Yo. I'm back and writing a new story even though I really should finish my other one. So this is The Arist if you didn't bother read the title. I'll try updating this one quickly.

Mayliena Emily Maple ~

"It's amazing, simply put, it's divine." The woman was ebullient over May's painting. "Mrs. Maple, you must be filled with so many emotions."

"In more ways than you could imagine," Caroline replied with a grotesque smile as the woman walked away.

May tugged at the hem of her mother's dress. "Mommy?"

Caroline pinched the bridge of her nose and spoke, "What have you created? Even with the finest acrylic in all of Hoenn you couldn't do anything useful with it." She crouched down until she was eye to eye with her seven year-old daughter and spoke in a low voice, "What is this monstrosity you call you painting, Mayliena Emily Maple?"

"It's my Torchic evolving." May whispered while she held back tears.

"Do you believe you could earn my love like that?" Caroline returned in a hushed and abrasive tone.

"No…" May cried silently, but gradually her volume increased, "No, NO!"

And then, our heroine woke up.

"May, wake up!"

The first thing I saw or heard when I woke up that fateful day was Brendan Birch whining.

"You sure flail a lot," Brendan said while rubbing his lower arm. "Like a Magikarp."

I was groggy, my mind was pretty slow in the morning, so I had to rack my mind for a decent comeback. "You sure don't feel embarrassed about being on a girl's bed while she sleeps." I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes to look at him. "Clueless like a Psyduck."

"I know," Brendan grinned cheekily. "Besides, we're putting aside the fact that I always do this, and we should get you some breakfast; I know you'll enjoy it more than that nightmare you just had."

Brendan knows it all. He knows about my mother, he knows whenever something's wrong, and he knows about my inner Artist.

I gave him a quick silent treatment as I tossed on my school uniform and walked to the kitchen. There were dried tears that stuck on my face so I tried to swipe them away. I sat down in front of a plate of freshly flipped pancakes.

"Thanks," I said as a token of gratitude just before I started gorging on the feast that lay before me.

"No problem, but hurry, if we don't get our seats in class, we might get stuck with showing the new kid around." Brendan grabbed both our backpacks and held the door open. He's quite the gentleman.

I graciously took my pack and swallowed abruptly, "New kid?"

"My dad told me about him." Brendan answered. I nodded.

Within twenty minutes of walking in our content silence, we had already arrived at school, made a shortstop to our lockers, and found decent seats in the classroom. Class started in five minutes, which was two hundred seventy more seconds than I wanted to wait. So I started talking to Brendan, although I knew it was risky. I'm not a patient person. As the last stragglers coursed in and found seats, the teacher walked in with an unfamiliar face.

"Class, this is-" The teacher was 'rudely' interrupted by Brendan's laughter. I should have kept my mouth shut. "Brendan Birch, what is so funny? I'm introducing a new student right now. It seems quite rude of you to interrupt." See? But Brendan looked up at her sheepishly, his face was a small tint of pink from laughing too much. "Oh! You are volunteering to be his guide around school for the next week, aren't you? Great, that's settled."

Brendan moaned, "But Ms. Erika, it's only fair to have another soul join me," Brendan looked directly at me.

I shook my head vigorously in vain as he continued, "May was the one responsible for my disruption; she can accompany me as well."

"Very well, just sit down. Mayliena, if you didn't hear correctly, you will also be a guide for Drew here. Now, if you didn't figure out yet, this boy's name is Drew Hayden. He will be joining us for homeroom; some of you will be joining him for other classes, others not so much. Please take a seat behind Brendan, Drew."

He nodded a bit uncomfortably as over thirty pairs of eyes stared him down. He kept his head level, but gave a glance to Brendan. And then one to me. Judging.There was something unique about him, but something off. Something I can't describe, obviously, but he evidently crossed the line when I felt him stare at the back of my head the entire homeroom. Brendan felt that I was unnerved and peeked over at me concerned. Isn't he just the best? We exchanged glances and we both knew this was going to be a lengthy and tedious week.

The bell sounded and homeroom was over. I guess it was time to introduce ourselves to the new bait. Brendan and I sighed as we stood up and turned around. Drew was up, too. Then there was an awkward stare down. Deciding to be the sociable one, I held out my hand.

"I'm May and this is Brendan."

"I obviously know at least that much, June." He flicked his hair in the most arrogant of ways.

I stared at Brendan and my eyes said, This isn't going to work out smoothly, I hate his guts already.

His reply? It was something along the lines of You'd better be quick for comebacks. Thanks, Brendan, thanks.

Brill. You know I adore reviews. Anyways, those of you who read Here Once Again, please reread the first two chapters, I've redone them. I'll continue redoing the third chapter because I really hate what I did there. Gah. Cream Soda Psh Out.