Hey,

I don't really have anything to say other than I hope you enjoy this chapter. d:

May

It had taken Serena quite some time to come around. Her head was slightly swollen where the ground had struck it, but I was sure she didn't have a concussion. At least, I hoped she didn't. We were sat alone for a while in an uneasy silence that somehow seemed loud in my head. The initial anger I'd felt had worn off as soon as Ash had left the room, and now I felt empty. Serena would have to explain- I couldn't face Ash right now, but I had to know.

"Please forgive me, May," Serena finally whispered under her breath. She wrung her hands together nervously in her lap, like it was her first time talking to me again. I supposed I would be the same in her shoes.

"I don't want to push you," I started, throwing my head back against the velvety cushions of the sofa, "but I really need to know what happened."

I saw her throat bob as she struggled to swallow the lump that had undoubtedly formed in her throat. I knew it would hurt to explain something that obviously pained her so badly, but if it wasn't coming from her, it was coming from Ash.

"It's okay." She breathed deeply, like she'd just run a mile. "I'll tell you everything."

Her case was lying on the carpet where it'd been dropped as we'd rushed her inside. She reached forward for it, unzipping the front pocket and grabbing something slim from inside. She didn't bother closing it again, just sat back on the sofa and held it in her shaking hands. Then, she turned it towards me.

It was a photograph. I took it in my own hands, studying it. It took a moment before I could even take anything in. In the centre was a guy I'd only seen once briefly during a call with Ash, that I knew was called Clemont. Beside him, his sister stood grinning for the camera. On the very left stood a tall blonde girl I'd never seen before wearing shades on the top of her head, with her Lucario looking bold and proud beside her. Then, on the right… Serena and Ash. They stood a foot or so away from the others, and Serena seemed to be leaning in towards him. She looked younger, and her hair seemed to glow more golden than I'd ever seen it… She was vibrant, and even the picture gave off an energy she'd been lacking for a while… because of him.

All doubts that had still lingered were gone now. They really had travelled together. My heart was heavy as I lowered the photo and offered it back to her. It must have been hard for her, but it was going to change everything for me too, and I had no idea what to do.

"Ash and I met when we were kids," Serena started without prompt, staring at the fireplace. "At a summer camp. When he came to Kalos, I saw him on the news and recognised him. Admittedly, I went out to find him. He was already with Bonnie and Clemont when I found him. I knew I wanted to travel with him right away." She seemed almost nostalgic. I could tell that, despite everything, these were still fond memories for her. They still warmed her. It was why she carried the photo too, no doubt. "We travelled together the whole time he was in Kalos."

Ash had been so busy, he'd never called while he was in Kalos. Only after did he decide he'd neglected the people he'd once been so close to, and had started reaching out again, much to my joy. Serena's lip trembled as though she might cry.

"He was my best friend. I'd never had a friend like him before, but when I tried to call him again once I was in Hoenn, he… He didn't answer. He cut me off."

It was so unlike Ash that I was sure there had to be more to the story, but I didn't have any reason to believe Serena would keep anything from me. Perhaps once the air had cleared a bit, I could ask Ash… If I could do it without slapping him again.

Should I be mad at Serena too? The question had been on my mind from the moment Ash had left the room. She'd seen me call him and knew we were close, and had kept it from me anyway. It wouldn't have been so bad, if she hadn't agreed to come here, knowing he might be here, and still not tell me.

"Why didn't you tell me, Serena?" I asked. Her head dropped. "You knew how worried I was about you. You knew how much this would hurt me, surely."

"I know. I'm sorry. I saw how close you were to Ash, and… I didn't want to make it awkward for you." Her voice was wavering, and she was very close to tears. It must have taken a lot for her to do that, but she'd still kept such a huge secret from me for so long.

"Did you love him?" I asked, and regretted the question almost the moment it came out my mouth.

"I-" Was all she managed to say. She stumbled around the word a few more times before her mouth closed completely. She couldn't look me in the eye.

She didn't need to answer. I knew. And yet, hearing it from her would make it so much worse, would make it so much more real that I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand another moment beside her. I stood quickly and left.

Dawn

Gary, Brock, Drew, Paul and I had all felt incredibly awkward and confused after the scene in the living room. We'd taken our leave because it seemed right, but had no idea where else to go. Everywhere felt awkward now, like a thick cloud was hanging over the house, making every room, every corner, tense. So, we'd migrated to the kitchen, and sat around the island counter in the centre. Misty had disappeared, and Paul had gone off somewhere else. I was secretly grateful; It would be more coal on the fire that was already spreading.

"Talk about awkward," Gary said. It was the first word that had been spoken in quite a few minutes. "I mean, what the fuck? Are we in an episode of a drama show or something?"

"Shut up dickhead," Drew grumbled, as though someone had pissed in his porridge as well.

"God, we really are," Gary continued. At least he was filling the silence, even if it was pissing Drew off. "Next episode, someone gets pregnant with Ash's baby."

"You're not funny," I hissed, but he was laughing anyway. I supposed this was the kind of thing Gary would find amusing, since it didn't really involve him directly. "Do you think Ash will go home?"

"Nah," Brock spoke up. "Serena didn't seem like she wanted him to go, and May will calm down eventually, but she has every right to be mad." I agreed with him. I wondered if Drew was mad on her behalf, and if that was why he seemed so touchy.

"So we just… what? Sit and wait for this to blow over in some sort of awkward stand still?" I asked. Brock shrugged. Behind him, I could see a figure hovering by the doorway, debating whether to enter. Ash.

"Hey," Gary greeted, noticing him too. Drew was scowling and his hands were clenched into fists so tight they must have hurt. Ash wandered into the room looking lost. I wanted to jump up and hug him, but I knew that would be inappropriate. Gary sighed, resting his head in his palm. "Come on, man. At least your secret is out now."

"May hates me." He genuinely sounded depressed. Ash rarely ever sounded so defeated.

"No, she doesn't." Brock stood and placed a reassuring hand on Ash's shoulder, which seemed to perk him up ever so slightly. "She just needs time. You know… She's only so upset that you kept this from her because now she's stuck."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, cocking his head. I knew what he meant, but Ash was dense.

"Well, Serena is her best friend, so she has to be upset with you, but she likes you a lot, man. Like, a lot lot." Brock was trying to tell Ash that May loved him. I silently seethed that her secret got out before mine. From here, I couldn't even see his face to read how he felt about it.

"May?" Ash shook his head. "May and I are just friends. Well, if we're even that now."

"You are so dumb, dude," Gary spoke up now. "It's clear she likes you. You just have no experience with women."

Drew was silent across from me, but his chest was rising and falling heavily, as though he'd burst out in a panic attack at any second. I felt his pain. Leaning slightly, I reached over the counter and took his hand, squeezing it gently. He looked up, and gave an attempt at a smile, which was better than nothing. I didn't let go, but nobody batted an eyelid at us.

"That's not true," Ash scoffed, and I looked back to him. "Shut up."

Gary looked doubtful. "You've been around females your whole damn life and you've never shown a speck of interest. It's weird!"

"Just because you're obsessed with women," I spat over at him, but he simply grinned at me. It was pointless trying to insult him about something he was proud of.

Ash was rubbing his arm, as though he was nervous. "That's not true either, man. Don't assume that stuff."

He'd sparked Gary's interest. "Come on, you may as well spill it now. It's better to get everything out at once."

Ash puffed out his chest a little as though he was preparing to fight Gary. I wouldn't be surprised if he did. He was getting irritated and defensive. "I have a girl."

My heart sank. He what? Drew was squeezing my hand, but I didn't look back.

Gary's eyebrows rose dramatically. "Who?"

Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. He seemed to be searching for something on it, and when he found it, he slid the phone along the counter, and we all leaned in to look. It was a photo of a girl I'd never seen before. She was small- smaller than any of us, even me. Her long blonde hair was lighter than Serena's, and parts were plaited down the sides of her face. She wore a cute white and blue dress and a giant white sunhat. I wanted to reach out and delete the photo, or maybe even smash the phone. Her face was insufferably cute. She was exactly every guy's type- amazingly cute, petite and pretty.

"Well, colour me impressed! Who's that?" Gary slid the phone back. Ash stuffed it back in his pocket. Somehow, he still seemed angry. I felt as though I was going to throw up at any second.

"Her name's Lillie. I met her in Alola."

Lillie. Even her name was cute. My nails dug into my palm under the table until they were almost drawing blood. I had to get out of here, but I was stuck to my seat. I needed to know more, even if it was breaking me.

"She's your girlfriend?" Brock asked, scratching the back of his head.

"No, not exactly," Ash sighed. "We've just… Been on a couple of dates."

"But you like her, right?" Gary probed, unsatisfied with where the conversation was headed.

"Well, um, she's nice," Ash was stumbling for his words. His answer was infuriating. I needed to know. "We kissed before I left to come here."

I couldn't walk out- it would draw too much attention to me, and give away the fact that this conversation was bothering me. I couldn't stop listening, but every word was ripping another part of me apart.

I couldn't imagine what it would do to May.

Serena

May had taken it better than I'd expected, even if she'd walked out in the end, but now what? It had all come to a head, and boiled over, but the destruction was still spreading, and I had no idea how to fix it. I'd never been good at fixing things on my own. When I'd travelled, it was always Ash that had helped me when I was stuck.

At the very least, it couldn't get any worse.

I needed someone else's company. Anyone would do, and… I supposed I needed to speak to Ash now. There was no way to put it off. We didn't have to be friends, but we at least needed to acknowledge one another.

My legs barely managed to keep themselves from buckling when I stood, but quickly readjusted. My case lay on the floor in front of me. Well, I guess I'm staying after all.

I tread carefully over it and headed for the kitchen. I knew that was where everyone would be. They'd all left looking extremely awkward as soon as everything began to blow over. I didn't blame them. All I could do was try to diffuse the tension. The door was wide open, but nobody noticed me as I approached it. They were all too busy staring at something on the counter. Somebody's phone. I paused by the door, gathering myself. I had no idea what to say to any of them. Was this going to be awkward no matter what I said?

Gary slid the phone back to Ash, who pocketed it. "Her name's Lillie. I met her in Alola."

I took a step back, hiding myself slightly behind the door-frame. All thoughts of the awkwardness were gone. I scanned them all, but my eyes fell on Dawn. Her face said everything. There was no way she was that upset for me. Something else was going on.

"She's your girlfriend?" Brock asked. The moment the word was spoken, I was furious. It felt like a blow to the stomach, so hard I sucked in a breath so loud I was surprised they didn't hear me. It passed quickly, and was replaced with a heat that spread all over me. My fists shook. I hadn't even heard whatever was said for the last few seconds.

"Well, um, she's nice. We kissed before I left to come here."

My blood was boiling, and it wasn't even about this girl, whoever she was. Suddenly, I wished I'd let May tell him to leave. I wished he was gone. I wanted to push him out the door myself. I was angry about everything he'd done to me, and I wanted him to feel that. I wanted him to hurt for it. It was hard to keep my breathing quiet.

Just forget about it, just forget about it…

But it was impossible. I'd lost my head and was thrown in the deep end, and now I was storming through the door to him. I threw out my hands, pushing him back hard against the counter, making everyone jump. Ash threw his hands up in defense and picked himself up quickly.

"Serena, calm down," Dawn was jumping up and running over to me, but I didn't care about her right now. I held a hand out to stop her from coming closer. Ash took a step back away from me.

"So that means something to you now, huh?" I started. I didn't even know what I was saying. "That's funny. Should I tell them, or will you?" I gestured around at everyone that was staring at us now. My chest rose and fell heavily with my ragged breaths. My face burned.

A fleeting glance at Dawn showed me just how distraught she was. The previous conversation would have already taken a toll on her, and I was only making it worse. Ash stood before me, completely dumbfounded, and still didn't say a word. Even now, he couldn't manage a single word to me. My body relaxed suddenly, all of the anger and tension seeping out as I sagged. I gave up. I really did just need to move on completely. Our friendship was truly dead. My hair whipped around dramatically as I turned to leave, and I thought about my short hair from when I'd travelled with him. I couldn't bear to keep it after everything. Just another thing Ash had ruined for me. I practically ran out of the room.

I heard footsteps behind me as I reached the staircase, and figured it was probably Ash. I was exhausted now- too exhausted to bother with him, even if he would finally speak. But, when the person spoke, it wasn't Ash.

"Wait up."

It was Gary, whom I'd hardly spoken to since I arrived. We'd shared the odd few words and greetings, but nothing more than that. He stood before me, hand resting casually near mine on the oak banister, a small smile tugging on his lips. I knew he probably looked at most girls this way when he first met them. I had to admit, he did look very charming.

"Are you okay?" He asked, leaning against the wood.

"I mean…" I trailed off and rubbed the back of my head. Gary laughed quietly to himself and waved a hand.

"Right, sorry, of course. It was a stupid question." The silence that followed was more than a little awkward for me. "Look, Ash isn't the smartest guy. In fact, he's not even close. His common sense is, well… nonexistent, mostly." I let out a sharp exhale in amusement. "But he's never been an asshole. Whatever he's done, there must be a reason for it, whether you know it or not." I didn't know what to say, so I stayed silent, but lowered my gaze. It was embarrassing to look so weak and defeated. "I'll get to the bottom of it for you."

I looked back up at him. "That's really nice of you Gary, but you don't have to do that."

Gary shrugged. "I want to. You deserve to know. Plus, I'm really, really nosy."

I laughed aloud then, and his smile grew noticeably. I was grateful to him for giving me this distraction. "Alright, if you want, but I'm giving up now. I'll be civil, but… I'm not making any effort."

Gary shrugged yet again. "Don't then. He doesn't deserve it."

"I'm just worried that May's going to stay angry, so Drew will be angry too. I don't really know anyone else here."

Gary's smirk returned. "You know me now." He winked, and although I shuddered a little at his painfully obvious attempt at flirting, it still warmed my face. "On a serious note though, why don't you invite your friend?"

"My friend?"

"I heard there was another guy that travelled with you."

He was talking about Clemont. Truthfully, Clemont had been my rock since Ash had cut me off. He'd refused Ash's calls until Ash agreed to talk to me again and apologise, ultimately causing him to lose Ash as a friend too on my behalf. He'd continually lifted me back up when I was low, and I owed him more than anyone. It would be nice to have him here with me, but… I wasn't sure it was his sort of scene.

It was my turn to shrug then. "I'll consider it, I guess."

Gary pushed off the banister and took a step back, preparing to return to the others. "Remember," he spoke so quietly it was almost a whisper, "you can always talk to me." With another wink, he was gone, and I was left stunned on the stairs.

Dawn

When everyone finally started leaving the kitchen one by one, I stayed until I was the last one left. I didn't feel like I could move even if I tried. My limbs were heavy. I wanted to sleep and wake up years from now, when all of this was over and I didn't care about any of it anymore.

I was only alone for a few minutes before Misty appeared to pour herself a glass of orange juice. I stayed as quiet as she did, hoping she'd simply leave once she'd finished, but when she closed the fridge and popped herself down on the stool opposite mine where Drew had sat, I knew a conversation was unavoidable. She looked at me as though she expected me to say something, but I hadn't even acknowledged her. Then I remembered that she'd admitted to kissing Ash. With everything that had happened since, I'd almost forgotten. But if Ash really had a girl back in Alola, and he'd kissed Misty too…

"We didn't kiss," Misty said casually, looking out of the window to avoid my gaze. "I made it up to wind you up."

I wasn't even mad, just very, very confused. "You're kind of a dick."

"I know."

I was startled at her blunt honesty, but at least now my mind was marginally clearer. "Okay," was all I could think to say. She kept sitting there sipping her juice. It was hard to care about that after everything that had come out today.

"Now that everything's out in the open, we need to find a way to bring the house back together, or we're all gonna be walking around actively avoiding each other."

"That's not my responsibility."

"You're right, it's May's, but she's the one that's been the most fucked over here, don't you think?"

I supposed she was right, but still, what could I do? I wanted to avoid most people here too after today. She was one of the few that could have walked in here without making me walk out. "I don't know what I can do."

"Well, we need to think of something to at least clear some of the tension."

I thought about getting all of us together, and it seemed like a terrible idea. I pictured verbal and physical fights and a lot more hostility than we'd seen today. At least, it was a terrible idea if it took place indoors, where we'd have to face each other, but perhaps outdoors…

"What about a trip to the beach for the day?" I suggested, and Misty's eyes brightened.

"That's exactly the sort of thing I meant. Let's do it."

"But the beach is a few miles away from here, and we can't take everyone in your car," I pointed out. She pulled a face.

"True. We'll figure it out." She sighed, lowering her glass and holding it tight with both hands. "I just need to find a way to make things up to Serena."

I blinked. "Serena?" Misty didn't answer, just looked away again. "You're really close to her already, huh?"

Misty still said nothing, but I could have sworn a blush spread across her freckled cheeks.