"Mr Ketchum!"
"Huh?" Ash got woken up by a loud noise coming from his desk. Seeing a ruler on his desk he knew he was in trouble.
"I appreciate your physical presence here in class but if you don't stay awake I'll have no choice but to give you detention."
His biology teacher Mr. Rowan wears a brown coat, tie and shoes. He has white hair and a white mustache. The boy apologizing to his teacher for letting his attention drift somewhere else. Knowing that he's stricter than most teachers Ash didn't dislike him at all. He's just doing his job. He just felt singled out sometimes since sometimes he showed up tired in class.
The class snickering about his misfortune Dawn looked over to him. She needed a private moment with him to ask if everything is okay. As far as she knew Ash only did his hero thing on certain days.
"He never showed up at school this sleepy before. Did he actually go out last night looking for him?"
Maybe there was a real need to worry this time. Just how much trouble were they in for?
Luckily it was lunch time soon after that. Ash sitting on a table with some of his friends they thought he looked like he hasn't slept in days. Normally Ash was pretty good at hiding it but after the last few days, a few hours weren't enough to get through the day.
"You ok?" Brock wondered how he was doing.
"I'm just tired."
More like he couldn't sleep last night. Ash spend the whole night pondering about his new problem. He didn't close an eye staring at the ceiling all night in thought about what those mummies were up too now. Knowing that Riley and himself were the only ones that can stop them since the police were not prepared for this sort of thing. And if he was honest, neither were they.
"You look a mess." Brock feeling sorry for him. It got to the point Ash opened up a can of energy drink and downed it in one shot. Normally he didn't drink that stuff since research showed it's bad for your heart but he hoped the sugar will get him through the rest of the day.
"You should lay down the videogames after 9 PM." He advised Ash.
"Maybe I should." Going with their diagnosis not wanting to let on the real reason he's tired. Nobody in school but Dawn knew about his weekend hobbies.
"You look like more like you've seen a horror movie and can't sleep after seeing it. What's the matter Ashy? Afraid the big bad monster is hiding under your bed?"
Gary teased him over how a movie can scare him. Ash normally has a remark to throw back but he couldn't be bothered since he's so tired. The energy drink waking up his mind was clear enough to roll with it.
"You're right. I saw a movie last night which made me think about something and can't sleep over it."
"Well what was it about?" Paul not wanting to wait any longer.
"Here's one for you. How do you kill a mummy?" Ash asked it and the boys he shared the table with didn't answer.
"Good question. Movies always show ways to kill vampires, werewolves and all other sort of supernatural beings but I never heard about a way to defeat a mummy." Kenny not knowing too had to admit it's a peculiar but interesting question.
"Oh please. Put a stake through his heart and watch him fall to the ground. I can't believe you're afraid of some dude in toilet paper." The arrogant Gary didn't know why everyone thought about it for so long. It's a simple solution.
"That's vampires. And people get their organs removed before mummification. I don't think a stake works against them." Brock being the smartest of the team told his teammate. Someone needed to brush up on his monster lore.
"Silver bullets?"
"That's werewolves." Kenny corrected Gary. Even he knew that even if he never watched a scary movie in his life.
"Set them on fire."
"That works on everything. And that's witches you idiot." Paul getting more and more annoyed at his teammate's lack of basic monster knowledge. Maybe if he spend more time reading books than chasing skirts he might not make a fool of himself.
"You beat the stuffing out of it!"
"Believe me I tried."
"Unwrap his bandages?" Brock the smartest one of the team showed his intelligence again.
"Like part of them or the whole body?" Ash thought he might be on to something at first but after unwrapping one himself knew it wasn't true.
"It will fall apart after you unwrap it. It loses the glue keeping it together. Or in this case the bandages which function as duct tape."
"Yeah. Tried that, didn't work. I'd have a headless one right now."
The rest of the day went by with Ash struggling to stay awake and the class getting their homework for the day. Dawn arrived at her house and to her surprise the door was locked. Opening it with her key she didn't expect her mother to be out today.
"Mom?" Looking for her around the house she wanted to grab a drink. Dawn found a small piece of paper on the fridge.
"I'm doing some grocery shopping. I just left. If you need anything text me. Love mom."
Now that Dawn knew where her mother is, she went on with the rest of her day. After changing into something more comfortable she started making her homework. After studying the given topic and answering the questions in her books, she finished quite quickly with it. Now finished, she looked at the time. Seeing it's about two hours since she got home she started to wonder why her mother was gone for so long. The groceries don't normally take that long.
Still with her mother out Dawn can freely talk to Ash without worrying about being caught. Calling him she heard his voice on the other side of the line. She had a few questions about his behavior today at school.
"Ash here."
"I heard about your mummy talk at lunch. Does it have to do with your fight?" Dawn straightforward with her questions caught Ash off guard.
"No no no. Just guy stuff. I did see a scary movie last night."
He didn't want to lie to her but also didn't want to worry her that much. If Dawn knows that there are more of the guy he fought in the museum are running around it do her nerves no good.
"Oh. Ok. Just checking you're fine." From the tone of his voice she knew something was wrong. He sounded a bit to cheerful and in a fake way.
"I'm okay. It's nothing for you to worry about. I got this."
"You sure?"
"You worry too much Dawn. Have you forgotten the story of the giant robot?"
"There was nothing in the news on it so I stick with that you made that one up."
"Believe what you want then. And I got this. No need to worry!"
"If something is wrong just come here okay? If there's any way I can help just ask."
"You're already helping."
"Without me just being a local stop and go." She joked but sometimes it's all she felt good for while Ash was out risking his neck.
"What I mean is that I have someone to share my adventures with. Mom isn't really happy to hear the danger I'm in so I'm glad I have someone to listen to my stories."
"Oh. And why did you tell me about your powers and why am I the only one in school who knows? He's been doing this for a while now? Why am I suddenly asking all these questions?"
Dawn didn't know what came over her to ask all this all of a sudden after knowing for so long. Maybe because she knew that for the first time ever he found someone equal to him and his powers she wanted to know what goes through his head while fighting crime.
"I'm home!" Hearing the voice of her famous mother Dawn was owed an answer later. She had other priorities right now.
"Listen, my mom just came home. I'll see you tomorrow."
Saying her goodbye over the phone Dawn went downstairs looking for her mother.
"Where have you been?" Angry at her for taking so long. It wasn't like Johanna to be out of the house for so long. Also scared a bit knowing what type of people are in town thanks to Ash his stories.
"Like I said groceries." Looking at the clock Dawn didn't believe her.
"It's 6 PM." Way too late just to come home from some shopping. And not even a bag in sight Dawn knew she was lying. Johanna knew she was caught and had no choice but to confess.
"Okay, I have a surprise for you."
"What kind of?" Dawn not happy her mother laughed it off. Who knows what could've happened to her this late.
"I came across one of Lila's assistants. We started to talk and she wants to meet you personally!"
Lila being an old friend of Johanna's in the modeling business. The two always met each other at photoshoots and hooked up quite fast because of it. While Johanna decided to focus her attention fully on raising Dawn, Lila continued in the modeling business with a brand of her own.
"Mom! You know I want to do things myself! I don't want you to use your connections to help me!"
"It's not for a job. Just a visit, nothing more. Even if she is one of my best friends she's never seen you all grown up in person. And you get to meet one of your idols. Maybe fit some new clothes she's designing, ask some tips, just give it a go. I promised you'd come by."
"I hate you." Dawn annoyed at her mothers promise. The words came off playfully but she has to agree that meeting a person who's build a fashion empire for herself is a great lure.
"Oh, can you bring one of your male friends with you? She needs a boy to fit some new outfits she designed."
"When is it?"
"This Saturday."
"Doesn't she have models for that? Most of them have a game that day at another school. They can't come."
"What about Ash?"
The motion of Ash being a model made Dawn laugh loudly. He has trouble sometimes sitting still in class. Him standing in an outfit for a few hours while the tailors are ironing out the imperfections wasn't something he'd do. And he might rather sleep in after his heroic nights.
"Why are you laughing? He's usually free in the weekends. I have no idea what that boy gets up to."
"Yeah, no idea." Her daughter nervously laughing it off knowing exactly what he's doing. And the type of trouble he gets in.
"So are you going?" Johanna asked her.
"Well, you already said I'd come over so you don't leave me much choice."
"Wonderful! Why don't you call Ash and tell him the news? I'm sure you can agree the boy needs fashion tips desperately."
"I'll try." Deciding not to call him so soon after their last call. She knows Ash might still be tired so he must've took an early night for once. It will be better to ask him in person at school tomorrow.
Another day at school and Dawn thought to herself why she bothered to ask him.
"There's no way he's saying yes." Seeing the boy in question at his locker getting his textbooks out she went up to him.
"Hey Ash." Looking behind his open door locker he saw her.
"Hi Dawn. What's up?"
"I need a favor."
"You could've just texted me or called for it last night." Closing his locker Ash listened to what she had to say.
"I could. But I figured you went to bed early after yesterday."
"Ok." Not knowing what's so important that couldn't be done over the phone. If it was important that needed to happen right away Dawn would've texted him.
"You see mom has promised that I will go and visit Lila. And she wants me to take you with me."
"Who's Lila?"
Dawn sighed. Wanting to ask how he didn't know who the designer was but since she personally has seen his wardrobe knows he didn't care. After a short explanation on who her 'aunt' was Ash told her he couldn't.
"You know how busy I am." Whispering softly so that nobody can hear them.
"I'm going to meet with a friend this weekend." Seeing the look on her face he clarified.
"An actual friend. Not that friend I've been arguing with recently. No need to worry."
"When you say that, that's when I worry the most."
A bit shorter than I would've liked but it's better than nothing.
I always found it weird that Johanna and Lila were such good friends and rivals and the stylist never met Dawn till the Contest they competed in. She didn't even know their past till that Contest.
Lila is actually going to play a big part in this story soon. And if you pay proper attention next chapter, you'll get a glimpse of what I'm talking about.
I know it's a bit slow right now but after next chapter things are going to be picked up fast. That's the price of world building I suppose.
See you around.