The Runaway: A Stardew Valley Story

Confessions of the Flower Queen

Haley

"Did you bring your camera? I see some jazz flowers at the edge of the meadow. We can take the long way back through the hidden—"

"What, did you find all of that while trying to spy out the dirt queen?" I cross my arms and sink deeper into the wooden picnic bench with satisfaction.

"The who?"

I roll my eyes. "You're little crush, Farmer June-pox."

"Haley, the joke isn't funny anymore," Alex whines. "I already told you that I don't like the new chick. She is not my type, not by a long shot." As if to prove his point, Alex's red wine lips turn down into a pout.

Why am I staring at his lips? Alex is in love with the dirt queen!

"I know what I saw, Alex."

"Haley, will you stop being such a brat for two minutes and let me explain myself?" A dark hand offers itself to me. Alex's chest is heaving. He's a trained athlete, but a light dance around the meadow was too much?

I smack his hand away. "Call me that again, and you can kiss those season tickets goodbye this year."

Alex smirks as if my display of anger was his goal. The damn flirt probably did mean to get a rise out of me. "I won't be needing them, anyways."

One eyebrow raises without my permission. Despite the multiple acting lessons Mom and Dad put me through in the height of my popstar-wannabe-faze, I am no actress. Alex and Emily have teased me mercilessly for my raw reactions. Just once, I wish I could hide how easily this boy can get under my skin.

"Oh?" I bait. "Will you be too busy shucking with your gir--"

"For Yabba's sake, Haley!" Alex's face turns red. "You can meet me in the secret woods or not. I figured you might want to know about this!"He waves a crumpled piece of paper under my nose before turning to stalk off. "But maybe I was wrong!"

A piece of paper? What could be on a piece of paper that's so important?

"Wait up!" I shout and jump to my feet. "Heels and grass don't mix well!"

Without stopping or skipping a step, Alex pivots with the reflexes of a star gridball player. He hooks one arm around my middle and lifts me over his shoulder in one easy motion. I'm far too glad that my head is crammed into the jock's shoulder because it's definitely cherry red and every other shade of flustered. Not to mention, that Alex's shoulder is a very nice shoulder to be pressed into.

Over the shouts of Mayor Lewis for the two of us to show some decorum, I bark at my captor, "You better be making sure no one can my underwear!"

"Why would I do that?"

"Alex!"

"Sorry, can't hear you, Hales."

"Put me down!"

"What was that? You want me to see how fast I can go?"

"No! Alex! Put me down!"

"Hold on tight!" Alex shouts overhead before the world erupts into violent shudders. The shoulder I had been so happy to admire from close-up slams into my ribcage. Over and over, I crash into Alex. It hurts, but I try to hold in my discomfort for as long as I can. This is the closest I've been to Alex since senior prom when I was convinced he would kiss me at any second.

Of course, he never did.

Finally, I Let out a groan of pain. "Okay, okay, I'm going to be sick."

"Huh?" The world slows to a stop.

My head spins like a planet in orbit. Strong hands gently lower me to the ground. My heals dig into the squishy dirt below making the height distance between Alex and myself even more pronounced. Despite how hard I try to force it down, my heart leaps at the angle of jawline perfectly cut by a ribbon of sunlight through the trees. Between this view and the rumble in my stomach, I think I might faint.

"Shit, Hales," Alex mutters, "you look like crap."

"Thanks for the compliment," I deadpan and attempt to roll my eyes. The motion throws my head further off balance, and I stumble back a step with palms dug into my aching eye sockets.

"Maybe you should sit down." Alex's hand is warm on my shoulder.

I breathe through the tingling sensation building beneath his touch. "Not on this filth I won't."

Without warning, Alex drops to one knee. I freeze. He can't be proposing to me in this dress! With these nails! Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no no no! This is a disaster!

"Alex, w-what are you—"

The feeling of Alex's hands on my arms grounds me in the moment. Yabba, this is really happening? My heart is going to explode. I'm going to overheat. This is happening too fast! We haven't even kissed yet!

"Here," Alex nods to his tabled thigh and pulls on my arms gently, "you really need to sit down, Hales. You're scaring me."

I'm scaring him?!

Overwhelmed, I let myself get sucked into the warmth of Alex. Even though his leg is a terrible seat and I have to focus to keep my balance, the rise and fall of Alex's chest steadies me. It's probably my imagination, but Alex seems to be as breathless as me. It's just my imagination, right?

"So, what's on this magic paper, anyways?" I huff, or try to huff. I'm so nervous that there's a tremor in my voice.

"Oh?" My chair chuckles. "I don't think we've made it to the hidden woods yet."

"Al-leex!" I wine. "Tell me what it is already!"

"You want to know that badly?"

"Of course." I want to know everything about him.

My seat shifts as Alex reaches across his body. The sound of crinkling paper echoes from behind. I hold my breath in an attempt to still my heart, but it soars when Alex whispers in my ear, "Close your eyes."

The world slips into darkness. All that remains is my back pressed against Alex's chest, the uncertain rise and fall of our breath, and the sound of magic paper shifting in the wind. My body shakes with anticipation. None of the possibilities my brain conjures explains what this strange paper can be, but every fiber of my being knows how important this moment is. Alex is holding me. That's all that can ever matter.

"Okay, you ready?"

"MmmHmm," I hum.

"You sure?"

"Yes!" I snap.

"Alright, on the count of three. One... Two... Three..."

Okay so life got really chaotic all of the sudden, and I have had zero time to write. I've barely had time to sleep, but that's another story. This was the last completed chapter in my buffer but it was 2000+ words. I halved it to help give me time to write some more. You guys are actually the best readers in the world, and I value your support endlessly.

With my master's starting in a month and the chaos of right now likely to continue for a while, I would like to warn you that some changes to the updating frequency are under consideration. My ideal frequency would be every other week, but at worst, it could be once a month.

I am just as devoted to the story these characters are telling as you are, so please be vocal if you notice updates are not following a previously announced pattern. You have read this far, and I have written this far. I refuse to let those investments go to waste! So always feel free to leave a comment with any concerns : )

Thank you, readers, and happy Friday.