Chapter Text
By the time we reached the Stardrop Saloon, Abigail seemed to have recovered from her loss. As we reached the door, she turned to me, hands on her hips. “So are you ready for your prize?”
“Starved,” I replied with a grin as she opened the door and gestured for me to enter. It was late afternoon, and the saloon was empty. From what I knew, no one really visited until the evening hours. “I’ll grab a booth while you order, then,” I said as I observed all the empty tables.
Abigail nodded and headed over to the counter. I saw Gus pause as he wiped down the counter, and heard them banter back and forth. I slipped off my backpack and set it beside me. It wasn’t long before Abigail returned with two small plates, each with a slice of pizza. She set one in front of me. I could smell the combination of cheese and sauce and pepperoni, and my mouth watered. It had been a while since I’d eaten lunch earlier, and fishing always did make me hungry.
“Prize for the fishing champion,” said Abigail as she bowed and then took a seat across from me. “A slice of pizza, perfect for tackling hunger after an afternoon outside.”
“Thank you,” I replied, lifting my slice. “It smells delicious. I haven’t eaten here before.”
“Oh? You should. Gus makes some amazing food. My mom sometimes orders takeout from him when she doesn’t want to cook dinner.”
“I’ll have to keep that in mind. Do you come here often?” I took a bite, enjoying the pull of the cheese.
“Not a lot, but on Fridays this is where everyone comes to hang out in the evening. Sam and Sebastian will challenge each other in games of pool, and I’ll usually watch them play and eat snacks, unless they ask me to join. Sometimes I play the arcade version of Journey of the Prairie King. I have the current high score here. How do you spend your Friday nights?”
I took another bite of pizza and chewed before swallowing. “Right now it’s mostly just getting the farm up and running. That takes most of my energy right now. I’ve been to the mines a few times, though, and I do enjoy fishing, though I still need a lot of practice. By the time Friday evening rolls around, I’m usually too tired to do much of anything, and I turn in early since there’s no off day for the farmer.”
Abigail waved a hand dismissively, ignoring most of what I had just said. “You did just fine fishing today, I’d say. I mean, you beat me after all.”
“You’ve also never really fished before,” I pointed out.
“Ehh, doesn’t matter.”
“So you say. But I need to work on getting better at keeping fish on the line, and it would also help to upgrade to another rod in the future. Willy has some nice ones, or so I’ve heard.”
“I’m sure you’ll get there eventually. I can keep challenging you to competitions for practice.” She grinned before looking at me more seriously. “Unless you aren’t fond of that? I’ve been told I’m too competitive for my own good.”
“You mean like you were during the egg hunt?” I meant it as a joke, but I saw the frown that briefly crossed her features. I must have touched a nerve or a bad memory. “It’s fine. Honestly, it made this afternoon fun,” I said, trying to salvage the conversation.
“...You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?” Abigail’s smile had turned to a frown, and she appeared to be a bit guarded.
I shook my head. “Nope. It really was fun. Especially watching you swat that fish off of your face. That was the best part.” I grinned at the memory.
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” said Abigail as she put a hand over her face.
“Well, next time I won’t go so easy on you.”
“You’re on. Next time you’ll be buying pizza for me.” Abigail pointed her pizza crust at me menacingly.
I laughed, finishing off the last bit of my pizza. “Deal.” I glanced up at the clock over the bar. “Looks like I need to be heading home though before it gets dark. I still have a few more things to finish on the farm today.” I stood to leave, Abigail doing the same.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you around then?”
“Definitely.” I smiled and waved before leaving the saloon.
I headed back to Benden Farm, a bit of a spring in my step. It had been a fun afternoon, and it seemed like maybe Abigail and I could be friends. Only time would tell.