A/N: First update of 2016! I have missed this, and all of you, very dearly. Continue reading to the end of the chapter for a very long overdue authors note.

Standard disclaimers apply. Poem is "I Made A Wish For You by Rinda Nelson".


Chapter 52: A Sensational Disaster

Dawn

'I picked a dandelion today,' the familiar words echoed in my head from long ago, 'and made a wish for you.'

The stem of a dandelion twirled back and forth between my thumb and index finger. Its fragile tufts of cottony seeds swayed softly at the turning motion, sparkling in the spring sunshine. I brought the plant up to my face, marveling at the wispy weed and all that its childhood powers promised: a single wish granted.

'A gentle breeze just happened by, the second that I blew.'

I blew softly, not giving the wind a chance to take away a single seed of my wish. The white puffs scattered away from the lime green stem and drifted further and further down the hill towards the busy courtyard.

'It caught my wish and carried it to where you are, I pray.

Please catch it as it passes by, and you will hear it say:'

I dropped the now fluff-less fake-flower onto the grass and continued staring blankly at the on-going construction, Piplup lounging idly by my side, keeping me company. If my partner had any inclination that I was being bothered by something, he didn't let it show.

Life was not as simple as childhood made it out to be. A weed had no more power to fix my troubles than I did, whether I helped to spread its overgrowth or not. It was a nice reminder though of a time when my life was much less complicated. The poem treading water at the surface of my mind was mom's personal favorite. Whilst most mother's read their children bed-time stories, my mom preferred poetry. But despite its power to get me to fall sleep faster while still leaving a lasting nostalgic impression on me, the comfort that the memory brought was as fleeting as the drifting dandelion fluff.

I swiped my palm across my dampening forehead. The irregularly hot weather had continued relentlessly the past week or so, as if the sun was trying to make up for all the snow and sleet winter had brought us, followed by that horrible storm. Sinnoh hadn't seen a spring this warm in three times as many years as I'd been alive. It seemed summer had come early, but the temperature only served as was a painful reminder of how much time had gone by this year, and how little time there was left.

The sounds of power drills and large pieces of metal clanging against one another reverberated down in the center of the courtyard while I listened from my hilltop seat. A yearly tradition that the entire HPAA student body eagerly awaited each spring was when the last of the snow finally melted away, and the outdoor stage was rebuilt. And with the stage came the school wide celebration, where all the students from all the programs let loose and came together for a night of crazy, hormone-high festivity; an unofficial Spring Fling if you would (except we didn't call it that, because that would be way too cliché).

The party had cycled through a few names over the years but the current favorite was the Stage-Step. It was usually a fun experience, and a good stress-reliever for the upcoming spring competitions for all the programs.

But that wasn't the reason I was here. In fact the Stage-Step, the Platinum concert, anything school related was at the very end of the long list of things occupying my mind that day. The first one being the forever-solemn lead guitarist of the only rival band at school.

Paul. I couldn't get the look on his face from the other day out of my thoughts. The silent horror that had clearly shown on his usually calm and reassuring face had then hooked its sharp talons into my sternum and refused to let go.

I hadn't seen him since. I wanted to see him, which was how I'd found myself here. But the more the seconds ticked on towards his inevitable arrival, the more my worries fluttered like Zubats inside my twisting labyrinth of a stomach.

Where have you been Paul? Why didn't you go to class? Is it because of me? You said you would talk to me; that you'd tell me when something wasn't okay! So where are you!?

It had only been a day since the accident. But it felt more like a year.

Maybe I was over-reacting, but the memory of Paul's shock said otherwise. So in my usual fashion, I was over-analyzing what had happened, trying to decipher the coded puzzle hidden within the past events before I had all the pieces to solve it. But trying to stop myself from worrying was like trying to get Heracross to hate honey. It just didn't happen.

"Poké for your thoughts?"

I looked over my shoulder at the source of the new voice. Unexpectedly, a green bandanna with brown hair and blue eyes smiled down at me.

"Hey May," I smiled back, causing my worries to temporarily lessen. One of my favorite qualities in my best friend's possession was her uncanny ability to make me smile even when I was down.

She scooped Piplup into her arms, stealing his seat on the grass beside me. Piplup squawked his name at her in unamused annoyance, but having known him just as long as I had, she simply stroked his head until the soothing rhythm calmed him down.

"What are you up to, D? Trying to be a whole four hours early to the party?" May asked, attempting to strike up a conversation.

"Well that would be a waste of time. I'm the one who suggested we rehearse tonight's song in the studio before the party starts, remember?" I rolled my eyes and exhaled a short laugh. "…Actually, I'm waiting for someone," I admitted hesitantly. My fingers inched closer to the canvas bag by my side, its contents acting as an opportune sacrifice in the name of some explanation from whom they belonged.

"Curse you and your logic," she responded jokingly. "So who're you meet-" she started before she spotted the tote bag, and the piece of black fabric visible at its opening. The jacket I came back to the dorms with that awful, wonderful morning.

"Oh."

That word seemed to echo around us with the sheer uncertainty May was desperately trying to suppress for my sake. I knew she could only assume that I was here to see Paul, and we both knew that the jacket was an excuse to that end. I hugged my knees to my chest, trying not to take her tone personally yet unable to help the painful sting in my heart.

"Its fine May," I couldn't help the betrayed feeling that coaxed me to speak up. "I know you all think I'm crazy."

It was no secret how my best friends felt about my confession. When Daisy had made the initial suggestion about my feelings all those weeks ago May had enjoyed harmlessly teasing me about it, but now that my emotions were out in the open, all very real and very serious, it appeared that none of the three had any idea how to react.

Looking at it from their perspective, I sort of understood. In a matter of months their girly, optimistic best friend went from resenting the school's newest talent to falling in love with him. How exactly were they supposed to respond to that?

I wasn't surprised…but I couldn't help how I felt.

May put her hand on my shoulder. "Dawn," the appalled distress of her voice forced me to meet her equally dismayed expression. "That's not true."

"Then… you must think I'm an idiot. One of the two," I sighed in response. "How else do you explain all the situations I get myself into?"

Truthfully, what I was feeling wasn't just about Paul and me; that natural disaster was just what had set it all off. But how could I tell her that? The more I thought about the crippling insecurities that had taken on all-new voices since the days I childishly compared my own talent to Paul's, the more unbearable they became. Giving voice to their existence was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Dawn," May grabbed my attention back, staring into me with unfamiliar seriousness, "Tell me what's wrong. Because it sure as hell doesn't sound like you're just talking about Paul."

It wasn't a request. I'd go so far as to say it was an order. She knew something bigger was weighing on me, and she was not going to leave me pushing that metaphorical bolder up a hill by myself. Her usual cheerful self had taken a back-seat this time.

I wasn't sure how I was going to explain it. But from the way May was looking at me, with her utmost undivided attention, I knew she would try to understand.

An infinite amount of words started rising in the back of my throat, faster than my mind could process turning them into coherent sentences. None of the half-formed thoughts were voiced as I choked them all back, cursing myself inwardly on how useless I felt.

That's it. That's exactly the right word for how I feel right now. Useless.

"It's just…" I searched for the words. "I feel like every time something bad happens, there's nothing I can do about it. Instead of trying to solve the problem, or intervene before it even becomes a problem… I just let it happen."

"Dawn, you can't know when something is gonna become a problem. It's not like you can predict the future, or how people will react to certain things," May assured me.

"But what about when I cause the problem!?" I asked desperately. "I won the showcase last year, but I let all the fame go to my head and almost lost all of you. I tried to help Leaf and Gary make up, but just caused her to go running off into an ice storm to get hurt!

"I pick a fight with the first guy who doesn't treat me like royalty…and then end up falling in love with him. I'm a complete mess."

I felt like I wanted to cry angry, heartbroken tears, but I knew Paul would be able to tell when he got there, so I forced the desire back. I pressed my face into my knees to further stop the tears from flowing.

"Dawn, who cares if you've made mistakes? You aren't being fair to yourself. Where is this coming from anyway?"

"Since-I almost got myself killed the other day!?" I snapped, hating myself for losing it on May, who did not deserve my outrage when she was just trying to help. "And now, Paul hasn't shown his face anywhere around school. May, I've made so many mistakes…with Paul, and with everyone else. But no matter what I do, I just don't feel like I can make up for any of it. And that just makes me so damn frustrated!"

I dug my fingers into the sides of my head, never before now having felt this helpless in my life. I didn't know what to do. I had no idea how to handle love, or what I was pretty sure was love.

It was infuriating and unbearable to feel so reliant on another person's existence. It made me feel weak to be so lovesick. I hated that it hurt so much. I hated myself for letting it hurt. I hated that one person could build me up or rip me apart with his very presence. Did love really make people so needy? So dependent?

"Sometimes I wish," I gripped the dandelion stem until it broke in half, glaring at the grass like I was trying to set it ablaze. "That these feelings didn't exist. That I could just go back in time, and do everything differently."

Life would certainly be different if I'd just stayed away from Paul to begin with. Easier…ignorant. I felt like a traitor for thinking it, whether or not it was even really true.

"I know that feeling," May said in response. I braved the threat of waterworks and looked at her. May just smiled, not seeming to care that I'd barked at her earlier. "Trust me, I do. But…Dawn, you don't get to pick who you have feelings for."

The words almost sounded hopeless. Like I had been resigned to a horrendous fate, but from the way May was smiling, she seemed to think her statement sounded more like a minor inconvenience. Like a sudden bought of rain on an otherwise perfect day. A circumstance one would brush off with a humorous 'Oh well, just my luck!'

"I mean, look at me!" She continued merrily. "When Drew and I first met, I fantasized every day about different ways to kill him and hide his body. When I realized what my feelings were, I didn't think I could bounce back from all those things that I did to him, but now…"

Her gaze turned far away into the distance, her mind flying high as a kite in memories I couldn't see as she rubbed Piplup's head absentmindedly. I felt the tiniest prick of envy at the content wisdom in those sapphire blue eyes. But it was true in a way. She and Drew had been the least likely pair to get together and yet they'd been the first to do just that. They had more baggage and broken history than any of us, but they'd gotten over it somehow. And now they were happy, even with all the odds against them.

"Now Drew is someone who I know will always be there for me," May finished her thought. "And in a way, you and Paul already have that down. He did save you after all, regardless of all the things you did before."

I blushed at the memory; the resonant feel of his arms around me, keeping me safe. But the worries that came with it drowned out any warmth that moment had brought me that day.

May drew my attention back to her with a gentle, but oddly serious look. "Dawn, you have to know that none of us would ever try to talk you out of those feelings. And you shouldn't be trying to talk yourself out of them, OR wish them away! You could have picked far worse guys to fall for! But if Misty, Leaf and I seemed unsupportive, it's just because we don't want to watch you get hurt. That's all."

I personally thought that that was unavoidable at this point. These feelings weren't just troublesome because of mine and Paul's current (maybe romantic?) situation. As much as this talk sounded like a selfish pity party for a girl suffering from unrequited love, my deepest fears weren't really about me at all.

These feelings…this intense link between myself and Paul, turned my sickness of worry into a cancer of anxiety. I'd thought about it a lot since the day he'd saved my life, and at the core of it, I realized that I couldn't care less if Paul ever returned my feelings completely. All I really needed was for him to be okay.

But if I couldn't help Paul, if I couldn't get past his wall in time to save him from whatever he was hiding from, neither of us would be the same afterwards. If I failed this time, I couldn't fathom what would become of the man who meant so much to me. But I would never forgive myself whatever it was.

And I knew then, that these feelings would destroy me.

"This isn't just about me, May," I muttered.

"Dawn?" May inquired.

My fingers curled inwards and my arms tensed up. It was like my body was preparing itself for a fight, but really I was just bracing myself for the words I knew were coming and couldn't stopped once they started.

"I think that… whatever made Paul look so afraid… is something really bad. And I don't want to just leave him alone to suffer by himself, after I begged him to tell me whenever something was wrong! But I don't know what else to do. He keeps cutting himself off, and if I just wait around for him to let me in, then I know it'll turn out just like all the other times before. And I can't do anything to stop it…again."

"Oh Dawn," May hugged me. And even though I felt like all my organs had been sliced up with paper cuts and doused in rubbing alcohol, her arms around my shoulders made me feel a little bit better. Piplup jumped from her lap to mine, huddling against my stomach in an attempt to join in on the comforting too. We sat like that for a while, the tinkering's of construction acting as a soothing rhythm while I suffocated the emotions I didn't want to let loose.

She let my words settle for that single moment. I felt her inhale deeply from the arms around my back.

"Let me tell you something. A lot has happened this year, and I know you still feel guilty about most of it, and that you're really scared right now. But try to look at all the good you've done despite those bad things that happened! We started the band because you went off the edge. You picked the one song that forced Leaf to realize her true feelings, and now she and Gary are practically walking on air! And Dawn, I know I haven't exactly been…encouraging since you told us how you feel. But I've changed my mind since then. Do you know why?"

I braved a look up at her. She looked so wise that I almost didn't recognize her as my flighty, dramatic best friend. I shook my head 'no' to answer her question.

"Because last week, you've looked happier than I've ever seen you. And you only ever look that way…when Paul is around," May revealed. "You know, I think I get it. Even if Paul can't give you what you want, you care about him so much that it doesn't matter. That's just the kind of stubbornly caring person you are."

She pulled back to look at me, a determined truth set in her eyes.

"But if I may say so, if anyone can get past that particular wall, my money's on you, Dawn Berlitz."

Hearing those words spoken so surely reminded me of something. An itch at the back of my brain, a niggling thought squirming through the tangles of doubtful threads in my skull. That feeling…that emotion that had flooded me in the days before Paul had saved my life.

Euphoria. I hadn't realized I had been so obvious about it back then, but even May in all her concern about my predicament had seen with her own eyes how happy I'd been to simply be with Paul. To be next to him, to talk to him as an equal and a friend. I sighed as I wiped the dampness from my lash line.

"Thank you May," I declared, a sincere smile lighting up my face. "I…I think I really needed to hear that."

May's smile changed from easy-going and reassuring to her favorite self-satisfied grin. "You're welcome! I was pretty good just now, if I do say so myself! Yup, more than just a pretty face and nimble fingers, that's May Maple for you!"

I rolled my eyes. And, she's back. It was uncanny how she could switch between her caring and self-important personalities with such ease.

"I don't know why I ever doubted you," I drawled in obvious sarcasm.

She let out an incredibly fake gasp. "You had doubts!? In the Magnificent May!? How dare you, thy blue-headed vixen, let your faith in the wisest pupil of our sacred school AND your most faithful confidant be shaken so easily! Your betrayal shall be duly noted and remembered," May went on.

"I'm not worried," I played along. "We both know my natural charms are enough to make you forget all about it."

"You fiend! You commit the crime of Sorcery against me!? Witchcraft!? You leave me no choice but to report this heinous act at the weekly witch-hunters meeting! I warn you now out of curtesy, but you best make peace with your loved ones while you still can. The next stake shall have your name on it as we set it aflame!" May continued shamelessly, shaking me playfully for dramatic affect.

"You've been spending too much time talking to Daisy Oak, haven't you?" I asked.

"Quick, melt her with water! Before she has the chance to cast the killing curse on us all! Or worse, trap us all in a house of candy while she makes pastries that'll turn us into Ursarings! Wickedness must be punished!" May fell backwards onto the grass, laughing way too much at her own randomness.

"I'm begging you, stop! Your butchering of pop-culture references is too much for my dark magic," I insisted, but laughed along.

"Yay! My hilariousness has saved you! Cancel the bonfire building, you are cured of any and all witch-iness!"

"You're so weird."

"You know you love it."

The sound of a throat being cleared officially cut our conversation to its end. I looked back up the hill behind us as the latest gust of wind swept a head of lavender hair away from stoic black eyes.

I trickle of dread slithered down my throat like medicine. But I was too relieved to care.

May glanced between us, her eyes shifting like lightning before she hurriedly jumped to her feet. "Wel-p!" She popped her lips on the last letter. "I guess that's my cue! See ya for tonight's dress rehearsal D!"

She winked before she turned and climbed the short distance back up the hill towards the road, passing the spot where Paul stood waiting.

"Heya Paul! Sunshiny as ever, I see," May joked harmlessly. I could see him barley hold back a grunt of annoyance as she continued on her way. And then it was just the two of us.

I fished the dual-colored sphere from my back pocket before expanding it and pointing it at my partner, still curled up sympathetically against my stomach. "Thanks Piplup. I won't be too long," I whispered.

Piplup didn't resist being recalled, but his big worried eyes gave me reason to believe that he wanted to. And as much as cuddling up to my faithful companion seemed favorable to confronting the teenage boy behind me, I'd also been the one to call him here in the first place.

I grabbed the bag at my side and stood up, forcing my legs to keep a slow, even pace as I walked the same path May had towards the road, my urge to bolt up the hill instead fought against my better sense. Simultaneously, I felt as if the journey ended far too quickly as I found myself standing a mere foot away from Paul sooner than I'd expected.

I lifted my eyes from the road and stared straight ahead, my sights landing on the center of his black-clad chest. For that moment I was dumbfounded, my tangled thoughts unraveling into nothingness as I stood at a loss for words. So many questions vanished from my lips as the breath in my lungs evaporated. I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know how to feel.

Good Arceus, I really had fallen hard, hadn't I?

Maybe the best way to go about this, I thought to myself, is to ease into it. And if there's one thing I know how to do, it's how to act cheerful!

I sucked in the deepest breath I could and released it slowly. "Hey Paul! Sorry to keep you waiting!" I smiled as brightly as the sun shone. "Oh, I've got your hoodie! All washed, clean, and well taken care of!"

I held out the bag for him to take. He simply looked at me questioningly, not tearing his gaze away from mine even to take the bag from my hand. Those intense black eyes sent a cold spike up the base of my spine. I could practically see the gears turning just behind them.

"So, how have you been doing?" I tried to keep the cheer in my voice even as his probing gaze continued to affect me. "I haven't seen you around since..."

I trailed off, not wanting to bring up the obviously painful experience. His eyes softened at my inference, the cogs clicking inside his head in understanding. "Well, you know. It's only been like a day after all," I continued bravely. "Did you catch up on all the classes you missed yesterday? If you want I can lend you my notes..."

A sudden weight on top of my head cut my train of thought like a knife, my words trailing off on their own again. The mass was gentle, but noticeably firm, and so very warm. The familiarity struck me more than anything else, making my ears rush with memories of the sound of rain. I knew before I even trained my eyes upwards that it was Paul's hand, sitting atop my dark blue bangs in the same position it had several weeks ago.

"Paul?" I inquired quietly, not having the oxygen to spare for a louder tone.

"Dawn," Paul answered immediately. "You're really bad at this."

Cracked marble on sculptures dating back 2000 years was less noticeable than the disconcertion I knew was showing plain as day on my face, as those words hit me with full force. "Bad at…?" the question remained unfinished, too dazed at his bluntness to fully form intelligent sentences.

"Pretending to be okay," he clarified with calm clarity. "And not to throw your own words back at you, but you really shouldn't be acting like everything is fine when we both know it's clearly not."

The remnants of my cheerful expression fell from my face with the same weight as the lead ball in my stomach. The awful burning behind my eyes returned and only the intense stare I had refocused onto the dark hue of his shirt kept the sensation at bay.

"That's not fair," I stifled. "You can't just show up here and-! And…"

"And?" he repeated. I clenched my fingers into fists in an attempt to temper my emotions. I didn't want to get mad at him. But no matter what I personally felt for Paul, that didn't change the fact that I hated when he tried to tell me everything that was going on inside my head. It was like he was looking inside me, making assumptions about me.

It wasn't fair that he could read me so easily, but remain impossible to read.

I turned my head away and shut my eyes, further trying to push the wave of stinging moisture back. The movement dislodged his hand from its place. I could hear him exhale as he retracted his well-meaning limb.

"Troub…Dawn," he corrected himself. "You don't have to hold back with me, okay? Just…be honest."

I thought I'd be okay after talking with May. But perhaps it was just wishful thinking that talking about my emotions would make them easier to ignore. Bringing all that worry and doubt to the surface had just given all those overwhelming feelings the prime opportunity to overflow at the moment my defenses were weakest. And Arceus only knew how powerless I felt right now.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" I asked harshly. I cursed the traitorous tears that I could feel escaping down my cheeks, but the fuse was pretty well lite. It was a similar frustration to the night of the storm that kept me pushing forward, spewing angry truths when all I'd wanted was to talk to him normally.

Why did he make me feel so much?

"What happened the other day...really scared me. You can't just go vanish without telling anyone what's going on! Even Drew didn't know where you went!" I chastised angrily.

I breathed deeply and moved my still curled up fist to scrub the tear tracks from my face. Then I breathed again, and again until I felt as close to calm as I was gonna get.

"I asked you to tell me when something wasn't okay, and you did. I told you that I wouldn't press you to talk about the things you didn't want to, and I meant it. But I also asked you to not shut me out anymore, and that's exactly what you did," I spoke slowly, in a voice that I didn't recognize from the sheer control it had. It was that stranger's voice that finally made me see how much fear I'd really been feeling since the car accident. That simple mishap had jarred something loose from our otherwise content friendship.

It had only been a day. One day, my thoughts pleaded. Why had it affected me so badly?

"I just wish…that you would let me help." That sounded more like me. The usual worry back in my voice eased my nerves down a touch.

"You already have."

I finally looked back at Paul, expecting the same intense, cold stare he seemed to gaze at all the world with. It struck me hard to my core when I realized that for the first time since I'd met him, he couldn't meet my eyes.

"Sorry I worried you," he admitted quietly. That makes this the second time he's ever apologized to me, I thought dazedly. "It was selfish…to shut you out like that again. I just needed a day to get my head on straight, that's all."

The first thing I wondered was if there was an opposite feeling to déjà vu, and if that feeling had a name. Whatever it was, I was certain that's what I was feeling. I flashed back to one of our first meetings, remembering the Paul who'd been so impersonal and distant. Comparing that person to the one standing in front of me was more surreal than I could bare.

But of all the things I wanted to say, I simply couldn't resist.

"That looked painful," I breathed out in genuine amusement.

He finally smiled, shaking his head with equal relief and silent laughter. The knots of tensions scattered throughout my body loosened all at once. Somehow that gave me the courage to keep going.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" I asked softly, almost akin to trying not to startle a wild Pachirisu. "W-we don't have to, but…"

He didn't seem scared, but his hesitation was obvious. He found my gaze again and even with his impressive control and irises as black as tourmaline, that empty colour and expressionless mask did not hide everything.

"It's...a complicated story." The walls were back up, but while in the beginning they seemed like a system of defense, and two days ago looked to be a crumbling barricade, now them seemed like a prison. Paul hated lies, but his impassiveness spoke mountains. He wasn't ready to relinquish that tale. Not yet anyways.

"Car crashes...bring up some bad memories."

I decided that I wouldn't push past where we stood. Not today. As much as I wanted to, it was evident that neither of us stood ready to take that step despite my earlier bout with May. Too many sentiments had been pushed to the surface too quickly. I didn't think either of us could process much more.

"I'd like to hear that story someday," I ended on. Not a promise, not a demand, but an offer.

He nodded in agreement, and I sensed gratefulness behind his carefully constructed façade.

"I'll think about it." His safest answer made me beam a little. It was the closest thing to an assurance that I'd ever received from the man in front of me.

I would have assumed that was it. Let some anger out, come to an understanding then retreat back to the safe confines that our friendship had built. That was before he'd reached into the backpack hanging off his shoulder and proceeded to hand me the contents.

"Here," he offered, holding out the flat, rectangular object, his usual stoic nature back in place. "More trouble getting than it was worth in my opinion," he added in slight vexation.

I took the hard cover from him, my confusion masking my inner most curiosity. A flip of the cover almost sent me tumbling down the overly-emotional mountain yet again. A fast-forwarded version of the events spanning just after the normalcy-shattering car crash to the moment he placed the book in my hands rushed by inside my cerebral cortex, and now all of that emotional turmoil seemed abhorrently unnecessary in hindsight.

100 Most Beautiful Songs Ever Written: A collection of Acoustic Guitar sheet music.

I couldn't decide whether to start crying again or smile. In the end I just took the book and hit myself on the forehead.

"Great," I mumbled, the majority of my voice muffled by the book pressed up against my face in chagrin. "Now I feel like a total jerk. Here I am yelling at you for going off like that, and you go bring me back a gift."

"Well it was the thing we were going to get in the first place," Paul reasoned. I was vividly reminded that we hadn't actually completed the trip to the music store because of how shaken we both were.

"Why didn't you give this to me first then!? You could have avoided that whole lecture! I would have understood!" I asked, flushing my favorite colour and feeling utterly ridiculous for freaking out so much!

"Honestly, I was expecting you to yell at me. And you had every right to, so I figured I should let you get it out first," he clarified.

"Oh wow, you're SO considerate," I drawled sarcastically, finally lowering the book. "You seriously skipped school just to go get this?"

Paul was quick to respond. "No, what I said was true. I needed some time on my own, but I was in the city anyway so-"

"HA! You don't fool me for a second. You care about me! Paul cares about me!" I sang in off-key excitement.

"Don't think I won't push you down the hill just because I saved you."

I savored the dearly missed normalcy while we walked away from the courtyard, me continuing my childish teasing and Paul continuing to make empty-threats. While we made our way, the poem from before began to whisper at the back of my thoughts again. The sentimental lines resonating with the accomplishment of how far we'd come, and the future challenges we'd have to face sooner or later.

'I wish... for you to always know just how much you are loved

More than all the many stars in Heaven up above

I wish that you will always march to the beat of your own drum

And when you think of friends... I wish you'll think of me as one.'


Ash

"Um, are you sure this is going to work?"

The studio was abnormally hushed as Gary and Drew discussed what they had taken to calling, 'Operation Taming Gyarados'. Which I was pretty sure if Misty ever found out about, she would likely swallow both teenage boys whole in a similar manner to the Pokémon they were comparing her to (no matter how accurate the comparison).

The Stage-step was hours away and we hadn't even done a run-through yet of our performance. What was supposed to be important practice for the Platinum concert was being arbitrarily pushed to the side in favor of them helping me with this plan to impress Misty. It had me a more than confused at this point.

Why was coming up with a plan more important than rehearsal? And for that matter, why did I need a plan to be honest with my best friend?

"Ash, you're talking to the masters here. Of course it's going to work," Gary responded flippantly.

Drew leaned against the piano, flicking his hair out of his eyes. "Yeah, the plan is fool-proof! Or as Gary likes to call it, Ash-proof."

I scowled at my supposed 'friends' and their assumption that I was going to mess everything up. "I still don't understand why just telling her has been labeled a 'bad idea'," I complained, using my fingers to create 'air quotes' for further effect.

Gary and Drew rolled their eyes in such perfect sync that I wondered if they'd been rehearsing that in favor of the song we were supposed to put on tonight. I leaned forward on my arms against the back of the chair I was occupying, feeling my annoyance at their lack of faith in me building while also somehow feeling ashamed, like I was being reprimanded by a teacher for getting a wrong answer on a test or something.

"Ash, we've been friends a long time," Gary came around the piano and tapped the rim of my cap with his fore-fingers, "and let me be honest. Romance is not a talent within your skill set. Which is why you have us!"

"To meddle and boss me around?" I guessed while adjusting my prized hat back to its original position.

"To make sure you don't screw up," Drew clarified.

"Why are you guys being so hard on me? What did I ever do!?" I spoke up. Gary himself had told me that my chances with Misty were almost guaranteed! So why were they acting like rejection was a fixed outcome unless I did everything they said?

"Because genius, you took your sweet time realizing the obvious and let Mr. Popular swoop in and steal your girl! Which is why we don't have any time to lose!" Gary chastised.

Okay, that one stung a bit. Just thinking about Rudy put a bad taste in my mouth, not unlike antiseptic. His presence is Misty's life certainly put a damper on my confidence that tonight would go well.

But I just figured I would have to get to Misty first (and not let her out of my sight 'till this silly plan was underway).

I thought back to the lecture Gary and Drew had provided me with earlier, before going off on their own to discuss the details. Step 1, do not let Rudy get anywhere near Misty tonight, and if he was already near her, let Gary and Drew act as distractions. Step 2, ask her to dance, something with a slower pace was mandatory. Step 3, dedicate tonight's song to her. Step 4, wait until she performs, which afterwards you would complement her performance. Step 5, lead her away from the crowd so it's just the two of us, and tell her the truth.

The patent-pending 5 steps to creating the perfect atmosphere to tell Misty how I felt about her.

You'd think with all the effort I'd be proposing marriage.

I appreciated Gary and Drew's support. Really I did…to an extent. But honestly none of what they had planned felt right to me. I knew Misty better than anyone, and I couldn't ignore the pain in my gut that kept telling me she wouldn't like any of this if she were here right now.

But on the other hand, they did both have solid success stories to back this insanity up. This plan was pretty similar to how Drew had been able to win over May, with a few tweaks from Gary who was already in a successful relationship with Leaf.

I was uncertain, while not having any proof to support that feeling. For some reason this entire conspiracy just felt…forced.

Before any more discussion could be made on the topic however, the door to the studio opened and effectively cut any on-going conversation.

The Sinnonians left in the doorway stared at the sudden silence their arrival had triggered.

"Well, that's not weird," Paul said, his tone dripping in sarcasm.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Dawn waved uncertainly.

I looked back at Gary and Drew, taken aback by their odd quietness. The weird looks they gave each other took my mind even further off-course of my current situation, and caused it to wonder what they could possibly be acting so strangely about. What did they have to act weirdly about around Paul and Dawn?

"Hey guys! What's going on?" Gary started first, his demeanor and voice could only be described as fidgety.

Paul ignored him and looked around the room in distaste, noticing that none of the instruments were set up, or even out of their cases. "Why aren't you practicing?"

"Maybe we were waiting for you, smart guy. What uh...took you so long?" Gary countered quickly, coming to get control of his nerves.

"Why are you so interested?" Paul responded.

Drew chimed in. "Well you did sort of disappear yesterday."

Dawn looked down at her pokétch. "You guys only have an hour until we have the studio booked, so you better get started," she informed us.

The moment she spoke, Gary and Drew snapped their attentions onto her like police trained Growlithe. "So Dawn! How are...things?" Gary asked loudly.

The look of confusion on Dawn's face said exactly how everyone else felt. Suspicious, and uncomfortable. "Things are fine. Thanks for asking?" she added, maybe even slightly intimidated by her friends unusual focus on her.

"Just fine?" Gary asked, sounding oddly nosy as he and Drew stalked over to her by the door. "How fine would that be? Fine can be either good or bad. So if fine was zero, would you be like a negative fine or a positive fine?"

Dawn just stared blankly. "Um-I...what?"

Paul finally re-entered the conversation from where he was unpacking the forgotten instruments. "Leave her alone. We've gotta rehearse."

"One second, this is very important information. So positive? Negative?" Drew badgered further.

"Paul was right," Dawn's gaze went back and forth between the two guys like ping pong balls in play. Her eyes were narrowed, as if she suspected why they were questioning her so tactlessly. "This isn't weird at all," she added on sarcastically.

I figured I'd seen enough of this. "Why are you guys acting so bizarre?" I asked, finally standing up from my seat.

Dawn took that as her chance to escape. "I've got to go. See you boys tonight."

She slipped out the door, only looking back once to glare in perplexity. Gary and Drew waved back innocently, dropping the interaction immediately save for a few glances between each other in silent communication.

"Can we start now? Or do you wanna act like a couple of dumbasses some more?" Paul asked, plugging in the amps before he stood up expectantly and crossed his arms.

Drew walked back towards the center of the room. "You know what? They're right, we gotta handle one problem at a time. First, things first…"

Paul and I moved towards our instruments in preparation. "Okay, so do you wanna start on piano or-?"

Drew interrupted Paul and turned back to Gary. "The plan to help Ash and Misty get together tonight has to be top priority!"

Whether it was the act of being interrupted or the sentence Drew had spoken, Paul's stricken expression made me think that he'd just died a little inside. I honestly felt a bit responsible.

Paul took his hand off of his guitar, not even having gotten as far as to pick it up from its stand. "Excuse me for a second."

While Gary and Drew had restarted their earlier conversation, not even hearing Paul from being too wrapped up in their own plans, Paul had made his may over to the piano. Curiously I followed, wondering what the black-clad lead singer could be doing while sitting at the bench of a musical instrument he didn't know how to play, to my knowledge. Paul lifted the lid that housed the black and white keys and positioned his hands so carefully on either side of the row of registers that I almost thought he was going to start playing.

Unexpectedly, his head dropped down from his shoulders and slammed down onto the monochrome notes, generating a grating combination of low and high tones along with the hands on either side of his head that forced all three of us to clamp our palms tightly to our ears.

Drew looked like he was in the most amount of torment, being forced to listen to his life's passion be butchered. "Oh God, make it stop!"

The painful noted eventually faded off enough that Paul could speak over them. "Ah, much less painful than the agony of hearing about your pathetic romantic problems. Yet still the most accurate expression of my pain."

Gary grabbed the back of Paul's shirt and pulled his head up and away from the piano ivories in fear of a repeat performance. "Was that really necessary, Emo McGee? Since when are you so dramatic? It's not like we asked you to help or anything," Gary protested.

Paul glared back at him over his shoulder. "Remove your hand before I remove it from your arm."

Gary put up his hands defensively, and I figured now was as good a time as any to intervene. "Guys, maybe we should get to practice."

Drew, most likely scarred by the awful mangling of his craft, actually agreed with me. "Alright, I guess we've worked out as many kinks in our brilliant confession plan as we're going to."

Paul got up from the piano bench, shaking his head. "There's a plan now? God, why do I hang out with you people?" he cursed under his breath.

"I've been asking myself the same question all day." I murmured so Gary and Drew wouldn't hear.

The look Paul gave me was painful. If I were Paul (the very idea caused me to shudder) I'd think I would be battling against the greatest migraine of all time, because it physically looked like it caused him pain to keep talking. "Let me guess. You plan to tell Misty about your revelation tonight and you let Plusle and Minun over there plan out everything you're gonna say?"

A part of me was stunned thoughtless that Paul of all people had chosen (of his own free-will and everything!) to keep talking about his most-hated conversation topic. But the rest of me wasn't about to look a gift Rabidash in the mouth. "They made a very compelling argument."

"That being?" Paul prodded hesitantly.

"They both have functioning relationships."

The expression Paul directed at me practically asked the question 'Are you really this stupid?' on its own. But before I could even think of getting offended, he spoke again.

"You do remember that Drew purposefully drove May crazy for a year, then scared her off by being too forward, and THEN was put on a deadline set by her control-freak father? And that Gary went and dated another girl to punish Leaf for being afraid of commitment for MONTHS before then almost causing her to drop out of school, right?"

The moment following seemed like the perfect timing for a tumbleweed to roll by.

"...wow, I honestly didn't think about any of that."

If Pikachu were here instead of napping back in the dorms, I had a feeling he'd be face-palming.

Paul purposefully turned away from where Drew and Gary were still conversing. I followed his lead and faced the windowed wall. Paul pinched the bridge of his nose before conversing further.

"Ash, you know I hate talking about this, but I realized a long time ago that I'm probably the only one with common sense out of the four of us. So let me be honest.

When are you ever not? I thought, but decided against saying out-loud.

"Forget everything they've told you, and just be honest tonight. You're a simple, straight-forward kind of guy. Don't change that."

Now that was the first piece of advice that actually sounded…well, sound. Paul didn't have any proof backing up his plan like Drew and Gary did, but his words seemed to lift any anxiety I had about tonight off of my shoulders.

I actually laughed I was so relieved. "Man, it's too bad you hate talking about this stuff. You could become a life-coach and make a fortune!"

For the first time in our friendship, Paul put his hand on my shoulder. Initiating physical contact in a non-violent capacity, just to show me a little reassurance. "You'll be fine. Now please help me convince these morons to start practice already."

I looked back at the center of the room and our fellow bandmates who STILL remained deep in their own conversation. I turned back to the only bandmate I felt knew what he was talking about.

"Deal."


It was easy to forget how many students actually went to this school when all of our schedules were so specialized. But having practically the entire student body in one location at one time, never failed to amaze me. You'd think we were at some sort of sold-out rock concert. The courtyard was flooded with students from all grades, from all programs, sitting on the grass, walking through the crowds or loitering near the stage waiting for the show to start.

It didn't take as long to find the girls as I thought it would. Mostly thanks to Drew and Gary's oddly impressive surveillance tactics. As usual my sights were drawn to the red-head of the female group first, now for reasons clearly defined.

The subtle elbow jabs from Gary and Drew did not go unnoticed. It took some focus to remember the advice I actually wanted to follow tonight.

At the very least, it looked like Rudy wasn't around just yet.

"Misty!" I called out, running ahead to avoid my overbearing bandmates.

Despite the volume of the students surrounding her, she somehow heard me. Her Magikarp-orange hair swayed around her face as she turned her head in my direction. "Hey."

Her usually pulled back hair was sticking out in different directions, some strands curling in around her chin while other pieces flipped out. The difference was the first thing I noticed. "What did you do to your hair?"

Her neutral face all but disappeared behind a predictably defensive scowl. "Why would you ask it like that? What's wrong with it? Dawn just styled it a tiny bit."

Her flurry of self-protective remarks reminded me of her inferiority complex, a personality trait she'd had for as long as I'd known her yet still always manage to step on without meaning to. A sharp elbow to the stomach, curtesy of Gary, sent me reeling to correct that mistake. "No, that's not what I meant. It looks nice down."

Her eyes softened instantly, confusion settling in despite the complement. "...oh. Well, thanks."

I barely noticed Paul vanishing from the premises and into the insane crowd, or the distraction May and Leaf were causing my personal planners even while they not-so-subtly watched the surrounding area for the rival target Rudy.

Just be honest, the wise words resonated inside my head. This was still Misty after all. There was no reason not to talk to her like I normally would. "So, how's your foot?"

"Much better. Nurse Joy said a couple more days of taking it easy and I can finally get the wrapping off. I abandoned those stupid crutches early though. Damn things were causing me more pain than relief!" she replied enthusiastically.

I laughed a little at that. Classic Mist, angry one minute then smiling the next. Her spontaneity never ceased to amaze me, even when most of the time it ended up getting me injured in some way or another.

"What's so funny?" she cocked her head to the side smiling curiously, letting her hair flip-flop with the motion.

I just shook my head. Screw the perfect plan. Misty was the kind of girl you could never expect any outcome from, even with every little detail planned out. It was like surfing down white-water rapids, you just rode it out, used your experience and hoped for the best.

In my opinion, life was more fun when it was unexpected anyway.

The first act was starting on-stage. The music was some pop song recording, the students themselves from the dance program. Some of the students watched, but it was pretty clear that most of them were taking a cue from the dancers themselves and started to dance to their own unrehearsed routines.

"Do you wanna dance?" I asked, actually expecting her to be taken-off guard again.

She was, and she hardly concealed it. Even while trying to laugh it off, she sounded nervous. "Uh, Ash this song might be a bit fast for me. My ankle's not a hundred percent after all."

"Well, I am pretty unstoppable on the dance-floor, but-!" I took her hand boldly. "There are no rules about dancing to the beat of your own drum, last I checked."

"You did not just make a drumming pun," Misty groaned in shame directed at me.

"It was too perfect to pass up!" I defended my bad joke, pulling her along carefully through the already energized crowd. I stopped with about an inch between us.

"What are you doing?" Misty asked, obviously unsettled by the closeness. I'd come too far to back off now though, and I knew she didn't mind too much. If she had she'd have been much more forceful.

"Here, step on my feet," I instructed, gesturing down to both our pairs of running shoes.

"Um, okay…"

I felt her putting more weight on my one foot than the other as the balls of her feet sat on top of mine. The inch of space disappeared, Misty's hand that I wasn't holding instinctively went to my shoulder (her dance training now an almost subconscious reflex).

"We'll go slowly," I promised her, heeding the medical advice she'd been given to take it easy. "You should still be able to have fun, even while injured."

Misty looked mystified (no pun intended). Her turquoise eyes asking about a million questions with a single stare. In the end she settled on one.

"Are you really Ash Ketchum?"

"The one and only!" I answered without pause. "What, I'm not allowed to dance and have fun with my best friend?"

Misty snorted her response, all worry and confusion fading from her stiff exterior.

"No, no, you are, its just…" she finally looked back at me. "You never cease to surprise me."

The heart-racing, beat-dropping, common-sense-breaking music pounded on the inside and outside of my head to the point where I'd thought it would split me down the middle. It should have made me concerned, dancing with the injured red-head amongst the sea of melody-drunk students, her feet balanced on top of my mine as I lead her along in uncoordinated circles. But I wasn't scared for her, even a little bit.

Because maybe I was reckless, and maybe she was too. But that's why I never needed to worry about Misty getting hurt. She wasn't someone fragile. She was someone unbreakable.

It was that very nature of hers that gave me all the hope I needed that she'd hear what I had to say later tonight. And that she'd still smile at me exactly how she was right now.


Misty

Is…this a dream?

I frankly didn't have any other explanation. The person in front of me looked like Ash, sounded like Ash, smiled like Ash, and he even made jokes so bad they were good like Ash. Logically I had no reason to believe that he wasn't the best friend I'd known for almost six years.

But this seemed far too good to be true.

Ash and I had danced before, but not like this. Never with no space between us, so slow yet so rash, while all my ribs seemed to be constricting closer and closer towards my heart. Every single nerve in my body felt charged with electricity, ready to jump away to a safe distance should that recurring confusion dawn on Ash's face as it always did when the topic of deeper feelings was brought up.

Only that expression never came. He just kept smiling his same dopey, carefree smile.

This didn't feel real. I felt like any second I'd wake up staring at my dorm-room ceiling, the familiar melancholy washing over me as I let the fantasy slip from my mind.

If this was a dream, and I really was asleep, I would gladly sell my soul to make it a coma.

The forgettable pop-trash ended way too soon. But Ash didn't pull away until a hand on his shoulder forced him to.

"We're up next, Ashy-boy," Gary informed him, pointing his hand back towards the quickly-emptying stage.

"Okay, be right there," Ash assured him. Gary sent me an uncharacteristically sincere smile before he turned back into the crowd. I probably would have dwelled on it longer, but Ash's walnut brown eyes pulled me back under before I had the chance.

"Well, wish me luck Mist!" he grinned as he went to follow, still holding onto my hand. "And I expect you to at least sway to our awesome song! Injury or no! In front of the stage too!"

"You'll be lucky if I even cheer, egomaniac!" I found my voice and called back after him.

"C'mon!" he rushed. Watching him from behind as we made our way towards the stage made me realize just how unsupportive my legs were becoming. I couldn't help the swell of shame at not even being able to handle a slow dance without feeling like I needed to sit down, but I mainly blamed it on my ankle (because that was totally the only reason my knees felt so weak).

Ash let go of my hand only when he went to join his friends onstage. I tried to ignore the chill my palm felt at his absence. I had assumed that I would find my three girls near the stage since two thirds of them had boyfriends performing up there along with Ash, but I was surprised when I only saw Leaf waving me over.

"Hey, where did the others wander off to?" I asked my emerald-eyed roommate.

"Probably to dance some more. Seems they were inspired by your and Ash's sudden enthusiasm." She looked at me with a glint in her gaze that seemed suspiciously like teasing.

"Shut up," I responded automatically, feeling the blood rush to colour my pale skin.

She just laughed as she moved forward to get closer to the stage. I distracted myself by focusing on the raised platform, and the rival band set up on top of it as they started to play.

(Armor by Landon Austin)

Heroes Flaw had a different sound to their music tonight, but it wasn't unlike their usual style. It sounded lighter, yet at the same time a bit sad. If I were a less confident musician, I'd feel a bit intimidated.

I was so wound up in watching that I didn't notice the person behind me.

A touch on my shoulder spun me around, shocking me out of my revere. For some reason, I wasn't surprised by the bright grassy-gold hues smiling down at me.

"Hey Mist." Rudy greeted. His use of the foreshortened nickname- the very same one always used by Ash, hit me with a hollow surprise. He'd said it so confidently, but that hadn't helped how unnatural it had sounded coming from him.

"Rudy?" I questioned, too stunned by his introduction to even offer a proper greeting back.

He was looking down at me like I was the only living thing for miles. His lips stretched to smile warmly as he dipped the upper half of his body forward into a bow, holding up his hand out in front of himself in a gesture that could only be asking me to take it.

"May I?"

I glanced back at the stage, immediately looking to Ash as he banged his head in rhythm with the beat he drummed on. Becoming wrapped up in the music in the same way I always found myself doing. Leaf I noticed in alarm, was no longer anywhere I could see. I was alone as I tore my sights away from Ash and back to the admittedly charming young man still offering me his hand.

I couldn't put my finger on the reason why, but I recognized hesitation when I felt it. But why should dancing with Rudy be causing me any anxiety? I'd danced with him before and enjoyed myself very much. And I'd finally relented and forgiven him for his last spat with Ash several days ago so why…?

The dream from before recalled itself, dancing with Ash moments ago.

"O-oh, that's so sweet," my mouth went off on autopilot. "But I'm not really up to dancing with my foot and all." The same words, albeit now strained, replayed themselves to new ears.

"Don't worry about that," Rudy winked his gilded-green eye. "I'll take it easy on you."

That testing tone of voice warmed my insides like sauna steam. I dared to smile slyly as his teasing expression poked fun at me further. "Is that supposed to be a challenge?" I asked, crossing my arms.

He straightened up, his hand still extended in my direction. All the friendliness and kindness that I'd come to know quite well in the month's we'd been companions enveloped me in an atmosphere that always seemed to exude from the young dancer.

"Why don't you take my hand and find out?" he challenged.

Altogether, the friendly mood intensified to something so warm it was almost sweltering. Instinctively, I reached out to take the bait set out especially for me, the intense desire to prove my worth with or without an injured ankle acting as an impulse.

The dream screamed at me to stop, like a warning signal inside my head. My hand flinched away from his, freezing in midair. The memory that all my previous knowledge argued couldn't be real, dancing in slow disordered circles around in Ash's arms. I always felt safety there within Ash's hands. But looking at the hand offered to me, I didn't feel that same security that came with that level of trust, or even friendship.

It felt more like a cage; like betrayal.

The smile I wore drained away.

"Is…something wrong?" he asked, growing wary.

I barley heard him from within the confines of my own head. I was so numb in both body and mind that I hadn't even realized the song had ended.

"Misty, are you okay? Talk to me," Rudy tried to prod. His extended hand went to my shoulder, and even in my confused haze I could feel my body jerk away from his touch. It had only been a brush of his fingertips, but it felt as scolding as a hot iron.

What is going on? Why am I…? I couldn't think straight. My brain felt like it was being thrown around on a rollercoaster, my train of thought curling and swerving after it incoherently. Meanwhile my hollow vessel of a body stiffened and shuttered all on its own like a moving car with no driver.

I didn't know why this was happening. I didn't even know what was happening. All I knew was that against all logic, this felt wrong. The heat radiating off of him that felt like it was seeping into my skin, that look of unkempt worry and caring on his face directed solely at me, the sound of my throbbing heart pulsing through my veins. It wasn't right. It wasn't normal. It wasn't…

It wasn't like how it was with Ash.

My eyes widened as I continued to stare at nothing. This was…Rudy was…about me…and now, but…Ash…

Shit.

"Mist?" I snapped my neck 90 degrees, turning my large eyes on the drummer of Heroes Flaw. His look of concern disappeared as soon as his sight switched to the dancer's hand on my shoulder.

Rudy met his glare with equal iciness. He didn't remove his hand. If anything his grip just tightened further, all the while I was too paralyzed with realization to intervene.

This is bad. This is wrong. Rudy is…I don't want them to fight…they're my friends. They are both my friends. But Rudy…

Why did Daisy always have to be right?

"Misty," Ash stepped towards us. "Are you okay?"

"Of course she's okay, Ash," Rudy all but spit. "You don't have to worry about me causing her any harm."

Ash looked ready to jump right back into the argument they'd never finished at the pool at the insinuation of the incident that had happened there. Poised to rip me from Rudy's grasp just as he had back then. "I wasn't asking you, Rudy. I was asking Misty."

Out of nowhere, Gary and Drew were on either side of our group of three. The music was still playing, people were still dancing, but now people were starting to stare. My vision of our surroundings swam while I stood frozen in place.

"Rudy! It is Rudy, isn't it?" Gary said cheerfully. "Wow, we've heard a lot about you from old Misty over here. Can't believe this is the first time we're being introduced!"

Rudy didn't even turn to acknowledge him at first. Too intent on continuing whatever this was with Ash. But slowly…the venom receded, and his usual smile returned. His hand did not leave my skin as his arm pulled me closer, wrapping around my shoulder so boldly that if I hadn't already been unmoving, I felt like I'd forget how to move all over again.

"No need for introductions. Everyone in school knows who Heroes Flaw is." Rudy's easy-going eyes slide across the three boys around us. "You guys are practically famous!"

"No need to flatter us," Gary's enthusiasm persisted. "But you know as Misty's closest friends, we are a bit curious about her secret friend! Why don't you tell us about yourself?"

"I'd like to, but I'm a bit busy at the moment. Misty and I were just about to go dance," Rudy replied back smoothly. Confidently. Possessively. Suggestively.

Oh God, I think I'm gonna be sick.

Between Rudy's expectation, Gary and Drew's curiosity and whatever emotion Ash was feeling that I couldn't bring myself to look at, I slowly felt my insides going from feeling numb to feeling nonexistent. I was being hollowed out by this…this everything.

I couldn't feel anything, but that didn't mean I had to stand here and take this.

"I…have to go," I said lifelessly. With more energy than I had, I spun away from Rudy's forceful yet comfortable heated hold and pushed myself away from this…nightmare.

I did not look back at Rudy's questioning, hurt voice as he called out for me. I did not even really look where I was going or how far I'd gotten until I felt myself stop. Someone had stopped me.

I calmed down when I recognized Leaf's face.

"Misty, is something wrong? You look like you're going to throw up," Leaf asked, anxiety laced in her usually sweet voice.

"That…may not be so far off," I responded, even though I couldn't presently feel my stomach at all.

"Do you wanna go home? We don't have to go up there, Dawn and May will understand," she offered, gesturing to the stage.

I shook my head firmly. At that very moment, the stage in the middle of the HPAA courtyard looked like the glass stairway to Arceus' paradise. This numbness-shock, I didn't know what else it could be, was driving me insane. I wanted to feel something. I wanted to feel so much that I forgot what it was like not to feel.

"After, I need to perform. Like, right now," I urged, not even realizing I was already moving closer to the stage, half-dragging Leaf with me.

"Really? O-okay, I'll ask if we can go on now. See if you can find Dawn and May," Leaf agreed warily.

I texted them both, trying not to dwell on the way my thumbs trembled as I sent the messages off. I didn't hear Leaf's conversation with the faculty running the order of acts. I didn't even notice when May and Dawn finally pushed through the crowd and came to stand right in front of me.

I didn't really hear anything until the announcer came on and said Changing Grace was next. That was when I noticed all three of my friends looking at me like I was an injured Eevee.

"What?" I asked, the same numbness I couldn't quite shake seeping in to the question.

"Misty, are you sure you're up to this?" Dawn asked. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah," I said automatically. "I mean…look, I'll tell you guys later. Can we just get through this first?"

They shared a look. A look I knew I had been a part of multiple times this year, and now it looked like it was my turn to be on the receiving end. They nodded regardless, not being able to deny me my request when the audience was waiting on us.

I felt better with the drums sitting in front of me. It gave me something to focus on. The numbness started to fade to a prickling sensation, like anesthesia wearing off after a trip to the dentist. A familiar thrill coursed through my stinging layers of muscle tissue.

I tapped the drumsticks in my hands. Four times. I hit the instrument, starting the rhythm up as the song led on and the others joined in.

I let the beat take me away.

(Gravity by Against the Current)

The music blazed through me with an intensity like white-blue flames! The nightmare had faded back to a dream that I would happily stay in forever. It was impossible not to feel up onstage, and all the feelings flooding through me were purely breathtaking. This excitement always kept me coming back. All these joyful feelings seemed to erase the rest of the world and validate every decision I'd ever made in my life, because all those choices had led me here. This was the sort of high I could chase forever.

Oh how I wish it never had to end.

But as that horrible sensationless air from before had been chased away because of our song, it gave me way more clarity than I was ready to handle. Just thinking about walking off the stage filled me with all the fear, frustration and disbelief that had shut me down so quickly before. Emotions I would not be dealing with until I got a couple pain relievers into my system and at least 8 hours of sleep to heal this growing migraine.

I waved to the audience with my band, trying very hard to hold on to the bliss before I relinquished it.

"MISTY… WATERFLOWER!"

That scream made the very harmony I was trying to preserve dissolve. At first I was confused, as the crowd's cheering died down and was steadily replaced with the murmurings of excitement. The huge crowd was parting down the middle, peers of all ages turning back and hurriedly stepping aside for whoever, or whatever was making its way towards the stage.

The closer the mystery guest made its way, the more the excitement within the crowd grew. I narrowed my eyes, squinting against the stage lights to try and make out whoever it was that could have yelled my name above hundreds of students-

Three heads of florescent hair strutted through the teenage throng. Yellow blonde, indigo blue, and neon pink. Their multi-colored eyes set squarely on me.

No, my thoughts whispered. Not a dream after all.

Wake-up, wake-up, wake-up. I chanted the plea internally as my panic grew. This had to be a nightmare. It had to be. Any minute now I'd roll off my wavy blue bedspread in the least-graceful way possible, hit the floor of my dorm room hard enough to shock me awake, then thank the legendaries that this was all a worst case scenario conjured up by my own imagination.

But the longer the seconds ticked by with no waking moment, the horror quickly crept its way up my body like fourth degree frost-bite.

I was cornered. They were here.

Daisy Waterflower flicked her flaxen hair over her shoulder while I stood petrified on stage.

"You have a LOT of explaining to do, runt!"


A/N: Well, here we are. Back again after 6 months. Firstly I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with this story through the unexpected hiatus and everyone who has sent me their warm wishes and support through PMs and reviews. Also, I apologize to any readers who messaged me asking about updates if I seemed snippy or short-tempered in my responses. I was under a lot of stress at the time.

But no seriously, everyone who checked in on me, or just dropped me a message to say hi, you guys kept me going through a very emotional and trying time in my life and I could not be more grateful for that. Getting all those messages reminded me why I love fanfiction so much in the first place, because of the warm community that's come together to support of me and this story. You are all anonymous angels in my books, so thank you truly for making me smile on hard days.

Okay, so my thoughts about this chapter. Paul is my favorite thing, writing for him made me smile and laugh so much! It was just like in 2013 when I was only starting out, it reminded me why I love this character SO much! He's so patient with Dawn, but so NOT patient with his band, but is still caring enough to help Ash out. I just- I'M FANGIRLING ABOUT MY OWN WORK, OH MY GOD! Dawn was a bit hard to balance, because I felt like her freaking out was respectable given the fact she had a near-death experience, but it did seem a tad MUCH at times. But I liked writing that she's fully conscious of her feelings and her actions because of them, and she actually sort of hates them for it. I like her being independent, it shows real growth. And May- the true MVP! Stepping in and sharing her wisdom in all things LOVE!

Ash was…well, Ash. I feel like I'm getting a bit better at writing him, just his total lack of understanding. He's so blunt sometimes you'd think he's been spending time with Paul. Who, he does indeed have a bro moment with, and then he's so innocent! And friendly! With Misty! And it's so cute!

And Misty's just like-um, what is happening? Her part I feel like you sort of have to read it a couple times to fully understand what's happening to her. It's like her body is putting the pieces together before her mind does, because she's so in denial. And then that ending…just realizing now how evil that was, guys, I apologize for that ending. That was just so unfair! Don't worry though, hopefully it won't be long before the next chapter!

Okay, fangirling over now. I'm just so excited to be updating again! It's been so long and I'm so pumped to be getting in to these final chapters! There is a new update on my profile with an important question for readers, so make sure to check it out. Thank you all for reading and like always, stay lovely you beautiful readers! ;)