Chapter 41: Scared Again
"Okay. Use Psychic!" May said, running with a surfboard toward a wave that one of Kiara's Pokémon created by using Surf. When May was close to the water, her Espeon used Psychic on both the wave and her, making the wave stationary and making May start floating up.
The surfboard was placed on the wave by Psychic and May was placed on it. May would hold her arms out and balance on the surfboard while still being held up by Psychic.
May was balancing on the surfboard for a minute before a sudden fear hit her as she looked at the water. May lost her balance and started falling off. She got carried by Psychic before she could hit the ground. May got placed on the ground, sitting on her legs. The wave was then released from Psychic and it crashed onto May, soaking her entire body. Espeon immediately ran to May.
"Espe, Espeon!" Espeon apologized.
May looked up at Espeon, understanding what she said. "It's okay, Espeon. I'm not mad at you for releasing the wave on me. It was an accident." She stood up and started walking to a bench at the edge of the backyard. "I just can't practice my role without Drew."
"She looks so sad." Kiara said from May's balcony.
"What should we do?" Dahlia asked.
Kiara faced Dahlia. "I think I'll call Drew. He always knows how to make May smile."
May sat down on the bench in her soaked clothes. She watched as the Pokémon played with each other around the yard. She sighed. "I really hoped that Drew was right yesterday when he said that even if he's not around, I can still bring myself to surf. But I can't do it."
May's gaze turned to the surfboard she left on the floor in the middle of the yard. She pulled out her scepter. Waving it around, she said, "Teleport." She pointed to the surfboard with the scepter and the surfboard disappeared and reappeared standing up and leaning against the side of the bench that May is on.
May lowered her hand and she placed both hands on her laps. She looked down at the ground and shivered. Her body is soaked and wind is breezing through her at times, making her shiver.
May lifted her head up when she felt something placed on her back. She turned her head and saw Drew sit down next to her. She then saw that he placed his jacket over her back. May looked back at Drew.
"What are you doing here?" May asked.
"Are you not happy to see me?" Drew questioned.
"No. It's not that." May said. "It's just…" her voice trailed off and she faced forward to look at the ground.
"Kiara told me that you were having some trouble."
May looked at Drew. "She did?"
Drew turned his head to look at May's balcony. May turned her head as well. They both saw Kiara waving at them. May faced forward and looked at the ground, sighing. Drew looked at May.
"Where'd you get the surfboard from?" Drew asked.
"I teleported it from school."
"Is the teacher okay with that?"
"Don't worry. I asked her before I left school."
"Okay. So...I'm assuming that your little practice is not going so well?" Drew asked, smirking.
May could hear the smirk in Drew's voice, so she looked up at him and glared.
Drew's smirk faded. "Umm...maybe that was going too far. Do you need my help with practicing?"
May faced forward and looked at the ground again. She let out another shiver. Drew scooted closer to May and adjusted the jacket on her. May blushed as she let the warmth of the jacket soak through her.
Drew pulled his hands back to him. "You know, you shouldn't stay in wet clothes like this."
May looked at Drew and glared at him again.
"Sorry." Drew said. "You already know that." May looked down the same way from before. "So why don't you change clothes?"
"Because I'm too upset with myself to do that." May answered.
"Upset with yourself? Why?"
"Because I can't get over this fear of mine. It's driving me crazy!" May said, swiftly looking up and ruffling her hair dramatically.
"Don't be mad at yourself. People are scared of things all the time."
May looked at Drew. "I've never heard you tell me what you're afraid of. So are you afraid of anything?"
Drew didn't respond for a moment as he just stared into May's eyes. "...of course I am."
"Really? What are you afraid of?"
"...how about I tell you at our date tomorrow?" Drew said after some hesitation.
"We have a date tomorrow?" May questioned.
Drew pulled out a rose and placed it in May's hair. "If you say the word that you'll go on a date with me." He answered.
May blushed and smiled. "I'd love to."
"Wait wait wait. I'm not going swimming. Why do you want me to wear a bathing suit?" May asked.
"Because. Just do it." Kiara said, holding the bathing suit closer to May.
May backed up. "No. I thought Drew asked me on a date. He said nothing about swimming."
"Come on, May. He wants to just help you overcome your fear of water by teaching you how to swim. He texted me that. And he said to make sure you wear a swimsuit under your dress."
"But, but-"
"No buts." Kiara cut May off. "You don't want to back out on the date, right?"
May frowned. "I hear there's going to be strawberries." Kiara said in a teasing tone.
May smiled slightly. "I guess if he thinks he could help me, then I'll do it." She took the swimsuit out of Kiara's hand.
Drew was sitting on a picnic blanket in the gazebo, staring up at the sky as his hair flowed slightly in the small breezes. He heard a horse neighing from behind him, telling him that May had just arrived. His back was to May, so he couldn't see her coming.
May was tiptoeing to the gazebo at the end of the grass path that she was on. She came on her Rapidash and left Rapidash at the entrance to this secluded spot in the middle of this forest.
Drew smirked as he heard slow and quiet footsteps approaching him from behind. He brought his head down, facing forward after being tilted up to the sky. When he did that, the footsteps seemed to stop.
May soon continued tiptoeing towards Drew after seeing that he didn't turn around and see her. She's smiling while she's doing this. She wants to surprise Drew with her appearance, forgetting that Rapidash had already given her away.
Once May was right behind Drew, he spoke. "It's sure taking you a long time to surprise me."
May froze. She then stomped her foot. "How long have you known?" She complained.
"Rapidash gave you away." He said, standing up and facing May.
"Ohh...right." May said, laughing nervously. "Well...surprise!"
Drew chuckled. "Did you put on a swimsuit?"
"Umm...I did, but…" May started. "I don't know if I can get in the water."
Drew placed a hand on May's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. That's why I'm here. I'm going to help you overcome your fear."
May smiled shyly. "Thanks…"
"Now, did you want to swim first or eat some strawberries and then swim?"
"Umm...isn't it considered bad to swim after eating something?" May asked.
Drew smiled. "I'm surprised you know that."
"Oh. Well...I remember my parents saying that from way back. It's true, right?"
Drew nodded. "I was testing you to see if you knew that or not."
"Really?" May questioned, perking up an eyebrow.
"Of course. It's what great teachers do, right? Test their students?"
May laughed a little. "I guess so…"
"So, let's get you in the water." Drew said.
"Umm...okay."
"You can take off your dress right now and put it on the blanket."
"Right now? In front of you?" May asked shyly.
"We're going to be getting married. This will probably happen a lot of times."
May blushed and smiled. "Right…"
May grabbed one of the shoulders of the dress and pulled her arm through it. She did the same on the other side. She then pulled the dress over her head, revealing May in her pink bathing suit with yellow and red polka dots on it. She also took off her dressy shoes.
Drew stared at May and a blush was creeping on his face. ("So gorgeous…") Drew thought.
May saw Drew staring at her with his mouth slightly open and she blushed. She walked past Drew to the blanket and put her dress and shoes on it. She faced Drew again. "Umm...Drew? Are you going to help me into the water?"
Drew blinked. "Umm...right." He said. He then pulled off his shirt and tossed it behind May and it landed on the blanket. He took off his shoes and left them on the ground.
Now it was May's turn to stare and blush. Drew was already wearing his swim trunks, so he just started walking to the end of the gazebo island that they're on.
May realized what she was doing and she shook her head, snapping out of her thoughts. She started walking towards Drew. ("Why was I staring at him like I've never seen him without his shirt before? I've seen him like this before. It's nothing new.") She thought.
Drew stepped into the water, feeling it's temperature. He then stepped in with his other foot and walked further in the water. Once his entire body up to his neck was underwater, he turned around to face May. May stopped walking at the edge of the island and she stared down at the water.
"You can do it." Drew encouraged. "There's no rush. Just put one foot in."
"Umm...are you sure about this?" May asked, fear coming into her.
Drew walked to the island in May's line of sight. "I am." Drew answered. "The real question is...are you."
After a moment of staring down into Drew's eyes, she took a deep breath. She stared at the water and lifted her foot to walk off of the island. May stretched her foot out over the water and lowered it. She froze with one foot in the water. More fear is soaking through her.
"Drew, I can't do this." May said. She immediately took out her foot and walked back towards the blanket.
"May." Drew said, stepping onto the island and walking to May. May stopped walking when she got to the blanket. Drew placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him. May's gaze was directed to the ground.
Drew lifted up May's chin with his pointer finger and thumb. They stared into each other's eyes, both of Drew's hands now on May's shoulders. "Listen to me." Drew said. "You can do this. I'll be right there with you."
May didn't say anything, she just continued frowning.
"I won't leave your side until you think you're able to swim on your own." Drew said.
"But…" May started. She glanced at the water. "The water...terrifies me." May's eyes started getting watery. She looked back into Drew's eyes. "Whenever I touch the water, my fear of it takes over and...I can't continue."
Drew thought about what May said. He then thought back to the first time they came to this gazebo before they were boyfriend and girlfriend.
"Drew?" She called. She didn't get a response. She started to get worried that Drew might be drowning at the far side of the lake from where the gazebo is.
May looked down at the water, frightened. She took off her shoes and slowly put a foot into the water. She froze, fear is taking over. May is scared of going in the water. That's why she refused to swim when Drew offered.
May shook her head. "I must." She said confidently. "I need to at least check that he's okay." She proceeded walking in the water.
Her dress is getting soaked, but she continues walking to the far side of the lake. The floor eventually disappeared from under her feet and she struggled to stay floating. May went under and up over and over again, splashing the water harshly. Fear took over again. She was going to drown and she was afraid of that.
("Come on. Swim up!") May thought as she continued splashing the water, struggling to float. May felt someone touch her. She found herself being lifted out of the water and walked back to the picnic blanket.
Drew was holding her bridal style. May was gently placed on the ground and started coughing and shivering. Drew opened the picnic basket and pulled out a towel. He wrapped it around May. He got another towel and started drying himself too.
"You can't swim?" Drew asked.
"No. Why do you think I was drowning out there?" May asked, a bit angrily. Drew shrugged his shoulders.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay!" May yelled.
Drew stared at May after her small outburst. "You thought I was in danger?"
"Yes!" May yelled. "I haven't seen you for a while, so I thought you might be drowning!"
Drew didn't respond right away. He just thought about how May would do something like trying to save him.
"I was worried about you." May said softly, looking down.
"Thank you." Drew said. "You can't swim and yet you still wanted to see if I was safe."
May looked up at him and smiled. "I'd do anything. I just want to make sure you don't leave me. I don't know what I'll ever do if I don't have you with me anymore." May looked down again.
Flashback ended. ("That's it.") Drew thought. ("I know how to get her in the water. Let's just hope it works…")
