It isn't me

9: Meeting with the B-boy

(Friends don't have to be there forever)

May's shoes are scoping up the soft soil beneath her as she's jogging past the crowed city filled with dress establishments and restaurants, which she likes but not craves, and notices the high trees around her where the sunlight gleets through the leaves. She loves jogging because it makes her relax and when she relax the thoughts in her head seem to possess a logic which makes it possible for her to understand and accept them. And she loves when her muscles are stretched out, filled with adrenaline and the thought that there is only one thing she has to focus on when it comes to this simple (yet wonderful) sport; continuing running. And the feeling when she passes the goal for today, extends her capacity and almost ("almost" is the key word here) soars in the sky, is so genuine and perfect and makes her forget everything else. This is present, this is happening now and nothing could take that fact away. And no matter what does happen in her life (which is much, she's human, and humans always change in timing with life) she could rely on this source, it would never lie to her and she could cut out reality and only be here and now.

Well, she thinks as she passes a couple of Trainers that still believe that the road to the Elite Four is a simple one, and that's okay, because as long as they dream, they will still move forward. Let just say that this strategy doesn't work since Drew came into the picture.

And it doesn't. Because Drew is special that way; he's bigger, faster and moves too fast for her to avoid him. His ironical smiles follows her even when sweat is pouring down her face and her feet start to hurt, because he does that, because this is too big to be avoided – because he's wonderful, she has a crush on him and there is a change that it isn't the famous one-sided love that's often displayed in movies or books. Or in reality, for that matter. But not this. This can't be one-sided, not when it actually seems that he wants to spend time with her. Not only as friends, more, and…

No, the thought spin around her head and make her dizzy, she almost doesn't notice that she's about to run into another Trainer. Quickly, she turns to the right as the little boy with the ugliest cap she has ever seen in her life (don't parents think about their children's clothes anymore, May's surely does) sends out his Zigzagoon from its Pokéball. She smiles when she notices this; she loves Pokémon, and loves the way little kids today are interacting with the most wonderful creature in the world. Kinda hard to tell if you consider the idea that she didn't like Pokémon as first, but she was young and naïve and thought that memories (and fears) from the past would last together. But, they won't.

She knows that now.

How is it possible to be so extremely happy? It's foaming in her chest, like soda, and every step she takes it feels like she's gonna left the ground and fly to nowhere and everywhere. Wonders if she has missed love in general, or that it could only be him. Hard to really tell, but she has been into a serial relations under her life so the answer points toward the second alternative.

Because love is like that, when it's real it's consuming, it's always with you. Near you. No matter what. You know when it's real, true. You just know it.

She blinks as she stretches out her legs to surpass the hill in front of her, her brown hair blows backwards, in front of her face – and she's so busy stroking it back that she doesn't note that she runs straight into the back of someone until it's too late – and both fall to the ground. The grass beneath her is soft, like a pillow and she soon looks up if an attempt to reduce the damage (on the agonizing scale.)

"Oh, Latias, I'm so sorry", she exclaims and crawls closer to the victim. And gasps when she notices who he is.

It's not a stranger. Not at all.

It's Brendan.

But a much older, masculine (and different) Brendan than she's used to know.

It's not that she doesn't like him (she does) and it's not that she doesn't want to see him, but it feels so strange, almost creepy, when you meet someone that you know and don't know – because he may has change and he may be the same. You never know.

She stares at him and he looks back, before his stiff mouth cracks into a smile when he recognizes her. He looks more mature, his eyes are sharper, like eagles, drilling into its victims, glowing in a shade of red that emphasize his inner strengths. Still, he uses overalls but this one suits him more – he could swim in his older ones, and the same old white hat over his black hair, but it fits him. Rather good-looking, if you like the type, which May doesn't – (because a certain male with green eyes prevents her to inhale Brendan's true potential.)

"Hi!" he greets, while looking down at her knees. His backpack fell in the grass under their collation and a couple of Potions and Antidotes rolls out in the grass. He gives his medicines a look before he puts it back in the backpack. Luckily, he seems as nervous as she feels, which doesn't make her feel that omitted. "Long time no see."

"Yeah", she murmurs awkwardly, while pulling out the grass from the soil. "How have you been?"

He gives her a look, he's probably not used to this shy May, usually she can talk like there is no tomorrow but it's something with this unexpected meeting that makes her feel nervous, maybe because it's so unexpected and that he has changed into someone that she doesn't know anymore.

"Good, I guess", he snorts and then narrows his eyes at her direction. "But that's not the point, I want to hear everything about you. But not here. Let's take a drink at one of the cafés in Rustboro."

He grabs her arms, slowly dragging her up from the grass and leads her back to the city. She doesn't protest, because she knows that that would've been in vain. When he wants something, he gets it. She remembers that that is one of his abilities that she doesn't know how to handle.


But she still ends up at the closest café with a coca-cola in front of her. Slowly, she spins around the straw when she lays her eyes on him. "So, how many badges have you won yet?" she asks and grins, cursorily, even more due to the gloomy experience in his face that appears after the question.

He sips on his Fanta. "Five", he says. "I know, I know", he continues before she even says anything else. "That's not very good", he murmurs and becomes victim to his own self-negation. "But I've beat Norman, your dad. Remember when you said that I never ever would gain skill to beat his Slakings?"

She smiles over the straw. Oh, she sure does. Maybe that depends on the fact that her dad always seems to be superior of anyone around her age. And she has a strange connection with Norman, when he loses; she loses (figuratively.)

She's still in her jogging-dress and her hair sticks to her face but she doesn't really care. One; because she's not that into clothing, not when you compare herself with Dawn. She wants to look good of course (well, at least around Drew) but she's more into "natural-beauty" than the "make-up beauty." Two; this is Brendan and he isn't smelling cologne himself and three; if Brendan judges her more in excess of her appearance than personality, this is going to be a short meeting.

"Well, I guess you were lucky", she smiles and kicks him playfully with her feet under the table. "Have you noticed some improvement in your battles?" she asks and flicks with her hair – a habit since she met Drew because he does that all the time. Even though he does it with grace, something she doesn't.

"Well, yeah. But I guess that I don't have natural talents. Because I lose more than I win."

"Everybody loses. You should've seen me in the beginning of my Contest-career. I sucked. And look at me now."

He smiles and tilts his head. "You look like the same to me."

"Stop ruining the moment!" she says angrily, which only makes his smile wider. "I swear, you still that unemotional bastard that I knew once in my life."

"Years don't do much to your personality, you know. But more so to your life. That's why it's so interesting to catch up! And you seem well, May. Like you're happy. I like that. Tell me; have something good happen?"

When she hears his sentence she smiles. "Something good?" That's an understatement. She lets her visage wander and notices some Wingulls flying past the roof of the closest apartment, the morning (yes, it's still morning) sun that hides behind clouds and some cars that drive past the café with overstrained workers.

"Yes", she says with a stupid grin in her face. But the smile slowly fades when she tries to analyze the dumfounded look in his face. It's obvious that he knows what she's thinking about. "I'm together with Drew. He's my boyfriend."

His reaction isn't what she wants. It it's the cheery oh, I'm so happy for you! But the intrigued staring that comes from his eyes is something else, a reminder that maybe, just maybe she walks too fast and doesn't analyze her behavior until it's too late. Is Drew her boyfriend or is it just something she makes up because she wants it to be that way. It's not that she has asked. Maybe for Drew this isn't something that may go on and float in the waves forever, maybe it's…

No. She can't think about it.

Brendan leans his head forward and she doesn't know how to read those eyes. Or read him. Then another thought soars into her head and she almost in a stupid, exaggerated way, want to cry. She has always seen Brendan like a friend, and nothing more, but what if he sees her in another way? No, no. That's much worse, she can't handle the thought, she wants to run away and scream because she can't handle the situation that for some minutes ago transformed her into a teenager in love. Why does life have these sharp twisting, sure, it makes life more interesting because you never know what lies ahead in the next corner, but these emotions, they're boiling under the skin and she has no idea how to handle them. Nobody has. That's life. It comes, it consumes, you could do nothing about it.

"What's wrong?" she asks while looking down at her drink. "Aren't you happy for me?" she continues, her voice almost edging to hysteria. He waves with his hands to calm her down.

"Don't take it like that. I'm just thinking about you. You know that this Drew has a certain… reputation about being ridiculously popular among females?"

"Are you calling me stupid? Of course I've noticed."

"Noticed, yes. But you must understand it. I don't want you to get hurt…"

His words are supposed to be caring and for another human it certainly would've been, but for her – no, she doesn't want to hear this. Drew is alright. Drew is fine. She can't stand that the reality isn't the way she created it to be (even though she knows that it's risky, foolhardy and sad.)

"I'm not going to get hurt! Stop implying that! And why are you looking at me like that? Do you want me?"

Usually, that's not a question you ask, but when she notices that it's too late and the question floats in his ear. She blushes. What's wrong with her? What exactly is wrong with her?

Everything.

He gapes. "What? No, no! I've a girlfriend. It's just… you're my friend, May and I'm…"

His sentence fades out as she reaches up from the chair, ready to leave before she shames herself even more.

"And you're mine. And Drew is my boyfriend. And he will always be."

But Brendan's eyes tell another story. And she can't deal with the doubt he's creating.

Drew likes her. Doesn't he?


This goes too fast. Drew knows that. But he doesn't know how to make things different. He only knows one thing.

He doesn't want to hurt May.

Doesn't want to see tears in those pool-like eyes, because that's the ultimate failure. Girls like May shall not cry, because it doesn't suit them.

But he knows that it will be the upcoming to be expected if he doesn't do anything.

But what?

And he isn't sure that a relationship is the answer.

It feels right. It does. He likes her. He really does.

But does he love her? Probably. But it's hard to know. Hard to understand.

And he doesn't want to create something that will break and then die.

Because there is one thing that he can't ignore. And it may (he hates the fact but can't put it under the pillow) just be the excuse for him to destroy everything and leave the bird to fly with broken wings.


N/A: Gah, what's wrong with me? I write slow as hell and most of you have probably forgotten whole about this story but the good thing is that I now know how this story is going to continue. But don't expect faster updates heh. Thank you for reading this :D And yeah, Brendan has a girlfriend in this but I've no idea who it is and it doesn't really matter for the story.