Chapter 2
Disclaimer: Pokémon or the characters in the story do not, in any way, belong to me.
Reviews are highly appreciated.
For the first few days after Bonnie's talk with Serena, Serena seemed to notice her glancing her way a little more often. The talk really did nothing to help Serena; in fact it mostly embarrassed her that she had to reveal personal feelings to someone that, she, felt, didn't really care. She avoided looking at Bonnie most of the time, preferring to engage Ash in some sort of conversation or antic instead. Only during meals or when all four happened to sit down late at night, did she ever really talk to Bonnie and that was only when the conversation, all 4 of them participated in, called for it.
Although Serena more listened than spoke, Bonnie being the one to invite her into the conversation every once in a while, when she remembered their private conversation a few nights ago.
All the while, Serena seemed to be tumbling farther into her depression, a black hole opening up in the middle of her chest and clawing at the edges where the rest of her chest was. Sometimes, it made it feel harder to breathe, sometimes it just felt like a giant weight pressing down on her and she honestly had to wonder how she got any talking or smiling done.
Her appetite had slowly begun to decrease as well; she was no longer sneaking off to snatch a treat from somewhere in between travelling and midnights. She instead seemed to be staring off into space as the others awed over some beautiful scenery or sight. She wasn't hungry in any sense of the word, for food, for socializing, for anything.
This didn't go unnoticed by the others but with travelling pressing down on the group, coupled with Ash's various antics, it was hard to find the time to drag Serena away for a few private five minutes alone. Also, Serena had recently bought a new player in the game, sleeping pills. The stress being too much nowadays, no one voiced major objections to her idea, but the gang still relied on natural sleep instead of drug induced, except Serena, who was having a serious problem getting to sleep.
And a new habit of Serena's was to race off to bed after dinner, sometimes right in the middle and down some pills before falling asleep on the bed.
Terrified she might do something on accident, Bonnie always followed her, making sure she had the correct amount in her palm before she watched Serena throw them in her mouth. It seemed to placate her conscious some, know she really should say something to Serena, who always avoided most interaction with her.
"Are you embarrassed?" she asked finally before Serena took the sleeping pills one night.
Serena looked up at Bonnie before muttering. "What?" and swallowing the drugs.
"Are you embarrassed? By our little conversation last week." Bonnie said a little louder.
"Oh...nah..." Serena shrugged sleepily. She hadn't even bothered to change, still in her outfit from that day. For a moment, Bonnie feared this wasn't the first day she'd worn the exact outfit.
"Are you sure?" asked Bonnie as Serena's eyes slipped closed and she wobbled a little where she sat on the edge of the sleeping bag.
Serena nodded lethargically, laying down and making slow movements to pull the blanket over her. In seconds, she was fast asleep.
Bonnie sighed, walking back to the temporary-table and sitting down. Ash and Clemont were just finishing their dinner, talking to each other animatedly, but silenced themselves when Bonnie sat down.
"Well, how was it?" asked Clemont. Bonnie merely looked at him and said nothing.
"Bonnie, Serena can put herself to bed, you know." Ash said.
"I know, Ash," said Bonnie evenly, wondering if she should tell them about Serena's problem. She was worried Serena would find it a betrayal, although she had a feeling they would figure it out eventually.
"Then why do you follow her every night?" Ash continued.
Bonnie shrugged, unsure still whether to say anything.
"Well, give her some space. Your constant interference is why she's edgy nowadays." Clemont said thoughtfully.
Bonnie rolled her eyes.
Some days later...
Now, it is no unknown fact that our gang is pretty famous. Ash has probably saved the world countless times. Clemont is the Gym Leader of Lumiose City, the biggest and most famous city of the Kalos Region. Serena is the daughter of a champion Rhyhorn racer, who is, in all modesty, pretty famous and rich. So, when these people came together, it was natural that they got some attention. From the press.
"Serena, do you think Ash will win the next Gym match?"
"Don't know, we haven't gotten to the next Gym yet."
A chorus of laughter and the small group of reporters turned to Ash like he was a piece of meat.
"What do you think we can expect on the latest stop in your tour?"
"Battling, I guess." Ash shrugged.
Everyone smirked and the questions continued on.
Serena kept looking wistfully at the door. If these people were supposed to notice everything about them, why couldn't they see she wanted to leave? Alas! On and on they went, asking questions that were identical to the last time they had answered questions, and the time before that, and the time before that. There was literally nothing new about this walk and talk with the press, even the faces of the press were beginning to blur together with the faces of the last batch of reporters.
"Everything all right, Serena?"
That snapped Serena out of her thoughts.
"Yes?" she said cautiously. "Tip top."
"Then why don't you seem to be engaged in the questions?" The sleazy looking reporter smirked. Her mother had often warned her against people like these.
"I'm answering them, am I not?" Serena snapped. "That's engaged to my understanding."
"Speaking of engaged, do you plan on finding a right guy for yourself?"
Serena blinked and paused, which was all the reporter needed.
"Do you see many guys in your travels? Come to think of it, you've probably seen a lot of handsome men, some also Gym Leaders."
"Hey! One at a time if you please," said Ash, suddenly feeling a great wave of anger surging through him. Jealousy? Maybe. He controlled it, all the same. He came to the girl's rescue, while Serena blushed despite herself. "Here's a question for you lot, which of you plans to have this story out first?"
The resulting clamouring to declare their newspaper was the quickest and the reporters went into a new frenzy, the sleazy dude forgotten in seconds.
Serena then looked over to Alexa, their journalist-friend who was currently managing this walking press conference, and shot her a pleading look, lower lip wobbling innocently. Alexa sighed and strode out to stand between the gang and the press.
"I'm sorry but that's all the time my friends have for today," she announced, somehow managing to be louder than the tons of journalists and photographers combined. "The gang needs to get on with their schedule and I highly doubt it that they'll want their rare moments of peace ruined by us."
The reporters cried out in disagreement but the gang was already gone. Serena walking the fastest to get off the pavement and to the Pokémon Centre. Bonnie followed after her, wanting to say something but unsure of how she would be received, and Ash and Clemont bringing up the rear to laugh over their personal highlights of the interviews.
"That one woman, did you see?" laughed Ash. "Her hair looked damn funny!"
"Like a beehive underwater!" agreed Clemont.
"Serena?" Bonnie called gently, not getting a reply from Serena.
"Is she miffed about that one reporter?" questioned Clemont. "Nothing to be miffed over, y'know."
"Leave her alone, Clemont." Bonnie groaned.
"She's fine," smiled Clemont still not getting the point. "Hey, Serena, didn't that guy look like one big loser?"
"Clemont...don't," said Ash realizing Serena might not take the jokes very well today. "She's probably not gonna laugh along." He never admitted, though, that the certain question made him very uncomfortable as well.
"That I can't do anything about," shrugged Clemont. Sometimes, he could be real stupid. "Hey, Serena, you okay, right?"
Serena just walked ahead and entered the dining hall, as it was almost dinner time.
"Hey, Serena!" Clemont made to go after her.
"Bro, leave her alone!" shouted Bonnie surprising the other two.
Ash's eyebrows pulled together, watching the female member with concern while a dark look crossed Clemont's face.
"She's been acting weird, Bonnie and I'm getting to the bottom of this."
"Well, don't antagonise her!" snarled Bonnie, Pikachu and Dedenne now getting pretty surprised.
"I'm not gonna play games, Bonnie. One of my best friends is not okay, and I'm finding out why!" shouted Clemont.
Unnoticed by the other two, Ash slipped into the dining hall, sliding next to Serena, who was watching the other side. Outside Clemont and Bonnie continued to argue, the topic having changed to whose socks smelled more. Pikachu and Dedenne were trying to break them up so no unnecessary scene would be caused.
Ash touched Serena's shoulder with his gloved hand.
"Hey." He said nonchalantly.
After a while Serena said softly. "Hey."
"You wanna talk?"
"Not particularly." Serena said, seeming to shrink down in her seat a little.
"Clemont just got a bit impatient," said Ash gently, hoping to generate a response.
"Well, how lovely for Clemont." Serena said acidly, craning her neck to look at the buffet.
Just then the door snapped open and in came Bonnie and Clemont, both fuming and both choosing to stare different ways. Pikachu and Dedenne jumped on the table and took up their respective positions alongside their trainers.
Soon, the gang began eating their meal, Serena still at a loss of appetite but she forced the food down her throat to calm her friends' concerns.
"So..." Clemont said after a while. "Serena-"
"Yes?" Serena asked, cutting him off.
Clemont let a confused hiss of air through his nostrils before looking past Ash's head to stare at the back of the performer's head.
Serena turned to stare at Clemont, fire lighting her eyes. Suppressed emotions. Bad for health.
Clemont stared back, locking the two in a battle of stares. Her angry eyes vs. His confused ones.
But as Clemont stared at his friends, he saw a glimmer of something under the anger, something like pain or a bitter agony, which he didn't recognize seeing there before. Something that managed to send up a red-flag in his confusion – hazed mind.
Eventually Serena looked away, muttering something unheard to the group.
Sometime later...
The gang soon reached their floor, looking for their suite.
Serena sprinted down the corridors, not even waiting for the others. Only thinking she needed to escape, like a trapped animal on the run from a predator she needed to get away. To the safety of her hotel room.
But as Serena turned a corner, she was accosted by some people who 'knew' her.
"Serena!"
"Look there is Champion Grace's daughter."
"Ms. Serena-"
"Get away from me!" Serena screamed in her mind, slamming the door to the gang's suite and running to her room, locking the door behind her, sliding down the dark wood and drawing her knees up.
She wanted them all to go away, go away and leave her alone.
But they wouldn't, they never would. They would never let her breathe, never let her just have peace.
Hearing the suite door, Serena snapped herself out of her pity party and stood up, unlocking the door but her hand only resting on the handle. She could hear them shuffling around out there. Ash's jokes and Clemont's attempts to outdo him. Pikachu shocking his trainer to shut down the conversation, which was getting annoying now.
Bonnie's voice seemed to get louder, as she neared the door. Serena just managed to jump back in time to avoid being hit.
Bonnie's eyebrows raised as Serena appeared behind the door.
"Hi." She said after a second.
"Hey." Serena said back, brushing past her to sit on the couch. Ash was already there, eating some leftovers. Clemont had picked up a book and started reading but soon sat down to brainstorm ideas for his new invention.
Bonnie appeared moments later, snatching some of Ash's leftovers for herself.
Ash offered Serena something to eat too, but she shook her head.
Ash cast a look, which Serena promptly turned away from. Ash edged closer, leaning close to whisper. "Everything alright?"
"Perfect," said Serena, but her tone conveyed something else. "Why would you ask?"
Ash sighed, standing up and pulling Serena up by her hands.
"Ow!" she yelped. "Damn it, Ash!"
"Come on," Ash gently pushed into the bedroom, much to the amusement of the others. Clemont, Bonnie and Pikachu stared after, concerned suspicion crossing their faces.
Ash gently led Serena through the door and closed it behind him. Then he turned to stare Serena through the darkness.
"Well?" He began. "We're all alone; we both know you're lying so out with it."
Serena stared at Ash like he was crazy but Ash just made her sit down onto her bed, sitting down next to her.
"You're my travelling companion, Serena. You're also my best friend who has known me the longest. That all means something. And, at rare times...you're something...something real special, okay? And all that means a lot." Ash said, a small smile pulling at one corner of his mouth as he tried to soften Serena up.
Serena's hard, stony look softened to a sad, yet slightly amused face. There was no smile, but a ghostly impression was there. The eyes were too sad to be properly happy, though.
Ash pushed Serena gently by the shoulder, "Come on, I promise I judged you long ago, there's nothing to change my view of you."
"And what is your view of me, Ash?"
"That you're a moody vampire that likes feasts and shopping. Now out with it, Serena, what's bothering you?" said Ash, making Serena giggle, the grin breaking her face finally.
"Nothing." She said, the amusement leaving through her voice. She moved farther back on the bed, sitting Indian style with her shoes on.
"Serena..."
"No really, Ash, nothing that can be fixed anyway," sighed Serena, staring at her hands in her lap.
Ash cocked his head to the side, turning to fully face his best friend.
"Can't hurt to talk about it then."
"I'm just...tired."
"We've been sitting here for, what, ten minutes?" Ash quipped, making Serena roll her eyes and look at Ash like he was a dumb puppy.
"I meant the whole rollercoaster we've been riding since we met you."
"Hey! Maybe we started this journey because you guys met me, but you also put in hours of hard work. Same has to be said for Clemont and Bonnie."
"We put in hours because we met you."
"And therefore, I helped. Now come on, you're tired of following your dreams and getting recognition?"
"And sleazy reporters? How 'bout the stupid idea that a person doesn't need any privacy?!" Serena said, anger scrunching up her eyes, the empty hole in her chest seeming to lessen a little.
"Ah. That. Forgot about it myself," smiled Ash, moving closer and lying down in front of her. "To tell you the truth, I don't think it's an idea, it must be a life-style for people with the littlest bits for recognition."
Something wet then hit Ash's face and he looked up to notice tears running down Serena's face.
"Oh, Serena," sighed Ash, wiping one tear away with his thumb. "It's all right." He sat up and wrapped his arms around Serena's thin frame. Serena sniffled, feeling the black hole in her chest start to bleed all the despair and pain she'd been hiding for the last while back into the rest of her. She coughed as breathing and crying started to clash and leaned back into Ash's embrace.
"I don't know what's...wrong with me...I'm useless..." She managed between soft sobs. "I'm sorry..."
"Nothing's wrong, girl," whispered Ash. "Absolutely nothing wrong. Just let it out."
Serena curled up around Ash's arms, holding her face in her hands and resting against Ash's chest. Ash let his own head rest against Serena's as he rocked her back and forth slowly in an attempt to soothe the crying Pokémon Performer.
Suddenly the door opened without warning and Bonnie strode in. Immediately, Serena tore away from Ash, wiping her face quickly as she crawled to the other side of the bed.
"Oh...sorry." Bonnie said sheepishly as Ash gave her a furious look. "Just had to grab...ah...you know what, I'm gonna room with Clemont tonight. We need to finish...the...work...right." And as quickly as she'd come she went, driven away by Ash's furious glare more than anything. He was, guiltily, enjoying the moment. And whatever connection Ash had managed to bridge through that icy shell Serena had constructed had toppled to ruins in the span of 2 seconds. Serena remained on the other end of the bed, battling to remove her sleeveless jacket.
"Here." Ash said softly, taking away the jacket, which he promptly put away.
"Take off your hat then," said Ash, and Serena silently did so, not looking anywhere but the covers as the lack of sleep started to blur her vision. She wavered, her body wanting to both topple over and remain erect at the same time. Ash carefully slid up to her and pulled Serena onto her side of the bed, new tears now forming in his eyes as Serena blinked consciousness away. Ash slowly ran his gloved fingers through Serena's blonde hair like his mother had done for him when he'd been sad.
In the last moments she had, Serena reached up with a leaden arm and grasped Ash's hand, her grip weakening by the second as sleep overtook her body. Ash gave a comforting squeeze and Serena knew no more.
When Ash was sure she was asleep, he stood up and walked over to her feet, where he pulled Serena's shoes off and put them on the floor. He then slid a pillow under Serena's head, stealing the covers from the other bed to tuck in his friend.
He then lay down next to Serena, taking her hand under the covers into his and laying his head on Serena's shoulder. Closing his eyes, he tried to fight down the building panic that Serena was not alright, no matter how badly he wanted her to be. He also realized that like liked holding her hand, her hair smelled like mint and that he always got the feeling that Butterfrees were dancing in his stomach whenever he touched his female friend. Not to mention his face heating up. He really needed to talk to Pikachu tomorrow.
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