Forecast- He's liked her from afar for so long now, and finally, he has been convinced to ask her out. What will James say, and more importantly, what will Gabby answer?
James isn't the only man with his eyes on someone, Tracy has his affections too, but why does Lance care so much?
What is happening to Misty? Is she returning to her old self, and are her feelings for Ash being restored?
INFORMATION- In case you are wondering why the Poketech gang are on camp, it is a replacement for the Year 11 Leader Training Camp. Year 11 Leader camp is organised completely by the students, an assessment needed to be passed before they are allowed to start training, to prove they can look after their environment and are responsible and independent. However after several students dropping out before their PCE (Pokemon Certificate of Education, the equivalent to the eight badges in the Indigo League Zone) years, the camp was dropped to year Ten. Giving prospective trainers the chance to collect badges in the field, without going through all of their schooling.
ASH
Ash's stomach flip-flopped with excitement as he exited the bus in his usual fashion, with a large jump off the top step. He looked around a bit, taking in the pastel colours of the field just East of Lavender Town where the buses stopped in order for pick-up by the four wheel drives. There were three of them due to come, driven by the teachers who had all left the bus in lavender to get them, and the guideline for their trips was to simply cram everybody in.
He scanned the field briefly as he made his way to the boot of the bus to collect his pack. It was a nice field, the grass short and lime green, dusted with pale violets. Everyone was making himself or herself comfortable on the grass, lying down and napping, talking...Gary and James were kicking their football again.
He struggled past Jessibelle at the boot and located his black and yellow pack. Taking in a deep breath he hauled it out and dropped it unceremoniously upon the side of the road.
"Bit heavy, eh?" Gabby grinned, struggling over to him with her pack slung over one shoulder, which was notably more close to the ground then the other.
"Not for a tough man like me," Ash said hurriedly "And, Gabs, the idea is to use both shoulder straps, the chest strap and the waist straps."
"But I won't look cool then," Gabby said with a grin.
"You look like a freak now," Ash laughed "let me give you a hand,"
Ash ran to the back of Gabby and hoisted the other strap over her shoulder.
"That better?" he asked, trotting back to her front "I'd do up your other straps...but they are in rather inconvenient places,"
"You sure you don't want to?" Gabby purred seductively.
"Very much so," Ash nodded, moving back to his own pack. "Orrrr..." he groaned, as though under enormous strain, which he was, in the act of trying to burden his shoulders with the weight of the pack.
Suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere, appeared Misty with her pack strapped up properly, emphasising by her light walk the fact that the pack weighed next to nothing.
"Having trouble, Ashy Boy?"
"No," he said quietly and quickly "Not at all,"
Misty scoffed, tilting her head at him with amusement. Her mouth curved into a smile and her cheeks gained a pleasant flush "You're such a freak," she laughed, avoiding making eye contact with him. She then turned and bounced away.
"Rrr...what is her problem?" Gabby growled, shaking a clenched fist in Misty's general direction "She used to be such a wet hen, but now she is just a total bitch!"
Ash vaguely felt himself nod, but his mind was far too preoccupied to care. He remembered back to Year 8 when he and Misty had been racing eachother home from school. He'd made a detour through someone's front yard and picked Misty a bunch of flowers, then he sprinted as fast as he could up to her. She'd taken them and smiled deeply, her cheeks flushing the same colour as the rose petals she was holding in her hand.
She'd then leant over and kissed him playfully on the cheek. "You're such a freak," she had uttered in the same playful, half-bemused tone.
Was there some kind of significance in her statement? Surely if she could replay that scene as well as he could there was something connected. A hidden meaning, perhaps. It then occurred to him that it was the first half-nice thing Misty had said to him since her change, all those weeks ago...it wasn't that long ago in figures, but the endurance he'd suffered of all her cruel words had so prolonged the time.
JENNY
Jenny lay back against her pack, using it to support her head, soaking up the beautiful morning sunlight.
Across from her, sitting slightly to her right, was Kishi.
"Nice day for it, eh?" Kishi murmured, adopting a lying down position.
"Yeah," Jenny agreed wholeheartedly, her heart beginning to thump excitedly. Camp was going to so much fun, and...
Jenny turned her head to face the left and saw Ash flirting with Gabby. Or Gabby flirting with Ash. Whichever.
And you were
ABOUT to say it would be a great chance to be with Ash... she thought with an element of bitter surprise. She pursed her lips, what is he doing? He hasn't really seemed interested in her before...he's only really gone for me...I guess."The four wheel drives are here!" came a cry from Gary "And I bags the pretty white one!"
Jenny pushed herself up hastily, slipping her arms through her shoulder straps and jerkily standing up.
She noted right away that two of the three vehicles were white (mud-caked of course) and one was a dark green, belonging to the school outdoor Ed coordinator, their new PE teacher, Wendy Lawson, who insisted that people called her by her first name. Claimed it was more personal. Misty had then made an unpleasant remark about prostitution. She'd scored a detention.
Jenny and Kishi made their way in a brisk walk to the jeep behind Gary's 'pretty white one'. Unfortunately it was the jeep that Misty was heading for too. Upon reaching the transport Misty reached out and opened the boot, throwing her pack in roughly.
Jenny waited for Misty to slam to the door down, leaving her enemies to open it for themselves, but Misty calmly sped away and claimed the front seat.
"GABBY!" Kishi called, waving as she dumped her baggage alongside Jenny's and Misty's. "Come in this jeep!"
Gabby, who was over at the green jeep with Cassidy, James, Belle, Joy and Snap, bit her lower lip and threw both groups a deciding glance. She raised her eyebrows at Cassidy and jerked her thumb in the direction of her cousin.
Jenny left the boot open for Gabby to stow her pack in and let herself into the back of the four wheel drive, claiming the window seat on the right, and Kishi took the one on the right. A few seconds later Gabby pushed Kishi playfully into the middle seat, taking the left seat for herself.
The doors slammed and their driver, Wendy turned the key, and the engine spluttered itself into a roar.
"This is going to suck so badly," Misty hissed, not one known for her great love of physical activity "I hate it already."
Kishi bit her lip like she wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure what, and Gabby just crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows in disgust. Jenny tried to look disinterested, staring out the window as they drove straight ahead.
She watched the bushland scrolling by, shrubby heath bushes and dogwood. Occasional stands of native grass dotted the clearing.
Ahead of the 4x4 on the bumpy dirt track was a sudden stretch of bushland. Stretch...well it was an entire mountain range, the mountain range she supposed she'd be hiking over the two weeks. She craned her neck upward to see if she could see the top of the mountains. They were tall. Very tall.
"You look like a dick," Misty said smoothly, her body twisted around in the grey seat so she could look down her nose at Jenny.
"Language!" Wendy reprimanded
Jenny jerked uncomfortably, her mouth tightening. "Get a life, whore,"
"What?" Misty exclaimed haughtily, laughing.
"You heard me, whore, or are you deaf?"
MISTY
"You heard me, whore, or are you deaf?"
Deaf...Misty suddenly went very pale, shrinking back into her seat. She shivered. Deaf...death...death...deaf sounds so much like death...shit, death doesn't seem real. How could I have come so close? Shit I almost lost it, shit. Shit, shit, shit, oh f*** I came so close to death. Suicide. Shit, shit, shit...what the f*** was I thinking? I can't believe I came so close, it seems so unreal now, so unreal here. Everything here is what it is, everything now is what it is, it everything was nothing back then...shit. Oh shit.
Hysterical tears streamed from Misty's eyes, her hands shaking as she tried to wipe them back.
"Oh Misty," Kishi murmured from behind her.
Misty felt Kishi's warm hand touch her bare arm, the sensation causing more tears to gush.
"Misty, it's OK...hey, it's OK, Misty," Kishi soothed, rubbing her arm "What's wrong?"
"I was close...so close...oh shit Kishi, I was so close..." Misty stammered, unaware of the flow of clear mucus from her nose.
Misty hunched forward suddenly, jerking her arm away from Kishi's fingertips.
"Are you alright, Misty?" Wendy asked with concern
"Does she look it?" Kishi said quickly, surprising herself with how easily she would still rush to Misty's defence, even after what Misty had dragged her and Ash through.
"Do you want to talk about it, Misty?" Wendy asked with the same concern as before, a concern feigned by those who cared not for the sufferer, but for the good job report ensured afterwards. Wendy was PE teacher, and feelings weren't really her forte.
Misty ignored the insincere woman and turned to Gabby. "Don't tell anyone I cried," she muttered "Nor you, Jenny."
Misty turned to face the angelic smile of Kishi. "Thankyou so much Kishi...I won't forget you, ever...you have been the greatest friend...but if you understand, I don't feel like talking..."
"Of course I understand," Kishi supported "But when you do...please come to me..."
Misty didn't reply, inwardly cursing herself for letting down her constant glacial front for a second, for letting her emotions shine through. She sniffed, wiping a finger under her nose. Now she had lost all of the fearful respect she'd gained over the weeks, all because Jenny had mentioned a word that due to depression effected interpretation Misty had likened to another word.
Regret washed over her, if only she could go back in time and face Jenny squarely, and tell the slut where to stick it.
She wondered if Ash would find out about her outburst...she wondered what he'd think of her...she wondered if he would try to comfort her...lastly she wondered why she cared so much.
JAMES
"Shit, Belle is hot," Gary declared to Butch and James in the back seat.
In the front sat Jessi, looking uncomfortable and blushing.
"Beauty is only skin deep, beneath the skin lies the decaying wreck the soul has contaminated," Butch commented.
"Yeah..." James said, wondering what on Earth Butch meant. It had been ages since he and Butch had indulged in a conversation, probably not since Jessibelle had dumped him.
"So is Cass," Gary grinned.
James thought back to the year before, Cassidy and Butch had been inseparable best friends, this year they had drifted apart.
"I liked her hair short," James commented, toying with his own silken lavender tresses.
"I think that her hair gives no addition of beauty whatsoever..." Butch said, his face falling.
Ever the sensitive one, James wondered if Butch was missing Belle and Cass. It couldn't help that groundless Gary was busy fantasising about them aloud. Gary muttered some comments about the size of some bodily features and James tuned out. He was more interested in what Butch had to say.
"Do you miss Belle and Cass?"
"The acid corrodes my palest flesh and I wish not for its return," Butch responded with a blank face.
"So, that is, a yes, then?" James asked, not too clear on what Butch's metaphor represented, or actually what a metaphor was.
"No. Jessibelle invaded my system and I am finally free of the symptoms her virus gave me. I don't miss her. Not for what she did to me."
James tilted his head like a confused Eevee, biting his lower lip "Do you think, that well...uh, you know it, er...that it was your...well partly your fault...?"
"'Course it was," Gary jumped him without thinking about the consequences, as usual "He slept with Joy, remember? She isn't half bad though..."
Butch shot Gary a disgusted look. "You all think I'm being stupid don't you, all the black and the poetry...you think that I've gone off my nut or something, don't you?"
"No! Not at all!" James defended quickly, feeling guilty for the exact thoughts that Butch was describing
"Well..." Gary began jokily, but then he could James's pleading glance. James was surprised that the usually emotionally oblivious Gary had picked up the signal. "Nah, mate...I reckon you're doing a good thing...setting an example...or whatever..."
"You're lying...you don't think this is me at all...and you'd be right," Butch trailed off, closing his side of the conversation off.
James looked at Jessi in the front seat as they went over a bump in the dirt track. She had the kind of smug expression on her face that he'd seen before on Cassidy. The look that said 'I'm not perfect, but there are others far more screwed up than me'. Except Cassidy's look proclaimed that she was perfect.
He thought back to Jessi's threat. She hadn't struck him yet, but when would she? The fact that she had waited this long for her revenge scared him slightly, he was losing the scorn and ridicule he'd placed upon her, and her words no longer hung hollow.
He was worried she'd try to upset things between he and Gabby, he was on precarious enough ground with her at the moment to let Jessi create havoc with an earthquake. There had once been a time when he had fun with Jessi, she'd been fiercely protective of him, in almost a sisterly way, until half way through year 9. Then she fallen head over heels for him, her conniving bitchiness reverting all of the good feelings he had for her into traces of annoyance. He suddenly longed to be reciting the spontaneous poems that they spouted, with an arm around her waist and a hand in the air.
Exhaling gently his focused his gaze to the window. They were the leading jeep, the two others trailed behind them. The bumpy dirt track ran along cleared land, but it was cut into the top of a fairly tall ridge. Probably one hundred metres ahead of them was the bushland that he supposed would become his new home. It was quite pretty, but it was daunting.
James wasn't a very outdoors person, not like Jessi, who was fiery and fit and always ready to go, with generous positivity...well she had been like that, once. Plenty of energy to spare, so much fun to be with. Now she looked like a scallop shell that had had the scallop slurped out of it. Poor Jessi.
As the four wheel drive passed under the tall ironbark trees the morning light and shadows mingled, playing games upon the faces of his travelling partners. The light looked so obscure against the blackened eyes of Butch, as though it didn't belong. Butch's bleak moods were so unlike his old self, a squeaky-voiced teen who enjoyed nothing more than hanging out with his friends and playing football. He had up until recently wanted to play professionally for the Cerulean Seadras, the local National Football League team. Now he supposed Butch wanted to a poet or author. He sniggered to himself, an author...what kind of dead-beat life would that be?!
The vehicle swerved to the right suddenly, heading down a very steep dirt road. The road careered down the side of the hill, flagged by various species of native trees. A small green shrub sprouted in the centre of the course. As they drove over the top of it, it sprung down with unusual elasticity. James couldn't but feel scared inside, it wouldn't take much to send this jeep rolling down to the bottom of the hill, where they would crash and burn. Nobody would find the bodies either...
The car jerked to the right again, skidding down a fairly straight stretch of road until they stopped.
"This is where we get out kids. Wendy will lead you down into creek, which you will follow for a k or so, until you come across a clearing. Then you'll stop and wait, have a drink, whatever. When you are down there, OBEY WHATEVER Wendy says." Ordered Mr. Gyabunga.
"Yep," Gary answered for everybody, opening his car door and sliding out. James too, exited the vehicle, stretching and rubbing his eyes. He moved to the back where everyone was strapping his or her packs up. With a great haul, he dragged it out of the boot and onto his shoulders, it was bloody heavy.
Straining a little under the weight that was throwing him off balance, he tightened his straps and buckled them up, slamming the boot door and signalling Mr. Gyabunga safe leave.
Two of the jeeps trucked off again for the second pick-up, leaving Kishi, Jenny, Misty, Gabby, Snap, Cassidy, Jessibelle, Joy, Gary, Jessi, Butch and himself under the power of their guide, the amazingly fit PE teacher Wendy.
"I'd begin my lectures now," Wendy joked apologetically "But I want you to all soak it up. Enjoy the splendour of nature," she gestured grandly.
James glanced around. Jessibelle was admiring the splendour of her face in the mirror that dwelled constantly in her pocket. Gary was enjoying the splendour of the packet of Milkies that he was devouring. Misty was enjoying the splendour of applying a fresh coat of eyeliner. The only one who looked geared to enjoy the splendour of nature was Snap, who had his expensive camera around his neck, ready for whatever photographic action was to come up.
"OK, kids, down this road. There will be no intersections or paths to follow, just stay on the road. When you reach the foot of the hill, wait there for the others. Got it?" Wendy commanded with an excited little foot-hop.
James threw a flirtatiously shy smile at Gabby and started on his way.
JESSI
Jessi boredly glanced around her surroundings as she began to descend the first hill of camp. There wasn't much to see, just a lot of trees. The road was sloped a little, on about a 15-degree angle.
She couldn't help but smile. She could tell that there were going to be many challenges brought by this camp, and wanted to take up every one. It had been a long time since that passionate side in her personality had reared its head, and it was peeping up now, empowering her with a dynamic vivacity, an enthusiasm unseen over the past few weeks.
During the time of her exams she had withdrawn herself completely from all others, and instead of using her previously social occupied time to study, she'd taken a job at McDonalds, trying to learn a little bit extra, at least enough for some nice clothes.
But she hated working, there was always a litre of grease on her hands from scooping out the horrid fries, and she usually got stuck on night-shift, which meant scrubbing the place from top to toe, even though she was being paid overtime.
The work, however, was paying off, she was wearing one of the fruits of her labour as she trundled down that hill in the middle of the group of teenage schoolchildren. The item of clothing wasn't very flashy, a nice dark blue T-Shirt she'd found one afternoon, but she was proud of it.
Jessi looked ahead, past Gary's dancing frame, where the road sharply turned a corner. Beyond that corner she couldn't see much, but it looked darker, given there seemed to be a large number of leafy green treetops shading the road. Even she had to admit, it looked rather nice.
Snap was thinking so too, clicking away as he walked underneath them.
Jessi couldn't help but feel a little envious of Cassidy, having such a sweet boyfriend, even if at first she had dismissed him as a geek. He'd proved many times over that he was one of the nicest, most romantic guys around. Of course it was a shame that Jessi hadn't been anything but an observer on those occasions, but she had her reasons not to hang around.
She had come to the conclusion that Cassidy was jealous of her, perhaps paranoid that Jessi could take Snap away from her or something. Jessi hadn't the heart to tell her that Snap wasn't her type, if anyone would have been her type, she would have guessed it was Chopper, but he turned out to be one of the world's biggest jerks. Now she thought about it, her taste in guys did lack some forethought. She'd gone out with Butch for about two weeks before they'd broken up, she'd been out on two dates with Gary, and she'd unsuccessfully tried to meet up with James.
That was a name she had grown unfamiliar with over the course of her separation, her ex-best friend. The last time she had spoken to him she had barged into his house and threatened him. The corners of her crimson coloured lips curved into a smile. She hadn't even thought seriously about what she would actually do to him, she just warned him that she was going to do it. Perhaps she'd let her Ekans loose in his sleeping bag or something.
She loved her Ekans to pieces, even as useless as it was, she loved it. Unlike many of her rich and privileged peers who had their Persians and Ninetales bought and delivered to them, Jessi had caught her Pokemon after a family trip through Mt. Moon. It had been a guided tour, and Miranda had thrown up all day, she was far too sick to go, so it was just her, mum and dad together. Like a family on TV, enjoying the day out.
There was still no word from her father. Jessi cursed him under her breath, hating him for walking out like he had. Perhaps he would get back in touch while she was on camp. If so, she would find out on the weekend when she returned home.
Shivering after stepping into the sudden shadows cast by the trees, Jessi's thoughts returned to Pokemon. All of her life she had been scorned by her friends who had expensive Pokemon. Butch and his Scyther, James and his Koffing shipped specially from Cinnabar Island, Cassidy with her pedigree Rattata, even though Rattata was a common Pokemon, Cassidy's Rattata was the purest of its kind, already worth eight times a wild-caught one. Or more.
Jessi had never been that good at battling, she was far too short tempered to order commands without flying off the handle. Cassidy shared a similar problem, battling to the best of her ability when circumstances were good, but if she suspected the chance of her defeating the opponent was slim, she'd crack it and walk off. She had too short a fuse and too big an ego to be any good at what she was doing.
Too big an ego to any good at keeping friends.
GABBY
Gabby threw her arms around Gary, feeling a sudden surge of love for him.
"Whoa, Gabs, what was that for?" he asked with a puzzled smile.
"Cos I love you,"
James gave her a funny look, and Cassidy and Snap looked up from making out.
"I love you all!" Gabby cried out "Kishi!" she hollered "I love you!"
A few moments later Kishi responded with "Me too..."
Gabby grinned happily, riding on some kind of high.
"What have you been smoking?" Belle demanded "And where's mine?". Joy, Belle's little follower, giggled foolishly, as she did with everything Belle did.
"The vibes, man, the vibes..." Gabby laughed, attempting to twirl on her toes, but coming close to falling flat on her face. "These packs are scary..." she laughed as Gary tried to steady her.
Gabby exhaled loudly, looking around her. She was in a shadowed section of the track. To her right was a mossy little valley with a small creek running through it. To her left was the side of the mountain that the track had been cut into. It all looked like it would be so much fun.
"So," James said "What do you think of Jessi?"
Gabby immediately pulled out of hyperactivity mode and into normal mode, therefore lowering the tone and pitch of her voice. "I don't know. I used to like her, she was wicked fun, but now, she's gone all-quiet. She used to be so funny, with her failed plans to wag and stuff..."
James laughed wistfully "Remember the time she insisted that if we wagged the cross country at the swamp, we wouldn't get caught,"
"It was a pity the cross country ran through the swamp and we were caught," Gabby sighed in an exhalation laced with nostalgia.
JAMES
James's heart sped up as he threw a discreet glance at Gabby's face. She had the kind of peaceful, serene smile that you saw on the paintings of Madonnas by the Old Masters. He smiled inwardly, realising that he had learnt at least one thing from the infernally tortuous art classes he'd been taking. The other thing about her face was the confidence and openness it held, it was the kind of face that belonged to someone sure of their place in life, sure of their beauty and knowledge, the face of an angel...
Love struck, the realisation hit him, Gabby was the perfect being he'd ever met before...
"Yo, James?" she asked, waving a delicate hand in front of his face.
"Hey? What? I'm sorry, Gabs, what were you saying?" James apologised, flushing slightly.
"Nothing, it was just you were off on Cloud Nine," Gabby supplied.
"I am," James said without thinking. He knew his feelings for Gabby, but she didn't yet know his. He needed to speak to some people. Any other time, he wouldn't bother; he'd ask the object of his affection out straight away, because he always knew they'd say yes. Gabby he couldn't be sure of, she always seemed a little out of his reach. There was no one to speak to though. Gary was emotionally redundant, Butch far too depressing, Jessibelle a vicious gossip, Snap and Cassidy too busy making out to bother with a reply. And Jessi...well, he wouldn't dream of confiding in her, not if she still had suppressed fondness towards him.
Out of all of those people, Snap seemed his best bet, but he'd need a crowbar to pry him for his amorous embraces with Cass. His next best bet was, Gary...
"Yo James, as much as I love ya, I need to talk to Belle for a minute, okay? Cool!"
Without waiting for his response, Gabby jogged ahead, a little awkwardly though, due to the altered centre of gravity caused by her unwieldy pack.
James saw his opportunity to discuss things with Gary, so he sped to catch up, noticing that he and Gabby had dropped back throughout the course of their conversation.
"Hey, Gary, man, can I ask you something, just for a moment, privately?" James asked.
"Yeah, sure, what is it, dude?" Gary inquired, halting to scratch his neck so that they would be further behind, out of Belle the Rumour Queen's earshot.
"It's about, uh, a girl..." James whispered.
"Oh...who?" Gary cooed "I didn't know you liked anyone...hmm...is it Belle?"
"No..." James said hesitantly "It's...Gabby,"
"REALLY?!" Gary exploded rather loudly "Man, I had NO idea!"
"Should I ask her out...?" James questioned. "I mean, nobody has ever said no to me before, because I am ever so handsome...but...well, I really like her, lots"
"I think you have an ego problem, not a girl problem, mate," Gary advised "Besides, I am the good looking one. But enough small talk, to the matters of the heart we shall leap... Gabby, eh? Sure, why not ask her?"
"Because I really like her and if she rejected me...I don't know what I would do..."
"Who cares? Just be confident and ask her out. You've never been this unsure before."
"Because I have never felt this way before..." James sighed, looking at his feet.
"Sounds dumb," Gary shrugged, enlightening James with his well-informed and provocative opinion on the matter "Just ask her out. She'll probably say yes. First offer she's 'ad in a while, you know,"
"Didn't she say she loved you five minutes ago?" James worried, biting his lip.
"She was just stuffing around," Gary shrugged "All this talking is boring. If anyone ever bothered to listen to us they'd die of boredom. Did you watch the footy last night?"
"Agh..." James moaned "You think I should ask her...OK, OK, when we get to the camping site."
He drew in a deep breath. Today was the day when everything he'd thought over the past six weeks would be tied with the words he was going to have to speak, it was time to take action. He was going to ask Gabby Ogawa out.
LANCE
Lance, Hitmonchan, Brock, Ash and Tracy stood at the top of the hill.
"OK, guys, this is it. If we walk fast, we might be able to catch up to the other groups." Mr. Gyabunga said cheerfully, his hands on his hips, his eyes scanning the wilderness that faced them.
Lance adjusted his wraparound sunglasses with his middle finger, pushing further up onto the bridge of his nose.
"Excited, Brocko?" he asked, taking the first step towards the adventure that would befall them all.
"Yep. Perhaps I'll catch some rock Pokemon," he nodded "Or, well, you know...Jenny and I..."
Ash, the innocent, naive child, blushed, and Tracy's eyes darkened suddenly.
"*Yeah, perhaps Leela is there,*" Hitmonchan declared, nudging Brock.
A few minutes later, Ash, Brock and Hitmonchan were leading, with Tracy and Lance a few steps behind.
"Hey Lance?" Tracy asked abruptly.
"Mm?" Lance murmured in reply looking up from the scrolling ground beneath his feet.
"What do you think about Kishi? She seems really nice..."
Alarm bells started to chime in Lance's head. It was seeming like Tracy was asking a rather personal question, alluding to a certain girl, whom he may have feelings for. Lance probably wouldn't have minded if it were Jenny or Cass or someone else, but after living with Kishi for about three weeks, he was feeling closer to her than ever before...and a feeling of closeness inevitably brings...stronger feelings...
"Yeah," he said quickly "She's really nice. Not too popular though,"
"People seem to like her..." Tracy mumbled.
"Guys don't. She hasn't had a boyfriend in ages." Lance supplied, shocking himself with how easily the lie was flowing from his mouth, leaving a sharp metallic taste behind. "It's not that she isn't a nice enough girl, she's a psychic"
Tracy stopped walking. "Really?" he gaped "Really? No jokes? I never noticed..."
He started walking again.
"Yeah, she reads minds, lifts things up and stuff." Lance shrugged, making it sound as though it were no big deal, besides it wasn't, considering he could do better.
"She reads minds?" Tracy repeated, "Oh...agh, shit..."
Lance's brain smiled to itself, he was obviously having the desired effect on Tracy.
"Men don't like to be around her. They find out too much about themselves," he said "Look at James, they went on one date together and he broke down."
"When?" Tracy demanded.
"A month or so back, before your time. He is pretty much in tears," Lance provided generously.
"So she's using her powers to stuff around with minds?" Tracy analysed.
"No, she's a nice person, but anyone who spends time with her, well, it all ends the same way."
"Oh." Tracy mumbled, and then as an afterthought, he added "She's pretty cute though."
"Really? You think so?" Lance gawped in false surprise "I suppose she is OK, in an unattractive, plain, practical way."
Tracy blushed, biting his lower lip in an unsure way. "So, is she, taken?"
"Taken?" Lance said, doing a discreet double take. After all he had said to discourage Tracy, he was still interested in Kishi. Lance began to wonder why he cared so much, and why he was bothering with the lie. Then he started to feel guilty.
"Yeah, you know, does she have a boyfriend?" Tracy translated.
Lance shook his head vigorously to dislodge the feelings. "Nope. Not in ages. Not since James. Poor, sad James."
Tracy nodded thoughtfully, his eyes dark and far away. "In your opinion...is she worth it?"
Lance blinked a few times, his eyes decidedly moist, though for what reason, was unsure. His mind said 'Yes, yes, Tracy, she is, and even though I see her everyday when I wake up, I still notice it.'
"No, she brings bad luck. She's too much effort. Leave her well alone, you will only regret it."
Lance broke off from the conversation then, his last sentence taking a violent double meaning.
KISHI
"Hey Kishi?" Jenny spoke, ending the short silence between them.
"Yeah?"
"What happened with Misty before? I mean, there she was, looking evil, the next thing you know, she was in tears."
"You did call her a whore." Kishi said forcefully, filling in the details "Twice."
"Yeah but, I know she can be a real girlie-girlie wimp sometimes, but please, Kishi, she was honestly pathetic."
"Why are you being so mean?" Kishi demanded, her footsteps hastening.
"I thought you'd agree, after everything she's put you through." Jenny told her lightly, shrugging off the remark about her attitude on the girl.
Kishi paused to think back. Ever since Misty had awakened from a suicide-induced coma, she had made Ash, Kishi and Jenny's lives hell, as well as those who happened to get in her way. She'd slapped Ash in his own home, screamed vile insults at Jenny, and emotionally tormented Kishi.
Kishi wasn't the type to cry easily, but something about what she was trying to say was brining salt water to her eyes. "I know you think it is crazy, but Misty and I were best friends, and I don't think an attachment like that can be forgotten so easily."
"Watch what you think. Misty is a manipulative, spiteful, backstabbing bitch who can't be trusted with her own life, much less the lives of those around her."
"Jenny, just get over it. I'm not blind. I know why you hate Misty," Kishi snapped out of the blue "It isn't because of what she's been doing, it is because of her. More like her and Ash. So leave Misty out of it, forget the way things were before you moved, and get on with your life."
Jenny reeled back, shocked, as anyone would be if they had just received a bombardment such as that from one of the most passive, peaceful people in the entire school.
"What the hell are you saying? That I love Ash?!" her voice cracked as she grabbed Kishi by the shoulder and pulled her to a standstill.
"Girls!" as worried voice suddenly scolded "Get away from there!"
Kishi and Jenny fixed their eyes on the speaker, Wendy, perplexed.
"That tree you are under is about to fall!"
Jenny and Kishi looked up at the tree. It was ancient, extremely tall, white and leafless due to death, and fixed firmly to the ground.
"That tree isn't falling." Jenny pointed out.
"It will though. Because its dead its roots have lost grip on the ground. It will fall, you know."
Jenny, in a mood for argument, crossed her arms. "But this road is cut into a hill. The side of the hill that the tree is on, is the downhill side. It would fall downhill." She gestured to her left.
"Jenny! It isn't like you to be so quarrelsome!" Wendy accused, shocked. "Please, for your safety, just walk down that hill as fast as you can. It is the last bit, and see down to your left, that little clearing, we'll wait there for Ash's group to catch up."
Jenny took purposefully slow strides as she passed under the span of the old trees branches, glaring at Wendy the whole way.
Kishi let out an exasperated sigh, annoyed with Jenny. Jenny might like to think that she was the individual who was right, but when she acted like nobody, least of all a psychic, could see through her, Kishi felt like abandoning her.
JAMES
James took full use of the pause for lunch they were having in the clearing at the base of the hill. He let his pack drop from shoulders and sighed in relief, for a great tonnage had just been removed.
Kishi and Jenny were making sandwiches on a picnic blanket, the sun was shining, Gabby's beautifully trilling laughter was sounding and life was good.
"Hey!" a voice called from a little way off "they have food! I want food too, first! Hey, me first!". It was Ash. Wanting to be first, big surprise.
James looked at Misty, wondering how she'd react to his immaturity. She was looking up at his running frame as it rapidly descended the mountain, a smile welded to her face.
James couldn't help but smile too, even enemies were getting along. Enemies...Jessi...
James's smooth brow furrowed under the sudden oily burden of worry. He was worried that she was going to pull off something dodgy to detract any attraction Gabby may have for him.
"This is like Survivor or Shipwrecked, you know, sixteen people on an island, OK, school camp, challenges, getting voted off..." Gary announced "The first person I'll vote off is Ash because I don't want to catch loseritis and have to go home."
"Do we vote people off the island?" James asked, wondering how he had overlooked a fact like that. He began to stress, what if he was going to get voted off?
"I'm just kidding," Gary said, amused at what James assumed could only he his stupidity.
"That'd be right..." James muttered as we watched Gabby's eyes turn upwards at the corners. She's laughing at me too.
"Want a sandwich, James?" Kishi offered, breaking his embarrassed silence.
"No...uh, thanks, I've already got...stuff,"
What James didn't mention was his 'stuff' was a salmon and rocket gourmet sandwich, lovingly prepared by their cook, with a chilly thermos of iced coffee to drink.
Kishi's cheese and ham sandwich sounded rather pale in comparison.
"So what did you bring for morning snack?" Gabby inquired, tearing open a packet of chips.
"I bought a wholesome, nutritious snack," Snap grinned "Cheezels, anyone?"
James looked away. He and Gabby were from two different worlds. Croissants and butter for him the morning, Weet-Bix for her.
"I'll be your wholesome snack," Cassidy proclaimed in her famous purr, not really bothering to let him finish chewing before she pounced upon him.
"Oh, ew!" Gary exclaimed "He hadn't finished his food...oh that is gross..."
James suddenly didn't feel like eating his lunch anymore.
SNAP
Snap couldn't help but be a little embarrassed about Cassidy's overly public affections, after all, he and his girlfriend were making out only a few feet away from their snappy outdoor ed coordinator.
He didn't doubt that he loved her. He didn't doubt that she loved him, though such doubt was very much part of his nature. What he did doubt however, was to be the length of their relationship now, in these new, trying circumstances.
Cassidy was a passionate person, and Snap, well, he was more of a romantic. Snap knew Cassidy got annoyed when Snap refused her. Something inside of Snap made him want to stay a virgin a little while longer.
He loved Cassidy, but he didn't really want to lose it to her. He wasn't in love with her...at least, that was what he thought.
He knew people like Gary would kill for a girl like Cassidy, someone strong, yet undeniably desiring. It made him feel bad, as though perhaps he wasn't the right guy for her, but he didn't want to feel that.
He didn't want to feel it because it felt so right.
MISTY
Misty looked up from her chip packet to see Ash run breathless and red-faced into the clearing; his eyes fixed greedily upon the food Kishi and Jenny were preparing.
She longed to make a sly remark about his hunger, but after forgetting her icy aura so many times, she didn't want to risk it. Everyone might think she'd turned mellow. Instead she fixed a stony glare upon his face, and when he noticed, she turned her head away.
It surprised her how easy her new life had become. She didn't need to worry about how she acted in front of people, or whether they bitched about her, because they all hated her and did bitch about her. But because it was the 'her' she had created as the perfect bitch, and not her, the real Misty, directly, she didn't care. It was like taking the back seat while someone else drove.
From the chaos of trying to be in control in the lead-up to her exams, the Misty who cared not and everybody hated had taken control, living the way she wanted. The real Misty had obligingly accepted and willingly slipped away, giving the new Misty free reign of her life.
The real Misty, the old Misty, only sometimes regained herself, whenever the new Misty's grip on the reigns loosened, the old Misty would shine through, leading them somewhere else.
LANCE
Lance's guilt rushed over him, making his hand shake as he took the sandwich that Kishi was offering him.
There's no way she could know what I did
, he reminded himself."*Hey Lance! Man!*" Hitmonchan hollered "*Guess what?*"
"What?" Lance asked, taking a big bite into the soft white bread.
"*I got Ash to ask Wendy if she was gonna release Leela later on, and she said yes! Today is my big day!*"
Lance's brow collapsed into perplexed wrinkles. "You got Ash...to ask? But how...Ash didn't get hit by any Alakazam waves, did he?"
Hitmonchan's mouth dropped. He liked to think that he didn't miss any details, but it seems that he'd just missed a few.
"Ash can't understand and speak Pokemon can he?" Lance continued.
He looked at Kishi. She could, so, well...it wasn't entirely impossible that Ash could. Unlikely...but not impossible. Lance knew from constructing creatures from the DNA up, that nothing was impossible.
"Hey, Kishi..." he asked.
"Mmm?" she said, her mouth chewing vigorously.
"Is Ash a psychic?"
"Ash?" she repeated with a quizzically raised eyebrow "Nup. He is a firm believer in matter over mind."
"Has he ever had any kind of psychic interaction or intervention in his life?" Lance continued.
"Well..." Kishi blushed "I may have read his mind once or twice..."
"*Would that have rendered him capable of speaking to Pokemon?*" Hitmonchan queried in his best detective voice.
"No...it shouldn't anyway. Sabrina might know...I don't really know much about that side of it. It shouldn't anyway...I didn't really go into a Pokemon zone in his brain anyway, though that is the majority of what he thinks about..."
"It's just...Hitmonchan was speaking with him..."
"*Come to think of it...is Brock a psychic?*" Hitmonchan asked.
"No..." Kishi answered, biting her lower lip "Oh Hitmonchan..." she groaned.
"*What?*"
"Ever stopped to think that is was perhaps you would could speak with humans?" Lance asked him, putting a hand regally upon Hitmonchan's shoulder.
"*Huh?*"
"Remember the Mew DNA you spilt back at Parks'?" Lance refreshed with one hand on his forehead.
"*And you joked that my wrist was now a psychic?*"
"Yeah...well perhaps it got into your bloodstream or something..." Lance theorised "Perhaps you're part psychic...how cool is that, a psychic/fighting type Pokemon?"
"*I know I'm cool.*"
"Parks? Mew DNA?" Kishi inquired.
"Old story. History." Lance dismissed "Now we have something new to focus on...training Hitmonchan here to be the world's greatest psychic!"
Hitmonchan cheered.
Lance noticed in the corner of his eye that Kishi had shrunk back, her face and eyes withdrawn. She hung her head, her hair waving gently in the breeze.
A longing to put his arm around her developed, and it was all he could to grit his teeth and wait for it to subside. It was lucky he was strong in character, because the decisions and steps he'd made recently certainly called out for strength.
Approximately one hour and twenty-five minutes later the Poketech High students arrived at their designated camping spot.
JESSIBELLE
"And then I heard that Jessi said she'd like, beat him up or whatever," Jessibelle whispered into Gary's ear.
The whole class were sitting cross legged on the somewhat dry green grass, watching the final moments of the Gyabunga 'We're in a wild place so remember whatever you do...bla bla...and always carry a bla bla bla with you...' speech.
Well some of the class was watching and listening to this speech, the other part of the class was conversing. Jessibelle was in the latter part, in her mind, the better part.
"Something you'd like to share?" Mr. Gyabunga asked her, his beady eyes sparkling with amusement behind his evil wire-rimmed specs.
"Oh...no, it was something I just wanted to tell Gary," she said a little too cheekily.
Mr. Gyabunga's eyes narrowed in false menace, and he continued on with his tired old warnings. No smoking, no drinking, no drugs...bla bla bla...
"And finally, the basics of life. Hygiene, food and snoozing. There are three camping toilets, all strategically positioned AWAY from the main camp. One for the teachers..." he gestured behind them, his finger hovering in the general direction of a clump of trees. "Wendy has offered to rig up hessian screens around the toilets so nobody gets an eyeful, which certainly is kind,"
A few kids erupted into laughter.
"The girls toilets are over there..." he gestured to their left "The guys are on the right...and Gary, there is a special toilet for people like you over there..." Mr. Gyabunga pointed to a bunch of trees on the over side of the river that ran in an odd swirling pattern through the valley.
Gary leapt from his place gleefully "A special toilet," he murmured "Wow..." and without sensing that the whole class was laughing because it was actually a joke on Mr. Gyabunga's part, Gary ran off to see.
Mr. Gyabunga shook his head sadly. "Well, that aside...there are three showers also...although you'll find that there are no set gender areas, I mean, you guys have all camped together before...I trust there will be no peeking or mad, naked towel flicking? Each shower has a very NON-transparent, non-translucent, absolutely foolproof fabric screen. The water is solar heated. You know all about how to dig the drains and holes for both the dunnies and the showers, because you studied that in your Environmental Studies classes. And you guys can dig those waterworks today,"
There was suddenly a lot of sour faces and booing.
"Hey," Mr. Gyabunga shrugged "Just wait til we have to fill them in."
There was disgust sweeping through the crowd.
"I'm not going to do it," Jessibelle said huffily to Cassidy.
"Same."
"We have volunteers already," Mr. Gyabunga smiled his famous evil smile at them. Jessibelle pouted back.
"Hey, Mr. G, I couldn't find any toilet..." Gary said as he jogged back, his brow wrinkled in confused. "I looked everywhere."
"Sit down, Gary..." Mr. Gyabunga sighed.
Gary did so, still utterly perplexed by this mystery.
"I know you guys are gonna hate this...but...the tents are...four person..." the teacher apologised.
The crowd groaned.
"I know, I know...but if things get too hot at night, NOT in that way, Gary, stop grinning, we have two bivvies that are gonna be put up, a girls bivvy and a boys bivvy. You can sleep there, in the open night air if you want."
"Uh...did you pre-choose the tent groups?" Gabby asked worriedly.
"No. All I can say is that there is gonna have to be one boys group with five members, unless Hitmonchan wants to go in a Pokeball..."
"*He doesn't.*" Hitmonchan said firmly.
"OK, well, anyway, I think you have all noticed this big dead tree I'm standing next to."
Jessibelle noticed it...it was tall and very straight, dead white all over. It sort of looked like an old telephone pole. You could see the axe marks form where it had been ringbarked.
"This Base Tree. You'll always notice it first when you come here. Base Tree is our official meeting place. Got it?"
"Yep."
"Next item...the big, glittering luxurious pool of fresh water that the river flows into to my right, can be used at any time, by any campers, so I hope you all brought swimmers."
"Can we skinny dip?" Gary inquired.
"You work it out Gary." Mr. Gyabunga said sadly.
"I have big muscles," Gary told Mr. Gyabunga, who recoiled in disgust.
"Well...uh, anyway, I have one final rule, that YOU MUST OBEY AT ALL TIMES, NO MATTER WHAT!"
Jessibelle looked a little concerned...Mr. Gyabunga usually joked around, but he sure as hell wasn't joking around when he said that.
"The valley to your left...if you follow that river, is occupied by some people, our new neighbours. You probably won't see them while you're here, but please use respect at all times, and DO NOT GO INTO THAT VALLEY. It is the tort of trespass, and will NOT be tolerated."
"Isn't that just kind of saying, 'please go into the neighbour's valley?'" Gary whispered to Jessibelle. She giggled and nodded.
"OK, I'll give you five to sort out tent groups."
There was a pause, before Jessibelle shrieked and grabbed onto Cassidy's arm. Cassidy gave Snap a parting kiss and grabbed Gabby.
MISTY
Misty sat in what she hoped to be an intimidating manner as far as she could from the goings on, without getting a scolding from Mr. G.
She noticed Jessi doing the same thing.
She also took notice of the groups as they, nervously hoping she'd be thrust into Kishi's group.
Kishi and Jenny were together...but that was all...Joy was kind of hovering around Jessibelle, but suddenly Jessibelle opened her mouth and Joy scurried away. Jenny called her over. So that was three.
Snap, James, Butch and Gary were already sitting in a foursome, although Gary was protesting Snap's involvement.
Tracy, Lance, Ash, Brock and Hitmonchan formed the other group.
That left her and Jessi to placed with either Kishi's group or Gabby's group.
"Is that all?" Mr. Gyabunga asked.
"Jessi and Misty still haven't got in a group." Gary sneered. Under his breath he mouthed "losers".
"Well I'll solve this." Mr. Gyabunga said "Misty, go with Jessibelle and Gabby and who else is that hiding behind Jessibelle? Cassidy.
Jessi, just shuffle over there to Kishi, Jenny and Joy."
Misty's eyes began to sting, she didn't want to go with Belle and Cass, they were bitches and they hated her. Gabby had never been favourably disposed to her either, especially since she'd changed.
Hey
, the new Misty said suddenly in her head, We don't want them to like us anyhow, so who cares?The old Misty slipped away passively.
JESSI
Jessi narrowed her eyes angrily as she approached Kishi and her group.
"I don't like you," Jessi informed them childishly.
Kishi shrugged. Joy looked worried. Jenny caught the tent bags that Wendy threw their way in her arms.
"I especially don't like you Kishi," Jessi hissed.
"Why?" Kishi asked "Because James chose me over you?"
"Hah! That's a laugh!" Jessi hollered "He hates you know cos you ran off on your first date!"
"He doesn't hate me." Kishi stated.
"Have you and him been on a second date?" Jessi demanded.
"No." Kishi answered "Have you been on a first date?"
Jessi found herself without a comeback for a few seconds, remembering the time she'd tried to hook up with James at McDonalds.
"Yes..." Jessi snapped. It was partly the truth.
"But he stood you up." Kishi added.
"Huh? How did you know?" Jessi squeaked "I mean, no he didn't..."
"Yes he did. After you left for the biker gang, Cassidy spread it around the whole school."
"She did?" Jessi screamed "Agh! I hate her! What vile place is she from?! Hell?"
"Uh...no...wasn't she born on Tangelo Island or something?" Kishi said.
"Yeah, she was." Jessi confirmed "But that isn't the point."
"Um? I hate to break up the party...guys..." Jenny said, forcing herself into the conversation "But we have a tent to set up."
Jessi inspected her nails breezily "Mm, you do have a tent to set up."
"No...'we' includes you," Jenny explained slowly, grabbing Jessi's wrist.
"Hey! Don't touch me!" Jessi protested, waving the affected appendage around wildly.
Joy began to straighten out the tent poles, while Kishi pulled the tent canvas out of its bag, setting it out neatly on the ground.
"Where are the pegs?" Kishi demanded.
"Here," Jenny said, dumping them beside her.
"Uh...girls...your tent needs to be set up further from here. Take it back a little, see that little green bushel? Set it up to the right of that." Mr. Gyabunga instructed. "We're keeping you away from those trees, because the bivvies go under them. Thanks."
Jessi looked around to gauge her relationship of space with the others. Cassidy's group was at the point of a headland-type protrusion near the river. James and his group were set up about ten metres back from the campfire, Ash's group about twenty metres back from them.
The teachers were setting up a spacious tent each towards the centre of the valley.
Jessi groaned. She had to spend four and a half days with the class nerds. Perhaps on the next week she'd have someone better to hang around with.
Yeah.
Right.
GARY
"I'll be gone five minutes, max," Gary said breathlessly, handing Gabby one of his traditional, flashy walkie-talkie handhelds. "I'm on channel...uh...whatever channel it's already set on. Buzz me if the teachers are on the Gary prowl."
Gabby nodded, taking the object he held out to her.
"See ya babe!" he said, giving her a quick, half hug and then dashing off, suitably out of the laser-eyed teachers sight range.
Gary snuck quietly and swiftly through the bushes, heading in the precise direction to the precise location he was directed not to go to.
As he passed by the place where the mouth of the river fed into the big pool, he noticed a log over the river. His playful mind began to recreate every log-crossing scene he'd ever witnessed in every film he'd ever watched.
No,
he scolded himself, Bad Gary, you're here for one reason only. Let's not make like a loser and get distracted.That one reason was to check out who the neighbours were. Maybe they were hot. Mr. Gyabunga sure didn't make them sound like normal humans, they sounded...weird...
Gary sure got a taste of weird as he craned his neck past the tree trunk he was using to hide his body from view.
The neighbours were weird. Gyabunga was right.
Well, OK, he couldn't actually see the neighbours, but what he did see was their home.
It was big, shaped like an octagon, and instead of solid walls there were sheets of black fabric.
Staked around the dwelling were several wooden poles...
Gary counted.
He grinned.
Sixteen poles.
He ran back to camp.
GABBY
"He should be back now..." Gabby fretted "Should I call him?"
James shrugged "Whatever. He needs to hurry, we have tent inspection next..."
"I wonder what the neighbours are like. I hope they're really cute..." Gabby dreamed, a dull sigh then anchoring her to the reality that she living in. "Yeah right. They're probably sixty year old farmers with saggy-ass pants..."
James laughed. "Oh hey!" he said thankfully "There's Gary over there!"
"Thank bloody god..." Gabby exhaled.
She reached out for James's hand...and he accepted it, blushing. Gabby threw herself forward in a run, almost dragging James behind her.
"So Gary...what was it like?" she demanded, releasing her grip on James.
"Amazing. Best sex I've ever had," Gary answered jokily.
"Oh ha ha," Gabby intoned in a dramatised version of boredom "No seriously, I've been dying slowly for the past five and a half minutes...what's the go?"
Gary used his right hand to flatten down his hair, his left hand across his chest. He lowered his squeaky voice. "Promise not to tell?"
"Solemnly swear, don't we James?" Gabby said quickly, kicking James as a prompt. James obviously didn't want to be there.
"Well..." James began nervously "As long as I don't get into any trouble if you get caught Gary..."
"Gary Oak does not get caught. Remember the time I brought my Rattata to school and took it with me to every class and I still didn't get sprung?" Gary boasted nostalgically.
"Yeah..." James remembered.
"Well...anyway, it was wwwweeeeeeeird. Octagonal, black house, no people there at all..."
"Mmm?" Gabby spoke, interested.
"And the weirdest part is..." Gary lowered his voice so it was almost inaudible. Gabby had to put her head practically in his mouth to hear him speak.
"The weirdest part is that there were sixteen wooden stakes surrounding their home...sixteen stakes..." he drew in a breath "for sixteen skulls."
Gabby laughed "Lemme guess then? It was an old farmhouse with a geriatric couple who mean no harm?"
"You don't believe me?" Gary reeled.
"What? That they want sixteen skulls...where are they going to find sixteen skulls?" Gabby sniggered
James's beautiful sea-green eyes widened with fear "There are sixteen of us..."
Gary nodded, his eyes narrowed, but still, there was a glimmer of faint distress hidden in their depths.
For a second the fear hit Gabby too. "Don't be stupid, Gary." She dismissed "They must grow vegetables out here, you know, no shops and all...what you saw were probably those poles people use for beans and stuff..."
Gary looked doubtful. James looked a little relieved.
"No way, Gabby...I know what I saw."
Gabby bit her lower lip "Mr. Gyabunga is coming."
"Tonight Gabby. After lights out we'll go to sleep under the bivvy, then I'll take you to the place. OK?"
Gabby was the type who instantly responded to a summoning like this. "Sure."
JAMES
James's heart thumped in the deep cavern of his chest as his brain registered Gabby's response to the proposal that Gary had issued. She was going to go out, at night, to the possibly crazy killer that resided in the neighbouring valley.
He didn't want to lose her...
"What's the worst that could happen, eh?" she shrugged "I've got a big tough man like you to protect me Gary."
James's mouth straightened itself into a bleak line. A harsh horizontal mark was obscuring the innocent charm of his face. He knew what he had to do.
"I'll come too..." he said suddenly, surprising Gary and Gabby more than himself.
There was only one way he'd win Gabby's heart...he would be her knight in shining armour, pledging faithfulness until death.
He shuddered. The chances were high that he would die that night.
Dinner time. 7:30 pm.
BROCK
It was dinner time, the sun was impressively setting in a blaze of purple and orange, and Brock was offering around his latest creation to the tired students who had painfully laboured all day to set up proper toilet and hygiene facilities.
"Here you go, Ash. Chilli Rice Balls, what do you think?"
Ash tentatively took one off the mighty platter Brock was wielding.
"Um..." Ash said "They're good...they're not exactly spicy though...heh...heh...um what did you put in here?"
"There was no chilli," Brock explained "So I used a mixture of strawberry and black pepper. And salt, to taste." He smacked his lips.
"Uh, Brock," Ash said sensitively "Stick to doughnuts man."
Brock was hurt. He liked to think he was the supreme cook, as well as the perfect mother, father and housewife. Losing a domestic test, like the Chill Rice Ball, had left an abnormal bruise.
"Hey, Jenny, sweetie," he said, turning to his girlfriend for support "Whaddaya reckon?"
Jenny plucked a red-specked, off-white sphere from the top of the tower and chewed it slowly...carefully. "Um...Brock...stick to doughnuts, eh?"
"Agh! My best friend and my girlfriend have both rejected my creation." Brock lamented. His outer display was overacted to provoke laughter form Jenny, but inside he really felt that way. He was beginning to see that Jenny was uncomfortable around him. He'd heard her whisper to Kishi that she thought he was smothering her. Brock wasn't sure what he'd done wrong, but it had sort of upset Jenny. Even now Brock was absolutely mystified by the female race as a whole, as long as he lived, they would remain impossible to understand...and gracefully untouchable.
He wanted to hang onto Jenny as long as he could...she was the girl of his dreams, but he wasn't sure how...was he moving too fast? Too slow? Too often? Not enough? There were so many variables to their relationship, so many trying things he hadn't speculated upon...even their very beginning was something from a vaguely remembered dream.
She was his angel.
TRACY
Tracy swallowed another forkful of Cassidy's macaroni and cheese. The downside to the food was that in order to pass the leaders camp, each leader must be able to cook something.
The upside was that both Brock, Kishi, Gabby and surprisingly Butch were good cooks. He wasn't so bad himself.
Tracy's face tightened. Kishi...so she was a psychic...that explained why she'd suddenly disappear and reappear. Teleportation.
But the stern, stony-faced warning that Lance had issued him was too, sticking in his mind. Tracy could only find one possible answer for the way that Lance had tried to scare him off. Lance liked her.
Tracy was quite offended by the fact that Lance felt like he needed to warn others off. Tracy wasn't really interested in Kishi...just curious. Tracy had other interests...like the cute, sweet, quiet Joy Ferry, who was crossing the boundaries of friendship between Jenny and Jessibelle.
Tracy also had a slight eye for Cassidy, even though it was clear she was thoroughly wrapped up in Snap, although her main off-putting feature was her lack of coking skills.
Tracy discreetly buried his dinner under the log he was sitting on.
Campfire, 9 pm
GARY
Gary leaned over to whisper in Gabby's ear. "Nervous babe?"
"No way." She scoffed. Her fingers dug him in the ribs "Are you?"
"Me? Me with the reflexes and agility of a Persian, the mysterious good looks of a Ninetales? Me with the strength of seven Tauros, me who-"
"You who has the personality and odour of a Grimer..." Gabby interrupted.
"Gee, shucks, Gabby, you're such a flatterer. I might get a big head if you keep on feeding me such grand compliments."
Gabby looked at him doubtfully. "You might get a big head? Gary dear...Do you want a tape measure...you might actually need two...your reading is off the scale."
"So do you think I am a little arrogant?"
"A little? You're nothing short of an egotist, but I love you for it."
JAMES
So Gabby went for men with healthy egos and brave personalities. James was the first to admit he had a lot of shaping up to do.
ASH
"I wanna hear a scary story..." he declared "Who knows one?"
Fourteen blank teenage faces and one blank Pokemon one looked at him.
"That's a little juvenile." Misty scolded in a high and mighty voice.
"There's nothing wrong with scary stories. They're actually quite cool, Misty," Cassidy condemned "I just don't know any, except from movies."
"I know two..." Gary announced proudly "The first one is called 'The Speed of Irrevocable Fear', the second one," Gary paused to look at Gabby "Is called 'Skulls'. The Skulls tale is a little too chilling for you all though, so lean in to evoke that fear within,"
Ash grinned, enjoying the darkness with orange tongues of flame lighting up the smiling faces of his friends.
"There were two lost teenagers in the wilderness, Connie was only fourteen, Joshua was at sweet sixteen. It was midday, and they had been for a walk down to the brook that lapped innocently between two massive hills.
"But they had somehow taken a wrong turn, winding up many kilometres away from their destination, and with the sun in its highest position, both Joshua and Connie weren't sure where to go.
"Joshua suggested that they should go left...Connie, a sweet youth, could do nothing but agree. So they walked.
"Their walk lasted only thirty minutes, for they stumbled upon..."
Ash looked around at those surrounding him during Gary's pause. James was anxious, Gabby amused, Snap and Cassidy clutching eachother jokily.
"A hut."
Ash breathed out, most of the kids were laughing.
"You suck Gary!" Gabby cackled in a friendly manner.
"I haven't got to the best part." Gary defended.
"Well hurry up and do."
"You can't rush brilliance. This is a psychological thriller, its terror niggling your spine all the way.
"A cragged old woman exits the hut, greeting them warmly. The children remark that it is so strange to find someone out in the middle of nowhere, out in the sticks. They also admit that they are lost. That was their biggest mistake.
"The woman smiles slyly, her teeth are now visible as blackened, crumbling fibres, her breath fouler than the stench of death itself. 'I know the way' she grins.
Connie and Joshua thank her heartily, and she leads them off.
"Half an hour later, Joshua utters 'I think we should turn right...'. The old woman disagrees, her greasy, snakelike hair flying as she shakes her head. 'I know a quicker way'.
"For hours they walk, hours on end, no rests. Connie's feet are bleeding and sore, Joshua's knee is aching, but the woman refuses to let them rest 'I know a quicker way' she says, leading them onwards.
"The sun slips away, the sky giving in to darkness, but the woman refuses to allow Joshua and Connie rest. By now Connie's feet are raw, blistered and blood soaked, and Joshua's knee has all but given way. 'I know a quicker way' the woman cackles as she leads them into the night.
"The moon ambles in a straight path across the sky, all the while Connie and Joshua follow the woman. By first light, Joshua is only walking by aid of a stick used a rough crutch, but his underarm has been scratched open by the crude walking device, and the pain in his knee is intense. Connie's feet are rubbed to the flesh, even to the bloodstained white bone in places. Still the woman leads them. 'I know a quicker way'"
Ash shivered. Gary's story was surprisingly good.
Ash waited eagerly for the next part.
"Hurry up, what happens next?" Butch demanded, sounding more like the old impatient Butch than the newer bleak one.
"Huh? Oh, that's all." Gary shrugged.
"What?! That sucks!" Misty exclaimed rudely "It doesn't even have a proper ending!"
"That's the scary part," Gary explained as though Misty was only two years of age "It goes on forever...she's probably still out there...leading them...a faint voice declaring 'I know a quicker way'."
"Try again, Gary," Jessibelle criticised "Tell us about the skulls."
"Well now," Gary said with a sly look at Gabby "That tale is still being written."
BUTCH
Butch had come to a sharp realisation. He was no longer burdening himself with the constantly on guard state of mind that his Gothic alter ego had sprouted, he was reverting to the breezy, uncomplicated manner that had originally made him so popular.
His friends had still stuck by him through the change, and now he wanted to let them know how much that meant to him.
He laughed along with Gary and the others at campfire that night, until the hiss of Wendy had signalled lights out.
The weird thing was...Gary fell straight asleep as soon as the lights were turned ut, instead of talking all night as he usually did.
About 12 am...
GABBY
Gabby quietly unzipped the tent and the fly, crawling out into the eerily moonlit night. It was a full moon. She felt oddly exposed, still in her cute Vulpix pattern boxers and pink cami top. Her hair was still wet form her shower.
She turned her attention to the girls' bivvy. There was one shape resting there already. Gabby squinted as she pulled on her pink Sketchers cleats. The hair colour of the girl sleeping there gave two options...Jessibelle, or Jessi.
Gabby snuck over, planting herself cross legged next to the sleeping body, which she then identified as Jessibelle, in her cool metallic pink sleeping bag, who must have left their tent earlier, perhaps to get away from Misty, who had an annoying little high pitched snore.
"Hey Gabby," Gary hissed, jumping out from behind her, a disused torch in one hand. James stood next to him, and he too, had a torch.
"Hi." Gabby said, getting up to go.
"Uh...Gabby? Gary?" Jessibelle moaned, rubbing her eyes, rudely awoken from a summery slumber.
"And James," James said smoothly. Gabby noted with a smile, if there was one thing James loved to do, it was introduce himself.
"Where are you going?" Jessibelle asked, stretching.
"Shopping." Gary answered without thinking.
"Huh? Where?" Jessibelle demanded groggily, sliding her legs out of her sleeping bag.
"No...I'm just kidding, actually...you know the neighbours that we can't visit?" Gary inquired.
"Mm..." Jessibelle muttered, rolling up her sleeping bag.
"Well we're going to er...visit them," Gabby broke in, cutting off whatever false explanation Gary was going to offer.
"Oh cool...do you know them or something?" Jessibelle asked, her voice back to its old chirpy self, her eyes wide and awake.
"No..., they're apparently trying to kill us or something. They're supposedly creepy. I wanted to check them out." Gabby shrugged. "So Gary said, yeah OK, then we'll go at night. Then James said, yeah OK, I'm up for it. So then we went. Wanna come?"
"Sure." Jessibelle shrugged. "Lemme grab my sneakers. I'll be back in a second."
So Gabby, Gary and James waited, James nervously tapping his torch, Gary humming a Rage Against the Machine song. Gabby was just sitting down again.
"Scared, anyone?" Gary asked casually.
"Scared? Hah!" James squeaked lamely "That's a good one."
"I'm not. I don't even believe Gary." Gabby teased.
"Why not? I'm ever so trustworthy." He informed forcefully, stretching "Hurry up Belle."
In a matter of twenty-four seconds Belle was back, ready for Gary's little 'adventure'.
"OK, I'll lead you all on the way." Gary said boldly, and he led the three anxious and disbelieving teens into the stillness of the night.
5 MINUTES LATER
"Holy shit!" Gabby whispered hoarsely.
Gary clamped a shivering hand over her mouth. "Shh." He warned, gesturing at the spectacle before them "Do you want them to catch us?!"
"So you weren't lying..." Gabby hissed.
She turned to look at James, he had his eyes closed, and he was terrified.
The entire moonlit scene transfixed Jessibelle; her sapphire eyes lit up with suppressed excitement.
There were possibly twelve black robe clad adults all striding purposefully, arms raised menacingly, around an object on a wooden pedestal. Gabby couldn't see what the object was exactly...it looked like a copper bowl.
The robed figures were about forty metres away from where Gabby and her friends sheltered behind a grassy embankment.
"There are the poles..." Gary said in a barely audible whisper.
Gabby jumped as she felt James grab her hand. She turned around to face him, he was gazing so admiringly at her that she couldn't help but blush.
"This so cool!" Jessibelle breathed, awestruck. "Satanic rituals performed by an isolated cult!"
"Cool? It's fucking creepy!" Gary exploded, his voice cracking a little to loudly. Gabby froze.
So did the black figures.
"Eh?" one hollered.
James's grip on Gabby's hand tightened until it felt like her hand was just a piece of squashed meat.
"Eh?" he yelled again, for it was presumably a he, judging by the deepness of his voice.
"Fuck hiding!" Gary wailed "RUN!"
Gabby's heart beat double time as James pulled her to her feet. "Ah shit!" she yelled.
The only sound in her ears as she sprinted away was the pounding of her heart... she couldn't even tell if that was what it truly was, or whether it was the sound of footsteps after them in the darkness.
She didn't dare look back, perhaps it was Gary's stories, but she was totally freaked out. There was no way she was ever going to go back in that valley.
JAMES
James had tears in his eyes, his hand was still grasping Gabby's even as they fled. He was shitting himself, he'd never been so afraid in his life.
'I know a quicker way' Gary's words proclaimed in his mind...he shuddered and forced himself to run even faster.
JESSIBELLE
Jessibelle knew at that moment in her life exactly how she felt. The perverse adrenaline rush was making her legs a blur, but her mind was clear. She was the only one of the four who looked back.
The robed shapes were all standing in a row, watching them flee. There was a contentedness in the eyes of the closest one that chilled her insides.
The fear, it was safe to say, turned her on, pretty much. It was such a high for her.
Her eyes narrowed.
She had to go back.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Agh! I suck at scariness, don't I? HUH? You holler, IT WAS SUPOSED TO BE SCARY?! Um...well...poor Jessibelle...is all I can say...because things get bad for her. Butch too. For everyone.
In the next episode Ash finally convinces Kishi to read Misty's mind. What she's thinking might shock you!
OK, so I'll see you all then, then?
Dreams belong to everyone
So follow them,
Even if you've never glimpsed the sun
Love and Kisses,
Tenshi_Mew2