We're Friends : Chapter 4

Emmet heard about what happened at school as soon as he arrived at home and Ingo told him since Ayla was too mentally tired to repeat what Argus had said to her. Emmet had said loudly that what Argus had said was nonsense and repeated almost until the night that they love her and she wasn't dragging them down.

Ayla believe them she really do, that's how she could shake her brothers off of her for now. But even she could see that her brothers work so hard at the subway just so they can afford enough for all three of them and their pokemon. For two 17 year old those are not easy tasks and Ayla can't help but subconsciously feel slightly guilty about it.

The days come and go, and both Ayla and Argus were tailed by Headmaster Novia's Dragapults. The shiny one tailed on Ayla while the normal one tailed on Argus. It was a precaution so both of them won't get into any trouble with each other for the foreseeable future, but both can't help that this was another form of punishment from the Headmaster since they always felt being watched from behind and that was an uncomfortable feeling.

The only breathable break that Ayla got was when she was working on her homework at one of the station bench while waiting for her brothers. No one bothered her and no Dragapult breathing down her neck.

Jolteon was sleeping by her side at the bench before suddenly stood up to see a Gible staring up at her from the floor. Ayla won't notice him if Jolteon didn't suddenly move.

"Hi."

Ayla looked at the side and saw Ntonio, the dark black blue haired boy with golden hazel eyes which looked at her somewhat nervously before saying, "I haven't thank you for standing up for me before.."

Honestly, Ayla kind of forgot about him with all about her brothers becoming more unbearably protective, avoiding Argus, and the shiny Dragapult by her side all the time at school. Ayla was somewhat sure she had subconsciously avoided him as well at school for a reason that he might've thought her was a weird girl by now after all that fight.

Ayla looked back at her homework before answering quietly, "It's fine. I wasn't doing it entirely for you so there's no need."

Jolteon purred warningly at her answer but Ntonio just smiled at the yellow pokemon assuringly before asking, "Is that Math? Can you help me with mine?"

Ayla looked back at him and raised an eyebrow, "You bring your homework here at the subway to work it here?"

Ntonio smirked, "What's so strange about it? You're doing it."

"Yeah, because everyone at school knows that I'm weird." She blurted out rather annoyed. But Ntonio just looked like he tried to smothered his laugh and his eyes have their usual cheeriness returned in it.

"Nah. Even if you are, I think we're both weird then." Ntonio smiled brightly, "But I think it's cool to understand your pokemon speech by speech. Gible has been with me for a long time. We understand each other, but it was more of a feeling than words. What do you think he was saying about me?"

Ayla looked at Gible whom snorted and said with amusement tinge in it, "I think you're a weird strange boy in a very good plausible way."

Ayla huffed in amusement as well, "He told me you're an ugly but interesting boy."

"That is not what he said and you know it." Ntonio told her flatly. But Ayla burst out laughing which was joined by Ntonio soon while their pokemon looked on with relief and amusement that both children seemed to ease on with each other.

When they both calmed down after getting some stares from the people and pokemon there, Ntonio said, "But seriously, I need your help with my Math homework. Gible knew how much I despised that subject and back."

"What that you don't understand? You might as well get to know Math well enough with the beginning before jumping to the hard ones."

"I believe if Math was a person, me and him will be on each other's throats for years till the end. Math is a nightmare later when we start middle and high school if my cousin Volkner sayings was to be believe."

So they started on their homework. Ayla tried to explained it as best as she could from the beginning. Ntonio sometimes got it, but sometimes he's not. But he was trying unlike some of her peers and Ayla appreciates it. Jolteon and Gible busied themselves by getting to know each other while sometimes commenting about their kid and what it's like to live with them. Ayla had glared pointedly at Jolteon a couple of times when he started to get cheeky and told some of his somewhat embarrassing memories about her, but Ntonio caught her eye and looked at both pokemon before he snorted,

"Might as well let them. From the way you three looks I can bet the pokemon were embarrassing us. But Gible knew that his embarrassing secrets won't be save with me the next time I meet up with Volkner's pokemon. I may don't understand your speech, but you guys can." He smiled somewhat evilly but good natured.

Gible gawked at once. But the good natured threat worked because Ayla only heard them talking about something else, sometimes about them but not teasingly. That's good though because it was hard to split her concentration hearing both Ntonio and the pokemons while she herself explained about Math.

It was a very good timing when they were done, her brothers were coming to their direction as well, "Hi Ayla! Who is this?" Emmet asked curiously. Ingo raised an eyebrow while Eelektross and Chandelure were looking on at the new pokemon.

"Oh, uh- this is Ntonio. A boy from school and his Gible." Ayla introduced, "Ntonio, this is my brothers, Ingo and Emmet."

"Hello!" Emmet brightly shook Ntonio's hand before Ingo followed suit the gesture, but Emmet seemed to be the speaker on this one, "So, you're Ayla's friend?"

"Yes. I'm new this year, and Ayla's been helping me a lot." At that, Ingo's eyes widened in realization,

"You were the kid back in the office with Ayla and Argus."

The four silenced at that. Even their pokemon knew about that. It was a sore memory for all of them, but Emmet was not Emmet if he can't immediately bounce up to lighten the room.

"Well that was then, this is now Ingo." Emmet lightly chided for bringing up that particular memory, "But I've got to ask, " Emmet bend down to be near Ntonio before he mock whispered, "who won back then? I heard Ayla gave Argus a black eye and he was favouring his back."

Ayla snorted at that, "No one won. We were both banged up from each other's hits it was a wonder why we continued it at all."

"Ah but you don't know Ayla." Ntonio smirked at her, when she looked confused he elaborated, "You see, you were.. kinda avoiding everyone while Shiny Dragapult was following you around and no one dare to set off one of the Dragapults so no one dared to approach you, but you should've seen how everyone talked about the fight. They've never seen Argus got so banged up from a fight and from a girl nonetheless. Yeah they may have thought you are still weird, but they were amazed Ayla. In fact, if not because of the shiny Dragapult following you around, they would probably try their hardest for you to become their friends." Ntonio talked about it so proudly of her, he didn't realized that her brothers' eyes widened in realization that after all this years apparently Ayla doesn't have a friend her age.

Well until now that is.

"That was.." Ayla can only trailed off. She was never a popular kid. Weird kid, sure. But never the talk of the school that way. Ayla was a quiet child just like Ntonio a cheerful child. No one was interested to talk with a quiet person, especially the one they deemed weird to talk to.

Ntonio finally noticed her awkward state and quickly said, "Ayla helped me with my math homework today. She was a big help. Gible and I have to get home for now, thank you for having us. We'll see you all sometime soon?"

When Ingo, Ayla, and Emmet gave an affirmative, Ntonio smiled and walked home with Gible by his side. When he was gone, Ingo looked at Ayla and was about to ask before Emmet elbowed him on the ribs and asked first, "What do you want for dinner Ayla? Ingo and I will be cooking tonight instead of take outs."

Ayla let out a breath of relief and gratefulness at Emmet before saying fried rice is fine. Ingo glared at Emmet but Emmet pointedly looked at Ingo that no they won't discussed it today. Sure it was a big problem if Ayla didn't have friends at school because they thought she was weird, Ingo and Emmet were like that too in school but they have each other for company. Emmet would've bring up the subject now if not for a fact that Ayla finally has a friend. Ntonio seems to be a good kid. Emmet knew Ingo was just sore about Ntonio because he was the reason Ayla got into a fight in the first place, but the twins knew that it was Ayla's call on her action that day and Emmet didn't have a grudge on Ntonio. So for as long as Ntonio seemed to proven he's a good friend for Ayla, Emmet wouldn't let Ingo scared the kid off from their lives.

For tonight, Emmet has to keep continue arguing with Ingo about the type of fried rice they're going to make for dinner.