I sit down at an empty table to read wile the last customers of the day finish their food. I'm the only one out of us who really reads books. Cilan reads recipe books but he normally just remembers them. Chili reads the Wii manual when it's broken and sometimes the Nintendo magazine but I'm the only one that reads stories.
I just get to the next chapter when Chili runs out of the door, looking angry.
"What's wrong this time?" I mumble to myself as I follow him outside.
He's sitting on the steps outside our gym with his head in his hands.
"Chili, what happened?" I ask him as I sit next to him.
"It's just this horrible bunch of time between new year's day and spring, so dark and gloomy and the sun sets just after midday."
"So? What's your point?"
"Well there are no trainers to battle. They all go home for Christmas and don't start their journey again until spring." He says.
"But aren't you happy that Cilan is back with us for a while?" I ask.
"Yes. But there's still no one to battle."
"I'm sure Ash would battle you if you asked him. He always wants to get lots of extra training before his next gym battle."
"But he always battles Cilan! In fact, if it weren't for Ash then Cilan wouldn't have gone on his journey and we wouldn't be left to run the place on our own!"
"It's not his fault. It was Cilan's idea to go with Ash." There's an awkward silent moment before I speak again, "It's not all been bad. I mean we never had frozen meals before did we?"
"No. But Cilan's coking is better." Chili replies. I stand up and hold my hand out to Chili to pull him up.
"Come on. Let's go back inside and clean up. Then we can ask Ash and Cilan if they'll battle you." He smiles and gives me a hug.
"Thanks, Cress, you're the best brother ever, And Cilan."