Disclaimers: How many times do I have to tell you that I don't own Pokémon? The production of this fic is completely non-commercial! What part of that can't you understand? Sheesh!

I would like to point out that I based some parts of this chapter to an episode of Lizzie McGuire I saw last Saturday (August 3, 2002). The episode was called: You're A Good Man, Lizzie McGuire. That particular episode was about Kate and Lizzie planning the Spring Fling Dance. If you didn't catch that particular episode, there's an explanation at the end of this stupid chapter.

Chapter Six

We're Stuck

Crash!

   Misty suddenly sat up from her sleep, startled. She looked at her alarm clock. It was Monday morning, and Ash had to report to Mrs. Carlton that it is just very impossible for them to get along and study together. She rubbed her eyes, yawned and stretch. The morning sunshine peeked from her blinds and she got up to roll it up to let the light in.

   She saw her scattered notebooks and pieces of paper all over the floor. She was up until midnight studying for her algebra exam. She knelt down to pick her stuff up and put them back in her bag and binder. Misty suddenly remembered her dream. She was standing with a guy whose face she couldn't see and they were yelling at each other. A fragile object was the source of their argument. Both of them accidentally knocked the object down and it crashed. It was the exact same moment when her alarm clock rang. Misty just shook her head and zipped her bag close.

   After showering, fixing her hair, making sure she looked nice, Misty came down for breakfast. Her mother and father were both reading the Wall Street Journal. They both greeted her a good morning. Lily, Daisy and Violet were fighting on their way downstairs. Violet was yelling at Lily because she found out that Lily wore her skirt without asking. Lily was yelling at Daisy because she touched her stuff. Daisy was yelling at Violet for not giving her a phone message.

   "Girls, girls! Please!" Mrs. Waterflower said, putting her newspaper down. "What are you arguing about?"

   Violet pointed at Lily. "Mom! Violet borrowed my new skirt that I haven't even worn yet! Well, except for the fact I tried it on the store, but that's not the point. She didn't ask for my permission plus she permanently stained it. I can't return this thing now because she cut the tags off and I lost the receipt."

   Lily glared at Violet. "I'll pay you back someday. It's not like I won't make it up to you!"

   "Oh, yeah? You'll make it up to me! When the skirt is out of season! Misty is so right. We can't trust you with money!" Violet said furiously. "We can't trust you about the fact you'll pay us back because you don't even know how to handle your money."

   "That is so not true!" Lily said.

   "And what's your problem, Daisy?" Mr. Waterflower asked as he picked up his teacup.

   "Violet did not give me an important phone message. And now the person just sent about fifty text (SMS) messages on my cell phone ranting about our project and our meeting!" Daisy shot Violet an angry look.

   "I'm going," Misty said, not wanting to watch her sisters' feud. She grabbed her backpack and binder and kissed her parents goodbye. She set off for the bus stop.

~*~

   "Students! Please report to the auditorium immediately." Said Principal Lennon on the P.A. system as soon as the final bell rang. "Thank you."

At the auditorium…

   "Excellent," Principal Lennon said. "Most of you are probably absent, some are possibly late. No matter." He cleared his throat, as the sleepy-headed students gave him a low stare. "I see most of you are still sleepy. We can't have that. Everybody stand up."

   What the heck is this? One of the students thought.

   "Ten jumping jacks!" Principal Lennon said, doing jumping jacks himself. His fat tummy jumped up and down along with him.

   The students barely did the jumping jacks. All they did was stretching and making it look like they were jumping. Principal Lennon on the other hand was happily performing the exercise, unaware that his students were barely doing it and were just amusing themselves with his bouncing tummy.

   "All right, then. Onto business," Principal Lennon said, straightening his Pikachu-printed necktie. "As you all know, our Homecoming game and Homecoming dance is taking place this Friday. The Homecoming dance committee includes the following students: Sabrina Kelly, Melody Gates, Misty Waterflower, Karen Iverson, Clair Fontana, Todd Wendell, Danny McGee and Aaron Griffith." He looked at the sluggish audience. "Isn't that right?"

   No one responded. The principal nodded.

   "Misty Waterflower here is the head of the party committee, although her duties as head party committee excludes the Homecoming dance. Which makes Sabrina Kelly the chairperson of this committee. Our SG president, Melody Gates, is her right hand. However, Sabrina's parents told me that she will be moving soon, and will be unable to continue her duties. Karen quit the staff because of her schoolwork load, and Aaron Griffith was asked by his Math teacher to drop out because his grades were slipping. Leaving Misty, Clair, Melody, Todd and Danny on the staff. Danny, however, did not wish to quit, but due to an unfortunate accident, he broke his left leg and will also be unable to continue his duties." He looked at the audience. "Unfortunately, half of the plans for the dance were ruined because of the sudden subtractions from the staff. So right now, if anybody would like to volunteer, please raise your hand."
   Suzie Mitchell raised her hand. "I'll do it, Principal Lennon!"

   "Very good, Suzie. I need at least two more boys. Raise your hand," Principal Lennon said.

   Someone burst on the door. "What did I miss?" The person shouted.

   It was Ash.

   "Oh, Mr. Ketchum. Very perky today, aren't we? We were just talking about new staff members for the dance. Since you're so perky and late today, I think you should join the committee." Principal Lennon grinned.

   Ash spotted Tracey sitting on the end of the middle aisle. "But Principal Lennon—"

   "Yes, Mr. Ketchum?"

   "I don't like to join—"

   "There is nothing you can do!" Principal Lennon said joyously. "One more guy, please?"

   Ash grabbed Tracey's hand and raised it up. "Tracey Sketchit? Excellent!"

   Tracey glared at Ash. "What are you doing, man?"

   "I'm not doing this alone," Ash said.

   Tracey will be in the committee? Brilliant, Suzie thought. Ash Ketchum just helped me reel Mr. Sketchit in.

~*~

   "Aw, man! Do I have to be in that stupid committee? I don't want to go to the dance, and now I'm in the staff?" Ash grumbled, slamming his locker door shut. Brock and Tracey were standing beside him.

   "At least you get to be around beautiful girls…" Brock said with a dreamy look.

   "Take my place, then."

   "I can't. I have a job in the community veterinary clinic. And I can't miss it," Brock said.

   Ash's face turned sour. "You just want to be there so you can get a date with Nurse Joy."

   As usual the students in the cafeteria were practically a riot. Some were fighting for the last remaining plate of normal-looking Jell-O, some were arguing over the tapioca and one of the lunch ladies were yelling at the kids at the salad bar for sticking their heads under the glass and using their fingers instead of the tongs. Ash was glad that he brought a sandwich and didn't need to line up.

   Tracey got into line while Brock and Ash sat down at the usual table. When Tracey joined them, Ash immediately looked at Tracey's lunch. "What the heck is that?"

   "French fries and uh…" Tracey prodded a bowl of mushy, mashed and yellowish-looking food. "Come to think of it, I really didn't ask what this is."

   "Isn't that the stuff the school calls, 'Yellow Snow'?" Brock said.

   Ash wrinkled his nose. "What? Ew!"

   "Be positive," Tracey said, spooning the bowl of yellowish substance. "This could never be 'Yellow Snow'."

   "Oh yeah? Why is that?" Ash asked.

   "I just saw Principal Lennon take five bowls of these," Tracey said.

   "That explains his weirdness and piggy-ness," Brock said. "Tracey, our principal isn't what you call 'normal'."

   Upon requesting to avoid the subject because it ruins appetites, Ash turned to Tracey. "I was just wondering when is the first meeting of the Homecoming committee."

   "Why ask me? You're the one who got me into this," Tracey said, his mouth full of French fries.

   "Because that Waterflower is there, and I can't ask her," Ash said. "Look, I'm sorry if I got you into this. I can't deal with that snooty wench. I need you to back me up."

   "Ash, she's just Misty! Why are you making a big deal out of this? Okay, she's snobbish and stuck-up. But you don't have to be such a baby. I mean there are plenty of ways to avoid her. Don't talk to her. Don't look at her! So what's your problem?" Tracey said in a tone, which clearly indicated that Ash was overreacting about the Misty-situation.

     He is overreacting. Ash didn't say anything to Tracey's comment.

~*~

   "So Ash Ketchum just helped me get Tracey." Suzie smiled. She was clearly bragging out her plan to get Tracey to like her.

   "Can we stop talking about this?" Melody said irritably. She was sick of Suzie's bragging. Whenever she got the chance, she always talked about how cute Tracey is, how nice Tracey is and everything about him. Melody felt like her brain was going to explode. But more than that, she felt very jealous.

   Suzie gave Melody a superior look. "Excuse me, but I find it really rude when I get cut-off—"

   "Oh, yeah? I guess I find it also very irritable that you're yakking about Tracey Sketchit whenever you get the chance."

   "What is your problem, Melody?" Suzie asked, flipping her long, silky hair over her shoulder.

   Clair looked at Suzie and Melody. "Is this is a fight?"

   Melody glared at Clair. "Keep out of this, Clair." She glared at Suzie. "Look, I'm getting really sick of your babbling about Tracey Sketchit. And you are so pushy. You know that he doesn't like to go to the dance with you, and yet you're talking like you're his girlfriend or something."

   "I will be, if you would just butt-out. Why do you care anyway? It's not like you're his girlfriend or anything. So what gave you the authority to stop me from getting him to be my boyfriend?" Suzie shot back angrily. Her face flushed.

   Melody's eyes rounded, and suddenly her eyes shined, clearly she was about to cry. Misty looked at her. "Melody?"

   Melody looked down, didn't respond and got up from the table and ran out of the cafeteria.

   "What a bi—"

   "Don't say it!" Misty said in an equally exasperated look. "I can't believe you. He's only a guy, for Pete's sake. So you like him. But that also does not give you the authority to hurt other people's feelings. You don't know Melody, and you certainly don't know that you're hurting her while you're babbling about Tracey." Misty gave Suzie one last angry look and also left.

   Karen and Clair were left at the table with the dumbfounded Suzie, whose mouth was hanging open. She didn't even get the chance to retaliate to Misty's words.

   "Yeah. We thought you were good, Suzie. But we were so wrong. Now we know you're a bimbo," Clair said, picking up her lunch tray. She looked at Karen, who felt sorry and mad at Suzie at the same time.

   "Sorry, Suzie." Karen said, looking at Suzie with a mixed expression on her face.

   Suzie was standing there, open-mouthed and out of words. She didn't show any signs of crying. And her face sure didn't twist into a look where she felt really low. She felt mad. Fine. Be that way. Not like I enjoyed hanging with them anyway, Suzie said, flipping her hair again and looking like as if she didn't care that all her new 'friends' just ditched her.

~*~

   "What just happened?" Brock said, astounded.

   "It seems that Clair, Karen, Melody and Misty left Suzie alone," Tracey said.

   "Did they have a fight? I bet it was because of Misty," Ash said, taking a bite from his sandwich. He looked at his friends. "Why do you care anyway? Are you now bodyguards of those girls?"

   "Ash, it's impossible not to spot them because they're sitting two tables apart from us," Brock said. "And Suzie is just so cute."

   "Whatever," Ash said.

   "I don't think they had a fight anyway. What is there to fight about?" Tracey silenced Ash, since he knew that Ash was going to say: "Misty" again.

   "You never know," Brock murmured, getting up from the table.

   "Where are you going?" Ash asked.

   "To Suzie. She must be lonely," Brock said with yet another dreamy look on his face.

   Brock straightened his shirt. He approached Suzie's table. "Hey, there, Suzie. Why are you all alone?"

   Suzie stabbed her empty Styrofoam cup with her plastic fork angrily. "Why do you care, anyway, No-Eyes?"

   "Hey! I didn't do anything to you! Don't snap at me," Brock said, looking confused. "I was just being nice."

   Suzie tilted her head and snickered. "Well, you're not being nice. You're being a pest. Get lost." She threw the paper cup on Brock's face and stalked off.

   Brock picked up the paper cup and looked at Suzie. He didn't know what to think. He just returned to his table. Ash looked at him.

   "Stop giving me that look," Brock said.

   "I can't help it. So what did she say?"

   "Doesn't matter."

   "She's mean. I can tell," Tracey said.

   "She was just ticked off, that's all. And I added up to her annoyance, and she blew her top. No biggie," Brock explained, grinning.

   "Whatever." Ash just took another bite from his sandwich.

~*~

  It was the last period for the day, and the bell had rung already. Ash and Misty both approached Mrs. Carlton about her decision in pairing both of them.

  "Certainly not, Mr. Ketchum and Ms. Waterflower," Mrs. Carlton said, pushing up her horn-rimmed glasses up her nose. "Now that I know that you have difficulty getting along, the more you need to spend time together."

   "But we can't really—" Misty started to protest.

   Mrs. Carlton waved her right index finger in front of Misty's face. "I said, no, didn't I, Ms. Waterflower? Besides, what is there to be angry about each other?" She winked. "Personally, I think you two would make a cute couple!"

   Ash and Misty blushed 10 times darker than the normal shade of pink. If either Ash or Misty found the whole situation awkward, they perfectly masked their expressions. Misty gave out a false laugh. "You're such a joker, Mrs. Carlton…"

   Mrs. Carlton gave them the 'grandmother-toothy-cutie-' kind of smile. She pinched their cheeks. "Joking? Who's joking?" She saw Todd Wendell walking out the door. "Mr. Wendell, I would like to get your opinion about a certain matter."

   "Sure, Mrs. Carlton. What is that?" Todd asked amusingly, looking at the blushing faces of Ash and Misty. Misty was pretending to choke herself of disgust, while Ash made a very horrified face.

   "You don't have to do this, Mrs. Carlton…" Ash muttered under his breath, but Mrs. Carlton was busy giggling and amusing herself.

   "I was going to ask for your opinion about the thought of Ash and Misty being a couple," Mrs. Carlton said tactlessly. She was unknowingly embarrassing Ash and Misty, who simply loathed each other and cannot stand the idea of them being a couple. The thought of it made both of them shudder and blush.

   Todd was about to laugh out loud. "Yes, of course, Mrs. Carlton. In fact, they would be perfect as King and Queen of the Prom this year."

   "How lovely!" Mrs. Carlton said, dancing with delight.

   Misty glared at Todd. "Wendell! When I get my hands on you…"

   "See you at the meeting Misty," Todd said hurriedly, trying to suppress his laughter. "You too Ash. I'll see both of you. Bye!" And he ran out to the door.

   "You see? I told you so!" Mrs. Carlton stopped dancing.

   "I have to go," Misty said. She turned around and quickly bolted out to the door. Ash, who was afraid of more comments, followed Misty out. Besides, he needed to go to the committee meeting anyway.

   "Stupid hag," Ash muttered.

~*~

"Where's Melody?" When Misty realized that the committee was lacking the staff. Besides, Melody was now the head of the committee.

   "I think she didn't show up because she's really upset about something," Clair said icily, clearly talking about the tiny argument with Suzie at lunch.

   "She's such a baby anyway, why don't I be the head of this committee instead?" Suzie countered Clair's remark.

   Clair slammed her fists on the desk of the chair she was sitting on. "You? No way! And Melody didn't quit; she just didn't show up. Mainly because of you."

   Tracey and Ash arrived. "What's going on? Where's Melody?" Ash asked.

   "Stay out of this, Ash," Clair said angrily, glaring at Suzie.

   "Hey, Tracey! There's a spare seat here!" Suzie said, ignoring Clair.
   Tracey looked at Suzie. "Uh…I think I'll sit with Todd instead, I have something ask him anyway."

   "And boy, do I have something to tell you!" Todd said, remembering the incident with Mrs. Carlton.

   "Melody!" Misty yelled, spotting Melody by the doorway.

   "Hi!" Melody said with a sniffle.

   "Oh, so you decided to show up," Suzie said.

   Melody shot her a look of daggers. "I'm no chicken."

   "Whatever. Can we just get on with this meeting?" Ash said.

   "No one's making you stay," Misty retorted.

   "I'm not talking to you," Ash said.

   Melody silenced the committee and walked up to the desk at front. She was carrying a notepad. "Okay! Let's get started. Prior to this meeting, the former and current members and I agreed that this Homecoming Dance is a no-theme dance."

   "What kind of dance is that? No themes," Suzie interrupted.

   "This dance. Spring Break dance…" Melody enumerated. She completely silenced Suzie. "Any more objections?"

   No one spoke.

   "Right!" Melody said cheerfully. "But we agreed to have a color theme. Unfortunately, we haven't agreed yet which three colors to use. We excluded the school colors: white, aquamarine and red." She tapped the table with her feathery pen. "Any suggestions?"

   "What about purple, yellow and gray?" Suzie asked. "Those colours used to be my old school's colours." (Suzie was from England, so I have to change the spellings a little.)

   Melody nodded. She was an open-minded person. She will not thrash the idea down until she gave it a good thought. "Okay."

   "You're taking her suggestion in?" Clair said, ready to object.

   "Yeah. I won't take my personal problem here. The school is counting on us to organize this dance." Melody jotted down Suzie's color suggestions. "Anyone else?"

   No one spoke. Melody looked at Misty. Misty shrugged. "Green, blue and yellow," She said simply.

   "So common." Suzie said.

   Suzie and Misty began yelling at each other, and Melody had to kick the desk with her left foot to silence them up. "Ash?" Melody asked.

   "Yeah?"

   "We're going to hold this dance at the lawn at front. You know, by the fountain and statue. Could you and Misty check if we still need to get the gardener to clean out some plants for space?" Melody requested politely.

   Todd began shrieking with laughter.

   "Why? Why me?" Ash complained.

   "Yeah! Why him?" Misty asked.

   "Tracey can show me his ideas for the banner, and Todd will help Clair figure out the decorations. Suzie and I also will work on the food," Melody explained.

   "Why can't I help Clair instead?" Ash asked.

   "Because Todd is a photographer, and he's the yearbook committee's photographer, and I want to make sure that this dance will look good in the yearbook." Melody frowned. "Okay?"

   Ash grumbled and followed Misty outside to the front lawn.

~*~

   "We need a little space here," Misty said, drawing a huge square on her pad and marking the places that need working on.

   Ash spotted the statue of the principal. It was Principal Lennon's father, who was the principal in this school twenty-two years ago. It was just a half-statue, no body at all. But was positioned in the middle of the front lawn, right in front of the elegant water fountain. It wasn't completely blocking the fountain or anything, but it wasn't good to look at.

   "Why don't we move this thing?" Ash said, pushing the statue.

   "What? No!" Misty said, but it was too late.

   CRASH!

Wacky Witch: Ugh, finally, this chapter is finished. I figured out that I couldn't squeeze everything in 8 chapters, so I have to extend both the TIME and the CHAPTERS. No final date yet of when the last chapter will be finished. Anyway, I'm so sorry if this chapter is LAME again.

Reviewers:

Thanks to Violet Emeralds' lengthy reviews! THANKS SO MUCH!!! Continue…please continue your fic! (I don't think your Self-esteem Spell Worked. ^_^)

LavenderEspeon, you've reached you goal of a hundred reviews!!! Even more than a hundred. I'm still waiting for Driving Me Crazy.

M*Y*S*T-L*A*D*Y, thanks for the HUG!!! I think you deserve a hug too!

Jenna, thanks for admitting that this story is poorly written.

And to all the other reviewers,

THANKS SO MUCH AND PLEASE SAY THAT YOU WILL STILL ANTICIPATE FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!

And for the errors, I wrote this while waiting for my breakfast, so I was hungry. ^_^

(Lizzie McGuire explanation: Lizzie McGuire and Kate Sanders were paired together for the party preparations of the Spring Fling Dance. Kate broke something valuable and Lizzie took the blame for it.) Only a small explanation, since I don't want to spoil the whole episode if you're a LMcG Fan.