Chapter 2

A blue-haired teenager was sitting in her kitchen and decorating sheets and sheets of cookies. Cans of frosting and various sprinkles in a diverse array littered the glossy white marble island table in the middle of the $5 million dollar mansion's equally glamorous kitchen. The exotic and ethereal manner in which the fifteen stainless steel bowls, pots, and baking sheets clamored over one another in the sink like an ancient relic oddly resembled something that belonged in a setting within the most prestigious of United Kingdom museums.

"Hmm, not sugary enough," mused the food-scientist-in-the-making after licking a stray ribbon of pearl white vanilla buttercream frosting from the tip of her right pinky finger.

All of a sudden, her phone rang. She ungloved her free left hand and dashed to the other end of the long white side island where her phone enjoyed some peace (from her constant texting, of course) during this Thursday afternoon baking spree. She peered down at the caller ID and her large doe-like eyes widened in surprise.

"May? That's odd. She never calls unless it's an emergency…" She dropped the buttercream frosting piping bag that she had been critiquing in her right hand to pick up her smartphone. She swiftly swiped to receive the call with her ring finger that she hadn't yet contaminated with her saliva.

"Hey, what's-" the concerned baker began, but stopped when she was met with a shaky, wavering voice on the verge of tears. She froze in her tracks and pivoted her body away from the gigantic science experiment at the sound of one of her best friends since childhood about to break, something she least expected from an upbeat, positive, strong girl like May. "Oh my gosh, don't tell me, let me guess- did you eat a peanut or run a marathon or something?"

May felt the corners of her lightly glossed lips give into the temptation of creeping upwards at her best friend's lighthearted and naive question despite the threat of the first few sniffles and tears. She shook her head and took in a shaky breath, unsure if she could laugh with the way her heart was tumbling down the mountain of a week's worth of disappointment and heartache from Drew. "Dawn, it's- hic- it's been a wee-eek," May hiccuped. "And I tried to ignore it, but he hasn't even moved his head in my directionnnn!" wailed the heartbroken high school girl.

This is serious, thought Dawn. She isn't the type to cry over boy problems.

"Oh, May… just you wait! I'm coming over right now," Dawn said in a determined and strong voice, and stood up abruptly, almost knocking over her fur-covered stool. Dawn did not hesitate to grab two free plastic bag lying patiently next to her baked goodies/science experiment layout and stuffed as many as she could with her freshly frosted and still-warm sugar cookies.

"This calls for an emergency visit to the 'tub'."

May's home was affectionately called "the tub" due to the sheer amount of bath and salon products stacked up around the home. This phenomenon was all thanks to May's parents who ran a popular mom and pop salon in all of North Petalburg.

Dawn breezed through the castle-like neighborhood she lived in and her eyes were welcomed with greenery all around, signifying her entrance into May's world. 10 minutes later, Dawn parked her car in the back driveway next to May's. She did not hesitate to fling the two bags of warm cookies into her bejeweled fashion-brand-name backpack and turn the corner into the backyard.

"Ah, there it is."

May had left her second story window wide open with a familiar rope ladder hanging out of it and flowing in the breeze. Dawn did what she had done for the past 10 years and scrambled up the ladder, pulling it in and folding it as neatly and quickly as she could, entering into the open window, and shutting the window behind her all in record time. She turned to face May who was sitting on the ground, knees to chest like a Darmanitan, and surrounded by a battalion of empty containers that once held leftover lasagna. May's eyes, hidden by her palms, opened up like theater curtains once the closing click of the window was heard.

Dawn's mouth gaped open. Whether it was from the shock of seeing her optimistic friend look down in the dumps, or the horror of seeing the makeup massacre of wet mascara streaks across May's face that would instinctively make her whip out her limited edition makeup collection in her backpack, she did not know. Or have time to think.

She rushed over to sit down beside her friend and took off her backpack to give May a tight squeeze.

"I don't know what I should even do…" May whimpered, her head resting on her bluenette buddy's shoulder as she painful memories reverberated in her brain for the fiftieth time. "Why won't he look at me, or spare me a glance for that matter?"

Dawn didn't really know what to say. "Why wouldn't he?! You're drop dead gorgeous! He must need glasses or something or maybe his grassy hair was poking his eyes. He sure does need a haircut with the rate he keeps touching his hair."

Despite Dawn's shower of compliments to make her friend perk up like a revived flower, it seemed futile to continue. Poor girl looked like a dead leaf.

Dawn was nearly exasperated. This mourning was nothing new to her, but Drew was really going overboard with this "pretend May doesn't exist" alternate universe game.

There had to be a way to solve this problem… a way to get this algae in human form back into May's life.

Luckily for her, Dawn had a great idea.

"LIsten, sister!" Dawn jumped up, clapped her hands and placed her hands on her hips not unlike her cheerleading squad stance.

This got May's attention. She sniffled and her head slowly lifted up in anticipation, and in a manner of eagerness to be distracted from her inner turmoil.

Here. Dawn shoved the two cookie bags into May's face.

"Now, I know how much you LOVE these cookies! I bet Drew doesn't know the taste of Sinnoh's pride and joy by yours truly!" Dawn exclaimed with a smug smile on her face.

"Mom tells me this all the time now that I'm finally able to date and I've got Paul on my mind, but the way to a man's heart is through food!"

May frowned. "Okay, I've heard that before, but just how do you expect me to hand these to him?" She groaned, thinking of the possibilities of all the ways this could go wrong. "I can't when all of his fangirls at Petalburg know that I've been out of his orbit, and his upturned nose goes up higher when he's near me!"

"It is time to make things right. Think of it like your first baby step. All you have to do is hand them to him without a word. No one can deny sweets. It's an easy way to get him to say something to you. What, is he going to go without saying thanks when you hand it to him? Not with everyone staring. He can't risk his reputation with the stain of being a jerk to a girl."

May nodded and took a bite of a warm cookie with turbulent waves of white frosting, convinced by Dawn's logic. She had to give it to her; after all. Dawn was socially savvy and in the scene as a main cheerleader for Petalburg High.

"You're making sense."

"Let's go for it. It can't be that bad. The worst thing he could do is ask you to feed him."

May cringed and let out a giggle at this thought, which Dawn laughed along with her.

"Look, he must be avoiding looking at you because he's nervous deep down. You are so beautiful and there's a reason why you were made this way. That's what I believe, even though cheerleading is full of the same makeup plastered on every girl's face for competitions and football games. Your bare face is stunning!" Dawn playfully patted her friend's cheeks reassuringly.

"Thanks so much, Dawn. You have no idea how much you mean to me. I'm so glad you're my best friend." May smiled with more confidence and happiness shone like the midday sun.

"Yesss! Now let's get you cleaned up and ready to rumble. I have this new face cleanser…"

A/N: Thank you all so much for the interest in my contestshipping fic~ It has been a busy year, but I will aim to write when I can! Love reviews as always and they make my day! Happy new year!