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Past the stables where Crystals boarded their horses, there was a stretch of rural towns surrounding the DC metropolis. It was a spot for country homes and ranch retreats, a place where the rich and affluent could stretch their legs in wide fields and muddy paths. The rest of the population was made up of a small coalition of organic farmers and their associated merchants. That afternoon, it was the culinary destination for Fallon and Selena.

The two girls knew each other only casually. A mutual friend introduced them after suggesting Fallon as a potential chef-tutor to Selena. Fallon couldn't resist an opportunity to cook, let alone a chance to interact with a pretty girl. She took the bait, and they'd spoken on and off through text messages, a few shared meals, and impromptu mall trips. Now, they had a sort of budding friendship, and today, Fallon was taking it to the next level, so to speak, with a trip to the countryside.

The taxi dropped them off at the edge of the farm. Fallon paid the fare and shooed Selena down the path. She'd told the girl to wear study shoes and clothes that could get dirty. They would be selecting their own vegetables from the Peabody Farm that afternoon, a treat that Fallon only got the opportunity to do once a month. It was, by far, the juiciest, freshest vegetables she'd ever had in her life.

"You won't believe this stuff," she said, pulling a piece of dandelion fuzz from Selena's hair as they trudged along the path. "The tomatoes are amazing. I could eat them raw -- no oil, no salt, no nothing." A warm smile spread across Fallon's lips at the thought of it. "Keep your eyes peeled. The best ingredients are the key to the best dishes. That is step one of your training." Her laughter was full, but it didn't travel far. The farm was expansive and bustling with animal and worker alike.

Fallon explained that they'd need to meet Mrs. Peabody up at the barn, and she'd take them and all the others out on a tractor into the fields. They'd get an hour to fill two baskets, and then they'd go back to the barn to pay for the purchases. "If you don't want to fill your baskets, don't worry about it. I could fill ten baskets on my own if they'd let me."

The march up to the barn was quick, but by the end of it, Fallon's boots were caked with mud. She wrinkled her nose, but made no move to remove it. "You have any questions before we go inside?" She leaned closer. "And are you excited too?" The smile broke wide on Fallon's face. She couldn't get enough of this place. It was one of the only activities that she was okay with getting totally filthy doing. It was worth it!

Fallon's idea of dressing down was a little skewed. She looked more like she might be going horseback riding at an Old Southern charity event. She wore a pair of fitted jeans that, while faded, didn't look tattered or over-worn. They tucked into a pair of knee-high brown cowboy boots that had seen better days. (Truth be told, Fallon got them for a costume party and now used them when working outside. They were surprisingly comfortable.) Over a white wife-beater, she had on a pale blue striped button-up that was half-done up and rolled up to her elbows. Her hair bounced around in a high ponytail.

All in all, despite her efforts, Fallon was still overdressed.

"Ten?" Selena exclaimed in surprise, giggling a little once more.

Fallon smiled thoughtfully. "Probably more. I'd feed all of Crystal Academy if they'd let me. Trust me, you'll understand once we get out into the fields." Kicking a little more dirt off of her boots, Fallon yanked open the door to the barn. There were eight or so other people already inside. Some sat on haystacks, others fiddled with the riding gear hanging on the walls.

Before she went in, Fallon stopped Selena with a hand and whispered, "Don't let Mrs. Peabody know you didn't know people still farmed. She's nice... most of the time." With that, Fallon popped inside, nodding politely to everyone who was gathered.

There was an empty haystack in front of them. Fallon eyed it, but made no move to sit. There was no telling how many bugs could be in there, and she felt dirty enough just from the walk. No need to add to it. A free hand motioned for Selena to sit just as Mrs. Peabody emerged from another door and crossed to the center of the room. The group quieted.

Mrs. Peabody was a short woman with strong arms and a smooth brow. Her lips were heavy and smiling, and a pair of diamond earrings glittered on her earlobes. Fallon noticed those first, always did. When she spoke, she shifted her weight from foot to foot. "All right, all right, just as soon as I lay down some ground rules, we're gonna load up in the trailer bed and take ya'll out to the picking fields." Mrs. Peabody adjusted the watch on her wrist and read the time. She scowled, but it wasn't clear why. "If you haven't paid your access fee, make sure you do that now or I'll embarrass you in front of everyone when we head out to the trailer, okay? I'm waiting for my ranch hand to come back. Once he gets in, you'll be out." A smile split her face. "Got questions? Come see me." Just as quickly as she started, Mrs. Peabody was done.

Fallon slipped away from Selena and approached Mrs. Peabody. She passed the woman some money, and the farmer made two check marks on her clipboard with a smile. Fallon crossed back to Selena. "Our access fee for the fields," she said, gesturing back in the direction she'd just come from. "It's her version of a finder's fee." The cinnamon-haired teen rolled her eyes. "For these veggies, it's worth it." Fallon pulled a piece of straw from her own hair and frowned. She hadn't even sat on the haystack, and it was still shedding on her.

Fallon sunk back toward the wall, out of the way of the other happy shoppers. She grinned at Selena. "Any vegetables in particular you'd like to try? Peabody Farms grows just about everything, but we might not have enough time to check all the patches. I've already made my own list. Want me to add your stuff to mine too?" A piece of paper slipped into view, and Fallon held it up for Selena to see. It had about ten items on it already.

"Pay me back?" Fallon looked stunned. "You're my guest, Selena. That means my treat." Didn't everyone know that? The girl was used to subscribing to a more defined system of manners. She took Selena's offer to pay her back as an unnecessary nicety and would refuse to accept any money, no matter how many times it might be offered.

After about ten minutes of idle conversation, Mrs. Peabody reemerged dragging a tall guy with sandy blond hair. He looked like the stuff of romance novel covers, oiled with his own sweat, tight-fitting plaid shirt unbuttoned. Fallon leaned in to Selena. "Apparently Fabio will be our tour guide," she whispered, hiding her grin behind her hand.

"Fabio" turned out to be named Terrence, and he appeared to be more concerned with hitting on every single available female on the trip than actually driving the tractor. After enduring a scolding in front of the entire group (via Mrs. Peabody), the cowboy moved toward the door and announced, "Tractor's outside! Load 'em up, pretty ladies in the front!" A slack-jawed grin made his whole face look crooked.

Fallon couldn't stop giggling. Not because she was attracted to him, but because she found his peacocking hilarious. Gripping at Selena's arm, she said, "Better listen to the Marlboro Man before he start stripping for more attention." Outside, the tractor was stacked with low benches and dotted with hay. Fallon hopped up and then turned to help Selena.

There were two spots near the front, and Fallon snagged them quickly. "It's been my experience that this ride is pretty bumpy. The two people on the end fell off last time so hold tight." An older man shot her a look. It looked like he got the lucky seat on the end. She turned and smiled conspiratorially at Selena.

No sooner had she said the words, and the tractor was off, bumping along so much that Fallon had to hold on to the rail and Selena for balance.

Fallon preferred delicate girls with soft features, long hair, and a tendency toward adorable naivety. Mr. Fabio did not fit that bill. Selena was a much more likely candidate for her affections. It was hard for her to fathom attraction to him. He looked muscular, square-jawed, scruffy but cute. She could see the ways in which other girls might swoon other him, but inside, Fallon felt nothing but mild curiosity about whether he oiled himself up or was actually coated in a glistening sheen of sweat.

The tractor bumped along, and Fallon kept her hold tight on her seat and Selena. It was necessary to avoid falling out. The man sitting on the far end already regretted his choice. His knuckles were bleached and his face red from struggling to remain in the seat.

Terrence was humming, but the tractor was too loud to hear. Fallon leaned in to whisper to Selena, "I can tell him that you think he's gorgeous. I'm sure he'll have no problem giving you his attention. He might even let you try on his cowboy hat." The ranch hand was probably too old for the girls. He looked to be in his early twenties (22, maybe?), and they were both underage. It didn't stop Fallon from kidding around.

Leaning forward, Fallon cleared her throat, tapped Terrence on the shoulder, and said, "Excuse me?" A tan face obscured by a wide hat turned to greet her.

Terrence was all smiles. "Oh, I love when people listen and shove the pretty girls to the front! Makes my job easier," he said, laughing. His head kept bobbing back to the front to watch the road. "Can I help ya with something?" He smiled, two perfect rows of white teeth.

Fallon smiled back. "That is so kind of you, Terrence, it really is. I think my friend here -- her name's Selena -- wanted to ask you something, didn't you, Selena?" She patted Selena on the hand, a devious grin crossing her lips. "Go ahead, Selena. Ask him." She turned to face the dark-haired girl and canted her head to one side. It was a playful joke. Fallon just wanted to see Selena squirm.

Terrence kept smiling. "Well, what is it, Miss Selena?" His smile widened.

Terrence seemed delightfully confused. "Ah, ladies, don't fight. I got plenty of words for both of you." A twinkle sparked in his eye. "Let's start with beautiful." The overt cheesiness made Fallon grin mockingly. God, this really must work with some girls. It had to. There was a couple of older women on the other side who were shooting daggers at Fallon and Selena for winning his attention.

Clearly, Fallon had underestimated Selena's penchant for mischief. Selena had underestimated Fallon too. "Well, I'm gay so you shouldn't waste that smile on me." Was she serious? Was she kidding? Was she just saying this to throw Terrence off the scent? Selena would have to make that decision. "Come on, Selena, just tell me what you told me." She grinned at the girl, elbowing her in the side. Then she looked back to Terrence and said, "She can't always break the ice, you know. Oh all right, I'll ask for you, Selena." Fallon waved a hand dramatically. "Terrence, this is Selena's first time on a farm, and she isn't used to carrying her own basket. She was wondering, well we both were wondering, if you could maybe help us out when we get to the fields? If you aren't too busy..."

Round two: Fallon.

Fallon was stunned by Selena's reaction. Terrence looked pretty confused too. His grinned dipped, eyes flickering to Fallon to check for some kind of reassurance. She was glassy-eyed and staring off over the side of the cart. Terrence chuckled awkwardly. "All right then, you can hold it, right." He smiled again, always polite, and then looked back to the front. "All right, all right. We're here! Load 'em out." The tractor came to a halt, and the two girls bumped into each other.

As everyone got off, Fallon slipped up beside Selena. "Is something wrong?" In her opinion, Selena was acting like a child, and she hardly approved. Weren't they just joking? Fallon wasn't the best at detecting jokes, but she was certain they were playing around, weren't they? That reaction had certainly not been expected.

Hopping off the back of the tractor, Fallon waited. Terrence was busy helping an older lady get directions to the cucumber patch so there was no one there to help Selena off if she needed it. "I'm sorry. I thought we were joking around with each other about Terrence." She held a hand up to help her off. It was in her nature to be polite, even if she thought Selena was wrong.

Mostly she was confused.

Fallon was largely passive in arguments. The only time she spoke utterly candidly was when she exploded, and that was hardly an effective strategy for managing her problems. So when Selena apologized, Fallon did the polite thing instead of trying to discuss the issue further. "I'm sorry, too." She hefted up one of the baskets and passed the other to Selena. "Now let's fill our baskets." Her smile returned, situation smoothed.

As they moved through the fields, Fallon explained the map, what vegetables were seasonal, what could be grown year round. They spent thirty minutes picking through eggplant and cucumber and fresh heads of lettuce. Others milled about, laughing and picking their own food.

Finally Fallon pointed off into the distance. "The tomatoes are over there. I want to fill half my basket with them." The two girls reached the tomato plants, setting down their baskets at adjacent plants. "You want to pick the ones that aren't too soft. They'll go bad sooner." She pointed out one of them to Selena on the girl's plant. "Too green is no good either." She showed an example on her own.

It was quick work for Fallon to pick her share of tomatoes, fingers pinching off the fruit just above the stem. It was easy work. It made conversation easy too. "How are you liking it so far? I know it's different than going to a restaurant with a friend, but you seemed up for the adventure." She grinned and dropped another tomato in the basket.

Painted nails tugged stiffly against the pale green stem. The tomato was lush and red, almost too ripe. Fallon liked them this way sometimes. She'd use the tomato that night, perhaps in a tomato sauce. Pasta might be nice. Her mother would certainly like it.

The tomato fell to her basket with a thud and two others quickly followed it. "Definitely," she replied to Selena, pausing to wipe at her forehead with the back of her arm. "I think I'm on the list to go in three weeks. You're welcome to join me. It's a lot more social when I have someone with me." Fallon had done this for so long by herself. Even with the little bristling from before, she liked Selena. She was willing to see more of her.

Sliding to another plant, Fallon squeezed at the three tomatoes hanging closest to the front. She wrinkled her nose and then passed over them, moving toward a few farther in the back. Her face was partially obscured by green leaves as she asked, "So what else do you do for fun? You can't be all dirt and vegetables all the time, right?" She laughed, genial. More small talk, more getting to know each other.