Chapter 15: The Crazy Game of Love
Jenna paced back and forth in front of the doctor's office. The needed to successfully close the wound and set his bones or they wouldn't heal properly, even with the aide of magic. But that's not what she worried about. She just made out with a friend in the guest bedroom. . . something worse than what she promised Phil. They both had promised never to look twice at a member of the opposite sex. What had she done?
"Jenna?" A voice came from around the corner. Charlie was there, wanting to ask a question, obviously.
"What, Charlie?"
"I want to know. . ." Charlie said, walking up innocently, "What were you and Skye doing?"
Not good. Jenna thought. She might as well tell him the truth. "Charlie," she started, choosing her words carefully, "Skye's been a really good friend to me, and he's wanted to. . . take our relationship up a step."
"What's that mean?" Charlie asked.
"You'll know when you're older. Just don't tell anyone, please." Jenna said.
"Man. . ." Charlie said.
"It's still bad news for me and Phil. . ." Jenna mumbled under her breath. She didn't feel like telling anyone. She hoped Skye wouldn't, either.
"Where's Charmander?" Charlie asked.
"I don't know," Jenna said, a bit startled by the sudden change in subject.
Out of the main doors at the far end of the hall, Robert, King Bowser, and Charmander walked forward.
"I think it's a perfect plan." Bowser said with conviction, "Nice work."
"It might take a while, though." Robert said, "And the castle will be left unguarded for a week or so."
"Don't worry." Bowser said, "It's been tough finding them, but I have three Elite Guards who can take on Mario. Only one time they've met, though, but Mario still won."
"It's risky, then."
"So it is." Bowser said, "But this might be our last hope."
"Best of luck." Robert said, as Bowser stopped. Charmander and Robert continued on to Jenna and Charlie.
"I was never informed of any plan." Jenna said slyly.
"Lord Bowser wants us to help him defeat Mario."
Jenna looked to her feet. "You know, all the times I've played the video games, I thought Bowser was evil, but he's not. He's just misunderstood."
"You got that right." Robert said, "It was really nothing more than a crazy game. . ."
"A crazy game. . ." Jenna said sadly, "It was all a crazy game until someone got hurt."
"Bowser swears on his honor that he never killed Princess Peach."
"Mario must have loved her deeply." Jenna sighed, "True love. . . death only made him love more. . ." Jenna shed a tear.
"Sis, what's wrong?" Robert asked, but Jenna had already started running down the hallway, trying to hide that fact. "Sis!" Robert called after her. She slammed a bedroom door behind her.
"Kid," Robert turned to Charlie, "Do you know what's wrong?"
"I'm not allowed to say." Charlie said.
Jenna threw herself down on the bed, burying her face in a pillow. What have I done? Why do I deserve this? Do I really love Phil as much as I thought? Do I really love Skye?
The door opened. Jenna looked up, trying to hide her tears. It was Doctor Konner.
"Jenna," He said, "The surgery was successful. Phil will be out in a few minutes."
Jenna nodded and Konner closed the door. Just one more thing to worry about. No, I shouldn't think of it that way. Phil is my friend. . . but why did it have to happen?
Jenna looked at herself in the mirror on the far wall. Phil is going to think I've been crying about him. He kept up his end of the bargain, why can't I?
I've got to stop blaming myself. Skye is the one that made me fall in love. . . he shouldn't have helped me. I would have been better off.
But why am I thinking that about Skye? He's sweet and gentle and protective. . . some qualities Phil didn't have. But Phil was outgoing and mysterious.
Why did we get trapped in this godforbidden game?
Jenna got up off the bed, and taking one last look at herself in the mirror, decided to comb her hair with her paw, since she didn't have a comb readily available.
The door creaked open again. "Jenna?"
"Phil!" Jenna said, recognizing his voice, and almost jumping into his arms.
"Whoa!" Phil said surprised, "I haven't been gone that long!"
Long enough. . . Jenna thought.
"Do they have showers in this place?" Phil asked, "Cause I haven't taken one in days."
"I don't know." Jenna said, "Robert might."
"I'll go ask him then. . ."
"Um. . ." Jenna started, getting off of Phil, "Phil. . ." But he was already out the door. Rats. Jenna thought, only to be interrupted by Skye, entering the room. "Skye!" Jenna said.
"Hi, Jenna." Skye said, "Look, now that Phil's better. . ."
"I still love him, Skye."
"You. . . still?" Skye said with a surprised look on his face.
"Crap. . ." Skye said, "Look, I don't know about you, but having two boyfriends. . ."
"I haven't told Phil." Jenna said.
"That's a relief." Skye said, "Look, let's try and keep this a secret."
"I don't think it will last very long. Charlie saw us."
". . . That's just peachy, isn't it?" Skye said with the obvious tones of sarcasm.
"Skye, I don't. . ."
Phil bumped his way into the room. "Sorry, Skye." He said, after the door bumped him, and Phil walked his way to room in the back, probably a shower.
Skye looked at him walk out of sight. "Maybe I could bump him off for you. . ."
"Skye!"
"What?"
"I never said I chose you yet."
"Better make up your mind," Skye said, turning his back, "Or it might be forced."
Jenna thought about that as Skye walked out of the room.
"Here's the plan." Robert said to the now gathered group of. . . whatever you could call them, "Bowser wants us to get prepared for a final assault on Mario in a few weeks time. We have until then to train as hard as we can."
"Robert, you're making this sound like an RPG." Phil said, "Next you'll want only three of us to go adventuring at a time."
"Actually no." Robert said, "But we might need to split into two groups, four in each."
"Wait a second!" Jenna said, "Me, Skye, Phil, you, Charlie, Charmander, Porygon. . . who's the eighth?"
"Me." Said a voice from the conference room door. Ken stood there with a defiant look on his face, "King Bowser gave me permission to travel with you guys."
"Oh." Jenna said, "I didn't think anyone else was going to come with us."
"Now," Robert said, "We choose teams."
"I'm with Jenna." Phil and Skye said at the same time, and then looked at each other.
"Um. . . I guess we'll also take Porygon." Jenna said.
"So the other team is me, Charlie, Charmander, and Ken." Robert said.
"I want to go with Skye!" Charlie said.
"Char char!" said Charmander.
"She wants to stay with me." Charlie said.
"So. . ." said the confused Robert, "Skye, Jenna, Charlie and Charmander?"
"I'm staying with Jenna!" Phil said.
"So you, Skye, Jenna and Charlie?"
"Not without my pokémon!" Phil and Charlie said at the same time.
"This never happens in real RPGs." Jenna muttered to herself.
"Hold it!" Robert said, "Draw some straws!"
Robert pulled two reeds from the table centerpiece and snapped one in half. "Whoever gets the short straw stays with Jenna and Skye."
Phil and Charlie drew at the same time. "Rats!" Charlie said, holding up his short straw.
"That settles it." Robert said, "We're off."
"Now?" Phil asked.
"You got anything better to do?" Skye asked Phil.
Document created with wvWare/wvWare version 0.6.7
-->