"I hate rainy summers." Jun rolled around on his bed, back and forth, the way someone would roll their pencil on a desk when they were bored with nothing to do. "I really, really, really hate rainy summers."
No matter how many times Jun said the same thing, he couldn't get it out of his mind. With nothing to do, he couldn't stop thinking. He didn't like to think; he just liked to do. Sometimes it lead to bad things, but nothing could stay bad forever—all it needed was a good cleaner upper, or that's what he believed. He'd been in those situations enough to know what to do for most. He wasn't that immature boy that everyone thought he was, but it was easier just to let them think that instead of trying to explain everything to them. Let what is stay what is.
Jun closed his eyes. How long had it been since he'd taken a nap? Not even when he was a little baby did he take naps. He'd remembered his mother would always complain in his child years that he never took a nap then and never took one when he was a baby; she just never got a break. Jun didn't really understand. For the most part, he was always off playing with Hikari. What was there to worry about? She wasn't watching him. Hikari was the one most worried.
A smile came to his face. He remembered her. How long was it now since he'd last talked to her? Five months? Six? Jun scrunched his nose. Numbers weren't his thing.
"Keep your face like that and it'll freeze that way." Jun's mother picked up her son's laundry basket and slid it across the floor to the door. Before she left, she turned toward her son. "I know you're not asleep. Why aren't you over there with Hikari? I thought you'd be jumping out the window when she came home. Oh well. Guess all friendships simmer down after awhile. We get so caught up in our own lives."
"What did you say?" Jun shot up out of his bed and ran over to his mother, grabbing both her arms. "What did you say about Hikari?"
Before the women could answer Jun bolted out the door, screaming something his mother didn't understand. He flew down the stairs, hitting every third step, before he slid across his floor in his socks to the door. Jun grabbed the doorknob but didn't turn it. There was a sinking feeling deep in his chest, a part of him that didn't want to see his best friend. She'd been with him since childhood. Even when they started their adventure, he was still only a couple of steps ahead of her and could see her anytime he wanted. Now it was like they were on two separate planets. Hikari was the champion and traveled across Shinnoh while Jun still had to make the choice of what he needed to do: stay a traveling trainer or start working under his father.
He let his breath catch up to his heart. Was there any room for Hikari in his life anymore? When would they see each other? They didn't talk for six months and if he hadn't been home and been off traveling instead like he wanted to if it wasn't for this rainy weather, he'd never have seen Hikari. Six months would have lead to seven, seven to eight, so on and so forth. Would they have ever bothered to contact each other? And Hikari, how much had she changed? Jun had watched his friends change before his very eyes before and knew that change was only a blink away at any given time. What held them together from changing?
Well, Jun thought, no better time than the present. His legs, however, were still shaking in fear of how much his friend had probably changed. There was no doubt she was an excellent, top-rated trainer and battler, but what would keep her from changing as she traveled to meet more people? Good or bad, he didn't know. He didn't want to know.
Slowly, Jun let his legs take him one step at a time to his neighbors house. The boy wasn't sure if he was happy or not that Hikari's house was so close to his right now. Lucas' house was only the next town away, but if felt like an eternity to get to—an eternity, however, was what he needed right now.
"Oh my, Jun." Hikari's mother opened the door and stepped out to find Jun positioned to knock on the door. He took a step back and greeted her. "Well, well, come in, come. What took you so long?"
"I was taking a nap." Jun smiled uncomfortably in the open friendship and welcome he was receiving. His hesitation filled him with guilt in the warm home.
"Jun? Taking a nap?" And there it was. That all so familiar voice he had been so happy to hear yet dreading all at the same time.
Please don't be changed. Please don't be changed.
"Not our Jun. Who are you and what did you do with Jun?" Hikari walked over to the boy and slapped him on the shoulder. Jun blinked at his friend. She was the same baby faced girl he knew from before, yet somehow in that warmly house, she seemed more adult than he'd ever remembered. She had her hair back in a ponytail with a heavy sweater and shorts on. "Hey. Been a while." Her smile was still the same, and he let himself be wrapped in it as a smile appeared on his face. The relief washed in like the wind.
"I was surprised myself. I never took naps, not even when I was a baby."
"How bored out of your mind must you have been this time?" She nudged the boy. "Bet you were lonely without me, huh?"
"No way. You were more lonely without me!"
"Yeah right."
"Yeah so."
"Nu-uh."
"Uh-huh."
"Okay, you two!" Hikari's mother tried to sound stern but she couldn't as she laughed at the two children. "That's enough fighting. Why don't you two do a little catching up while I go help Jun's mother with dinner. We'll be having it at your house, by the way. Be on time." She eyed both the kids before she left.
Hikari flopped down on her couch. "Plug in the Wii. Let's play something." She scratched the back of her head. "I'm too tired to talk. Well, there's not much that really happened to talk about. I've told everyone who asked and it all just sounds so repetitive to me, I don't see why they even ask anymore."
Jun tried to focus on setting up the Wii, but his eyes kept looking back to the girl on the couch. The words danced around his tongue and he tried not to speak, but as she continued to talk about things he didn't know, he broke. "And what if I ask?"
The blue-haired girl stopped talking and sat up straight. "I... I'd tell you?" She wasn't sure what he wanted from that question, wasn't sure what response to give him. "Aren't you a little edgy today?" she asked. "Kouki told me you'd been in a bad mood lately, but—"
"Oh." He bitterly laughed. "So you stay in contact with Kouki, but avoid me for six months, is that right?" He yelled at himself in his head to shut up, but no matter what he said inside, it all came out wrong outside.
"No!" Jun could hear the offense grow in Hikari's voice. He knew that he shouldn't have come. It was a bad idea, and he told himself that, but he just didn't listen. "Kouki has nothing to do with this, and besides, I've tried calling you but you've never picked up. I've been all over the place. It's hard to stay in contact with people unless they pick up your calls or you happen to see them when you're out. I've tried, Jun! What about you?"
"If you put it that way, I guess I haven't tried." He pressed the power button to the Wii and thew Hikari her remote. "Catch."
"I don't want to play anymore."
"You mean you don't want to play with me." Jun stopped in front of the couch. "Fine. I'll go." He set the Wii remote back on it's charger and walked to the door. What did it matter if she was mad at him? It was his fault to begin with.
"You were always so supportive and now you act like the world is against you, Jun. What the hell is wrong with you?"
He shrugged. "Time changes people."
"We're constantly changing, Jun, but that doesn't mean that people still don't want to be your friend. You supported me all the way from the beginning to when I became the Champion, and I thank you for that. Really. I don't think I would've been there if it wasn't for you. Now it's my turn. I want to help you. As your friend, it's my turn."
Jun rolled his head back to the ceiling and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Yep, but you know the great thing about friendship, Hikari? Friendship can be a one way thing."
The blond could see the fear roll into his best friend's eyes. Then came disbelief, the nonacceptance. "What do you mean? We've been together since we were kids. You can't just call our friendship off just like that. We're practically family, Jun. You can't do that!"
"I can't? Or you won't let me."
Hikari bit her lip. He knew what she meant.
"Listen, Hikari." The uncomfortableness was predominant in his voice. "I didn't want to get into this with you, but I don't want you thinking that I don't want to be your friend anymore. You're my best friend in the whole world, and you'll always be my best friend, but..."
"But?"
"Come on, Kari. Don't make me say what you choose to ignore. You already know. I mean, you figured out Kouki had a crush on you ages ago, and he's hardly around with his nose stuck in some laboratory somewhere or following right behind his father—the point is that you figured it out without him being her constantly and yet I was glued to your side for years and you're telling me you have no idea? I don't believe it. Choose what you want to ignore; I don't care."
"You care!"
Jun turned back around and raised his eyebrows, and said in his most annoyed voice, "I'll fine you!"
Hikari laughed and held up the Wii remote. "Taking about ignoring things, Jun, you're quite the expert. So, how about that game?"