COPYRIGHT NOTE: I don't own Pokemon / Pocket Monsters, the song "It's My Party (and I'll Cry If I Want To)" performed by Lesley Gore, or the Terminator series comically alluded to in this story.

COMMENTS: Now it's the moment you've all been waiting for! Misty's birthday! What mayhem will ensue? Read and see.

Oh, and now that this story is a little over half-way complete, I'd just like to take a second to generally thank everybody who's been kind enough to send me reviews so far. You lovely readers don't know how happy your reviews make me, and I hope all of you continue to enjoy this story (especially now that Misty's party has finally arrived!). ^_^

It's Her Party, and She'll Cry If I Mess It Up

Aiselne Phoenix

Ch.4: "Happy Judgment Day, Dear Misty!"

March 20

I got up bright and early that morning to make sure everything was all set. Yeah, I know it's hard to believe I actually got up early for once in my life. It's modern Pallet Town legend how I, Ash Ketchum, was dumb enough to oversleep the first day of my Pokemon journey…a day arguably more important than March 20th. Still, learning from my experiences (for once), I didn't want to leave anything to chance today. Thank God Max' alarm clock actually works (and Pikachu's 'internal clock,' too. Ordinarily, I hate it when Pikachu zaps me out of bed, but it was either that or risking the chance of oversleeping on Misty's birthday. I picked the lesser of two evils. Besides, I think by now, I've become 90% shockproof).

I was not about to let anything fall apart today! Misty was expected to arrive around ten o'clock, so there was little time left to make any finishing touches. Fortunately, I wasn't the only person who got up early that day. Brock, May, and Max were busy getting themselves ready while Norman and Caroline started cooking breakfast. Everybody wanted to finish breakfast before Misty arrived, just so once the birthday girl came we could instantly start the party without anything holding us back. By seven-thirty, all of us had showered, dressed, ate, and were ready to face anything!

...Except face the blaring CRASH from outside!

My mouth dropped open when I looked out the window. It took me a minute make sure I was not still asleep and dreaming. Mom did tell me about an incident when I was five years old involving me sleepwalking. I don't really remember it, but she does. Of all nights, too, it happened when Gary was sleeping over (this obviously happened back when he wasn't a 'total' jerk to me). Somehow, I ended up in the basement laundry bin wearing a…uh…well, let's just say it belonged to my mom and I count my blessings no photographs were taken at the time. I still suspect Gary had 'something' to do with my so-called 'sleepwalking,' that cocky jerk. He and I are on much better terms nowadays, but when I stop and think about some of the sneaky, underhanded things Gary used to do to me…

…But right now, I didn't have time to worry about Gary Oak! The bottom line was I was NOT sleeping and/or sleepwalking. Therefore, my consciousness meant that the pummeling rain and flashing lightning outside May and Max' house was completely 100% REAL!

No.

I wanted to drop dead right then and there (if only I was that lucky). After blinking a dizzying amount of times, my legs suddenly felt very wobbly and weak as I attempted to understand, and accept, the sudden thunderstorm quite literally dampening my spirits. The sky had opened, pouring onto the outdoor tent we pitched for Misty's party. The tables and chairs were protected, but since the deluge oversaturated the ground, the tent's slim support poles sank further into the soft mud. So now we had a lopsided tent leaning to one side that looked like it had been assembled ass-backwards! Plus, water was already pocketing in the lopsided area of the white canvas, and we were going to be in even bigger trouble if the water weight ripped it. Not only would it flood the tables and chairs underneath, but the tent was a rental, too!

This could not be happening!

"Oh no!" I heard May suddenly cry, gasping at the sight outside while a few more flickers of thunder flashed across the gray skies. "What're we going to do now?!" she asked, turning to me as if I had all the answers. How the hell was I supposed to know?! Of course, I didn't dare scream that to May. It certainly was not her fault Mother Nature decided to spit in my face! I never heard of any rain for this day. All the weather reports said this week would be 'bright and sunny.' Obviously, if we had known it was going to rain on March 20th, we wouldn't have planned an 'outdoor' party, now would we? I'm aware I do stupid things for a living but I'm not that stupid!

God, I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs! No, it couldn't have rained yesterday or tomorrow, could it? No! It just HAD to rain today of all days! Those rainclouds couldn't even wait a few hours for us to finish the party! No, the clouds had to open up in the morning, negating all chances of an outdoor party.

Does someone up in the sky not like me? Did I tick somebody off? I've heard of people getting jinxed, but I never caught a Jynx before, so that can't be my problem. I've also heard of "hexes," but I'm not sure how hexagons relate to my current issues, either. Urgh, well somebody must have a grudge against me! How else could everything I do go straight to hell?! I can almost hear some mystical god laughing hysterically (and the voice somehow sounds like Gary's, no less) at my misfortune.

"The weather forecast never said anything about rain," muttered Caroline as I noticed she entered the living room with her husband. Both adults looked equally surprised by the sudden thunderstorm, and neither seemed thrilled with the automatic change in plans. "Looks like we'll have to keep the party indoors then."

"But what about all the Pokemon?" Max asked, taking the words right out of my speechless mouth. For once in my life, I was unable to talk, and just continued staring out the rainy window, hoping by some sliver of luck that the storm would be brief (hehe, I just made a joke, didn't I?). "Can we fit all of them in the house?"

Norman and Caroline exchanged looks, which silently gave us our unwanted answer. Caroline specifically told us yesterday that she did not want the Pokemon running around in a house she just spent a day cleaning. Such was something Norman agreed to as well, and I couldn't blame the parents for thinking that way. Nobody wanted a bunch of Pokemon running around their house, anyway. I know Mom wouldn't have allowed it at my house, so I understood Norman and Caroline's reasons. Besides, even if they did allow the Pokemon inside, their house was way too small for five kids, two adults, and over half a dozen Pokemon occupying it at once.

"I guess..." Norman muttered, scratching his chin before somberly looking down at me. "...We just won't be able to let some of the Pokemon out. We'll have to throw the party without them."

There went my plans! Misty had not even arrived and already the party was a disaster! The whole point of Misty's party was to have all these different Water Pokemon to play with. It would be pretty stupid not to have any Water Types at a Water Pokemon-themed birthday party! Doing something like that is as dumb as jumping into a pool without first checking to see if any water is in it! Or, talking on the phone for an hour and not realizing it's unplugged! (Uh…those are not spoken from the voice of experience, either…really! Oh come' on, gimmie some credit! It's not my fault people don't put "out of order" signs on these things!).

But seriously, what else could we do for Misty's party? I had no intentions of having Pokemon run around a house that was not even my own (I wouldn't even willingly do it at my own house, either). Unfortunately, it was pouring rain outside. The outdoor activities were nil, that was for sure, meaning I could nix the cookout, too. Even if the rain did stop soon, the ground will still be mushy and messy to play around in the yard with the Pokemon. Who would want to play in the mud? I mean, sure, it's fun when you're six years old, but when you're older mud is just downright nasty. Misty may be a tomboy, but she doesn't strike me as the type of girl to enjoy playing in mud. Then again, I did hear Brock say something about watching girls "fighting in mud" is fun to watch. It doesn't sound fun to me, but Brock seemed to brighten towards the idea. Do girls really like rolling around in the mud, is this another "Brock thing" I'm better off not knowing?

Mud or no mud, the odds of throwing Misty an outdoor party were slim. Sure, we could still throw Misty a party indoors. But…after all that hard work and forethought we put into her original party…is it selfish for me to feel disappointed to know all that hard work was for nothing? I really did want to throw Misty an extra-special birthday party, and all of our plans were perfect until Mother Nature made the cancelation. All of us worked really hard the past few days getting this shindig ready, and now, knowing the party would be demoted to a simple indoor get-together felt so anti-climactic. It's like hurrying to a movie theater only to find out tickets sold out, or running to a Pokemon Gym and finding out it's closed for the day! (And yes, that IS the voice of experience talking, and let me tell you those experiences suck!).

But what else could I do? Well, actually, I did know the answer to my own question, which was why I felt my head start to hang as reality sank into me.

Nothing. There was nothing I could do. So much for Misty's perfect party.

"I know!"

But before I could spiral further into my melancholic thoughts, Brock's sudden exclamation grabbed all of our attentions. I dared to perk my head up, glancing over my shoulder to see my oldest friend smiling confidently and snapping a finger. Heck, Brock looked as confident as I usually did before a Pokemon battle, further piquing my interest. "Forget outside! We can have the whole party just like we planned inside the Gym!"

The…GYM?!

"Yeah!" I also heard Max cheer, punching an energetic fist into the air. "Our Gym's not being used right now, anyway! The battlefield's almost as big as our backyard, so it'll easily fit all the Pokemon. And we should be able to have the cookout in there, too, right Dad?" he asked, all of us turning towards a blinking Norman.

The man obviously needed a moment for him and his wife to give this idea a little thought. Pokemon Gyms did happen to be specially built to handle all sorts of Pokemon attacks, so throwing a simple cookout party inside the Gym should not have been too dangerous. Even if the barbeque exploded (which I certainly hope I didn't just Jynx myself in saying that), how could that be any worse than a Flamethrower from a challenger's Fire Pokemon? I'm sure Pokemon Gyms had to be built according to some Pokemon League "code" for battles to take place. A simple party should not be problematic (then again, the Pokemon League never faced disasters like me and Misty's birthday parties).

Fortunately, Norman seemed to be thinking identically to me and my logic (yes, logic!). By the time I noticed the smile pull Norman's lips, I already knew he was about to say, "Then we'd better hurry and relocate the party indoors, shouldn't we?"

Nobody bothered, nor needed, to answer Norman's question before we sprung into action. In a matter of seconds, all of us scrambled for our raincoats and rushed outside to salvage whatever could be used inside the Petalburg Gym. We only had a few hours to reconstruct Misty's party indoors before her arrival, so there was no time to lose!

Maybe there was hope for the party, after all!

- * - * - * - * -

Around ten-fifteen that morning the doorbell rang. Thank God we managed to finish relocating the party just in time. As promised, Professor Birch had also arrived an hour earlier with all the Water Pokemon. We had just finished inflating the last bunch of blue balloons before Caroline came running into the Gym telling us "She's here!"

Dropping everything, but making sure everything was in place, we dashed back upstairs to the front door. It never ceased to amaze me that by the grace of God we were able to relocate the party almost perfectly into the Gym. Despite the fact that we were a bit dirty, all of us brushed off any excess dirt as we headed for the door. Fortunately, the Gym was conjoined to May and Max' house, so we didn't have to run back outside in the still-pouring rain to reach the front door. Once we all assembled by the door, it was May who sneaked another peek in the peephole to make sure it was Misty on the porch. The coordinator giggled the same response her mother told us before. "She's here."

I could not contain my own excitement as I stood before the door. I was excited to begin with over the reunion with Misty, and now that it was happening, it was almost overwhelming. I could not help but smile as I counted down the seconds to opening that door and seeing Misty's face light up when we would yell "happy birthday!" I could just picture her response perfectly!

Wait...did I say "perfectly"?!

(I'm getting a crash-course in these "Jynxes," aren't I?). The front door swung open as May opened it. All of us were wide with smiles, until this blur of dripping orangey-red-something-or-another ran past us and into the living room. Catching her breath, the yellow-dressed girl leaned against the back of the sofa she crashed into, shaking some of the water off of her.

There the birthday girl stood, unceremoniously dripping wet from the downpour. She wore no jacket and had no umbrella, just her yellow outfit. She had the same clothes as she wore the last time I saw her in the Mirage Kingdom. Her soaked red hair stuck to the sides of her face, and her ponytail dripped a fine line of water droplets onto Caroline's freshly vacuumed carpet. It took a minute for all of us to fully recognize our guest, who currently looked like a drowned red and yellow Raticate.

Wiping some of the wet hair off her equally wet face, Misty perked up and waved a sheepish hand at us with a big smile. "Hey guys!" she giggled playfully, blushing slightly by her not-so-glamorous entrance. "Hehe, I hope I'm not late."

The rest of us said nothing for a moment. Misty's entrance was definitely different, one none of us expected. Whatever happened to the "Happy birthday, Misty!" and her overjoyed reaction?! I asked myself, somehow unable to speak. Misty was supposed to arrive and be greeted by a barrage of cheers, and her face was supposed to light up like the sun…well, you' know…if the sun were actually shining today. Urgh, this day was turning out to be the most picture-imperfect birthday scenario! Everybody else seemed to feel just as awkward, and I'm sure Misty 'loved' the idea of a bunch of people silently gawking at her drenched appearance. But somebody had to say something.

"Uh...hey…hey Misty," I heard myself stutter like an idiot. No! You're supposed to shout "happy birthday" you nimrod!

May, on the other hand, seemed to recover more easily. "Happy birthday, Misty!" I heard her happily cheer, jumping out before our little group to get Misty's attention. Like I said before, May had been kinda' treating this whole party like another contest. True to the coordinator, May hopped out with Skitty twirling in the air above her with colorful streamers. It was a move May had been teaching Skitty for her next contest, but it also provided cute entertainment for Misty's party.

After Skitty cheered out a happy "Nyaaaa!" (which I'm assuming is Skitty-language for "Happy birthday, Misty!" in fewer words…maybe?), the kitty landed in May's arms. Reality seemed to set into all of us afterwards, and one by one, the rest of us wished Misty a happy birthday. Belated or not, I still saw Misty's face light up in slight embarrassment as she giggled in excitement. At least she looked happy.

I, of course, was last to greet the birthday girl more 'properly.' For some reason, I could not seem to spit out the words, either, which is rare since everybody usually claims I never shut up (I don't babble that much, do I? I mean, I know I get sidetracked from time to time with my mind wandering into other topics that are probably unrelated, but…er, I'm not making a convincing argument, am I? Never mind). It was only when Misty had to approach me face to face with her cheerful smile that I realized I had to say something more than "uh, hey Misty" like some moron with 90 IQ (which Max says is actually 'bad.' I always thought a 90% was a good grade, but for know-it-all Max an "A-" is probably bad for him).

"So..." Misty hummed playfully with her big smile, cocking her head playfully. "...What shenanigans can I look forward to this year, Ash?" she giggled, while I heard various snickers from behind me. Of course, I knew 'what' Misty was referring to, and felt a faint warmth in my cheeks thanks to her pointing out my past mishaps. The fact that I was dead-set on not turning today's party into a rerun of the past did not calm my anxiety, either.

Naturally, my wonderful friends could not help but humor Misty's comment. Speaking of know-it-all Max, he just had to snicker; "We cleaned out the closets just in case we need to lock Ash in one." It was all in good humor, but that did not mean I didn't shoot Max a well-deserved round of glares for that comment.

Misty seemed just as entertained and humored the little boy. She, too, took great pleasure in my misfortunes (a bit 'too' much pleasure if you ask me). "You're saints!" she gushed melodramatically, while I rolled my eyes. "Care to show me where these 'safe zones' are?"

May giggled and nodded more than happily. "Sure. While we're at it, I'll get you some dry clothes," she offered, leading Misty upstairs to her bedroom, while purposely pointing-out the closets on their way. I rolled my eyes at how they were still hanging on that ordeal. Jeez, people used to say I 'lived in the past' regarding my issues with Gary, yet my friends didn't seem to want to let go of my past birthday antics, either. I guess it's a "do as I may, not as I can't" scenario. No…wait…it's "do as I say, not as I wouldn't"…uh…oh, forget it! The bottom line is I only had myself to blame for my past disasters. If I expected everybody else to 'move on,' I had to move on, too…meaning I had to make this year's party better than the previous ones.

"We're gonna' head down to the Gym to get the food started, okay?" Norman caught my attention, leaving with Caroline in the direction of the Gym where the party was. Max quickly followed his parents to go and turn on the music, still snickering a little for my benefit, but I ignored him. For a few more minutes, Brock and I stayed behind in the living room, standing by the stairs where May and Misty had disappeared.

"I probably should go and help with the food, too," Brock noted to me, looking about ready to head towards the Gym, too. "When the girls are done, bring them down to the Gym, okay?" he asked me as I nodded. But just before Brock left, I noticed an obligatory smirk pull his lips as he elbowed my arm. "And try not to leave a path of destruction, too."

Oh yes, more snickers and snide comments to make my day. But even I noticed Brock's laughs stopped almost as quickly as they started. It was probably because I wasn't in the mood to be humoring my friends at the moment, especially when I glanced out a nearby window. It was still raining heavily outside, though the lightning seemed to be missing, now. I'm not sure if Brock could see my face, but I could see my reflection in the rippled window. Just as I figured, my face looked almost as badly as I felt: downcast. I could not help it, though. Already, the day was turning out unexpectedly, and just when the guest arrives, I made another idiot of myself and totally screw up a simple "happy birthday" message. Misty had just arrived, and already I felt like the day was sinking. It sure didn't seem to be "swimming" like I originally intended.

"Hey..." I heard Brock speak softly (and a heck of a lot more seriously). "...I was only kidding, Ash."

Brock must have noticed my drop in morale. Then again, my friends have always said "discreet" isn't my middle name (I don't know where they get that idea, though). Nevertheless, it was probably good that Brock noticed my downcast reaction, solely because it helped him cut the snide comments. Comments like those do hurt, you know, and today of all days was not the time I wanted to hear about my past sins. Still, I didn't want to take out any frustrations on Brock, either. True, my friends still seemed to enjoy my mishaps, but they did help me organize this party, too. I guess that says something.

"I know, Brock," I said, forcing a small, understanding smile. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but shrug rather sadly at the same time. "It's just…everything's already been messed up."

I half-expected Brock to snicker again and say something along the lines of "yeah, tell me about it. Just like the good ol' days, huh Ash?" However, to Brock's credit, no chuckles came. Instead, I heard him say (in another mature tone), "No they haven't, Ash," he reassured me, causing me to blink. "So what if it's raining? We were able to move the party to the Gym in time, and Misty seems happy so far."

"Yeah…" I trailed with a little uncertainty in my voice. True, I suppose that as long as Misty was happy then there was no reason to think the party had been messed up yet. It was just like a Pokemon battle; you can't judge it 'over' in just the first round (unless, of course, it's a one-on-one battle, which in that case the first round would determine the winner and loser). It was too early in the party to dub it 'ruined,' and I had to remember that. Plus, this was Misty's day, not mine. Even if the party did not turn out exactly perfect, if Misty enjoyed herself...if she was happy, then I would be happy, too. Feeling a truer smile pull my lips, I nodded back to Brock. "You're right, Brock."

Nodding back, Brock returned and patted a hand on my shoulder almost proudly. "You've really done a lot for this party, Ash. I know it'll turn out great."

Heh, so my friends had faith in me after all. "Thanks," I replied gratefully, watching as Brock then left to the Gym. I was left behind in the living room with a better perspective on the birthday ordeal. Thanks to Brock, I had confidence in myself once again.

"That's right." I muttered to myself, confidently nodding. "This is gonna' turn out great!"

"What's gonna' turn out great?" I heard May ask as I spun around to the stairs, feeling my heart skip a beat. There they stood, May and Misty, at the top of the staircase. It was obvious May had cleaned up while she was upstairs, and as she walked down the stairs, she shook her brunette head at me. "Don't tell me you're talking to yourself or something."

"You get used to it after a while," Misty chuckled, her freshly blow-dried red hair waving as she shook her head like May. Much to my surprise, in Misty's hair were some of the hairpins May got as her gift, something she was probably given upstairs. Even more surprising was the 'rest' of Misty's appearance. May must have also given Misty the yellow velvet top to replace her wet clothes. It fit Misty nicely, though I definitely did a double take when I noticed the olive-colored denim skirt Misty also wore. May must have given her that, too, or it probably belonged to May and she loaned it to Misty. The skirt was a few inches longer than Misty's typical shorts (thank God, too), though just the fact of seeing tomboy Misty in a skirt was…well…uh…when I think of a word I'll get back to you. Jeez, was Petalburg City going through an early-spring heat wave or something?! Why's it so warm lately?!

I didn't have much more time for my thoughts before Misty reached the landing. Playfully and gracefully, she spun around once to show-off her new dry outfit. I don't know which was more surprising: the fact that Misty was in a skirt or the fact that it actually looked pretty good on her (yeah, just 'pretty good').

"Thanks again, May," Misty said to the coordinator, brushing away some red hair that flew in her face. She then wrapped her arms around herself and indulged in the soft velvet feel of her new top. "I looooove this top!" she gushed, smiling almost as brightly as the color of her shirt.

"I thought you would," May laughed, turning back to me and jabbing my arm gently to get my attention. I shot back an annoyed glare, while she countered with the same. "Say something!" she whispered to me, cuing me to comment on Misty's new look.

Uh-oh.

I turned back to Misty, who seemed to also wait for a reply from me. What was I supposed to say? The last time I complimented Misty she belted me with a beach ball (of course, maybe saying "she looks like a girl" wasn't the nicest way to compliment her, either). I sure didn't want to stupidly stutter like a fool, either. I think I did plenty of stutters already for one day, and now was not the time for more. Unfortunately, taking a vow of silence was not in my favor, either. Yeah, Misty looked…nice, and I guess she did deserve to be complimented. So yes, I wanted to compliment her, but…why the hell could I not just say that to her?!

"Ash?" Misty asked, cocking her head at me. "Something' wrong?"

I shook my head as my only defense. "Nu-no," I stuttered. Stop stuttering and spit it out!! I yelled at myself. No girl is going to go head-over-heels by somebody who stutters like a fool! "You…" I said, trying to filter all the words carefully and quickly to get out of this current pickle. "…You look nice." No, she looks GREAT! God, how lame is an answer like that?

But to my relief, Misty did not seem to find my reply lame. In fact, she actually smiled even brighter and giggled! "Thanks, Ash," she said, turning her head back to May almost in…dare I say it…embarrassment?! No, that couldn't be. Misty was probably on the verge of laughing in my face, that was all. Still, if I had not known better, I could have sworn she was slightly blushing…yeah right!

Of course, if I really did not know better, I could have sworn I was slightly blushing, too.

"Hey!" May exclaimed, grabbing both our attentions. "Ya' hear that?" she asked, having us all listen to the sound of muffled yet blaring music. It was coming from below, where the Gym was situated.

Misty blinked as she looked back at May and me. "Is that music?!" she gasped with wide blue eyes as her open mouth curved to a smile, causing May and I to nod a smile.

"You bet!" May shouted while raising her hand high in the air. "And down there's a party in the Gym with your name on it, Misty!" she smiled, watching as Misty gasped in absolute shock. Despite the fact that we practically told Misty before that we would throw her a party, it seemed that it was still a surprise that it went through. To Misty, it probably was a miracle any party materialized in the first place, considering me. After all, I was "Ash: The Terminator of Birthday Parties." Hey, it goes well with my whole "Judgment Day" theory, though I'd rather carry the title of "Pokemon Master" any day.

No, no, no!! I'm not going to screw up this party! I scolded myself as May and I decided to lead Misty to the Gym. I shook my head hard and shut my eyes to block the unwanted thoughts attempting to dampen my confidence. This is going to be the best party Misty ever had! Nothing's gonna' get in my way of doing that! NOTHING!!

...Except a plant stand.

May and Misty shrieked as the sound of a complete moron bashing into Caroline's metal plant stand filled the room when it hit the floor. Perhaps I should have opened my eyes beforehand. However, after feeling my whole body fall face down onto the floor with the metal stand digging into my side, I did not want to open my eyes. Maybe this was still a dream after all. Maybe I am still asleep and none of this, from the rain to the current situation, never really happened.

...But guess what? I was NOT asleep! Terrific.

"Ash!" Misty screamed softly, running over to me as I opened my eyes to see the fallen plant stand and dirt covering the carpeted floor under me. God, I wanted to die right then and there, but unfortunately there wasn't enough dirt to bury an idiot as big as me. Maybe the stupid metal plant stand would stab me to death and put me out of my misery. Nah, I am not that lucky.

"Ash?" May asked also, coming over to me right by Misty. "You okay?"

I just walked into a freakin' plant stand and you wanna' know if I'm okay?! I wanted to shout at May. But instead, I shook the dirt off of my face and out of my hair as I got to my knees, pushing the damned plant stand away in anger, and embarrassment. God only knew how red my face was!

And then came the inevitable. Try as they might, both girls easily lost the battle of laughter and burst into hysteria, laughing as if there was no tomorrow. Misty looked like she was about to fall to the floor, and May did not seem too far off. But once again, I only had myself to blame. I made a complete ass of myself again, and I only deserved to get laughed at. So I pulled myself off the floor, kept my mouth shut, and took the opportunity to clean the mess I made while the girls almost rolled on the floor.

When Misty and May finally calmed down, they wiped their eyes while I kept my gaze away from them. My side ached, considering it rammed into the metal stand, but I shrugged it off. For all I knew, I could have been bleeding, but I did not care. At that point, I just wanted to get this party done and over with. It wasn't fun anymore (not that I had been having a "blast" in the first place!).

Once the snickers died down, I silently led the girls to the Gym. I didn't feel like talking to them, in fear that they'd only laugh all over again. Misty and May occasionally giggled every now and then, but I ignored them. When we approached the Gym's doors, Misty placed a hand on my shoulder to halt me. Not wanting to, but knowing I had to, I slowly turned to face her. Either she was going to say something 'nice' to me, or say something 'rude' in that oh-so familiar Misty voice.

"Ash, are you sure you're okay?" she asked seriously, though her smirk was not very convincing. She did sound concerned, but I just nodded, not wanting to stutter anymore stupid things out of my mouth. I already had a long list of screw-ups that day, and the day was just beginning!

After my silent reply, Misty just nodded with a pleasant smile. "Good, cause' I just wanted to make sure you weren't as hurt as badly as your ego."

May instantly burst into giggles, as did Misty, as they laughed at me once again. I never turned back to them, not wanting to humor them anymore. I sure had a talent of screwing myself royally, didn't I? At that moment, I wanted to just point to the door to the Gym and let Misty have fun with the others. I'd obviously stay elsewhere, either upstairs or somewhere downtown (those closets sounded pretty appealing at the moment)...anywhere away from the party and from humiliating the daylights out of myself. I was already the laughing stock of the party...and I was the one who planned it!

But as long as Misty's happy, that's all that matters, right?

Oh God...I've gotta' be right for once in my life!

To Be Continued...

A/N: Poor, poor Sato-Chan. Trust me, Ash's troubles are just getting started. The next chapter will be overloaded with oh-so scrumptious Ash antics I know you're all dying to see! After this, only two more chapters remain…plenty of time for Misty's party to go out with a bang (literally, hehehe ^_^). See you next week!