had fun hanging out with him. Some guys lied, and when they said 'no pressure', they really meant 'a lot of pressure to hook up'. Sam seemed earnest, and his words seemed true. As hard as it was for you to trust, you chose to anyways. “Well, okay, then.” You smiled. “On Sunday?”

“Sunday. I can meet you at the bus stop, maybe at noon? My mom’s letting me borrow her car, so…” He said. He still averted his gaze from you, staring at the ground. 

"His mom'scar" you thought, smirking internally. In reality, you weren't that much older than Sam, but there were occasional reminders that he was a few years your junior. 

“Yeah, okay.” You said. 

“Great.” He grinned. “Okay, wow. I was so nervous.” He let out a relieved laugh. You felt your heart pang for him. There was something about his innocence, and his willingness to be open that was so refreshing. 

You laughed. “Didn’t show at all.” You lied. 

“So, you meeting up with Leah and Elliot? Can I walk you there?”

“Sure.”

Sam walked you to Leah’s cabin. It was only a five minute walk, but still, it was full of Sam excitedly telling you all of his favorite things to do at the carnival. He insisted you needed to try the calzones, and he was telling you he would try to win you one of those giant pink stuffed bunnies. You smiled softly as you listened to him.

When you approached the door, Sam lingered awkwardly. “So… Have a good night.” He offered. 

“You, too, Sam.” You smirked.

You watched him walk away, and were surprised at how excited you felt for your date. Maybe it was the fact that he expressed obvious interest in you by asking you out, but you felt some warm feeling for him stirring up inside you. 

You knocked on Leah’s cottage door twice. She opened it quickly. “What was that all about!?” She asked, pulling you inside by your arm. 

Leah’s cottage was small, and cute. It had wooden walls and floors, and had this undeniable feeling of warm comfort. She had a wooden sculpture she was working on in the corner. It looked unlike anything you had ever seen before, and it was way beyond something you could make yourself. It was an intricate carving with tons of detail. You had always liked art, but had failed to find your medium. You tried drawing, and weren't great. You tried painting, and your colors were always off. The only form of 'art' you had excelled at was cooking. And even then, cooking wasn't the most impressive of art forms in your mind. 

Elliot was already sitting on the ground by the fireplace, facing the wall mounted TV. He held a glass of red wine in his hand. “Hello again, y/n.” He offered.

“Hey, Elliot.” You smirked. He looked so regal, sitting by the fire, the shadow of orange flame licking his skin. 

“Now you have to tell me what Sam wanted.” Leah smiled, rushing over to her small kitchen to pour you a glass of wine. "Red or white?"

"White." You answered. “He… asked me on a date.” You said. You couldn’t help but smile as the words left your mouth. 

“So, you like younger boys, y/n?” Leah giggled.

“No, well, I don’t know.” You stammered. “It’s not like that. I’m not looking for a relationship at all, and he knows that. It’s not going to turn into anything serious.” 

Leah handed you a glass of clear, slightly orangey tinted wine. “No? But you’re single, he’s single…” Her voice trailed off, clearly looking for an explanation. 

“Yeah, I just… I’ve had a hard time with relationships. I really don’t want to be with anyone for a while.” You sighed. 

“Hey, I can respect that.” Leah agreed. “My ex was a complete monster. Every time I think about her…” She groaned. She looked away, casting a far-off glance. One that clearly implied her interest in talking about it was nonexistent. 

“Relationships with other people are always complex.” Elliot said. You looked over at him, and noticed he was leaning forward, very clearly listening intently. His caramel hair was just brushing over his face, looking soft and shiny. 

“Elliot, we’ve been friends for almost a year and I’ve never heard you mention any exes.” Leah smiled. “Hey, let me pull out some cushions for us to sit on.” She walked over to her closet by her bed in the corner.

You gazed over at Elliot and couldn't help but wonder what his past was like. He spoke with such a wisdom, it made you think he had a depth to him that most people lacked. You walked over and sat next to Elliot on the ground. 

“Y/n, I’m sorry if you were ever in a situation where someone wasn’t treating you with the utmost respect.” Elliot said, leaning over and speaking quietly. “A woman of your stature deserves that.”

You weren’t expecting a comment like that. You looked deeply into his warm amber eyes, and your eyes traveled to his slightly flushed cheeks, and then, as much as you tried to resist the urge, your eyes fluttered down to his pink, pillowy lips. You felt your cheeks stinging with heat and looked away quickly. “Thanks.” You muttered after the long silence between you two. It felt like there was now an invisible stone wall of tension between you two. "What is with this town and having super cute people in it?" You thought. "Y/n, you have to stop yourself. You can't have feelings for absolutely everyone." 

Leah came back with the cushions, and played the movie. Elliot found it really amusing, and at the end, he engaged you both in a conversation, analyzing the overarching themes from the film. Leah was uninterested, and insisted that this movie was not really one to be analyzed. She said if they were watching a better movie there'd be a point to talking about it, but The Breakfast Club in Leah's words 'lacked depth'. 

“You’re such a nerd, Elliot.” Leah had smirked playfully.

“I just like analyzing films.” Elliot had shrugged.

After the movie, Elliot was going to set out back to the beach. “y/n, can I walk you home?” He asked.

“Your house is in the opposite direction, I’m not making you do that.” You stood up, dusting off your clothes.

“Y/n, it’s late. Why don’t you just sleep over? I have an air mattress I can pull out, and sweats you can borrow.” Leah offered.

“Actually, that sounds awesome.” You yawned. To get to your house would be around a 20 minute walk, which wasn’t super long, but you were feeling completely drained. 

Elliot said his goodbyes, and Leah grabbed you an old baggy t-shirt and some sweats. She laid out an old air mattress for you, and you fell asleep quickly. 

~

The next morning you arrived at your farm after eating a huge breakfast. Leah had made waffles, eggs, bacon, and toast. She smiled as she told you she hadn’t had a sleepover with a friend since she was in college, and insisted you eat as much as you could.

When you got home you showered, and put on your farming clothes. Today, that meant some overalls and a t-shirt, and your gardening gloves. You dried your hair and threw it back, tying it with a sage green bandana. 

You dug at the soil, planting your new parsnip seeds. As one hour turned to two, the sun became hotter, and by the time you were done you were covered with sweat, and your arms were sore. 

You decided to rest on your deck for a little while. You sat down, and poured yourself a cold glass of homemade iced tea from your fridge. You closed your eyes, letting the warm sun gently wash over your face. It felt like a dry bath, being completely encompassed by the sun's inviting rays. 

In the distance, you could see someone walking towards you, wearing all black. 

“Hey, Sebastian!” You called. 

“Hey.” He answered. He looked over at the uncovered earth. “Planted some new seeds?”

“Yep. Want some iced tea?” You asked.

“Sure.” 

You quickly went inside and grabbed another glass and the jug and brought it out. Sebastian was already sitting on your wooden deck, his legs hanging off the side. You poured him a glass and slid down beside him. The two of you sat for a moment, taking in the warmness of the sun. 

He took a sip and sighed. “This is really good.”

“Thanks. It’s easy to make.” 

“My mom makes homemade iced tea sometimes and it sucks. It’s only easy for you because you’re good at cooking.” He said. 

“Maybe.” You smiled.

“Hey… Can I ask you about something?” He asked, staring at your freshly tilled dirt.

“Okay.” You took another sip of your iced tea. 

“Sam.” He said bluntly. “You’re going on a date with him?” Sebastian asked. You were surprised to hear him ask about it, but even more surprised to hear the twinge of anger in his voice.

“Oh, yeah. Tomorrow.” You said. You cleared your throat, sitting up to correct your posture. Your heart started to beat faster inside your chest. It was like your body was screaming at you, angry with you for admitting to Sebastian your interest in Sam. "Why don't I want to tell him?" You asked yourself. 

“Are you guys, like, a ‘thing’ now?” Sebastian asked.

“What? No.” You said quickly. You set your glass down, and used your hands to slide your body off the deck. You stood on the ground, facing Sebastian. “It’s just a date. It’s really not a big deal. I’m not wanting to get into a relationship.” You said. You meant it. Whatever was going to happen with Sam was going to be limited to be label-less only. 

“Then why say yes to a date?” Sebastian said.

“I don’t know? He asked. I thought it sounded like fun.” You said. "And, he's really cute..." You thought, but didn't say that part out loud. 

“Does this mean you have feelings for him?”

“Wow, Sebastian, I’m really feeling like this is an interrogation right now.” You sighed, shifting your body to face your field.

“I’m sorry. It’s none of my business, right?” Sebastian asked, then tipped the rest of the iced tea into his mouth and set down his glass. “You should know, you live in a small town now. News travels fast. Everyone’s going to be asking you if you’re dating now.” 

“We’re so not. It’s just a date. One single date.” 

“I went on one single date too, once. Now, I’m off limits for everyone else.” Sebastian sighed.

“What does that mean?” 

“It means once Abigail and I went on a date, when we were like 14. Years ago. Now, everyone thinks we’re going to get married or something. Including her.” He groaned. He pulled the hood up on his black sweater, shielding his eyes from the sun. 

“Ah.” You said. You had noticed the way Abigail seemed to follow Sebastian, how she always looked for him in a room… “That’s not fair.”

“No, it isn’t. But that’s life. It’s part of why I hate it here. Her dad is constantly asking me when I’m going to step up and ask her out again.”

“That’s weird. And also none of his business.” You said. You thought about when Pierre had asked Sebastian to hang back the other day. You decided that must've been what they were talking about. 

“Yeah, none of his fucking business.” He agreed. “Such a creep.”

You didn’t know what else to say, so you offered him more iced tea. 

“Nah, thanks. I’ve got some work to get done. I just wanted to offer… you know, if you and Sam were to run into me, and maybe someone else, then word would get around it was more of a group hangout than anything, and then people would be clear you guys weren’t dating.” 

You thought about his offer. It really was true that you weren’t ready to date anyone, and you didn’t want to have to constantly explain yourself to people in town, especially because you were new. “Isn’t that kind of rude to Sam, though? Doing this behind his back?”

“He’ll never know. Seriously.” Sebastian said seriously. 

You believed him. Something about his tone made you fully trust what he was saying.

”I don’t know about that, Sebastian. It seems untruthful.” You said.

“It’s not at all. A lot of people from Pelican Town go to the carnival. If we bump into you, isn’t it natural to hang around for a bit?” Sebastian offered, standing up and brushing off his black jeans.

 
“I don’t want to lie.” You said.

”Well it’s that or everyone, including Sam, thinks you’re practically engaged.” Sebastian reasoned.

That idea terrified you. You believed Sam when he said “no pressure”, but you also knew he was young and idealistic. Nothing scared you more right now than being trapped in a relationship you didn’t see coming  

“Fine, but don’t make it obvious.” You said, sighing. You felt guilty already about lying to your date.

“So, tomorrow. I’ll see you then. Enjoy your day, y/n.” He shoved his hands deep into his sweater pockets.

“You too, Sebastian.” 

“Friends call me ‘Seb’, you know.” Sebastian offered.

“Oh. You too, Seb.” You said.

“That’s better.” He gave you a grin, and winked at you as he turned and started walking away. 

You thought about tomorrow, with knots in your stomach as you thought about Sam.