Ash:  POV

     When I get to my room I feel that I can relax and not be the perfect student that I'm portraying.  It's hard to be so perfect; I have to worry about making mistakes and such.  The only time I can be not perfect is when I'm in my room relaxing in front of the TV watching comedy TV shows.  I laugh a lot when I watch these shows, its just so humorous watching sitcoms.  Each show tries to mimic every day life but with odd situations.  One of my favorite ones to watch is about a guy who is being pursued by a girl who likes him a lot, but the girl always makes mistakes and she can never tell him how she feels so they remain friends.  I watch this show every night.  I never miss a single episode in fear that one day I may just see the scene I've been waiting for so long.  I hope to see the girl confess to the guy and both live happily ever after.

     I have started to study a bit more, not a whole lot but just a small bit.  I need to keep my grades high or my perfect student model would instantly dissolve.  I don't really mind the studying, it's not as hard as I thought it would be but it can be very boring at times.  I keep hearing music in my head when it's too quiet.  It was the annoying type of music, like background music of some anime.  Those trumpets, an upbeat tune, and Japanese singing, it would drive me nuts!  Turn off the music!  I would hold my head and shut my ears but I'd still hear the music of SOS from Pinkladies' playing.  Anyway, aside from that disturbing fact I actually do learn a few things from what I study.  I do feel smarter now then I have before, I have a lot more self confidence in my knowledge of various things but there was one bit of information I would like to know more.  How to read a woman's mind?

     Day by day Misty admires this "play" that I put on of being a model student.  I can tell, she has been looking at me constantly when I participate in class discussions and do well on assignments.  I'm not sure if she's still playing around with me, trying to mess with me mentally but I was getting tired of it.  It was fun at first but I just don't want to be left guessing.  I thought she'd end this game sooner but no she kept this going to the point I wonder if it even is a game.  I wanted to stop this but I wondered how would I go about doing so.  Being as perfect as I tried to be is stressful.  I don't mind my studies or the extra effort I have to put in but thinking that this is all just a game and not because I wanted to do it for myself made my stomach turn.  I was becoming nothing more than just a transparent person.  I wasn't myself and I wanted to be myself.  No more!  I will end it after work by just asking her of her feelings towards me.  Its embarrassing and downright nerve racking but what choice do I have.  I will do it, so help me I will.

*****

Misty: POV

     I sensed a strange aura from Ash one particular day.  He was still the same but I felt like the world was just going to end soon and it was because of him.  Class had begun starting off with the results of the recent quiz we had the other day.  Ash had scored perfect and I scored two answers from a perfect.  I still feel somewhat irritated that Ash had done better than me but I still felt proud of him.  He had begun to be more responsible so I respected his score, this time he looked like he deserved it.  Ash kept looking back at me with this emotionless expression.  This was normal but I felt frightened by his stare, was the world really going to end because of him?

     The day had gone by slowly, I couldn't concentrate on anything else other than Ash.  At swimming I had swum right into the wall a few times since I wasn't focused.  All the other girls just looked at me strangely, for a top swimmer I started to swim very poorly.  After a few mishaps I took a break and sat down on the bench with a towel over my head.  The other girls in the swim team continued on their routine exercise but one of them approached me.  Her name is Lina, when I first joined the swim team she introduced me to everyone.  She's a really good person and very cute.  She was one of the few I could actually call a "friend."  Lina asked me what was bugging me, so I told her.  She listened to the whole story from beginning to now, when I finished she thought about what I told her for a moment then she said to me, "don't be afraid, and do what you feel like doing."  Her advice wasn't a whole lot when I first heard it but as I thought about it, it was so simple it had to be correct.  I will be brave enough, I did promise myself Ash will be my first to either give me love or break me.

     Another thing that Lina brought up to help me take my mind off my emotional distress is the up and coming school festival.  The Campus Master held a festival every year to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the school.  Students would then audition to be part of the Festival Committee to decide what will be featured in this year's festival.  Lina mentioned even though I'm just a sampler student, I could join the committee if I'm in good standings with the school.  Later I was nominated by Lina to be part of the committee, I humbly accepted the nomination.  With the experience I had before, former Princess Day champion, as well as all the other things I've done on my travels, and my good grades, I was viewed to be in good standing and became part of my committee.  Now here's the odd thing, what got me over was my experience but guess who had similar experiences and could also say he was an Orange League Champion.  You guessed it, Ash.  He was nominated by a student named Kurai to be on the committee and was accepted quickly.  Guess Ash and me are in this together.

     I mentioned that I felt the world was going to end right?  It was later that evening after work when Ash and me were walking back to our rooms. Brock stayed overtime to do some extra studying so it was just the two of us together, alone.  It was such an odd feeling; I've never felt this way before walking with Ash in the empty hallways of the school.  As I walked my heart raced so quickly that I felt scared and jumpy, when Ash called out my name I was so startled that I jumped up.  He'd wonder what was I being so scared of but I just said that there are bugs running around and he immediately understood, though it was a lie.  As we approached our rooms he stopped abruptly which also made me stop.  He turned towards me then asked a question that had my world feeling like it was going to just blow up.  He asked, "Misty, do you like me?"

*****

Ash:  POV

     After work I walked back to my room accompanied by Misty.  I noticed that she let her hair down since having been accepted to work in the committee for the school festival.  She looked so beautiful in the night, with just enough of the night's darkness to give her a mysterious aura.  The sweet scent of her light perfume filled me with intoxicating delight.  I was getting drunk over her scent so much as that I asked her something without even thinking.  I asked her, "Misty, do you like me?"  I haven't realized what I just asked her till she started to hurry off to her room.  The only thing she said to me was, "I'm sorry but . . ." then she left.  Was it wrong for me to ask her?  Maybe, I don't know, I wasn't thinking straight.  At first I felt grieved over her answer, was that a no I pondered.  Logically I thought this through, she didn't give me a yes or no, and no clue to what "I'm sorry" is, so it probably just means she's indecisive right now.  I could be wrong.

     I went to my room and just lay in bed staring at the ceiling.  I thought to myself, if Misty did say yes, would that be because I've been living a lie and she only liked me when I became perfect?  Or maybe she really does like me since long before?  Or is she just toying with my feelings?  Several other questions came up but these were the top three.  Then I thought about myself.  Who was I?  The perfect self that I had become, was it just an illusion that I created, not the real me or was it part of me?  I have been getting good grades before I created my perfect self, so maybe I was already gifted to be smart but just needed to be more serious about it?  Before Misty had called me various things that question my intelligence, things like Dumb Ash, which sounds more like she was cussing at me.  This school, maybe it brought out my smart side that I've always had.

     The committee meeting was tomorrow during class; all students who are on the committee are excused.  This would give Misty and me some time together as we walk to the meeting room on the other building.  This is where I know if she likes me or not.  I do hope she doesn't just pretend to not have heard what I asked, cause that would mean we'd be nothing more than just friends.

*****

Misty:  POV

     Frustration, confusion, nervousness, and embarrassment, times that about a zillion and you got what I felt when I was walking together with Ash to the meeting room.  It was a two-minute walk there, the longest two minutes of my life.  I tried to play it cool without giving a hint of what I truly am experiencing.  By pretending that what happened in the pervious night never happened, maybe I can convince Ash it never really happened too.  But what if he brought it up I wondered?  Well, its just two minutes, hardly unlikely.

     When we got to the meeting room the other students that were on the committee patiently waited at their seats.  Talk about a bunch of bookworms, these students had studiousness written all over their faces.  I wouldn't call them geeky nerds but rather a cool looking smart people.  I felt so left out; I didn't appear to be that smart.  I didn't even have glasses where as everyone else did.  I sat down quietly just waiting for something to happen and something did, Ash happened.  Ash smiled at everyone and said loudly, "Howdy, I'm Ash."  The others didn't know what to make of it but they all introduced themselves to Ash.  Ash made such a big deal with everyone's names.  He laughed and loosened everyone up till everyone started to chat with one another.  Ash, what a guy, he sure knows how to have fun anywhere.  He even loosened me up too with his playful antics.  When the meeting started, I felt so relaxed that I was able to think clearly, thank you Ash.

     Ash had sat next to me during the meeting, seeing that we were in the same class and all.  When the school director went over some ideas and previous school festivals I let my mind wander to the previous night.  I ran away from Ash's question, I didn't tell him a straight answer.  But I promised myself that whatever happens, happens, Ash will be my first love or heartbreak.  How would I express myself?  At the time I was at my most relaxed so it was the ideal time to do something, but what, we were in a meeting.  Then I saw Ash's hand dangling of to his side.  There it was, the answer.  If I held his hand maybe he'll understand this is my reply to his question.  Yes this was the only chance I got!  So I swallowed a lump in my throat and carefully reached for his hand.  Then I felt his warm hand and held it.  I held his hand.

*****

Ash:  POV

     I listened carefully as the school director went over what students had done in previous years, some did plays, others held a giant concert, and another decided a campus store day.  All of them sounded good but I wanted something original, something that no one has ever done before.  Hearing through the list I felt something warm touch my hand.  A warm soft feeling, like a hand on my hand.  I looked, it was Misty's hand holding on to my own.  Did this mean what I think it means?  Did I spend half the night worrying over night and that Misty actually likes me?  If she truly likes me, she'll like me for who I am, perfect or not.  I replied to her by closing my hand with hers, holding her hand warmly and gently.  This was the truth that I seek she really does like me.  Even if I was a perfect student or just my normal self, she gave me this reassurance that she likes me either way.  I turned red from blushing, I looked at her it was the same thing.  This is was the best way for her to answer me.  I just wanted her to hold my hand . . . forever.

*****

Epilogue

Brock:  POV

     I enjoyed the festival plan that Ash had coordinated.  It was his idea that the committee agreed upon, a fancy dance.  It was Misty who then came up with a better name for it, a Grand Ball.  The entire campus became like a castle and everyone dressed up in the finest clothes that the school had to offer with some minor tailoring from yours truly.  The budget was increased since it was such a great idea; the head guy himself liked the idea of celebrating the anniversary of the school like royalty would.  I tailored together something special for Ash and Misty; since it was their idea they were also granted to be the so-called King and Queen of the Ball.  As one of the school's top tailors, I had many requests and most of them were from the oh so lovely girls of the school.  I had to measure them and fit them with all sorts of dresses; I was in heaven.  Where else could I have several girls calling out my name, wanting me?  Anyway my finest clothing design was ofcourse Ash and Misty's, I owe it all to them.

     The Ball was a complete success.  Everyone came to me and asked how'd they look and a lot of the girls wanted to dance with the guy who made them look so good.  As far as Ash and Misty, I think their new found relationship will be a solid one.  They had the honor to have the first dance together; I've never seen a more beautiful couple.  They held each other so nicely and danced as if they were on air.  After their dance, they went to their seats on the honored area where they continued to hold each other's hand.  I've never seen such a romantic couple, makes me feel jealous.  Well, that's all I know and what I've seen.  I was kinda distracted with all the other girls but all I know is they were made for each other.  The way they held each other's hands, and by the way they kiss too, its true love.

*  The follow characters originated in the fanfic, Dreamer and appeared only as a cameo in this fic:  Lina, Kurai, School Master (City Master)