Chapter 17
Caroline's POV
Slowly opening my eyes, I stretched, my back cracking. Stifling a yawn, I looked over to the left side of the bed, noticing that Aden was still sleeping, I smiled and sat up, deciding to let him keep sleeping. Silently getting out of bed, I made my way to the bedroom door. Taking one last look at the bed, I left, making my way towards where the ladder leading to the attic came down from the ceiling. Lowering the ladder, I climbed up. Taking a quick look around, I grabbed the painting I did of the sunrise, before climbing back down. Returning the ladder to it's original position, I headed downstairs. Making it to the lower step, I heard someone in the kitchen. Checking, I saw Amy, fixing herself something to eat. Hearing me, she looked up.
"Oh, good morning Caroline, you're up early." She said, and I gave her a smile.
"Good morning. Yeah, I'm off to see if I could possibly get this painting sold." I said, before looking at her in surprise. "What are you doing awake so early? Are you heading for work? I would have thought you would take a day or two to relax before going back to work." I said, and she shook her head.
"Oh, I'm not going to work today, I'm just still used to waking up at this time." She said, and I nodded in understanding, before turning around, getting ready to leave.
"Well, I'll let you be for now, I'll be back later." I said, beginning to walk out.
"Wait!" She called, and I turned back around. Taking a deep breath, she stepped closer, her voice going quiet, and I looked at her strangely. "Last night, when Chris asked if anything interesting happened while we were away, you and Aden looked at each other strangely. Chris might not have noticed the blush, but I did. You and Aden didn't... Have sex, did you?" She asked, and my breath caught in my throat for a few seconds. Looking away, I could feel my cheeks heat up. Seeing my reaction, her eyes widened. "You did, didn't you! I knew something was up with that look! Chris didn't think so, but I can't wait to tell him that I was right!" She said, and my eyes widened.
"No!" I said quickly, and she froze, looking at me in surprise. "No." I repeated. "Please don't say anything to Chris. That isn't something that should just be casually told to someone else. Please promise me you won't say anything." I said, and she blinked, before nodding.
"O-ok, I won't say anything. I promise." She said, and my shoulders sagged with relief.
"Good... So... Now that we are on the subject, between me and you, did you and Chris?" I asked, and she quickly shook her head.
"N-no! Of course not!" She said, and I giggled at her flustered behavior.
"Why not? With how stressed the both of you have been lately, you both could really use some... Alone time." I said teasingly, nudging her shoulder. Amy only blushed, looking down.
"Chris and I just aren't ready for that kind of thing yet. If we did do something like that, I'd want it to be because we both wanted it, not just for a stress relief." She said, and I blinked, before nodding in understanding.
"You know what? Good on you. You shouldn't rush into that kind of thing like Aden and I did..." I said, before sighing. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up.
"So... How was it?" She asked, and I looked at her in confusion.
"Huh? Oh... Uh... it was great..." I said, a blush on my face. Looking away, she only nodded, blushing hard as well. "Uh, listen. I'm going to head out now, but when I get back, let's hang out, ok?" I asked, and she nodded again. Turning around once again I made my way towards the door. Exiting the house with my painting in hand, I made my way into the village, on my way to 'The Golden Palette'. Walking through the village, I made my way through, trying not to bring attention to myself. After a few minutes, I arrived at the doors to the art shop. Entering the door, I made my way to the front counter where Mr. Nigel stood, a bell above the door signalling my arrival. Looking up, he gave me a smile.
"Ah, good morning! Are you here for more supplies?" He asked, and I shook my head.
"No, not today, I still have plenty of paint and supplies. Last time I was here, you said you could possibly point me towards one of your friends who may be interested in my paintings?" I said, and he nodded.
"Ah, yes. And you have one of your paintings with you?" He asked, and I nodded. "Alright, then just set it down here, and let's have a look." He said, clearing off some space on the counter. Setting my painting down, I stood back, letting him look at it. After a few seconds, he spoke up. "Hey, this is pretty good! So you do landscapes?" He asked, and I nodded.
"Yeah, Landscapes have always been my specialty. I've recently even been getting into portraiture." I said, and he nodded slightly, still looking at the painting. "So, do you have any friends who'd be interested in buying my painting?" I asked, and he thought for a few seconds.
"I do have one friend who might be interested in Landscapes..." He said, and I looked at him, noticing his slight tone of hesitation.
"...But?" I ask and he blinked, before sighing.
"But... This friend doesn't live that close. He lives in a small mountain village far to the East. The journey is difficult, which is why I hardly speak to them other than in letters." He said, and my shoulders sagged slightly.
"So what do I do then?" I asked, and Mr. Nigel sighed again.
"Well, you do have a great talent here, and I'd hate to see something like this crush your spirits. I'd suggest talking to Ms. Joyce; The village mayor. You should ask her about starting an art show." He said, and I looked at him questioningly.
"An... Art show?" I asked, and he nodded.
"That's right. That way you could show off your art, as well as possibly sell some of your works to those who might be interested in buying." He said, and I nodded slightly in thought.
"Ok, so where is the mayor? I'm not originally from this village, and I live just outside of it." I said, and he nodded in understanding.
"Look for the big house in the center of the village. Ms. Joyce lives there." He said, before straightening his back and handing me back my painting. "I'm sorry I couldn't of been more help." He said, and I shook my head.
"Don't be, that's ok. Thanks for the help anyways." I said, before beginning to leave. Getting to the door, he called me once again, and I turned to look.
"You said you also do portraiture?" He asked, and I nodded. "You may find that if you offer your services, you could make a lot of emeralds that way too." He said, and I gave him a smile and thanked him. "No problem, and good luck." He said, as I left the shop, closing the door behind me. Walking down the streets silently, I sighed. While part of me was nervous about trying to sell my painting, another part had been looking forward to it. It would have been a sign that my art truly was good. Silently looking down at the painting, I sighed again. Not watching where I was going, I accidentally bumped into someone, knocking us both down. Groaning, I shook my head, sitting up. Looking over, I noticed that I had knocked over a woman with brown hair. Quickly shaking off my dizziness, I stood up and held my hand out to help her up.
"I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going! Are you ok?" I asked, and she nodded, taking my hand and getting up.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, picking up my painting that I had dropped. "Here you go, you seem to have dropped..." She began, before looking at the painting and trailing off. "Did you paint this?" She asked, and I looked away, before nodding.
"Y-yes, I-I did." I said, and she looked back at the painting. After a few seconds, she looked back at me.
"Would you be interested in selling?" She asked, and I blinked, before perking up slightly.
"Y-yes! I was planning on asking the Mayor if I could have an art show, as well as possibly sell my works when I finish them." I said, before looking at her in curiosity. "Were you interested in buying?" I asked hopefully, and she nodded.
"How much do you want for it?" She asked, and I froze.
"O-oh, u-uh, I'm not sure. I'm new to this. I've never really sold anything before." I said, looking away. Giving me an understanding smile, she nodded.
"Right. Well how about a diamond, or sixty four emeralds?" She asked, and my eyes widened.
"A-are you sure? That seems like a lot!" I said, and she chuckled slightly.
"Yes, I'm sure. This really is a good painting." She said, before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a leather pouch. Reaching inside, she sifted through the contents for a few seconds, before pulling out a clear bluish stone and handing it to me, before putting the pouch away again. "Here you go. So, you live in the village? I haven't seen you around here before." She said, and I shook my head.
"No, I live just outside the village. Me and my boyfriend moved in with my friend and her boyfriend." I said, and she nodded understandingly.
"Right, well it was nice meeting you..."
"Caroline." I said, holding out a hand, and she shook it.
"I'm Francine." She said, before going on. "It was nice meeting you Caroline." She repeated, and I gave her a smile.
"You too, and thanks for buying my painting!" I said, and she smiled again, before beginning to walk away. Before she left though, she paused.
"If you end up having an art show, I'll have to make sure and check it out." She said, before continuing on. Watching her walk away, I looked down at the diamond in my hand, smiling. My first sale! Feeling high in spirits, I once again began making my way to the mayor's house. After walking for a bit, I finally arrived at a large house in the center of the village that I assumed was the house I was looking for. Steeling myself up and walking to the front door, I took a deep breath, before knocking on the door. After a few seconds, the door opened, and a tired looking woman stood on the other side.
"Yes? Can I help you?" She asked.
"Are you Ms. Joyce?" I asked, and she nodded.
"Yes, why don't you come in." She said, opening the door farther. Thanking her and stepping inside, she closed the door behind me, before turning back to me. After a few seconds, a look of realization crossed her face. "Wait... You're that girl that came into town shortly after Chris got here, right?" She asked, and I nodded.
"Yes, that's right mam, in fact, me and my boyfriend moved in with Chris and Amy. I'm Caroline by the way." I said, and she nodded.
"What can I do for you this morning? Would you like some tea?" She asked, and I shook my head.
"No thank you. I just stopped by to see if I could get permission to set up an art show in the village." I said, and she looked at me, looking slightly fascinated.
"You're an artist?" She asked, and I nodded, giving a small smile.
"Yes. I mainly paint landscapes, as well as portraits." I said, and she looked thoughtful.
"And you want to start some kind of art show?" She asked, and I once again nodded.
"That's right, mam. My boyfriend convinced me that I should sell my paintings, and when I took them to Mr. Nigel at the 'Golden Eisle', he suggested that I should ask you if I could start an art show of sorts, where I could put them up for show, and possibly sell them as well." I said, and she nodded understandingly.
"I see, and when did you want to set this show up?" She asked, and I shook my head.
"I'm not sure. Not anytime too soon, as I need time to paint more, but I still wanted to get permission in advance before I got my hopes up." I said, and she gave me a smile.
"I don't see a problem with that. I assume you'll need somewhere to hold this event?" She asked, and I nodded. "Well, when you want to start, just let me know, and we can get the village center set up for that." She said, and I smiled back at her.
"Thank you, Ms. Joyce!" I said, and she shook her head.
"Don't mention it, having something like that in the village is sure to boost all of the villagers moods." She said, and I nodded. After a few seconds, she looked at me questioningly. "So, how are Amelia and Chris? They stopped by last night when the got back, but it was late, so we didn't really talk that much." She said.
"Oh, they're fine. They looked pretty tired last night, but besides that, they're fine." I said, and she nodded understandingly.
"I'm glad. I still can't believe they went all the way to the Nether like that." She said, and I nodded, a slight frown on my face.
"Yeah... I feel bad. They wouldn't have had to go there if it wasn't for me and Aden wanting to go back to where he comes from." I said, and she looked at me in confusion.
"Wait, what do you mean?" She asked, and I sighed.
"Chris and Aden don't come from Minecraftia, as I'm sure you know. Aden really wants to get back, and I just want to go wherever he ends up. Chris promised he'd help us. Well, he found out that there was supposedly some kind of treasure in the Nether that could possibly help." I said, and she sighed, looking towards a set of stairs to the right.
"I'm well aware of the legend of that treasure..." She said, looking sad. Sensing this, I cleared my throat.
"Well, I should be getting back home. Thank you again for allowing me to have this show." I said, and she blinked, before giving me a weak smile.
"Like I said before, don't mention it." She said, as I made my way towards the door.
"Either way, thank you anyways, and it was nice meeting you Ms. Joyce." I said, and she smiled again, this time seeming a little better.
"Likewise, Caroline. Please make sure to tell Amelia and Chris that I'm glad that they are back safe and sound." She said, and I nodded.
"Will do. Have a great day, Ms. Joyce." I said, before opening the door and leaving her house. Having done everything I needed to do in the village, I began making my way back home. After walking for a few minutes and eventually reaching the front door, I opened it and walked in. Looking around, I noticed Amy sitting on the couch with a book. Judging by the delicious smells coming from the kitchen, Chris was also awake, and was cooking breakfast. Walking over to Amy, I sat down next to her, and she looked up from her book. "Hey, Amy. Do you want to hang out for a bit?" I asked, and she placed a bookmark in her book and closed it, before setting it down.
"Sure. What do you want to do?" She asked, getting up, and I looked thoughtful for a few seconds.
"You know, now that I think about it, of all the time we shared living in that cave, I've seen where you were staying, but I've never really showed you where I stayed, did I? Come on, I want to show you my old home." I said, and she smiled.
"Hey, Chris. I'll be back, me and Caroline are going to go hang out for a bit." She called into the kitchen, and Chris looked out at us in confusion.
"But wait. Don't you want breakfast?" He asked, and Amy paused for a few seconds, before shaking her head.
"Can you just save me some?" She asked, and he sighed, before nodding.
"Sure. What about you, Caroline? Do you want me to save you some to?" He asked, and I nodded.
"Yes please, if that's ok." I said, and he nodded.
"Ok, well, have fun I guess." He said, and Amy and I nodded, before heading out. As we walked, I began to notice how quiet Amy was being. Looking over at her, I could see that something was on her mind.
"Hey, what's the matter?" I asked, and she jumped slightly, before shaking her head.
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing." She said, and I frowned, stopping for a few seconds.
"Oh come on, something's obviously on your mind. If it was nothing, you wouldn't be so spaced out now, would you?" I asked, and she remained silent for a few seconds, before sighing.
"I guess I've just been thinking about the place that Chris and Aden originally come from. You know, I'm really going to miss you when you go." She said, and I just gave her a small smile.
"Well, why don't you and Chris just come with us?" I asked, and she shook her head.
"Trust me, I've brought it up to Chris already, and it's not that simple. He said that it'd be hard money wise. He said that his family barely got by with just the three of them." She said, and I frowned.
"You know, it's funny you should mention money. Aden and I started thinking about that last night, and we may have come up with an idea." I said, and she looked at me curiously.
"Really? What is it?" She asked, and I nodded.
"You know how we've figured out that things could be brought between Minecraftia and Aden and Chris's home?" I asked, and she nodded. "Well, if you were to take a few diamonds with you, you'd both be set. Aden said that diamonds are worth a lot where they come from." I said, and for a second, Amy perked up slightly, before sighing once again.
"While that could take care of money, Chris also said that if I ever wanted to get a job, I'd need to go to school, and he'd be worried I'd get bullied." She said, and I rolled my eyes, before giving her a small smile.
"Oh come on, that's simple. All you have to do is ignore anyone who bullies you. You could do that, right?" I asked, and she remained quiet for a few seconds, before nodding.
"I-I guess I could do that." She said, before looking away. "Maybe you're right, but I get the feeling that even so, Chris wouldn't want to go back... Maybe I could convince him later." She said, and I smiled again.
"Good! I'd certainly miss you as well." I said. "Now come on." I said, and she smiled and nodded, before following me as we once again began making our way to the old cave.