MV Love

One winter’s afternoon, on the small island Martha’s Vineyard, Miss Johnson’s children Amy, Nicole, and Timothy went outside to build in the snow. As they were building they didn’t notice their old friend, Matthew Fern and his annoying brother and sister, hiding in the bushes near the road. Amy and Nicole were rolling snow to make a snowman body while Timothy went to find little pebbles for the snowman’s face. Matthew’s little sister, Jamie, threw a snowball at Nicole and hit her in her back. Nicole swung around and noticed the Fern’s by the bushes.

She went to Amy and whispered, “The Ferns are here... by the bushes...” Amy looked over by the bushes and saw the three. “Jamie threw a snowball at me...!”

Amy sighed, “Well, make a snowball and throw it back at her.”

Nicole’s eyes widened and she and Amy began to make snowballs.

As they were making the snowballs, two more were thrown at them. Soon after the snowballs were thrown, the Ferns jumped out of the bushes.

During the mini snowball battle Timothy turned around to bring the pebbles, and when he did he saw his two sisters and the Ferns throwing snowballs.

He threw down the pebbles, made a snowball, and as he threw it, he shouted, “Bombs away!”

After their little quarrel, they all plopped on the porch chairs.

When Miss Johnson came out to see how they all were, she noticed them all huffing and puffing on the porch.

She said, “You all look cold. Why don’t you come in to get warm and have a cup of hot chocolate?”

As she walked back in, they all followed her.

Inside they took their hot chocolates and were allowed to drink it in the family room.

But as they headed to the other room, Miss Johnson called after them, “Don’t get any chocolate on my rug or it will take you a long time to get the stain out!”

They nodded their heads and left the room.

As the others talked, Matthew and Amy talked among themselves. But at one point of their conversation Amy was surprised.

Matthew asked Amy, “Will you go out with me tomorrow afternoon?”

Amy answered, “Yes! I mean... sure...!”

As Matthew and his siblings left Amy ran up to her room and flopped on her top bunk.

She dosed off because when she woke up she could smell dinner being cooked on the stove. She ran downstairs to see if it was ready. As she entered the kitchen she saw everyone at the dinner table and her mother serving everyone.

As she sat down, her mother said, “It’s about time you woke up, we were going to start eating without you! Now grab a plate and a cup from the cupboard and sit down so I can give you some food.”

Amy took her things and sat down. When their mother sat down Nicole started a conversation first, but this time it wasn’t about herself. It was about Amy.

“Matthew Fern asked Amy to go out with him tomorrow afternoon,” Nicole began in a serious voice, “And you know what she said? She said yes!”

Miss Johnson raised her eyebrows and looked at Amy, “Really...!? From our old family friend, huh? That’s wonderful! So are you really going or did you just say yes so he wouldn’t bug you?”

“I’m going,” Amy began, “But I don’t know what to say, what to wear, and what if...”

Her mother cut her off by saying, “Dear, how about after dinner you and I go into the family room and talk alone.”

Amy nodded.

After dinner Amy and Miss Johnson cleaned the dishes they went into the family room.

Miss Johnson looked over at Nicole and said, “Nicole, take Timothy with you upstairs and play a game while I have a private talk with your sister, ok?”

“But mom...” Nicole began.

“No buts! Now go.”

“Ok...”

Nicole grabbed Timothy’s hand and brought him upstairs.

Miss Johnson took her seat next to Amy and asked, “Now, what do you want to talk about?”

“Well mother, first I want you to tell me what to say, then I want you to tell me...” Amy began, but was stopped again.

“Amy, you have to tell me one at a time so I can answer better.”

Amy started again, but this time one at a time, “Ok... I want to know what I should say to him when he asks me something.”

Miss Johnson smiled, “Say anything. You know him well enough to say anything around him.”

“Ok. Now what should I wear tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow we’ll both pick out which outfit to wear, next question!”

“All right, now this I’m not sure of, I mean, it probably won’t happen...”

“Just say it.”

“Ok, what if he kisses me when he drops me off...?”

“Oh! Well... let’s see...” her mother began to think, then answered, “Just go with it!”

Amy repeated all the answers in her head when she was done and soon went to bed.

The next day everyone was in the kitchen eating breakfast.

Amy asked, “So mother, are you going to help me pick out an outfit?”

“Amy,” her mother began, “Finish your breakfast. You still have till later this morning to get ready.”

When everyone was done with breakfast, they all went into the family room to listen to the morning stories on the radio. Amy and her mother went upstairs to where Amy and Nicole’s closet to pick out an outfit.

Miss Johnson waited downstairs until Amy was done changing.

Eventually Amy came down wearing a dark red dress and her long, brown hair in a different style of buns.

Miss Johnson stood up to admire her daughters outfit. But right before she was about to say anything there was a knock at the door.

Amy answered the door.

Matthew stood there wearing a suit.

When he saw Amy he began, “You look...” but before he finished he noticed her blushing and stopped. He said under his breath, as he smiled, “Never mind...”

Just as their eyes began to meet Miss Johnson walked into the room, “Ah, Matt! What time are you bringing her home?”

“Before dinner!” Matthew answered.

Miss Johnson smiled, “Good! Now have time!”

Miss Johnson handed Amy her cape and muff and the two left.

As the two went down the stairs, Matthew said, “Umm, first I thought we should take a walk around the park and then... take a carriage around Oak Bluffs to talk, is that ok?”

“That’s all right...!” Amy answered, smiling.

As they walked around the park, Amy asked, “What’s it like living in a big house and having as much money as you do? Ah, you don’t have to answer those questions if you don’t want to!”

“I’ll answer them,” Matthew said, smiling down at her, “Well... it always feels like I’m lost because there’s so much to my house. And it’s weird having a lot of money, mostly because girls always want to do things with me because I have money.”

“Oh Matt, I’m not here with you just because of your money... I’m here because... well... I like you...!” She then looked up at him.

He looked at her and said, “Same with me, I guess, I mean, I never would’ve asked you to go out with me today if I didn’t like you. Now it’s my turn.”

“Okay!”

“Okay then, now... what’s it like living in a little cottage?”

“Well, it’s all right, it’s just I have to share the room my brother and sister. I liked my other house because I had my own room.” Amy then looked down, “But when father died, we lost the house, so we moved here with my grandmother.”

Matthew took her hand, “My mother died... So I know what it’s like...”

Amy looked up at him, “What happened...?”

“Well... My mother died from giving birth to my little brother.”

“How...?”

“From losing too much blood...”

After a while they reached the spot where they had to wait for the carriage.