Chapter 37: Clues

It's Valentine's Day. The day of hearts. The day of red and pink. The day of love. The most romantic day of the year.

People are giving gifts to each other like chocolates, stuffed Pokémon, and roses. Including the gang. They gave gifts to their significant others. Drew has a bouquet of roses with him as he's waiting for May to show up.

"Guys, remember what you have to do after school." Drew said.

"Right!" Dawn said happily. "This will be so exciting!"

"Let's just hope she doesn't reject you." Gary said. Misty elbowed Gary in the side. Gary winced. "Sorry."

"D-do you really think that she would reject me?" Drew asked.

"Umm...there's a possibility…" Misty said.

Drew looked down at the bouquet of roses. "I really hope that it isn't too early to propose. If I didn't propose today, I'd probably regret it. This is the perfect day to do it."

"We all agree." Ash said.

"And we're sure she'll say yes." Dawn added.

"I hope so." Drew said.

At this time, May and Kiara just exited the carriage in the drop off. They started walking towards the gang. Kiara looked at the bouquet of roses that Drew has.

"Ooh...looks like someone has an extremely romantic gift for someone else…" Kiara said.

May knew that her sister was referring to her, so she looked at Drew. She saw the bouquet of roses and blushed.

May and Kiara made it to the gang. "Hi guys." May greeted. Drew immediately looked up at the voice.

"May, you're here!" Drew said, shocked at her sudden appearance.

"Umm...yeah…" May said. "I do go to this school you know."

"Umm...right." Drew said. "Well...here you go." He said, holding out the bouquet closer to May. "These are for you."

May looked down at the bouquet of roses, blushed, and accepted the bouquet. She looked up at Drew. "Thanks, Drew. You're sweet."

Drew smiled. "That's only your first gift."

"I still have a big surprise, right?" May asked.

Drew nodded. "But it'll be later after school, okay?"

"Aww...but why?" May pouted.

"Because." Drew said. "It'll mean more if it's dark out."

May cocked her head. "It will?"


It's now after school time. May, Ash, and Gary have their last period together, so they're currently walking to the front of the school together. The rest of the gang is already in front of the school. And someone is spying on them…

"So, the proposal is a go." Kiara said.

("Proposal?") Gabriella thought from around the corner.

"You better not mess it up, Drew." Kiara said. "If you break May's heart today, you'll be in huge trouble with me, got it?"

"Yes...I understand, Kiara." Drew said. "And don't worry. If anyone can do the perfect proposal, it's me."

Gabriella gasped on the inside. ("Drew's going to propose? I can't let that happen.")

"So, we'll go and place your clues for May when the school closes. They did say that it will be open for you, right?" Dawn asked.

"Right. I asked the principal if she could leave the school open at nighttime for part of my proposal to May and she said yes." Drew said.

"Okay then. Good luck, Drew." Kiara said.

("Hmm...clues…") Gabriella thought. ("I'll ruin their relationship by ruining this proposal. Then Drew will move on to me.")


"A note? From Drew?" May questioned as she took a folded paper out of Dahlia's hand. It's dark outside, probably ten at night.

"He told me to give it to you." Dahlia said.

"Okay…" May read the note.

I have a fun game for you to play.

This will lead to your gift for Valentine's Day.

A scavenger hunt is set for you.

Solve this riddle, then follow the clues.

"Ooh. What's the riddle?" Kiara asked.

Our first encounter, that faithful day.

That brought us together and paved the way.

I loved your beautiful sapphire eyes.

It's dark out, so don't forget to shine a light.

"Our first encounter…" May muttered to herself.

"Are you going to do the scavenger hunt?" Dahlia asked.

May nodded. "It leads to my Valentine's Day present, so of course I'll do it!"

"Well then, take care out there."


"I remember walking down this sidewalk…" May muttered.

She is following the clue to where she first met Drew. She's on a sidewalk of the main road that leads to the castle.

"And then I tripped here on the uneven sidewalk." May muttered. She stopped walking and she looked down.

"It's dark out, so don't forget to shine a light." May quoted to herself quietly. She pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight. She pointed it to the ground and saw the next clue.

May bent down to pick up the paper and, shining the light on it, read it.

You're allowed inside to find these clues.

I hate how your talent just grew and grew.

Your singing, your acting, and your musical side.

I hate how you never lost your pride.

"Hate?" May asked herself quietly. "Why would he say that he hates how my talent grew? I thought he loves my singing."

May shook her head. "M-maybe it's a mistake…"

She headed to school and entered school grounds. "He said I'm allowed inside…" She opened the front door to the school and entered.

"How did he convince them to leave the doors unlocked?" May asked herself. She walked to the theater.

After entering the theater, she went to the stage. She stood in front of it and took the clue taped to the front.

To the stars and beyond.

You weakened our bond.

You sang for a crowd.

The night was young, and I hated your sound.

"Is he...blaming me?" May asked herself. "The day of Homecoming...I feel like we strengthened our bond, not weakened it. And he...hates my sound?"

"M-maybe it's...another mistake." She said sadly. She left the theater and entered the cafeteria.

"It's gotta be in here because the theme for Homecoming was 'To The Stars' in Junior year and I sang 'Night Is Young' for everyone." May said.

She saw a microphone stand on the stage and a paper was taped to it. She took the note and read it.

Remember today from a year ago?

I never meant what I said with the rose.

You may not have been my Valentine.

And I never even loved to call you mine.

"What?" May asked herself, eyes getting watery. "Why is he saying all these things? He never even loved me? It was all a trick? I fell into his trap?"

A tear escaped her eye. She exited the cafeteria and went to the front of the school. She figured out that the next clue should be there. Where he gave her that rose on Valentine's Day. She looks down and sees the note on the bench.

Did you think I actually love you? You are dead wrong.

There's a different girl in my life who sings better at her songs.

That talent show was just to embarrass you.

After today you'll understand that my love wasn't true.

May crumpled up the clue and shed more tears. Drew just admit to her that he never even loved her. He just wanted to mess with her and embarrass her. May doesn't understand why he's saying this to her. He even said that he hates her singing.

"So he lied…" May said, crying. "He lied to my face over and over again. He never loved me and that's the way it is. Maybe I should've broken up with him when he was under that spell."

She went back to the theater because the clue mentioned the talent show. She looked around. She decided to walk to the seat she was sitting at during the talent show. The clue was taped to it.

Meet me at the closet dock from here.

I have something to tell you I fear

Follow the path of roses on the dock.

And come see the lights with me while we talk.

"Oh I'm gonna talk to him alright." May said angrily. "This is not how I want to be treated by my boyfriend."

She exited the school angrily. She made her way to the closest dock and saw the path of roses on the edges of it. There were also little candles next to each rose. May walked down the dock and saw Drew.

"Drew!" May yelled angrily.

Drew turned around and saw May's angry face and some tears coming out of her eyes. "May, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"What's wrong?!" May yelled. "You're what's wrong!"

"Me?"

"Yes you! You just brought me here to tell me the truth, huh?" May said, crying more.

"The truth about what?"

"That you never loved me to begin with!" With that yelled, May ran off of the dock, away from Drew.

"What? Wait May!" Drew ran after her. They both ran off of the dock. May was running on the sidewalk and Drew caught her, grabbing her wrist.

"Let go of me Drew!"

"No! Why are you running?" Drew asked.

"Because I'm mad at you if it isn't obvious!" May cried.

"But why?"

"What do you mean?! Your scavenger hunt admit that you never even loved me to begin with! So let go!"

"May, what are you talking about?" Drew asked. "Everything I wrote on those papers was to hint at your Valentine's Day surprise."

May stopped trying to escape from Drew's grip because he was holding her too tightly. "And my surprise being that you want to break up with me." May said.

"What? No. I'd never do that." Drew said. "What was so bad about those clues?"

May angrily threw the crumpled clues on the floor.

Drew looked down at them and then up at May. "Don't leave. Please."

"Fine." May grumbled.

Drew released her wrist and bent down to pick up a clue.

Did you think I actually love you? You are dead wrong.

There's a different girl in my life who sings better at her songs.

That talent show was just to embarrass you.

After today you'll understand that my love wasn't true.

"May, I never wrote this." Drew said.

"The clue from before led me to that one." May said angrily.

Drew looked down at the crumpled papers. "And there's supposed to be more clues than that."

Drew bent down to pick up the rest of the papers. He read through all of them.

"Why would you pretend that you like me?" May asked angrily. "Does it amuse you when you see me blush insanely red?"

"No, May. Listen-"

"Do you like when you can silence me with a rose, because you don't like my voice?!"

"May, please-"

"Or do you just hate me so much that-!"

"May!" Drew yelled, cutting May off.

May stopped yelling and still looked angrily at Drew. "What?" She asked harshly.

"I was never pretending to love you." Drew said. "It was all real. I never wrote any of these clues except the very first one. You mean everything to me May. And I've always loved you since we first met."

May didn't respond. Drew continued. "I only wrote good things on the clues. I think someone changed them."

May stared at Drew, her anger disappearing.

"I only wanted to remind you of some good times we've had even before we were together." Drew said. "And...the clues would lead to…" his voice trailed off.

"What?" May asked.

"I shouldn't say what your surprise is, because it probably won't be happening." Drew said. "Now umm...I guess since you're mad at me and stuff...you should probably just head home. I have flowers and candles to pick up." With that said, Drew walked back towards the dock.

May watched him leave. She's starting to hate herself now. She should've known that Drew never wrote those clues. There's no way that Drew didn't mean their first kiss. May's eyes started getting watery again. She started walking to the dock where Drew is.