Chapter 2: When All You Have Is Anger…

"So…what'd you wish for?"

"Can't tell. It won't come true."

"Oh. Darn."

Nori could never help resenting Owen's house. Despite the two teenage boys (men, Owen would insist) in residence, it was always spotlessly clean, everything always carefully arranged and free of dust. There were vases of fresh flowers in the windows, artistically arranged, and even on this dinner table, a basket of fruit, glistening with photographic perfection.

She picked at her bacon idly with her fork, one elbow on the table and her chin resting on her hand. Owen watched her, looking worried. Despite his friend's cynical nature, she didn't usually let things bother her for this long. He finished chewing and opened his mouth to say something, but Nori interrupted.

"I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't try to pawn off any of my misery on you."

Owen shook his head. "Nonsense. I force so much of my giddiness on you, it's only fair you give me something in return."

"No, I'm serious…you don't have anything to worry about. You've got it made. You shouldn't let me bring you down."

"Well, I think that you need to stop feeling so sorry for yourself and get out and do something."

"Like what?"

"You know what I mean."

"You know I can't…my dad, my brothers…"

"Screw them."

"What?"

"I said, screw them. You're seventeen, you've got an International Baccalaureate High School Diploma, a Pokémon Trainer's license and a pokémon buddy who can swim. Get your crap together and haul ass out of town."

"But…they…I can't…"

"Your dad is, what, forty-five? He can take care of himself."

"And Andrew and Jason?"

"Andrew was a trainer for four years, and Jason should get out and become one, too. I dare say they can figure it out as well."

"Fine, so what do I do?" said Nori angrily, "Just walk into the house, 'Hey dad, sibs, I'm going to be a pokémon trainer. Scaaarew you all,' huh? I won't make it out of there alive."

"Obviously not. Just disappear. They won't know the difference until they realize they've run out of money."

"That's another thing…my dad has all the cash, I can't up and go training without any funds."

"Where does he keep it?"

"What?"

"All the money you make and forfeit to him. Where?"

"In a box in his room, under his bed, probably. Why?"

"Take it."

"…"

"It's yours, really, isn't it?"

Nori just stared at him.

"Why do you look so shocked?"

"Well, let's see…mostly, my best friend, whom I thought to be a carefree, simple individual, is suggesting to me that I steal money and leave my house through covert means with the confidence and poise of a…an I-don't-know-what. So, yeah, I'm just a teeny bit startled."

"Oh, I take it you don't remember how effectively I organized our capture-the-flag team in eleventh grade? Anyway, it's good that you've been caught off guard. Gets the adrenaline going. When do you want to leave?"

"I…I need some time to think about this." Nori rose, pushing back her hair absently. "I'll…give you a call, I guess, if…" she trailed off, and wandered out of the kitchen. Owen heard the front door open and shut a moment later.

"She didn't eat anything," he muttered to himself, scraping Nori's untouched bacon and eggs onto his own plate. "It's worse than I thought."

Nori walked along the stony path, weaving between houses and under trees. It wasn't a long way from Owen's house to her own, but it seemed to take an eternity. At last, she reached it, sighing. Her own home, with its peeling paint, rotting verandah and broken roof tiles was in sharp contrast to Owen's highly polished residence. Only the backyard showed any evidence of care; her berry trees ringed the house, squat and brightly colored.

Nori walked up to her front door, the steps and deck creaking loudly. She went in, the screen door snapping shut behind her. She kicked off her sandals into the closet beside the door and walked into the living room, where her only parent and siblings were watching television—some league match, by the sound of it.

"Nori!" exclaimed her father, shutting off the television and getting up off the armchair he had been sitting in. For a second, she imagined that he was pleased to see her. "Where the hell have you been? All I get is an empty bed, no note or anything! Just what have you been doing?"

"I went swimming and walking with a friend."

"Who?"

"Owen."

"That Evans boy!?"

"Yes."

"Swimming, eh? Why is it only your shorts that look damp, then?" interjected Andrew from his spot on the couch.

Nori took a deep breath to try and stay calm. "Because I take off my tank top to swim."

"I knew it!" her father roared. "Swimming topless with a man, you little slut!"

Nori felt a terrible, burning anger swell up inside her at those words. "I was not swimming topless! I had a bra on, for your information," she roared back.

"It's almost as bad, then!"

"No, it's not! I've seen girls with bikini tops skimpier than my underwear, and it's solid fabric, not lace or something."

Andrew snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Oh, would you like me to remove my clothes and prove it? I bet you'd love that, you perverted bastards!"

That caught them off guard. Her father dropped the attack, sensing he'd rapidly lost control of the situation. "Now just wait a minute, Nori, I never meant that…it's just not respectable, that's all…"

"Not respectable? I'll tell you what's not respectable: screwing around here at home all day, living off your daughter's income!"

"That, that was uncalled-for," her father managed to stammer out. "You know I'm just waiting for my application to go thr—"

"Oh really? Well you just keep telling yourself that, Rob."

"Come on, Nori…mom said we've got to stick together…" whispered Jason, staring at his hands.

"Don't you even try to use guilt against me," Nori hissed dangerously.

"I don't see what you're so mad about. If it were up to me, you'd be locked in the kitchen, where you belong," sneered Andrew.

"You pustulant misogynist!" spat Nori. "I am going to break your fu—"

"That is enough, Nori! Go…go to your room!"

"Fine."

Nori exited the room, her thudding steps up the stairs very audible to the three males. Only when they heard a door slam did they dare to speak again.

Andrew whistled. "Jeez, PMS or what?"

The others didn't reply. After a moment, Jason rose to his feet.

"I'm going upstairs."

"It's your funeral," grunted Andrew, taking the remote control off the coffee table and switching the television back on. "Aww jeez, we missed the match."

"Who won?" grunted Robert Hunter, seeming to come back to his senses.

"Can't tell. Stupid bitch, why'd she have to come in right then?"

"Don't talk about your sister that way," Rob said, automatically.

"Whatever."

Nori thundered around her room in a rage. She couldn't stay here, no, not a moment longer, not with those three—alright, Jason wasn't such a bad sort—two pitiful excuses for human beings sitting down there. Only when she punched the wall furiously—leaving a dent—and hurting her hand, did she begin to think more clearly.

It was no good trying to go now…the living room had a full view of the front door, and she'd make too much noise trying to leave via the kitchen door. It was, however, an ideal time to retrieve the money container from under her father's bed.

She stepped out of her room, quietly shutting the door…only to realize Jason was standing right there.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" he asked, startlingly blue eyes misted over with tears.

"What?" Nori stopped herself from looking too guilty…she hoped.

"You're going to go away and leave us. You can't. I won't let you."

"Jason…I don't know where you're getting this idea, but—"

"I can see it. You want to go to the mainland and train pokémon."

Nori stared, trying not to look incredulous. Jason ran a hand through his spiky cobalt blue hair—so like her mother's—in agitation. He was thirteen, he was merely overreacting of course…he couldn't sense her thoughts…could he?

"It's not true."

"It is. You can't go. I'm telling dad."

"Jason, wait—" Nori tried to grab him, but he was already flying down the hallway and then the stairs.

"Dad! DAAAD!" She heard his voice echo in the stairwell.

"Jason, NO!" she yelled, hopelessly.

"You can not leave. I forbid it. I was charged by my dead wife to keep this family together. You are going nowhere."

"I doubt Marisa Hunter had this in mind when she said that," Nori hissed back.

They were standing very close, trying to stare each other down.

"And you knew her better than me, I take it?"

"Maybe not, but I am not blinded by a need to keep my oldest daughter in virtual servitude so your lazy ass can afford cable."

"This isn't about me! This is about the group as a whole. We share the money you make so we can all live, while I'm trying to find a job."

"And Andrew? He's twenty-one years old. What the hell is he doing, screwing around all day, huh?"

"What Andrew does with himself is his business—"

"Oh, is it? Maybe it's my business what I do with my money, like, for example, NOT BLOWING IT ON SOME LAZY WANKERS!"

"Jeez, Nori, take some damn ritaliiiiiiAUGH!" Andrew slumped to the floor, clutching at his groin.

"I've had enough out of you, misogynist."

"Nori, honestly—"

"Do not even try to tell me that was uncalled-for. You cannot guilt me into staying and supporting your stupid asses anymore. Step out of the way of my life."

"Nori, please…" Jason whispered, tears crystalline on his upturned face.

"Grow up, you little monster," Nori spat, before turning and thundering back up the stairs.

It was amazing how little she really owned.

She had fit all her worldly possessions into two duffel bags, a backpack and a cardboard box. She had lowered the duffel bags and the backpack to the ground outside her window, but the box contained more…delicate items, so it would have to be carried.

She had found her old trainer's belt in her closet. It felt odd, wearing it now.

She still had all her old gear, amassed in preparation for a cross-region journey that never happened.

She didn't have much money—a few coins and bills she found tucked away in her room—but she imagined that if things were really bleak, she might be able to borrow something from Owen until she started winning battles.

If you win battles, a cruel voice reminded her.

Nori put the box under one arm, trying to move stealthily. She exited her room, silent as a shadow and closed the door carefully—only to come face-to-face with her father.

She opened her mouth to snap something, but subsided as Rob waved a hand and blinked tired, red-rimmed eyes.

"I know I can't stop you going. But…I would appreciate"—he took a thin, paper-wrapped bundle from a pocket—"if you would burn these. At the temple of wanderers."

Nori took the bundle a bit awkwardly, trying not to jostle the box. "You…know I don't believe…"

"I know. But it would make me feel better."

"…Whatever." Nori tried to push past her father, towards the stairs.

"…Wait. Take this, too. It's yours, anyway."

Nori took the wad of pokéyen bills Rob held out. "What? But…"

"That's not all of it, but…I was hoping you'd lend us some."

"…Yeah. Yeah, that's fine."

Nori stared a moment before bowing, the action abbreviated by the things she carried, then continued down the stairs.

After a moment, Rob heard the muted click of the front door being closed.

"Good luck…you'll need it."

Hey, second chapter…this one was almost all dialogue, sorry if you don't like that. The pace should pick up by the next chapter, hopefully. Anyway, please review! Reviews boost my ego and make me want to write more. ^_^