Hallo once again! Thanks for all the reviews you guys have given me even though this isn't the most successful story I've written it's still pretty popular and I thank you for every reader! Including the ones who don't review…please do if you don't and if you're not allowed to I just hope you enjoy it!

I also want to remind everyone that this story is dedicated to shortnsweet615 and Twilight Smash! Not to mention prior chapter dedications to xxheartBreAkiNgxxwho is now Heart's Melody, if I am correct, and to RockMistress95 for now being a ContestShipper! Hold onto that ship and don't let it sail out of your reach, RockMistress95!

"Good morning, Dawn!" May sang, throwing open the curtains. Dawn grumbled under her breath and stretched.

"Get up, sleepy head!" Lyra exclaimed, throwing the clovers of the still slumbering girl.

""I want to stay asleep," the youngest girl grumbled.

"Well, too bad, Dawn," Misty responded tartly. "It's Christmas Day and Leaf and Marina had just invited all the boys over."

"What?" Dawn screeched, jumping out of bed at once to glare at Misty.

"Don't glare at me, glare at them." Misty pointed over at the door, where Leaf and Marina were standing.

"Why'd you invite the guys over?" Dawn demanded, whirling around to face the two girls.

"Well…maybe because we had forgotten to give the gifts to the boys?" Leaf suggested sarcastically.

"Oh…right…" Dawn muttered, turning away toward the bathroom. "I was sort of hoping to avoid that…"

"You're giving a gift to every guy?" Marina asked Leaf.

"No!" Leaf protested. "Not everyone. I have no idea what to give some of them."

"Oh well, just give what you want to whoever you want," Misty ordered wearily. "Hurry and dress up; they'll be here any minute now."

"What?" May jumped up from the bed at once from where she had been sitting. "Okay, see you guys later!" Then she raced into her room.

"Good thing my sisters are out," Misty yawned, strolling indifferently and calmly to her own room.

"Yeah, good thing," Lyra agreed. She put on her hat and arranged it perfectly. Then she looked over to Leaf, Marina, and Dawn. "Buck up! They'll be here any minute!"

"Oh…what?" Dawn raced to the bathroom. Leaf and Marina just stared blankly at Lyra.

"We're ready," was what they said.

"Oh, whatever," Lyra shrugged, walking down the steps. Then the bell rang. "Blow! Buck up, you guys!" she shouted, running to the door and pulling it open.

Khoury, Ash, Drew, and Paul stood outside. Gary and Jimmy were right behind them. Lyra smiled at them.

"Hey guys! How's it going?" she asked cheerfully. "Merry Christmas!" The boys nodded, but only Jimmy spoke.

"Merry Christmas," he echoed, and then looked inside, catching sight of Marina and Leaf.

"Where are the others?" Ash asked, stepping inside and shaking his head to clear off the snow, causing a lot of snow to fall down onto the blue-patterned carpet.

"Hey, you're getting the carpet wet!" Misty exclaimed, sweeping down the stairs and running over to the now-soaked rug. "That's Violet's favorite!"

"Oh…sorry," Ash apologized, helping her by grabbing a dishrag from the kitchen and using it to soak up the snow. Misty bent down as well and their hands accidentally brushed. Ash and Misty jumped away as if a bee had stung them and the boys and the girls – who had finally come down – stared at them like they each had grown two heads.

"Sorry," Misty muttered, grasping the rug. "I'll um…dry this…later." She rolled it up swiftly and fled the room, the boys staring after her in surprise and Ash turning away while lowering his cap. May caught a faint pink staining his cheeks and grinned. So Ash was falling for Misty, was he? About time!

"Misty?" Leaf called. "Where are you going?" There was no response.

Gary coughed awkwardly. "Um…" he began. "Well…why'd ya ask us to come over?" he asked Leaf.

"Oh, that!" Leaf grinned. "Well, we didn't give you guys your gifts yet."

"Don't tell me we're going to receive six gifts?" Drew groaned. "I've already received at least a hundred gifts from the fan-girls of Diamondé High."

"Of course you have," May grumbled under her breath.

"You'll see," Marina laughed. "We just have gifts and then we'll hand them to you. Grab only whatever's yours and don't be surprised if you only get one."

"Not at all," Paul muttered. "I'd prefer none."

"Too bad," Dawn retorted. "I got you something and you'll take it if that's the end of it."

"It will be the end of it if I take it out," Paul pointed out. Dawn chose to ignore his statement and raced up the steps.

"Mist! Get down here already!" she yelled.

"I'm getting the 'gifts'!" Misty yelled back, her voice muffled. Then she walked down the steps holding a large amount of gifts.

"Whoa…" Jimmy was at a loss for words while Khoury was looking at them with a hint of surprise on his face. Lyra punched his shoulder affectionately.

"Hey, buck up, man," Lyra laughed. "It's not like it's the first time you've been given a Christmas gift, right?"

"No, of course not," Khoury answered, but nevertheless didn't lose the surprised expression on his face. Paul noted with satisfaction that he only seemed to have one gift – as he didn't want any gift at all from the girls.

"Sweet! Gifts!" Ash exclaimed, recovered from the incident with Misty before. "How many are ours?"

"Hey, Ash, you do like candy, right?" Misty asked suddenly, dropping the gifts carefully onto a couch.

"Huh?" Ash looked bewildered with the out-of-the-blue question. "Um – yes. Why?"

"No reason," Misty replied matter-of-factly, organizing the gifts into piles. Apparently Drew, Gary, and Ash got the most gifts and Jimmy and Khoury got three, along with Paul merely getting one from Dawn, to his relief.

"So have you guys eaten breakfast yet?" May asked, tactfully ignoring Drew. Drew ignored her as well and had a conversation with Dawn, who was confused at the frosty greeting they had said at the beginning.

"Not yet," Gary answered.

"And I'm hungry!" Ash added on quickly. "We were planning on going to a breakfast place after this."

"Who knew how long you'd be here?" Misty pointed out scornfully. "You could be here until lunchtime for all you know."

"Of course, you'd like us to stay for that long," Gary grinned, winking at Leaf, who glared at him.

"Just as a precaution," May cut in before an argument between Gary and Leaf occurred. "Would you guys like to eat here?"

Drew shot her a surprised look but no one noticed it before he hid it behind his regular face.

"Of course," Drew rolled his eyes to cover it up.

"Yeah Drew, keep dreaming," May shot back, walking into the kitchen with her head held high.

"Great Drew, you got her angry," Dawn sighed, jumping off the arm of the couch and going after her friend. Leaf and Misty were the only ones left in the room as Marina and Lyra went into the kitchen.

"Well…what happened to make you change?" Leaf asked Drew. "Your attitude, I mean. You're so mean to May now."

"There's no reason," Drew growled, being completely out of character.

It feels like everyday stays the same
It's dragging me down and I can't pull away
So here I go again
Chasing you down again
Why do I do this?

Drew sighed and went over to the kitchen as well when the other girls went out but May still remained. He clenched a fist in frustration as he entered the kitchen.

His friends and May's friends shot worried looks at each other, wondering what Drew could do to possibly tone down May's own anger when he himself was furious.

Drew's POV

Over and over, over and over
I fall for you

I sighed as I walked silently into the kitchen. Why was May just so d**n hard to get along with? She's easy to tick off, she's just plain irritating and easy to anger, and foolish, and clueless, and pretty, and…

Hang on a minute. I didn't say that. Push the rewind button.

But anyways, I entered the kitchen and looked at May, who was furiously grabbing eggs and salt and pepper from the cabinets and the fridge. In her anger, she nearly dropped the eggs and I skillfully caught it.

"You're a klutz too," I muttered, handing her the carton.

Over and over, over and over
I try not to

She looked up at me and for a minute she was frozen. I sighed mentally.

"Look, I know I'm like the best guy to ever fall in love with," I said, breaking the silence, "but it doesn't mean you can go all lovesick at me." Her liquid, turquoise eyes turned furious.

"I'm not lovesick!" she spat. "In fact, I don't even know how on earth those fan-girls of yours just love you!"

"Of course you don't," I stated smugly, just loving the angry look on her face building up like steam about to explode from the kettle. "You're one of them yourself."

"I am not!" May shouted, her face going red and the aura of fire spreading around. I wasn't affected at all, as usual.

Over and over, over and over
You make me fall for you

I was just loving that look on her face! None of any of the dopey fan-girls ever stood up to me, afraid of losing their 'status' with me – not that they had any in the first place. I enjoyed a challenge and although the other of the Tigresses were just like May, not exactly falling for me either, May was the challenge that rose above them all. After all, she was literally mine.

"I'm sure you aren't, May," I said coolly, humoring her, and May knew it. She threw her arms up in the air frustrated. "Watch out, May," I said, turning to look at the eggs she had placed carefully on the granite counter. "You might turn into a tomato." May flushed even darker, if that was possible, and I chuckled.

(A/N: have you noticed how ikarishipping and contestshipping are pretty equal in shipping moments? Except Paul is colder and Dawn is more bubbly of course.)

"I'm not going to turn into a tomato," May said, exhaling and turning away, trying to keep her temper from exploding. But I didn't want that.

Over and over, over and over
You don't even try to

"Or maybe an apple. Something else red," I coaxed. That was the last straw.

"ARE YOU PICKING ON ME BECAUSE MY FAVORITE COLOR'S RED?" May screamed, whirling around to face me, panting heavily.

"What a drama queen," I sighed sadly. "Of course not, May. It's because your face is blushing apple-red, that's why."

May's hands instantly covered her face.

"Am I that red?" she asked quietly, turning around away from me, as abrupt as someone had thrown a switch. I felt a pang of compassion hit me for a minute as I noticed that she was upset.

"What's wrong?" I asked casually.

"Our parents told us…we couldn't throw ourselves away by dating when we're not ready yet…" May said in a low voice. Her eyes turned liquid and darker than Dawn's dark sapphire eyes. "And I don't think I'm ready."

Before I could say a word, Misty came in, with Ash behind her.

"Hurry up! You guys have been in here for ten minutes!" Misty snapped, seeing that May was upset. I mentally groaned in frustration; May had nearly told something very important to me and those two just had to butt in!

"Were you guys arguing? I could hear May yelling," Ash said hesitantly. May smiled slowly.

"No, Ash, I'm fine!" she laughed – unconvincingly, I noticed.

"Hey, May, can I have a word with ya?" Misty asked her friend quietly. Her dark green eyes were worried.

"Oh. Um, sure, Misty," May said uncertainly. I eyed them suspiciously, wondering what they were up to.

If I had known, I would have stopped them, prideful reputation or no reputation. End of story.

Misty motioned to the rest of the girls while she held the dazed and blushing May firmly by the arm.

"Oh. Um…sorry guys, we'll be out soon," Leaf said cautiously.

"No, it's fine. Marina and Lyra, you can stay behind and make the breakfast," Misty interrupted. "This doesn't concern you two."

Marina and Lyra exchanged puzzled glances but entered the kitchen nevertheless as Drew exited. His eyes were narrowed as he watched the four girls walk upstairs to Misty's room.

"What do you think they're doing?" Jimmy asked.

"I wonder when the food will be ready," Ash wondered. They groaned and Paul slammed Ash's head.

"The food will come out in time," Drew muttered absently, still musing over what the girls could be discussing.

Paul and Gary had faced the stairs as well, and Drew knew they, although they'd die before admitting it, were anxious as well to find out what the girls were up to.

"This can't be happening! This can't be happening!" May was crying, tears streaming down her face and her face panicky. "I can't be! I mean I can't! I just can't!"

"Whoa, hold on there, May," Leaf said, soothingly patting her friend on the back as May collapsed onto Misty's bed where Leaf was sitting.

Misty had fallen back onto her beanbag chair in exasperation, burying her head in her hands. Dawn was sitting on Misty's desk chair.

"What's wrong, Misty?" Dawn asked.

"I don't get this" was all Misty could say before her throat was choked with tears.

"I think we can't deal with the guys anymore," May tried to convince herself. To her surprise, Leaf agreed.

"We'll ignore them." She sounded defiant.

"No way," Misty protested. "I can't!"

"At school?" she asked.

"Nope," Misty sounded certain. "We have to think of something else…"

Below, Drew heard May scream and Ash heard Misty's sobs. Paul could hear Dawn's panicking voice as she tried to calm them down and Gary heard Leaf's gentle one soothing their panic.

"What do you think is happening?" Jimmy asked, bewildered.

They shook their heads. They just couldn't imagine what would happen to make level-headed Misty and usually cheerful May cry and scream like that.

"Are you guys hungry?" Marina opened the kitchen door.

"Of course!" Ash exclaimed, but he didn't have the usual vigor as he usually did. After hearing Misty crying, he was shaken.

"Go ahead and eat up." Misty's calm voice took them by surprise and Ash turned around.

"Myst," He spoke uncertainly. Her jade green eyes were rimmed with red and her face tear streaked. "Are you okay? What's wrong? I heard you crying…"

"Oh," Misty looked surprised. "Um, nothing's wrong, Ash," she answered after a pause. "Go and eat. Marina's cooking is really good." Her voice had forced cheeriness in it but the boys nodded and walked into the dining room.

Dawn and Leaf came down with May between them. They were silent but Dawn's gaze was calculating nothing in general.

"We could call home," she suggested to Misty. "It could help."

"You're right," Leaf agreed. "They're our parents and they'll help."

"I will," Misty promised. But then she looked at the boys again. "But not today. It's Christmas."

"All the more better to call home!" Lyra chirped cheerfully, laying down the dishes.

"Oh! Sausages!" May exclaimed excitedly. "Hand me some, Lyra!"

"You bet!" Lyra grinned. "Buck up, Marina, and pass the plate!"

"Alright!" Marina laughed, sliding it carefully across the large table to May, who had sat down carefully beside Drew.

"Hey! Wait, I want some too!" Jimmy protested, catching the rim of the plate before it reached May's reaching range.

"What? Ladies first!" Marina scolded playfully.

"First come, first serve," Jimmy countered teasingly, grabbing some of the sausages and then pushing it to May.

"Now I'm hungrier…" May grumbled, putting six on her plate and then giving it to Dawn.

"Whoa, May, six sausages?" Gary asked in disbelief.

"Maybella Maple! I only made twenty!" Marina cried. "There's less than ten left now!"

"Make some more," May shrugged, biting into the delicious sausage.

"We're out," Leaf said bluntly. May shrugged again.

"Oh well. We'll wait," she answered, grabbing for the syrup to put on her pancakes. Drew grabbed it first and waved it teasingly out of her reach. May tried to grasp the tantalizing syrup in Drew's hands but he was holding it away. "Give it to me, Drew!"

"Nuh-uh. Not until you give me three of your sausages," Drew countered. May looked at him in horror, as if he had just ordered her to chop off three of her fingers.

"No fair," she complained. "Please, Drewy? With a cherry on top?"

"I don't like cherries," Drew smirked.

"What! You don't like cherries?" May gasped. Then she recomposed herself. "Please Drew! Just give it to me!"

"Nope. Sorry, Mistress," he mocked her.

"Too bad, Master," she retorted.

They were interrupted by a cough. "Married," Leaf choked under her breath. The two shot glares at her.

"Married?" May echoed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing much," Gary said, covering for Leaf. "Except, of course, that usually the Master and the Mistress are married."

Dawn started laughing while Misty looked uneasily at Leaf and Gary to May and Drew.

"Um…can that be overlooked?" Marina ventured, not wanting the meal to be spoiled. She unconsciously sneaked a look at Jimmy, who nodded in agreement.

"C'mon guys," he said, grinning. "We're all friends and we all know that May and Drew are meant for each other as is Leaf and Gary." It was Gary's turn to blush and Leaf turned red.

"Just ask each other out already," Lyra cheerily remarked.

"No way," Leaf said in disgust, "would I like to go out with Mr. Pervert here." Gary's eyes widened innocently.

"Hey, I haven't done anything, right?" Gary exclaimed.

"I wasn't implying that you were," Leaf flashed back. "But you sure act like it!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Misty interrupted. "Leaf, let's give Mr. Egotistic a chance here."

"Do you have nicknames for all of us?" Gary asked with more curiosity than anger.

"Of course," Dawn replied. "Let's see…"

"Name them!" Ash exclaimed eagerly. Dawn opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Misty.

"No way, Ketchum," Misty said hurriedly, shooting a look at Dawn. "Are you guys done? I know it's Christmas but hey we have to talk to our family back home." She emphasized the word 'home' and made the boys feel awkward when they remembered.

"Oh, yeah, we're done," Jimmy said, standing up. "Need any help in the kitchen?"

There was an awkward pause before the girls started cracking up.

"A boy just offered to wash the dishes?" Marina giggled. "If you were in Vera, Jimmy, you'd know that that would be very offensive to a boy if their mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, etc., told them to do anything in the kitchen."

"Well, we're in Diamondé now and I'd like to help," Jimmy persisted. Khoury and Ash offered to stay as well and after some nudging Gary nodded as well. Paul and Drew declined and left the house.

At Misty's gesture, the girls nodded to the guys and then walked to the back to the videophone. They called May's house, where the friends would usually have a party.

"Mom! Man have I missed you!" Dawn shrieked excitedly when Johanna was shown on screen. Johanna's eyes widened.

"Dawn! Misty! Lyra! Leaf, May, Marina!" she exclaimed joyfully. The rest of the family and friends came up to the screen and it was soon crowded.

"Whoa there!" Lyra laughed. "Hang on and we'll talk to all of ya!"

"Glad to see you again," Norman said, taking charge as usual. May's smile was wide across her face.

"Daddy! Don't be formal!" she cried. "I miss you all so much I could hug you right now!"

"Don't try it, May," her brother, Max, joked. May normally would have gotten angry, but she was so happy that she didn't.

"Honey! We've sent all of you gifts," Caroline, her mother, said in a tender voice, smiling kindly at the girls.

"Oh, thank you so much, Aunt Caroline!" Leaf grinned. "It's a pity we don't have anything for you."

"Not a problem," Serenity replied cheerfully. "I'm glad to see you girls are happy and healthy!" Misty grew quiet.

"Oh, that's part of the reason we called," Marina said. "Um…"

"You know how you said that we, well, we couldn't exactly 'throw ourselves away', such as date when we're not ready?" Misty interjected.

"What's wrong, Mist?" Daniel, Misty's father, asked anxiously. Misty bit her lip.

"They like someone," she said finally, looking back up, and gesturing to her friends.

"What?" Dawn demanded. "You like someone too!"

"I do not!" Misty flashed back. "He's just a good friend!"

"A really good friend!" May shot back, "Such a good friend that you like him!"

"I do not!" Misty repeated forcibly.

"Girls?" Vane, Leaf's father, interrupted. "Get to the point, please."

"So we like these guys," Leaf continued, shooting a heated glare at Misty. "All of us."

"And?" Flora raised an eyebrow. "Continue, Leaf."

"So we don't know what to do."

"Um…how would we help?" Johanna asked finally.

"By offering parental advice?" Marina suggested timidly.

"Good point," Lysa sighed. Sander looked thoughtful for a minute before speaking.

"How much do you like them?" he questioned the girls.

"A lot," Leaf admitted first.

"Oh! Leaf likes Gary!" Dawn squealed excitedly. Leaf shot her a nasty glare.

"You already knew that!" she exclaimed.

"Not from your own mouth," Dawn defended herself. Leaf rolled her eyes.

"Apparently a lot," Misty said, looking over at the rest.

"What do you want us to do?" Flora asked.

"Tell us what to do!" May exclaimed.

"Oh, well…do you think you're ready?" Destiny asked.

"For dating?" Misty inquired. "No."

"Then why bother?" Destiny sighed, exasperated.

"Just follow what your heart thinks is right," Sander suggested. "That's our parental advice."

"Okay," the girls said reluctantly. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," the parents replied in unison. "We love you, girls."

"We love ya too," the girls sighed. As the screen flashed black, the girls slumped into the surrounding chairs.

"So much for that idea," Dawn grumbled. "Now I really don't know what to do."

"Easy," Marina said suddenly. "We'll just pretend nothing happened and continue with our lives!"

"That's where our heart is?" May asked, confused. Then her phone rang and she picked it up. "May Maple."

"May?" a familiar voice came from the phone and girls froze.

"I thought this was over!" Dawn cried, getting up and running from the room, her eyes shut in effort to hold back her tears. May ignored Dawn and spoke back.

"Hey. When do you want me over?"

Once again the rule has been broken…

So I finally updated!!! And the guys had gotten their Christmas presents – it's not revealed yet what they are. The gifts will be revealed in later chapters.

There's a chapter dedication if anyone can guess who May's talking too! Hopefully you guys get the obvious hint and I'll be dedicating the eleventh chapter to a lot of you readers!

Tell me your favorite parts please in your reviews!!!

Songs used in this chapter:

Over and Over by Three Days Grace. It's an ongoing ContestShipping song in this story, because it reflects how Drew feels about May.

And it's now official that Drew is falling for May! And that Leaf likes Gary…but are their feelings returned? And how about the others?