Ash watched quietly as Gary first dropped Dawn off, then dropped Leaf to her house. He hardly said anything the whole ride, just a goodbye and goodnight to Dawn when she waved at them before leaving. Leaf gave Gary's a kiss on the cheek and hugged Ash before going inside the house and once she was inside the safety of her house, Gary drived off. He wasn't going to Ash's house, Ash noticed, since the route was different.
"Are we taking a detour?" The raven haired boy slightly asked, his lips curling up in a thankful smile.
"Maybe it's a yes or maybe it's a no. Depends."
It was all he needed at the moment, a break from her and that rejection which was playing in his head. Gary was driving aimlessly, keeping an eye on Ash. He didn't want to disturb whatever was going inside Ash's head but the silence was unbearable and he needed to know what Ash was feeling at the moment.
"Wanna talk about it?" Gary asked and parked his car in front of a park. It was late in the evening and the park was empty, except some youngsters playing on the swings.
"I don't know to be honest," Ash unlocked his seatbelt," What would you have done if Leaf rejected you?"
"Approach her again," Gary said so smoothly that Ash couldn't help but chuckle a little.
"I wish I had your confidence."
Gary fell quiet again. Ash wasn't someone who talked about his feelings or was vocal about what he was going through. Years of staying together had made it clear.
But what are you supposed to do when your friend is sad?
"You can always try to make her change her mind you know," Gary said while tapping his index finger on the steering wheel," She likes you as a friend. A little work wouldn't hurt right?"
Ash looked in Gary's direction and then turned away again, staring at the empty park. How long were they out? Was it already time for dinner? He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to speak to anyone either. He appreciated Gary's efforts to cheer him up but it wasn't working but he wasn't going to say it.
"There's no guarantee that she'll change her mind though," Ash leaned back and closed his eyes," I don't want to talk about it anymore. Can you drop me home?"
"Ash-"
"For fucks sake Gary," Ash slightly raised his voice,"I need time to collect my thoughts okay. I don't want to talk about it or anything now."
"Fine buddy," Gary put on his seatbelt again, and started driving silently. Ash's eyes were closed but Gary knew he wasn't resting or anything.
"You're going to be late!" Delia banged on Ash's door,"Gary came to pick you up! Get up already!"
Hearing no response from Ash,Delia sighed and went downstairs. She opened the front door and saw Gary and Leaf waiting in the car.
Gary gave Delia a sorry smile and Delia shook her head, saying,"You two go to school. If you wait for him, you're going to be late too."
"I don't mind waiting," Gary said, getting off the car,"Do you want me to talk to him or anything?"
"Gary its fine!" Delia grinned,"He and his Dad were chatting late at night so I think he must be tired. Maybe he'll miss the first period but I'll definitely send him to school, don't worry."
"Did he say anything last night?" Gary asked, giving Delia a soft, anticipating look.
"Nothing much," Delia paused,"Did something happen?"
"Nah," Gary laughed and fixed his shirt,"Well gotta leave though. I'll call you when first period ends."
"Okay hun. Drive carefully."
Gary got in his car and drove off. Leaf was silent in her seat, waiting for Gary to say something.
"What would have you done if you were in my place?" Gary's sudden question startled Leaf.
"What?"
"Would you have tried to cheer him up or left him alone?"
Leaf sighed,"You know what I would do? I would not say anything to anyone? If they come talk to me I'll be there. If they don't want to talk about it, I'll drop it."
"Playing safe huh."
"Yeah."
"I am UP!" Ash shouted, throwing the blankets off him as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. He knew he was late for school. He also knew that Gary left few minutes ago. He had been awake the whole time.
Delia, who was outside the door, sighed and rubbed her temples. This boy was giving her wrinkles. "I can drop you at school before I go to work. Do you want to go to school or want to take a day off?"
"Can I take a day off?" Ash asked, surprised.
"If you don't feel like going, I'm not going to force you," Delia said. She knew her son wasn't the type to miss school or skip classes. No matter how sick he got, he liked attending classes and rarely missed school. If he didn't want to go to school then there was something bothering him and she wasn't going to forcefully make him say that.
"I will go," Ash got up and unlocked his door, facing his Mom with a smile,"Thank you."
"What for?"
"Just like that. Thank you."
"Weirdo."
"Must have gotten that from you," Ash joked as he gave her a sly grin.
Dawn eyes kept wandering to the door and the empty seat beside her. Class was going to start in few minutes and both Ash and Gary weren't here yet. 'He isn't going to skip, right?'
She saw Gary approaching and the weight in her chest lightened a little as she figured Ash would be right behind Gary. Her smile faltered when she saw just Gary entering and sitting in his place.
Gary caught her eyes wandering and asked,"Watcha looking at?"
"Ash isn't with you?"
Gary paused before answering,"Nope."
"Oh."
It wasn't surprising though. She was half expecting it but didn't want to accept it yet.
Things were going to change and she couldn't do anything about it.
Dawn was half heartedly doodling something in her notebook when she saw the teacher entering and stood up to greet her. She was surprised to see the gingerhaired girl standing beside the teacher, flashing a grin at the class.
Juniper signalled Misty to take a seat beside Drew and spoke,"We have a new student! Well, technically she isn't a new student, she is just repeating this grade and many of you know her already. She is Misty Waterflower, the first female athlete of our school who represented our school at National level swim team championship. She missed her final exams of last year because of her meet and so has to repeat a grade. Make sure to help her out."
Misty bowed a little and went to her seat. The class knew her and she knew most of the class. Dawn heard from Lyra that Misty was close to this class because she knew Ash and Gary since she was a kid. Dawn's eyes met Misty's and both of them gave each other a smile. Misty's eyes wandered around the class and then turned to Dawn again, mouthing the word,"Ash?"
Dawn shrugged, implying she had no idea. Misty slightly nodded and sat down beside Drew, giving him a small pat on his back.
Dawn had made peace with the fact that he wasn't going to show up today. Not that it was anything extreme, he had been absent before like when he was sick and she went to visit him. Probably he felt sick after all the rides or probably he was tired and overslept.
So when he showed up before the start of second period, she was surprised, a little happy even. He quietly sat down on his desk and pulled out his books, not even sparing a glance at her.
She wasn't a person who liked to overthink things but looking at Ash now, she was sure she messed up.
Ash was looking down in his book, reading the same line over and over again. Volkner was going on and on about something from metallurgy but he wasn't paying attention. He wanted to take a peak at Dawn and see what she was doing, whether she was looking at him but couldn't. He was embarrassed and felt way too self-conscious.
He knew he couldn't keep ignoring her like that because A) he couldn't live without hearing her voice and B) If they stop communicating, he was sure he could never strike up a conversation again. So now all he could do was act like the confession never happened.
And suddenly he felt like he knew what to do. Volkner was scribbling something on the blackboard and Ash quickly turned the last page of his notebook and scribbled,"Can we talk once this period is over?" He slowly passed it to Dawn's desk, surprising her.
Dawn took the notebook, puzzled, and scanned the page, a small sigh escaping her lips as she read the note at the bottom. She scribbled back,"Talk to you at tiffin break?"
She secretly passed the note back to Ash and from the corner of her eye, saw Gary passing them a deadpanned look. She couldn't help but feel like he was judging her and everything she was going to do seemed like a bad idea. But she wanted to talk to him like before and she was going to cherish this friendship she had built with Ash over time.
Misty was in her seat, her head propped on the palm of her left hand which was resting on the table. She was staring at the desk, not listening to anything that the teacher was saying. It wasn't like she hadn't read it before. She was actually ready to take the finals but sudden change of plans and the sudden swim meet threw her off the balance. She knew she couldn't have everything her way and wasn't complaining.
Drew whispered slowly,"You okay?"
"Yeah," she whispered back,"I kind of miss my old classmates."
Thinking it was a bad idea to keep whispering back and forth, Misty pulled out the rough copy she had kept in her bag and dribbled,"I want to see Paul."
She passed it to Drew, who read it, sighed, took the copy from her hand and wrote,"Bad idea."
Misty held back a giggle as she read that and wrote back,"I want to see Brock and Holly too. It's kind of awkward sitting in a class with Juniors."
Reading that Drew passed her a look and wrote,"Meanie."
"Cabbage head," Misty wrote and passed the copy. Well she wasn't entirely disagreeing with the fact that meeting Paul was a bad idea.
"Was there anyone after me?" She hesitantly wrote, then scratched it again and again till the words couldn't be comprehended and wrote again,"Is he dating someone now?"and passed it to Drew.
When Drew took a long time to write an answer back,. She turned sideways and raised her eyebrows, demanding an answer.
Drew shrugged, implying he had no idea and Misty turned back to face the blackboard, although there wasn't anything written on it. Drew wasn't someone who would lie to her about something like this and maybe it would be better to ask the person of her interest directly.
Dawn had been waiting for the class to end. She kept glancing at the wall clock every 2 minutes. Was an hour always this long?
The last 10 minutes were hell. It felt like time had stopped. So when the bell rang, she was the first one to get up from her seat, successfully getting a chuckle from Gary who knew what was going on. She looked over to see Ash getting up too and her breath hitched in her throat.
She followed him quietly and went out of the class.
It was 'Free Reading class' and everyone had to go to the library but she didn't want to. Everything else could wait.
This couldn't.
Lunch time was an hour later and everyone was in their class. No one was in the hallway, except the two of them sitting on the stairs, silently, mesmerized by each other's presence.
Dawn couldn't help but think what could have happened if she agreed to be his girlfriend. Would they be sitting here like now or would they be busy with something else. It was wishful thinking, she knew it, but couldn't help thinking it.
"Dad's leaving in a day or two," Ash broke the silence,"Mom is back at work today."
"Oh." She noticed a small chewing gum on the railing and feeling a little grossed out, scooted away from it, only ending closer to Ash.
Their arms weren't touching but there was something about his presence and body heat that made her utterly self-conscious. She absentmindedly ran her fingers over hair to smoothen out any frizz which could have formed during the day.
"I am sorry for confessing like that-" Ash directly approached the point,"But I'm not sorry for confessing though."
She passed him a look which was a mix of surprise and amazement and unconsciously her eyes landed on his. Were his eyes always this brown and attractive? Tearing her gaze away, she kept staring at her shoes, wondering what was actually going on inside his head.
"You are not making any sense."
Ash laughed, taking her by surprise. His laugh reminded her of a kid who got busted after eating ice cream and a small smile crept on her face too.
"Will you listen?"
His genuine tone made her heart skip a beat and she could feel her heart beat rising. Nodding, she turned slightly to face him completely.
"I have liked you for a long time now. Maybe since we met Red and his girlfriend. I don't know what happened. I don't know when it happened but I fell for you."
Dawn was listening quietly. She was a little embarrassed and feeling shy. No one had talked to her so tenderly and with love.
"I confessed because I needed to let you know how I felt. I needed to put my feelings in the open."
"I am sorry if I ever led you on," Dawn spoke up, surprising him. Her breath was shallow and she couldn't remember the last time she felt like this,"Last night I kept thinking that how you were feeling after I-" she couldn't say the word rejection but they both knew what she was referring to. "I kept wondering if I ever did anything to lead you on because.. I don't think I meant that. I .. I can't imagine- I can't even understand how can someone fall in love with me? So yeah, I wasn't expecting your confession."
"Why don't you think you deserve someone's confession?"
"I.. I was always lied to, you know that."
Seeing him nod, Dawn continued,"I had friends when I was little, before everything turned sour when Dad left and then suddenly those friends were not friends anymore. I was already in pain and didn't understand what was happening and before I knew it, I turned into a bully."
"You're not the bully," his voice escaped before he knew it,"Standing up to bullies doesn't make you a bully yourself."
"No matter what you say," she passed him a grateful smile,"The fact that I broke someone's nose and fought with the kids doesn't change." She did little laugh at the end to ease the awkwardness but fell silent again.
Ash wanted to say that he was happy the kid got a taste of his own medicine but didn't. He was inwardly happy though. But he couldn't voice out his opinion aloud, she would be pissed.
"I had friends who would hang out with me even in that time but I have a record of screwing up and that didn't last either."
Ash passed her a quizzical look and she clarified,"Money. The kids were scared of me but stayed close because their parents forced them to. I was happy they hanged out with me and stayed close but couldn't understand why they wouldn't invite me to sleepovers or invite me when they made plans. I had a classmate, whose name is-" Dawn stopped, trying to remember but failed. She shrugged a little then continued,"We got into a fight when she kind of blurted out how stupid I was for trusting the kids and the other kids were very pissed at her."
"Sounds like she was helping you out."
"Maybe she was. I think she was an angel who helped me without my knowledge but all I did back then was yell at her and things got worse. The kids wouldn't hang out with me anymore, the girl changed school because of her Dad's work and the comments got harsher. I kept changing schools but nothing worked."
"Your reputation preceds you huh."
She let out a dry chuckle,"There so much to lose when you are the daughter of the richest person in Kanto." Thinking she sounded obnoxious, she quickly apologized,"I didn't mean to say something like that."
Ash gave her a small poke on the arm, startling her,"So you know you are crazy rich."
"Its my Mom who is crazy rich," she laughed again, poking him back.
"I feel stupid for confessing now," he sheepishly rubbed his nose,"Its like we are worlds apart." The way he had dragged the word long wasn't unnoticed by Dawn and she nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the bottom of the stairs. It was so quiet down here, no one to interrupt them or spy on them.
Her mind went back to the time she and others had spied on Gary's confession on the terrace so maybe there was a chance that someone was listening to them. What did it matter anyway? It wasn't like they were doing something illegal.
Dawn's head was fixed on her shoes. She didn't know what to say. She wouldn't change her status even though it was the prime source of her troubles but at the same time, it also took away all her hope of leading a normal life.
Ash's small cough to draw her attention broke her trance and if she wasn't listening closely she would have missed his words.
"But that doesn't change the feelings I have for you. I love you."
She was dumbstruck. Within the span of 24 hours, he had confessed again, leaving her speechless once again.
Her heart was warm and fluttering, a feeling she had never felt before. Maybe she liked his voice telling her he loved her or maybe she liked the peace and quiet she felt whenever she was with him.
"I.." she started but stopped. What was she going to say? Was there even anything she could say?
"That's why," his voice was slow and unwavering and Dawn wondered if his voice had always been that deep.
"I am fine with how things are now." The statement from him was not something Dawn had expected but was nonetheless relieved to hear.
"Fine?" She repeated.
"Yeah," he leaned back, their shoulder touching. He must have felt a spark running through his body and hastily moved away, saying,"I am fine if we stay friends. I mean its not that bad you know. It's better than losing you and your company."
Relief was an understatement. What she felt was beyond words. Him agreeing to stay friends with her even after all these had lifted such a heavy weight off her chest that a smile broke out on her lips.
Seeing her smile, he felt a pang in his chest. She looked so..relieved now, as if she was finally liberated. Was the confession affecting her that much?
"You sure about that?" She finally asked, getting a nod from him.
"Yeah, sure. Moreover the fact that I fell in love with you isn't going to change so maybe I might have a little chance if I stick close like glue." He laughed a little. He didn't plan on saying this but he knew he wanted to. Just because he decided to stay friends doesn't mean he can't love her from a distance.
His cheekiness was infectious and she laughed too, bumping his arms with her fist. "And what if it doesn't work?"
"Your loss."
His words made her laugh again and it was what she missed the most, joking around with him without a care in the world. Was she flattered by his straightforward attitude? Yes. But she just couldn't dive headfirst without being sure about how she felt.
Seeing her quiet, he tugged at his sleeve, distracting himself from his own thoughts. "So," he got her attention as he started,"If you want to act like the confession never happened, its okay."
She eyed him curiously. She was shocked and when the initial numbness over his words died down, she mumbled,"What?"
"Yeah," his mind wandered to the slow whispering sounds coming from the classroom,"Lets act like the conversation on the Ferris wheel never happened if that makes you feel better."
She couldn't believe it. If he would have said this yesterday, she would have gladly accepted but after all the talk now, she felt a little... insulted.
"Do you really want me to forget about it?" She asked, rather crossly, her tone surprising him.
"Its your choice," he played the safe card which annoyed her even more.
"Listen to me Ketchum," she growled a little, her death stare fixed on him,"You confessed to me on your own and now you're deciding I should forget about it. Make up your mind damnit!"
He wouldn't lie, the way she threatened him while calling her surname surprised him a little and make his heart skip a beat. Slapping himself mentally, he couldn't process what her words meant,"Do you want to remember my confession?"
Dawn stayed silent, her eyes darting between him and the wall behind him. Why was she angry? Why did she feel so agitated about something so trivial?
"You know what," she got up, dusting off her skirt,"You can go to hell."
She walked away briskly, leaving him dumbfounded. For a moment, her words reminded him of when she first moved to this school and acted like a pain in the ass. He seriously had no idea what he did to upset her. The more he thought about it, the more confused he started getting.
Running his fingers through his hair, he let out a loud sigh,"Man! Girls are so COMPLICATED."
.
.
I decided to leave the chapter at that. It was fun writing the last part because yeah, that's what I was itching to write 😂 why do you think Dawn stormed off? And what's with Paul and Misty?
Anyway! How are you guys? Doin' good? I am doing pretty well and gosh! I can't wait for spring to roll by!
I think I made in author's note of previous chapters that this story isn't going to be love triangle cliché. Hopefully I can keep it that way because I really don't want to add unnecessary drama. Its feels so stupid when the misunderstanding which can be cleared by just talking isn't cleared because of assumptions and lack of communication. I don't know what I am going to do next but hopefully I won't destroy the story I've build up so far!
Were you all surprised with the sudden update? You all were, right? Right? RiGHT!?
~darkestlightofhope
