This is a short chapter.

"And then Antonio THREW the entire bucket of water on me. I just cant believe that he would do that to me; I had a newly sewn dress on." Jill, my best friend, is sitting with her legs bent as she sits with her back to a tree. I sit beside her but with my legs folded beneath me. A bowl of grapes sits between us. Jill throws one in the air and quickly sits up as gravity pulls the grape down. It hits the corner of her mouth and continues its journey down to the ground. Before it can get anywhere near the dirt, Jill shoots her hands out, palms upwards, and catches it. She lets out a snort as she laughs, and this makes me laugh softly.

"You know, maybe he does that because he likes you." I say after our laughter dies down.

"Oh no, he does not feel that way about me. We're just friends?" She states but it sounds like a question.

"Are you sure?" I ask trying to be the supportive friend.

"I know what you're doing, and it is not working on me."

"What, I'm just asking." I say

"No, you are trying to get me to think about the things I dont want to think about. Not happening." She leans back against the tree once more.

"Alright then, lets discuss the festival tonight." I say, changing the subject. I dont want to push her. Jill and Antonio have been close friends since we were all just kids. Antonio has been so obviously smitten with her since forever.

"What are you wearing? I think you'd look beautiful in that baby pink colored dress your mom made for you last year; it frames your figure so well." I make a face to show my distaste.

"Jill, I think you are the only human besides my mother who likes that dress." I say.

"No, that one guy seemed to like it on you."

Last year as a birthday gift my mother made me a pink dress that was not my favorite. My mother wanted it to be a more mature style, but it ended up being far to tight on me. She said I just wasn't used to fitted clothing because I have always worn dresses that let me breath, but according to her a girl my age needs to show her figure to get boys attention. I hated how that was the case. A figure should not be what defines a girl.

That 'one guy' likes anything I wear. I could walk up to him dressed as a tree and he'd still tell me he likes how I'm dressed. He does not count. A cricket jumps from the grass to my leg and I softly scoop it up in my hands and gently lay him back on the ground. He jumps away and I look at Jill. Her calculating gaze is set on me. She raises a brow and then rolls her eyes.

"What?" I ask.

"You're just so.." She makes a wispy motion with her hands and flips her short hair over her shoulder, "Fluid. No wonder all the boys like you."

I giggle and cover my mouth, "Fluid? Whats that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you move like you belong in a castle not a village. Are you sure you weren't rescued or something?"

I laugh even harder now and I must hold my stomach.

"What's so funny?" Jill asks almost sounding offended.

"I just, you think," another laugh escapes me, "You think I move like a royal."

By now I'm in a fit of giggles.

Jill must have decided I wasn't very fun to talk to anymore because she suddenly stands up and starts walking away.

"You are impossible, Sapphire." She turns around to look at me.

"I'll see you later tonight, in the pink dress." And shes gone.

See you, I whisper to no one.

Jill always tells me these things. Sometimes I think she is just being nice and other times I feel as though she resents me.

She may just be insecure, which is normal. 

I close my eyes and breath in natures air. I like coming out here to breath away from the village perfumes. "Such Beauty" I whisper to myself. I wonder why Jill decided to leave earlier than we planned. I wanted to spend the afternoon with her. She's a fiery spirit that's for sure. I wonder if I hit a nerve somehow? 

I shake my head and lay on the soft grass around me.