DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon.

A/N: Well here we are! Chapter five! Well, it's really chapter six counting the prologue but for some reason I don't seem to do that. Um, I should probably be quiet about now. Okay, sorry, haha!

Chapter Five - Harmless Fun.

It had been two days since the whole near drowning incident. I was not in Mom's good books, but it had been like that for the most part of the last two years, so that wasn't affecting me at all.

It was Ash. He was doing crazy things to my mind and he probably didn't even realise it. The fact that he had saved my life stuck out like a sore thumb and seemed to be overriding the pain I had felt two years ago and ever since.

But then when I thought of that I kicked myself. I should still be mad at him. He made me the withdrawn weird little girl I am today. One little pull out from the ocean shouldn't redeem that. Still...

I was writing this much in my diary, the only confidante I had, and finished my entry with a yawn. It was 2pm and I was wacked. Me and my sisters had gone out for dinner the previous night and it had actually turned out to be a great time had by all. Even those three had to admit they needed a break from the party scene.

"Yo Misty" Daisy greeted me as she walked into my room.

"Hey" I smiled. Daisy sat next to me and I quickly stuffed the diary under my pillow. She would never be laying her hands on that while I was alive.

"It's amazing" she marveled, shaking her head.

I raised an eyebrow. "What is?" I asked.

"Here you are, reunited with a guy you claim to hate, and yet you're happier than I've seen you these last two years" Daisy said.

"You think?" I asked. Daisy nodded and I shrugged. "Must be the fact that I'm miles away from our mother."

Daisy laughed. "Yeah, she's a bit...I dunno..."

"Pushy, uncompassionate, favourising" I supplied bitterly.

"Well don't worry about her. She's not here. But Ash is. And sweetie, I can totally tell he wants you back" Daisy said with a small smile. But somehow, I could tell she wasn't teasing like Lily usually would. Daisy serious? I know, struck me as odd too.

"Don't, you sound like Lily" I groaned.

"Misty..." Daisy sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder. "He talked to me yesterday."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"He just wants to be your friend. He knows he hurt you bad, but he says he had no choice. And quite frankly, I believe him. What's so bad about being friends? He saved your life, he's tried so hard to befriend you again" Daisy pointed out.

"What did he say?" I asked accusingly.

"Nothing incriminating" Daisy replied. "I ran into him on the beach yesterday. He looked really down, Misty. Please, just talk to him."

"I already DID talk to him" I said in exasperation. "I told him I needed time!"

"It's been nearly two weeks since that particular talk. Look, if you leave him hanging much longer he might up and go and you'll kick yourself for it for the rest of your life" Daisy said sternly.

I gulped. "Yeah" I muttered. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right" Daisy grinned. She stood back up. "You know where his bach is. I told him you'd be there some time today."

"You didn't" I said in horror.

"Mmhmm" Daisy nodded. "So you'd better. I'll hafta kill ya if you don't."

"Okay okay, I'm going" I gave in. I needed to talk to him anyway. Despite my protests, I had made a decision with this whole situation. It was inevitable, I couldn't just leave it for the next three months.

I slowly made my way down to Ash's bach, rehearsing what I would say and how I would say it. I must've looked crazy, lumbering along the beach talking to myself and furiously shaking my head every time the wrong thing came out.

With a deep breath, I knocked three times on his door, half praying that he would be out or I had the wrong bach. But no. He answered within five seconds, a smile always on his face.

"Hey, you're up and about" he noticed.

"Good one Sherlock" I replied with a grin. Okay. Out with it Misty, come on. "I wanna be your friend."

Oh god. That went well. Just blurt it right out, don't explain anything, make yourself look like a total ass, he won't care.

"You do?" Ash asked in surprise.

I nodded. "Ash, we were great friends. You were right. And I think we still could be."

"Wow" Ash said with wide eyes. "This is...outta the blue, I guess."

"No it's not, and you know it" I said mischievously. "I know you happened to have a wee chat with one of my sisters yesterday."

"Ah, she told you about that" Ash winced. "It wasn't much, I swear Misty, I just had to -"

"Ash, shut up" I laughed. "It's okay. She pointed out that I could regret this for the rest of my life, so I'm gonna take a chance and be your friend. If that's what you want. And if you dare desert me again I won't be so sympathetic next time."

"So this is sympathy?" Ash asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No!" I exclaimed, cringing at my words. It was coming out wrong. I had no idea what I was saying. Help help help...

Ash slightly giggled at my situation. "Look Mist, I think I hear you. Friends. And nothing more. That's all I've wanted with you."

"Good, cos it's all you're getting" I smiled. Both of us knew I was teasing, but at the same time I was far removed from any joke. Things would not go further than where we were at that point in time.

"So pal" Ash said teasingly and I couldn't help laughing. "You wanna hit a party or something tonight?"

"Not really, but I have to" I sighed.

"What do you mean by that?" Ash asked.

"Mom" I replied simply. "You know, the whole spying thing."

"Oh, right" Ash remembered. "Do I dare ask how that all is? Or should I just butt out altogether?"

"Butt out for your own sake. Anyone who gets near my mom is doing it at their own risk" I said warily. "She's mad at me for nearly drowning." I laughed shortly at the thought. It was almost ironic. Most parents would be scared to death and order their children home at the thought of them nearly drowning, or being in any sort of danger.

"Wow" Ash breathed with wide eyes. "That's hard."

I shrugged. "I'm used to it. So" I decided to swiftly change the subject. "We're going somewhere tonight, by the looks of it."

"Cool. Do you wanna drop by here or do you want me to swing by your place?" Ash asked.

"Do you mind picking me up?" I asked hesitantly. "I want Mom to actually see who I'm going with" I added with a smirk.

"Won't that get you into trouble?" Ash asked with a raised eyebrow and I shook my head.

"She doesn't care. And if she does it's only because she's worried about the Waterflower reputation." I looked at him carefully and suddenly something came over me - awkwardness. Was I really doing this? Was I really arranging to meet the same guy who had nearly emotionally killed me two years ago?

Oh dear God. Someone send me to the psychiatric ward...

"Okay. Well, I'll drop by at 6 or something" Ash shrugged. "Is that okay with you?"

"T-that's fine" I stammered. "I'll see you then." I tried to give him an easy smile but somehow felt I failed, and then turned away, heading back to my bach. I could've ripped Daisy's head off for doing this, for talking to him and promising him I'd be here today, leading up to this. But she had been sympathetic about the whole Mom thing. I owed her.

And I owed Ash. I owed him more than I cared to realise.

* * * * * * *

My vision was obscured, but that was my own fault. I had my face buried into a cushion on the couch, almost as if I was trying to suffocate myself. Only five minutes till Ash arrived. And out of everything I could've felt - confused, angry, excited, apprehensive - I felt nervous.

NERVOUS?! What was I nervous about? I wasn't marrying the guy for pete's sake. I was going to a party with him. Just like I would with any of my friends back home. Well, if I went to parties back home anyway...

Off topic, sorry. I heard someone walk in but didn't bother lifting my head to see who.

"Like, when is Ash coming by?" I heard Violet ask.

"Five minutes" I mumbled into the pillow. "I'm gonna die. I wanna die. Kill me, please, I'm so stupid..."

"Five minutes?!" Violet shrieked. "And you're wearing that? You can bet you're gonna die" she smirked.

I snapped my head up and glared at her. "Tell me what the hell is wrong with wearing shorts?"

"Oh nothing, except that you wear them every day. How do you expect to snag Ash in that get up?" Violet asked casually.

"What?!" I exclaimed. "I am not snagging anybody, lest of all Ash!" I could've ranted till the sun came up but it was at this moment I heard the doorbell ring and once again buried my head in the pillow. "Tell him I'm not here, tell him I have chicken pox or something, please Violet" I pleaded from my confines.

"No way sis, you volunteered to do this, you do it. Don't worry, we're gonna be there too" Violet reminded me as I stood up.

"And you think that's a good thing?" I muttered under my breath as I walked towards the door. With an attempt at trying to calm myself through a deep breath, I slowly opened the door and witnessed Ash scuffing his shoes on the wooden patio. His hands were jammed in his pockets, but he saw me and quickly took them out.

"Hi Misty" he said easily, smiling as always.

"Hey Ash." I gave him a short grin and turned my head back to the house. "Are you guys ready?" I yelled.

"Yeah yeah, we're coming!" Daisy yelled back. That could mean anything. I held the door wider and stepped aside.

"Come in. Those three could take a while. I saw Violet a minute ago but I dunno if she's ready" I explained. Ash walked through and I closed the door behind him, stealing a quick glance at the camera. Yup, it was on. Mom was gonna get the shock of her life tonight.

"So anywhere in particular you wanna head to tonight?" Ash asked. I shrugged before I replied.

"I don't care. There's not a lot to do round here at night but join the parties. I'm not usually up for that, but it doesn't look like we've got a lot of choice."

To my shock and downright surprise, all three of my sisters emerged as I finished speaking, totally wiping out my thoughts of them taking ages to get ready. They all had grins on their faces as they spotted Ash and I cringed. This could be a very long night.

"Hiiiii Aaaaaash" Lily cooed, dragging out her vowels for longer then was necessary. I couldn't blame Ash for looking scared and I quickly stood up from my position on the couch.

"Right, okay, you all know each other, we can skip the intros and get going" I said hopefully.

"Yup, let's go" Violet agreed. My eyes went wide at her willingness to comply with me, but I shrugged it off and headed for the front door with the other four behind me. The bass dominated music hit my eardrums as soon as I stepped out and I winced. No matter how many times I did this, it never got easier.

The party was in full swing, the crowd being bigger on a Friday night, and spots of the beach were already becoming slightly veiled by discarded alcohol cans.

"Okay Mist, we'll see you back at the house!" Lily shouted. I could've strangled her right then and there in front of the hundreds of other people, even at the very high risk of getting charged with manslaughter or

something. I grabbed her shirt and hissed into her overly decorated ear.

"You said you'd all stay with me."

"We've just seen some friends from school. You'll be fine, sweetie. If he, like, tries any funny stuff you know what to do" Lily said. "He wouldn't anyways, he loves you remember" she added teasingly.

"Shut the hell up and go" I said louder, now wishing them to leave as quickly as possible. They all waved, Ash waving somewhat politely back and I turned to him with a wry smile. "I am so sorry about them."

"Why? Because they're polite?" Ash asked. I sighed. Still as dense as ever.

"Don't worry" I said distractedly. It took all of two seconds after I said this for the both of us to be shoved into the crowd, and it wasn't like I could do anything about it. Ash just laughed and went with the flow, and I followed him, hoping this wouldn't be a replay of the last time I saw him at a party. For one thing I didn't wanna injure anybody again, and for another I didn't wanna run into somebody I had grown to hate at the same time.

Woah. Hate? Do I hate Ash? The thought randomly sprung to mind and I remembered thinking it the night I came home wailing to myself in the empty house. I looked over at Ash, who was obviously having a great time, dancing and talking, or more likely shouting, to complete strangers. I also couldn't help noticing the small gaggle of girls nearby who had had their eyes on him ever since we arrived.

I shrugged to myself. I didn't hate Ash, but at the same time he wasn't my favourite person in the whole world. He flashed me his trademark smile and I returned it, finally finding myself fitting into the partying scene. A scene I would never have envisioned myself being in two years ago.

Many non-eventful dancing filled hours later, I recall it being about 1 in the morning, I had lost all track of my sisters and Ash and I were slowly walking along the beach back to my bach. We must've been two of the very few people who had walked away from the party sober. But six hours had been enough, I had met a few new people, no one particularly stood out though.

Mom would've been so disappointed.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Ash suddenly asked, his voice being accompanied by the sound of the waves on the beach.

"Sleeping" I groaned. "That was terrible!"

"Don't exaggerate" Ash grinned. "You were having a great time."

"I wouldn't call it great" I argued. "I could think of a million better things to do."

"Oh come on, do you think I didn't see you dancing with that blonde guy on more than one occasion?" Ash teasingly asked, and I reeled in shock.

"He was nothing" I mumbled. His name had fallen on deaf ears, along with everything else he had shouted at me. I don't think he quite picked up on the line where I told him I wasn't interested, as his pursuit had been

restless and annoying.

"Don't lie" Ash chided. "Spill, tell all."

"I don't remember his name, we danced about three times and I had absolutely no interest in him at all" I said matter of factly. Ash rolled his eyes and I lightly punched his arm with a small laugh. "I think you had a blonde of your own to deal with anyways."

"Oh no, she was -"

"Hanging on your every word?" I teased. Ash quickly shook his head and stared out at the ocean in total silence. His lack of response surprised me and I couldn't help noticing that when he finally did speak, the same odd expression crossed his face as when I had asked him about Giselle.

"She was nothing" he muttered.

"She liked you" I said, pointing out the obvious.

"Well I didn't like her" Ash snapped. That one minor sentance sent my head spinning into a thousand zones of questions and I stared at him in bewilderment. Maybe I shouldn't have even tried being friends with him - who wants a moody friend? - but like Daisy had said, he could leave and I'd regret it forever.

"Ash...what really happened between you and Giselle?" I blurted out. The question had eaten at my mind since I'd first run into him, even more so now at this display.

"I told you, it didn't work out" Ash replied quickly. His pace quickened with his words and I struggled to stay beside him.

"So who dumped who?" I asked.

"There was no dumping" Ash said bluntly.

"Mutual agreement?"

"No."

"Pokémon League?"

"No."

"Public in general not liking your girlfriend?"

"NO!" Ash yelled, halting in his tracks to glare at my stunned eyes. "It just didn't work" he added icily.

"Ohhh, so you stopped returning her calls?" I timidly suggested.

"MISTY!" Ash shouted. Oh how the tables had turned. I was usually the shouter, not the one receiving it. "Look, we stopped going out. Period." He had stopped glaring at me but was staring at the ocean again.

"You're hiding something from me" I accused.

"No I'm not" Ash mumbled.

"Yes you are!" I exclaimed. "Come on, you can tell me. We're friends, remember?" Argh, did I just say that? Us two friends? Those tables turn a lot.

"There's nothing to tell. Look, here's your bach." Ash had changed the subject with great speed, but I had to put it down to good timing. We had arrived at my bach and we both stood on the porch as I fumbled around my pocket for my key. I found it and slowly inserted it in the lock, my eyes not leaving Ash's. What was lurking in the mind I once knew so well?

"One day you're gonna tell me the real deal" I predicted.

"It is the real deal" Ash sighed wearily.

"No, it's not. And if you wanna be my friend, you hafta be able to trust me. You trusted me once. If you can't now, then don't bother seeing me again" I said bluntly. The words were harsher than my usual rantings, but they were all true, and Ash was speechless as I opened the door.

"T-tomorrow?" he finally stuttered out.

"What about tomorrow?" I asked. I noticed him gulp before he spoke.

"I'll meet you somewhere tomorrow."

"No can do, I'm sleeping" I grinned. "Call me in the arvo." Ash nodded and I started closing the door.

"Misty, wait." His voice stopped me and I met his eyes again. A long, awkward silence endured until he finally shook his head. "It's not important. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Ash." I smiled and instantly frowned once the door was closed. To say I was confused was an understatement. I had to wonder if he had always acted that strange since I had left, he certainly hadn't when I had been around.

My ears were still ringing from the music of the party, so after locking the door, I stumbled to the confines of my room and thanked God for walls. They're fantastic things. Through a wall no one could see me, hurt me, confuse me...

With a sigh I rummaged under the pillow for my PJs and was in bed a minute later. As sleep overtook me, a question came to mind.

He saved my life, says he wants to be my friend, and my sisters think he loves me. So why can't he trust me with one little break up story?

A/N: All will be revealed in chapter six! Or is that seven…I forget. But anyways, I have to say a massive thank you for alllll the reviews cos they're allll so nice and put me on a huge high. Serious! Thanks so much. More soon!