"Are you crazy?"

"Yes. Yes I am." Nick answered with a jaunty nod.

" I knew it." I stated starting to panic a little.

Nick laughed. The NERVE of him. Here I am worried that I'm with a mentally unstable person and he laughs. OOOh he was infuriating. "Relax Maria I'm not crazy."

"Then Why did you say you WERE?"

"To prove that I'm not crazy." I sighed and continued to stare at him, "See, a crazy person doesn't know that they are crazy so, by saying that I am it automatically proves that I am not."

"That is some messed up logic."

Nick grinned, "so you coming?"

"I… I… don't know…" Looking at my life now his offer did seem tempting. I really had nothing here. A brother that abandoned me in my time of need and parents that walked out not something that would be hard to leave.

"Think about it you'd get to see more of the world, I'll teach you how to battle if you want and." he gave a dramatic pause. "You'd get to help Corsola recover faster."

I glared at him. "You're guilt tripping me."

"Yes I am" he admitted with no shame. "Look you're tired and I am too, so do you want to stay here or go home for the night? Either way we need to clear out of this room. That Chancey is starting to get a little irritated that we are preventing her from doing her job."

"Oh right. " I limped to the door after calling Corsola into his ball. "I can't go home right now. The gang is probably waiting for me to come home."

"Looks like you're staying here then. Well luckily there's an extra bunk in my room. You can stay there." He gently took my arm to offer support and direction.

"I'll need to go home in the morning. Get cloths and stuff."

"So you're thinking of coming with me?" Nick asked a little hopefully.

"I don't really have any other option. It's not safe here any more, the only family I have turned his back on me and I don't know how to survive on my own." God I sounded pathetic.

Nick ruffled my hair. "Don't get yourself down. Things always work themselves out. Don't worry. I'll teach you everything you need to know."

"Stop bragging. You're not old enough to really know a lot."

"Hey I'm seventeen. I've done a lot with my life for being only seventeen." He stopped in front of one of the bedroom doors and unlocked it.

"Oh like what?" I asked as I entered to room.

He flicked on the light. Something large, furry, and light brown jumped off of one of the two top bunks and launched itself into Nick's arms.

He let out an "oof," and staggered into the wall under the Pokemon's weight. "Hey girl. I wasn't gone that long. Maria meet my Floatzel. Floatzel this is Maria," Floatzel looked at me for a second before returning to shower her adoration on Nick. "Okay you're not as light as you use to be. Time for you to get down." Nick dumped the Floatzel on a bed unceremoniously. "I'll have you know that I'm a very qualified trainer. I got the badges in my bag somewhere to prove it. You hungry?"

"A little. How many badges do you have?" I asked as I sat on the empty bed. Floatzel can over to investigate me. I offered a hand once satisfied with sniffing she let me pet her.

Nick paused and seemed to be counting in his head. "Twenty… six badges and symbols from the Battle Frontiers. No twenty-eight. I'm going to grab something from the cafeteria do you want anything in particular."

"Something edible."

"That's always good to have. Floatzel watch over Maria." Floatzel stood on her hind legs and puffed her chest.

I laid back on the bed and closed my eyes. Just for a minute. I felt Floatzel hop up next to me and curl up by my side. Somtime later I felt a blanket being laid on top of me and the light switched off but, I was too tired to care.