Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon.
I would like to apologize to Stephanie in advance for the first part because its just to add a little drama, it is not based on true experiences and there isn't much truth in it at all apart from a few tidbits in the descriptions.
Reasons of the Heart – More Than Words
"No!" Jessica screamed at the top of her lungs jarring Misty from her peaceful slumber.
"Why not?" Stephanie Otecco yelled back not nearly as loud as Jessica as she hadn't had nearly as much practice. She wasn't one to fight; she was usually playing the part of peacekeeper between Jessica and basically everybody, especially Anya and Misty.
You see, Jessica had very strong beliefs on what was right, her usually and anyone who felt differently didn't for much longer. The only ones who really dared to disagree were Anya and Misty who's belief in what was right was almost as strong as Jessica's. This usually ended in petty disputes about who was hotter and what movies just suck.
But this was far from petty, for once she was actually arguing about something important rather than Justin Timberlake's natural hair color. (A/N: Societies burning question)
"Because I am," Jessica yelled back her voice slightly quieter than before and lacking its usual conviction.
"Guys, do you even know what time it is?" Misty asked stepping out of her room wiping the sleep from her eyes.
Jessica looked at her as though she had just sprouted a third eye.
'No duh, Jessica doesn't wear a watch,' Misty thought to herself remembering all the times Jessica had been late because of that fact. Time supposedly stopped for Jessica Davis, at least according to her, but nobody had really seen it take place.
"Fine, let me rephrase that," Misty stated. "Why the hell are you guys fighting?"
"Ask her," they both replied angrily.
The whole thing just seemed wrong to Misty. Stephanie who usually stopped Jessica from fighting with people, almost matching Jessica's glare and herself who was usually fighting with Jessica, playing peace maker.
'It would be like me and Brock fighting and Ash trying to break us up,' Misty smiled thoughtfully to herself.
"What's so funny?" Stephanie asked.
"Do we even need to ask what you're smiling about?" Jessica said eyebrows raised and a sly smile playing on her face as she saw the slightly dreamy look on Misty's face.
"Shhh," Misty hissed glaring at Jessica. "Now tell me what the hells going on."
"She said she was going to ask Shane to the dance," Jessica said raising her head in her usual superior manner and turning her back on Stephanie.
"I was only kidding at first, but now I really think about it maybe I will," Stephanie replied. "I mean she broke up with him a whole year ago so what right does she have over him anyway?"
"I'd appreciate if you didn't talk about me like I wasn't even there and for your information it was a joint decision," Jessica said huffily turning back her arms crossed over her chest. "We decided to split because we didn't have the time and we were busy with our studies. We thought that maybe it would help us grow."
"Sure," Stephanie said bitterly. "I bet that's what you told yourself while you were lip locked with Ben last summer." Stephanie regretted the words the moment they came out of her mouth. She wasn't usually like this; she wasn't usually such a bitter person and usually never even got in fights. It was totally out of character and even Misty looked surprised.
Jessica on the other hand looked like she was about to cry. You could see the tears welled in her eyes, but she promised she wouldn't cry. She promised herself that she wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of letting her tears fall, especially not Stephanie.
So she held them back and hardened her jaw then spat her next words out distastefully. "That was low Stephanie," she said her voice quiet. "That was really low. If you remember, Ben asked me out like way after we split and you were one of the people who convinced me to go out with him. I was really upset when Shane and I broke up and Ben was just really cute and fun, nothing serious and we both knew that. And secondly, I'm not the only one who saw other people Shane did too, Mandy for one."
Misty scoffed at the name; she hated that girl so much. "Mandy's a slut," she said. "She'll jump anything with two legs and a dick."
Jessica didn't reply but continued to blink back the tears that threatened to come. Sure Ben had been cute with his brilliant blue eyes, brown hair and sexy English accent (A/N: I love English accents), but he was no Shane and it really hurt that one of her best friends could practically imply that she was some kind of whore that jumped from guy to guy.
"Jess, I didn't mean it," Stephanie started.
Misty looked between the two.
"You know, why don't we forget everything that was said and figure this out properly?" she suggested.
Jessica shrugged and looked down while Stephanie nodded hoping Jessica would agree to forget about what she had just said.
"How about this?" Misty said. "I'm going to call Shane and I'm going to ask him which of you he wants to go with. Now you have to promise that if he doesn't choose you, you won't feel bad and you won't be mad at each other. Promise?"
"Promise," they both said quietly.
So Misty walked to the phone and began dialing the frats number.
"Hello," a male voice answered almost straightaway that she immediately recognized as Ash's.
"Uh . . ." she stuttered nervously her cheeks burning a bright shade of red, "hey Ash."
"Hey Myst, what's up?" he replied slightly confused. "Is this about tomorrows meeting?"
"Uh, no I was wondering if you could get Shane for me," she asked. "Please," she added hoping he wouldn't be able to refuse.
"Sure, I'll be just a sec."
There was a pause on the other side as Ash went to get Shane.
"Hello?" Shane asked as he picked up the phone.
"Hey Shane, its Misty," she replied.
"Hey, so what's the deal?" he asked.
"What deal?" she asked with mock defensiveness.
Jessica gave her a warning look.
"Look I'll get straight to the point," she sighed. "Are you going with anyone to the dance?"
"Misty, that's great and all and I really am flattered, but I thought we were just friends so sorry no," he told her after a moments shock. "I mean, shouldn't you be going with Ash anyway, I mean there's the whole tradition thing and last I heard you two were head over heals for each other."
"Aw how cute," Jessica sighed as Misty's blush got that much more noticeable. She loved romance and figured that some where between picking up the phone and finding out who he liked the conversations had found its way to Ash. It always found it's way to Ash. Sometimes she found that Ash and Misty were just too cute for words.
"I didn't mean it like that," Misty yelled into the phone angrily.
"So that means that you are going with Ash, right?" he asked.
"NO it doesn't," Misty screamed. "Is there anyone in particular you want to take?"
"Well there's this one girl, but I'm not sure," he shrugged.
"Look, I know this girl that wants to ask you but she wants to know if you'd want to go with her so if you kind of told me who you wanted to go with this would be a hell of a lot easier."
"Fine," Shane sighed. "I was thinking about asking Jessica, ok?"
"Oh my gosh, really?" Misty asked. "Bye," she said quickly hanging up the phone.
"What did he say?" Jessica asked nervously.
"Sorry Steff, he chose Jess," Misty said apologetically.
"Its ok," Stephanie shrugged. "I guess you deserve it anyway," she said giving Jessica a hopeful smile.
Jessica smiled back.
"I'm really sorry about the things I said," Stephanie added.
"Yeah, me too. I'm sorry I called you a worthless know it all tart," Jessica replied. "Friends?" she asked holding out her hand.
"Friends," Stephanie nodded taking Jessica's. "Wait a sec," Stephanie said suddenly. "You didn't call me a worthless know it all tart."
"Well not to your face, duh," Jessica replied a smile forming on her face.
Misty smiled glad to see things back the way they should be.
"What did Misty want?" Ash asked as Shane walked into the room.
"She wanted to know if I was going to the dance with anyone?" Shane replied.
Ash gasped and you could practically see his heart breaking through his eyes.
"Gees man," Shane sighed. "You really do have it bad, I mean I thought that Tracey was exaggerating when you called Misty sweet and harmless . . ."
"But Misty is sweet," Ash replied still confused as to why nobody else saw her like that. He felt as though there was his Misty and then some other Misty that everyone else saw.
Shane shook his head in humorous pity. "She was asking for her friend," Shane told him. "Anyway, rules say she has to go with you."
"Why do people keep saying that?" Ash asked. "It wasn't funny the first time when Brock said it and it isn't funny now."
"Well it may not be written down in stone," Shane told him, "but it's an unwritten rule for them and those are the ones that really matter. She'll go with you even if Melody and Jess have to drag her down here themselves."
"Sure," Ash replied sarcastically. "You know the problem with any unwritten rule is that you don't know where to go to erase it." Shane shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Look," Ash said, "call me when pigs start flying and someone figures out what those things in my costume are."
"Saying I love you
Is not the words I want to hear from you
Its not that I want you
Not to say but if you only knew
How easy
It would be show me how you feel
More than words is all you have to do to make it real
Then you wouldn't have to say
That you love me
Cause I'd already know
What would you do if my heart was torn in two?
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away?
And you couldn't make things new
Just by saying I love you
More than words
Now that I've tried to
Talk to you and make you understand
All that you have to do
Is close your eyes and just reach out your hands
And touch me
Hold me close
Don't ever let me go
More than words is all I ever needed you to show
Then you wouldn't have to say
That you love me
Cause I'd already know
What would you do if my heart was torn in two?
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away?
And you couldn't make things new
Just by saying I love you."
('More Than Words' Westlife/BB Mak)
Misty sang along softly to the song playing behind her own voice. It was one of her favorites and just like every other song in her CD collection it made her think of Ash.
She wasn't quite sure why anymore. A lot of the time they didn't make sense, but very little that concerned Ash even mildly did.
She sometimes found that even she didn't make sense anymore. She felt like she was constantly contradicting every promise she had ever made to herself.
She had promised that she would let Ash get to her as she sat down preparing for her first class. But he had, he sparked every emotion, every feeling buried within in her, some good, some bad and some she didn't even realize existed but all because of Ash.
She had promised herself as she recognized his beautiful chocolate brown eyes and his knowing smile that first day that she wouldn't forgive him for what he had done. But now that was all she wanted to do.
She had promised she would never ever let Ash Ketchum back into her life that day as she ran from the clearing. She had promised that she would keep him out forever. But then she hadn't exactly let him in; he just magically appeared, just like he always did.
She had promised that she would never cry again as she spent almost a year locked in her room as tears flowed down her face ceasing to stop. She had promised that she would never let Ash be the reason she cried; never let him get close enough to make her cry. But in a matter of seconds, he was right back where he'd always been picking off where he left off as if he had always just been there and as soon as she was alone, she was crying, just like she always did.
She had promised herself she could live without him as she found herself crying yet again without understanding why or how to stop. But only a few months later she knew it was a lie, that she couldn't live, couldn't breathe, she couldn't be without Ash. And maybe that was the worst lie of all.
And as those few words came out of his mouth, she promised she would never fall in love again, not with him, not anyone.
She broken that promise too, it was the easiest to break and the one that she had hoped would survive. It didn't take long to break, maybe it was already broken from the start, but she definitely broke it the moment she knew that she was in love with him. Maybe even before that, maybe earlier, maybe she never meant to make that promise.
For she never truly stopped loving him, if she was honest she knew she could never stop. At first it was scary, knowing that no matter what she did, she was in love with Ash and there was very little she could actually do about it, but now, she was calm she didn't care that she had lost control over that part of her life and she was happy to know that she would always be in love with Ash.
She just needed to know. She needed to know that maybe he cared, that maybe he loved her too. She needed him to tell her everything she had dreamed of for so long, all the things she felt in her own heart.
She needed him to kiss her, to whisper sweet nothings in her ear and to tell her he was there now and that she would never be alone ever again.
Because maybe that was what scared her more than anything else put together.
She hated being alone; she hated it more than anything else in this world. That was part of the reason she had followed him. Only a small portion was the bike, not enough to really care about.
If someone else had floated down that river that day, she would have followed him or her, not Ash.
But she got the feeling that things wouldn't be any different.
She believed in fate and destiny and she knew that it was her destiny to be in love with Ash, that if anyone else had been there that day she would still be right where she was, pinning over Ash.
The path would have changed along the road, maybe it would have taken different turns, gone different directions, but eventually they would have crossed, she would have found Ash, or maybe he would have found her, but somehow things would just find their way. The pieces would just fall into place, like they were meant to.
It was her fate, her destiny and everything she ever dreamed of.
~ to be continued ~
You know when I started writing this story I really didn't expect to get to chapter 23 and still not be finished.
I'm hope you liked that chapter and that it wasn't too mank (my current favorite English word), so wish me luck for the next chapter, which I'm probably already writing as you, read this.
Please Review.
Also please read 'Beyond the Shadows' it isn't half bad and I'd really appreciate it.