Maine opened her eyes and was shocked to find herself back in the park, underneath their favorite tree where Alden used to take her when he took her biking. She was more shocked to find a very familiar face looking at her, sitting beside her, leaning by one of the huge roots. But unlike before, he was serious. A face devoid of emotion. The all too familiar angry face that the Faulkerson twins share. But it wasn't Richard looking at her.
"Alden?"
"I agree with Arge on this one," he said, his voice also emotionless. "You should really start calling me 'Rich'."
Like the last time he showed himself to her, he didn't change. He looked exactly the same as when he showed himself to her months ago. He was still seventeen, still wearing glasses and his look never changed. But unlike the last time she saw him, he wasn't smiling.
She looked around once more then asked, "am I dead?"
"No," he replied. "But if you don't wake up soon, you might be."
There was a horrified look on Maine's face that Alden scowled. Her expression confused him somewhat. He cocked his head to one side and pushed his glasses on the ridge of his nose.
"I need to wake up," Maine stated. "Alden, you got to help me wake up!"
"You didn't want this to happen?"
"Why would I want this? I'm getting married in three months!"
Alden looked at her once more. His scowl deepened as if trying to let her words sink in.
"Great!" Alden said in exasperation. "I've manifested to the wrong person."
"Alden?"
"You're not the one that's tying me here," he said as he stood up and started pacing. Maine just watched with curiosity and worry.
"I haven't really left, Maine," Alden explained. "I'm still here, connected to our heart. I'd have hoped that bringing you and my brother together would finally set me free. Apparently, not. Something's still holding me back here."
"And you thought it was me?" Maine asked. "Why would you think it was me?"
"I'm still connected to our heart," he replied. "So, I had assumed that you were the one holding me back."
"Well, am I?"
"From that look you gave me, no you're not. Someone else is keeping me here."
"I need to wake up, Alden," she cried. "I need to get back to RJ."
"How much do you love my brother?"
"What?"
"How much do you love RJ?"
"With every fiber of my being," she replied with a small smile.
"You're starting to sound like Arge," Alden chuckled and finally smiled.
Maine smiled back as Alden sat down beside her once more. She leaned her head on her best friend's shoulder. Alden placed an arm on her shoulders, his hand rubbing her upper arm in an up and down motion for comfort. They were silent for a few comfortable moments, deep with their own thoughts.
"What am I doing here, Alden?" Maine sighed, breaking the silence.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Alden replied. "If it's not you, then it has to be my idiot brother."
"Alden!"
"What?" He remarked. "He is an idiot! Right at this moment, I'm thinking this is happening to you because he couldn't move on after my death. He might even still think I'm against the two of you getting together."
"Are you?"
Alden sniggered and replied, "I've always known that you two would make such a lovely couple even before you've met him."
Maine just raised an eyebrow in question but kept silent. Alden chuckled then continued, "try to recall everything that I've done for you when I was still alive. About 90% of that were all his idea. I think mine was just introducing you to Harvest Moon and making him sing to you when you weren't feeling well. But everything else? The majority of that was all RJ.
"I was never really good at making friends. I was the one waiting to be approached, not the other way around. I was the shy one. RJ could make friends with a hungry grizzly bear and would be able to bring some fish home caught by said bear. That's the kind of guy he is. He's so approachable and easy to talk to. I mean, heck. You were very at ease with him after your first meeting. You know it firsthand...So when you moved to the Suniga's home, RJ was the one trying to convince me to approach you. Mom was a bit shocked when I asked her to welcome your family to the neighborhood. But, in all honesty, I wouldn't have been your friend if RJ didn't convince me."
"I have so much to thank RJ for then," Maine smiled but remembered her predicament.
"I need to wake up, Alden," she said again. "I need to go back to him. He wouldn't be able to survive this."
"I know," he replied. "The thing is, you need a trigger to wake up."
He stood once more and said, "I think it's time I had a chat with my idiot brother."