//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: She was there all along // by Thunder Light //------------------------------// "Well bad news buddy, this will take a few days to fix as I don't have all the parts for this one," the mechanic continue to inspect your best friend's car as Applejack continue to look at you unimpressed of the mess you have created for her. "What are we supposed to do by then?" you ask. "Since you have no way of getting anyway, I guess you could either stay at a nearby camp til the car is fixed or buy another car in town. I know a friend of mine is selling his after he got a brand new 4x4 during the holiday. I don't know why would he buy one of those expensive one out there, but at least you can buy his car if you want to get to where ya need to be," he put his tools down before sliding back out to give you his friend car ad. "I know it's similar to your friend's car here, but you can still buy it and then sell it later when you're done with it. Also, since you're just a student, I can give you a discount on the repair but it's gonna be pricey." "How much exactly?" Applejack asks as she leaned against a nearby wall. The mechanic handed you the bill and you just look away instantly after seeing the consequences of not taking extra driving lessons. It was bad enough to not want to look at it, but luckily you didn’t break too many expensive parts. “Also include the shipping cost, but hey, how bad can this be?” he chuckled and you rolled your eyes as you really don’t have much of a choice as if there was going to be more than one mechanic in this town. "Well, I guess we buy a new car for you then,” Applejack smirked. You sigh at the idea and you grab out your phone to call the number on the ad. The two of you later arrived at the address given to you as you stand in front of a brown unpainted barn. As you continue to stare at the door blankly, a farmer with blue jacket and blue matching jeans and a cream colored hat with a brown band walks towards you. “I’m guessing you're here to buy my car?” he greets you with a hat tip while you wave back. “Yes, we have, do you still have it?” you asked. “Yeah, it's behind this door you're looking at right now.” he walks over and pull out both doors to reveal a 4x4 maroon SUV sitting in the barn with a shining bull bar in good condition. The two of you look at the car in front, but the mechanic weren’t kidding, it’s almost the exact same model but it's one of the older models. The only difference is that it has a lot of scratches, paints being peeled off the front bonnet, a minor dent in the front driver door and having some mud stain on the car as it has been used for farming for years by the looks of it. The interior still remained in good condition as the seating remains clean and you were surprised that the floor wasn’t messy as you expect with just a few stains here and there. The rear view mirror, but it has a minor crack in it, but not big enough to screw the view. The engine was a 3.0L with 6 transmission manual, but the gearbox seems to be too worn out after heavy uses and really need a replacement as you can tell it’s starting to show some rust. Not much feature as there was only a radio and climate control included which was a little disappointing. The overall price of the car is pretty cheap for you as the car's value has been dropping despite all the negatives rather than the positive, but it will have to do for the time being as you could use it until you get a new car. “Well, looks like it will do for the time being,” you spoke. “I hope you aren’t gonna break this one or we're gonna be stuck in the middle of who knows what,” Applejack spoke in a serious tone. You filled out the paperwork the farmer gives to you which includes the handover of registration as you were lucky enough to have a month of registration left enough for the time being. “How long until I can drive this?” you asked. “By tomorrow, I need to hand this into the authority to get it updated in their database, otherwise my name would still be on your car now, and I wouldn’t want ya to be in any more trouble, don’t we?” he spoke with a country accent. “I guess we go camping in the meantime,” you spoke as you look at Applejack but you then start to realise how beautiful she is as the sun touches her golden hair as she sway back and forth. You shook off the thought as you knew you had to avoid getting distracted by the time you see Kate. You and Applejack grab your things and travelled on foot for another half an hour to the campsite with barely any light remaining, but the sight continues to remain beautiful as it is with the sunlight touching the grass giving it golden glows as the wind makes them sway through back and forth. “Sorry about the car, if I told you about my driving test we wouldn’t have to walk this far,” you said after a moment of silence. “Well it's alright, as long as it's fixed, then there's nothing wrong about it. We all make mistakes from time to time. But I’m curious how did you even passed the driving test,” she looks at you. “You wouldn’t wanna know the whole thing, but I somehow keep making one mistake each time until I was lucky enough to past barely and yes the parking brake was one of them while I was doing the driving test. Even though my skills are perfect for driving, I only just past because of remembering everything and done it perfectly despite I keep forgetting to do one thing each time, ” you look back at Applejack. “Well, as Twilight always says, practice makes perfect, you just have to keep doing and doing it again until eventually you get the hang of it,” Applejack smiles at you but then looks away. A moment of silence return for a moment as the two of you keep walking as the campsite slowly appears into view, but you can’t help but notice that Applejack was looking at you for a bit then turns back with a concerned look on her face. Eventually, you two arrived at your destination. This campsite was oddly quiet today with barely anyone around except a  tent with 2 small one nearby with a campfire that was already being used earlier. While no one else was around, you see a nice looking spot by a tree on top of a nice smooth hill with a view of and a flat dirt area designed to be a camp zone. Small rocks surround its boundary and trees provide the area with some nice shades to accompany the peaceful site as the sunlight shines through the branches and leaves with barely any wind to disturb its moment. Wanna camp over there?” you pointed towards the area. “Yeah, sure, I guess,” Applejack spoke, but however not being her happy self for some reason. ****** After finally setting yours and Applejack's tent “correctly” despite failing a few or so times, you look to see Applejack sitting all alone by the tree looking out into the distance. You  walk over to her despite your tent began to slowly sink until its collapse almost completely again for the fourth time. But you didn’t care no less as you wanted to find out what  bothering her since the walk. You walk through the tunnel of trees along the dirt path right out to a small clearing of trees where Applejack was sitting and admiring the view. The view from where the two of you were amazing just like one of the paintings you made when you did art class. Mountains line up behind a barn house as it sits on a lonely hill, green fresh grass surrounds the background with rolling hills and fields of different kinds stands out. A small town can be seen from before in front of the line of mountains. Lights start to appear as the sun set slowly behind the mountain, but continue to shine bright giving a golden glow. You sit beside Applejack and doesn’t seem to notice you for a moment until you broke the silence. “Hey.” Applejack turn to look at you before a moment before letting out a sigh. “Hey” Applejack responds to you. “You seem to be down lately after all the drama we had with the car, is there something going on?” “It’s just something but I can’t tell you until...well, maybe it’s probably not that important." “Come on, it can’t be that bad isn’t it, but I’m guessing it's about school right?” you spoke. “Well, it’s just that..” you look at her and she looks at you and you can see the look on her face being more worried. “It’s just what?” She continues to look at you in the eye until she finally confess to you as she can no longer keep it to herself. “I like someone ok,” she then looks away from you. “Hmm, that’s ok, there’s nothing wrong about liking someone, but is he already taken?” you relax and lean against the tree next to Applejack. “Yes, I was hoping to tell him how I felt last year, but he was already taken by some girl who is popular. I never liked her anyway, after what she did to everyone else. She just talks about this boy a little too much like she just does it for popularity at school and I’m getting pretty sick looking at it. And I always admire him from afar, but I don’t think there would be any chance that he and I would get together,” Applejack looks down but then leans back next to you. “But hey, there’s plenty of guys out there right?” “Yeah, there’s plenty of guys out there, but who are you looking for?” you put down a hat to cover part of your face. “Well, someone like you but…” Applejack then sit up and walks away while she winks at you. Then suddenly the hat you manage to took was gone and you look down to see that you are tied up and you can’t move at all as all your limbs are stuck in a bundle of ropes as you shake and wiggle around attempting to get out of your best friends sneaky move she done before. “That's what ya get for stealing my hat,” she chuckles as she continue to walk back to the campsite. “Someday I get her for that,” you mumbled. ******** You were lucky enough to get yourself out after many twists and turn along with many attempts and ideas you used, you had finally made it back to the campsite with the rope in your hand and you can see is that Applejack is busy making a fireplace and you see your tent all fixed up instead of a leaning pile of mess. You set the rope by her bag and come sit with her on a nearby log as she sees you out and gives you an innocent smile while you just shake your head and rolling your eyes as you done this before. “Can’t believe you managed to tie me up like that and leaving me alone in the woods,” you sit next to Applejack. “Well, next time don’t try to get sneaky with me,” Applejack laugh as you just continue to do the same thing. “Anyway, why you like someone like me before,” you ask and Applejack finally calms down after hearing your question and returns to her normal self. “Well you have good character and you always nice to people and being a great friend to hang out and you always have, always cared for me when I’m in trouble and…” you interrupted her. “Wait, a great friend?” you look at her puzzled. “... Nothing," she looks away for a moment, " but anyway, what’s for dinner?” “I suppose to make pumpkin soup, but thanks to you, I don’t think we have it until a little later.” “Hehe, sorry,” “That’s alright, I was only meant to cheer you up, but what I did was a little over the top,”  you then go back in your tent and unpack your camping gear. “I go get some more firewood,” she yelled. “Alright then,” you shouted back. While Applejack is busy collecting fire woods, you start setting up and you follow a book on basic camping since you weren’t good at surviving in the woods alone despite living in the city for most of your time before moving. You try to start a fire with a match, but it fails to create a flame until you read the label on the back, “Not design for outdoor use,” which make you annoyed a little and you refer back to the book. After having a little trouble starting a fire, you set a small pot over the fire and you start cutting up the pumpkins along with onion and garlic on your tray that you brought along just in case of this situation. You added your ingredients into the already hot water pot and you let it slowly cook as Applejack shows up with more firewoods. “May I ask, is Katie a bully?” she asked. “I don’t know and I wouldn’t even believe it as when she's near me, she always acts nice to other people and being more friendly,” you said. “Yeah, but have you heard any rumors at all about it?” “Nope, even if I heard all those rumors I wouldn’t even believe them until I see the truth,” you carefully watch the pot. Applejack sits next to you as the soup continues to slowly cook the mix and you stir the pot. Just then, your phone suddenly starts to ring from the tent. “I be right back,” you said as you rush to your tent and opening your backpack to find your phone ringing with a number on it. “Hello” “Hello, this is a call from the Littlewood police department, I would like to confirm about your registration of your new car after we receive it earlier today. Had you officially signed this document that was given to us?” You continue to talk on the phone while Applejack stares at you curiously until your reaction became a more worrying one. “Okay, your car is now officially yours, but I also got some bad news kid. The incident earlier was the guy who broke into your house last summer. Right now he’s currently the wanted man we have been the one we're looking for a while, unfortunately he got hold of your personal details and your best friend too as we just heard.” “So should I move back with my family or do something about it?” “It’s not that you got to worry about, it's your best friend Applejack you gotta worry about, he has your friend details and he somehow manages to hack your school's database. Is Applejack with you at the moment, sir?” You walk out the tent and you handed the phone to Applejack after briefly explaining the news. You then walk back and sit back and watch the soup simmers but you look back and see Applejack being more worried and walking back to her tent. Then your soup is ready to be served as you grab two bowls and you pour the soup into each of them as the smell of freshly made soup enters your nose and you enjoy every moment of it. But then, Applejack walks back towards you, but she then looks at you with the same expression you're having. “It’s someone from our school,” she said. “WHAT!” you exclaimed. “Apparently is that guy again, he just couldn’t get over the fact that I don’t like him in the first place and I’m not interested at all.” “So this guy who was shooting at us was…” “Yes, it was the same guy who had a crush on me since last year,” she sits down next to you and you pass the bowl of soup to her but she continues to look down at her bowl. “Can’t believe it was that guy from the news this morning,” you spoke as you eat your soup. “What did he do?” “Apparently he stole someone's car earlier, which was one of those fancy looking one that cost a fortune,” you said. “Way to handle a car and let someone easily stole it,” she said, “Also nice soup, I never had anything this good before made by someone else.” “Well it a simple recipe, nothing too hard to deal,” you speak confidently as you finish the last amount left. “So when was the last time you saw him?” “That guy,” she places her empty bowl down, “He came to me while I was hanging out with my best friends while you weren’t around.” “What did he do?” ***** “I didn’t know,” you thought about it, but couldn’t come up with a way to say it. “Yeah, he wasn’t a nice guy, but the other people I know are really friendly and nice to each other, but this guy, he just seems to be too interested or just doing was just to impress me,” Applejack explained. “And he just really just annoys me too much and I haven’t even liked him in the first place. “That must have been, awful for you to go through this,” you said. “Yeah, but I heard he has a new girlfriend now, but I don’t know who, only heard rumours about it. But he hadn’t been at school lately,” Applejack said, “Well, at least he’s gone and at least I can take a break from him for now.” “By the way, have you even consider asking him out yet?” you look at Applejack and you notice a faint shade of pink starting to appear and she looks away from you. “Well... I haven’t yet, but I will soon hopefully someday.” “You know, despite all this drama today, I kinda enjoy what happens today apart from the start,” you chuckled. “Really?” “Yeah, if I went alone, it would have been really boring and not much interesting and I’m glad that you came along,” you said and Applejack smiles from what you said. You both then look at each other, but you don’t pull away and neither does Applejack for a few moments but then you feel that you needed to get to sleep early. “Well, I’m gonna knock off for the night,” you stand up and walk towards your tent. “Alright, goodnight,” she said. “Goodnight Applejack,” you said as you close your tent. You grab your sleeping bag being in a black and neon orange, you roll your bag on top of your mat and you wriggle yourself in before you set your alarm then falling asleep peacefully.