- Gagnat d'Amour -
(Chapter 6)
Milk: The Final Frontier?
Misty's face positively glowed as she slipped into the luxurious, highly polished chair that Ash had held for her, after only about 3 meaningful glances and a quite discreet kick in the shin from Misty. She pushed her index finger across the shiny surface of the table and squealed silently.
"This place," she giggled to Ash under her breath. "It's so, so, so…"
"Romantic?" Misty looked up quizzically at the boy perched on the chair opposite her.
"Huh?" she thought, immediately, sweatdropping. It was exactly what she'd been thinking, but usually Ash was the last to admit that anything was romantic.
Ash saw Misty's surprised reaction, and instantly felt like cramming his fist in his mouth. He could not understand why a purely platonic evening out with the girl he'd seen everyday for 4 years was causing him to act…not like himself. He was painfully aware of every little movement that Misty made, however small.
They started talking as they waited for their starters to come. Ash watched intently as Misty's slender fingers toyed with and twirled the straw in her Diet Coke. He felt uncomfortably…awkward around her, like it wasn't Misty at all.
"Merci beacoup, monsuier," Misty thanked the waiter as he set their starter plates down. Once Ash started cramming food in his mouth at the speed of light, he calmed down and began to think normally. After all, it was only Myst. His awkward feelings were completely forgotten as the two teens reminisced of times they'd shared.
Meanwhile…
[spy music plays somewhere in the background]
…a certain brown spiky haired head and two blacked tipped yellow ears were visible over the hedge backing the restaurant courtyard, slightly to the right of Ash and Misty but way out of their sight. Brock and Pikachu listened for about 20 minutes to delightful childhood anecdotes in complete boredom. Then, as they were about halfway through their main course, Misty suggested they play Truths.
Misty asked Ash first. Thoughtfully, she stirred her Diet Coke with its straw and lightly chewed on her bottom lip. The she lifted up her formerly downcast eyes and met Ash's dark ones.
"What do you really think of me…Ash?" she asked quietly, never moving her eyes. Ash hesitated, and wrenched his eyes away. In the hedge, Brock breathed in sharply. "Go on, I wanna know," Misty protested. "I mean, if you hate my guts, I have a right to know, right?" Ash didn't even crack a smile. He sighed, and for a second almost considered reaching across the table and holding Misty's hand. He had to stop himself, the reflex came so naturally to his fingers. However, the thought both intrigued and terrified him. He looked Misty in the eyes again.
"I think you can be an annoying brat," he began honestly, but hurriedly continued. In the hedge, Brock had a massive sweatdrop and was making "head slice" motions to his neck with the side of his hand. "But when you are nice to me, umm, er, you're really, umm…nice?" Misty facevaulted. "You care too much about the people and things you care about rather than yourself. And, I…" Misty held her breath while in the hedge Brock was almost strangling Pikachu from the tension. Zzzzzaaaaap. Nobody noticed though. "…think there's a really kind person somewhere in that scrawny body. And…" he said, smiling. "…you have a very sensible brain underneath that carrot hair." At this point Misty didn't know whether she wanted to kiss him or kill him. So she decided to do neither.
Ash smiled hopefully at Misty, who, blushing, acknowledged his rare compliments by reaching for his hand and giving it a quick squeeze. The pressure travelled from his hand, up his arm and settled I his chest; like a dull, aching pain.
"You ask me something now," she said, dropping his hand and relieving the pressure. Ash studied her carefully as he considered what his question would be. There were loads of great questions, but some of them he was too afraid to ask.
"Misty," he began. "Do you really follow me cos I broke your bike?" He had expected her to took taken aback by this question, but she looked like she had been expecting - and dreading - it.
"Why - do you ask Ash?"
"Remember when I had just got my VolcanoBadge? You'd forgotten why we were arguing when we first met." Misty sat silently. "You'd forgotten about the bike - and you haven't bugged me about it for ages. C'mon Myst, there must be something about me that you hang around for."
"Yes…there is."
"Wh-what?" Ash stammered. As Misty hesitated, Ash thought about a certain possibility…
[::=IN ASH'S MIND=::]
Misty flipped her hair over one shoulder and smiled seductively at him, scarily reminding him of one of her sisters. Climbing onto the table on her hands and knees, she grabbed Ash by the collar and drew his face to hers.
"The reason is…I find you very sexual," she whispered, just before shoving her tongue down his throat. "Oh Ash," she murmured into his mouth. "Ash, Ash, Ash, Ash…"
[::=REALITY AGAIN=::]
"Ash? Ash?! ASH!"
"Waaaaaa?"
"What the hell's the matter with you?"
"Erm, ummm, nothing. So, answer my question. What makes you follow me?"
"I don't follow you - you just happen to be in places where I wanna be!" she pouted, smiling.
"Misty…"
"Alright, alright." Misty chewed on her lip again. "The reason I stay with you is…" ash subconsciously leaned forwards in anticipation. "…Pikachu. Togepi…loves…Pikachu."
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?" Misty giggled.
"Ohhhhh, do I really have to answer this?"
"Yeah."
"Fine. You're…you're my…God Ash, you're my best friend. Of course I've stayed with you."
"Huh? I'm your WHAT?"
"Best friend. Look, calm down, you don't have to do anything about it - I've just always considered you as my best friend. I mean come on, I've spent the last 4 years continually by your side - 24/7. If I really disliked you all that much I'd have gone home a long time ago." Misty paused as she shovelled ice-cream into her mouth. "Besides, if I'd left, you probably would have killed yourself in 10 minutes."
Ash's mind was reeling from this new information.
"So you never ever thought about leaving like Brock did?" (Hey, leave me outta this) Misty looked uncomfortable.
"That's not, entirely accurate. Do you remember Rudi? The guy on Trovita Island you battled for your SpikeshellBadge?"
"Yeah," scoffed Ash, immediately sulking, "Mr Attitude. How could I forget?"
"Well…whilst we were staying on the island, I kinda considered staying there with him." Ash fell silent immediately. He didn't want to continue the conversation anymore. "Ash?"
"Can we talk about something else Misty? I don't think I like this game anymore."
"Okay Ash."
Misty knew Ash well enough to know when to drop it, and soon they were discussing their separate childhoods. Ash's had been quite lonely, especially when his childhood best friend Gary had developed an a t t i t u d e, but he had to admit that Misty's had been a lot worse than his. The mention of her sisters brought Misty's attention back to the earlier point.
"Ash, I've thought of another reason why I stay."
"Yeah."
"You and Brock - and all the Pokémon - you're my family."
"What are you talking about Misty? You have 3 sisters, and your cousin had turned up! How can you say we're your only family?"
"You're the only family I care about." Immediately after Misty uttered the words, she regretted them. Ash suddenly looked so uncomfortable, that she instantly felt self-conscious. Again the subject was changed.
A few minutes later…
"All I'm saying is," argued Ash as they waited for their bill. "how do they know that space is the 'Final Frontier'? I mean, what if there's space, space, space, space, space, space and space; and then there's…milk going on forever! It'd be 'Milk - The Final Frontier' wouldn't it?" Misty thankfully pounced on the bill as it arrived.
"I think this is the only place where you have to pay for your food in the Village Ash," she murmured as she surveyed the bill. Ash pulled some yen out of his pocket and pushed it onto the plate the payment slip was on. It also included a generous tip. "Oh Ash, don't bother paying for my food!"
"Come on Myst; ever since I won the Orange and Jolt Leagues I've got plenty of money so just let me pay for a change okay?"
"Well, alright." Misty glanced at Ash's watch again. "My God! It's 11 o'clock! We've been here for ages!"
"Then let's stay out for a little while longer," Ash persisted, on a whim. "Let's go for a walk where that Pedestrians Footpath is by the woods."
"I've done enough walking through woods to last me a lifetime!" Misty laughed, but then rose from her seat and linked arms with Ash. "Come on then." She sighed as they walked out of the restaurant into the balmy quiet. "A moonlight walk…how…"
"Romantic?" This time, Misty just grinned at Ash.
Brock and a half asleep Pikachu watched the figures head towards the woods.
"I can't believe how many chances that idiot has had to tell her he likes her tonight!" fumed Brock to Pikachu.
"Pika!" ((Yeah))
Oh well…at least they were going for a romantic moonlight walk.
"I'll get reinforcements, and we'll see if we can't help our little Romeo and Juliet whilst they're on that walk…" grinned Brock slyly, as he headed for Tracey's cabin. When he arrived there, he was told by a rather grumpy room-mate that Tracey had left earlier and hadn't come back. "Oh well," thought Brock. "Linda'll have to do."
He walked to her cabin, and threw rocks at her window so as not to wake her room-mates. Sure enough, the window slid open, but it was Tracey who popped his head out. "TRACEY?"
"BROCK? What are you doing here?"
"Never mind me you dog; why didn't you tell me you and Linda were that "close"!?"
"Oh no no, it's not what you think!" cried Tracey, waving his hands frantically and sweatdropping. "I came over to clean her cabin!"
"Er, yeah. Anyway man, get dressed…"
"I AM dressed sicko!"
"Hey man, you're 16 going on 17 - perfectly legal for you. However, Linda's 14 and she could sue you for rape!"
"I told you Brock, I'm cleaning!"
"At 11pm?"
"YES! It's…a messy cabin…"
"Anyway, get down here quick - don't wake anyone."
"What's up?"
"We have a job to do. Something we should have taken care of a l o n g time ago…"
[A/N]
I wrote half of this in McDonalds…eating a McFlurry (Crunchie flavour!) and drinking a milkshake - so excuse the milk references.
I think I'm beginning to lose it with this story. I'm bored with it. I have all the rest plotted out in my head, and the final chapter written out, but it'll never be as popular as APOMH or as Kscope looks set to be (thanx by the way), so I'd like you to say in your review whether I should finish it or not - cos I'll gladly finish it for you if the majority wants it done.
IMPORTANT!
Does anyone know where I can get a hold of the midi file for Misty's Song? I need it desperately for many, many reasons and I would be eternally grateful if you would help me out. Please? Pwetty pwease?
The Moonlight Walk Chp (send me ideas for names pls) is coming soon. Cya! Thanks for reading this rubbish by the way!
http://www/silentshouting.fan-page.com