Morning Misadventures
Multitasking was something that Elyse McKinley had always been good at and today was no exception. It was the first day of school and she was already on the phone with her friend and past student body vice-president, Loki Del Grove. They were discussing their strategies for running for student council again while Elyse brushed her teeth, got dressed and curled her hair. Her Vigoroth – whom she affectionately referred to as Po – was in the exercise room nearby and she was constantly monitoring him to make sure he did not accidentally harm himself with the equipment.
"Okay, Loki," Elyse said into her phone. "You said you had some ideas for our slogan?"
"Yeah! How about McKinley-Del Grove: Swag4life?"
"Are you serious?"
"Hell yeah, I'm serious. This is the upper school now. We're in the big leagues, we gotta hit 'em hard if we want to win."
"Alright, we'll talk more about this when we see each other at school..."
Hanging up the phone, Elyse finished getting ready and went to check on Po. The two of them had grown much closer since his evolution from Slakoth to Vigoroth. They now shared the same love of competition and training and Elyse enjoyed the time they spent together. She knew that Po would eventually evolve into Slaking one day and would return to his previous lazy nature, but their bond would not be broken.
"I think you've gone through every machine in here twice," she told her Pokémon with a smile. "You know, it's okay to rest. I kind of have to tell myself the same thing from time to time. How about we go down stairs and get you a snack?"
Po nodded his head enthusiastically and the two of them made their way down the stairs. Elyse's mother had already departed for work while her father and older sister were still in their rooms getting ready for their day. As she fed Po his snack, Elyse thought about Loki's words and how they were in the 'big leagues' now. She would have to double her efforts in her training and studying, but that was not an issue for her. She always had to stretch her body and mind to its limits compared to her naturally gifted friends. Elyse would read entire chapters weeks in advance in order to get a perfect score on a test, whereas Ellie could barely crack open a book and still pass the same test with an equal or higher grade. She would stay up through nights trying to come up with strategies to win all her battles, while Drake could perform a clean sweep even if he had spent the last several days goofing off. She spent hours learning new gymnastic techniques and maneuvers, but Mike could see a move once and have it down in a few minutes. Everyone had something that they were the 'best' at, but Elyse was satisfied with her 'jack-of-all-trades, 'best at being able to do a lot of things' reputation, though she thought that there was always room for improvement. Ultimately, it would all lead up to her being the best trainer in Saffron.
"Morning, baby sis."
Amelie entered the kitchen, obviously in her usual joyful mood. The two McKinley sisters resembled each other a bit as far as appearances went. They both had the same prominent bright blue eyes that everyone considered their 'signature' feature and they shared the same slim build. Elyse had their mother's blonde locks and their father's tanned complexion while Amelie had their father's strawberry blond hair and their mother's pale skin. Aside from those few characteristics, it was quite hard to tell them apart from a distance.
While their personalities and goals did not exactly clash, there was a noticeable difference. Elyse was primarily focused on realizing her true potential and improving herself to the best of her abilities while Amelie was primarily focused on helping everyone else improve as well as improving the world itself.
"I heard you talking on the phone," Amelie stated as she began peeling an orange. "You know if you're planning to run for student-body president, you'll be up against yours truly."
"Oh, I know," Elyse replied with a grin. "It's going to be quite the race. Everyone at S.T.S. will be talking about how yours truly dethroned her older sister. After I win, I'll let you be my assistant. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good to me," Amelie answered. "When I win, you make sure to make my smoothies the way me and my Pokémon like them."
The two of them laughed loudly. If there was only one person in the world that Elyse could joke around with, it would be Amelie. It was always easier to be a bit more relaxed around her than at school. Elyse enjoyed competition and Amelie was more than a worthy opponent.
"May the best woman win," she told her older sister as she extended her hand.
Amelie smiled and shook her hand. "Don't worry, she will..."
"Elyse! Elyse! Open the door! Open the door! Open the door! Come on, hurry up! Hurryuphurryuphurryup!"
"For the love of Arceus, please open the door so she can stop!"
"Hey, Ams, please tell me there is some food! I'm starving!"
Elyse opened the door and her best friend, Nadine Mills, rushed in. Her other best friend, Lillyvanth Acres, came in behind her with Amelie's best friend, Lyndon Tower, strolling in as well and immediately going to the refridgerator.
Nadine was often considered to be the best-looking girl in their year, along with Relena Serene and Elyse herself, and it was easy to see why. Her dark hair contrasted beautifully with her blue eyes and pale skin and there was only one thing that really repelled boys from her. 'Motor-Mouth Mills' was a derogatory nicknamed that Nadine had earned due to her inability to talk slow or ever close her mouth. She could be exhausting to some people, but Elyse enjoyed her energetic personality and liked having her around.
Of the three girls, Lilly had undergone the most change in both appearance and personality. Two years ago she had been a wallflower with little confidence. Thanks to being around Elyse and Nadine, she had become much more outgoing and self-assured. She was now the tallest in the group and her sandy blonde hair had grown long and wavy with her bangs dyed red. Even her clothing had changed into more of a rocker style to reflect her increased concentration on her music.
"Oh, Amelie's here too!" Nadine said excitedly as she handed her a magazine. "Check it out, your friend made the cover!"
Elyse peered over to see what she was talking about. Nadine had handed Amelie a copy of Pokéteen, a successful magazine aimed at teenage trainers. Elyse did not really care for it, but Amelie was a lover of magazines no matter what the content usually was. On the cover was a Venusaur using petal blizzard. Standing above the Venusaur, in the midst of the pink petals was a beautiful girl with porcelain white skin, smoky dark eyes, and stunning white-blonde hair pulled back into a tight elaborate braid, nearly reaching the middle of her back. She had a thin body and the freckles across her nose only enhanced her beauty.
"I don't know if I'd call Felicity a 'friend', Nadine," Amelie told her. "More like...a person I've been forced to interact with since I was four years old."
"And Lyndon has been eating all of our food since you were three..."
Elyse had not notice their father enter the room. She assumed that he would be in a rush to get to work downtown, but he seemed to be taking his time today which was unusual. She had inherited his work ethic, but it was Amelie who had taken after his idealistic and optimistic demeanor. He gave everyone a warm smile and Lyndon a pat on the back.
"Hey, Mr. Elyse's Dad!" Nadine greeted.
"Good to see you again, Mr. McKinley," Lilly added.
Elyse was sure Lyndon greeted him as well, but it was unintelligible with all that food in his mouth.
"I'm glad you are all here," he said to the group of teenagers. "Because I have some very important news that I want to share with you. I told your mother last night and I've been waiting to tell you. I've decided that I'm going to run for mayor during this upcoming election!"
That was certainly something that Elyse had not been expecting. Her father had mentioned it a few times in the past particularly when he was upset about Saffron's various issues especially the increasing instances of Pokémon abuse and abandonment and urban crime skyrocketing. Elyse thought that he was just venting his anger and sadness, but did not think he would ever actually go through with his claims. She assumed that he was content with being an alderman, but her assumption had been wrong. Regardless, she was happy for her father and cheered him along with everyone else.
"Lyndon and I can definitely help you out on your campaign, Dad," Amelie said.
"You have my vote, Dad," Elyse added. "I mean...you'd have it if I were old enough to vote. But I'm definitely in your corner."
"Thanks girls," Mr. McKinley told his daughters. "Now, how about I give everyone a ride to school? It is the first day and you don't want to be late."
"Shotgun!" Lyndon yelled as he bolted out of the door.
"Alright, Po," Elyse said as she turned to her Pokémon. "Let's get go-"
He quickly hoisted her up on his shoulders and dashed out of the house.
"The chicken wasn't done! The cookies were burnt! I sat the kitchen on fire and then I had to run, run, run!"
Ellie sang and dance loudly as she and Relena walked together to school. She loved the song Kitchen on Fire since it basically described her own efforts in the kitchen. Usually Relena would either be laughing her guts out or telling her to shut up, but she did not say anything. She continued onwards in silence, staring at the ground. Instantly, Ellie knew something was bothering her.
"Relena, what's bothering you?" she asked concernedly.
"N-nothing..." she answered softly.
"Relena, what is it?" Ellie repeated. "I'm not going to drop it until you tell me what's bugging you, so what is it?"
Relena sighed and pulled Ellie off the sidewalk and into a nearby shop. "You have to promise not to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. Got it? Don't tell anyone. Not Drake and especially not Mike, understand?"
"Okay, I won't tell anyone," Ellie swore, a bit more alarmed at Relena's strong insistence on secrecy. "You have my word."
"Remember when I went to see my psychiatrist the other day and was happy because I thought I was done with my anger management training?" she began and Ellie nodded her head. "It turns out that I...I...have..."
"Have what?" Ellie finished. She put an arm around her distressed friend. "You know what, how about we forget it?"
"No...I'd feel better if I told someone," Relena continued with a sigh. "She said that I have emotionally unstable personality disorder...Most people call it borderline personality disorder, and they usually wait until you're eighteen before they diagnose you, but they said that I've been showing symptoms for over a year. That doesn't matter to my parents though. They told me that there was a chance that I could have my Pokémon taken away from me because I'm 'mentally ill' and could be considered unfit to raise Pokémon. They didn't want me to tell anyone since they don't want to be known for having a 'crazy' daughter. Right now they're looking for any pills they can find to keep me under control..."
Ellie's eyes were wide with shock. While Relena's diagnosis was a surprise in itself, her parents' reaction to it made Ellie sick to her stomach. She had only met Relena's parents a few times, but did not think they were that atrocious. Relena's twin brother, Chris, had always been favored, that much was clear. The fact that he went to a private boarding school while Relena did not was evidence enough. Still, Ellie thought that they would at least have some compassion for their daughter.
"Forget about them," Ellie remarked as she gave Relena a hug and led her out of the shop. "People can be jerks when it comes to stuff they don't understand. I don't think you're crazy at all and I'll let you tell the boys whenever you think you're ready."
"Thanks, El," Relena replied. "I knew you'd have my back. Guess this is just something that I gotta deal with..."
Before the conversation could continue, the two girls were stopped by what sounded like wolf whistles coming from an approaching black truck. In the truck bed was a Houndoom fire breathing into the air. The flames were in the general direction of the girls, but they were not close enough to cause any need for alarm. Still, it annoyed them a bit especially when they saw who was behind the wheel.
"Damn," Craig started. "It looks like you girls have definitely been taking your vitamins since the last time I saw you. You two need a ride to school?"
"You tried to throw my boyfriend in the dumpster the other day," Relena said accusingly. "And now you want me to get in a truck with you? Are you stupid or something? Fuck off."
"You know, she's got a point, Craig," Johnny remarked from the passenger's side.
Craig let out a sigh of annoyance. "Look, I admit I was out of line and had a little too much to drink the other night we ran into Mike. Plus, I was kind of pissed off since I had a little run-in with that hick, Griff Heartlily. I got a swift knee to the crotch for my efforts. So, I was just trying to make it up to you and give you two a ride to school. It's like people are always on my case about not being nice and then when I try to do something nice, people still get on my case. What the hell do you people want from me?"
"Relena, what do you think we should do?" Ellie asked. "The right thing for us to do would be to just keep on our way, but...the practical thing for us to do would be to just get in so my aching feet can rest."
"Your feet wouldn't be aching if hadn't spent the whole walk dancing," Relena told her, pausing to stick her tongue out at the Houndoom who continued barking at them and fire breathing in their general direction. "Fine, let's do it. Hey, Johnny, you need to calm Houndoom down. If my hair ends up getting singed, I promise you that I'll neuter him with my bare hands."
"I'm sure he's terrified..." Johnny said in an extremely sarcastic tone. "Just shut up and get in."
The two girls climbed into the backseat of the truck, but glanced at each other when they each realized that the other was hesitant about actually sitting down.
"Craig, did you sterilize the seats?" Relena asked him. "Or do you have some clean towels to put down? The last thing we want is to catch something from any of the gross things you've done back here."
"It's all clean, Relena," Craig said. "I mean, I wouldn't want to catch anything you might have crawling around inside of you either...like lack of talent or taste."
Relena rolled her eyes as Craig started the truck. Ellie was surprised to see how restrained Relena remained. She assumed that the girl was just worn out from everything that she had been going through. The ride itself consisted of Craig and Johnny talking about the battling team, the band that Johnny played drums for, and all the trouble that Craig had managed to avoid during his numerous exploits.
"Girls," he finally acknowledged them, not bothering to keep his eyes one-hundred percent on the road once he started speaking. "I have protein, calcium, carbos, zinc, and iron. And it's all for your Pokémon. It's none of that over-the-counter crap they give you at the department store in Celadon. Nah, this stuff is a little bit stronger. I haven't even tried it on my Pokémon yet. Sid's got some big time connects. He knows people in Johto who know people in places like Unova and Kalos."
"Wait..." Ellie told him. "If you won't even use that stuff on your own Pokémon, what makes you think we'd use it on ours?"
"Hey, just trying to be an honorable salesman," Craig remarked smoothly. "So...Relena, how's coordinating squad-"
"Stop," she interrupted him. "She didn't say anything about you, she only talked about herself as usual. Besides, everyone already knows that the only reason that you want to get back together with your towheaded, she-demon, sugar mama is because she's a model now."
"That's not true," Craig defended unconvincingly. "Felicity has a great...personality..."
"So does a Tyranitar," Johnny remarked. "Anyway, I need you to listen up, Ellie. You, Drake, and those other third years better be ready for the first battle games next week. This is the big leagues now and we can't lose to Cerulean under any circumstances."
"Calm down, J-Hawk," Ellie told her team captain. "Don't get your overpriced, rich-boy underwear in a twist. There's no way we're going to lose."
Cerulean Trainer's School was the first school that the S.T.S. battling team competed against during the season. They were not the hardest team to battle against, but they were S.T.S.'s most hated rival. It was not much of an issue with the lower schools, but the upper schools took the rivalry to its extremes. While the stronger schools like Fuschia and Celadon were the true challenges, Cerulean was arguably the most important one. Several members of the team often remarked that they didn't care if they lost every other game in the season as long as they beat Cerulean.
"Alright, we're here..." Craig said as he pulled into the school's parking lot. "All three of you, get the hell out."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Johnny replied as he stepped out of the truck. "Houndoom, let's go. We need to find Tyler."
"Um, don't you need to put him in his ball?" Ellie asked.
Johnny scoffed. "I'm the captain of the intermediate battling team, Ellie. As long as I keep leading our team to victory, I can do whatever I want."
"Okay..." Ellie uttered. "Maybe I'll become captain one day and can have Kadabra teleport me inside the building. Anyway, um, thanks for the ride, Craig...I guess."
"Yeah..." Relena added, unsure of what exactly to say. "Thanks...?"
"You two are still here?" Craig said. "Don't expect this to happen again any time soon. You're just lucky that I was in a good mood today. Why don't you girls run along now? Just be sure to be careful, you're in the upper school now..."
Meeting up with the rest of the band in an old music room in the basement of the school was not something that Tyler West ever thought he would do. Then again, joining a band was once something that he never thought that he would do. It was funny how life could be at times. You never knew where it would take you. His parents called it 'time wasting nonsense' just like they did when he joined the battling team years ago, but he did not care at all. Spiting them by staying in this band would just be a bonus.
"West, that you?!" he heard Johnny's voice say in a loud whisper. "Come check this out. Hurry up..."
He found Johnny staring into the barely open door to the music room. The other boy gestured him over and Tyler wondered what was so important for him to see. Peering into the room, Tyler saw an attractive blue-eyed brunette sitting in the lap of a muscular blond. They were kissing so heavily that Tyler thought that one of them would eventually run out of air.
"Guess they couldn't wait until later," he remarked.
"Yeah, screw that," Johnny stated. "Xander and Laila wanted us to meet up here. They're on our time now. Houndoom, get their attention for me."
Immediately, Houndoom burst into the room and began barking at the two startled trainers. Xander quickly jumped up, causing Laila to fly face first onto the floor. Tyler heard Xander cursing at Johnny as he entered the room and sent Houndoom into his poké ball.
"Johnny, what the hell?!" Xander yelled.
"This time last year you two couldn't even stand being in the same room together," Johnny shot back. "And now you can't keep your hands off each other for five seconds. Stop playing grab ass and tell us why we're here."
Tyler decided not to be as direct as Johnny instead choosing to help Laila to her feet. He thought that Johnny was being a bit hypocritical considering that he and Jennifer Klein often chose to be quite open with their displays of affection. Nevertheless, the other boy had a point. There was not any reason in wasting time.
"Thanks, Tyler," Laila said before walking over and thumping Johnny on the forehead.
"No problem..." he told her. "So, what exactly did you want to talk about, Xander? Does this have something to do with the band?"
Xander nodded his head, having gotten control of himself after Johnny's alarm. "You say that word 'band,' Tyler. Are we really a band though? We've mostly played in Johnny's backyard and at my little cousin's birthday party. We don't have a theme, we don't even have a name. Most importantly, we only have four members!"
"So?" Johnny quipped. "The four of us are good enough."
"Four is death!" Xander yelled. "Bands should only have odd number members. Three, five, seven! That's like an unwritten law."
"How about this, then?" Johnny continued. "We drop you and keep on as a three-man band?"
"Ahem..." Laila interjected.
"Sorry, two-man-one-chick band," Johnny corrected.
Laila rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter anyway. Xander and I have already been auditioning people and they all sucked, so we wanted you two to be a part of our selection process. Once we have our fifth member, we can start looking for gigs. For now though, we really do need a name."
"Maybe a combination of our names?" Xander suggested. "Xailannyler? Simple, but not simple."
"More like stupid, but not...no it's stupid," Johnny stated. "But if you're looking for a combo, how about we combine the names of our Pokémon. That would be pretty awesome."
"Or both..." Tyler decided to throw in. "How about the...XL Houndcanines? It combines Xander and Laila's first initials and Johnny and I's signature Pokémon, Houndoom and Arcanine. Maybe our theme can be fire and canine-like Pokémon?"
Johnny and Xander exchanged looks with each other before nodding their heads in agreement. Laila shrugged her shoulders, obviously not caring either way. Tyler was relieved that his idea was accepted. He was content to stay silent on most matters in the past until Johnny advised him that he should make an effort to let his thoughts and opinions be heard. He still had a long road ahead of him, but he was much further than he had been when he started out.
"Alright, I'll work on getting t-shirts and all that extra junk taken care of," Xander told them. "In the meantime, everyone keep your ears out for any amount of musical talent so we can find our fifth member."
"Work on getting us a gig too, genius," Johnny said. "Let's go, West."
Tyler and Johnny left their band members to their devices and made their way back to the main school area. Johnny talked about the upcoming battling games against Cerulean while Tyler mostly just listened. Still, he was glad that their rivalry had mostly dissipated after Johnny had defeated him for position of team captain. It was not a big loss to Tyler seeing as he was pestered by the coach into battling for the position in the first place.
"Have you talked to Nat?" Johnny asked as they arrived back in the main hallway.
"No, why?"
"He's probably going to skip today," Johnny answered. "I kind of feel for him. He cheated on Ellie with Kat even though he liked Anika the most. I swear, Nat's an awesome battler and he makes good grades, but he is as dumb as a Rhyhorn when it comes to girls. Now, Ellie's in the upper school and he still has homeroom with Kat and Anika. That's what he gets for listening to Craig though..."
"I guess it always leads back to Craig, huh?" Tyler noted.
Johnny gave him a puzzled look as if he did not know what to make of his comment. Johnny insulted Craig all the time and often had little tolerance for his more extreme behavior, but Tyler noticed the possibility of Johnny getting defensive if someone else criticized his best friend.
"Well...Craig didn't make Nat do anything..." Johnny countered. "So it is all on him in the end..."
Tyler decided that it would be best to end the conversation right there. He did not want to start anything and he was not really all that interested in talking about Nat or Craig. The two of them spotted Lyndon by his locker, apparently reading a note of some sort. Tyler looked around for Amelie, but did not see her anywhere in the slightly crowded school hallway.
"Tyler!" Lyndon called out when he looked up from his letter. "I've been looking for you guys. Come check this out."
Tyler and Johnny walked over to Lyndon and he showed them the letter that he had apparently found in his locker. Tyler was curious as to why it was so important, so he and Johnny quickly read over it.
To my sweet Lyndon,
It seems that it was only yesterday that we said farewell to one another. A lot has happened since the last time we met. I wanted you to know that I shall be returning to Saffron City in a fortnight.
Love always and forever,
Lizzy
P.S.: I would have just sent you a text message, but I am afraid that my phone was eaten by a rather cute Gulpin a year and a half ago.
P.S.S.: My plants at home haven't been watered in nearly two years. I don't suppose you could go by my house and check on them for me? Actually, I think my old house was sold by my parents, so never mind...
After they finished reading the letter, Tyler and Johnny simply looked at one another, each unsure of what to make of the letter. Lizzy Haze had always been a rather eccentric classmate of theirs when she was around and it appeared as if she was returning after all this time.
"What language is this letter supposed to be in?" Johnny finally broke the silence. "And I thought Lizzy ran off with the circus at the end of our second year?"
"I suppose she's coming back," Tyler said.
"I mean we never technically broke up..." Lyndon stated. "But she did sort of up and leave. I dunno, guess I need to think about it...Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Amelie has some pretty big news that she wants to share with all of our friends in homeroom. She definitely wanted to make sure that you were there, Tyler."
Johnny gave Tyler a satisfactory grin and a pat on the back. He wanted to rush to homeroom, but it was ingrained in him that keeping composure even when being excited was a sign of a mature individual.
"Well..." he said calmly. "We should probably get to homeroom before Mrs. Kroft gets there..."
"No, Daddy, I've told you a million times. I want the car I'm getting for my sweet sixteen to be periwinkle. The one you showed me was amethyst. There's a huge difference! Look, I have to go to class, I'll see you at home."
Felicity Cole hung up her phone and sighed. She could not understand why her father could not follow simple instructions. Such ignorance from the people around her annoyed Felicity to no end, but it was as if everyone that she was forced to interact with grew more and more stupid by the day. Unfortunately for Felicity, she now found herself at the biggest den of ignorance in Saffron. Felicity always hated school and if it weren't for coordinating and the theater, she would have no reason to even attend.
"Alright, Ivan," Felicity told her Venusaur as they stood outside the school. "Hopefully you'll be able to fit in the door..."
Ivan simply shrugged, making it clear that he was not concerned about being able to walk inside of the school. Even so, he followed his trainer towards the steps of the school where they were stopped by Principal Chaubs. He had been promoted recently after being the assistant principal for years and most of the students could tell that he had gotten a bit full of himself. Felicity thought that if he gained anymore weight, he'd be indistinguishable from a Snorlax.
"Miss Cole," he puffed.
"What?" Felicity snapped rudely.
"You know the rules," he told her as he gestured at Ivan. "No Pokémon allowed outside of their poké balls. Recall Venusaur."
"Ivan and I are borderline public figures," the blonde girl remarked. "We were on the cover of this month's Pokéteen. I have a copy for you if you'd like."
"That won't be necessary," Chaubs said firmly. "Now, recall Venusaur or you'll be suspended before the day has even started. I'm sure your father would not be pleased about that."
"Fine!" Felicity groaned.
Ivan made sure to swat one of his vines at the principal's feet, but Felicity recalled him before things could escalate. Chaubs muttered a few curses under his breath, but did not pursue the issue any further. He left Felicity to her devices and the amateur teen model strolled inside of the school. Almost immediately she was met with astonished gazes and frantic whispers and she loved it. She felt that most of those moronic boys and wannabe girls should be grateful to be in her presence. She was so elated that she even signed the cover of a few magazines and took a few pictures with her 'fans'.
"Really, Felicity? Autographs and selfies?"
Felicity was surprised to see Darren Hernandez, a fellow actor from the school theater. He was a year younger than she was and one of the few people she could tolerate being around for more than a short period of time. She did not think much of him at first, but had proven his skill in the plays they had worked on together.
"I see you finally made it out of that preschool across campus, Darren," Felicity remarked.
"Everyone here was a first and second year at some point," Darren replied. "Even you."
"It's a good thing you're here though," she continued as she began digging around in her purse. "I need some I can trust to pick up my dry cleaning and you're one of the few non-pervs I associate with."
"I'm not picking up your dry-"
She handed him fifty dollars and Darren quickly saluted her before departing. Glad to get that taken care of, Felicity opened her locker and frowned. She never had enough space for her things and would certainly not ever share a locker with Craig again. Luckily for her, she saw a familiar face opening the locker next to hers. Felicity turned to the girl and gave her signature shark smile.
"Katherine Lee, right...?" Felicity started. She thought that the girl was pretty...in a dull and generic cheerleader way like Amelie, Jennifer, and Laila. "Do you remember my name?"
The pale brunette nodded her head. "I know who you are, Felicity."
"Well..." Felicity proceeded. "I just wanted you to know that I found out about the whole Nat mess last year. He should have told you that he had a girlfriend. I know you probably just want to put it behind you and I think it's really stupid that people are still talking about it. Of course, I thought it was stupid that he didn't go for you in the first place. A pretty cheerleader like you is more his status anyway. Homely hicks like Anika and spiky-haired brats like Ellie are way below him. It's too bad he couldn't see that."
"I'm over it," Kat told her with a smile. "And I don't think it's fair to blame the other girls. They had nothing to do with Nat's actions."
"Whatever you say..." Felicity retorted as she fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Hey, why don't we walk to homeroom together?"
Kat arched an eyebrow, obviously curious as to why Felicity was being so cordial towards her. All the same, she decided to take the girl up on her offer. Once they got to the classroom, Felicity took a seat in the back while Kat went to join Jennifer and Laila. She could see them as well as a few of the boys surrounding Amelie. Felicity rolled her eyes in disgust. As usual, Amelie McKinley had to be the center of attention even though all eyes should be on Felicity. It had been that way since they were four. However, Felicity's expression changed to one of delight when a wad of paper hit Amelie in the side of the head.
"Whoops! I was aiming for the trashcan. My bad, McKinley..."
"It's okay, Craig," Felicity added as she stared at Amelie with a smug grin. "Amelie's head is so big that it's almost impossible not to hit it even when you're aiming for something else..."
Amelie rolled her eyes and turned her attention away from the two. Irritating Amelie, even if it was just for a moment, was a bright spot in Felicity's day. She shifted her focus to Craig and liked what she saw. She loved how well his jeans looked on him and how his sleeveless shirt drew attention to his biceps. The stubble on his face gave him even more of a rugged look that she could not help but find herself attracted to. However, he was still Craig and she had no intention of getting involved with him again.
"McKinley's dad is running for mayor," Craig told her. "That's why everyone's all up her ass."
"Why would anyone want to be mayor of this stupid city?" Felicity said.
"Don't know," Craig replied. "But I don't think Sid will be happy at all. I know McKinley's dad and you can bet that he's going to get the streets cleaned up."
"You don't sound too upset. That basically means you'll be out of work."
Craig shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "No point getting mad. Just means that I'll have more free time for you."
"Too bad I'm going to be busy modeling, coordinating, and eventually starring in movies," Felicity told him. "You'll just have to be okay with worshiping me like everyone else..."
"C'mon, we had a good thing going."
"Until you told everyone our business," Felicity told him clearly.
"And even after that, you kept coming back for more..."
Felicity glared daggers at him and the two of them were starting to draw attention towards their little dispute. Felicity smirked when she thought of a way to make this situation more fun for her.
"I kept coming back only because you like to wear your socks during it," she said loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Hey everyone," Craig countered. "Felicity gets so angry when you bump into her because it makes her think of all the times I was in her sweet sugar walls."
"Craig likes to cuddle!" Felicity blurted out.
Craig's eyes widened and Felicity looked at their classmates. Amelie's hands were over her mouth in shock of the secrets that were just exposed while Jennifer and Laila's jaws were simply dropped. The only sound that could be heard was Johnny and Xander pointing and laughing at Craig's now reddened face. Felicity would have felt guilty if he had not put her in the same predicament last year. Besides, she knew he'd get over it and be flirting with her again by lunch.
"I feel like I should send you two to the principal, but I honestly don't care enough about your love lives to do that..."
"I'm gonna guess you heard everything, Mrs. Kroft?" Craig shot back. "I would apologize, but I honestly don't care enough to do that..."
Felicity could not help but to let out a giggle, which Craig noticed. Mrs. Kroft merely sighed and made her way to the front of the classroom. It was going to be a long year for everyone.
A/N: Whew, second chapter is finally done. Very trainer-focused, so I kind of want to even out the trainer-focused and the Pokemon-focused chapter, so I feel the easiest way to do that would be to establish the trainers first.
P.O.V. Characters: Elyse McKinley, Ellie Morris, Tyler West, and Felicity Cole
As always, come to the forums to chat about this story or chat in general.
Adios!