"Penny! Come play slingshots with us!" Abigail waved to Penny from the carnival game tents. It was the day of the Stardew Valley Fair, and Pelican Town was bustling with tourists and vendors.

"Mom, I'm just gonna go play some games," Penny said.

Her mom looked up from the goat pen. "Hmm? Oh, sure. Just don't let me find you running around any more abandoned mine shafts."

She was never going to get over that, was she. Penny ran off toward Abigail and Elliott, Abigail's near constant companion these days.

"Here," Abigail pushed a slingshot into Penny's hands, and the three of them lined up to shoot. The game attendant blew a whistle, and they started shooting furiously at the targets. Even seated, Abigail wiped the floor with them.

"Have you been practicing for this?" Elliott asked.

"Only every year for my entire life," Abigail said proudly. "C'mon, let's go again." They did, and Abigail trounced them again.

"Well, I can definitely win the fishing game." Elliott wheeled Abigail over to another tent.

This one had to be played in turns. "You guys go first so I can watch you," Penny said. "I've never fished before."

"Really? You're not hustling us, right?" Abigail eyed her suspiciously.

Penny held up her hands in defense. "Really. My mom's been saying she wants to take me for ages, but we haven't got around to it."

"Very well." Elliott picked up a pole. "Witness my greatness, and be amazed!"

The clock started, and Elliott cast the line. Then he waited, and reeled in a fish. Penny had a hard time being amazed, but he did seem to be an above average fisherman. She tried to watch closely to learn when to reel in the line, but suddenly she spotted Sebastian across the carnival, playing a game at another tent.

Penny's heart tightened just to see him. She turned away to look back at the fishing, but couldn't resist another glance. Or two. He was playing one of those guessing games where someone puts a coin under some cups and mixes them around.

She watched him guess wrong, and the woman running the game must have said something funny, because Sebastian laughed. Then she touched his arm...and lingered... There was no need to touch in those sorts of games, was there?

The woman running the game was, to Penny's sudden dismay, very pretty. She wore her hair in a sharp black bob with bangs, and dark eyeliner that flicked up at the corners. And she was leaning toward Sebastian as they talked. They were laughing again.

Penny was now struck with a number of physical complaints that she didn't understand. Her hands went clammy and cold. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her head felt foggy and light. She was angry—no, that didn't quite make sense. There was nothing to be angry about.

She was jealous.

More jealous than she'd ever felt. When she'd seen Sam and Maru kiss, there had been a taste of this feeling, but that moment had been so clouded by disappointment and embarrassment that she hadn't really thought of it as jealousy.

This was different.

And it sucked.

Penny tried to remain calm. Sebastian was just talking to someone. It wasn't a big deal. What right did she have to be jealous anyway?

"Penny?" Abigail said. "You good? It's your turn."

Then Penny did something that really was no big deal, but from this day on, she would always remember as being a little bit evil.

"Is that Sebastian over there?" Penny said innocently, as if she hadn't just been watching him for the last two minutes.

Abigail responded exactly as Penny anticipated. She shouted, "Sebastian!" loudly across the fair and waved him over enthusiastically. Sebastian left the game and walked over.

Was this evil scheme really so bad? No, of course not. But Penny felt that she'd sort of manipulated Abigail into calling him over. A braver woman would have done it herself, and a better woman would have left it alone.

Penny felt weirdly guilty—and still jealous—when she picked up the fishing pole. She didn't catch a single fish; which was especially embarrassing now that Sebastian had joined them.

"Want a turn, Seb?" Abigail asked.

"Nah, I'm terrible. Worse than Penny probably." He smiled at her. She responded by turning a shade of red and trying to smile, though it was more of a grimace.

She had become comfortable around Sebastian over the Summer, so what was wrong with her lately? What was wrong with her today? It was like everything had unraveled after their kiss, and she was more nervous around him than ever.

"Are you guys hungry?" Sebastian asked.

"We've already eaten," Elliott said.

Penny wanted to say she hadn't, but that tongue-tied-ness that rears its ugly head in group settings decided to stop by.

But Abigail saved the day again. "Penny hasn't, right Penny? You should go together." Thank Yoba for Abigail.

"Come on," Sebastian said, tilting his head towards Gus's grill.

They walked over together, but Penny couldn't bring herself to say anything. Sebastian grabbed two burgers from Gus and they sat down next to each other at a corner table out of the way. Though Penny and Sebastian had seen each other at Abigail's house, they hadn't been alone together since Penny had shooed him out of the trailer.

"Are you alright, Penny? Is something going on?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Penny said, taking a bite of her burger to demonstrate how extremely fine she was.

"Are you sure? "

Penny almost choked taking another bite, so she set the burger down and finished chewing. But she'd have to say something eventually.

She tried to sound casual, but it came out sounding annoyed. "Did you...have fun playing games?"

Sebastian furrowed his brow in mild confusion. "Oh, did you see me? I only played the one." Then realization washed over his face. He pressed his lips together to prevent a smile. "Penny...are you jealous?"

Penny wanted to jump in the river. "No," she said.

Sebastian nearly jumped out of his seat. "You are!" He smiled like a madman.

Penny pressed her hands over her face. "No," she said again, muffled and sounding a little pathetic.

"Wow, I'm so happy right now! Damn!" He beamed at her, peeking around to see her face.

Penny couldn't look up from her hands, but she found herself smiling for some reason. "Why are you happy about this? It feels awful."

Sebastian rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, because I, you know..." He lowered his voice to avoid drawing any more attention from the out-of-towners nearby. "Just to be clear, you've got nothing to worry about with that girl, she was just trying to get me to bet more money on the game," he said, half reassuring her and half teasing her.

"I know, I know." Penny finally met his eyes, which were crinkled at the corners from smiling. "It was silly, I just..."

Now that it was just the two of them, her nerves from before were finally settling. He made her so at ease, even when things were strange between them. Without either of them realizing how, they were now sitting closer than before, the sides of their legs pressed together.

The closeness was spellbinding. Penny found his hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She held it comfortably, intertwining one arm with his.

"I..." she tried to start, but as she hesitated, Sebastian interrupted gently.

"You don't have to say anything," he said. "About the other day, or about us. There's no rush. We can stay exactly how we are."

He was so good.

Almost unconsciously, Penny raised his hand that she was holding to her lips and kissed the back of it. She rested her head on his shoulder, and all the strangeness that had built up inside her mind melted away.

But then, the calm was shattered. Suddenly, her mom shouted from the other side of the picnic tables. "Penny! We're leaving. Now."

Penny sprang out of her seat, dropping Sebastian's hands, eyes wide like deer. Sebastian stood up slowly beside her as Pam stalked toward them.

"Come on, Penny. We're going home." Pam growled.

Penny stood frozen. She was so tired of this. Tired of her mom getting angry. Tired of being humiliated in front of everyone.

"No," Penny said, filled with sudden defiance. "No, I don't want to."

"No?" Pam repeated through gritted teeth. "No? After the trouble you've caused, you're just saying no?"

"What are you talking about?" Penny asked, her resolve slipping. Sebastian put a reassuring hand on her back.

"Get your paws off her!" Pam yelled. She stabbed a finger toward Sebastian. "You stay away from my daughter, do you hear me?"

Sebastian removed his hand, but didn't move or speak.

"Don't yell at him!" Penny shouted. "You can't just boss me around like this! I'm an adult!"

"Adult or not, I am your mother. I know what's best for you."

"Is that why I pay the bills? Is that what's best for me?"

Pam's chin shook. "Fine. Would you like to know what I was going to talk to you about at home? I'll tell you. I just heard from one of the lovely mothers of this town that this—" she pointed at Sebastian again—"this man was seen sneaking out of our house early in the morning. After spending the night with you. Under my roof. Behind my back."

"What?" Penny's voice came out hollow and thin.

Pam's lip curled. "I thought I raised you right, kid. I thought you knew better. But I guess I was wrong, and the whole town found out before I did."

Penny realized then that a small crowd was watching them. Not just tourists, but people they knew. Their friends and neighbors. Penny's face burned. She glanced at Sebastian; he was fuming, gritting his teeth. She wanted to respond; to defend herself; to defend Sebastian. But the words wouldn't come.

Pam grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward town, and Penny stumbled along compliantly. Her strength from a minute ago had vanished.

But Sebastian ran in front of them, stopping in Pam's path and holding up his hands. Penny could tell he was holding back his anger as he spoke. "Pam, wait. It wasn't like that," he said, hurried and panicked. "You're right, I did spend the night, but what you're imagining happened didn't. Penny didn't do anything wrong."

Pam ignored him and tried to walk around, but he cut off her path again. "Listen to me, please. I really like your daughter. My intentions—my intentions are good, I promise you. I care about her; I want to date her."

Even amidst her anger and humiliation, Penny's heart soared with his words. But they meant nothing to her mother.

"That is what men do," Pam said coldly. "They say fine words and have good intentions. Now move."

Pam tried to keep walking, but Penny pulled back and yanked her arm free. "You're wrong," she said, trembling. "We haven't done anything wrong, and I'm not going home with you."

Now she'd done it.

Pam was too angry for words.

But from the crowd of onlookers, Gus pushed through and placed a hand on Pam's shoulder. She looked between Penny and Sebastian, then stormed off into town.

The tears Penny had managed to hold back wouldn't wait any longer, and she began to cry. Sebastian pulled her into him, and she buried her face in his chest. He held her tightly, wrapping one hand up to hold the back of her head. Penny didn't want to see or hear anything but darkness and the sound of Sebastian's heart.

She wasn't sure how long Sebastian let her stand there. His warmth kept out the chilly fall air, and he smelled nice, like laundry detergent. Eventually she tilted her head up, and he gave her enough room to move, though he didn't let go. His eyes were red.

"What do we do?" Penny whispered.

"What would you like to do?"

"Can we go somewhere? I can't go home."

Sebastian nodded. "Do you want to come home with me? You can stay in Maru's room tonight." He looked off and to the side, and nodded at someone else. Penny hadn't wanted to see anyone, but now she pulled away from Sebastian to see who he was looking at. The crowd had dispersed, but all their friends were there, about ten feet away.

Maru said something to Sam and squeezed his arm, then left him and joined Sebastian and Penny. "Coming home with us, then?" She smiled comfortingly and wiped Penny's cheeks with her sleeve.

Sebastian took Penny's left hand and Maru took her right, and they walked up the mountain together.