Chapter 7
May woke up feeling completely exhausted. For some reason the battle between her heart and her mind was wearing her down terribly. Even though Brendan and Drew hadn't gotten into a fistfight yet, it felt like someone had gotten hurt. May needed to get away from the situation, but then she jerked her eyes open.
"Today is the opera!"
Brendan had walked right by her room then and rolled his eyes, calling back to her.
"You just realized that? Do we really have to go babe? Can't we just stay home and relax?"
She desperately wished it could just be like that, but it didn't matter because she had promised Bella. Everything was just so complicated. Reluctantly, May got out of bed and went to go eat breakfast. As she walked into the kitchen she saw the mess on the table and assumed that Brendan had already eaten. She growled softly and started to clean up the table. Brendan tip toed behind her and wrapped his arms around her torso. May wasn't in the mood to shove him away so she just let him be. He kissed her ear after pulling her hair back.
"Brendan, could you give me a hand?"
He pulled away and smirked.
"All right. But then we get to play around during the show…"
She gaped at him but laughed her stress away. He was always joking around and not being serious at all. But maybe that's why she had been attracted to him in the first place. Brendan made her life seem less hectic than it really was. Together, they finished cleaning up and while May ate her cereal, Brendan watched something on the television, as usual.
"I'm going to go take a shower and get ready. Can you handle dressing yourself?"
"Yeah … don't worry about me."
"All right then. We'll see…"
..:-:..
It was earlier than he usually woke up but Bella was excited and wanted to get there before everyone else.
"Drew! We're going today!" she exclaimed as she pounced on his bed. He barely opened his eyes before Bella gave him a kiss. Immediately, he opened his eyes and pushed her off gently.
"Bella! Give me a minute to wake up all right?"
She looked disheartened but shrugged as she got off of his bed.
"All right… but we need to get ready soon."
His girlfriend left him and Drew sat up in his bed shaking his head. He never remembered her being this aggressive with him, but yet she did it so innocently. This of course reminded Drew of May and her sweet smelling brown hair. He longed to have her near him, but he knew it was impossible for the moment. He had to figure out a way to break up with Bella, and May had to break up with Brendan. All of that thinking hurt his head a bit and he left to go eat and take a shower.
..:-:..
May was taking a bit longer than usual to get ready for the opera. Brendan even noticed when his match was over and she was still not even halfway dressed.
"Are you done yet?"
"Just another couple of minutes! I'm finishing my hair up!"
Brendan rolled his eyes, exasperated.
"How long is this opera going to be?"
"I think maybe three or four hours."
He was pacing near the bathroom door and then he stopped and exploded.
"WHAT? That is so long! I can't believe it! I thought it would be at the most two hours!"
She heard him growling outside her door but smiled. It was fun sometimes, torturing him. At last she was done and Brendan cocked his head when he heard the door handle moving.
"Finally! You're… ready…"
His jaw fell open and he stood there speechless, staring at his girlfriend. May smiled gently and laughed a bit.
"Brendan, are you okay?"
"Yeah… it's just… you look so beautiful…"
He stepped up to her and gave her a soft kiss. She wrapped her arms around him and let herself be overcome by his presence. After a few moments, she started to feel drenched with his body surrounding hers. May pulled away and breathed deeply.
"Brendan, since when have you become so… big?"
"I've been working out a lot lately! Why, you don't like it?"
"No no… it's just I'm not used to it is all…"
He laughed and then linked his arm through hers as she grabbed her purse.
"So are we ready to go?"
"Yes… we are…"
May took a deep breath in and hoped that this day would go by without anything horrible happening.
..:-:..
Drew and Bella were already at the opera house awaiting the arrival of their two friends. It had taken Bella not too long to get ready, which stunned Drew. Once she came out of the bathroom, he was amazed that she hadn't changed that much, but yet she looked even more striking. They were ushered to their seats and Bella tapped her foot impatiently.
"Where are they? Oh I hope they aren't late!"
"Don't worry Bella, I'm sure they will come. Brendan might have been a bit hard to convince, but I'm sure that May will make him come."
She cocked her head towards him and looked at him questionably.
"How do you know that?"
"Oh, well see, I was at Ash and Misty's wedding, remember that? And I met him there with May."
"Oh…"
She looked back to the audience below her. They had received very good seats on the first balcony. Soon enough, time elapsed and the opera house was beginning to fill up rapidly. Brendan and May were nowhere to be seen.
"Drew! I think they aren't coming!"
"Relax Bella. I'm sure they will be here any minute now."
After a few more anxious moments of looking for them, the lights dimmed and everyone quieted down. Bella leaned over to Drew and whispered.
"They aren't here! I knew it! I can't believe her, she promised!"
Drew saw tears welling up in her eyes and rolled his eyes. He looked around through the darkness and spotted a girl with brown hair, but in his gut he knew it wasn't May.
"Wait Bella… I think I see her… she's down there…"
"What? Where?"
She didn't have any more noticeable tears in her eyes, but instead she had a happy glow attached to her face. Her gaze followed where Drew was pointing, but it was too dark to tell.
"Are you sure Drew?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
Bella sat back and finally eased up on the tension inside of her. Drew had no idea why she wanted May and Brendan to come so badly. The curtains rose and everyone clapped.
..:-:..
"Come on Brendan! Look! The show is starting already!"
They were trying to find their seat on the second balcony. Thankfully, the four tickets Bella had weren't next to each other. After getting some people angry, they sat down and Brendan moved his seat right next to May's and put an arm around her. May looked at him from the side and rolled her eyes. He had no clue how to act at an opera. She tried to focus, learning from the stage that it was a love story of two pokemon. Great, this was just spectacular. All May needed was watching an opera about two loves who couldn't be together. Suddenly she felt Brendan's lips on her neck and she shoved him away forcefully. She had had enough from him and she wasn't going to ruin the show for everyone else around them.
"Brendan," she hissed, "stop it! We are at an opera, not a movie theater!"
He moved his seat away a bit and she sighed, looking at everyone else and giving them an apologetic look. Brendan didn't care and decided to lean his head against the wall and close his eyes. May smiled a bit and relaxed. If he was going to be asleep, it would be much easier to not worry about him.
..:-:..
It was finally intermission and May stood up and stretched her legs out. Brendan was sleeping like a baby and she didn't bother to wake him up. If she did, he would probably get lost within the mass of crowds. The first act had been sweet. Two Bulbasaur had fallen in love and were now trying to figure out a way to be together. It reminded her of that time long ago when her Bulbasaur and Ash's Bulbasaur had gotten along so well. But yet it also reminded her of the situation she was in. She really had to go to the bathroom though, and the thoughts disappeared once she saw the line.
"This is going to take forever!"
Suddenly someone tapped her on the shoulder, and when she turned around she was looking at none other than Bella.
"May! I wasn't sure you were going to be here! The show started and we had already given up hope, but here you are!"
"Oh yes, we were just a bit late. Our seats are on the second balcony."
An expression of annoyance spread across Bella's face but she smiled. Drew said he was sure May was on the bottom floor. Well, maybe anyone could make that mistake.
"So are you enjoying the show?"
"Oh yes! It's fantastic, as are the seats! I still can't thank you enough for your hospitality!"
Bella waved a hand and kept smiling.
"It's nothing really. Did you say something about the line? There's another bathroom upstairs."
All the heads towards the back of the line turned around and stared at Bella incredulously. She moved closer to May and whispered.
"It's on the second right once you reach the top of the stairs. Hurry! These women look like they might kill me"
They both laughed and May smiled.
"Thanks Bella!"
She rushed up the stairs in her heels, and most of the women began to follow her. Now not only was she feeling guilty about dumping Brendan, but she was also going to regret how crushed Bella will become once Drew tells her about the break up. But she pushed that thought aside as she reached the bathroom door, no line in sight.
..:-:..
"Sorry ladies, you should have gotten here faster," May said as she walked out of the bathroom. Another line had formed and she laughed to herself as she walked down the hall, observing the crowd below her. She had not seen Drew yet, and a part of her was glad because she didn't want to risk her feelings getting mixed up again. But then another part was telling her that she needed to be with Drew that second. Seemed like the second side won, because she stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the end of the hall.
"May?"
She turned around slowly and saw that Drew was standing there gaping at her. He was dressed very handsomely in a tuxedo, just like Brendan, but yet his soft green hair fell around his face perfectly. She yearned to just walk up to him and wrap her arms around his figure, but she stood rooted to her spot.
Drew was completely speechless. If he had thought she was beautiful before, she was even more stunning now. Half of her russet colored hair was pulled up and all of it was in long curls. Her shoulders were bare and she wore a long, sleek, black silk dress. A shimmering silver shawl was wrapped around her arms and it fell down to her mid-thigh on both sides. Finally he looked at her wonderful blue eyes, which drew him in the most. May was beginning to worry about him; he had not said another word besides her name and his mouth was still hanging open. She took a few steps towards him and waved a hand in his face.
"Hello? Earth to Drew!"
He shook his head quickly and then closed his mouth.
"Are you all right?" she asked with a soft laugh. Drew smiled and just stared at her adoringly. May saw the look on his face and then her eyes grew larger.
"Drew, no… you can't be thinking what you're thinking!"
He stepped up to her and smirked handsomely as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He began to lean in and May pushed away reluctantly.
"So you know what I'm thinking? That means you know that I'm going to kiss you now…"
His heavenly voice and scent intoxicated her thoughts and she closed her eyes, lost in his embrace. This was wrong… her mouth opened slightly… they couldn't do this now… she felt his breath on her face… no.
"Bella…" she whispered, finally finding her strength. It took her so much force to resist him, but she did it just before he kissed her. Drew pulled away, stiffening his spine and letting go of May. She opened her eyes and looked at him, his eyes full of longing and sadness.
"I'm sorry… I lost myself."
"That's okay Drew. But we have to be more careful. Who knows if either Bella or Brendan will pop up out of nowhere?"
"You're right. I'm so stupid," he looked up into her eyes and managed to smile, "but it's just that you look amazing May, you look absolutely amazing…"
She blushed and took his hand. He was dragged back to the first floor and May stood him in front of her.
"Now go in there and forget that I'm just a balcony above you."
"I'll try to… but I don't think that will be possible."
She saw his smile one last time before he headed into the doorway to his balcony. May whimpered slightly and reached out an arm as she saw the door close. It hurt her so much to not be the one he was seeing the opera with, but that's how it had to be.
..:-:..
Brendan woke up with an itching sensation. He had to find a bathroom, and fast. May wasn't in her seat, so he left the box and went in search of a bathroom. Once he found it and walked back out, he saw a group of giggling girls in the distance. Maybe it was May, but it really didn't matter to him. He walked up closer and saw that about four girls were surrounding a woman in the middle. His jaw dropped open when he saw her. Her hair fell down around her face gracefully with a bit of bounce to it. Her eyes sparkled with a compelling natural beauty and her white suit and black camisole made her even more attractive. He had to find out who she was.
Bella was talking amongst some of her friends when she noticed a man observing the group in the distance. She looked away, but then she saw that he had come closer. Once she saw him fully in the light, she saw that he was drop dead gorgeous. His dark gray suit barely fit him because of his muscular body. The one thing she noticed however was his stunning white smile, and matching silver hair. A faint blush spread across her face as he made his way towards her. The girls spread apart and let Brendan through. He took her hand and kissed it gently. A wave of 'oo's spread through the watching girls and it was then that Bella realized her boyfriend was Drew, and not this man. But suddenly, his eyes met hers and the breath was taken out of her. He smiled as he let go of her hand.
"Hello beautiful…"
..:-:..
Both Drew and May were sitting in their respective seats alone, waiting for their partners to come back from wherever they had gone. May wasn't surprised to see that Brendan wasn't there. Nature calls and no one can do anything about it. So when he finally came back, she didn't question him.
"Is it starting again?"
"Yes, you came back just in time."
To her surprise, Brendan didn't go to sleep like before, but this time he watched the opera intently, with a dazed look in his eyes and on his face. May just shrugged her shoulders, sighed and watched the opera unfold.
..:-:..
"Where were you? Don't you know that the show is starting?"
Bella rushed to her seat as Drew observed her flushed facial expression.
"Sorry, I was talking with a group of my friends."
"Okay…"
They sat in silence, but every so often he glanced at her and saw that something had changed in her mood. It was a dreary feeling, but it passed and Drew slumped in his seat, looking on the stage at the actors.
..:-:..
A couple of hours passed and then everyone on stage bowed as the crowd gave a standing ovation for the performance. Drew was more alive than before arriving, because it was finally over and he had gotten through the hardest part of the day. Bella had told him she had seen and talked with May, so that obstacle was out of the way. Everyone was starting to gather their things and Drew stretched his arms.
"So, did you enjoy the opera?"
"Oh yes! The end was so sad, the two pokemon ended up separating and not being able to be with the one they loved! Oh!"
She wiped a tear that formed in her eye and Drew rolled his eyes. Bella didn't even know what pokemon were the main actor and actress, how pathetic. They had walked out of their balcony, and made it to the ground floor where everyone was gathering. After a lot of poking, Brendan woke May up. She had actually fallen asleep and not seen the end. But yet she saw the sad looks on many of the women's faces and knew what must have happened. The two pokemon had not been able to be together. She began to think if that was what was going to happen with her and Drew, but suddenly she stopped in her tracks, as did Brendan. Bella saw May first, but another person blocked her date. Drew was pulled through the crowd and waved and said 'sorry' to the passing people he had bumped into. Once Bella stopped her happy expression changed at once.
"Hi May…"
Both Brendan and Bella went into a state of utter shock. Bella saw May's arm in Brendan's and Brendan saw that Drew was Bella's date. Drew and May looked at each other and smiled.
"Nice to see you again May."
"Likewise Drew. I believe you've already met Brendan."
The two of them shook hands and the numbness in Brendan's arm went away temporarily. Drew and May acted like nothing was wrong, but it was a different story with Bella. She was rooted to her spot and May found her behavior a bit strange, but let the feeling go.
"Oh, and Brendan, this is Bella, Drew's girlfriend. She was the one kind enough to give us the tickets"
He extended his hand out to her, and they looked each other as if all the color had drained out of their faces.
"Hello. Thank you for the tickets."
"You're welcome."
It was like they were a pair of zombies. Drew noticed Bella's behavior as well, but he didn't shrug it off. There was something going on.
"Brendan, why do you look like you're going to fall over?"
He let go of Bella's hand quickly and looked at Drew. Even though Brendan was bigger and stronger, it felt like Drew was overpowering him at that moment.
"Oh no, it's just I met Bella before during the intermission…"
"… and we didn't realize who the other was…until now," Bella finished.
Both May and Drew looked at each other with a quick glance and then they looked away. It seemed odd, the way they were acting, but it didn't mean anything really.
"Well, I think Brendan and I have to be going now. Thank you again so much Bella. We appreciate your generosity"
Bella was snapped back to reality by her statement and put on a perky smile.
"Really, it was nothing May! Don't even mention it anymore. I'm just glad you enjoyed the show."
They waved good-bye to each other and left. Bella watched Brendan's back disappear through the doors and she sighed. Drew looked at her with confusion and irritation.
"Bella, what is wrong with you? You're acting like you have seen a ghost!"
She tried to smile but she wouldn't touch him.
"I'm fine really Drew… I think I'm just a bit tired. Let's go home."
"All right…"
They walked out, tension barricading the two of them from going anywhere near each other. Nothing much was different in the taxi ride home for May and Brendan.
"Are you okay Brendan?"
"Huh? Oh yeah babe. I'm just drowsy, all that sleep got to me."
He yawned and stretched his arms. May caressed herself in her silver wrap and looked out the window at the passing strangers. Suddenly May saw a man with green hair standing with a beautiful woman and she sighed.
This couldn't go on any longer.