Ash pulled up his hood, crossed his arms, and started to walk briskly home from school. The bitter cold penetrated what little warmth Ash's sleeveless hoodie could give him.

"Damn, I should've brought a jacket," he thought. "Hopefully walking faster will keep me warm, I have to get home quickly anyway with this much homework."

Ash wasn't the best student ever, the twelve-year-old often got in trouble for not doing work and having a bad attitude.

"A detention on a day like this?" Ash stared at the ground and focused on kicking the leaves blowing in the frigid wind. He was distracted by a bus roaring by and tripped over the uneven sidewalk.

"Crap!" Ash yelled at the stinging pain in his leg. "Mom will freak if I bleed all over my jeans," he said of the large bleeding gash on his right knee. Ash took of his backpack and fumbled through it until he found a roll of tape.

"No more tissue paper," he said is dismay at an empty pack of Kleenex. "This notebook paper should work though." Ash folded the paper up and taped it over the wound. "Perfect!" He started to roll down his jeans again when Ash heard footsteps behind him. He turned and saw a girl about his age standing over him while smiling.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"Um, Hikari, what are you doing here?" Ash asked, still somewhat confused.

"I had volleyball practice today." Ash noticed that Hikari was holding an athletic bag. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to not bleed to death, isn't it obvious?"

"Don't be such a smart-aleck, you're not going to die over scraping your knee. Let me guess, detention again?"

Ash gave Hikari a mean look. "I don't know what the teachers are thinking. They should know my mom can't pick me up, it freakin' cold out here!"

"Well you wrote cuss word all over Paul's locker. It says in the school's policy that students are not to deface other student's or the school's property."

"I don't care, that bastard deserves it! He doesn't care about anyone, he just shuts everything out! Have you ever seen him smile?"

"If that's the case, you two should get along," Hikari said angrily. And with that she crossed the street and stormed off.

"She really thinks I'm like Paul? Wonder what the volleyball coaches gave her."

"I'm home mom!" Ash yelled as he stepped into his apartment. The sudden warmth made his cheeks feel like they were on fire. Ash didn't stop to see how his mom's day was, he walked up the stairs to his room. He turned on the light and flopped dejectedly onto his bed. Ash stared at the posters on his walls. Smiling Pokemon, emo bands, and hundreds of his drawings stared back.

"Look at this, I don't even know who I want to be." He remembered Hikari's words. "I definitely don't want to be like Paul. What I really wish is to go back a few years when everything was so much easier."

"How was your day?" Ash heard his mom yell from the kitchen.

"Fine." Ash said, yelling took too much energy.

"Why are you so late?"

"Leave me alone, jeez!" he yelled back angrily. Ash buried his head under his pillow and closed his eyes. Ash heard the door to his room open slowly.

"Are you sure you're alright, honey?" Ash's mom said quietly. Ash didn't answer. His mom sat on his bed and put her arm on his back. Ash didn't want to admit that it was comforting, but it wasn't what he needed.

"I know it's hard, just try your best to get through. This phase will be over in a few years."

"You don't know a thing, no adult does. A few years is like forever, I'll die before that happens."

"We're not as stupid as you think, and don't say such things. I don't like you talking about dying." When Ash didn't answer again she left the room.

"Don't forget your homework!" she yelled.

"Screw homework, it doesn't mean anything. After you turn it in then what? At least I tried to finish my math homework during study hall. That's only because if you don't work on something you get in trouble. Why can't I have any control over my life? At least I can draw, when you draw you're in control." Ash reached into his backpack and pulled out a notebook. He took a pencil off his nightstand.

"Oh, before I forget!" Ash thought. He rolled up his pants leg and pulled off the mock bandage. Ash winced at the pain but was relieved to see that the wound was no longer bleeding. He lazily threw the paper in his backpack and focused his attention on drawing again. Lines, circles, and a worn down eraser later, Ash had a happy version of himself holding balloons. Ash stared at the picture and tears welled up in his eyes. He wiped them away and taped the drawing to his wall.

"Diner's ready!" Ash's mom called to him. Ash ran downstairs to the small table in the kitchen. His mom was an amazing cook."So what is it tonight?" asked Ash.

"It's pasta, I didn't feel like making anything fancy so I thought something simple would work."

"That's OK, it's really good!" Ash said enthusiastically.

"I'm glad, but don't talk with your mouth full." Ash heard the house phone start ringing. His mom left the room to go get it. When she came back she looked furious.

"What was it?" Ash asked casually.

"That was your school. They say you graffiti-ed another student's locker with bad words. Why would you do that?" Ash's heart started to beat madly.

"He deserved it, mom! Besides, permanent markers aren't really permanent, and I already got a detention, that's why I was late!" Ash tried to argue.

"I don't care, you're grounded for the rest of the year, and no dinner!" his mom yelled lividly. "Go upstairs and do your homework!"

Ash didn't want his mom's words to bother him but he couldn't help wanting to cry. He ran up the stairs and slammed his door.

"I don't think I can take this anymore. Why does no one truly care about me?" Ash thought dejectedly.

"That's not true," someone said back. Ash whirled around to see where the voice came from. He was sitting on his bed, really.

"W-who are you, why do you look and sound like me, and how did you get here?" Ash stuttered in shock.

"I'm you, simple. Call me Dark Ash."

"Dark? Is that why your voice sounds so haunting? Why are you here? You never answered me." Ash wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not.

"You called me here basically, feeling the way you do. Here, come sit down." Dark Ash motioned to the spot next to him. Ash sat down uncomfortably.

"Closer," said Dark Ash.

"Why should I?"

"You're warm."

"Um, that's creepy," Ash said, "but OK." Ash scooted over until he was right next to Dark Ash. He finally got a good look at his face.

"What's wrong with your eyes? They're so lifeless. And why are are you freezing cold?" Ash definitely was not relieved.

"It's not important, but you are." Dark Ash rested his head on Ash's shoulder.

"It's your bedtime Ash!" his mother called to him.

"I have to get ready now, got it?"

"I know, I'll wait for you." Ash walked into the hall to the bathroom. He started to brush his teeth.

"Are these drawings yours?" Dark Ash called to Ash.

"Shhh, my mom will hear you!" snapped Ash.

"Who're you talking too?" asked Ash's mom.

"No one!" Ash replied. He walked back into his bedroom and yawned. He noticed that Dark Ash had already taken off his jeans and hoodie.

"Wait, I sleep in a T-shirt and boxers too. How did you know?" Ash asked suspiciously.

"Many people do, and remember, I'm you so I do too."

"Interesting." Ash took his hoodie and jeans off too. "So, are we going to sleep together or what?" he asked.

"Duh, it'll be more comfortable that way." Ash got into bed and Dark Ash crawled in next to him. Ash turned off the light. Ash couldn't hold it back any longer, he started laughing uncontrollably.

"This is just too weird. I must be losing my mind. I mean really, another me!"

"But it's true."

"Then how come it hasn't happened to anyone else?"

"It's because your feelings are so sensitive."

"That I can actually conjure up another person like me?"

"Pretty much." Ash didn't answer, he didn't know what to make of the situation. He did know that although he felt he shouldn't, he didn't hate Dark Ash. On the contrary, Ash liked not being alone. But it was confusing too, not knowing what was going on.

"I thought life was hard before, this is insane!" thought Ash. "I wish this could all just go back to normal." Ash cried for real this time.