Liminal Space | A Stardew Valley FanFiction

Chapter 7 - Then

"Are you ready?"

"Not even close."

Sebastian and I stood in the middle of a flower-lined field, trying to ignore the millions of eyes on us. We weren't alone, in fact, standing beside us was a whole new generation of participants: Sam and Abigail directly to our left, followed by Maru and Harvey and a slew of our other classmates. Some parents hid behind extravagant cameras while others clinked their champagne glasses together and flashed sympathetic smiles that screamed are we really this old?

Grandpa stood next to Demetrius and Robin, raising a calloused thumbs up and shooting a wink our way. My dress pooled at my feet, catching every so often on the slim, silver heel hidden beneath it. Thanks to puberty, Sebastian finally had a few inches on me—even despite the heels—which I could tell he was thankful for, given we were on display like a collection of trophies.

Abigail reached over and grabbed my hand, her braced smile shining in the sunlight that doused the festival in a golden glow. You got this, she mouthed, to which I nodded and squeezed her fingers in return.

"Alright!" Mayor Lewis's voice boomed from the loudspeaker. "This is a pretty exciting day, wouldn't you say?"

He paused while the cheers erupted through the crowd and dissolved into scattered applause. "Well, let me be the first to introduce our newest bachelors and bachelorettes! You all are teenagers now, there's no doubt about it. I know we've got a pretty tight-knit community, but it never hurts to know a little more, right? Let's get some introductions going!"

I groaned at the implications of his announcement: I was going to have to dance and speak in front of everyone. A small smile creeped onto Seb's lips, followed by a light smack on my arm. "Cal," he chuckled, looking around. "Don't let Lewis see that look on your face."

Fascination danced in his dark eyes, and for a moment, they looked almost mauve, like a stormy day or a crystal ball. Sometimes, when he looked at me, the world would slow down for a second. I basked in the feeling.

"My name is Haley!" A peppy voice yanked me out of my thoughts. "I am fourteen years old, and I want to be the Flower Queen!"

"I love the enthusiasm!" Lewis exclaimed, nodding his head towards a panel of moms. "I'll have the judges keep that in mind!"

"I'm Alex," her much more mellow partner muttered. "I'm thirteen." The silence lingered for a second, the audience waiting for him to say more. He did not.

The introductions continued, making their way to Sam, who said his favorite movie was Wumbus, and Abby, who twirled the violet-dyed tips of her hair as she revealed her favorite color to be purple.

Sebastian cleared his throat, a shy voice following. "I'm Sebastian, and I'm thirteen. I, um...I like apples."

He smiled at me and all I could do was smile back, thinking of our shared tree. "Go," he whispered playfully.

"I'm Callie, I'm thirteen, and I like apples, too."

"This couple knows how to keep the doctor away!" Lewis laughed. My heart fluttered when Sebastian's eyes met mine, Lewis's use of couple lingering in my mind.

"Well, without further adieu..." Lewis said, the anticipation building. "Let's begin!"

The dreaded song began, and all that I could do was run through the moves I'd been taught. Haley was insistent the dance be perfect, convincing Ms. Stevens to replace our typical gym curriculum with practice time for this very moment. She'd always watched in awe as Emily twirled around the plain, replicating the moves on the sidelines; it was finally her turn. Arms up. Right foot step, left foot behind.

It felt like a cliché when I tripped over the unintentional train of my dress, cursing myself for failing to get it hemmed as I plummeted towards the grass. It felt even more cliché when Sebastian caught me with one hand, wrapping it almost completely around my waist and letting me fall backwards until it looked intentional, elegant. He winked at me as what was almost a disaster became an extravagant dip, now using the same hand to push my back upwards and finish the dance as though we'd planned it all along. The adrenaline was almost debilitating.

"Golly!" Lewis hooted as the dance concluded, each of us thoroughly out of breath and coated in sweat. "What a show! Ladies, how are you feeling?" He asked, motioning to the 'panel.'

"I feel winded just watching them!" Marnie shrieked, doubling over in laughter at her own joke. "More than that, I feel like the Flower Queen and King decision was practically made for us!" Jodi, Caroline, and Evelyn nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

Robin, Demetrius, and Grandpa grinned as they called us to the front, the moms raving about the originality our routine encompassed. Gushing that we'd honored the tradition while adding a creative twist. Elbowing each other as they commented on how great of a team we were.

Maybe, for a moment, I believed them, as I stood hand in hand with Sebastian and was dawned with a crown that only looked truly complete when it was next to his. He bowed as Jodi placed it on top of his dark, tousled hair.

"I never took you as the dancing type," I whispered as we walked home, dusk dragging a warm spring night behind it. "You always hated rehearsal."

"It surprised me too," he shrugged. "It felt exciting to be commended. I don't get that kind of approval very often."

"I approve of you," I said quietly, slipping my hand into his again. I could feel his muscles tense as our fingers intertwined, but they melted into mine as the moment faded. "So does my grandpa. You saved my ass out there today."

"Well thank god you almost ate it out there then, yeah?" he laughed. "I don't know how it worked out, but I'm glad it did. It was kind of fun."

"Enjoy it while you can," I warned. "Next year, this baby is going to fit so well that it won't even have the opportunity to trip me."

"How are we going to maintain our royal status, then?"

"I guess we'll just have to prove to the council that we are adept to rule."

"Callista Kennedy, Flower Queen," he hummed, twirling me around on one finger. "It does have a nice ring to it."