A.N: Hi guys it's been a long time since I updated this story. Three months have passed. I've been really busy and a lot happened in my life. My dad just passed away last September and before he died we had a very bad connection with each other. I was mad at him and I took things for granted. And was too late to I realized that. Anyway since I was away for a very long time I decided to post three chapters in this story as a make-up for my absence. So this is it :)
Chapter 8
A good Friday morning.
All students were lined up on the academy's center quadrangle. Despite the morning sun already quite high up, the sunlight wasn't as painful as Dawn thought it would be. Yet the temperature was still enough to make her sweat bullets.
Dawn was one of the front liners of the senior classes since her stature was quite short. In front of her stood Maylene, she was chewing on something. Dawn guessed it was another chocolate bar. She had her usual red sweatpants underneath her school skirt.
Dawn looked behind, she still couldn't find Zoey. When they started lining up, Dawn couldn't find her. She thought that she was coming late.
Zoey was a few inches taller than her and is supposed to be position somewhere along the backend of the line.
The place was filled with chatters. Despite the crowd's excitement of the coming announcement, Dawn gave herself a sigh. Her feelings didn't belong with the crowd. Not right now.
She had been feeling down since last night. She had trouble sleeping and was nowhere near okay.
'I'm sorry Dawn. I'm so sorry..'
Dawn clutched her chest. There was something going on with Kenny that she didn't know. If there was something going on with him, it had something to do about what she did. But what exactly did she do? She had no idea.
Her thoughts soon halted by the buzzing of a microphone.
"Good morning children." A man in formal dress appeared on the front platform. He raised his arms in a flamboyant stance with his head held high. He was wearing magenta colored long sleeved polo and slacks with a black vest over with two golden buttons at the center.
The dean of the academy always wore striking and peculiar clothing. It was something Dawn always wondered. Williams Anima always looked formal. But what Dawn wondered about him the most was his black framed masquerade mask.
She always wondered why he was so fun of wearing it. Not only that it made him look weird, it gave Dawn that uncanny and out-of-place feeling.
But despite the peculiar clothing, Will has always been regarded as one of the most respected individual here in Sinnoh as well as across all four regions.
Will waved at the students and bowed. Beside him stood a woman in black office dress. She had wavy silver blue hair that reached her waist. She pushed up her glasses and handed Will a brown envelop.
It was the same woman who caught Dawn red-handed the other day.
Dawn felt her cheeks get toasted by remembering the incident.
Behind the two of them stood Koga and the rest of the school's faculty and staff.
"Good morning again children." Will gave back the envelop to Karen Blake, his secretary. "Are you all ready for what I have in store?" Will flamboyantly smiled.
"As you all know by Monday of next week, it will be Hearthome Sinnoh Academy's 20th anniversary. It will be a spectacular celebration!" He haughtily laughed.
Everyone cheered after him, all the staff members clapped their hands.
Will tightened both of his white gloves and continued. "You see children, there will be no classes on that day. We will be having a grandiose party. There will be catering services, music, games, programs and a lot more! This will all be arrange by your one and only student council body."
"Sadly, I won't be there to celebrate it with you because I'll be attending a seminar at Johto." Will added and mocked wiping a tear to which everyone giggled at. "But, I do wish you all enjoy this coming event. Speaking of seminar." Will paused. "No classes will be held today. I will be having a very important meeting with all the faculty members." He finished. "That being said, I hope you all enjoy your early weekend dearies."
Will, together with the school faculty, walked down the stairs. Everyone slowly marched back to their respective classrooms.
Dawn craned her neck over the retreating crowd. She continued looking for her red-headed bestfriend.
"Hey Dawn." Maylene poked her back. "Looking for someone?" She asked.
"Have you seen Zoey?" Dawn asked Maylene.
"I don't think she's here today." Maylene replied.
"Did something happened?" Dawn thought out loud. "Zoey was never one to ditch classes."
"Maybe she got sick?" Maylene shook her shoulders. "Anyway, since we don't have anymore classes do you have plans for today?" She asked.
Dawn thought of a reply and asked herself the same question, and with what happened last night at the apartment there was only one thing she could think of.
"I was gonna go hang out with a friend." Dawn answered as they walked towards their respective building. "You can come with me if you want."
"Ooohhh. Is it a date?" Maylene wiggled her eyebrows. "If so then I wouldn't want disturbing that precious time eh."
"No silly." Dawn giggled. "I even planned to bring Zoey along, since I really didn't have a chance to meet her with this friend of mine."
"So you're setting them up?"
"NO!" Dawn replied instantly. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Maylene laughed. "I'm just joking Dawn. No offense."
"How did you and Zoey became friends?" Maylene continued. "I'm curious."
Dawn and Maylene were already on the fourth floor which held the senior student rooms.
"Zoey transferred here from an all girl's highschool in Snowpoint City." Dawn started. "She said something about looking for a friend. I couldn't really remember anything other than that."
Maylene placed a hand on her chin. "That sounds interesting."
"Uh huh. When she transferred here and introduced herself, she sat beside me since it was a free spot and from there on we just became friends." Dawn grinned.
"You two seem to get along really well." Maylene said. "Anyway, Zoey is really popular with the boys. D'you know that?"
"Really?!" Dawn awed. "Oh, must be because of the varsity thingy."
"Yah, not only boys though but also girls. She's really famous. Everyone talks about her, boys want to be with her, girls want to be like her." Maylene darted her look away. "And I guess, I too, want to be like her."
"I do get that feeling of wanting to be like Zoey. She gets good grades, she's active in extracurricular activities and makes the school proud. She's both smart and athletic." Dawn said thoughtfully. "But I also think it's okay to be who we are right now."
"If there's the famous and athletic girl then there's gotta be someone to play the un-athletic nerdy girl. You know, for the school setting cliché." Dawn jested.
Maylene chuckled.
"Wait, you aren't friends with Zoey?" Dawn followed.
"Not really." Maylene replied. "I mean we do know each other. I'm also part of the basketball women varsity team." Maylene chuckled. "I mean I used to. She kicked me out. We had a talk about my condition and we just didn't speak with each other after that."
"I mean it was barely even a talk."
Dawn was shocked.
"What happened?" Dawn asked with worry. "May I know what happened?"
Maylene started fiddling her fingers. She gulped silently.
"You know about my condition right?" She started. "And how because of it I wasn't able to do a lot of things I wanted."
"One of them is playing basketball?" Dawn guessed.
Maylene nodded.
"It's one my favorite sport. And just a few months ago I tried signing up the basketball women team despite my condition." Maylene breathed in deeply as they turned to a sharp curve towards their classroom. "I was soon accepted by Zoey, despite lying."
"It was the first time I saw her." Maylene continued. "Everyone in the team adored her and her hard work. She always gave everything for the team. She was always so bright and cheerful. Everything about her made her the perfect captain for the team."
"Then what happened?" Dawn urged her to continue as they went inside the classroom.
"I knew well that I shouldn't have signed up. I was just gonna spend a few weeks then back out, but the longer I stayed in the team, the more time I was able to spend with Zoey, it got to a point where I could no longer back out and just hide my condition and continue everything." Maylene sighed.
Dawn mentally cursed. She felt bad for urging Maylene to share the story which now seemed more personal that she anticipated it to be. Maylene had shared almost everything about her to Dawn and now she was forcing Maylene to share something far more personal than Maylene had ever shared.
Dawn felt the worst kind of remorse.
"Maylene uh you don't have to tell me if you don't want-"
"Nah, is okay Dawn." Maylene chuckled. "I've told you some of my secret already, might as well tell you another one."
"It was one practice when my blood sugar really went low. We were practicing when I suddenly went pale and blacked out. It was Zoey who carried me to the clinic and watched over me until I woke up. She really loves everyone in the team, that's how far she would go for each of us." Maylene heaved a smile at the memory. "And it was that incident that I realized I didn't just looked up to her." Maylene breathed in another deep breath. "I felt something else."
"You like her?" Dawn cupped her mouth.
They were now inside the classroom and took their seats as they continued to converse. Dawn moved her chair closer to Maylene.
Maylene nodded. She could feel her face overheat by what she had just said. "I never told anyone about this so please just keep this between us."
Dawn nodded vehemently.
"So I told her. That I like her." Maylene snickered.
Dawn's eyes grew in size.
"No way!" She whispered. "You immediately told her?!"
"I know I know. I couldn't believe it myself either. But yeah I did. And she turned me down, like right off the bat." Maylene whispered back and laughed. "It was expected of course. I didn't know what came to me why I went commando with my feelings. It was so stupidly embarrassing."
"But aside from that, she kicked me out of the team." Maylene continued. "Apparently, the doctors told her about my condition." Maylene ruffled her short coral hair. "But I don't think it was the reason why she kicked me out though. More likely because I lied to her and the whole team."
"Bonds we form in the team revolves around honesty. It's a a-must trait to have." Maylene awkwardly scratched her cheeks. "And I broke it. I was a liar. I guess I deserve it."
"It has been over a month since I'm no longer a part of the basketball team. I didn't even say my goodbye to the members. I just left and never spoke with them. They too never approached me. I'm glad. What I did was something terrible and I just distanced myself as punishment."
"Is it just me or is it really difficult? You know? To make friends without having to lie about what I am and what I feel. And what stuff I can't do." Maylene continued. "I'm too boring and troublesome to be a friend."
"But to think-" Maylene paused when she saw Dawn on the verge of crying.
Dawn suddenly lunged herself at Maylene and hugged her tight. Maylene was so surprised that she almost fell from her seat.
Dawn bawled her eyes out.
"Dawn?! You okay?! Why are you crying?!"
Dawn pulled back and wiped her eyes. She gave Maylene her most earnest look.
"Don't worry Maylene. I will forever be your friend. I will never leave you alone. I swear I mean this!" Dawn wiped her nose. "You can definitely count on me! All these secrets are safe with me!"
"You don't have to punish yourself you goof!" Dawn hugged her tight again.
Maylene just heaved a chuckle at Dawn. "You're such a weirdo Dawn."
Dawn continued conversing with Maylene until Maylene was called to the faculty office and had to do something.
When Maylene told her about breaking up with the basketball team the previous month, she couldn't help but feel her chest get overwhelmed with feelings. Dawn understood how much that left a scar on Maylene.
Maylene was originally home schooled, Maylene told her personally. It was a secret they both shared.
Dawn thought that the basketball team was probably the very first circle of friends Maylene ever had. And she all lost it just because she lied about her condition. When that thought came to Dawn, she couldn't help but feel a wrecking ball of sadness fell on her.
In a slightly different way, she saw herself in Maylene's shoes.
When Dawn planned running away from home, she had no other choice but to go to Hearthome City. The city of dreams and opportunities for a town girl like her. The oceanic distance between Twinleaf Town and Hearthome City made it a 'go big or go home' situation for her.
When Dawn first came to Hearthome, she didn't know anyone. The land and the people were all foreign to her. Even the air was different.
She would have been lost, given up or even crawled back home if it wasn't for Kenny always standing right beside her. He was the only one with her throughout her three years of journey away from home.
She couldn't have done anything without him. She made it this far because of him.
Losing that only bond you formed, Dawn couldn't imagine the kind of pain and trauma she would have gone through if it was her in Maylene's position.
With the conversation she had with Maylene, Dawn thought that maybe it was the perfect time for her to be honest with Kenny. To tell him how thankful she was for everything he did and the unrivaled support he gave.
It was 11:45AM on Dawn's wrist watch when she arrived back at the apartment. She jogged up the stairs and knocked on Kenny's door. When Kenny opened up, Dawn beamed an ear-to-ear smile at him before grabbing his hand. She pulled him down the stairs and out of the apartment without saying anything.
Kenny was speechless in front of the giggling girl ahead of him. All he could think was the words that came out from her as they ran past the crowd.
"We're going out Kenny! We are going out!"
...
A streak of sunlight peered through the curtain and shot Zoey on the face. She groaned and felt her head. It was already late in the afternoon.
She slowly opened her eyes one by one. Her eyes spun at the ceiling and it took her a moment to realize that she wasn't in her apartment room.
"Where the heck am I?" She asked herself.
When she tried sitting up, a bolt of pain traverse her wounded and battered body. She gasped and seethed in pain. She was covered in white bandages. A pang of pain in her head made her remember what happened last night.
Even though she was bursting with pain all over her body, the anger she felt surged far stronger than the pain she felt. She balled her fist hard.
"How many times do I have to tell you?"
Zoey heard a familiar voice coming over from the door to her right.
"If you won't do your part of the mission, you'll get more than just those bruises. Why won't you listen?"
Zoey turned her head and saw a lady in glasses. She brought a tray of food and water and placed them beside her. She ran her fingers through her waist length silver blue hair and scoffed at Zoey.
"I don't think you understand this life you're living right now Zoey." Karen clipped her hips and released a dejected sigh. "Remember, you are living in borrowed time. Mess up one more time and your life will be taken back in a snap of a finger."
Zoey bit her lips in anger. She wanted to spat out how all of them were sick. She wanted to yell at her how mad they were all planning. But she could only yell at the top of her lungs inside her head. Losing her cool right now would probably be the mistake she least wanted. All she could do was bitterly absorb it all and wait it all up until she could finally get her revenge.
"Master Will will be having a meet up with Prince Lance next week. You have a week to do your job. Do it this time."
Karen pushed up his glasses and turned her back towards the door.
"Eat up, rest and go back home." Karen turned the knob of the door. "You wanna see him again right?" She asked. "Then do your job."
The door closed with a click.
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it." Zoey cursed and cursed. Despite the seething pain, she stood up on her feet. She stumbled but regained balance immediately. "Borrowed time eh? Who needs to eat when I'm practically dead." She limped her way to the door and shut it close.
She got out from Karen's residence and trudged her way back home.
"I won't die, not just yet. I got a promise to keep and I'll definitely fulfill it. I will see him again."
...
"What are we doing here in Amity Square?" Asked the winded brunet. "And don't you have classes today Dawn?"
"It was postponed because of an immediate meeting." Dawn enthusiastically replied. "And like I said, we're going out!"
Kenny gulped silently. His heartbeat pumped gallons of blood to his face. He was clearly not prepared for this day to come. Everything was all too sudden.
"We-we..we a-are go-going out?" He stuttered, his face flushed.
Dawn only grinned at him and pulled him running again toward the entrance of the amusement park.
Amity Square, located at the northern part of the city, is a notable attraction in Hearthome where tourist and Hearthome residents relax and enjoy different thrill rides.
Even though Dawn and Kenny had been living in Hearthome for three years already, it was their first time getting into Amity Square. They both had planned it a few months ago but they didn't just had the time with school and work. But now they were doing it.
"What ride should we go first?" Dawn asked.
"How about the roller coaster?" Kenny suggested, quite unsure.
"Why of course!" Dawn pulled him again as they swam through the thick crowd of people.
"Is it really supposed to be this crowded?" Kenny asked as they struggled through.
"Maybe?" Dawn answered.
They finally got through the crowd and went to the coaster's payment booth. Dawn fished out her wallet and paid for Kenny and herself. With a 'thank you' they passed through the station and settled on the front seat.
A few people were also taking their seats behind them.
Kenny looked at the smiling girl beside him. Despite the hundred of floating questions inside his head, he was just happy seeing Dawn so happy and carefree. He was bewildered by her sudden actions, but more than that, he has always been bewildered just by seeing her. She really was something.
"Wait, wait." A sudden realization just fell on him. "I'm afraid of these kind of rides!" Apparently he was all too caught up thinking about Dawn that he didn't realize what he just got himself into. He panicked in his seat.
Dawn just looked at him fondly and chuckled.
"Let's get down please." Kenny whimpered. "I will scream a lot!"
Dawn held his hand and squeezed it tight.
Dawn smiled at him passionately.
"Let's both scream a lot then." She grinned.
Kenny really didn't know what was with Dawn today. He really wanted to know why.
Kenny felt the coaster ride start up. The coaster harness slowly buckled them up.
He gulped silently and squeezed Dawn's hand.
Whatever happened why Dawn was acting right now. He was just thankful. No one can be happier than him right now.
The coaster revved up as he screamed at the top of his lungs together with the emotions inside his chest.
As embarrassing as it was, he fainted a lot more than he anticipated during the entire five minute ride, which got him an aching-stomach-from-too-much-laughing girl beside him.
"When you said you were really bad with these kind of rides, I didn't really expect you to be that bad Kenny." Dawn continued laughing, clutching her stomach.
"It is not funny." Kenny pouted.
"No more coaster rides from now on. I promise." Dawn slowly stopped laughing. "Now where to next?"
The day went on with Kenny and Dawn trying on a lot of arcade games and buying on a couple of Amity Square merchandise.
It was already late afternoon when they realized that they spent too much time on the amusement park.
"Don't you have work today Dawn?" Kenny asked. "It's already five in the afternoon."
Dawn placed inside her shoulder bag the small bear stuffed toy Kenny won her at the crane game earlier. "I do have work."
"But before I get back, can we have one more ride?" She pleaded.
"Better not be back at the roller coaster. I know how much you love that but no I ain't going back to that hell ride." Kenny scoffed.
Dawn chuckled.
"It's not that I promise." Dawn replied and pointed somewhere behind Kenny. "It's there."
Kenny looked behind saw the one and only ride the Amity Square was famous for.
"The ferris wheel? I could go for a ferris wheel." Kenny smiled. "Anything but the roller coaster." He added.
Kenny paid the ferris wheel booth manager. She saw Dawn talking to one of the ride mechanics before getting inside one of the carts, Kenny too soon hopped in.
Kenny sat across her. "Was there a problem?" He asked.
"Uh, no. Just nothing." Dawn replied and continued looking somewhere outside.
Kenny never saw her this hyped up for an amusement ride. She was looking outside impatiently waiting for the wheel to start spinning.
"I never knew you like ferris wheel Dawn." Kenny remarked. "If I've only known, we could have made this our first ride here in Amity Square."
"Actually. I wanted this to be our last ride before leaving." She looked back at him with a shy smile.
They both heard the gears of the giant wheel as it started spinning slowly.
"I'll tell you why when we get to the top."
"The top?" Kenny asked.
"Ssshhh.." Dawn shushed him.
When they were both at the top, the giant wheel suddenly stopped turning.
Kenny wondered if it was a malfunction on the engine's part. But when he saw how delighted Dawn was, he knew that this wasn't a malfunction at all. He wondered why.
And when he gave her a second look, she was looking dreamily outside.
He too looked beside him.
And there, right beside him stood one of the most beautiful sight he has ever seen. 'Beautiful' wasn't even enough to describe it. It was out-of-this-world.
The orange crimson sun was slowly starting to sink far beyond the great horizon of Sinnoh. Orange flaming rays from the setting sun stretched across the sky like galactic arms painting everything in precious gold. Buildings, establishments and even the hills were all dark silhouettes against the sinking ball of flame behind them. Aside from it, the clouds and everything in the sky was draped in gold.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Dawn awed.
"It is." Kenny agreed. He looked back at her and saw how bright she looked with the sunset beside them. He admitted that he never saw the sunset this beautiful before. But what laid in front of him was far more beautiful than the scenery around them. To Kenny, Dawn was literally glowing. "Is this the reason why you talked at the mechanics below earlier?"
"Yes." Dawn looked at him too. "It's kinda silly right?" Dawn laughed awkwardly.
"No it isn't Dawn. It isn't. This is beautiful." Kenny marveled at the sight of her.
"I love the golden hour so much. Everything looks bathed in gold. It proves that even the dullest and most empty of things." Dawn looked at an old abandoned church somewhere down below. "Even them can still be beautiful."
"I know I've told you about this a lot of time already and you're probably tired of hearing this but.." Dawn paused and stared back at the sinking sun. "I just wanted to share something I really love, this exact moment. With you Kenny."
Kenny accidentally bit his tongue.
"Everything that I love, right here and now." Dawn heaved a comforted sigh. "I couldn't ask for more."
Kenny didn't know if it was also part of the effect of the golden hour that made her glow with radiance. Like what Dawn said, she looked like she was also bathed in gold. Dawn looked far more precious and valuable to him than she ever was.
He was love-struck all over again.
"Love..?" Kenny muttered.
"Yes, Kenny. Love." Dawn looked back at him with her soft sapphire eyes. Her rosy cheeks camouflage by the rays of sunset. "Remember how we started living here and you just courted me right out of the blue?" Dawn chuckled softly. "I thought of it as something silly but thinking about it. I never really had a chance to thank you for everything you've done for me and how much support you've given me ever since I ran away from home. You are all that I have right now and I can never be more thankful than I currently am."
Kenny was awestruck at the words that poured out from Dawn's mouth. He was too shocked that he completely forgot the pain from biting his own tongue.
"Yes is my answer Kenny. I love you. I would be the luckiest girl to be your girlfriend."
The world stopped working for a solid moment in Kenny's eyes. His heartbeat rang inside his ears and he could physically feel something throbbed in his chest. Emotions surged up inside him like a geyser. He tried coming up words but his mouth was as parched as the flaming skies around them. He tried moving his hands but they wouldn't budge.
His happiness went skyrocket, so did something else.
Tears suddenly formed blots on his navy cargo pants. His eyes suddenly shed tears.
Dawn cried too at seeing Kenny cry. She lunged herself at him and hugged him tight. Kenny also gave back the hug.
"I love you too Dawn." He said, trying to stop himself from crying. "I love you so much.."
His happiness died so soon and was replaced with nothing but burning regret.
"But I'm sorry..." He pulled back and wiped his tears with the back of his hand.
"Sorry?" Dawn asked. "For what..?"
"I can't be your boyfriend." Kenny continued sobbing. "It's not because I don't love you. I really do and it's because of that, that I can't be your boyfriend."
"What?" Dawn's shoulders dropped. "What do you mean?"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Dawn.."
As the ferris wheel continued turning. The descent wasn't as cheerful as the ascend was. Stars unraveled little by little across the dark boundless sky like tiny jewels. The apparent happiness slowly died like the golden light.
What remained after an exhausting day at Amity Square was nothing but painful and crippling silence.
The golden hour which gave Dawn so much solace, now gave her a new set of feelings which she soon have to get acclimated to. Would it affect how she always felt about the thing she loved the most?
Only time could tell.
Chapter 8 End: Golden Hour
A.N: Some of you may be confused with the earlier part but it happened the morning of the day where Dawn looked for Paul, if memory serves. I added that part since I miraculously remembered to show how Paul saw his red eye for the first time and how he tried taking it out. Anyway hope you guys have a blissful day! :)
...Kicks!