Birthday
It was Ash's 14th birthday.
May was wondering about in a departmental store, looking for something suitable to give to him.
Her search result? Horrifying.
May sighed as she looked about, her eyes darting frantically.
Tomorrow was school, when she was due to give it to him.
She sighed again, thinking of how mad her mother would be if she stayed any longer in the shopping mall.
"What CAN I get for a guy like Ash?" she asked herself.
A female salesgirl walked up to May, "Excuse me, are you looking for something?"
May shot a look at the salesgirl. "Yeah."
The salesgirl smiled. "For a guy, I suppose?"
"W-What..? Oh, right, yeah. I'm looking for a birthday present."
"I'll show you something. It's quite special." The salesgirl chuckled to herself, and she quickly lead May away from the area.
May soon found herself looking at a whole shelf of plush toys. "Um," May started, but the salesgirl cut her off when she held out two star-shaped fruit plushies tied together.
"What's that?" May asked, putting her hand out to take the toy for further inspection.
"It's what people call a paopu fruit." The salesgirl replied, still smiling as widely as ever. "Legend says that if you were to get one, you should share and eat it with the one you love, and the paopu fruit will guarantee everlasting love."
May smiled. "That's nice." And her thoughts somehow wandered off to Ash. THAT was weird…
The salesgirl nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but since it's just a legend, and the paopu fruit doesn't really exist, all we have of it are toys. You can write a note if you want to. It's quite a nice gift for your boyfriend."
May blushed. "B-Boyfriend? N-no, he's not really, um, yeah know…" And she got all flustered.
"But you like him, no?"
May thought about it. She was about to speak, but she realized she was about to trust someone whom she had just met a few moments ago.
The salesgirl almost read her mind. "Well, if you don't wanna tell me, that's okay. It's a nice gift, anyway, for any person." Then she turned away. "If you need me, I'll be around here somewhere."
May laughed. "Thanks a lot!" she chirped.
"No problem."
Now, at least May's search for a perfect gift was done.
The perfect gift was one that could properly show how much she loved him.
May was at home, in front of the computer, with the pair of Paopu fruit plushies in her hand. She looked at the messenger screen. No, he wasn't on. At least Ash wouldn't distract her from writing down her little note, to be placed into his paopu.
May started writing:
We've been friends for a year or so, but I felt that we've known each other ever since we were in pampers.
But recently, I've been thinking, for no apparent reason, whether I want you more as a friend.
Well, finally, on your birthday, I decided to come clean. With a short sweet message. I'm not really an author, though my essay was featured in the collection of top essays compiled by the teachers. I guess I was lucky enough to get a nice teacher to mark it.
Ugh, enough of all this talk, let me just tell you how much I've been thinking of you.
The way you smile, it's like I'm in paradise. It's attractive, and so infectious.
I especially love your embarrassed smile when people tease us for some reason or so, or when we suddenly look at each other for no reason at all. To be honest, I think it's more adorable than my collection of plush toys, their adorable-ness all added together. And my toys ARE cute, so you should know how cute you look.
Then, whenever I see your hair all cute and unkempt, you should know how much I feel like making it even more untidy. I feel like poking all the cute ends of your spikes. Even though you had never washed it for weeks, I'll still touch it. Now, I have to find a way to reach out without stretching…
I still remember the time when I dropped my book and we both reached out for it. Our hands met, and the only thing that I wanted to do was to quickly grab it. But, apparently you pulled away in embarrassment.
Oh well. I still saw your adorable smile.
And the time when you walked me back to school, because I still had some extra stuff to do at school, I felt like I had the whole world with me.
Just you, and me.
The more I thought about this, the harder I fell for you.
I just want to say this, Ash Ketchum, that I love you.
Happy birthday.
May read the letter over and over again, to check for any typo errors, and she tried putting herself in Ash's shoes, reading it and thinking how he would feel if he were to receive it.
She looked up. It was already 9. Ugh.
Then something orange lit up in the computer screen. Ash Ketchum.
May smiled to herself.
"May, why am I here again?" Dawn, May's irreplaceable best friend asked, "And WHY are we at some random classroom…oh, wait, don't tell me…"
May grinned. "Yep. It's Ash's classroom, and it's his birthday."
Dawn looked at May with a hint of shock. "You never gave ME a present."
"That's because I just met you this year, and your birthday's in December. That's two months away, no?"
"Well, I don't mind getting my birthday present in October."
May rolled her eyes. She walked into the classroom.
She paused for awhile. Where was Ash's table again?
Again, someone read her mind. "Your boyfriend's table is over there.
May looked at one of Ash's friend, Drew, and she smiled gratefully. "Thanks."
She hurried to Ash's table, slipped the paopu fruit under it, and quickly got back to her classroom.
Ash slumped back into his seat. "Ugh, can't believe I ran to school, and then I realized it was 6 and not 7…" He muttered, habitually putting his hands underneath his desk. Instead of feeling thin air, he felt something soft.
He pulled the mysterious object out.
A star-shaped fruit.
"Eh?"
He turned it around and around, looking for something.
"A…note?" he noticed a sheet of paper sticking out of the fruit.
Ash read it.
After what seemed like an hour, he finished reading it.
He knew, or hoped that the mysterious sender would be her.
May Maple.
Ash bolted out of the classroom, and straight to May's.
"MAY!" he called out.
May ran out of the classroom. "Yeah?" she asked. Then she noticed the paopu fruit in his hand, and then she remembered she was holding the other paopu fruit in her hand.
"Oh…Ash, I-"
Ash didn't need a reply. He didn't need an apology. All he needed now, was her.
He brought his face close to May's and he quickly pressed his lips against hers.
May broke it off to speak.
"Happy birthday. Like the gift?"
Ash looked at her, and smiled. "Yeah, I love them."
"Them?"
"Your paopu fruit, and you."
And he kissed her once more.
A/N: The paopu fruit thing, it's from Kingdom Hearts. Yeah…