~*~*~*~*~
Cassidy shook her head, picking up the first photograph she had seen again, of her and Jessie playing with a hose. She touched it longingly with her gloved hand, then placed it back in the box. She stood up and looked towards the door where a figure stood, watching her.
Jessie.
"What are you doing here?" Cassidy asked. "And how long have you been watching me?"
"Just walked up here, wondered why your closet was open," Jessie shrugged. "James and Meowth went off to some buffet, and I have a feeling they won't be back for a few hours."
"They probably found Butch there," Cassidy said, staring at the floor. Neither seemed to be living up to their usual tough disposition. Things were a little more uncomfortable, especially due to their last encounter.
"Listen, Cass ..."
Jessie paused, both she and Cassidy thinking the same thing. Jessie hadn't referred to Cassidy as 'Cass' in years. After a few moments of silence, Jessie sighed.
"About the other night, I mean, I guess I just wanted to say ..."
She stopped, and turned away.
"Never mind. You'll just get mad."
"You don't know that," Cassidy snapped, her voice not much louder than a whisper.
"The old Cassidy wouldn't have. But this Cassidy, the new Cassidy will get mad."
"And the old Jessie wouldn't hesitate to say anything at all to me."
Both girls stared at the floor, not knowing what else to say. Finally, Jessie slowly walked over to Cassidy, an angry look on her face. She opened her mouth to say something hostile, but her eyes flew to the box. Cassidy's face turned bright red as Jessie reached in ... and pulled out the photograph.
"Hey," Jessie said almost silently. "This is me ... and you ..."
Her hand didn't shake, she didn't drop the photograph and freak out like Cassidy had ... she simply stared at it, her face completely unreadable. After several uncomfortable moments of silence, Jessie spoke again.
"I remember that hose you had in your backyard," Jessie smiled slightly, still looking at the photograph. "We used to go out in our swimsuits and just play for hours ..."
"Then after we got bored with that, we'd fill up balloons and go throwing them at our friend's houses," Cassidy said quietly.
"We were delinquents, even back then," Jessie laughed, putting the photograph back in the box, and picking up the invitation.
"Do you remember that party?" Cassidy smiled too.
"Of course! That's where I got my Ekans," Jessie looked up at Cassidy. "You gave him to me ..."
"You took care of him, just like you promised," Cassidy said. "And look at that snake. He was just a poor outcast before, and now he's evolved into a beautiful Arbok."
"An outcast, just like me," Jessie said. "And you ..."
At the same moment, both girls grasped each other in a tight hug, years of hatred and anger washing away with their tears. They embraced for a long time before Jessie pulled away, a huge smile on her face.
"I can't believe this," Jessie said. "After all these years ... we're finally friends again."
"It sure is great to have a friend back," Cassidy said. "I was so stupid ... our fight was all my fault ..."
"It was my fault too. We both got mad for all the wrong reasons ... and stayed mad for a long time. We've been pretty evil to each other the past few years."
"I should've talked to you ..."
"I was out of control, Cassidy. What you did was wrong, but I was in the wrong too. I should never have treated you like that."
"We really overreacted ..."
"But I was getting pretty tired of that fight, weren't you?"
"Yeah ... let's make things like they were when we were younger."
Suddenly, Jessie's eyes lit up, and a cunning grin appeared on her face.
"You know, Cass, there's a hose out back ..."
"I've got my swimsuit ..."
"Me too ..."
"I'll meet you in five minutes."
"Deal."
***
"Thanks for giving us a ride back," James said as he held the door open for Meowth.
"Yeah, it beats walkin'!" Meowth said.
"No problem ... but we better not tell Cassidy or Jessie about it ... they'd freak out," Butch said. "You know how they get about each other ..."
"Yeah, they'd throw a fit," James shook his head.
"Uhh, guys?" Meowth tugged on James' pants leg. "I think we're too late. They've already freaked out."
James and Butch looked over to where Meowth was pointing. Both Jessie and Cassidy were shrieking with happiness, spraying each other with the hose, running around the backyard of the Team Rocket Headquarters in bikinis.
"My God, they've both lost their minds!" Butch said, his eyes wide in surprise. The three ran towards the girls quickly.
"Jessie?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.
"C'mon James, we can't work all the time ... why not have some fun?" She spotted Cassidy out of the corner of her eye and quickly sprayed her with the hose.
"Having fun with ... Cassidy?"
"Sure," Jessie shrugged.
"But aren't you guys bitter enemies?" Butch asked.
"We don't have to be if we don't want to be," Cassidy said, grasping Butch's arm.
"And a girl has a right to change her mind," Jessie laughed. "You guys aren't enemies, why should we be?"
"But I thought ..." James stopped and shook his head. "Never mind."
"Well, if that's the case, then get on your swimsuits and come on out with us!" Jessie giggled, then sprayed an already annoyed Meowth. The poor cat screeched in horror, and ran off to hide under a tree. Jessie looked over at Cassidy, and both girls burst out laughing.
"Too weird," James said, then laughed. "C'mon Butch, let's go."
The two ran off to change, and Jessie sat down the hose, grinning at Cassidy.
"Remember what we used to say all the time? Friends forever?"
Cassidy threw her arms around Jessie and answered enthusiastically.
"Friends forever!"
~*~*~*~*~
Cassidy shook her head, picking up the first photograph she had seen again, of her and Jessie playing with a hose. She touched it longingly with her gloved hand, then placed it back in the box. She stood up and looked towards the door where a figure stood, watching her.
Jessie.
"What are you doing here?" Cassidy asked. "And how long have you been watching me?"
"Just walked up here, wondered why your closet was open," Jessie shrugged. "James and Meowth went off to some buffet, and I have a feeling they won't be back for a few hours."
"They probably found Butch there," Cassidy said, staring at the floor. Neither seemed to be living up to their usual tough disposition. Things were a little more uncomfortable, especially due to their last encounter.
"Listen, Cass ..."
Jessie paused, both she and Cassidy thinking the same thing. Jessie hadn't referred to Cassidy as 'Cass' in years. After a few moments of silence, Jessie sighed.
"About the other night, I mean, I guess I just wanted to say ..."
She stopped, and turned away.
"Never mind. You'll just get mad."
"You don't know that," Cassidy snapped, her voice not much louder than a whisper.
"The old Cassidy wouldn't have. But this Cassidy, the new Cassidy will get mad."
"And the old Jessie wouldn't hesitate to say anything at all to me."
Both girls stared at the floor, not knowing what else to say. Finally, Jessie slowly walked over to Cassidy, an angry look on her face. She opened her mouth to say something hostile, but her eyes flew to the box. Cassidy's face turned bright red as Jessie reached in ... and pulled out the photograph.
"Hey," Jessie said almost silently. "This is me ... and you ..."
Her hand didn't shake, she didn't drop the photograph and freak out like Cassidy had ... she simply stared at it, her face completely unreadable. After several uncomfortable moments of silence, Jessie spoke again.
"I remember that hose you had in your backyard," Jessie smiled slightly, still looking at the photograph. "We used to go out in our swimsuits and just play for hours ..."
"Then after we got bored with that, we'd fill up balloons and go throwing them at our friend's houses," Cassidy said quietly.
"We were delinquents, even back then," Jessie laughed, putting the photograph back in the box, and picking up the invitation.
"Do you remember that party?" Cassidy smiled too.
"Of course! That's where I got my Ekans," Jessie looked up at Cassidy. "You gave him to me ..."
"You took care of him, just like you promised," Cassidy said. "And look at that snake. He was just a poor outcast before, and now he's evolved into a beautiful Arbok."
"An outcast, just like me," Jessie said. "And you ..."
At the same moment, both girls grasped each other in a tight hug, years of hatred and anger washing away with their tears. They embraced for a long time before Jessie pulled away, a huge smile on her face.
"I can't believe this," Jessie said. "After all these years ... we're finally friends again."
"It sure is great to have a friend back," Cassidy said. "I was so stupid ... our fight was all my fault ..."
"It was my fault too. We both got mad for all the wrong reasons ... and stayed mad for a long time. We've been pretty evil to each other the past few years."
"I should've talked to you ..."
"I was out of control, Cassidy. What you did was wrong, but I was in the wrong too. I should never have treated you like that."
"We really overreacted ..."
"But I was getting pretty tired of that fight, weren't you?"
"Yeah ... let's make things like they were when we were younger."
Suddenly, Jessie's eyes lit up, and a cunning grin appeared on her face.
"You know, Cass, there's a hose out back ..."
"I've got my swimsuit ..."
"Me too ..."
"I'll meet you in five minutes."
"Deal."
***
"Thanks for giving us a ride back," James said as he held the door open for Meowth.
"Yeah, it beats walkin'!" Meowth said.
"No problem ... but we better not tell Cassidy or Jessie about it ... they'd freak out," Butch said. "You know how they get about each other ..."
"Yeah, they'd throw a fit," James shook his head.
"Uhh, guys?" Meowth tugged on James' pants leg. "I think we're too late. They've already freaked out."
James and Butch looked over to where Meowth was pointing. Both Jessie and Cassidy were shrieking with happiness, spraying each other with the hose, running around the backyard of the Team Rocket Headquarters in bikinis.
"My God, they've both lost their minds!" Butch said, his eyes wide in surprise. The three ran towards the girls quickly.
"Jessie?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.
"C'mon James, we can't work all the time ... why not have some fun?" She spotted Cassidy out of the corner of her eye and quickly sprayed her with the hose.
"Having fun with ... Cassidy?"
"Sure," Jessie shrugged.
"But aren't you guys bitter enemies?" Butch asked.
"We don't have to be if we don't want to be," Cassidy said, grasping Butch's arm.
"And a girl has a right to change her mind," Jessie laughed. "You guys aren't enemies, why should we be?"
"But I thought ..." James stopped and shook his head. "Never mind."
"Well, if that's the case, then get on your swimsuits and come on out with us!" Jessie giggled, then sprayed an already annoyed Meowth. The poor cat screeched in horror, and ran off to hide under a tree. Jessie looked over at Cassidy, and both girls burst out laughing.
"Too weird," James said, then laughed. "C'mon Butch, let's go."
The two ran off to change, and Jessie sat down the hose, grinning at Cassidy.
"Remember what we used to say all the time? Friends forever?"
Cassidy threw her arms around Jessie and answered enthusiastically.
"Friends forever!"
~*~*~*~*~