Chapter 5

"Whoa, who's that?" I ask, my eyes on the boy who had just stepped into the Inn, two duffle bags in his hands. Ruffled brown hair set with a blue cap and trousers he is most definitely a looker, and I'm surely not the only one who's noticed. His eyes catch on mine for a second making me turn bright red looking away quickly with a squeal.

Cliff however looks unimpressed. Actually from where he sits next to me he looks almost completely repulsed by my squeal. "Dunno," he replies.

Cliff and I have gotten closer lately, and honestly it's kind of nice. Even if I do believe our sudden growth in friendship may been sparked by the travelers growing feelings for my best friend. We do share a common schedule after all. Long after both our jobs are have ended Ann's is just picking up. It makes sense to spend our time flagging her down for quick words together rather than apart.

As I thought the new guy has not gone un-noticed to the rest of the Inn's inhabitants. For when I look back in his direction everyone in the room is casting small little too obvious glances his way. He stands at the front counter with Doug who is nodding and jabbering on about something or other. Probably the Inn's night rates but I clearly wasn't the only one straining to hear what words the two were exchanging. The rest of the Inn's dinners are slowly lowering their conversations, readjusting themselves to get a better look and straining their ears for any word that might clue them in as to who this man could be. Quiet obviously it isn't everyday Mineral Town got to see a new face. Actually it isn't quiet every year either.

Ann -who has been mopping up the floors nearby- casts me a small smirk before scooting herself closer to the register where her father and the stranger stand. She waits respectfully for her father to stop talking to introduce herself shaking the man's hand enthusiastically. When he responds however her eyes widen multiple degrees, "No way!" her jaw drops. Then seeming to realize what she just did as rude she blatantly scoops her hand up and over her mouth as if the motion canceled out her words.

"What do you think that was about?" Cliff asks his jaw obviously tensing a little as he watches the man. If I didn't know Cliff better I'd say he is sizing the other man up for a fight.

"I wish I knew," I admit notably taking Ann's shocked silence as-well. It took a lot to silence my friend, I knew. But the stranger didn't seem at all angered by Ann's outburst, if anything he seems completely amused. He smiles and sends a laugh that echoes around the now silent room. And even the fact that he has the whole restaurants attention doesn't seem anything out of the ordinary to him.

Doug however is not so forgiving casting a reprimanding look over his daughter as hands over a room key. He motions to the stairs spewing directions for the boy to find his room. "Looks like you got a new roommate," I tell Cliff.

When the stranger disappears up the stairs the murmurs instantly picked up again. All guessing as to whom the man was, why he'd come to town. What Ann's reaction exactly had been. Clearly all the starts of tomorrow's rumors. I wait impatiently for Ann to come and tell us what was going on.

"Don't worry Dad," she says audibly grunting at her father's scolding as she hurries over to us. "You'll never in a million trillion years guess who that was!"

"Who?"

"Jack!"

I pause looking at her as if she were insane, "fatty Jack with the backpack?"

"Mhmm," Ann nods eagerly her braid bouncing up and down with her head.

"Huh?" Cliff asks whom I've almost forgotten my mind swirling; there is no way that that is the same boy as Ann was implying.

"I forgot you're still relatively new to Mineral Town aren't you?" Ann says looking over at the traveler. Who looked as if he wanted to protest year in town, if only he knew.

"Fatty Jack with the backpack was this kid who came every summer to Mineral Town when we were kids," I try to inform him. "And well…"

"He was fat," Ann supplied no batting an eye. "You know the farmer who passed away last winter when you arrived? His parents were close family friends of him, he must be real sad about his passing…"

Cliff though nodding seemed to be struggling to catch up with us. "And what he carried a backpack?"

"Like it was his job," I tell him. "It was this beat up purple thing, that he took everywhere and would never let anyone look into. It was heavy to; he'd often be out of breath from lugging it around with him." I never really thought much of fatty- um Jack. I remember he used to have this huge crush on Karen though. And she'd hated him. He'd follow her around everywhere until she would threaten to –and many times carry out- beat him to pulp. Rick consequentially hadn't liked him either, so I wasn't aloud much near him. But I remember Mary had been close to him.

"The only person I think he let look in that thing was Mary," Ann says slowly stacking Cliff and I's glasses to keep busy. "Damn it he's gorgeous," she mutters looking up at the stairs like he'd resurface any moment so she could marvel at him.

"Bet he didn't look so good fat," Cliff whispers so low I think I'm the only one who heard him. I smirk, jealousy is such an ugly color but on Cliff it is absolutely adorable.

~~~~:~~~~

"Popuri? Can you get me those pink pills Tim dropped off earlier today?" Mom asks. And I feel a clench in my stomach when she does. She doesn't sound good. Her voice is weak, raspy in a tone so unlike her. So unnatural to everything a healthy voice should sound like.

"What is it supposed to do?" I ask standing up and opening up the medicine cabinet.

"Help me sleep," she response faintly.

I nod even if she doesn't turn her head to see it. I don't want to make her talk anymore. I don't want to hear that sickly voice any longer. Finding the dispenser I drop out one of the tiny pink pills into my hand and hand it over to her watching as she gulps it down. Taking the now empty glass from her I go to set it in the sink.

I look over the dishes sitting in it my eyes hard. I don't want to see her like this; I don't want to be here. I don't want her to be ill at all! But I swallow away the words that seem to be cutting at my throat wanting to be screamed to the world. They were not helping anyone I will not leave her alone she might need something. When Rick gets back from wherever it is he's run off to I'll go off to the beach, I tell myself.

Swallowing the lump that had formed itself in my throat I go back to the couch listening to annoying infomercials and the rasped breaths of my mother until they faded into a slowed sleep. My eyes are slowly following suit with hers when the sharp click of the doors unlatching locks make me jump.

Rick walks in nodded his apology on waking me. "Mom asleep?" he asks.

"Yeah she had me give her the pills Tim dropped off."

He nods eyes going over her, worry clearly clouding them. He walks up pulling up the blanket over her collecting photo album discarded by her hands. How much the scene looks reversed, father to daughter not son to mother. I hated it, it should be this way. "You okay?" Rick asks his eyes concerned.

I nod quickly, turning so he can't see me and the tears welling up in my eyes. "I'm going to the beach," I tell him fighting to keep my voice strong. Not waiting for a response I closed to the door quickly behind me. It isn't right, what had she ever done to deserve this? Any of this?

I am so sorry for how long it has taken for me to update this chapter! I actually have no good excuse either. I was just thinking about how much I love this story and how many good plans I had and still have for it when I realized this chapter was already written! I had to clean it up a lot but I think I'm happy with it. It isn't my favorite but I think thats alright, it serves the purpose I need it to. Thanks again for reading everyone and please review if you have the time! (:

Oh and do you like the new chapter titles?