Kris: Hi! Hi! Everyone!

May: Hey all!

Ash: How's it going?

AJ: Bonjour!

Mikey: Hola!

Kris: Are we going to spend this entire time just saying hello?

May: What's wrong with that?

Kris: We can only use up so much space you know.

AJ: Whatever…she skipped some from the end of Chapter 12…just so you know.

Mikey: I wanted to say that!

Kris: It was my job to say that!

Ash: KrystalClear101 is not the owner of pokémon.

May: Start the party!

All: We're all supposed to say that!

What If?

Chapter 13

The weather had finally calmed down and the power had flickered back on after an hour and a half of waiting. May had gathered up the damp clothes she had changed out of and stuffed them in her tote bag, still fully clothed in Ash's tee and shorts. Her items stood by the door waiting to be picked up as the three individuals of the household sat down to a somewhat early dinner.

The events that occurred in Ash's room were still fresh in May's mind as she slowly ate her meal that consisted of noodles and baked chicken. She couldn't help but feel a bit warm when she thought of how Ash had grabbed onto her arm accidentally and she screamed.

She quickly shook the memory from her head and finished her food along with Delia and Ash.

"How's that arm of yours?" May asked while picking up her plate and carefully discarding it into the sink.

"It's okay but I didn't know that it itched this much." He complained while scratching it. May giggled lightly and took Ash's and Delia's plate as well.

"Oh May, you don't have to do that. You're a guest here." Delia slightly scolded her. May brushed it off and continued with what she was doing.

"It's the least I could do after you let me stay here Ms. Ketchum." May bowed respectively and returned to the sink.

"She's a keeper." Delia whispered to Ash and winked mischievously as she walked out of the kitchen. Ash rolled his eyes and walked over to the sink. He stood on May's right side and grabbed a dry dish towel from the counter and began carefully drying the dishes with his right hand and delicately holding it with the fingers of his left hand.

"Are you sure you can do it? I don't want you to hurt yourself. Plus I think your mom would be pretty steamed if you broke one of her dishes." May gave a short laugh. Ash lightly nudged her in the arm but winced from the pain in his arm. She shook her head at his action.

CRASH

May gasped loudly and dropped the dish she was washing back in the sink causing water and bubbles to fly up and splatter on her and on Ash. Luckily the plate wasn't that far from the bottom of the sink when it slipped from her hands. But Ash wasn't so lucky. After receiving that pain in his arm he dropped the plate and it came crashing down onto the floor.

Both of them cringed, waiting for Delia to explode. It was only a matter of time before they heard those light footsteps coming down the hallway. Ash could literally hear his heart beat in his ears. May nervously wrung out the towel she was using over an over again until Delia popped her head in the kitchen with an almost happy expression on her face.

"Be careful when you clean that up." She said with a smile and with that, she was gone.

"She's not mad?" Ash said out loud. May shrugged and returned to the dish she was washing. It just so happened to be the last one in the sink. Once she passed it over to Ash, she took the drain out and watched as the water retreated back down the pipe, leaving a crowd of bubbles in the sink. Feeling devious, she waited for Ash to dry the last dish before grabbing a handful of bubbles and stuffing it in his face.

"May! What the-!" he was cut off guard by another onslaught of bubbles from the girl as she giggled out of controllably. Ash growled at her and reached for his drying towel. When she wasn't looking he began to wind it up tightly and slung it at her side.

"Ouch!" she shrieked and began to rub her sigh. Her eyes widened at his devious look as she backed away from the kitchen sink.

"Okay now Ash. It was all fun and games." She tried to reason with him by putting her hands up in defeat.

"Yeah, just like this!" he said as he slung the towel again, this time hitting her arm. She cringed again and held it protectively.

"Quit it Ash! That stuff hurts." She protested with an angry scowl on her face.

"Does it?" he asked apologetically. May nodded like a child and poked her bottom lip out.

"Too bad!" he slung it once more as she turned to run away from him. This time he, unintentionally, hit her bottom causing her to jump slightly and give him a death glare.

"This means war!" She shouted as she charged at him, landing on his back. By this time she had already snatched the towel from his hand and began repeatedly smacking him in the head with it.

"Okay! I'm sorry! It was an accident! Get off!" He shouted each time she hit him. May stubbornly slid off and landed on the floor next to him with her arms folded across her and chest and a mad frown on her face.

"How about we call a truce?" he asked hopefully. He stuck out his hand and waited for her to take it. She stared at it for awhile before reluctantly unfolding her arms and shaking it with a slight smile on her face. Ash gave a sigh of relief before May turned around and began walking to the front part of the house.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side." He said with a laugh. May laughed as well. She threw the towel behind her, expecting Ash to catch it, which he did and wrapped it around his neck.

"I better be going Ash. It looks like the storm has finally cleared up." She said with a sad smile. Ash nodded and looked down at her.

"Do you need me to walk you home?" he asked, somewhat hopefully. May shook her head and pulled out her phone once more.

"I think I'll ask Gary to come get me." She said as she began pushing buttons. Ash nodded developing a strange feeling in his chest. It was a tight feeling that made him feel uncomfortable, but it soon passed.

"Gary? Hey, I'm still at Ash's. Do you think you can come get me?" he heard her say. There was a quiet muffled voice on the other end.

"Yeah, that's where he lives. Can you come? Okay, see you soon then. Bye." She hung up the phone and stuck it in her pocket again. Then a thought popped into her mind.

"When do you want your clothes back?" she asked. Ash looked at her strangely before remembering that she was wearing his clothes.

"Whenever." He gave a shrug.

"When's he going to come?" Ash asked.

"In about ten minutes." She responded with a nod.

.-.

May sat contently by the large window in the main room on the couch where she and Ash had been watching TV. She longingly stared out the window at the slowly darkening sky. It was a dull orange color with a tint of gray covering it. Outside, everything was still wet from the storm including the streets, sidewalks, trees, etc. It almost depressed her to everything so damp and the sky getting dark. But she let it go and gave out a sigh, patiently waiting to go home.

Ash stared off into space, ignoring everything around him. Including May's frequent sighs and the voices coming from the TV. He absentmindedly twirled the remote in his hand and found a random spot on the wall to stare at. He too was waiting just like May. But secretly, he wished he wasn't.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

May shot up from the couch and waited for Ash to join her. It was his turn to sigh as he stood up and slightly dusted his pants off, heading for the front door. May followed close behind with an almost sick feeling in her stomach that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Ash cautiously looked through one of the windows by the door to see who it was exactly, although he had a hunch who it was. He undid the lock and opened to the door to come face to face with a familiar friend.

"Hey Ash," Gary replied with a small wave. Ash nodded and stepped aside so May could see said teenager. At the sight of her, a smile was brought to his face. May slightly blushed and switched her attention to Ash who looked a tad bored.

"Hey Gary. Well May," he started. May had already stepped out of the door and onto the porch where she looked at Ash with a warm smile.

"Thanks for bringing my things over." He said with a smile while scratching his cast. May giggled lightly.

"Don't mention it. I'll see you around Ash." She said with a wave as her and Gary started off the porch. Ash waved goodbye as he shut the door. Once he was sure they were already on the sidewalk, he slid down the door and ran his left hand through his messy hair. He huffed quietly and stared up at the ceiling.

As he sat there in silence, he felt as if a part of him were missing. He looked down at his chest and focused on his beating heart. It felt strange, almost like it hurt. He couldn't describe it. He had never felt this way before. It was bothering him. He tried to brush it off but the more he did, the stranger he felt.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked, rhetorically. At that, he heard footsteps coming from the opposite end of the hallway. He looked up and saw the legs of his mother. She was looking down on him with an apologetic smile.

"You miss her already, don't you?" she asked. He stared at her as if she were an alien from another planet.

"Who? May?" he asked with a confused look on his face. She nodded and sat down next to him with her knees propped up and her arms wrapped around them, nonchalantly.

"It's a perfectly normal feeling, dear." She started. Ash just stared at her strangely as she continued to talk.

"Tell me, whenever you're around her, do you find yourself unable to leave her alone for even just a moment?" she asked him. Ash stared at the floor, searching for an answer.

"…Sometimes…" he admitted. Delia nodded slowly with a smile creeping its way onto her face.

"Or when she laughs do you feel your stomach flip?" she asked again. Ash looked disturbed. He nodded again but was trying to figure out what she was getting at. Every question she asked, he said yes to.

"And when she's with someone…else…do you get the urge to push that someone else away?" she asked again. Ash couldn't believe it, but that was true too. He nodded and stared at her with a look of confusion.

"What are you getting at? What do all those questions mean?" he asked as she stood up and laughed lightly.

"It means that my Ash has a crush." He stared incredulously at her.

.-.

"So did you have fun over Ash's house?" Gary spoke up as he and May walked side by side. May shrugged slightly and adjusted her tote bag on her shoulder.

"Is there a reason why you're not talking to me?" he asked suspiciously.

"You said to take a break from each other." She retaliated. Gary looked at her strangely.

"I know but I meant as a couple, not as friends. Besides, if we're taking a break why'd you call me to come get you?" he asked slyly. May stopped walking and stared at the ground. Gary stopped as well and stared at her.

"I wanted to ask you something." She said quietly. Gary walked up to her and stood there with his hands at his sides.

"What?" he tried looking in her eyes, but her bangs concealed them.

"Last year around this time, you basically told me that you liked me more than a friend. I want to know why you did it the way you did." She asked with determination in her slightly glistening blue eyes.

Gary stood there with a surprised expression on his face. He was wondering where her sudden question came from and why she had asked. It brought back an old memory that he had wanted to forget somewhat. It brought a time in his life that he wished had never happened, but there was nothing he could do about it. Here stood his best friend since childhood, asking him why he confessed in the manner that he did.

"Truthfully May? I don't know…"

Kris: End of Chapter!

May: Good-bye all!

Ash: Have a good day!

AJ: Au Revoir!

Mikey: Adios!

Kris: Er…see ya? Preview of next chapter…

"He was the most incredible guy I had ever met. I hate to admit it, but I had fallen in love…"

…

"Do you even know the cause of your actions?! Do you even care?!"

…

"I'm sorry about what happened. It must've been hard dealing with it for all this time. I just wish you would've told me sooner."

Kris: That's it! Stayed tuned for next Friday! Hopefully!

All: Review! 4 Sure!

R&R