Castelian Heights High School. It was a place that could be described as many things. Beautiful, ugly, upstate, trashy, curious, boring—it was the transition of teenagedom into adolescence, and the last stop before some people went on to live the rest of their lives.
It was the place where Elesa and Skyla would change forever.
.
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Three days before the new school year started, Elesa sat in the living room with her parents—frowning.
"It still hasn't hatched?" Her mother sighed. "We can return it. I'll tell Jolene to contact whatever breeder she got it from—we'll say that it's defective."
"Eggs aren't defective," Elesa's father pointed out. "And it would be a waste of time and money to contact Jolene or the breeder right away." He turned his gaze to Elesa, scrutinizing her. "Are you sure you've been taking care of it?"
"Dad," Elesa huffed. "Of course I have been. Ever since you guys gave it to me, I've done nothing but care for it."
"Then it's a late riser, that's all." He stood to his feet. "If it doesn't hatch in a few more months or so, I will have to agree with your mother. It's better to deal with these things sooner, rather than later."
Elesa frowned, her bright blue eyes scintillating with defiance. Yet, her voice was nothing but sweetly compliant, despite the fact she had no desire whatsoever to get rid of her egg. "Yes, Father."
.
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Unfezant, Swanna, Cora the Woobat. Skyla was sure that Cora was close to becoming Swoobat, actually, so that was exciting. Her team was really shaping up to be something formidable. Of course, favoring one type so heavily had its disadvantages sometimes, especially against electric and ice type pokemon. But on the bright side, when she wanted to become a pilot and perhaps even a Gym Leader one day, she'd already have the right experience when it came to pokemon.
As high school was nearing, Skyla's parents became even more attentive. "This is your chance to shine," her mother said. "Don't blow it."
"You should start looking into jobs, internships, or scholarships. Pilot's school doesn't pay for itself," her dad reminded. We aren't going to pay for you after high school, he really meant to say.
Skyla simply nodded. "I know. I will." She wasn't as scared of talking to people or trying new things, but she was terrified at her parents' reactions. Of their disappointment if she was anything less than perfect. She found herself swallowing the hesitation in her throat, and adding on: "I won't let you down."
Her mother cracked a smile, while her father rested a heavy hand on her shoulder, swaying her conviction and her body at once. "I know you won't."
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On the first day of the new school semester, Skyla got lost.
Castelian Heights High School was much, much larger than any other school she'd been in. There were multiple brick buildings, all of which looked the same, and it was hard to find the right buildings where her classes were.
She had her trusty pokemon with her, however, so even if it was scary making her way there, she wasn't truly alone.
She finally found her first class—algebra—in the furthest building from the school's entrance. Despite the school's reputation and prestige, uniforms were not required, so Skyla showed off her own personal style with denim overalls and a long-sleeved blue t-shirt underneath. Complete with black boots, heavy and sturdy like something a pilot might wear.
Her hair was down, for once, the longest strands of her hair falling into her face. Her mother scolded her in the morning, telling her to clip up the bangs so it wouldn't look so messy, and Skyla had complied.
Then, once she arrived on the school grounds, she immediately took the clips out.
Walking into the classroom wasn't as daunting as she'd imagined it to be. No one stared at her as she entered the room—class hadn't officially started yet, and all her peers seemed busy talking to one another. A few loners sat in corners of the classroom. One very studious looking person sat in the very front, and seated dead-center, in the middle of it all, was a familiar face.
"Skyla!" Elesa waved her over. Her hair was done up in an almost casual ponytail, but the rest of her was classy and preppy. A beautiful cardigan set over an expensive looking blouse, together with a long skirt that made her seem much more plain and pleasant than she actually was. "Come sit next to me!"
Skyla walked over towards her best friend with a smile. "We don't have assigned seating?"
"Nope," Elesa replied coolly, making a popping sound on the p. "I asked the teacher already, so no worries."
Skyla grinned, and took a seat right next to Elesa. She began taking out the necessary supplies: notebook, pencil, pencil case. Her eyes glanced over at the sight of something shiny. "Whoa, is that the newest model for the Xtransceiver?"
Elesa smirked. It was here that she showed off the device clamped around her wrist—sleek and smooth and stylish, nothing like its bulky predecessors. "That's right! My parents got it for me as a present. For the new school year, y'know?"
"Nice!" Skyla was used to seeing Elesa show off her wealth—she no longer stung out of jealousy for the things she didn't have. "You still have my number, right?" Hopefully it would be compatible for the dinosaur of a Xtransceiver Skyla had in comparison.
"Of course! I was gonna call you, actually. Do you want to set up regular study times?" Elesa's fancy stationery and note-taking supplies were already perfectly lined up on the desk. She adjusted the cute array of pencils and pens, even though not one was out of place. "I don't want to fall behind."
Any other person would think Elesa was crazy for being so serious about the school year when it had barely begun, but Skyla understood her eagerness well. Partly because Skyla's own parents were quick to remind her of the same thing, partly because Skyla understood Elesa like no other. They had gone through their own trials and tribulations, and so something like school, while daunting, proved as nothing more than another obstacle to overcome.
With a nod, Skyla agreed, and opened up her notebook. "Me either."
They scheduled their regular study times, and the rest was history.
.
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Their algebra teacher was kind, but a little monotonous-sounding. He asked every student to introduce themselves to the class, resulting in a chorus of groans and Why? Even so, one-by-one, the students stood up and introduced themselves. They talked about their likes and dislikes, what they did over the summer, and the middle school they came from. They also talked about their goals for high school and college, if they had any.
When it was Skyla's turn to speak, she stood up straight and spoke in a loud, clear voice. "My name is Skyla. And I want to become a pilot! I love flying-type pokemon!" Her eyes scanned the room, and her gaze remained fixed on Elesa for a second too long. "That's all. I hope to get along with everyone!"
The class gave a halfhearted applause, but the teacher seemed happy with her response. "Thank you, Skyla. Next?"
Elesa stood up without having to be asked. She flipped her ponytail back over her shoulder, one hand on her hip. Throughout the entire process, there were multiple students talking amongst themselves or even zoning out, but as soon as Elesa stood into the limelight, all went quiet. There wasn't a single whisper as she captivated everyone's attention.
Perfect, she thought. That's exactly what I want. She looked at her teacher, then to her classmates. "My name is Elesa," she said. And finally, her gaze landed on Skyla, ice blue eyes warming at the sight of her very best friend. My first enemy, but my first friend. An irreplaceable person. The memories felt bittersweet as they replayed themselves in her mind, and she almost faltered before finishing her sentence.
"And I'm going to be a star."
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Algebra class went by without a hitch. Skyla and Elesa didn't talk much, as they were both focused on the lecture.
As expected, however, Elesa's natural charm and personality drew people to her like flies. Once the lecture was over and the students began packing up for the next class, a slew of students approached the blonde with hesitance.
Skyla watched as they crowded around Elesa, unintentionally shoving Skyla out of the way so they could reach her. So they could see this shining star up close, her pretty blonde hair and her sparkling blue eyes that would make any girl envious. Some of the girls asked to be friends with Elesa. A few others asked what classes she had. And some boys, certainly infatuated upon first sight, tried to flirt with her.
The redhead sighed. She wasn't annoyed by this behavior—she knew the kind of effect Elesa had on people. She knew her personality was bright, magnetic, show-stopping. It was the reason why Skyla had been so fixated on her, too, in her own way. It was the reason they were even friends at all.
"Sure, sure," Elesa replied calmly to all their inquiries and comments. "Yeah, we can catch up. Later, okay?" Then, her voice rose to a pitch. "Skyla?"
The redheaded girl stopped in her tracks. She had put away all her notes and pencils, and was ready to head out on her own. After all, she and Elesa already compared schedules, and they didn't share another class together until after lunchtime. And yet— "Elesa?"
The crowd of students parted like a sea as Elesa, blonde and beautiful and siren-like, smiled at Skyla. "Let's go to class together?"
Skyla knew that her next class was English, while Elesa had Biology on the other side of the school. So for her to offer to walk her there, and to risk being late for her own class, or risk not spending time with her potential new friends and posse members…
Skyla couldn't help but smile. "Yes, let's!"
Elesa ignored the rest of the students and linked arms with Skyla.
They left the room as soon as the bell rang, arm-in-arm, hand-in-lovable-hand.
Leaving everyone else stunned.
.
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The next few classes passed like a blur for Skyla. After Elesa dropped her off at English, Skyla mostly kept to herself, but surprisingly enough, other students began to approach her, as well. Most of them were shy, a few of them were loners, but some of them even had the look of popular athletes or formerly popular students. Their introductions and words were polite. A majority of them just said measly things like "Hi," or "What's your name?"
And Skyla had the suspicion that some of them already knew her name, but she gave it out, anyway.
She had a friendly rapport with a few of them, and a couple of girls, enamored with Skyla's bubbly personality and brave face, asked her: "Is it true you're friends with Elesa?"
Skyla felt a knot in her stomach. Still, she nodded. "Yup. We've known each other since elementary school." If she thought long enough about the things that transpired from then to now, her head felt like it would spin right off her neck. "Why?"
"That's so cool," one girl gawked. "I've seen Elesa in magazines! Her mom is really popular, too."
"I know, I can't believe she goes to this school!" Another girl cooed. "And I'm so jealous of you, Skyla! I'd love to be friends with Elesa. You're so lucky!"
I'm sure you would, Skyla thought bitterly. But you can't.
Not if the only thing you care about is her looks, anyway.
Feeling oddly scorned by their innocent words and intentions, Skyla obscured her true feelings and simply shrugged in response. "Guess so."
.
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Elesa paid attention in all of her classes, of course. She'd be an idiot not to.
Yet, a small part of her was also attuned to her surroundings, and the presence of her classmates. She could tell that several pairs of eyes were affixed on her instead of the teacher, mostly from the boys but definitely from some of the girls, as well. While she kept an even face, and pretended to be absolutely focused on the lecture, a small part of her wanted to break out into a smile.
Some things never change.
When their teacher ended the class early and let the students pack up for the next period, Elesa found herself—as usual—swarmed by other students. Some of them admitted to being fans of her work: Elesa did more and more modeling shoots, especially over the summer. She even appeared on the cover of Teen Vague: Unova's Mysterious Young Beauties thanks to her mother. Plus, some of the faces surrounding Elesa were familiar, and she recognized them as students that went to her middle school or elementary school. None of the nasty ones, of course, but those quiet loners that always seemed removed from the drama. Guess they were fans of her, after all.
She soaked up all the attention as per usual. After all, high school was a formative time, and she had her whole future planned ahead of her. She wasn't the type of person to shy away from the spotlight, so when the time was right, she relished in it all.
But all the while, she couldn't help but miss the eyes of a certain best friend of hers, and how the classes that she didn't share with Skyla weren't nearly as fun, even though Skyla didn't do much outside of paying attention to the class. Yet simply having her by Elesa's side was enough to calm her, and remind her that no matter how many admirers Elesa had, only one person's admiration truly meant anything in the end.
And if she thought too long about why that might be the case, the possibilities scared her, and hinted at something that went deeper than friendship.
So she smothered the thought, as tempting and true as it might be.
Skyla was just a friend, she rationalized.
That's all it was.
.
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Skyla had lunch, which was really last night's leftovers from dinner, and met up with Elesa before their next class started. They had the same physical education class and the same battle class, which were the most important classes for them as aspiring pokemon trainers. Physical education was easy: they were assigned lockers and spent the day doing nothing else. Skyla made a mental note to prepare some gym clothes for whenever they did start actually exercising.
Their battle class took up two class periods, though the first day was easy and short. Everyone simply released their pokemon partners, and the teachers took note of everyone's teams.
When the instructor reached Elesa, Elesa made sure to clarify a few things. "I have two emolgas and a zebstrika, of course, but I also have an egg incubating at home."
The instructor's eyes lit up. "Is that so?" They marked something on their clipboard. "Do you know what type of egg it is?"
"No, I received it as a present."
"How long has the incubation period been thus far?"
Elesa grit her teeth. "Two months."
"Whoa," they muttered. "That's a long time. Well, no worries. Just let me know when the egg hatches and I can update your team."
Elesa nodded. When the instructor checked in on Skyla, she happily reported her entire team, but mentioned the possibility of receiving a fourth. While the blonde fretted over her late-hatching egg, the instructor spoke to them both.
"Are you two aiming for Gym Leadership?"
Skyla and Elesa looked at each other. Elesa spoke up. "I'm interested."
The instructor nodded, then turned to Skyla. "And you?"
"I want to be a pilot," she admitted. "I'm not sure about being a Gym Leader yet."
"Okay. Just let me know if you change your mind. I have connections with the Unova League, so if you two do really well...you might just get in."
Elesa's eyes shone bright. "Really?"
"Yes! Just keep me updated, alright girls?"
"Will do!"
Skyla stayed quiet, and watched as the instructor attended to the other students. When they were out of range, Elesa got in close, and stared at her incredulously. "Isn't this great? We might have an in with the Unova League! And it's the first day, too!"
"That would be great," Skyla said, "if I wanted to be a Gym Leader in the first place."
The blonde girl frowned. Even when angry, Elesa was beautifully breath-taking. Skyla's heart throbbed painfully for that fact and that fact alone. "How come?"
"Being a pilot is my dream," Skyla said. "I don't know if I'll be able to balance both jobs."
"Oh, sure you can. I still plan on being a model after high school, so I don't see why I can't also be a Gym Leader at the same time." She placed her hands on her hips in a "as-a-matter-of-fact" kind of way. Skyla almost laughed. "And it would be fun to be gym leaders together, right?"
Skyla blinked, eyes wide. "Together?"
"Well, yeah." Elesa's voice softened, her eyes gleaming bright. "Because it'd be fun to do this together, don't you think? Just you and me."
"You and me," Skyla muttered. "That's—"
"I know it's You and I, don't correct me on my grammar." Elesa cut in with a snort. "But you get what I mean, right?"
Skyla's eyes were wide and thoughtful, but then full as she came to a decision a moment later. "...Right." She stuck out her pinkie, expectant and cute, like back when they were children. "Together, you and me. Promise?"
Elesa smiled, and wrapped her pinkie around Skyla's, all too eager and happy at her decision. "You and me, that's a promise."
The warmth between their fingertips burned hot.