Ed came to see me at home the next morning, and I could tell from the bounce in her step that she had new and progressive information for me.

She shouted good morning to my mother, who was on her way out of the house, then slapped Jerry on the head before proceeding to grab my wrist and drag me to the patio out back.

"Big news, big news, big news!" she pronounced as she pushed me down on a chair by my shoulders. She then pulled up a chair next to me and sat down.

On the patio was a table and a couple of chairs for when we wanted to have meals outside, or simply sit or talk privately. The stool Mr. Vaughn carved was in a corner, and my mother usually sat there when she weaved or pounded something.

"What is it?" I asked Ed in anticipation.

She'd worn grey slacks and a grey sweater vest over her long sleeved white shirt, while I had worn a simple long dress as usual. It was lime green with short sleeves. I'd held some of the braids in the front and middle of my head back in a short ponytail.

Ed snapped her fingers and gave me a toothy smirk. "I found your prospective date."

I gasped and leaned on the table, towards her. "Already? How did you find him so quickly?"

"I did what a reasonable person would do when they're searching for someone," Ed replied. "I asked the police."

My jaw dropped. "The police? Ed, we are looking for a simple date, not a missing person!"

"Well, regarding the impossibility and urgency of the matter at hand, I had to employ the most effective measures," she reasoned.

I groaned, but let it slide. I needed the information. "What did you find?"

"Hey, do you have any cakes or left over toast or something?" She asked. "I was so excited when I left home, the adrenaline must've caused my breakfast to digest faster on my way here."

I was too invested in her 'big news' to get side-tracked at that particular moment. "I'll get you breakfast after you tell me what you discovered, now out with it already. Hurry up."

"Alright then." Ed shifted a bit in her seat as she prepared to spill the beans, which heightened my anticipation. "So I went down to the station because who else knows the people in this town more than law enforcers who protect and investigate them every other day? So I told Inspector Raphael about our particular issue-"

"You told Inspector Raphael I was looking for a date!"I exclaimed, appalled.

"No, of course not!" Ed shook her head fervently. "I just told him I was looking for a new friend who is unpopular and reserved. Told him I was bored with everyone in this Town and needed to meet someone who is about my age and is not like me at all, because unlike poles attract."

I raised an eyebrow. "And he bought that?"

I knew Inspector Raphael a bit, and I knew he suspected Ed was always up to something. He started harbouring that suspicion when three years back, she started a rumour that a gang of robbers were to attack and plunder the Town in four days. It spread like wild fire and caused a ruckus within the station.

If Inspector Raphael hadn't gotten to the bottom of it, Richard Town would have gone to war with the next town down the valley, in which the gang was rumoured to live.

So imagine his shock when Ed went up to him the following week and declared her dream of becoming a police inspector.

Ed shrugged. "He still gave me the information, so I guess so," she answered and smiled cockily. "He must finally be warming up to me as his apprentice. You know, since we did help him catch that carrot thief a month ago-"

"Focus!" I banged the table in frustration. "What's the information?"

"Oh right." Ed put on her serious face. "We ran through some names together, and I made a shocking discovery, which is that there is one name I didn't recognise belonging to a person I never knew existed. How crazy is that?"

I made a motion with my hand, prompting her to go on.

"Get this," Ed continued, sounding more excited by the second. "Turns out Mr. Vaughn has a third son - the last born of three who is eighteen years old."

Oh. My. God.

"And his name is-"

"Callum," I whispered his name at the same time Ed said it. I blinked at Ed, who was clearly confused.

"What's this, then?" she asked. "You already know this boy?"

Then her tone turned accusing. "You already know this boy and I didn't know about it?"

I heaved a sigh. "Oh, Eddie."

"What?" Frowning, Ed folded her arms and gave me an upward nod. "Do you have anything to say to me?"

Who knew that we would come to the same conclusion somehow?

"I met Callum Vaughn at his father's workplace yesterday evening," I told Ed. "I swear I had never seen him before yesterday. Well, at least, I don't remember seeing him."

Ed gave me a distrustful look. "What do you mean?"

"He's worked on LightHouse a few times and he's been to my home once," I relayed. "But it completely skipped my mind because he practically lacks presence. I was going to tell you about it, but I didn't imagine it would connect to me finding a prospective date."

Ed clicked her tongue and shook her head slowly in a pitying manner. "Of course it wouldn't connect for you. You cannot put two and two together as quickly as I do. Otherwise, you would have realised yesterday that the person you are looking for was right in front of you. You even had a chance to assess his personality."

I grimaced. "You know I'm not good at that," I said, "but he did seem..." I thought back to Callum's actions. "Withdrawn, I guess."

"Don't even waste time explaining this to me, my sister," Ed disregarded my talk with a wave of her hand. "I will have to meet him and judge for myself. Now all you have to do is find out whether he likes Poppy and pray to the heavens that he doesn't."

My stomach tied up with anxiety. I had gotten a prospective date early enough, but the biggest hurdle still stood in my way - Poppy. Even when she wasn't near me, she was still such a pain.

I took a deep breath. "Okay, let's lay out our plan once more and see where we stand." I flicked my index finger. "Phase one; get a prospective date to Establishment Day, and it's complete."

"Phase two." Ed continued as I flicked my middle finger. "Find out about Poppy from him. If he's interested, we go back to phase one, and if he's not, we proceed to phase three."

I flicked my fourth finger. "Phase three; get him to ask me to Establishment Day."

It was a simple three-phase plan but it made me so darn anxious; especially phase two, which was the most important determinant.

"Alright. Now that that's settled. I'll have my breakfast now!" Ed chirped, with a huge grin on her face.

*****

I had to work at the salon that day, so Ed and I couldn't meet until later in the evening. I helped Madam Monica with a client who wanted her short kinky hair plaited in long braids with beads at the ends, then plaited five cornrows for another client.

No doubt my fingers ached after that, and after a long day, I swept up the place while Madam Monica rested in one of the sofas with one leg crossed elegantly over the other. She wore her hair natural in all its thick black lion's mane - except kinky.

I didn't understand how she did it. My hair wouldn't last long out of its braids. I'd get tired of combing way too quickly, and don't get me started on shrinkage.

I was still sweeping when I heard Madame Monica fox whistle followed by, "Here comes the most delicious beefcake in Town. Mm, mm, mmm."

And I knew immediately who she meant.

The door opened and Inspector Raphael walked in. He was dressed in fitting dark brown trousers with braces, plus a long sleeved button up white shirt that gripped his bulging muscles. His Inspector's badge was pinned on the left breast and he wore a silver watch on his wrist. He was a bulk of a man, with light brown skin, curly black hair and hazel eyes. He was also one of the tenants of LightHouse.

Some people called him 'lightskin' because of his biracial heritage and appearance, and some townsfolk hadn't been particularly welcoming when he first stepped here five years ago. It was yet another uncalled for and nonsensical prejudice that got me into a number of arguments with a number of people.

Inspector Raphael did serve well, and proved his reliable and trustworthy nature overtime. He successfully shut up those who held the prejudice, and Ed and I liked him for his 'I'm not taking shit from you,' attitude.

"Good evening, Monique," he greeted in his cool, deep voice.

"Mine just got better with your visit," she replied, looking him up and down. "What can I do you for, Inspector?"

Inspector Raphael flashed her a white smile. It looked more dazzling with his clean-shaven jaw. His eyes then landed on me and I gave him a toothy beam.

He nodded at me. "Hey there, Brownie. Thought I'd find Serge here."

"That lil' tomboy ain't here," Madam Monica cut in. "Probably saw you coming and ran. What she do this time?"

'Serge' was what Inspector Raphael called Ed.

"She's not in trouble yet," said Inspector Raphael. "She asked for something earlier and I wanted to give it to her."

My ears perked up. Something ...like information about Callum Vaughn?

"Something like what?" I asked innocently.

He returned my innocent smile and said, "Tell her to come down to the station once you see her."

I pouted and he gave me a two finger salute instead.

Typical Inspector Raphael and his mystery.

"See you around, Monique," he bid his farewell.

"Bye, honey," Madam Monica cooed and wiggled her fingers in a wave.

Once the Inspector exited the salon, she mumbled, "Yum yuuummm."

I rolled my eyes.

Inspector Raphael was too fixed on his work to seek out romance - so I'd heard from his workmates. And my mother.

*****

Ed didn't seem to be showing up soon at the salon, so I decided to head for Mr Vaughn's workplace without her. It was getting late, and I didn't want to miss out on seeing Callum.

As I approached the Carpenter's, I saw someone locking it up from outside. Judging by his hair and build, it was most definitely Callum. A wave of excitement rushed through me at the realisation, and I had no idea why.

When he turned to leave, I yelled - loudly, "Callum!"

He visibly flinched, probably scared out of his boots by my alarm, and I noticed the strange looks the passers-by gave me. I simply curtsied to them.

Callum turned to face me with a look of surprise on his face as I strode to him.

"Rose..." he said my name like I was an apparition.

"What? Shocked to hear me call you or shocked to see me?" I asked in a playful tone. "I can call your name, right? I mean when I see you, of course. It's natural that I would call out to you when I see you because we now know each other. I ought to do things like greet you and talk to you, because we, uh, know each other. Right?"

Damn it, I rambled.

Callum did that thing where he folded his lips in, and I couldn't help but think he was trying not to laugh at me.

"Indeed," he said with a small smile. "Hello, Rose."

I smiled big, and he cast his gaze downwards, colour painting his cheeks.

"Done for the day?" I inquired, gesturing to the workplace.

"Uh, y-yes. I was heading ho-" He swung his arm to point in a particular direction and as a result, the keys in his hand flew and landed on the ground.

Both of us rushed to that spot and crouched to pick the keys so quickly, our heads bumped.

"Ow!" we chorused and I brought my palm to my aching forehead.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

I cut him off by grabbing his head and bumping it lightly against mine.

He ogled at me with his lips parted to show surprise. "Again...?"

"It's some superstition my family holds," I explained briefly, rubbing my forehead. "Don't mind it."

Even though I stopped believing I would grow horns if I bumped my head once a long time ago, I still bumped twice as a habit.

He nodded in understanding, and his eyes lowered to locate the keys. He then leaned in towards me as his hand picked up the keys, which brought our faces really close.

My breath hitched as my heart went da-dum at the sudden proximity. His gaze flicked up to me once more and held my own.

How could I not have noticed how beautiful his blue eyes were? Or how perfectly aligned his eyelashes were, or how pink and alluring his lips were-

Woah there, champion.

I snapped out of my trance at the same time he swiftly rose to his feet with another apology.

"Sorry, I didn't uhm....I didn't mean to get so...so close to you," he stammered as he rubbed the back of his neck.

I slowly stood up, still a tad flustered. "That's okay. It was unavoidable."

Even his ears were pink, this boy. At that moment, I thanked God for my skin; otherwise I'd look like a tomato.

"Oho!" Ed's voice came out of nowhere and made me flinch. I spun to my right and saw her standing there, with her thumbs tucked in the belt loops of her slacks.

"What's this now?" she inquired, glancing suspiciously between me and Callum. "Are you two conducting theatre in the middle of the streets?"

She directed her berating tone to me, "Nkwanzi, weren't we supposed to walk together today? What happened?"

I glared back at her. "You were late," I stated through gritted teeth. I wasn't going to look like the bad one yet she was the one who couldn't keep time.

"Well I am here now!" Ed announced in a cheer and stepped in between me and Callum. She glanced at him then cocked her head to me. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

I gave her a sickly sweet smile which she returned.

"Ed, this is Callum. Callum, this is Ed, my dear friend," I introduced.

"Pleasure to meet you, Callum." Ed extended her hand for a handshake.

Callum shook it with a small smile. "You too. Although I already knew you."

Ed gasped. She looked at me, asking with her eyes, 'Did you hear the same thing I just heard?' and I replied her with a look saying, 'I'm just as surprised.'

"How would you have known me, Callum?" Ed asked him.

He chuckled. "I don't think there is anyone in this Town who doesn't know you."

He had a point. Ed was kind of famous, in a way.

"The girl who wears trousers and rides bicycles," Callum elaborated.

"I only got caught that one time!" Ed argued.

"You also spread a rumour that could have caused a civil crisis," Callum pointed out.

"That was-!" Ed made to counter, but shut up on realising she didn't have a defence and merely shrugged her shoulders. "I see my reputation precedes me."

She grinned at Callum. "How about we go get some samosas? My treat. What do you say?"

Callum looked at me. His expression seemed to be asking for approval, or like he would go with whatever I said.

"If you're treating, then I'm in." I smiled at Ed.

"Great, let's go!" Ed slapped Callum on the shoulder and marched forward. We followed.

"So, is Ed short for something?" Callum asked as we walked side by side, with Ed in the middle.

Ed nodded. "Yes. Edward."

Callum widened his eyes. "Your name is Edward?"

She shook her head, a small smirk playing on her lips. "No, it's not."

"But you just said..."

"That Ed is short for Edward. I simply answered your question." Ed chirped, clearly having fun. "Oh. Ed is also short for Edwin."

I rolled my eyes at her antics and stole a glance at Callum who looked frustrated. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it like he'd decided against it. He instead resorted to fidgeting with the keys in his hands.

He was kind of adorable.

*****

At Mrs. Lawrence's shop, Callum and I sat down at one of the tables outside while Ed went in to make the order.

The tables were small and round, with umbrellas sticking out of the middle so as to shield customers from the sun. It was a small establishment, so seats were only available outside the shop but within the confines of the short picket fence.

I took the opportunity to subtly ask Callum about Poppy.

"So," I started. "You knowing Ed must mean you pay attention to what happens in this Town."

"Not really," he replied. "I only knew about Ed because she was outstanding. Really memorable."

"Ah, outstanding," I repeated. "Then I suppose you know the people that stand out. Gareth the musician, Inspector Raphael....Poppy...." I paused for effect, then added, "Boris..."

Boris was an alcoholic, and a loud one at that.

Callum furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and asked, "Who's Poppy?"

And I could have hugged him till his eyeballs popped right there and then.

A/N:

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