Chapter 2 - Comic
Like Flynn promised, he came a few hours before sundown to pick me up. There's no use resisting a burly 'mon like him, and my day is already messed up anyway, so I went to town with him without as much of a fuss as I would normally make.
Flynn had this thing where he'd treat me to something nice before going to the place where he actually wanted to take me. It was likely to lure me into a false sense of security and think that the whole outing would be as innocent as he promised, or to put me in the best mood possible so I wouldn't be too disgruntled when he made me participate in his ideas of "fun". I caught on to his pattern quickly and I would tell him to cut to the chase so I could get the night over with, but this time he offered to eat dinner at the Sunkern Café, so I played along.
"Alright, I already know what you're gonna say." The Flareon said with food still in his mouth. "'Ooooh, Flynn, what awful place are you gonna take me to this time?', did I get it right?"
"Just about." I said calmly, mentally preparing for his answer. We were seated across from eachother at a table that was right next to a huge window pane.
He leaned in closer after swallowing his food, "'Kay so apparently there's this mixer going on at campus tonight since the semester is about to begin and all the new freshmen have started showing up. Everyone's invited."
I nodded as I sipped an oran berry soda out of a straw, already not liking where this was going.
"Milo, don't you see? This is the perfect opportunity to snag yourself a nice little chick-a-dee. And don't worry, this won't be me setting you up with someone I know or any of that crap. All you have to do hang around, talk to some of the party goers, maybe wait for someone to approach you instead. It'll be as easy as pie, so just be yourself. Someone is bound to be interested in you." He paused abruptly to drink some water, "Except uhh… maybe don't mention that you spend all day in that garden of yours, 'cause it might make you seem… you know… queer."
I was too concerned about Flynn's "master plan" to be offended by his last remark. "How many times do I have to tell you that this is never gonna work out? The only thing I'm gonna do is make a fool of myself in front of all those Pokémon."
"Relax. Nothing but good will come outta this. I'll even keep an eye on you so no one slips you the knockout." He chuckled as he called for a waiter to pay the bill. "And need I remind you that you have everything going for you, especially compared to those other shut-ins in our school? You look good, you smell good, you feel good."
"You've said that three times before already." I rolled my eyes and slumped into my seat. "I never even wanted to do these things in the first place."
"It'll be fine. Trust me." He left a tip on the table and got up to leave. "Now, you coming or not? Oh what am I saying, of course you are!"
The party was hosted at a senior's dorm, and it wasn't a cramped, one or two room dorm that one might expect, but one of those exclusive suites that were as big as an ordinary apartment. Whoever this senior was, they probably had some connections going on that landed them such an establishment. We could already hear tons of voices before we walked in. There were even strobe lights on the ceiling, flashing a wide range of different colored beams. It made me feel like I was at a disco club.
Flynn slapped my back the second we entered, before wishing me luck with a toothy grin and then going off to mingle himself into a crowd. I already felt vulnerable the moment he vanished into a group of Pokémon playing beer pong on a pool table. I saw a makeshift snack bar, so I slowly made my way there and poured myself a drink.
This is apple juice, right?
I grimaced when I tasted what I guessed to be a kind of ale, or mead, and immediately replaced the liquid with tap water at a sink. One thing I've found from my nightmarish experiences with Flynn's gal friends is that I get thirsty really quickly when I try to hold a conversation. I looked around for someone to talk to and found plenty, but my anxiety prevented me from even taking a step towards them. I sighed in my own defeat and took a seat at an empty couch. I placed an elbow on the armrest and supported my head with the same arm whilst scanning the whole place over.
Mabel appeared in the corner of my eye, chatting with another guy this time. It wasn't really a shock to see her here, but I was surprised to see that she had gotten over her previous episode quicker than expected, which I suppose is a good thing. I'd like to pass the time with her, but I probably shouldn't be seen around her in social gatherings like these. One of her ex's might see me talking to her and cause a scene, looking to size me up or something. She has dated a considerable amount of guys in our grade, so the possibility of one of them being here was very realistic. Not to mention that Mabel is attracted to all things manly - big muscles, deep voices, stalwart chivalry - stuff that I lack. My traits are mediocre at best, so any one of her late boyfriends would undoubtedly floor me if they wanted to. She even went out with Flynn once when she first came here, since he practically oozes out masculinity, but that apparently lasted for like a day when she found his character to be too much for her. They settled on being mere acquaintances for my sake.
Can't really blame her.
I yawned and shifted into a more comfortable position. Maybe if I tried hard enough, I could fade into the background and fall asleep until the party's over. It shouldn't be that much of a challenge since everybody seemed to be too preoccupied with being social. I blinked slowly a few times as I reclined back onto the sofa.
"Hey there! This spot taken?"
The high-pitch voice startled me, and I looked over and saw a Glameow, placing a paw on where she wanted to sit.
"Oh umm… n-no it's not. Help yourself."
"Great!" She smiled gleefully and plopped onto the sofa. I saw that her cheeks were a little red, probably from whatever she's drinking in that glass she was holding. "So, you new around here?"
"No, not exactly. I'm a sophomore here... well, I'm going to be."
"Oh really? Me too!" She scooched closer to me, "How come I haven't seen you here before?"
When I got a good look at her adorable features, my face started to feel hot. "Oh, t-that's because my friend dragged me here." I answered quickly.
"I didn't mean that silly!" She giggled, placing her cup on the floor, "I meant how come I never see you around campus. What are you studying?"
"Oh… right." I laughed nervously at my misinterpretation, taking a swig from my drink right after to hide how flustered I was getting. "I'm uhh… learning about business - economics - that kind of thing."
"Ah, that explains it! I study in the engineering wing, which is on the complete opposite side of the lecture halls."
"Oh, no wonder then." I forced another chuckle. "That's a shame, isn't it?" I looked away to place my drink on the table to the opposite side of me.
"Yeah, you're right…" When I gave my attention back to her, she was so close to me that our sides almost touched. "It really is a shame..."
My eyes grew wide when I realized what had happened. "Wha-... What are you doing?"
The Glameow pressed her body against my arm and wrapped her arms around it. "You know… you're kinda cute~." She started running a paw across my chest. "And my, aren't you well built. You're no slouch, huh?" She purred.
I turned more and more red with each passing moment. "H-Hey! H-H-Hold on a minute!" I stammered as I tried to lean away as far as I could from her, but I was already at the edge of the sofa.
"Why don't we get more acquainted back at my place, what do you say~?" She moved her face closer to mine.
At that point I probably looked like a tomato, but I didn't care, I just wanted to be anywhere but where I was currently. I looked around frantically for anyone or anything that could help me. The only things I could find were nearby onlookers who seemed to be rooting for the Glameow more than me, or others still too busy talking among themselves to notice. I saw Flynn looking at me while doing over-enthusiastic pelvic thrusts. "You got this!" He mouthed.
Curse you!
The girl was practically on top of me now, moving in for a smooch, probably thinking that it would seal the deal. All I could do was pathetically shield my face from the inevitable, which she easily solved by holding my arms down.
Can't you at least take me out to dinner first!?
I can't be pinned down like this! There's no way she's actually into me! She's clearly intoxicated! That red glow on her face says it all! She hasn't even asked for my name yet! She clearly just wants to relieve herself!
I used these feelings of injustice to put my voice back in me. "N-No! Stop!" I yelled, pulling my arms away with all the strength I could manage and pushed her away. My anger instantly dissipated out of concern that I might have hurt her, since I had basically catapulted her to the other side of the couch. "S-Sorry! I didn't mean that! I'm just… not ready for that kinda stuff yet…" I tried to apologize.
She quickly got back on all fours and responded by slapping me. Hard. So hard in fact that I think it left an imprint on my cheek for a short while.
"What is wrong with you!? What kind of guy throws a girl like that when they're just trying to be friendly!?" She turned her back to me with a huff and padded away without a second thought. A "hmph!" was the last thing I heard from her before she fazed back into the crowd.
I sat up on the couch and saw all the looks from all of the witnesses. Some had looks of disapproval, others were sympathetic, though most others were still too engrossed in their own engagements that they were blissfully unaware of what just happened, including Mabel. Flynn has shaking his head. My face grew red again, this time out of shame and embarrassment. I ran out of the apartment the second I realized I was about to cry.
Being outside in the fresh, nightly air and away from the judgmental looks of my peers helped me from going into a complete mental breakdown, but it still didn't stop me from wishing I could dig myself into a hole and never come out. I sighed as I started making the trek back home.
"Hey! Wait up!" A voice boomed.
My ears perked up at the noise, but dropped back down once I saw it was from the Pokémon who brought into that dreaded place.
"What the hell just happened back there?" He questioned, "You were about to get in man! Why did you just throw her off like that?"
"Didn't you see what was wrong with her? It all happened so fast and... look, there was never anything special going on between us." I replied with a shake of my head.
"What are you talking about? She was coming onto you faster than a Rapidash!"
Suddenly my disbelief turned into utter frustration. "That's not it all!" I shouted. "She was obviously drunk!"
A brow furrowed on the quizzical Flareon. "So what? Wouldn't that just improve your chances at wooing her?"
"Is that all you think about?" I yelled with gritted teeth. "I never wanted to go to this stupid party, and I definitely didn't come here to degrade myself into some whore like you!"
His face wrinkled with anger. "What did you just say?"
The way Flynn somehow made himself look bigger as he stomped towards me, about to show me his wrath, knocked the sense back into me. I shouldn't have said what I said, and now this walking mass of destruction was going to show me my mistake. So naturally, I made a break for it. When I looked back while I ran, Flynn hadn't moved from his spot at all, and watched me disappear into the trees.
I slowed to a trot once I reached the town plaza, since it was on the way to my neighborhood. My heart rate returned to a normal beat, and I shivered at the chilly breeze tonight had brought. I kicked around an empty soda can that someone had littered as I evaluated my actions.
All I could think of was how I ran, ran from a girl that would have given me the "time of my life", ran from all the embarrassment I got soon after that, and how I ran from Flynn, who didn't appear to want to hurt me in the end. It was an unwelcome reminder of all the other times I ran from my problems, the most prominent of which was how I fled from my hometown, where I could've lived a safe and modest life with my parents if I just learned to put up with their incessant bickering. Perhaps I could've helped them set aside their differences if I was brave enough. Not once could I remember a time where I have ever stood up for myself. All I've ever done was run from even the slightest bit of adversity.
Have I always been such a coward?
This has to change. I've known that for the longest time, but I can never think of a way to go about it. I had a thought where I wished that, even just once, that my parents would've been harsh to me, maybe even beat me. Then maybe that would've tempered me to be tougher.
I walked as my thoughts were filled with self-loathing. I had almost left the town premises before a gust of wind blew. It was so strong that I staggered back a bit. I squeezed my eyes shut so the cold tempest wouldn't sting them. The consequences of doing that became apparent when I let a piece of paper fly into my face. Geez, must everyone be so careless when they throw away trash?
When the wind died down, I ripped the paper off with a growl. There was a certain weight and thickness to it that led me to believe that it was a magazine or booklet, but then my annoyed expression softened when I instead found it to be a comic book. The cover page depicted what I initially thought was a silhouette running through a grassy plain, but upon closer inspection, turned out to be a Wartortle almost completely covered in black clothing, leaving only the eyes exposed.
Ninjas?
I twirled my head around to see if anyone was around before tucking it away.
Seeing the cover page had somehow replaced my anger with a childhood nostalgia. The cartoony, cell-shaded artstyle reminded me of how much I used to love reading comics when I was a kid. I thought it was so nerdy and dumb to like such things that I kept it a secret, even from my parents. I recalled staying late afterschool in my elementary school library to read them once I was sure no one else was there. There I'd fill my young brain with the awesome feats of superheroes, and my eyes would sparkle at the slapstick action scenes, where the hero would defeat the villain and save the day.
I had run out of things to entertain myself back home and needed something to distract me from hating myself even more, so it couldn't hurt to revive a lost passion, at least for as long as no one knows about it.
It has been a week since the disaster of a party happened. Flynn has stopped talking to ever me since, and lately I've been feeling a rift between us whenever I see him go in and out of his house during my daily gardening chores. The new college term is set to start in a few days, and I was hoping that we would make up before that.
I want to take the initiative, but I was too engrossed in reading the graphic novel I found that I kept putting it off. I couldn't stop reading it. In it contained multiple short stories that the author claimed to have actually happened way back when. Whether that really was the case or not, I was hooked. I spent my days inside my room rather than going out and absorbing the sunlight. I likely would've been an Umbreon if I hadn't found an excuse to go outside when I was younger.
I just couldn't put the book down; I wanted to keep reading. I found the intense stealth missions that the characters took part in, where getting caught would certainly spell out their doom, to be so thrilling! I was consciously aware of how much I was obsessing over it, but I was just so-
*Knock knock*
The sound almost made me jump off my bed, and my wondering on who it could be did indeed convince me to put my book down, just for a moment. I hid the comic under my pillow and went to open the door. I was met with a scene similar to how I first met my next door neighbor - formally, that is.
"Hey." The Flareon scratched the back of his head. "Can we talk?"
"Uhh… sure."
He gestured me to follow him. Not a word was spoken as we walked and sat by the nearby river and dipped our legs into the cool waters. I felt guilty for not being the one to ask about this sooner, so I made sure I was the one to break the silence.
"I umm… I'm really sorry for what I said last. I didn't mean it." I shifted uncomfortably on the damp grass. "I was so caught up in everything that... I might've gotten a little too full of myself."
"Yeah, I get it now." We both continued to not make eye contact, "I was stupid, was I? For not seeing it when I should have?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for one: not everyone is like me, and two: that chick was kinda tipsy."
I chuckled. "If you say so."
He smiled along with me before he quickly turned serious. "Well, for that, I want to apologize. And for a while I had time to think about what you said. You're after real, intimate relationships, are you? Companionship and all that?"
"You could say that, but I'm not really looking for a relationship right now. Did you forget that I just wanted to have more confidence in myself?"
"This is the best way to have more confidence in yourself." He retorted. "You goddamn beta."
"What?"
"Just look at you. You're already after permanent relationships before even realizing the responsibilities and commitments that go with it. Damn, if only women felt the same way." He said almost longingly, looking up at the blue sky above. "Honestly, I can respect that. I feel the same way sometimes..."
"Really? You? Who would've thought?" I said sarcastically, suddenly the tense situation we were in before was all gone.
"Shut up." The Flareon lightly punched my shoulder, or at least he thought it was a light jab. It actually kind of hurt. "But listen, I'm gonna let you in on a secret that I've never told anybody. But since we're such great friends and all, you get to have the honors."
"Okaaay..." I said skeptically, trying not to sound interested.
"Truth is, I've been smitten with a girl for longer than you've been alive."
"Are you saying you've known her since you were kids?"
"Nah, I was just exaggerating. Ever since I came here, I mean. You probably know her. She's an Espeon."
"Is it the same one that-"
"No! Oh my god, no! A different one. I'm not that easy man."
I raised a brow. "Then who is it?"
He looked at me with surprise. "You really don't know her? She's Mabel's roommate. You've definitely seen her at least once given how you're so close to her."
I thought about it for a moment, trying to picture the one and only time I visited Mabel's dorm. I was successful in recalling that her roommate was indeed a psychic-type cousin of ours. She definitely was beautiful, but there was something about her that I just couldn't describe. Being within just a few feet from her made me feel uneasy, and my first impression of her was that she didn't seem to enjoy my company, and probably any other Pokémon, for that matter. My observations are usually accurate in these regards - it's one of the perks of being an introvert. "Really? She's the one you like? I can't imagine anybody getting close to her."
"That's what makes them so damn alluring! I bet like half the guys in the entire school have tried to get in between those legs! None of them were able to do it, but I'm not going to be one of them!" He threw himself onto his back and sighed. "Like... damn bro... I want to be with her..." He said distantly.
"How come you go around wooing other girls then?"
"Well, believe or not, I used to be like you."
This time I almost broke into a full on laugh. "What? No way."
"I'm serious, though I never had a plant fetish like you, but you wanna know how I am who I am today? I put myself out there, so I could be more proud of who I am." He sat back up. "And so we've come full circle. I'm telling you man, if you wanna be more confident and worthy in the eyes of women, you gotta go out there and start having fun."
"But I'm really not cut out for this kind of stuff. And how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not trying to look more worthy in the eyes of-"
"Out of the question. Everyone has a reason to have more self-esteem. C'mon, think of one."
I donned a thoughtful expression for a second time. "I mean… I do want to be less bashful."
"Bingo. That's why I'm here to help you."
"But I'm pretty much rendered useless against any stranger I try to talk to, much less to a girl."
"Don't be such a downer man, look at me for crying out loud, I used to be just like you and I've pulled myself outta there. There's always a way out."
I looked down at my reflection in the river. "I'm not so sure about that. I mean, what can I do?"
"You can…" Flynn bit his lip as he stopped to think. "I dunno, I still say my plan is the best."
"But that's your way of doing it. I'm different from you, so I need a different way of doing it." I rebutted. "Unless…" I murmured, placing a paw on my chin,
Wait…
An idea clicked in my head. It was an idea so great that it got me excited. It was so perfect for me that I got up and started making a mad dash back home.
"Flynn! I just had an idea!" I said impatiently. "Thanks for the talk, but I gotta go!" I was already yards away from him before he could react.
"Wait! What is it?" He almost whined.
I barely heard what he said, as I had already made it to my backyard, where I hopped the fence into my garden and slammed the backdoor behind me. Plans like these come only once in a lifetime, and it'd be crazy not to act on it.
Thanks a ton for tuning in! Hope to see you all back here soon!
