"Here it is," said Sylvia, holding up a blue flyer decorated with snowflakes. "Liz did a good job."
It was Monday, and Liam and Vasilio were spending their morning break in Miss Snyder's office, where Sylvia and Ruth were busy with some kind of student government business.
"What is it?" asked Liam.
"We're adding a Winter Ball this year—by popular demand," explained Sylvia.
"Meaning?" said Vasilio.
"It is just like Spring Banquet," said Ruth, "except it is in the winter."
"And girls invite guys," added Sylvia, pinning the flyer to Miss Snyder's noticeboard.
Liam gave a start.
"Sorry, what?" said Vasilio, sounding a little incredulous.
"It's like a Sadie Hawkins dance," said Sylvia.
"That was also by popular demand," said Miss Snyder, who was filling out paperwork at her desk. "Very popular demand."
"But wait," said Liam, "With the 9th grade, the secondary has a huge imbalance of guys and girls now. It's almost two-to-one."
"Methinks the Liam doth protest too much," grinned Sylvia.
"The odds aren't in our favor either way," said Vasilio, flicking Liam on the shoulder. "So Sylv, since this is probably your bright idea, who are you gonna ask?"
"One," said Sylvia, adjusting her round glass, "It wasn't my bright idea, it was Cass McCloud's bright idea. Two, your peers voted in favor of this bright idea by a huge majority, so don't blame me for what the people chose."
"I don't remember being consulted about this," grumbled Liam.
"It was before your time," said Sylvia. "You guys really need to chill out. Think about how we feel at every other dance."
"Yes," said Ruth, nodding vigorously, "Think about that."
Liam sighed. He couldn't think of anyone at the school that would ask him to Winter Ball now that Cass was gone.
"Pin these up on the bulletin boards," said Sylvia, handing a stack of flyers to Ruth. "Liam, Vasilio, you up for some grunt work?"
"I'm on break," said Liam flatly. "What about you, Vasi?"
"Also very much on break," Vasilio concurred.
"Suit yourself," said Sylvia.
She left the office with another stack of blue flyers.
"You two need a behavioral adjustment," said Miss Snyder. "And yes, Liam, that is my professional opinion."
"Put it on our transcripts, Christine," said Vasilio dryly.
"You don't even have a good reason to complain," Miss Snyder pointed out. "Either Rebecca will have asked you before the end of August or I don't have profound insights into the emotional lives of adolescents."
"She's got a point, Vasi," said Liam. "Your odds of getting a date are pretty good. I, on the other hand, have every right to complain."
"Remind me to add 'tends toward self-pity' to your student folder, Liam," said Miss Snyder, finishing the form she was working on and filing it away in her desk.
"It's not self-pity, Christine, it's realism," said Liam. "Unless you know something I don't."
"Oh, I know lots of things that you don't," said Miss Snyder, tapping her freckled nose sagely. "But I don't interfere in the personal lives of students on principle. I can neither confirm nor deny that anyone at this school is interested or has ever been interested in anyone at any time… ever."
"I'm afraid her disclaimer is bulletproof, Liam," said Vasi with a laugh. "Come on, let's get to Math."
They both got up to leave.
"Liam," said Miss Snyder, "have some optimism."
She winked.
"Thanks, Christine," said Liam.
"Oh, and give girls a reason to like you," Miss Snyder added. "Nobody is entitled to a date. It's vicious out there."
"Be optimistic, but also vicious," said Liam. "Got it."
Miss Snyder gave a sarcastic thumbs up and returned to her paperwork.
Despite the added anxiety of Winter Ball hanging over his head, Liam quickly settled into a familiar routine. While his fears that Vasilio was slipping away from him (and toward Rebecca) never really left him, Liam spent enough time with Vasi and Mori during the day to hold on to that old sense of belonging and camaraderie he first started feeling last year. Apart from Coach Tang's Chemistry class—which continued to be an aggravating joke—Liam looked forward to his classes. His study sessions with Marsha and Chelsea were actually helping him to improve in Werner's Advanced Tactics class, and Liam felt a hint of pride every time he answered a question that stumped Sylvia or Ruth. While Professor Werner remained as critical as ever during Team Virtue meetings on Thursdays, Liam found fulfillment in training the younger students, and especially Orchid.
It took Orchid Ng about a week to get over her embarrassment at falling asleep on Liam's shoulder, but when she did, Liam found that he had made a breakthrough with her. She was still timid, and still spoke in a barely-audible mumble in the presence of teachers and older students, but Liam began to see why Taylor had introduced her as his "protege''. Orchid could be sarcastic and cutting—especially about the more popular students in school—and she held very few of the teachers in high regard. She was particularly bitter over the lack of art classes in the 9th grade schedule—high schoolers at Everspring couldn't choose electives until they got two years of Tactics and Pokemon Breeding out of the way.
"I need to practice," she complained as she sat beside Liam in math class. "If I don't have a p-portfolio, I'm screwed."
Liam thought Orchid's collection of paintings and sketches she kept tucked away in Miss Snyder's office was already very impressive, but Orchid brushed off his compliments.
"You don't know what you're t-talking about," she said every time he expressed appreciation for an impressive doodle or preliminary sketch.
Liam granted he wasn't an art expert, but even he could tell that Orchid had the artistic chops to make it as a Pokemon watcher or even a graphic designer or caricaturist, but Orchid was aiming higher. She wanted to go to art school. Liam got the sense that neither of her parents supported this potential career path.
The sudden announcement of the Winter Ball put more than a little pressure on the girls of Everspring International Pokemon Academy. Even Orchid seemed to have some plan in the works, and Marsha and Chelsea were even more off-topic than usual in their study sessions.
"Liam, who should Chelsea ask to Winter Ball?" said Marsha.
Liam peered suspiciously over his textbook.
"I feel like this is a trick," he said.
"How could this be a trick, bro?" said Chelsea with a grin. "I'm just looking for advice."
"My advice is to memorize Hidden Abilities, because Werner loves to throw those into short answer questions," said Liam.
Chelsea looked a little disappointed that he hadn't played along. Liam had a suspicion the girls wanted him to volunteer himself—mainly so they could laugh at him for doing so. There were worse things than going with Chelsea to Winter Ball, but one of them was feeling like a fool. He didn't like to think about the field day Mori would've had about his "girl craziness" if Liam had said anything.
Exactly a week after the flyers for Winter Ball went up, Liam found Orchid hard at work in the art room after school. She turned her easel away from him as he approached, which only increased his curiosity.
"Whatcha workin' on?" said Liam innocently.
"...you'll find out tomorrow," said Orchid.
Her tone made it clear he wasn't going to get a peek. Sure enough, Liam found out exactly what Orchid had been working on the next day at break. Liam spotted Taylor taking a colorful painting of an Exploud off the front of his locker. He examined it, sighed, and glanced around, clearly wondering if Orchid was nearby. On cue, Orchid popped out of a nearby classroom and shuffled up to Taylor, her eyes fixed on her shoes.
"...Did you read it?" she said in a very small voice.
"Yeah," said Taylor.
His voice was as casual as always, but Liam thought he looked deeply uncomfortable. He could already tell what the answer would be.
"Hey, Orchid," said Taylor. "You know, I… it was really nice of you to ask me. And… I wish I could say yes. It's just… Rosaline asked me already. And I told her I'd go with her. I'm really sorry."
Orchid's face went even redder than it had the morning of the lock-in.
"You should probably take this back," Taylor continued, offering her the painting. "I'd feel bad to take something so pretty after I said no."
Orchid hands trembled as she received the painting from Taylor.
"Sorry," he said again.
"It's… okay," Orchid mumbled.
Still grasping the painting, Orchid bolted away. She nearly clocked Marsha as she scrampered down the main stairs. Liam suspected she was headed for the art room.
"Crap," said Taylor with a sigh.
He noticed Liam staring at him.
"Can you go, uh, check on her?" he said.
"Sure," said Liam.
Taylor sighed again.
"That girl has the worst luck," he said to himself as he pulled his backpack over his shoulder and started towards Professor Wort's science room. Liam waited until the halls were empty before following Orchid down the main stairs to the second floor.
Even if Liam hadn't known where Orchid was running to, he would've found an easy trail to follow. Ripped pieces of the Exploud painting led him to the hall outside the art room, where Orchid was curled up besides the cubbies where the elementary students left their backpacks. There was a class of 4th graders doing clay modelling inside. After collecting the scattered pieces, Liam slid down beside Orchid. At first, Liam thought she was crying—he quickly realized, however, that she was pulling at her hair and twisting her hands in rage.
"That slut," she spat. "She doesn't care about him. She's just using him b-because she knows he…"
She shuddered. Liam was more than a little taken aback. He knew Orchid had a bitter streak, but to hear her unloading on Rosaline—a friendly (if rather quirky and unusual) junior that obviously liked Taylor a lot—was unexpected, and it unnerved him.
"She doesn't deserve him," Orchid raged. "She's so... shallow. She doesn't understand what it's like to be…"
"An artist?" asked Liam.
Orchid nodded. She was chewing her tongue savagely, clawing at her jeans.
Suddenly, it all clicked. Orchid loved Taylor—Taylor the musician, that is. She saw in him someone else dedicated to their art—someone who could understand her feelings, if he would only notice her. To Taylor, by contrast, she was a protege—a young outsider he was guiding along. There were a lot of younger students that looked up to Taylor. He was undeniably cool, with his long, black hair, laid-back attitude, and quick wit. I Am Munchlax was, so far as Liam knew, the only band in the school, meaning they found themselves performing in some capacity at nearly every school event. Orchid had probably been watching him for years, gazing in awe at the one member of the band (besides, at times, Vasilio) that truly took the art of rock seriously. Taylor was I Am Munchlax's lead songwriter and most skilled musician. He was the one that bullied the other band members into practicing on weekends—the one who developed the band's "street songs" mythos. The band was, at bottom, his creation.
He was certainly an artist. But Liam wondered how well Orchid really knew him.
"I'm sorry," said Liam. "I could tell he really wanted to say yes. I—."
They heard the light patter of pawed feet approaching. Liam leaned around the cubbies and saw a Simipour moseying jovially down the hall.
"Oh, you," said Liam. "Did Taylor send you?"
Simipour nodded and gave Liam an enthusiastic thumbs up. Liam rolled his eyes. He had dealt with Taylor's Simipour before, and he knew what to expect.
"Are you looking for Orchid?"
Simipour mimed giving an affectionate hug. Orchid leaned forward, and before Liam could react, Simipour had dived at her, pulling Orchid into a hug so aggressive it looked like a wrestling pin.
"Gahh—!" Orchid choked.
Liam moved to free Orchid from Taylor's over-enthusiastic Pokemon, but then he realized she was laughing. The anger had passed so suddenly it was hard to believe it had ever been there, and Orchid was grinning as she struggled with Simipour.
"Get off," she giggled. "I'm okay! I promise!"
Simipour grabbed Orchid's cheeks and forced her face into a frown.
"I'm not sad," Orchid insisted. "I'll be okay. Tell Taylor I—."
Simipour blasted Orchid with a Water Gun attack at point-blank range. With a mischievous cackle, the monkeyish Pokemon tumbled away, stuck its tongue out at Orchid, and sprinted away down the hall.
"Get back here, you jerk!" shouted Orchid, and she took off after Simipour.
Liam was left alone outside the art room, holding the pieces of Orchid's painting in his hands. He smiled to himself. Though she didn't realize it, Orchid was lucky to have been turned down by Taylor. He wasn't going to let it ruin their friendship. Liam looked wistfully at the torn fragments, wondering vaguely if it were possible to reassemble them. Suddenly, it hit him.
He was ten minutes late for Professor Alexander's Geometry class.
Liam scrambled to his feet, stuffed the pieces of Orchid's painting into his canvas bag, and sprinted back in the direction of the main stairs.