O P A L

I roll my shoulders, readjusting my grip on the two pails in either hand. I place one on the wood fence, opening the gate to the chicken coop, tossing all the feed on the ground as they come running for their food. I stack the buckets together, picking them up with one hand.

The strap on my maple suede overalls loosens, falling to my back.

I reach for the strap but am unable to grab it. I shrug it off and walk into the giant, rusted brown barn. I rake off a pile of hay and toss it into the goat pin. Polli wipes her forehead with her sleeve, sitting on an old stool, milking one of the goats. "How's it going Polli?"

"I'm on the third one, then Leelan's going to come do the other three. I feel like I have old man hands I've been doing this so long. I'm going to get arthritis at the ripe old age of seventeen."

I grin, "I feel like I already have it, imagine how mom and dad feel though."

"Yeah, those oldens, their so old."

I cover my mouth with my hand and giggle, "Their not that old, only in their fifties, and looking good."

"Yeah," She nods, her faded red hair in a braid laying on her back. "They do."

"I'm gonna go see if dad needs help with anything else."

"Okay Opal."

I hike up the withering hill and through the back door. I glance at dad on the couch, pulling his prosthetic leg on. "You okay dad?" I ask, sliding the door shut.

He glances up at me and places one of his sweet smiles on his face. "I'm great."

"Is the new one hurting you again?"

"I just can't get it to sit right."

"We should take it back then, it's been bothering you since you got it and we could really use the money."

"Yeah, you got a point there. I need you and Marci to head into town and try to sale a few things, just hang around for four hours then head back home."

"Will do daddyo." I grab my jacket and pull it on. "Bye, love you dad."

"Love you kiddo."

I hop up to Marci, loading the last box into the back of the truck. She dusts her hands and turns to me, her cheeks pink and an enormous smile on her face. "Ready?"

I grin, nodding my head, "Your just excited to see your boyfriend."

We slam our doors shut and pull our seatbelts on, "Well do ya blame me? He's so sexy! He has a literal six pack. I don't think I've ever seen a guy in real life with a six pack."

I chuckle, "That's got to be untrue."

"Nope." She pops the p, "Super true. It's gotta be a fact. At least here in Maplesgrove."

"The Whiley brothers." I wiggle my eyebrows, remembering the time I saw all three of those gorgeous human beings shirtless. "Those boys are ripped."

"Ahh," She giggles, "You gotta crush on the Whiley boys huh?" She nudges my leg with her hand.

"No, their just cute, that's all."

"Lies, I smell your lies."

I laugh and look over at her, "Do I ever lie?"

"About this you do."

"Pshh, no way, I don't lie."

She untangles her curly hair with her fingers, quickly glancing at herself in the rear view mirror. "Has Koa come around?"

"Um, yeah actually. He has a little bit."

"So what made him do that?"

I chew on my nail and watch the trees pass outside the window. "Must of been my annoyance."

She slaps my arm with the back of her hand and cackles, "Yeah probably. Who can resist that perky charm of yours?"

As we make it to downtown Maplesgrove we prop our table up and place a few veggies and fruits neatly on the table. I sit in the bed of the truck, waiting for a customer to come around. Cory Thomas pulls up in his slick black Mercedes, I didn't realize a teacher could afford such a nice vehicle.

Marci hops up and down in excitement. As he exits his car she jumps on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pretty much a full on makeout sess started, tongue and all. I gag at the sight, I love love, but nobody wants to see a couple tonguing each other in public.

"Get a room." I cough out.

Cory grins and looks over at me, "What did you say Opal? Sorry I couldn't hear you."

I grin awkwardly and wave him off, "Oh I was just choking on my saliva. I'm such a cluts."

He chuckles, wrapping his arm around her waist and squeezing her butt, she giggles into his chest. "Oh gosh." I mumble to myself. "PDA!" I exclaim.

They stop what their doing and look at me. "What?" Marci asks.

"PDA..."

"What about it?" She questions.

"It's disgusting to look at. If we can't have PDA in school, then it shouldn't be allowed in public, at least not that severe to look at."

"She's just jealous that she doesn't have a boyfriend." Marci blurts out. They laugh in unison and whisper things into each other's ears. He picks her up and nibbles on her ear.

"This is just driving business away, ya know?"

"So? We don't have business."

"Because your being nasty." I huff."

She pulls away from Cory, "What's up with you? You sound like Polli."

I shrug and hop off the truck, "Because Polli's right. This isn't a pleasant sight to see. You might as well be humping each other in front of me. Either stop being gross or get a room."

She gasps, "This is so unlike you Opal."

I roll my eyes and lean my shoulder against the brick building beside me. "Get a room at the motel across the street or stop touching each other."

She huffs and grabs Cory's hand, "Come on Cory, let's go."

I sit on the chair at the table and watch my feet drag against the gravel. I don't feel like being myself today, I'm not in a very cheerful mood when their grossing me out. Be respectful of the other people around you.

"How much for all of it?"

I look up and see Koa with his wallet out, "What?"

"I'd like to buy everything. Even the stuff in the bins."

"Wow, are you sure?"

"Yes," He bobs his head, "How much?"

"Four hundred."

He pulls a couple hundreds out of his wallet, "Here."

"Are you sure Koa?"

"Yes, just take my damn money, I got it to give." He grabs my hand and pushes all the cash into it.

"Wow... th-thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"Where's your car?"

"Down the street, but don't worry about it. Just give me a small bag of everything and keep the rest."

I wave my hand in front of me, "Then I'll charge you for what I give you. I can't accept all of this."

"Come on Opal, just keep it. I'm not taking it back."

"Koa-"

"No!"

"But-"

"Consider it tax."

"Four hundred worth tax?"

"Yeah." He shakes his head.

I bag all the items he asked for and hand him the paper bag. "Thank you for your purchase."

"Thanks for the food."

"The peaches are my favorite." I grin.

"I'll have one of the butlers come by and pick up the rest."

"You have a Butler?"

He nods, taking a large bite out of a juicy peach, "Five."

My jaw drops, "Whoa."

"What do ya say we get out of here?"

"I don't know, I can't just leave my sister."

He gazes around, "Where is she?"

"With her boyfriend in the motel." I gesture towards the motel.

"That shitty thing?" He points.

"It's not that bad. It's just old, that's all."

He tosses the peach pit in the air and catches it, "Let's go, your sister doesn't seem to care. She's getting laid instead of helping out."

I shrug, "Someone needs to watch the food."

He points towards a navy blue Ferrari, "There, that's my man Eugene. He'll watch the stuff until the truck gets here to pick it all up."

"I don't know."

"Just trust me."

"Um.."

He grins, wrapping his hand around my wrist. "Come on, don't be such a wuss."

"Call me names if you want it's not going to change the way I think."

He rolls his eyes, dragging his finger briskly across my jawline, causing butterflies to form in my stomach. "Opal, just hang out with me."

"You want me to hangout with you?"

"Yes." He drags his fingers through his hair, moving his hair from his eyes.

"Where do you want to go?"