Chapter 5
Thunder rolled in the distance and Drew lifted his head up slowly from his pillow. The sky was a dirty gray and there was no sunlight anywhere. Usually he looked forward to a sunny morning, but that day his mind was everywhere, and he was lifeless. If it rained, he wouldn't have to go to work, which he didn't mind. As though answering his thoughts, there was another boom of thunder, this time louder and accompanied by a sheet of pounding rain. Drew sighed and dragged himself into the kitchen for breakfast. Just as he was going to reach for the door of the refrigerator, he jumped. Bella popped up out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around his torso.
"Good morning Dooey!"
He scrunched up his face at the sound of the horrible nickname. Her speech was low and slurred like a baby's.
"Dooey? You never called me that before."
Bella's ecstatic smile turned into an immediate frown.
"What? You don't like me calling you that? But I made it up just for you."
Drew took out the gallon of milk and poured himself a glass of it.
"Maybe you didn't know, but my name is Drew. D-R-E-W, Drew. Not Dooey, all right?"
Her eyes swelled up as she watched him gulf down the glass of milk. After he wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand, she suddenly let out her anger.
"That was so mean of you… Drew!"
He turned around, flipped his hair, and then cocked his head to the side.
"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood for one of your high maintenance talks right now, okay? I'm not going to work today, so you might as well just go. I need some time for myself."
Drew wasn't being a jerk on purpose; it just came out that way. Bella was furious with Drew and what he had said sparked a deep hatred for him at the moment.
"Oh yeah? Well it looks like you are going to be stuck with me, because I have the day off too!"
"What?"
"That's right! The people on the committee told me I was doing such a fantastic job that they gave me the day off!"
Drew rolled his eyes and went to go sit on the couch as he ruffled his hair. The rain was pounding on the roof and for a minute, the constant buzz calmed his nerves, but then her voice interrupted his peace again. It was no longer melodious, but sharp and edgy.
"Don't you even care about the recognition that I got?"
She sat next to him but he turned on her with rage.
"Recognition? What for? All you do is ask superficial girls about their looks, and the contest is to find Miss Perfect! I'm sorry, but to me that concept is just stupid."
Bella couldn't take it anymore. In a fraction of a second, Drew's face turned red as she slapped his cheek.
"How dare you insult my work? I can't believe you think what I do is stupid! Why didn't you say it before? Why did you wait until now to open your fat mouth?"
Hot tears were streaming down her cheeks, and that was when Drew realized what he was saying. His expression softened and he reached out to wipe away her tears. Bella saw this and pushed his arm out of the way.
"Don't touch me!"
"Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said at all."
"Yeah right."
"I mean it. I'm just in a bad mood really. Please forgive me."
Drew was pouting and she couldn't resist it. He was so handsome and he looked so weak that she accepted his apology without even thinking about it. She was so glad that he was hers that she didn't care if he had said those things. Bella hugged him fiercely, but Drew didn't respond as she thought he would. Drew put his arms around her, but didn't hug her back. Bella was a bit disappointed, but she didn't want to lose him.
"Hey Drew, do you want some breakfast?"
She got up off the couch and he turned the t.v. on. Drew sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
"Sure. Why not?"
..:-:..
May woke up and when she saw the dreary weather outside, she became exasperated. The weather could do that to a person, but unfortunately for her, she had to go to work still. Then she looked at the time and realized that she was going to be late.
"Oh no! I have to get there in five minutes!"
Suddenly Brendan bumped into her as she was running out of her room. She was frustrated and gritted her teeth irritably.
"Brendan! Why didn't you wake me up? I'm going to be late now!"
"Oh? I'm sorry babe, there was this really good show on and I forgot…"
"Whatever, I have to go."
She took her keys and walked out the door without even giving him a kiss goodbye. Brendan shrugged his shoulders and went back to the couch. When May got out of the building, she yelled out angrily. Her umbrella was still upstairs, but she didn't have time to go get it. May was angry with Brendan; one day he was so caring and the next day, it was like she was trash and he didn't want to bother to notice her. All of this and it was only the beginning of the day. She tried to shield herself with her arm and a newspaper she found, but it wasn't really working. Thankfully, a taxi came to her rescue.
"Oh thank you so much! Can you get me to the daycare please? I'm going to be late!"
The driver nodded and stepped on the pedal. May was hurled back into the seat as the driver sped through the streets. When the taxi stopped, she had paid him and got out of it with a feeling of exhaustion. She had gotten to the daycare in record time, but because of the amount of streets taken, and the speed in which she arrived there, it seemed like she had aged a year. May's clothes were only dotted a bit by the rain, and the familiar doorbell greeted her as she stepped inside the daycare.
"Mr. Maguchi?"
He came out of the storage area smiling despite the thundering outside.
"May! I'm so glad to see you! I was beginning to think you wouldn't come in today because of the weather!"
"Oh no sir! I always go to work, that is unless I'm terribly sick or something."
He laughed mildly and then smiled.
"Someone has missed you a lot, did you know that?"
May scratched her head and then suddenly smiled as Hopril jumped up into her arms.
"She seems to be very fond of you dear. I've been thinking, would you want to adopt her as your own pokemon? She doesn't have an owner and you would be perfect for the job."
She cried joyously and hugged the little blue pokemon.
"Oh of course! Thank you Mr. Maguchi! Did you hear that Hopril? You are my new pokemon now!"
The water pokemon wriggled in her arms with just as much joy and the two of them were the complete opposites of what was going on outside. Inside the daycare, there was happiness and it radiated to each corner of the room. Outside, the storm dragged on, and the winds picked up. The day started to pass by, and it felt like everything was stuck in time. May tried to be cheerful though, and she worked hard in both greenhouses, taking care of all the pokemon, and forming even closer bonds with them. It gave her a sense of importance; she was the reason why all of these creatures were living well and in a good environment. Nothing was better than that.
..:-:..
"Drew! Could you help me over here? There's something wrong with the sink!"
He sighed angrily, getting up for about the tenth time that afternoon. The storm had stopped, but the skies were still dark and the air outside was muggy. Inside of his apartment, the tension left over from that morning was still hanging in the air. Drew and Bella no longer were getting along like a happy couple and whenever they talked, they were always irritable with one another.
"What's the problem?"
"The water won't drain itself."
Drew saw the sink full of water and then put his hand down into it. His fingers felt a sticky substance and then he sighed with frustration as he pulled on it. As soon as Drew lifted his hand, the water went down the drain. Bella scrounged her face as she saw what was in Drew's hand.
"Bella, what did you put into the sink?"
"I don't know! All I was doing was washing dishes and then it got stuck."
"Well it looks like oatmeal…"
"Oh that's right! I didn't want the rest of my oatmeal so I poured it into the sink!"
She smiled slightly but then saw Drew's tired expression and she frowned.
"Bella… you know what… I think I'm going to go take a bath or rest or something…"
Inside she was becoming increasingly worried that their relationship wasn't going in a good direction. But there wasn't anything she could do at that moment except to let him do whatever he wanted to do. She watched him tread slowly to his room, and she winced when he shut the door close.
..:-:..
After about an hour, Drew grew restless, and the afternoon was coming to a close. He looked outside the window and was surprised to see that there was a part in the clouds and he could see all the beautiful array of colors. It all looked like a sherbet of orange, red and yellow, so much that it reminded him of May. All day long he had tried his best not to think about her, but at that moment, he couldn't help wondering what she was doing. His eyes looked at his door, and then he bit his lip slightly. He had to get away from the dread his apartment brought him. Slowly, Drew made his way out of the window and onto the fire escape. In no time at all, he had made it outside. As he stood in the street, he took a deep breath of fresh air and already he was beginning to feel better.
Upstairs, Bella heard the phone ring. She picked it up, and in the short conversation, she had found her excuse to leave the apartment as well. Bella walked to Drew's room and knocked on the door.
"Drew? Are you there? There is a problem with one of the girls at the contest and I need to go. Drew?"
There was no answer, so she assumed he was sleeping. Quickly, she wrote a note and left it on the kitchen table.
..:-:..
May was finally done with work, and she left it feeling like she had spent her time usefully. This time as she walked out of the daycare, she had a poke ball with her, and Hopril was inside of it. She smiled to herself when she realized it wasn't raining anymore, and that the sky was clearing up. As each car passed by, she heard the rush of friction between the tires and the water on the street. She loved the sound, and closed her eyes, imagining herself whizzing away. When she opened her eyes, she knew just the place to go. It was becoming a daily routine, but the park was a place where she felt the happiest. When she got there, she knew she had made the right decision.
The air was fresh and it had a heavenly scent because of the rain. Drops of rain slowly fell off the leaves and onto her hair. May giggled whenever she felt another one fall onto her head. When she finally reached the bridge that crossed the river, the sun had set, and the clouds had disappeared. Millions of stars dotted the sky and she saw their reflections on the water. For the first time that day, she allowed herself to think about Drew. Ever since she had that awkward feeling, she avoided thinking about him at all, but now her mind went over every detail of the previous day's events with him. A smile crept onto her face and she looked over the river, daydreaming. But those thoughts ended abruptly as she heard a noise next to her. The bridge creaked and then she saw a figure approaching her. It was then that she realized it was late, and she wasn't home yet. When he stood right next to her, she began to relax. It was a man she had seen in the park many times; he was probably enjoying the evening as she was.
"Hello! It's nice to see you again… I don't believe we've ever really introduced ourselves to each other…"
"Yes, you're right. My name is May, what's yours?"
"People like to call me Nanashi."
"Oh… that's an unusual name."
He was beginning to step closer towards her, and her anxiety was returning.
"Yes, it is. I assume you are an admirer of nature? I am too."
"That's wonderful… I think I should be going home now though."
"Nonsense! The night has just begun! Look at all the beautiful stars!"
One of his arms reached towards the sky, and foolishly, May looked up. In a split second, his other arm reached for May's bag and she gasped with shock.
"Get away from me!"
Nanashi leaned forwards and wrapped his arms around her so that she couldn't escape. His mangled hair brushed her cheeks and she saw his piercing black eyes. A chill went down her spine and a haunting feeling crept inside her mind.
"Now, why would I let a pretty girl like you go without a proper farewell?"
Drew had wandered around through the city, and when he saw that the daycare center was closed, his only other option was the park. Naturally, as he made his way towards the bridge, he saw May's beautiful glowing form standing there. But when he got even closer, he saw her struggling with a strange man. His arms were all over her, and he heard her desperate intakes of breath. Drew ran up to the bridge with his fists clenched.
"Get your hands off of her!"
May couldn't see him but she knew that voice. Inside she was relieved and she stopped struggling because she knew that Drew would save her. Nanashi had other plans though, and when he saw Drew he knew what to do. He spun May around and then pulled her close to him. May's eyes sparkled joyously as she looked at Drew. For a second they called out to each other silently, but then May took a deep intake of air as she felt a sharp metal against her throat. Drew's eyes bulged and his mouth dropped open when he saw the man put a knife up to her throat. The metal gleamed as the moonlight shined on it.
"Don't come a step closer, or I will hurt her!"
Drew gritted his teeth and his mind went berserk. May tried to remain calm, but it wasn't helping. All she could think of was Drew. Her life could be over any moment and her mind was flooding with memories from past contests. They each played before her eyes as a series, and then it ended with Drew giving her roses. Tears stained her eyes and as Drew saw them, everything in his entire being wanted nothing more than to hold her and comfort her. If he didn't act quickly, he could possibly be holding her cold, stiff body. But then an idea occurred to him.
"Fine. I am going to leave."
He looked at May steadily and suddenly she knew everything would be all right. As Nanashi watched Drew leave, he let the knife fall. Drew quickly ran behind a tree and then rolled a poke ball onto the ground.
"Arcanine, I need you to shoot a flame thrower at the bridge, all right?"
The doglike pokemon nodded and as the man's grip on May loosened, a beam of fire blinded his gaze. The bridge, being made of wood, spread the fire rapidly. May took the opportunity and with all the strength that she possessed, she ran into the park. Nanashi ran the other way and when May stopped, she turned around and saw her beloved bridge in flames. Suddenly, she had an idea.
"Hopril, come out and use water blast!"
The small pokemon came out of its poke ball, and at once knew that its owner was in distress. For a cute pokemon, the pressure of the attack was enormous, and soon there were no more flames. The bridge hadn't been destroyed, but it was unsafe and ashen. May smiled weakly as she recalled the pokemon back into its poke ball. From behind the tree, Drew did the same with Arcanine, and then he ran to find May. She saw him from a distance and her heart leaped with tremendous joy.
"Drew…"
Her cry was weak, and just as he reached her she fell into his arms. His heart started to race wildly, thinking that the man had injured her, but it was the stress that came from the situation which brought on May's weakness. Drew knelt on the ground as he held her in his arms. When he saw her magnificent blue eyes look up at him, and when he didn't feel a cold, limp body in his arms, he began to relax.
"May… are you all right?"
"…yes… I think I'm okay."
They looked at each other for a while, as May began to regain her strength. She sat up a little bit, still leaning on Drew for support.
"Thank you so much Drew… I … I don't know what would have happened if…"
She began to cry lightly, and then May found herself with her arms wrapped around him. Drew caressed her back and inhaled the scent of her hair.
"It's okay… you're safe now… you're safe…"
Her sobs stopped and then she pulled away slowly. With their arms still around each other, May realized that the awkward feeling wasn't there. Instead she felt something completely different. She looked deeply into his emerald eyes, and then she ran her gaze across his gentle face. Drew couldn't believe it, but at that moment, he felt like the happiest man on the planet. All he could do was stare at her extraordinary beauty, and he felt it radiate into his own being. Finally after much debate, May decided to say what was on her mind.
"Drew… I have to tell you something… I don't think I can avoid it any longer…"
His mind began to race as he awaited her response.
"When I was up on that bridge, with the knife up to my throat… all I could think about… was you…"
May looked down at her knees for a moment and then she looked up to his face again and saw a soft smile and a twinkle in his emerald eyes.
"May, I have to tell you something too… If something had happened to you just now, I think I wouldn't be able to live with myself…"
Both of their statements had finally come out, and their hearts burst with joy. Suddenly, May smiled.
"Does this mean what I think it means?"
Each of them leaned forward and the slight breeze brushed their skin, causing them to hang onto each other more securely. Each pair of eyes didn't leave the others, and the distance between their mouths was decreasing.
"…I think it does…"
Slowly, May closed her eyes and felt the pressure of his lips on hers. It was a feeling like no other and her heart began to race wildly. Drew pulled her in closer to his chest and he ran his hand through her hair. Their kiss deepened and both of them knew that they had never been kissed with so much love and passion. May cupped her hands behind Drew's neck and he pulled her lower back towards him. Minutes passed by and they finally pulled apart. May's breathing slowly returned to normal, as did Drew's. Each of them was completely shocked at how magnificent that had felt. May was the first one to say anything.
"What did we just do?"
"I think we just kissed…"
May rolled her eyes and hit him on the shoulder. Drew winced and then he saw that she was serious.
"Drew, this isn't funny. Don't you realize we have just cheated on Brendan and Bella?"
He looked down at the ground and then back at her. Somehow he found a new strength inside of him. Drew took her hand and pulled her close to him. She tried pushing him away, but he wouldn't let go of her. His eyes began to glow in the moonlight, and she couldn't help but look at him longingly.
"May… just try to tell me that you don't care about me…"
Her mouth slightly opened, and then she felt his lips on her again. This time, the kiss was even more meaningful than the first. May pulled away and looked away shamefully.
"I do care about you…"
"May, I know it's wrong, but we can't help it, can we?"
She looked up at him, and she realized how much he had grown up. Her heart was telling her that he was the one, but her mind was shouting Brendan's name. Drew saw that she was still debating, but his mind was made up. He knew that he couldn't live without her, and Bella was nowhere near as important to him than May was.
"May… I know it sounds crazy… but I think I love you…"
Her eyes became round and tears started to form in them. Her voice was a mere whisper.
"No Drew… no… please don't say that…"
"It's true… please tell me that you love me too…"
His plea finally worked as she realized what her heart was telling her, she couldn't keep inside any longer.
"I love you too Drew… it's been so long, but I think I finally understand my emotions…"
Drew erupted with a happy glow on his face, but she wasn't smiling.
"…but I am still Brendan's girlfriend, and you are Bella's boyfriend… we can't ignore that."
He pulled her into a reassuring hug. She melted right into it and knew she was making the right choice, although she still had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind.
"May, if we both care about each other so much, then we have to find a way to be together. You said so yourself that all you could think about was me, not Brendan."
She bit her lip and knew what he was saying made sense.
"Okay fine. But I need some time. I can't just tell Brendan that I don't want to be with him anymore."
"All right, I need some time too with Bella… although we're not on the best of terms now anyways…"
"Why? What happened?"
They began to walk through the park, each with an arm around the other.
"Nothing really, it's a long, boring story… let's just say I was thinking about someone else and she was being really annoying."
May couldn't help but smile along with him. They continued to walk home, and when it came time to split up, they kissed each other goodnight. For the first time, Drew came home with a smile on his face. Unfortunately, Bella was not smiling.
"Where have you been?"
"Uh… I was out. Why, is that forbidden?"
She looked at him suspiciously, and she knew not to irritate him even more than she already had that day.
"No, no it's not."
He walked up to her, and she spread her arms out so that he would hug her. Drew did, but it wasn't anything like being with May. Bella sighed after she kissed him on the cheek.
"Goodnight Drew…"
"Goodnight."
He closed the door to his bedroom and Bella sat on the couch, a tear rolling down her cheek.
..:-:..
May came into her apartment quietly, and saw that Brendan was asleep on the couch. She smiled to herself, but then was taken immediately by a wave of guilt. Then she remembered what it felt like when Drew had kissed her, and she knew that she had to follow her heart. With a heavy conscience, she went to bed, not even changing her clothes. The night air swept into her room, and she fell asleep to dreams of a green haired boy.