Driving Me Crazy Chapter 3 (I've given up on the chapter names, the title
was hard enough ^-^)
***
Wow, so far all the reviews I've gotten have been really good. glad you all like it! It inspires me to write more, so in turn, the parts get finished faster and everyone's happy! Don'tcha love it when that happens? ^- ^ Well, I have nothing to say, except I'm kinda making this part up as I go, so happy reading!
***
Yank.
Ash heard a shade being pulled up, and sunlight streamed into his vision. "PI!" yelled Pikachu at the top of his voice.
"Who needs an alarm clock when they've got you," he muttered, not completely pleasantly. The rodent debated whether or not it should shock him into oblivion, and finally decided he could always do that while they were in the car, if the need arised.
Sluggishly, Ash got up and glanced at the clock beside the bed.
7:50.
"Shit," he gasped, realizing he had ten minutes to get up, dressed, shower, brush his teeth and attempt to brush his hair, pack his things for the trip, and hightail it to Pallet. Pikachu laughed hysterically as the poor guy frantically ran around, trying to multi-task his daily morning routine. "Pika pi chu chu pika cha," murmured Pikachu. This is going to be one interesting trip.
***
Misty, on the other hand, was already at the Professor's at the time Ash woke up, and was trying to negotiate without giving away her reason for wanting to.
"But, I mean, couldn't we take two separate cars?"
"That is a good idea-" Misty grinned, thinking she finally got somewhere- "except I only have one car."
"But I have a car!" wailed Misty.
"With tinted windows so no one will recognize you?" She shook her head sadly. "Misty, what if Team Rocket's behind this? You think they wouldn't recognize you without tinted windows? Besides, two cars going the same way for hundreds of miles would look suspicious."
Misty blinked. "Well, I suppose."
"Anyway," the Professor said, looking at her skeptically, "you can't tell me you hate the idea of driving with him, because you don't."
"*He* does."
"Did you ask him?"
"Don't have to." Prof. Oak sighed exasperatedly. "I don't get why you're so sure he hates you. He was your best friend for five years! Besides, did you see the way he looked at you?" He looked away, but still managed to see the young woman roll her eyes. She started to retaliate, but never actually got a chance to finish.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," gasped Ash, running in the door with Pikachu running after him. "Got- up- 7:50- had to hurry."
"It's all right, Ash," answered the Professor calmly, "Misty and I were just discussing a few things until you came. Have you got everything?" Ash regained the normal use of his vocal cords. "Yeah, I think so." Then, turning to Misty, he said quietly, "Hey, Misty."
"Ash," she answered, nodding coolly. Ash frowned, confused. It was strange. She hadn't seemed happy to see him yesterday, and today it was worse. Had he done something to insult her? Did he stink or something? He made a mental note to, well, sniff himself if he got the chance.
"Well," announced Professor Oak, "I think you two should get going. You have a lot of ground to cover and you want to get there as soon as possible." Ash nodded and Misty shrugged indifferently. Glancing at the stuff on the ground, Ash said, "I can get the stuff." He picked up his suitcase and pulled out the handle on Misty's to wheel it along, and walked out the door. Misty got up to follow him.
After Ash had walked out the door, the Professor said, "Oh, and Misty?" She turned to look at him.
"Be good."
"I'll try," she said with a wry grin. The Professor turned and walked into the kitchen as she walked out the door.
***
By the time Misty got into the car and buckled up, Ash was waiting in the driver's seat with the engine started. She glared at him.
"Why is it that you assume you get to drive?"
He smiled teasingly at her. "Do you want to fight with me over it, like when we were kids?" Damn it, Ketchum, do you have to smile like that? She wanted to say it, but of course she kept her mouth shut.
After a few moments of silence, he figured she wasn't going to respond to that, and backed out of the driveway.
By this time, Pikachu was already asleep in the backseat. (o^-^o)
They drove along in silence for five minutes before Ash said uncomfortably, "Uh- so, Misty, what have you been up to lately? I mean, I haven't seen you in so long-"
"Yeah," she said coldly. "Well, I live at the Gym with my sisters, and I do the battles when a challenger comes. Other than that, I'm a journalist. I write for the Cerulean Times." Ash nodded brightly. "That's cool."
"So, what about you? Besides defending your title, what do you do in your spare time?" Nice move, Mist, she said sarcastically to herself. Not only did you sound pathetically interested, he's probably going to tell you all about his wonderful girlfriend who he lives with and loves so much. And furthermore, you're jealous. I am so pathetic, she thought.
"Actually-" Misty barely stopped herself from cringing, like his words were going to reach out and strike her. "Not much. I train, sometimes I do interviews and that kind of thing..." Misty blinked and restrained the sigh of relief. "Oh. So, no gir-" she began, then cursed in her head. How could you ask him if he has a girlfriend? You're not going down that road again. This time, hoping he'll let you down easy with a nice I-like-you-but-can't-we-just-be-friends speech?, she yelled at herself.
"What?" he asked, looking at her and returning his gaze to the road.
"Nothing," she answered. "Just forget I said anything." There was a definite note of relief in her voice.
They drove along in silence for another 15 minutes or so. Then:
"Hey, Mist?"
"Ash, could you not call me that?" For once, he was glad he didn't have to look at her. Though he didn't say it to her, that hurt.
There was a long pause. They saw the sign for Viridian.
"Oh- um- I mean- okay. Sorry Mist- um, Misty." He didn't need to say anything. Misty, she said to herself, you are such a bitch. Look, you hurt his feelings. How could you do that? She closed her eyes and after a few seconds, wondered, Why do I keep talking to myself?
There was another long pause. Absently, Misty got out a road map and played with the edges. Finally, the silence began to bother her. They were somewhere on the route to Pewter by now. She calculated they must have been driving for an hour and a half. (AN: Forgive me, I know that seems a little long and everything, but I have to make time elapse so that the silence bothers them and they're forced to make conversation. Thank you for excusing my bad judgement on distance. ^-^)
"What were you going to say, Ash?"
"...never mind."
"All right."
"But since we're talking anyway, er- have you-" he wracked his brain for conversation topics. "-seen any good movies lately?" Lame, Ketchum, he sighed to himself.
"None that you would be interested in," she snapped. So we're back to this again, he thought. He noticed the sign: "Pewter City welcomes you!" He glanced at the clock: 10:12 am. He looked sideways at Misty. Her face was cloudy and void of emotion.
By 1:30 pm, the last thing that had been said was a timid comment from Ash about the sign from Cerulean City, responded to by a sarcastic comment from Misty about how he had finally learned to read fluently, huh? And that was about a half hour ago. (AN: Hey, have you looked at the Kanto map in the first Pokemon handbook? Man, those cities look far apart! It looks like it *would* take 3 hours to get from Pewter to Cerulean!) They had gotten out of the largely populated part of the city by now, and Ash's stomach was growling.
"Hey Misty," he said, "I'm hungry. Do you know of any place good to eat?"
"Anywhere's fine," she answered airily. "So, do you still inhale your food or do you chew it now?" He glared at her. This was really starting to annoy him. He turned off in the nearest place he saw.
Wordlessly, they both got out of the car, Ash waking Pikachu before they went in. Misty waited, surprisingly, instead of storming into the restaurant without bothering to stop, but Ash didn't comment at the risk of jeopardizing his luck, which hadn't been too good as it was.
They walked into the restaurant, and almost immediately people started to clap and cheer for the Pokemon master and the well-known reporter. They both smiled graciously, but didn't comment when a couple people started to yell.
"Hey, you two on a date?"
"Gonna interview him, Misty? That's a story I'd like to read!"
Shaking her head and waving at the person who had shouted last (she knew him, though not well), they sat down in a both and waited for the waitress.
Luckily, the waitress was quick. They didn't really know how long they could sit there without talking.
"Okay, what'll you have?" she said, turning first to Misty. Misty told her: a sub sandwich and a dish of chocolate ice cream (AN: mmm ^-^ and yeah I know what they ordered isn't important but I'm kinda hungry and feel like talking about food). The waitress turned to Ash.
"What about you, cutie?" He smiled at her and Misty put her menu up to her face and rolled her eyes.
"I'll have a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese, and a bottle of ketchup." The waitress furrowed her brow but didn't comment.
"'Kay, I'll be right back."
Both of them waited nervously, trying to avoid each other's eyes, and both lost in thought. Ash was still trying to figure out what he had done to the girl, and Misty was yelling at herself for not getting over him (again).
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the food did come. Ash licked his lips and devoured one pizza slice in ten seconds flat. Misty smiled to herself: "some things never change."
The meal was over in less than ten minutes... we all know how fast Ash can eat and how fast Misty can eat ice cream. (^-^)
Then the next one came: Ash put his credit card calmly on the table and Misty sighed, "Excuse me!?"
"What?" he sighed irritably, thinking, what now?
"Are you completely sexist, Ash Ketchum? You think I can't even pay for my own meal? Who the hell do you think you are?" He said, "Fine. You pay."
"What!? You're not going to pay for my food? Some gentleman you are." He finally just took his credit card and walked out to the car. Hadn't she outgrown this stupid fighting? How could she have outgrown it when she was fifteen and then started it up again?
He and Pikachu sat there, waiting for her. Finally, he turned to the yellow rodent and said,
"I don't get it. What did I do to her?" The Pokemon shook it's head sadly. "Pika pi cha chu pika." I don't know why she's so mean to you.
He sighed. "Neither do I. "
When she finally stalked back to the car, he turned on the engine and floored it without a word to her.
"Watch it, Ketchum," she snapped, "we don't want to get arrested for reckless driving."
He sighed. This was going to be one heck of a trip.
***
Yay, this is my longest chapter yet! I apologize for the cliffhangers, I really do, but hey, as long as they work I like 'em. Anyway, they seem like good ways to end the chapters! So, I'm glad everyone likes it. And btw, Erin-chan, you spelled continuously right. ^-^
*lavenderespeon*
***
Wow, so far all the reviews I've gotten have been really good. glad you all like it! It inspires me to write more, so in turn, the parts get finished faster and everyone's happy! Don'tcha love it when that happens? ^- ^ Well, I have nothing to say, except I'm kinda making this part up as I go, so happy reading!
***
Yank.
Ash heard a shade being pulled up, and sunlight streamed into his vision. "PI!" yelled Pikachu at the top of his voice.
"Who needs an alarm clock when they've got you," he muttered, not completely pleasantly. The rodent debated whether or not it should shock him into oblivion, and finally decided he could always do that while they were in the car, if the need arised.
Sluggishly, Ash got up and glanced at the clock beside the bed.
7:50.
"Shit," he gasped, realizing he had ten minutes to get up, dressed, shower, brush his teeth and attempt to brush his hair, pack his things for the trip, and hightail it to Pallet. Pikachu laughed hysterically as the poor guy frantically ran around, trying to multi-task his daily morning routine. "Pika pi chu chu pika cha," murmured Pikachu. This is going to be one interesting trip.
***
Misty, on the other hand, was already at the Professor's at the time Ash woke up, and was trying to negotiate without giving away her reason for wanting to.
"But, I mean, couldn't we take two separate cars?"
"That is a good idea-" Misty grinned, thinking she finally got somewhere- "except I only have one car."
"But I have a car!" wailed Misty.
"With tinted windows so no one will recognize you?" She shook her head sadly. "Misty, what if Team Rocket's behind this? You think they wouldn't recognize you without tinted windows? Besides, two cars going the same way for hundreds of miles would look suspicious."
Misty blinked. "Well, I suppose."
"Anyway," the Professor said, looking at her skeptically, "you can't tell me you hate the idea of driving with him, because you don't."
"*He* does."
"Did you ask him?"
"Don't have to." Prof. Oak sighed exasperatedly. "I don't get why you're so sure he hates you. He was your best friend for five years! Besides, did you see the way he looked at you?" He looked away, but still managed to see the young woman roll her eyes. She started to retaliate, but never actually got a chance to finish.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," gasped Ash, running in the door with Pikachu running after him. "Got- up- 7:50- had to hurry."
"It's all right, Ash," answered the Professor calmly, "Misty and I were just discussing a few things until you came. Have you got everything?" Ash regained the normal use of his vocal cords. "Yeah, I think so." Then, turning to Misty, he said quietly, "Hey, Misty."
"Ash," she answered, nodding coolly. Ash frowned, confused. It was strange. She hadn't seemed happy to see him yesterday, and today it was worse. Had he done something to insult her? Did he stink or something? He made a mental note to, well, sniff himself if he got the chance.
"Well," announced Professor Oak, "I think you two should get going. You have a lot of ground to cover and you want to get there as soon as possible." Ash nodded and Misty shrugged indifferently. Glancing at the stuff on the ground, Ash said, "I can get the stuff." He picked up his suitcase and pulled out the handle on Misty's to wheel it along, and walked out the door. Misty got up to follow him.
After Ash had walked out the door, the Professor said, "Oh, and Misty?" She turned to look at him.
"Be good."
"I'll try," she said with a wry grin. The Professor turned and walked into the kitchen as she walked out the door.
***
By the time Misty got into the car and buckled up, Ash was waiting in the driver's seat with the engine started. She glared at him.
"Why is it that you assume you get to drive?"
He smiled teasingly at her. "Do you want to fight with me over it, like when we were kids?" Damn it, Ketchum, do you have to smile like that? She wanted to say it, but of course she kept her mouth shut.
After a few moments of silence, he figured she wasn't going to respond to that, and backed out of the driveway.
By this time, Pikachu was already asleep in the backseat. (o^-^o)
They drove along in silence for five minutes before Ash said uncomfortably, "Uh- so, Misty, what have you been up to lately? I mean, I haven't seen you in so long-"
"Yeah," she said coldly. "Well, I live at the Gym with my sisters, and I do the battles when a challenger comes. Other than that, I'm a journalist. I write for the Cerulean Times." Ash nodded brightly. "That's cool."
"So, what about you? Besides defending your title, what do you do in your spare time?" Nice move, Mist, she said sarcastically to herself. Not only did you sound pathetically interested, he's probably going to tell you all about his wonderful girlfriend who he lives with and loves so much. And furthermore, you're jealous. I am so pathetic, she thought.
"Actually-" Misty barely stopped herself from cringing, like his words were going to reach out and strike her. "Not much. I train, sometimes I do interviews and that kind of thing..." Misty blinked and restrained the sigh of relief. "Oh. So, no gir-" she began, then cursed in her head. How could you ask him if he has a girlfriend? You're not going down that road again. This time, hoping he'll let you down easy with a nice I-like-you-but-can't-we-just-be-friends speech?, she yelled at herself.
"What?" he asked, looking at her and returning his gaze to the road.
"Nothing," she answered. "Just forget I said anything." There was a definite note of relief in her voice.
They drove along in silence for another 15 minutes or so. Then:
"Hey, Mist?"
"Ash, could you not call me that?" For once, he was glad he didn't have to look at her. Though he didn't say it to her, that hurt.
There was a long pause. They saw the sign for Viridian.
"Oh- um- I mean- okay. Sorry Mist- um, Misty." He didn't need to say anything. Misty, she said to herself, you are such a bitch. Look, you hurt his feelings. How could you do that? She closed her eyes and after a few seconds, wondered, Why do I keep talking to myself?
There was another long pause. Absently, Misty got out a road map and played with the edges. Finally, the silence began to bother her. They were somewhere on the route to Pewter by now. She calculated they must have been driving for an hour and a half. (AN: Forgive me, I know that seems a little long and everything, but I have to make time elapse so that the silence bothers them and they're forced to make conversation. Thank you for excusing my bad judgement on distance. ^-^)
"What were you going to say, Ash?"
"...never mind."
"All right."
"But since we're talking anyway, er- have you-" he wracked his brain for conversation topics. "-seen any good movies lately?" Lame, Ketchum, he sighed to himself.
"None that you would be interested in," she snapped. So we're back to this again, he thought. He noticed the sign: "Pewter City welcomes you!" He glanced at the clock: 10:12 am. He looked sideways at Misty. Her face was cloudy and void of emotion.
By 1:30 pm, the last thing that had been said was a timid comment from Ash about the sign from Cerulean City, responded to by a sarcastic comment from Misty about how he had finally learned to read fluently, huh? And that was about a half hour ago. (AN: Hey, have you looked at the Kanto map in the first Pokemon handbook? Man, those cities look far apart! It looks like it *would* take 3 hours to get from Pewter to Cerulean!) They had gotten out of the largely populated part of the city by now, and Ash's stomach was growling.
"Hey Misty," he said, "I'm hungry. Do you know of any place good to eat?"
"Anywhere's fine," she answered airily. "So, do you still inhale your food or do you chew it now?" He glared at her. This was really starting to annoy him. He turned off in the nearest place he saw.
Wordlessly, they both got out of the car, Ash waking Pikachu before they went in. Misty waited, surprisingly, instead of storming into the restaurant without bothering to stop, but Ash didn't comment at the risk of jeopardizing his luck, which hadn't been too good as it was.
They walked into the restaurant, and almost immediately people started to clap and cheer for the Pokemon master and the well-known reporter. They both smiled graciously, but didn't comment when a couple people started to yell.
"Hey, you two on a date?"
"Gonna interview him, Misty? That's a story I'd like to read!"
Shaking her head and waving at the person who had shouted last (she knew him, though not well), they sat down in a both and waited for the waitress.
Luckily, the waitress was quick. They didn't really know how long they could sit there without talking.
"Okay, what'll you have?" she said, turning first to Misty. Misty told her: a sub sandwich and a dish of chocolate ice cream (AN: mmm ^-^ and yeah I know what they ordered isn't important but I'm kinda hungry and feel like talking about food). The waitress turned to Ash.
"What about you, cutie?" He smiled at her and Misty put her menu up to her face and rolled her eyes.
"I'll have a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese, and a bottle of ketchup." The waitress furrowed her brow but didn't comment.
"'Kay, I'll be right back."
Both of them waited nervously, trying to avoid each other's eyes, and both lost in thought. Ash was still trying to figure out what he had done to the girl, and Misty was yelling at herself for not getting over him (again).
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the food did come. Ash licked his lips and devoured one pizza slice in ten seconds flat. Misty smiled to herself: "some things never change."
The meal was over in less than ten minutes... we all know how fast Ash can eat and how fast Misty can eat ice cream. (^-^)
Then the next one came: Ash put his credit card calmly on the table and Misty sighed, "Excuse me!?"
"What?" he sighed irritably, thinking, what now?
"Are you completely sexist, Ash Ketchum? You think I can't even pay for my own meal? Who the hell do you think you are?" He said, "Fine. You pay."
"What!? You're not going to pay for my food? Some gentleman you are." He finally just took his credit card and walked out to the car. Hadn't she outgrown this stupid fighting? How could she have outgrown it when she was fifteen and then started it up again?
He and Pikachu sat there, waiting for her. Finally, he turned to the yellow rodent and said,
"I don't get it. What did I do to her?" The Pokemon shook it's head sadly. "Pika pi cha chu pika." I don't know why she's so mean to you.
He sighed. "Neither do I. "
When she finally stalked back to the car, he turned on the engine and floored it without a word to her.
"Watch it, Ketchum," she snapped, "we don't want to get arrested for reckless driving."
He sighed. This was going to be one heck of a trip.
***
Yay, this is my longest chapter yet! I apologize for the cliffhangers, I really do, but hey, as long as they work I like 'em. Anyway, they seem like good ways to end the chapters! So, I'm glad everyone likes it. And btw, Erin-chan, you spelled continuously right. ^-^
*lavenderespeon*