SkyexJill: To Catch a Maiden 12

I wandered through the crops, pondering how much I could take without making the farmers feel devastated. Since it was such an expansive farm with so many crops, I came to the decision that I could take as much as I wanted. Especially since this was Elvis's farm. I could live with myself if I bankrupted the guy. After becoming so close to my Jill, it only made sense for me to ruin him. However, he wasn't the only person that benefited from these crops, and I didn't want to hurt the innocent farmers: the girl and the angry lady. Whatever their names were...

Speak of the devil... I saw the angry woman and the nervous maiden wandering through the crops. They were looking for me. I stepped away, carefully avoiding both of their gazes. I watched them wearily, calculating my options, deciding on a path...

I was disrupted from my thoughts at hearing an unpleasant voice: Elvis.
"Um, Jill," he said.

Jill? Jill's here?! My eyes darted around for her. I stood in shock when I saw her.

Elvis had his arm around my Jill, gazing down at her the same way a coyote  eyes a helpless rabbit before it eats it... "You know, Jill," Elvis said.

Stop saying her name. You aren't worthy.

He continued, "I just want you to know that I… well this morning when I said someone should be helping you… that I… well, I want to help you. You know that, right?"

She doesn't need your help. I'm all she needs.

"Oh, um, sure Marlin," she said slowly, "I know, and I really appreciate that. I do have a lot of work some days."

My chest hurt slightly. Don't beat around the bush, just reject him, please. I'll help you, if you need it. I don't want Elvis hanging around you...

Elvis nodded and smiled as he continued, "Yeah, I get that. But I don't just want to help you every once in a while."

Too bad. I won't let you get any closer to my Jill than you already are.

Elvis kept talking, "I want to take care of you, Jill. I-"

I was so absorbed in my Jill's conversation that I hadn't noticed the other farmer's approach.

"STOP, THIEF! You ain't gettin' your grimy paws on my veggies!" Vesta was shouting at me. The angry farmer-lady.

I quickly slid into my thief-mode, pushing the matter with Elvis back. I couldn't protect my Jill from him if I was in prison, now, could I?

Annoying. You think yelling at me will get me to hold still? That only works on maidens when I do it. "Hehe. Don't let such raw anger steal away your beauty," I said, unable to keep myself from smiling. It just seemed really funny that this older maiden thought she could catch me after so many others had failed.

"You... you... you!!!" Vesta sputtered angrily.

I couldn't help but laugh. That face was priceless.

Celia, the younger farmer on this farm, stepped in front of Vesta. Why are there so many farmer-maidens around here, anyway..? "H-hey! Hold it, you thief!" she said, trying to sound more bold than she obviously was.

"Hehe. Being cornered by pretty ladies seems to be a curse of mine," I said. Celia blushed at my words. I grinned. She's just like the rest of them. "Guess I'll have to fix that," I declared, "Chick-beam…fire!" My bright, white light lit up the sky. Wonderful.

When my light disappeared, the farmer-maidens were frozen in the middle of the field. Vesta cried out angrily, "What's happening!? I can't move!"

Celia said, somewhat pathetically, "I can't… I can't move either!" It made me feel momentarily guilty, but I couldn't betray that to them. It'd be a weakness. They'd only exploit it. They were all the same.

"Hehe. Don't worry. You'll be able to move soon," I assured her, walking away from the two frozen maidens. "My work is done here. Time to jet."

Elvis jumped over the fence, getting in my way. "Where do you think you're going, you dirty little thief?" he said. You, again... Why can't you people just leave me alone? Your persistence is annoying.

Then, Jill ran up beside him. Backing him up.

My heart throbbed painfully. Why is she backing HIM up? She should be by my side, not his. Even if I'm a thief, she could stay back and let me do my job... No, she has to stand up against me. I just don't want her to be with him. She can stand against me by whoever's side she wants to, just anyone but him... I wanted to scream at her something like, "What are you doing with him again? Don't you know what that does to me?!" However, I kept these thoughts to myself.

"Hehe. So you were all waiting to ambush me tonight, huh?" I asked, trying to cover my disappointment. Based on the expression on Jill's face, I wasn't doing a very good job.

"Please, Skye! Stop stealing!" Jill begged, stepping between me and Elvis. Her enticing amethyst eyes were pleading.

"Hehe. Are you worried about me, my dear Jill? Well, don't be. It's not my time to be caught. You should know that," I said, stepping over and touching Jill's cheek. I had longed to touch her again for so long, yet... Once again, she was with him... "It seems to me that you've caught another, anyways. Tell me I'm wrong, beautiful."

Elvis pulled her back possessively. Did he think he was her boyfriend? "Hey! Back off, pretty boy! Leave Jill alone! You just seduce your way through women, but I bet you couldn't even stand up for yourself against a real man."

Seduce through women..? What are you talking about? Jill's the only one that I've actively tried to get to fall for me. I haven't successfully seduced anyone.

"Feh. I don't want to be caught by a man! Where's the mystique in that?" I couldn't stand having this guy around me or my Jill anymore. I felt like punching him, but Jill wouldn't think too well of me if I did something like that. I'd have to do something more sneaky to beat him down. Something like... An expression crossed Jill's face, like she could read my thoughts. Like she just knew that the next words out of my mouth would be, "Chick-beam…fire!" My light filled the valley once more, freezing Jill in her place.

"Jill?!" Elvis exclaimed. As though he actually cared about her. "You're gonna pay for that you jerk!" he lost his temper and ran at me, swinging his fist wildly.

Bingo. I evaded his blows easily.

"NO!" Jill cried. She doubted me so easily. It was like she thought I'd never been in a fight before.

"Please, is that the best you can do?" I egged him on, pretending to brush myself off, "I can't imagine why Jill would ever want to be near you. She deserves someone who can really defend her." Jill, do you see? Are you watching me? This is that guy's nature. You don't want someone temperamental like this. You need me.

"W-what are you talking about, Skye?" Elvis said bitterly, saying my name like it was a curse. Just like everyone else. "Like you would know, or even care about Jill like I do!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jill blushing at our conversation. I grinned, "Oh is that so?"

Elvis glowered at me. He thought he knew everything about me.

"Well, I wouldn't be so sure about that," I laughed at him. Even if Jill deserves better than me, that goes double for you. I laughed again and looked back at my Jill, "You really should set him straight, my lovely Jill."

"Stop talking to her like you own her!" Elvis shouted, coming at me once again. He resembled a clumsy ox. Only threatening if you were too dumbfounded by his appearances to move.

I laughed and brushed past Jill, whispering in her ear, "Goodnight, beautiful," as I ran off in the general direction of Mineral Town. No strolling. Not with an ornery ox behind me.

***

Jill was with him again... Why is it always him? My heart was tugging me several different ways. Why was it that I continuously felt like I didn't deserve her, that I was nothing more than a no-good stalker-thief-idiot, but I would suddenly feel she could belong to nobody but me whenever Elvis was around? Why was it okay for me to practically go on a date with another girl, but not for Jill to even be near another man..? That thing with Claire wasn't my fault. Claire just showed up. Besides, all we did was talk. Jill chose to be with Elvis. And she decided to back him up instead of me...

Do I even have the right to be so possessive of her? She's not actually my girlfriend, and she doesn't really show any real feelings toward me...

What am I to her? I was nothing more than a thief that had made a bet with her. And she wanted to win. She wanted me to go to prison. My Jill was dead-set on sending me to prison. For a moment, I half considered letting her. I mentally and physically slapped myself for thinking of doing such a thing. I'm not going to prison. I'll steal Jill's heart. I'll definitely win this bet. No matter what. Elvis won't take my Jill from me, and the townspeople won't take me from her. I'm the phantom thief. Nobody will catch me as I steal her heart.

"I'm going to win," I said out loud.