RUMORS OF LOVE
Chapter Twelve: Power Out!
-DAWN&MAY'S ROOM: FRIDAY NIGHT-
May's phone chimed as PG has texted her back
-
TO: MAY
FROM: PG
Text me when Dawn is gone from your room.
"Who was that?" Dawn asked as she put Paul's shirt in her 'to wash' bag.
"Huh? No one, just Ash. He wanted Misty to check her phone," May lied. She then yelled into the connecting room. "MISTY TEXT ASH BACK."
Instead Leaf came in. "Misty already left for the gym and I'm going to the library. Bye ladies!"
Dawn rolled her eyes, "Of course the scholar is going to the library during a trip."
"Well what are you doing tonight Dawn?" May eyed her phone as she slipped Dawn the question.
Dawn jumped onto her bed. "I don't know. Watch movies? Maybe go hang out with Drew and Gary."
May internally groaned; how was she going to figure out if Gary was PG if Dawn doesn't leave?
But just then, Dawn's phone chimed. May looked at Dawn as she blushed reading the text.
-
TO: DAWN
FROM: PAUL
Cheesecake in the café?
"Is it Paul?" May asked, making kissy noises which earned her a pillow to the face.
Dawn picked up her pink wallet and checked her hair as she sauntered towards the door, "Maybe it was."
As Dawn left, May texted PG that Dawn had left. Sure enough, there was a knock at the door. As May went to answer it, she wondered if she would see Gary standing in front of her. Instead, when she opened the door, she saw a small cheap recyclable cell phone on the ground. She looked in the halls to see the elevator closing it's doors.
Damn, so close.
She picked up the black cell phone and it chimed as PG had sent her a text.
-
TO: PG4
FROM: PG2
Here is your PG phone. It already has the numbers of everyone in our grade and the numbers of the other members of PG. PG1 is the PG in charge and the original. DO NOT text PG1, it's only for emergencies. I am PG2, the commander-in-chief you could say. PG3 is another you, just a gossip texter. You use this phone to text other PG members and send mass PG texts. The signature is already PG. And to prove your loyalty, you must send an interesting juicy PG text before tomorrow night or else, you're out.
-
-CAFÉ: FRIDAY NIGHT-
Dawn chose to go down the public pretty fairy-tale stairs over the mini waterfall to the café instead of the sketchy private stairs that led to Kenny kissing her. She saw Brendan, Lucas and Barry hanging on the stairs. Lucas nodded at her as she passed them to the café where Paul was sitting with two pieces of chocolate turtle cheesecake, her favorite.
She smiled as she walked to the table where he was sitting. He was wearing black basketball shorts and a tshirt that said VU battlers on the front.
"That is a hideous shirt," Paul commented as she sat down. She was about to get offended before she remembered she was wearing her USV shirt and he was trying to make a joke.
She stuck out her tongue, "It's better than yours."
Paul laughed as he took a bite of cheesecake. "You wish."
When they finished, she suggested they take a walk. They went towards the waterfall under the stairs. Dawn brushed her fingers on his hand as they walked. She looked back and raised her eyebrows in flirty manner and stood against the wall of the stairs. Paul just followed her and stood in front of her. He didn't know what came over him but he put his hands on the wall and got closer to her. He was mesmerized by her eyes. She lifted her face and he brought his face dangerously close. She closed her eyes.
But Paul realized what he was doing and stiffened. He became hesitant. Hesitant, to the point where he left her with her eye closed and walked around to the other side of the waterfall in the gift shop.
Dawn opened her eyes with disappointment to see that Paul was gone.
On the other side, he proceeded to hit his head on the wall and cursed himself.
"Coward."
"I'm going to fine PG a million dollars for sending that text that I like Leaf!" Barry exclaimed. "I mean now everyone knows."
Brendan laughed, "You know I'm surprised PG didn't send anything out about Mel and me being a couple."
"Yeah about that, why are you dating her?"
Brendan just shrugged, "She's cool."
Lucas shushed them, "Hey, look down there. Is that Dawn? and Paul?"
They watched the scene with Dawn and Paul from the top of the stairwell, trying to make absolutley no noise.
Lucas stared at Paul's retreating back as he left. "I think it's time I called in that debt Dawn owes me."
"I thought you were going to tell Dawn to be Nando's date as her debt so that it would be even with what you owe him," Brendan asked.
Lucas nodded, "I was, but that," he indicated what they had just seen below, "changes everything. Now I have a new idea."
"And what would that be?" Barry asked.
"You'll find out from PG soon enough," Lucas told them as he started texting Dawn.
-
To:Dawn
From: Lucas
Meet me tonight at the staircase on the third floor. I need to call in that debt.
-
-THIRD FLOOR STAIRCASE: FRIDAY NIGHT-
"What do you want?"
Lucas smirked, "Hello to you too, dear."
Dawn bit her lip. "I won't ask again Lucas. What do you want?"
"For you to be my girlfriend."
"No! Are you kidding?"
Lucas faked being hurt. "No I'm not kidding. Unless you want me to tell Shirona about you being in Drew's room."
"You will get in trouble for helping me."
"Not as much as you. You could even get suspended and what would Veilstone University think of that when they review your application again?"
Dawn gasped. "How do you know…"
"That doesn't matter."
She couldn't risk the little chance she had to getting into VU, she just couldn't. She could be rid of Lucas very easily.
"Fine."
"I knew you would make the right decision," Lucas said as he walked up the stairs.
-ASH&GARY'S ROOM-
"Ash, aren't you supposed to be working out with Misty?" Drew asked Ash who sat on his bed eating chips.
"She wanted to swim a few laps before the gym. She said she would text me when I needed to come down.
Paul came in the room and took the chips from Ash and sat on Gary's bed.
"Hello to you too Paul," Ash grumbled.
"Where's Gary?" Drew asked.
Paul threw the chips back at Ash. "Don't know, don't care."
Drew chuckled, "Well angry Paul, how was your little date with Dawn?"
"It wasn't a date."
"Whatever," Ash laughed. "We all know you like Dawn!"
"Shut up."
Drew joined Ash in taunting their friend. "You need to tell her you like her."
"I don't like her."
"Yeah because you loooovvveeee her!" Ash sang.
"Shut up Ash or I'll lock you in a closet."
Drew turned serious. "But in all seriousness, you have to tell her."
"Or else someone else will take her and it will suck for you," Ash explained.
Drew picked up his phone as it chimed and his eyes widened at the new PG text.
OMG at the newest couple! Lucas and Dawn! I don't think anyone saw that coming-PG
Drew and Ash looked at each other before hesitantly looking at Paul who was waiting for them to tell him what the newest text was about. "Too late."
-GYM: FRIDAY NIGHT-
"Thanks so much for doing this with me Ash!" Misty set down her water bottle and key card as she and Ash stepped on their respective treadmills.
"No problem, Mist! Let's see who can do the most distance in one hour!"
"Oh you are on!"
They both started sprinting when the lights went off and the treadmills slowed down. Misty slowed down with it but it caught Ash off guard who fell and hit his face on the treadmill.
Misty just sighed. "Are you kidding me? All I wanted to do was work out."
-THIRD FLOOR: FRIDAY NIGHT-
"So what? Are you just not going to talk to me? I mean we are dating…" Lucas tried to calm Dawn after she exploded with anger at the PG text.
"Shut up Lucas! I just want to go to my room."
"Can't you see that's what I'm trying to get you to?" Lucas felt around for the handle to the staircase to get to the second floor where Dawn's room was. "Here, I found the staircase. Be careful…"
But Dawn was already stomping down the stairs and she fell. But luckily for her, her new boyfriend was there to catch her.
Lucas helped Dawn back to her feet, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"No problem. Paul isn't the one who can save someone."
Dawn kept silent. She couldn't tell Lucas's goal of wanting to date her. But she knew one thing, it wasn't for her. And the one person she cared about was not going to be happy.
Paul.
-THE LIBRARY: FRIDAY NIGHT-
Leaf was patiently sitting and reading an interesting book when the lights went out. It was raining a bit when they were coming back, but not enough to blow the power. Whatever caused it, there was no generator big enough to power the entire hotel. They were just going to have to deal with the dark.
"Oh my, did you see the new PG text?"
Leaf's ears perked as the sound of other people in the library. She didn't think anyone else but her would be there. And as for the PG text, she saw it. But she knew Dawn liked Paul. So something was obviously not right.
Leaf hid behind the bookshelf and stayed low to see who could be there.
"Yeah, I did see it. Lucas and Dawn. Who would have thought?"
Leaf moved a few books over to hear better. It was obviously a boy and a girl. She looked up and could see the back of the boy but the girl on the other side was hidden in the darkness. She knew the boy by instinct. He, just like her, was one of the smarter in their grade. And he was always at the library just like her-Tracey.
The girl kept on yapping, very loudly for a library. "I mean Dawn was all over Paul at the Falls and she was eating breakfast with Drew and with him last night and now she is suddenly dating Lucas. She is all over the place!"
Tracey chuckled. "Dawn flirts so much it's actually difficult to tell who she actually likes. But more for you, Paul is still available for the dance."
"Eep! I know! I was afraid to ask him because he was with Dawn but now he is free. I need to hurry or else other girls will try too."
"And if Lucas and Dawn break up?" Tracey hypothesized.
"That can't happen. It just can't. Dawn being single again will take her right back to Paul."
Leaf strained her eyes to see the girl. She recognized the voice. It was loud, obnoxious. But who was it? And why was she with Tracey, who isn't exactly a girl magnet. Tracey cared more about his grades than girls. And she wanted to go with Paul to the dance?
Oh hell no. Leaf was going to get Dawn and Paul together in time for the dance or she would give up her seat as valedictorian.
And this girl posed a threat. This girl. Her voice. Then it clicked.
Lyra.
-ICE CREAM BUFFET: FRIDAY NIGHT-
May was in ice cream heaven. She has seven bowels with eighteen different flavors. She was trying to eat her problems. Like her PG problems. How was she going to send a gossipy text that was really interesting? She didn't even hear gossip if it wasn't from Dawn or PG. And could she tell them? If Misty, Leaf and Dawn found out, they would kill her. Like actually kill her.
She had to tell them. Not telling them would make her feel guilty which would make her eat more. Then she would gain 50 pounds and become a Munchlax.
Also the lights went out. She couldn't let good ice cream go to waste.
"Good lord Maple. Have you not eaten in the past year?"
May looked up and scowled as Drew took the seat across from her.
"None of your business Drew!" May continued to eat her ice-cream. Drew just shrugged his shoulders and took a bowl and started to eat too. May felt uncomfortable. Drew had this thing where when he looked at you, it was as if he could see what you are hiding. He would be able to figure out she was on the GTeam and he would hate her for it.
She turned to see Ursula, Brianna, Rudy and Barry whispering and watching her and Drew. She could feel Brianna shooting hate rays from her eyes and melting her ice cream.
Drew looked up from his ice cream and saw May squirming as if she was trying to avoid being caught. Maple was never good at keeping secrets. Ever.
He knew.
She was hiding something.
-ASH&GARY'S ROOM: FRIDAY NIGHT-
Gary scowled at the newest text from PG. How dare Lucas even try to get into their group? It wasn't going to work. He would ensure that.
It was starting to get risky as it seemed PG was starting to target and get into their secrets. They had to keep PG away from them. If one more text came out, even as a suspicion of Gary with another girl, he would lose Leaf. And that could not happen. It was too close to them leaving to college and if Leaf hated him and went off to Elite he may never see her again or have the chance to talk to her.
Before another text came out, he needed to stop it. And the only way to do that was end PG. Forever.
He had to find out who PG was and stop this entire nonsense. He was going to start his own hunt for PG. And he knew exactly where to start.
Gary smirked to himself.
Watch out PG, Gary Oak is coming for you.