Y'know, I think i'm just bad
What do you mean?
I mean that I was just born bad, that everything in my life has just been a bad situation.
You know there's feeling sorry for yourself, which is perfectly healthy, then there's self loathing, guess which one people can't stand.
MANNERS
Gloom spread itself across the night sky like an infection, like redness in an open wound. Sure the earth itself slept, but for the people whom lived on it, that was a different story. Thunder and rain swept through the area, but when you have someone in your bed, a warm body to keep you company in your lonely existence, space itself could break apart, suck you into its ruthless void, make you feel everything and nothing at the same time, as long as you lay there, in that moment with a person who is warm and comforting, that's all that truly matters, right? Of course Guzma didn't really care, he was finished with what he needed her for, but the storm outside the room was too much to shamefully walk through. She lit a cigarette, he hated smoking but seen it as a waste for her to put it out.
" So you do this often?" The woman asked.
" Why you askin?" Guzma questioned. " You got your money." He added. She smirked reaching down and grabbing from the floor a wad of cash.
" I don't need it.." The whore said before throwing him back his money. "I can get double in Hoenn ."
" So what Imma charity case now?" Guzma protested. "Ya'know it's not the greatest outside right now, you can always leave."
The call girl smirked. " It's not like I didn't enjoy it, I didn't really see it as work." she said. " You're great in bed."
" At least I still have that…" Guzma uttered as she snuggled up to him. " Whatcha say your name was?"
" Midnight Jupiter " She spoke.
" No, ya real name." Guzma pride. Midnight smirked.
" Why you want to know about me?" She asked. " To tell you the truth, I wanted to know more about you," Midnight explained. " You see, I'd heard about you and your little gang that broke up…" She trailed off seeing the visible annoyance on Guzma.
" It wasn't no little gang…" Guzma defended, " When team skull was a thing, we were…" He stopped himself, knowing that continuing on would only reopen scars.
"I was wondering how it came to be…" Midnight asked. " Like why would you form a gang? What made you want to do that?" She added.
"Why would i want to tell you anything like that?"
" Because we got all night."Midnight said.
" We also have all night for something else."
" Yeah, but you can't last that long…I don't think any man can." Midnight teased, Guzma pulled her close.
" So you want old Guzma to give ya story time?"
Childhood Part one
What bits and pieces he remembered were that of dad yelling, What is wrong with you?! You can't do anything right can you, Guzma? It stung when his dad would use his name, like everything in the universe wanted to force its hatred unto his existence. It wasn't like him to not fight back, but that night in particular he had more fervent to his rebellion. His mom yelling, his dad's knuckles jerking his shirt up, and that ugly hot breath from his father's mouth, almost made his dad's red expression unbearable.
"I'm done with you, I don't know where you got this fucking attitude from, but you better knock it off." his dad threaten as Guzma tried to squirm away.
"I hate you."
From underneath his bed, a black eyed and bruised kid hid as his mom tried to convince him to leave the safety of beneath his bed frame and mattress. " We still love you."
"I hate you and I hate dad." Guzma squeaked.
" Don't say that."
"Go away." He uttered. She could see between the pillow barricade, that he had tears staining his cheeks. "I said, go away!"
"Why are you so mad?"" His mom pleaded trying to drag her child out from under his bed. " Can't you just talk to me? I just don't want to see you-" Her statement was cut off by her whelp from being bit. "Okay, I get it." She spoke before leaving the room. It was dark and quiet, some sort of peace resonated with the child. His internal rage simmered down and he could feel his body aching for rest, that was until he heard his parents whispered voices, fighting over what to do with him.
" We can't keep doing this." His dad said.
" I...I know I agree, but what are we going to do with him, send him away?" His mom spoke, emotion running through her tempo. " He's my baby, he's our son."
"He bit you! You really think that's normal for a boy his age?"
" You're not going to go get rid of my baby!" mom said.
" How many more excuses are you going to make for him?"
" Okay fine, what do you think we should do?" Mom expressed annoyance and distress in her tone. Dad stayed quiet.
Stars didn't judge who or why anyone walks under them at night, but particularly that evening they were graced with the company of Guzma. They didn't yell at him, or ask any questions about why he acted the way he did, they simply lit the sky and warily waited for sunrise. Hopefully no one would notice him gone right away, that maybe no one would go looking for him, they'd just think that they wouldn't have to deal with him anymore, Guzma thought. Chilled wind the kind one can tastes brushed up against the child's skin, giving him goosebumps. The lights from the shopping district were off in the distance, never have I ever been out to the shopping district alone.
Nighttime changes the whole outlook of a city, lights from active stores glared outward from their windows, just a different kind of activity, especially for a kid yearning for independence from everything that gloomed him. After a few hours the nightlife drowned itself down to a low roar, Guzma sat alone on a bench watching as people, mostly tourists scuttling across the streets eager to make the most of their vacation, gawked, paid no attention, and seldomly expressed a smile. The stars beamed down unto Guzmas existence, glad that he was enjoying his freedom.
" Shouldn't you be in bed kid?" A young girl's voice rang in front of him. Her face seemed familiar, maybe someone he knew from school, or she was one of his sister's friends.,.
" Yeah, so what, you gonna go tell my mom on me or somethin?" Guzma snorted. Wow...never have i ever felt like this...for a girl
"No, just don't want you getting hurt…" she said taking a seat next to him.
" Why do you care?" Guzma responded. " I'm doing perfectly okay on my own…"
" Yeah but being alone sucks…"
" It's alright." Guzma said. " Do you know me or whatever?"
"I've seen you at school, you're a year below me, you're always catching those gross bugs."
"They're not gross… you're gross." Guzma retorted, receiving a punch in the arm and scaring away the young lady. " I said I was sorry!" Guzma pleaded with the girl, who kept at her pace. " You're not gross!"
" Thats damn right I'm not…" The girl spoke, letting Guzma catch up with her. " You're like eleven right?"
" Twelve."
"I don't know if you've done your island challenges or not, but you can't just make yourself so open for people to see that you have no one else with you."
" Why?"
" Because, there are bad people in the world." she warned.
" I can handle them." Guzma said. " No one's gonna tell me what to do."
"So if team rocket comes here and takes you hostage or worse what the hell do you think you're going to do?" She asked.
" Beat'em up." Guzma joked, she grinned.
" You're a chump, I could beat you up."
" I'mma what?" Guzma said. The girl entered his personal space, face to face.
" You're….a chump." she repeated seeing the visible redness on Guz, " But you're cool." She added before belatedly laughing at his expression of confusion. " It's a long walk but do you wanna maybe head up to this place…" The girl began to ask. " I can grab some of my mom's beer and we can go chill…"
" Where?"
Crisp and quietness flowed with such grace here in the meadow of plumerias. Aromatic air guided one's mind to ease, the calm, almost stillness of the meadow and its abundance of flora melted well together, although, beauty of color was skewed due to the low light of the night. Never have I ever felt so calm in my entire life. Soon after the girl ran off into the flora, Guzma followed behind until she picked a spot to settle.
" Here's good." She said, Guz letting out a sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to walk anymore. The twosome laid down having the flowers and grass nip at their backs until comfortably positioned. Stars from every corner of the universe revealed themselves on the blanket of the atmosphere that night. Time moved so slow for no reason at all, like as if the earth itself wanted to savor the moment. " I don't know your name." she quietly muttered.
" Guzma."
"Plumeria." She spoke before reaching into her bag and handing Guzma a can. " It tastes awful but just trust me drink it." She added. Hops stained the child's palette then foamed up spilling onto his shirt and shorts, Plumeria's grin wide and worldly.
" This is disgusting…" Guzma muttered before taking another sip, Plumeria grabbed one for herself.
" I told you."
"Then why did you tell me to drink it?" Guz asked.
"Just keep drinking, you'll feel better about whatever." Plumeria promised, "especially if you drink it faster." she added. Hearing this Guzma sought out the challenge, beginning to chug until he felt his stomach turnt.
" How's this supposed to make me feel better? Are you fucking with me?"
" Just trust me."
They stared up at the blanket of the earth dotted with orbiting glitter, wondering not of adult problems but their own issues, things that didn't matter to their parents but to each other being the ear to listen and to hear.
" Do you really think bugs are gross?" Guz slurred.
" Well yeah, of course."
" Why?" Guz asked. " There just like any other pokemon."
" No they're not, they're weird, you can't pet them, and they'll bite you." Plumeria explained.
" Yeah you can pet them! And they're not always gonna bite you, bugs are just… different." Guzma tried to explain. " They're like us, no me, they just…" Guz thought about what he was going to say. " Wanna be alone."
" You ever play 'never have I ever'?" Plumeria said.
" No…"
"I have one more can left we can split it." Plumeria said sitting and crossing her legs, Guzma followed suit sitting in front of her. " So here's how this is going to work- we're going to take turns guessing things we've done, but you have to say it as 'never have I ever' then the thing you think I did. If it is something I did then I'll take a drink." She explained. " I'll go first, Never have I ever stolen something…" Plumeria said, Guzma opened the drink and took a sip, Plumeria followed. " What'd you steal?"
" Money from my mom." Guzma explained himself.
"Beer, candy, clothes once but I won't do it again." Plumeria said. " You're turn."
"Never have I ever done the island challenges" Guzma said. Plumeria took a sip.
"I did it when I was eleven and I failed…"
" Really?" Guzma said. " What was it like?"
" I only made it to the second island."
" I want to be a trial captain, I've been working at it since forever." Guzma expressed. "My mom wouldn't let me do it until this year, I can't wait."
"What pokemon you gonna pick?"
" I already have one." He said. " You can't make fun of it."
" What is it?"
"Wimpod." He said. Plumeria grinned.
"Do you really think you're going to win with a wimpod?"
" What's wrong with a wimpod?" He asked defensively.
" They're weak and gross, they eat garbage!" Plumeria expressed.
" I like mine."
" Youre different." Plumeria said.
"Well what pokemon did you do your challenges with?"
"Salandit…" Plumeria answered.
" But bugs are gross, okay…" Guz teased.
" My grandma gave me her." Plumeria explained. " Shes one of those old ladies that likes to collect glameows and puruglys, but with kecleons and slandits…" she added. "She's a really good pokemon, I might have even won the damn island challenge if I was a better trainer…"
" We can train together, if you want to." Guzma offered, her grin warm.
"Youre really cool." Plumeria expressed.
Never have I ever been this confused about someone…
The shade of night blanketed the children as they counted the stars above their drunken impairment dozed Plumeria to sleep for only a moment.
"Hey wake up…"Guzma whispered. From above it seemed as if the stars were moving, but it was a trick of her eyes.
"Whats going on?" she asked. There, surrounding them, were hundreds of cutieflies hovering in every direction of the children, they waltzed like they were performing solely for the kids, all beauty, no glitz. . "Oh…" Plumeria uttered, "This is beautiful."
" I didn't want you to miss it…" Guzma uttered. Their presence like the old gods of the earth, but compassionable, warm, this phantomation was more than just a bunch of bugs whirling in the moonlight, they were fairies who were as old as love, as old as the stars, dancing to entertain these kids who had no idea of what their lives could or should be- here or later in their span of existence.
" The next morning I couldn't find Plumeria, I figured she went home or was just someone I made up but I sure as hell remember the hangover…" Guzma said. " I wandered out of that Meadow but didn't remember how to get home, actually no I didn't want to go home, either way it didn't matter because Hala found me." Guzma added with a smirk. "My parents were so pissed, my mom almost told me I wasn't allowed to do the island challenges, but Hala convinced her it would only make rebel more."
" so did you do them?" Midnight asked.