Chapter Seven
The local movie theater was more crowded than the group had expected. The ticket line extended well outside the entrance, and it seemed to be moving at a rather sluggish pace. As everyone exited the car, Brock sighed apathetically.
"Ya know, we may have to go to the next showing of the movie," he said as he checked his watch. "There's no way we're going to catch this showing in fifteen minutes."
"Well, there's another movie playing in about forty minutes. We could probably get into that one on time," Misty pointed out, glancing at one of the posters near the doorway.
"Aw, come on, that's a chick flick! There's no way I'm watching that," Max complained.
"Yeah, I think I'm with Max on that one," Ash agreed. "I really don't think '27 Dresses' is my kind of movie. I think I'll sit this one out."
"Oh, suck it up! Besides, I really wanted to see that one," Dawn said. "What about you, Misty? Are you in?"
"Sure. I like a good romance movie every now and again," Misty replied with a small shrug.
"Me too!" Brock exclaimed.
Ash turned around to look at Brock. "You can't be serious, Brock."
"Are you kidding? Of course I'm serious! There're some hot chicks in this flick," Brock said, staring at the advertising poster.
"Right…Anyways, I'm sure you'd want to see it, May. You comin' too?" Dawn asked the brunette.
May paused for a moment to think. "Actually, I'll have to pass, too. We were cutting it close the first time with my parents' arrival at the harbor. We probably won't have time for that movie."
"But you three could go see it," Ash added. "May, Max, and I could drive down to the harbor while you guys are at the movie, and we could meet back at my house for the wedding."
"But that's like a six mile walk!" Dawn exclaimed in protest.
"Oh no! What was I thinking, Dawn? I am so sorry! I—OW! What the hell, Misty!"
"Don't you two dare start that again!" she yelled with her hands on her hips.
"Well, why did you have to slap me across the face? And besides, she started it!"
"I do not care, Ash Ketchum!" Misty yelled back. "I am sick of you arguing with her all the time!"
"Oh, like I start it! She just can't keep her bratty little mouth shut," Ash said in a defensive tone.
"Excuse me?" Dawn intervened, now with her hands on her hips. "I'm not the stupid, idiotic, immature boy in this situation!"
"So that's what you think, huh?" Ash said, taking a step closer to her. "Well, at least I'm not a stuck up, snotty teenage girl who's only concerned about her over-sized ego!"
"Really?" Dawn questioned, also taking a step forward. "At least I'm not a complete moron!"
Ash opened his mouth, thinking of a clever comeback, but closed it again after coming up with nothing. "Well… uh…I know you are, but what am I?"
"Oh, my God, you are so lame, Ash. Is that the best you can do?"
Ash glared at her for a few seconds before saying, "I don't have to listen to your crap. May, Max, let's go," before turning around back towards his car and opening the driver's side door.
"Uh…see ya later, I guess. Enjoy the movie," May said to Brock, Misty, and Dawn, and quickly ran after Ash before he drove off without her.
"Well, that was awkward," Max shrugged, also walking towards Ash car and getting in the back seat.
May and Max had just barely managed to get in the car and close their doors before Ash angrily shoved the keys in the ignition and started to pull away from the movie theater parking lot. He muttered something indistinguishable as their other three friends faded from view. Only after Ash had taken a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself a few minutes later did May feel safe to talk to him.
"Hey, Ash, isn't a little early to go to the harbor now? The boat doesn't get in until another two hours."
"I know. And, May, I'm sorry about what happened back there. I was just in a hurry to get away from Dawn. Do you wanna go somewhere until we have to pick your mom and dad up?" Ash asked.
"Nowhere in particular. What do you think, Max?" May responded.
"Whatever."
May sighed. "Alright then. How about we go to the beach for a while since it's not far from the harbor?" she suggested.
"Sounds good," Ash agreed.
The car drive to the beach was silent, with May leaning back against the seat starring out the passenger window, Ash concentrating on the road, and Max simply starring off into space.
At the sound of the engine being cut off, May picked her head up off the window and the three of them got out of the car.
"So, now what?" May asked.
"I'm gonna go see if I can find any Pokémon near the grass over there," Max stated, walking in the direction of the grassy area near the other side of the beach.
"And then there were two," Ash smiled at May.
May laughed slightly as the two friends began to stroll towards the water's edge. For a while they were silent, both lost in their own thoughts.
"So…" Ash was the first to break the silence.
"So…what?" May asked, looking up at him.
"So…what do you wanna do?"
"Hmmm…I don't know. What do you wanna do?"
"Do you just wanna talk about stuff?" Ash asked.
"What kind of 'stuff'?"
"Anything, I guess."
"Okay. Are you excited about your mom's wedding?" May asked.
Ash shrugged. "I guess. I mean, I suppose it'll be nice having another man in the house for a change. It's just been my mom and me for quite a while."
"Oh… sorry," was all May said in response.
"Sorry about what?" Ash questioned, looking down at May.
"You know, bringing up the fact that you only have your mom around. It must be hard for you to talk about."
"Not really," Ash said. He sat down on a fallen tree about ten feet from the water, and May sat next to him. "It was so long ago that my dad past away that I've learned to accept the fact that he's gone, and I just have to move past it."
"Well, if you don't mind me asking…" May began hesitantly, "…what happened to your dad?"
Ash paused for a minute, thinking. "I guess it started when I was about two. May parents had been married about six years. My dad was a pretty well-known Pokémon trainer at the time. He decided that with me growing up and our family needing more money that he should try to get a job. He decided to train to be a Pokémon Ranger. After a few months of his training, a huge fire broke out in the Viridian Forest. Even thought he still need a few more weeks of training to become a certified Ranger, they sent my dad in because they needed all the assistance that they could get. They weren't able to control the fire alone, so they called in teams from northern cities as well. My dad was always a little over confident, and even after the chief had insisted that he return home along with all the other uncertified rangers after receiving the extra help, he was determined to stay. Well, his confidence got the better of him, and without the permission of the chief, he went in deeper into the forest. He thought that he would be able to help the Pokémon easily and get out safely, but… he couldn't. A burning tree fell and blocked his only way out of the forest, and he was trapped. The rescue teams couldn't reach him and…" Ash broke off as he felt tears coming to his eyes.
"Oh, Ash, I'm so sorry. Please, if it hurts you that much to talk about it, then please stop. I don't want to see you like this," May whispered. She put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
Ash quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'm fine, May. Really." He placed his hand over hers and smiled.
"Okay, Ash," May smiled back. She scooted slightly closer to him and reached her arms up to put them around his neck. He returned the gesture and wrapped his arms securely around her waist.
"Are you sure you're okay?" May asked with concern.
"I'm sure. I promise," he reassured her.
They let go of each other a moment later and sat on the tree, watching the waves roll away from the sandy beach.
May stood up and walked slowly toward the water. She slipped off her shoes and socks and waded in the knee-deep water. She turned around to see that Ash hadn't moved from the log, and yelled,"Are you comin'?"
Ash smiled and took off his hat, shoes and socks as well, and rolled up his jeans past his knees. He jogged over to where May stood bent over in the water. Before he had time to react, May suddenly turned around and threw her arms up, spraying Ash with salty water.
"What was that for?" Ash yelled, wiping the water from his face.
"Come on, Ash, loosen up!" May teased as she ran in the other direction.
"Oh, don't think you can splash me and just get away with it!" he called, chasing after her. When he was close enough, he kicked his foot up, sending water flying in May's direction.
She shrieked when the water hit her back, and froze where she stood in surprise. "Now you did it, Ketchum!" She turned around and splashed him multiple times, and Ash did the same.
Ash suddenly ran towards her and pushed her into the one-and-a-half-foot-deep water. May screamed again in surprise, and instinctively grabbed hold of his shirt for support, sending him tumbling into the water with her. Ash landed beside her, and they both laughed in amusement.
"Great, now my clothes are soaked," May said, still giggling. She took the hand Ash had extended out toward her as he helped pull her out of the water.
"Yeah, mine, too," Ash agreed.
When they were both back on the sand, Ash took his shirt off to wring the water out of it.
'Oh, my God,' May thought. 'He's gotta stop torturing me like this.'
After being somewhat satisfied with the amount of water he got out of his shirt, Ash attempted to slip it on back over his head, but with some difficulty. "Uh, May…I'm kinda stuck."
"Nice goin', Ash," May laughed as she helped him pull the back of his shirt over his head.
"Hey, that wasn't entirely my fault, May," he commented.
"Yeah, but you were the one who started it," May pointed out.
"So that's what you think, huh?" Ash smirked.
"It sure is," she replied smugly.
"Okay then…" Ash said as he bent over, grabbed hold of her legs, and slung her over his shoulder.
"ASH! What the hell are you doing? Put me DOWN!" May screamed, although she was still laughing.
"I'm not letting go of you until you apologize for pulling me into to water," he laughed as he started jogging over toward the docks.
"What are you talking about? I already told you, you pushed me in!" she protested.
"That doesn't mean you had to bring me with you."
"I found it appropriate, considering that you started it!"
"If you don't say that you're sorry, I'll have to throw you back into the water," Ash threatened as they reached the end of the dock.
"Ash Ketchum, I swear, if you throw me in the water I'll—"
"You'd better hurry, May…" Ash said, grabbing her waist as if to lift her off his shoulder.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" shrieked May.
"There, now was that so hard?" Ash asked with a slight laugh.
"Yeah, whatever. Now can you put me down? All the blood's rushing to my head."
Ash sighed. "Oh, I suppose."
He bent over again and let her slip off his shoulder and onto the dock. May staggered slightly for a moment as she recovered, but managed to shoot a dirty look in Ash's direction despite her dizziness.
"Thank you," she said unpleasantly, her hands on her hips as she glared up at him.
"I'm sorry, May. Did that upset you?" Ash teased.
"Actually, now that I think about it, no. I'm sure this'll make up for it!" May said as she pushed Ash off the dock they were standing on and into the shoulder-deep water below.
As he resurfaced, Ash shook the water from his hair. "Alright, I guess were even now. But you can't deny that that was entirely your fault."
"I beg to differ," May grinned. "If you hadn't had pushed me into the water before, I wouldn't have had any motive to push you in just now. So technically, you're still the one to blame."
"Sure, sure. Now could you please help me out?" Ash asked May politely.
"Yeah, right," she laughed. "You'll just pull me in with you."
Ash sighed. "Fine. If you don't trust me, I guess I'll have to swim back to shore."
"Good luck with that," May smiled, running back down the dock toward the beach.
"Hey! Wait up!" Ash shouted after her as he began swimming back.
May glanced behind her briefly, laughing at Ash. The small distraction caused her to swerve slightly, and fall off the dock and into the water. May shrieked as she hit the cold water below her.
"May!" Ash yelled, immediately swimming toward her.
May had already resurfaced by the time Ash had reached her, bent over at the waist and coughing up mouthfuls of water.
"Oh, my God, May, are you alright?" Ash said hurriedly while supporting her back, as she was quite unstable and disoriented after her fall into the lake.
May coughed up a bit more water and took a few deep breaths before replying. "Y-yeah… I think I am." After somewhat regulating her heartbeat, she said to Ash, "Alright, I've gotta admit… that was definitely my fault."
"Yeah, there's no denying that," Ash laughed. May stood up straight again and laughed along with her friend.
"We should probably head to the harbor now," May suggested. "My parents' boat will be docking in about an hour, and they'd kill me if we were late."
"I guess you're right," Ash replied. "Ya know, we're gonna have some explaining to do as to why we're both soaking wet. Your parents might get the wrong impression at first glance."
A/N: If anyone is wondering when I'm going to update next, READ MY PROFILE. Just f.y.i.
