Hey guys. I'm back.
Here's Chapter 4 of 'The Butterfly Court', I hope you enjoy it. I'd just like to say that I'm sorry it took me so long to write it and deliver it to you.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its characters, just the story and any OC's.
CHAPTER FOUR
"Blaziken, Sky Uppercut."
"Swampert, Hammer Arm."
Blaziken's glowing right fist collides with Swampert's glowing left arm and causes a small explosion that pushes Blaziken and Swampert back a few feet. They both look winded but unwilling to give in just yet; however, this battle can't go on for much longer.
Brendan's been with us for three days now, and Drew's slowly growing accustomed to his presence. He no longer glares at Brendan and his prior aura of darkness is gone; instead, he treats Brendan like he treats the girls and me – just another person to order around. Though there are still occasions where he gives Brendan this strange look, it's fleeting and small, but I catch it. I'm not sure what it means, but whenever I see it, it's always when Brendan is with the girls and I.
School is over for the day. Dawn, Misty, Brendan and I are borrowing Drew's personal practice battlefield. I had to do a bit of groveling to get Drew's permission to let us use it, which is something I never ever want to do again. But, I really needed it because as punishment for Brendan's bout of storytelling a few days ago, he promised to go head-to-head with me in a one-on-one pokémon battle. If he loses, he has to go to school tomorrow dressed in the full female uniform with make-up and hair done by Dawn. Brendan wasn't too happy about it when I told him, but I knew that there's no way he'd pass up a challenge like this and the chance to go head-to-head with me in battle – it's one of the things we have in common, we're both a little competitive when it comes to pokemon battles, especially when we battle each other. And even though Brendan has had his fair share of wins, I'm usually the one who ends up winning our little matches; and by usually, I mean 90% of the time. However, if there's a chance that I lose, I have to go on a date with a guy of his choosing – any guy of his choosing – next weekend and pay for everything we do.
"Looks like it's an even match." Brendan grins. Blaziken glances back at me and slightly tips his head.
"Not for long." I smile with hidden arrogance, "Blaziken, Flamethrower."
"That's not gonna be very effective, May." Brendan looks smug; he thinks he's got this match in the bag. "Swampert, counter with Muddy Water." I inwardly smile; I just knew he'd counter with that.
"Predictable…" I mutter.
Brendan hears me and shoots me a confused look, but then takes on an Oh, Shit expression. Sorry Brendan, but I'm afraid it's too late. Blaziken's Flamethrower clashes with Swampert's Muddy Water and a huge cloud of steam covers the battlefield. Perfect.
I smile as Brendan calls out to Swampert, telling him to stay calm and use Muddy Water to clear away the steam. Oh, no you don't.
I snap my fingers, signaling Blaziken to strike now. I've taught each of my pokémon to understand and follow specific non-verbal cues and commands; it's kind of my specialty – the core of my unique battle style.
I listen for the telltale whisper of movement that tells me Blaziken has launched his attack. I see a flash of red from Blaziken's wrists and the sound of a heavy impact blow, followed by a pain filled cry from Brendan's Swampert.
"Swampert!" A low, barely audible, groan is Brendan's only response. It's over.
"Blaziken, clear the field." Blaziken cries out his name and in a flurry of movement, the battlefield is clear. Blaziken stands tall and proud, but slightly ruffled up, on my side of the field as victor of the match; while on Brendan's side, Swampert is crumpled on the floor groaning its name.
"Woo hoo! Go May!" Dawn cheers, jumping up and down, as she and Misty clap.
"Thanks guys, and thank you, Blaziken. You fought well." Blaziken bows and I return the gesture, and then I recall him to his Pokéball.
I tuck Blaziken's ball away and make my way across the field to Brendan and Swampert. Brendan is crouched by Swampert comforting him, and telling him that he fought great.
"Brendan's right. You did great Swampert." I smile and crouch down beside Brendan and give Swampert a reassuring pat.
"Swampert-pert." Swampert leans his head towards my hand.
"Here, as a reward for battling so hard." I dig into my pouch and pull out an Oran berry. I hold out my hand and Swampert opens his mouth. I gently throw the berry into his mouth and he happily munches on it. Once he's done, Swampert calls out his name happily and I can't help but smile and pat him on the head.
"Thanks May." Brendan smiles as we stand. He thanks and congratulates Swampert once more, and then recalls him to his Pokéball.
"So, I win and that means…" I smile and Brendan groans.
"Do I really have to follow through with the deal?" His eyes are pleading with me to reconsider, but there's no way I'm giving him an out.
"Hey, if you'd won that match you'd have made me follow through with my end of the deal." I point an accusatory finger at Brendan as we walk over to join Dawn and Misty on the sidelines.
"She's right Brendan, you would've. So it's only fair you hold up your end of the deal." Misty smiles and pats Brendan on the back.
Brendan slumps in defeat. "Ugh… fine. But, where am I going to get a uniform?"
"I'm more than happy to let you borrow one of my spares." I smile and take the bottle of water that Dawn hands me. "And besides, you knew something like this was coming when you decided to tell that story. Just count yourself lucky. This is one of my easier punishments. I've could've picked something far worse."
"Thanks May, that makes me feel a whole lot better." Brendan rolls his eyes and takes the bottle of water Misty hands him.
I smile. "I'm so glad I could make you feel better." Brendan leers at me as he drinks his water.
"Ha-ha, funny. Now, back to my original question about the uniform. I don't think I'd fit into your uniform," Brendan purposefully glances down to his body and then pointedly looks at mine, "we aren't exactly the same size, May."
"No problem, I'm sure we can make the proper adjustments." Dawn smiles and loops her arm around Brendan's right arm, and then drags him towards the house. "For now, let's discuss your hair and make-up. I was thinking of going with the subtle summer look that brings out your eyes. Perhaps some peach lip balm. I've even got just the right foundation to go with your skin tone…"
Dawn continues chatting away about various beauty products and Brendan groans. I can't help but giggle, poor Brendan.
"What's worse than sending him to school dressed a girl?" Misty asks, as we slowly follow Dawn and Brendan back into the house.
"I could've made him wear a bikini." I say with the straightest face possible. Misty laughs, but tries to cover it up, which makes her sound as if she's coughing and spluttering.
"Really?"
"That, or a maid's outfit. Not like the ones we wear. But the kind that's very revealing." We enter the house and head straight for the stairs. "You know, the costume kind liked by perverts."
"Where would you get one of those?"
"It's called the Internet." I say bluntly. But I can't help but snicker a little. "You can get just about anything on the Internet these days."
"I wonder how Brendan will feel if he knew the alternatives?" Misty ponders as we climb the stairs and head for Dawn's room.
"Ahhh!" *Thump*
"That sounded like Brendan." Misty says as we pause outside Dawn's door.
"What do you think she's doing to him?" I ask as we stare at the door and ponder.
"Keep that thing away from me!" *Thud*
"Brendan, sit down!"
"No!" *Bang*
"What is going on?"
Misty and I turn to our left to find Drew standing there, looking at us strangely. He's dressed in blue jeans, a black shirt, a purple jacket and black shoes. An open book lay in his right hand, while his left hand is in his pocket.
I open my mouth to reply …
"Ahhh!" *Crash*
"Brendan!"
"What is Dawn doing to my bodyguard?" Drew snaps his book shut and walks closer to Misty and I, a questioning look in his eyes.
"We were just wondering that." Says Misty, her hand going for the doorknob.
The door swings open and the three of us are greeted by the sight of Dawn pinning Brendan down by sitting on his stomach. In her hand is a curling iron, which she is repeatedly snapping like a pair of scissors, and she's attempting to bring it closer to Brendan's head. Meanwhile, Brendan is trying his best to hold her arms away from him while simultaneously attempting to shove Dawn off of him without hurting her.
Brendan looks like a mess. His beanie is gone, probably thrown randomly somewhere across the room, revealing his ruffled dark brown hair, which looks half curled. I guess Dawn started curling his hair, but did so without Brendan actually knowing, which caused him to freak out. Brendan is touchy about his hair.
Dawn looks determined to curl Brendan's hair. She's still dressed in her three-quarter jeans, fuchsia tank top and denim midriff jacket. Her left black flat is missing; I spot it a few feet from them, next to a broken picture frame. So that's what the crash was.
"I hate to interrupt, but what are you two doing?" Drew asks.
Dawn and Brendan stop their struggle to stare at us. There's a moment of quiet as a blush rises to both their cheeks. Brendan takes the chance to shove Dawn away from him and scamper backwards away from her.
"She's trying to kill me!"
Dawn scowls at him. "Don't be dramatic, I'm just trying to curl your hair."
Brendan stands up and jabs an accusatory finger at Dawn. "No, you're attempting murder!"
"How is curling hair an attempt at murder?" Dawn jabs the hair curler at Brendan, which makes him jump back a little.
I roll my eyes and make a pointed cough. "Murder accusations aside, you still have yet to properly answer young master Drew's question."
Dawn sighs and turns to face us. "I'm just getting in some practice for tomorrow morning. I want to see what kind of hairstyle works best for him. I reckon he'd look good with curly hair, but when I started he began freaking out. We had a disagreement over the issue and things got a bit out of hand."
"What's happening tomorrow?" Drew looks to Misty and I, namely me.
"I made a bet with Brendan and he lost, therefore as punishment he has to go to school tomorrow dressed as a female student. It's payback for telling the 'Beautifly' story a few days ago." I shrug my shoulders, trying not to smile.
"And I assume you're leaving Dawn in charge of hair and make up." It's a statement, not a question. He already knows the answer, what he just witnessed is evidence of that. He just wants to make sure that it's made clear.
I close my eyes and nod my head, "Dawn is free to style Brendan's look into what ever fashion she see's fit."
"I see."
There's a moment of silence, so I peek an eye open to look at Drew. He looks thoughtful, but then shrugs his shoulders and turns to leave, waving his book as a goodbye. "Have fun."
"Wait!"
Drew pauses and glances over his shoulder at Brendan. We all look at Brendan, who has his arm outstretched as if somehow employing an invisible force to make a person stop.
"Yes?" Drew asks.
"As their employer, your word over rules theirs. Right?" Brendan looks hopeful.
Drew makes a full body, half turn and nods his head.
"Then can you stop this, please? I don't want to go to school dressed as a girl," Brendan pleads, "and imagine how irritating it'd be for you. Your admirers might misunderstand and pester you as to why you have a girl following you around. Not to mention, the student body is aware you have a male bodyguard. If I show up to school tomorrow dressed as a girl, imagine what they might think. It may hurt your reputation if your peers think that your bodyguard is a… a… a cross dresser. Surely, you wouldn't want that."
Drew frowns and looks thoughtful, as if weighing the idea against the possibilities. Oh hell no! There is no way he's bailing Brendan out of this. I need to convince him to allow it. As part of my Court Agent training, I was taught how to handle negotiations and debates. Time to refresh those skills, and put them to use.
"Young Master Drew, may I suggest something?" I say and Drew looks at me, curious.
"Yes."
"If you allow Brendan to receive his promised punishment, then the girls and I promise to make him completely unrecognizable. No one will know he's your bodyguard. If anyone questions your bodyguard's absence, you can simply say that your bodyguard has been given orders from your father to tend to other duties." I smile politely.
"What about the aforementioned admirers and their possible misunderstandings?" Drew looks at me, questioning and challenging. If I don't give him a convincing answer, he's going to prevent Brendan's punishment.
"Yeah May, what's your solution to that?" Brendan looks smug, knowing that if I don't give a good answer, he's off scot-free.
"Having 'Brenda' present may actually act as a deterrent. Your admirers will be more focused on 'her' and why 'she's' following you. If they see her a threat, then they'll attack her in the name of defending you and leave you alone for the day." I smile as Brendan scowls.
The girls and I – plus Brendan – wait in apt silence for Drew's decision.
Drew looks at me and smiles, or at least half smiles. His smile looks like a combination between a cocky smirk and a triumphant smile, as if he's just won something he knew he'd win despite being challenged.
"Carry on." Drew turns to leave, that same smile still plastered on his face.
"But sir…" Brendan starts.
"Are you questioning my orders?" Drew looks mockingly serious, but still serious enough to put a halt to Brendan's words. Brendan looks defeated as he nods his head in compliance with his employer's decision.
"Good." Drew heads for the door, but just before he leaves, he turns to look at me over his shoulder, "Oh, and May. Ask Chief Antone to prepare a snack and some tea for me. Then have it delivered to the downstairs study, I'll be in their catching up on some reading."
Time to get back to work, I see.
"Yes, sir." I bow as I've been trained to. "Is that all?"
"Ash and Paul will be stopping by later. Will one of you let them in and escort them to the study when they arrive?"
"Yes, sir." Dawn Misty and I each bow respectably.
"Good, that's all." Drew says as he finally leaves.
"Now that he's gone." I hear Dawn say, followed by the snapping of the curling iron.
"Oh no, keep that cursed thing away from me." I turn to see Brendan backing away from her with his hands raised in defense. "I'll go through with my punishment, just as long as there's no hair curling involved."
"Aww, but you'd look so good with curly hair. I think the tomboyish, short, curled hair look would suit you perfectly." Dawn advances on him with a wicked glint in her eye. Dawn becomes evil when it comes to hair and make up, in fact, just all out makeovers in general.
"Why not just make him wear a wig?" Misty speaks up. "If you make him wear a long wig, you can have a lot more fun styling that than his real hair."
Brendan looks at Misty like she's some sort of saint or angel who's just saved his life. Dawn looks speculative, but easily ready to cave in to Misty's suggestion.
"I agree." I say. "Might I suggest a blonde or red wig, something to really askew his real identity."
"Fine, but he's still going to be subjected to make up." Dawn points to Brendan with the curing iron as if it's a witch's wand. "And you better not complain."
Brendan nods his head, knowing not to argue with her about it any further.
"Well, have fun with that. Misty and I have got some work to do." I wave dismissively and turn to leave Dawn's room with Misty right beside me, but I pause in the doorway and half turn. "Oh, and make sure you turn him into the prettiest girl alive. Even prettier than yourself, Dawn." I wink at Dawn and leave.
"I'll try my best." Dawn calls with a giggle in her voice.
Misty and I walk into the kitchen to find Jeremy pulling a pie out of the oven. From here I can smell the warm, sweet scent of cinnamon and apples that makes my mouth water.
"We were just coming to see you about making a snack for the young master." I announce.
"Well then, the young master is in luck, I've just finished this scrumptious and mouth watering cinnamon and apple pie." Jeremy smiles and places the pie on a cooling rack.
"Mouth watering is right. I think I might need a napkin here." Misty giggles and walks over to stand next to Jeremy. She leans over and takes in the pie's aroma.
I join her and let the smell invade my nose. As I take it in, images of a summer apple orchard and me lying back in a lawn chair with a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade comes to mind.
"Is a snack all the young master ordered?" Jeremy asks as he fiddles in a drawer searching for a knife and the pie server.
"He requested tea." I watch as he cuts the pie into eight equal slices. "Since you've made a cinnamon and apple pie, I think… cinnamon or chamomile tea?"
"Chamomile tea," Jeremy nods his head, agreeing with himself, "Cinnamon would blend in too much with the taste of the pie."
"Right." I wander over to the other part of the kitchen, while Misty assists Jeremy. "Oh, and Paul and Ash will be coming over later. So you might wanna prepare a second pie."
"Roger." Jeremy's very familiar with Ash's eating habits.
*Knock, Knock*
"Young Master Drew, I have your tea and snack. May I enter?"
"Enter."
I open the door while balancing the tray with Drew's slice of pie and chamomile tea. Misty is still in the kitchen helping Jeremy prepare more food.
The downstairs study is a square shaped room with rich oak-red wallpaper and lush emerald green carpeting, and is actually more of a library than a study. The entire right and left walls are bookshelves, and the back wall is a canvas of picture frames with a small mahogany desk bellow. Three plush dark-green reading chairs occupy the center of the room, positioned like a triad, with a small circular coffee table in the center. Drew is in the chair directly facing the door.
Drew doesn't look up from his book as I enter and place the tray on the coffee table. I carefully unload the tray and then stand to bow.
"Do you need anything else, young master?"
Drew snaps his book shut and places it on the coffee table next to the pie. He leans back in his chair, closes his eyes and sighs. When he opens his eyes, he stares me dead in the eyes and hits me with a serious expression.
"May."
"Yes, sir?" I'm frozen to my spot; my grip on the tray turns my knuckles slightly white. I've hardly ever seen Drew with that kind of expression, and in the times I have seen it, it was directed at someone else – usually someone who's severely pissed him off. This is the first time he's looked at me with that particular expression, and I'm not sure what to expect from him right now.
"Close the door and sit down." Drew gestures to the chair on his right. His expression is unwavering.
"Yes, sir."
I shut the door and take a seat. I set the tray down on the coffee table and await Drew's orders. This is strange. And I've seen and been part of some rather strange things. I wonder what Drew wants to say to me. The air in the room is stifling and I'm having some trouble relaxing. I fiddle with my fingers and I flick my eyes over Drew every now and then. His eyes are closed and he appears to breathing evenly. Why isn't he saying anything now? Have I done something to upset him?
"What…" He mumbles under his breath, his eyes still closed.
"Pardon?"
Drew's eyes snap open and he fixes me with a hard stare. He gets up from his chair.
"What kind… of relationship… do you have… with him?" Every time he asks a part of his question, he steps closer to me till he's leaning over my shorter frame with his arms braced on the arms of the chair, essentially caging me in the chair.
"Him who?" What's up with me? I'm being intimidated by Drew, I've never been intimidated by Drew before. Sure, he and I use to flirt and he's cornered me before, but only to tease me. This… What is this?
"Brendan. What exactly is your relationship with him?"
His gaze is intense, and I find myself sweating. What's up with him? And what's wrong with me?
"He's my childhood friend."
Drew's eyes narrow accusingly. "Is that all you are?"
"Yeah. Why would you think otherwise?"
Drew leans in closer and I can see my reflection in his emerald eyes. My eyes are wide and my cheeks are tinted pink. I've never been bothered by Drew's close proximity before, so why now?
"I think you're lying." Drew moves closer and our noses are now mere centimeters apart. "Are you lying to me May? You've done it before."
My embarrassment turns into a scowl. "I'm not lying. Brendan and I are nothing more than friends, and even if we weren't, it wouldn't be any of your business."
In my heated moment, I unintentionally bring my face closer to his. He's leering at me and I'm scowling at him.
"Now, if you don't mind, I'd…"
Oh… My… God!
Drew leans forward and cuts me off in the most unexpected way…
By placing his lips over mine.
My eyes nearly bug out of my head as Drew leans deeper into the kiss. I lift my arms to shove him away, but as he deepens the kiss my mind short circuits causing my arms to grow limp and flop back onto my lap. My eyes slowly shut and I find myself engaging in the kiss. I feel Drew's hand move to my cheek and gently stroke it with his thumb. This lures me further into our little lip lock. And boy, does he know how to kiss. And his lips… oh my god… his lips are tantalizingly soft, but with a slight roughness to them. Drew draws me in deeper and I find myself greatly enjoying our little activity.
Then I feel the wet touch of his tongue on my lips, and my mind jumps back into reality.
I'm kissing Drew Hammond.
A guy I detest.
And I'm kissing him.
My arms regain their strength and with all have, I use them to shove Drew away. He stumbles back; his expression is one of surprise and… grr… triumph. Damn, cocky little prick.
Without a word I stand and leave, brushing past Drew. He doesn't move to stop me; instead he turns away to stare at the back wall.
I sprint up the stairs. I need to get to my room. I need a private space to think. This is all too much.
"May…" I hear Misty call out, but I ignore her.
I slam the door to my room shut and flop down onto my bed. My mind is a buzz over what just happened. Why would he do that? Why would he kiss me out of nowhere? And what's more, why did I enjoy it?
God damn it!
*Knock, Knock*
I sit up abruptly. Is it Drew? If he's come to teases me about the kiss, I swear I'm going to subject him to rigorous hours of torture involving severe genital damage and testicle removal.
"May? It's Misty. Are you ok?" Oh, thank god.
I clear my throat. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Everything's fine."
"You sure? Cause you seemed a little flushed. Did something happen?"
I mind jumps to the memory of the kiss and my heart panics. "No. Nothing happened, just Drew being Drew. You know, the usual." Please Misty, jut leave. I need time to sort this out.
"Ok, if you're sure. If anything does happen, Dawn and I are here to listen."
I smile. "I know, thanks Mist."
Misty's footsteps grow distant and when I'm sure she's gone, I let out the breath I'd been holding and flop back onto my bed. A strand of my hair falls over my face and I try to blow it away.
I can't believe what just happened. And what's more, I let it happen.
Arrrgh!
I pound my fist on my bed and let out a frustrated hot breath.
Ok, May. You need to calm down and think about this rationally. I close my eyes and even out my breathing. Relax. I need to relax. Breathe in and breathe out. Calm, I am calm.
I am calm and relaxed.
I am calm and relaxed.
I am calm and relaxed.
I am calm and…
Wait a minute…
I sit up abruptly. Now that I think about it. That was my first kiss. Drew was my first kiss. He stole my first kiss. He stole it, and what's worse, I let him steal it when I leant into the kiss.
Screw being calm and relaxed.
Now I'm mad – really, really mad.
And confused...
I kissed her. I kissed May. I don't know whether to be pleased with myself, or if I should be bashing my head against a brick wall. I can't believe I kissed her. It's just that I've been so irked over her and Brendan. When I watch those to together… Watching her smile and laugh with him… Watching how comfortable and relaxed she is around him… Every time I see those two together, a weird feeling swirls around in my chest and I don't like it. There were times when I saw them hugging, and all I wanted to do was rip Brendan away from her and hug her myself. Then when she came to me, begging for me to let her use the practice field for a battle against him, it was the final straw. All this built up frustration and anger… I confronted her about it and I could see the nervousness and… damn it… fear, in her eyes. I didn't want to intimidate her; I just wanted to know.
I drop back into my seat, prop my right elbow up on the arm of the chair and lean my head into the palm of my hand.
Then there's the kiss.
I never planned on kissing her. I just wanted to interrogate her. Affirm what kind of relationship she has with Brendan. But when she replied like that… I don't know… Something flipped inside me, and before I know it, I'm kissing her.
Then when I felt her body shift as she tried to lift arms to shove me away, I didn't want her to do that, so I deepened the kiss and even brought my hand up to caress her cheek. I feel her relax and lean into the kiss.
She was kissing me back. I can't stop the smile forming on my lips, and to be honest, I don't want to. The memory of her kissing me back… the memory of her lips moving with mine… how soft and smooth her lips felt… the faint taste of her strawberry lip balm still lingers on my lips. I've kissed girls before, but none of those kisses could ever match up to the kiss I just shared with May.
But then she shoved me away. The expression on her face… it was flushed with embarrassment, but I could also see the temper in her eyes. Without a word, she left the room running and I didn't bother to stop her. She clearly liked the kiss, but I guess her aversion towards me out-weighed that.
No doubt, she's up in her room right now, plotting how she's going to kill me.
*Sigh*
I pick up my book and lean back in my chair.
I wonder how things will go from here.
I love books and I love the library. Especially during free period, when all the other students are hanging out in the student lounge or cafeteria, I'm in the library fulfilling my duties as Student Library Assistant. Shelving books can be very therapeutic, and it's just the distraction I need right now. My mind is focused on the dewy decimal system and putting the books in the right place, rather than on recent crappy and unpleasant events.
After the incident in the study with Drew, I spent the rest of the day in my room. I didn't even come out for dinner, or greet Ash when he and Paul arrived. Dawn and Misty covered for me, and thankfully Drew never once came to berate me about neglecting my duties. In fact he hasn't spoken a word to me since then, even when I worked up the nerve to go see him this morning to make sure he was awake. When I greeted him with a polite good morning, he just looked at me with a bored expression and nodded his head before shutting the door in my face.
His actions this morning, mixed in with last nights events, had me so confused and mixed up that I didn't have the energy to tease or laugh at Brendan's appearance this morning. Which is a shame, since Dawn did a really good job, a really good job. If it weren't for the fact that I knew it was him, and that I was the one who'd issued the punishment, I swear that I would've totally believe he was a full on girl; that, or a highly convincing transvestite.
Dawn settled on an extremely curly strawberry blond wig decorated with a baby blue ribbon headband, a light layering of foundation, minimal tan coloured eye shadow, black eye liner, peach pink lip balm, and a faint touch of blush; it looked so natural that it seemed as if Brendan wasn't even wearing make-up at all. Dawn even added false eyelashes; something Brendan kept complaining about during the car ride to school, saying that they were making his eyes so itchy that he just wanted to rip them off and burn them. That's when Dawn looked up from her phone and threatened to shave his eyebrows off and dye his hair pink if he did anything of the sort.
I would've laughed at Brendan's horrified expression, but I was too distracted by own thoughts.
Damn.
I slip the last non-fiction book onto the shelf before moving over to the trolley with the fiction novels.
Thankfully, Misty and Dawn were taking a lot of pictures and videos of Brendan, so I can probably laugh at those later. For now, I need to keep my mind on task and focus on shelving the books. So much has happened since last night, I really need this distraction.
The Drew kissing incident aside, Aaron called me last night with an update on the Scorpio-Fallon case. According to the Court's personal satellite, Scorpio and Fallon were spotted near the eastern bridge leading into the city. Court Agents were sent out to investigate, but came up with nothing. Aaron's worried that if was them, then that means they've already slipped passed the city security gates and are now hiding somewhere in the city. I had trouble sleeping last night, thinking about how two of the worst criminals I know are now loose in the city.
I haven't told Dawn or Misty yet and I really want to, but Aaron said to withhold telling them until he and Burgh can confirm their suspicions. It's making me feel crappy. This is one of the other reasons the girls and I decide to retire when we did. Keeping secrets, even from each other, was crappy and tore at our hearts. We hated it, we couldn't keep hiding and living secrets any more, which is ironic.
*Sigh*
I finish up shelving the last of the fiction novels, and then move to the circulation desk. Miss Roberts, the Head Librarian, is seated at the computer.
"Miss Roberts, I've finished the shelving like you asked."
Miss Roberts looks away from the screen and gives me a smile. "Thanks May." She pushes back her chair and stands. "Could you do me another favour?"
"Sure."
Miss Roberts picks up manila folder and a stack of papers. "I need to head to the faculty room and then the head office for some errands, think you could man the circulation desk in the main time?"
"No problem." I smile and move around to take a seat at the desk.
"Thanks May. You're a big help." Miss Roberts leaves and closes the library doors behind her.
Once she's gone, I slouch in the chair. Great. Books are shelved and I doubt anyone will come in to borrow a book, not with 20 minutes left of free period. What do I do now?
Hmm…
I pull out my mobile and I consider giving Misty or Dawn a call. Court business aside, I could really use someone to talk to about the incident with Drew right now. I bring up my contacts list and skim through a list of names. Who should I call? Misty or Dawn? Maybe I should call both and we can have a conference call.
Hmm…
I could call Brendan… Nah. He'd be of no help right now.
*Sigh*
My eyes skim my list of contacts, until I reach the very bottom and one name jumps out at me. It's been a while since we last talked, but she did say that the girls and I could call her anytime. I click on her name, open up her contact information, and hit the call button.
I lean on my elbows on the desk and press my phone to my ear. The ring echoes in my ear. Please pick up. After the sixth ring, there's a click and the sound of her voice fills my ears.
"Hello."
"Hey Valen, it's May."
"May, May Maple?"
I smile. "Do you know any other May?"
On the other end of the line I hear Valen laugh. "No. I'm just surprised. It's been a while since you called. I heard about what happened from Burgh. How are you girls doing?"
"We're good, we're handling things well. How about you? How's the café?"
Valen is Valentina Wolfe, an old friend and a former training instructor; she was the best mentor the girls and I ever had. She and her partner, Alexander Wolfegang, are both freelance Ace Pokémon Agents (APA) that work in conjunction with the Court and other agencies. They own and run a bookshop café in the lower end of the city.
"The café's doing fine. And I'm getting the felling that you called me to talk about something else. So what's up?"
I lean back in my chair and stare at the ceiling. "Nothing big. Just some personal issues that I really need to sort out, and I really need a friend to talk to right now."
"What about Dawn and Misty? They're your best friends aren't they? Why aren't you talking to them?"
I sigh. "They are my best friends, no doubt about that, but this is just something I'm not sure I'm ready to share with them just yet. I figured that this was something I could deal with on my own, but… I'm a little confused."
"I see. So what's the problem? What's got you confused?"
"A guy."
"Ah. How long have you know him?"
"Not long. I mean, I've known of him for a number of years now, but… it's only been in the last two years that I've gotten to know him personally."
Valen hums understandingly. "And what did he do that's got you so confused?"
"He kissed me."
"Really?"
My teasing senses went off. "Valen, please."
"Sorry, sorry." Valen clears her throat. "So this guy kissed you and it's left you confused."
"Yeah."
"Confused about what? What's so confusing about a kiss? Is the fact that a particular guy kissed you, or is it the kiss itself that's confusing you?"
"I… I don't know. That's my problem. I don't know what to make of it. On one hand, that guy who kissed me is… He's someone… He's just… I…"
"Ok, hold on. Before you try making sense of the kiss, try figuring out what this guy means to you. What kind of guy is he?"
"He's… arrogant, self-confidant, charming and popular. He can sometimes be critical of others. His popular with the ladies is due to his looks, intelligence and wealth. And as much as I hate to admit it, he's a skilled pokémon trainer and coordinator. He likes to taunt and tease me. He infuriates me, and purposefully riles me up. He's a flirt and a player. But what's worse is that despite all that, some part of me still attracted to him."
"You say that he likes to taunt and tease you?"
"Yeah."
Valen laughs. "Well, you know what they say. Boys often like to pick on the girl that they like."
I groan. "V, we're both 18 years-old, not 8 years-old."
"Hey, trust me when I say that some habits die hard. From what you're telling me, there's a lot more to this guy than you think. You see him as a confident arrogant jerk that likes to annoy you, but if you take the chance to look past that, you'll yourself very surprised with what you find."
"Really?"
"May, working as a waitress has given me front row seats to an array of couples and personalities. People are my specialty. There's a reason this guy kissed you, and if you want to figure out why, then the first thing you've got to remember is that he's human."
"I know he's human, how does that help me figure what's going on?"
Valen sighs. "May. I know you. And I know that you are a very smart and observant girl. I'm sure you've noticed things. You just need to put them together. Once you do, you'll have your answer. Just remember, anything you think about this guy that seems impossible, it's not. Think outside the box. Ok?"
I smile faintly. "Yeah. Thanks Valen. It's great talking to you again."
"You and the girls can call me anytime you like, for whatever reason."
"Yeah. We know. Thanks. Hopefully we can talk again soon."
"May."
"Yeah."
"Before you hang up, can I just say one last thing?"
"Sure."
"Talk to Misty and Dawn. They know this guy just as much as you do right? They can help you, you just need to talk to them."
"I will, thanks Valen."
"Bye May."
The call beeps and I close my phone, slipping it back into my pocket. Just as I do, Miss Roberts returns.
"Thanks for manning the desk May. You can go now. There's still 10 minutes of free period left."
"Thanks Miss R. See-you tomorrow." She waves at me as I leave and shut the door.
I still need to thinks some things over. My eyes trail up, towards the roof.
As I step out onto the roof, a strong gust of wind gathers up my hair and blows it around my face. Lifting a hand to brush it away, I walk over to the fencing surrounding the rooftop. The school had the roof fashioned with a pergola made of polished oak painted white, white wooden benches, and flowers, turning it into a beautiful rooftop garden.
Thankfully, no else is out here, so I've got the rooftop all to myself.
As I lean against the fence and stare down at the court. Students are scattered all around, some walking in pairs and other in groups. Then, from the front doors of the school building, I see a figure with strawberry blond curls sprint away with a horde of screaming girls right behind them. Poor Brendan, it looks like prediction of fangirls hunting him down out of jealousy came true.
I watch as Brendan takes a right and sprints for the school car park. The fangirls take the same right and chase after him, at the front of the pack I spot someone resembling Alexis, go figure. Drew's number one fan girl is leading the charge.
Then, right behind the horde of angry and jealous fangirls, I spot two people with blue and orange hair, each one with their phones out. Dawn and Misty are video taping every second of this; I can't wait to watch it later.
In the meantime…
I scan the yard, searching for a glimpse of green accompanied by purple and black. Where are they? If they aren't outside, then that means they're inside. Hmm… No, wait… there they are. From up here I can see three figures that look like the guys, under the shade of a tree. Ash is lying down, clearly taking a nap, while Drew and Paul lean against the trunk watching the fangirls tear away at Brendan.
Drew…
Why did you kiss me? What was your motivation?
Hello Everybody. Please accept my apologises for being away. I've been going through writers block and some personal issues. But I'm back, and my heads much clearer now.
A heads up to all the readers and followers of this story, I'm taking this story slowly, so it'll be some time before the next chapter is out. Hopefully, not as long as it took me to get this chapter out.
While I work my way through this story, I'm also working on another story. Just something to help keep me active in my writing. I'm still working on the name, but expect it to out in the next week or two.
Okay, that's all I've got say. I hoped you enjoyed the chapter as much as I had fun writing it.
Bye.
-LadySilentEagle