WE DID IT! From this moment, OFFICIALLY, The Locket is done! It has been quite a long and twisting road that has spanned four years and spotty updates and weirdness, but I'm so glad that I have finally finished it. I just want to thank anyone who has read this story before and every single person who has made it to this point with me. I love you all!
Also, as a slight warning, this was all written less than a week ago, so the writing style isn't like the previous chapters, but I tried to kind of keep the "essence" of it, if that makes any sense at all.
Last disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, just my OCs (Trina, Steven, etc).
LEAF'S POV
"It's time to announce this year's Ice Prince and Ice Princess!" exclaimed Trina excitedly from the center of the stage.
Eagerly, I grabbed Misty's arm and pulled her forward.
"Ow! Leaf, what the heck?!"
"Come on," I insisted. "We have to at least hear who gets the crowns!"
She looked at me strangely. "What happened to being oh so against this entire function?"
I shrugged. "I think we've all been through a lot of stress lately. It's kind of fun to focus on the little stupid things every once in a while."
Although she was clearly trying to hide it, she smiled. "Okay, okay. Let's just get this over with."
Trina held a small envelope in her hands, her pink nails tapping impatiently against the paper as she waited for the rest of the student body to line the foot of the stage. Who would receive the title of prince and princess of the dance was always a mystery; there was no prior campaigning allowed, which always made things a little more interesting.
"Alright, first off we have our Ice Prince! While most of you know the focus tends to be on which girl wins the tiara, the prince is just as important! Although the votes were scattered across the board, this year's Ice Prince is…Ash Ketchum!"
Misty and I turned to each other with wide eyes. "What?!"
Gary clapped Ash on the back. "Go ahead, Ashy boy! Your crown's a-waiting!"
Clearly surprised, Ash pushed through the crowd and climbed onto the stage.
Misty turned back to Gary. "How did you not win?" she asked.
Gary shrugged.
I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry, his millions of adoring fans are probably saving him the title of Prom King."
Smirking, Gary pulled me against his hip and kissed my cheek. "You're not jealous, are you?"
I felt my face turn red. "Of course not!"
"Alright, and now for our Ice Princess!"
The crowd's murmuring silenced, everyone waiting with bated breath for the "most important part" of the Winter Bash.
Trina smiled brightly as she pulled the name from the envelope. "This girl won the title with a nearly unanimous vote, and rightfully so, considering all of the hard work she's put into this event. Our Ice Princess is…Misty Waterflower!"
Misty's eyes grew wide. "Me?"
Jumping up and down excitedly, I pushed her toward the front. "Go, go! Go get that tiara!"
In a daze, Misty walked toward the stage as the students parted around her, making way for the most popular girl of the night.
Trina lightly placed the silver tiara on Misty's head before hugging her tightly. "Alright, there you have it! Now let's all make room in the center for the prince and princess to dance!"
Misty smiled with pink cheeks as Ash led her down the steps and to the center of the room. Immediately a slow song started playing, everyone coupling up with their dates. I was just about to dance with Gary when I noticed Trina walking off the stage and to the edge of the dance floor, clearly not intending to dance.
"Gary, I'll be right back," I whispered. "There's something I have to do."
He begrudgingly let me go, and I hurried through the swaying couples and over to Trina.
"Hey, Trina!" I hissed, not wanting to be too loud and ruin the mood of the room.
She turned to me, clearly surprised that I was talking to her. "Leaf? Is something wrong?"
I shook my head, smiling slightly. "No, not at all. I just wanted to thank you."
She raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For calling Gary about Brandon. Thanks to you, everything really worked out."
She returned my smile. "Of course. What are friends for?"
I hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry I was such a bitch."
She laughed slightly. "Me too. I don't know what I was thinking, with the whole Gary fangirl thing." She made a disgusted face. "Ugh, I couldn't even last for a week."
I laughed at her antics, glad to have my friend back.
She nodded behind her. "Leaf, it looks like someone's waiting for you."
I turned to see Gary, his green eyes clearly impatient. I sighed. "Yeah, I better go." I turned back to her. "Don't you have a date?"
She shook her head. "Nah, I didn't really have time to get one, in all honesty. I was too busy organizing this whole thing to even think about it much."
Suddenly a loud bang echoed to our right. Steven, who had been attempting to untangle some rogue balloons, popped one right in his face. The rest of the balloons were tangled around his arms and legs.
Trina sighed in defeat. "I better go help him."
"He's kinda cute," I stated nonchalantly.
Trina laughed. "Yeah, I guess." She stared at him for a couple seconds too long, and I could already detect the meaning behind her stare, a meaning I didn't even have to prompt.
"I'll talk to you later, hopefully," she muttered.
I smiled, suppressing a giggle. "Okay. Have fun!"
Someone tugged on my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. My green eyes met Gary's.
He smirked down at me, his hands firmly placed on my hips, holding me against his strong chest. "Come on, Leafy. You can't just kiss and tell. That's not how this is gonna work."
I arched my eyebrows, wrapping my arms around his neck. "And how is it going to work? Please, tell me."
He leaned in closer, his forehead nearly touching mine. "Would you like to know?"
I slightly nodded, smiling.
He closed the distance, his lips meeting mine and lingering for a few seconds. "Well, you're just gonna have to find out."
"Hey, you're getting a little handsy over here!"
I laughed at Misty as she pulled Ash alongside us, her eyes sparkling more than the silver of her tiara.
"This is a school function, miss" she stated, laughing.
Gary rolled his eyes. "Come on, Misty. Just one kiss!"
She shook her, wagging her finger like a scolding mother. "Nope. I don't wanna see any PDA over here!"
I started laughing, an infectious sound that wouldn't stop bubbling from my mouth. It had been so long, or at least it had felt like a long time, since I had been able to laugh and have fun with my best friends without any weird tension or internal conflict brewing between us. I turned to Gary, smiling brightly.
"What's gotten into you?" he asked, surprised at my sudden outburst.
"I can't wait."
He stared at me with confusion, not understanding what I meant.
I rolled my eyes. "You said I'd have to wait to find out about how this," I stated, gesturing between the two of us, "will work."
He nodded. "Yeah…?"
I grinned, kissing him again. "I can't wait."
THE END! Again, I want to thank all of you for being my faithful readers, especially anyone who has been here from day one (I highly doubt there are many of you if any at all, but I love you). The reviews and feedback I get for this really fuel my writing and motivate me to keep going, but I'd still love to hear some final opinions of the story and such.
Thank you so much and please review!
Until next time, buh-bye!
