Chapter 8: November Rain
"If we could take the time
to lay it on the line
I could rest my head
Just knowin' that you were mine"
November Rain; Guns 'n Roses
Thank you to everyone that look the time to review last chapter! I'm sorry but my email doesn't work anyone so I can't response to any of the review. But I am very grateful!
Thank you and enjoy the next chapter!
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Her heart raced, like in the heat of a game or as in the midst of an appeal; yet everything seemed to slow. The air stilled and the air become thick, making breathing more of an effort then her body's natural control over the action.
"She's not interested."
That deep voice pulled her back from her thought, her thoughts of breathing and controlling the speed of her heart; the flattering feeling that rushed through her veins when someone showed that you're attractive.
She blinked and felt her blush burn her cheeks from the inside. She found that Paul stood next to her. His blue and black jacket resting on his shoulders and the collar popped up on one side. She could see that he was relaxed, controlled, yet ready to break open at any moment.
"Let her answer, captain." Kai snapped at the taller boy then changed back to the sweet brown-haired boy as he looked towards her with hopeful green eyes and Dawn swallowed the guilt that edged up her throat. She was always too kind-hearted.
"I'm flattered, but no thank you." She declined his offer as kindly as she could, but his eyebrows furrowed.
"Do you already have a date?" He questioned stubbornly, and she saw Paul's shoulders lower as he let a hiss out from his teeth.
"No-"She answered, but Kai cut her off.
"Then why not?" He questioned and the bell rang, letting them know it was time for the last period of the day.
"I'm going with my friends." Dawn spoke, even though she hadn't discussed it with May yet, or even decided if she was going to the dance or not. She grabbed her books and caught up with Paul at the door to the classroom.
"That was weird." Dawn commented as they reached the stairs, Paul was walking faster than her with his long strides and he started down the stairs as the noise from the main hallway reached their ears. She followed him until she broke from the crowd to the safety next to her locker and watched his locks of purple-hair until she couldn't see him anymore.
"Paul's looks pissed! Did something happen?" May said as she stood on her tiptoes to look in the direction Paul had gone earlier. The brunette turned and started walking with her friend in the direction of the gym.
"Yeah, Kai happened." Dawn explained as the two reached the quieter hallway next to the gyms. May looked at her friend with wide blue eyes.
"The one that was flirting with you awhile back?" May asked and the girls reached the doors to the locker room, Dawn made sure to whisper to her friend so the words wouldn't be overheard by the other girls.
"He asked me to homecoming." Dawn explained, and May stopped with her shirt in her hands to stare at the blunette for a few minutes before continuing to undress. Dawn was glad that they were in the corner of the locker room.
"What did you say?" May asked as Dawn tied her shoes.
"I declined, I said that I was going with my friend." Dawn explained and waited for the other girl tied her shoes.
"Me?" May smiled and did a little dance when she finished tying her shoes and hugged the shorter girl. "I knew you would go with me!"
A game of basketball was played and Dawn was glad that she was one of the more athletic girls in the class, meaning that she would get the ball on several chances; even though most were from her brother or Ash. Her speed also gave her advantages that the other peers didn't have.
"Wow, Paul was pissed off." May said as the girls started to undress and change into their school clothes, Dawn pulled on her skirt.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, Kai kind of disrespected him, if that's the correct word." Dawn mentioned and May was interested within seconds.
"Whole story." May said and sat on the bench to she could listen and tie her shoes at the same time.
"Well Kai asked me then Paul told him that I wasn't interested and Kai back talked him, Kai called him Captain." Dawn explained and May had finished tying her shoes.
"Oh, well Paul is one of the captains of the football team because he's a senior and he probably doesn't like being questioned by the other players." May reasoned and the two walked out of the locker rooms, separating at the corner.
"Dawn." Drew's voice called her from his usual waiting spot by the corner. His bag slung over his shoulders and a frown on his lips, Dawn raised an eyebrow at his upset state.
"What's up Drew?" Dawn asked and stopped in front of her brother. He crossed his arms.
"I heard what happened in biology lab, and don't worry, I'm going to have a talk with Kai at practice." Drew said and then followed his sister when she started walking down the hallway to her locker to grab her bag from her locker.
"You don't have to Drew, it's no big deal." Dawn said and put her books in her schoolbag before closing her locker.
"Yes it is, not only did he ask my sister to some dance, but he pissed off Paul." Drew said and held the door open for his sister so she could go outside and into the parking lot.
"So this is some guy thing?" Dawn casually asked and Drew huffed in annoyance.
"Girls." Drew said as they walked into the parking lot and went on to find Drew's car.
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Dawn sat down at the lunch table between Drew and Paul like usual, pushing Ash's tray that was across the table more towards his side, so she could fit her tray on the table. She made herself comfortable between the two boys and poked her fork into the pasta on her tray.
"I have something going on tonight, do you still want to work on our project?" Paul asked and Dawn raised her eyebrow in question.
"How long will it take?" Dawn asked and Paul shrugged his shoulders.
"It shouldn't take too long." Paul explained but Drew interrupted their conversation.
"I can't take you home before practice remember?" Drew said and Dawn huffed. "Oh, it won't be that bad, it's not that long since we have late practice tonight."
"I'll just do my homework or something." Dawn said and turned back to talk to Paul, who had finished his lunch.
"I can take you home if you want to wait for me." Paul offered and Dawn turned to her brother to get his reaction, the green-haired male shrugged in indifference.
"I was going to go to Gary's anyways." Drew explained and went back to eating.
"Guess I'll be riding with you." Dawn said and Paul gave her a smirk, pulling on a strand of her hair before getting up to take his tray to the wash counter.
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"Quilava, spin and use flamethrower to block!" Dawn ordered and her fire-type badger spun on his hind-legs to provide an excellent counter to May's flamethrower.
"Blazikin! Use-"May started to command but was cut off when their coordinating teacher blew her whistle, signaling the end of their match.
"Very good girls! Brilliant uses of your fire-types!" Mrs. Fantanisa praised and the girls met to shake hands in the middle of the field after calling back their Pokémon. They returned to their seats on the bleachers of the field.
"Drew and Brittany you're next!" Their professor called and Dawn wished her brother good luck as he got up to take the field.
"You're shield idea was really good!" May praised as the next match started and Dawn watched out as her brother called out his Flygon to go against an Ivysaur.
"Thanks, it was something I came up during my final last year for coordinating class." Dawn said, "Your Blaziken is so powerful!"
"Thanks, he was my starter. He just evolved last year." May said and the girls settled back to watch Drew's match.
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"Have fun watching all the football boys play!" May winked at her friend as the blunette headed out to the bleachers to watch the boys play and wait for the practice to be over. She sat down on one of bleachers, the cheerleaders in the distance and the football players stretching on the field. The petite girl pulled the sweatshirt she borrowed from her brother around her and pulled out her history book to start on her homework.
"How's it going?" Her brother's voice took her away from her textbook and she put down her pencil and looked up to see her brother. He was wearing shorts and a sweat-soaked t-shirt, drinking from a water bottle in his hand, football pads across his shoulders.
"Fine, how is practice?" She asked and Drew turned to look at the field, Ash waved from the water station and she waved in return.
"Good, Paul's running the second half of practice so it shouldn't be too long." Drew jogged back to the field to join his teammates when a whistle blew and continue practice. Dawn went back to her textbook.
After finishing her history homework, Dawn set her textbook back in her backpack. She let her eyes wander to the field. Paul was standing on the side, coaching and showing players better positions and theories. Dawn could tell he was passionate about his sport.
"Excuse me miss?" A voice startled her out of her thoughts and Dawn looked up to see an older gentlemen, dressed in a jacket and tan-colored pants holding a clipboard in his hand. Another similarly dressed, older man was standing behind him.
"Hello." Dawn greeted and the man gestured to the bleachers.
"Mind if we take a seat here?" He asked politely and Dawn removed her backpack so the two could sit next to her on the bleachers. The two did so, putting a polite distance between them and the girl.
"Could you tell me which one is Paul Shinji?" The same male asked her, giving her a smile that she couldn't help but return.
"Yep! He's the one in the black shirt right there with purple hair." Both of the men followed her finger and then the one checked his clipboard and whispered to his companion. She pulled out her book to give the two space, and didn't look up until they got up from the bleachers.
"Thank you for your help miss." The man greeted and the two walked towards the field, where Dawn could see that Paul was walked over with his helmet in his hand and the coach, who was Mr. Surge, her gym teacher.
"Hello Mr. Shinji, I'm Kris and this is Bill, we're the coaches out at the University of Hoenn." The older male held out his hand for the senior to shake, as Paul did so, shaking hands with the other male too.
"I'm glad you could make it." Paul nodded politely and Dawn watched as the four spoke, walking down to the other side of the field. Drew walked over to her.
"Are those the scouts?" Drew asked and Dawn nodded.
"Yeah." Dawn said as she watched Paul run the field in the distance.
"Wow, I hope they give him something. He deserves it." Drew commented and turned his eyes away from the people on the field, waving for his sister to follow him. "Let's head back to the school, Paul will find you in there."
Drew left after changing, telling her to let him know when she got back home, and heading out to go over to Gary's house. Dawn sat down on the floor outside the boy's locker room against the wall to wait for Paul to emerge.
He did after a while, his hair hanging down and wet showing that he just showered and wearing his blue and black jacket and jeans from school with his bag in his hand.
"Ready to go?" He offered her a hand to help her from the ground and pulled her up without effort. Dawn picked up her bag from the floor and slipped her arms through the straps as she followed Paul out to the parking lot.
"How did it go?" She asked and Paul fixed his book bag so it didn't fall off his shoulders.
"Good, I think they liked what they saw." Paul commented and led her over to the older black truck in the parking lot. It was high with a few dents in the side, but seemed well taken care of, the inside was clean. Paul got it after putting his bags in the back and started the truck with a loud roar.
"Wow, your truck is loud." Dawn spoke and Paul smirk as he shifted it into drive, rolling down the window to set his arm on the side. Dawn found that he was a good driver, driving with one hand on the wheel all the way to her home. He put the truck in the spot of to the side of the garage where it was out of the way and got out grabbing his bag from the back. Dawn was debating whether or not to jump out and hope for the best or to slowly find her way down, when Paul reached her door.
"Let me help you, or you'll break your ankle." His hands took her hips and Dawn stiffed at the warm touch, blushing when he set her gently on her toes.
"Thanks." She thanked him and he nodded after shutting the truck door, letting her lead the way into the house. They went up to the girl's room and set their bags down.
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"Mind if I ask you a question?" Dawn asked and the older male looked up from his laptop. She turned to look at him, laying on her stomach on her bed with a textbook from the library spread out in front of her.
"What?" Paul asked and set his fingers on the keys of his laptop.
"Do you want to play for University of Hoenn?" Dawn asked and Paul closed his the laptop shut.
"I want to play for anyone who will offer me a full scholarship." Paul said, his tone suggesting that he didn't feel comfortable about the topic and didn't want to be asked anymore about it. Dawn bit her lip as she thought about his answer and came to realization.
Paul didn't have money.
It made sense now. He worked almost every night of the week, even on top of school and football practice. He drove a beat-up old Chevy. It made sense, he needed a full scholarship to go to school.
"Do you have a problem?" Paul's tone was sharp and bit through her thoughts, his eyes were dark under his bangs and Dawn felt fear on her fingertips at the dangerous vibe he gave her.
"Paul I-"Dawn said, but the tall male snapped his head to the side.
"Do you get it now? I know, I'm poor." Paul snapped and clenched his fists to his sides.
"Paul, that's not what I think." Dawn explained, getting up and standing next to her bed. He looked at her with dark eyes, daring her to move. "You're my friend Paul."
"Am I? Or am I some charity case?" Paul retorted and shoved his laptop into his bag.
"Yes, you are. I didn't always live in this fancy house you know. I lived with my mom before, my amazing single working mother." Dawn choked on the memory of her mother, but didn't let her tears fall. Paul needed her help right now. He didn't look but she knew he was listening.
"I lived with my mom, you know that. My dad always paid for school so I could have a good education, but my mom and me, we struggled sometimes but we always got by." Dawn explained and took Paul's fist in her hand, cupping it with both of hers.
Dawn wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. He stiffed at the contact, but she didn't let go.
"I didn't mean to snap at you." He spoke softly, all the fight in his voice gone and quiet.
"It's okay Paul." She immediately answered and felt him huff. She felt the moment seep into her and warm her, Paul wasn't being as silent as he usually was.
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"So know you now."
After Paul had left, and Drew returned, Dawn sat on her brother's bed as he did his homework. She had explained to him what had happened between her and Paul, but he just shrugged.
"He hides it well, I never knew until he told me." Drew shrugged and looked over his homework once more and shoved into his folder to turn in tomorrow.
"Yeah, well he seemed angry about it." Dawn said and looked at her nails.
"He doesn't like anyone's pity. He and his brother have been through a lot." Drew explained and Dawn's sapphire eyes widened.
"Where are his parents?" Dawn asked but her brother shrugged.
"I don't know actually, he's never said anything." Drew explained and sat on his bed next to his sister.
"Want to watch a movie?" Dawn crawled under the blankets with her brother as he turned on the TV. She settled down into his pillows and readied herself to watch the movie with her brother.
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The next day, Dawn felt that Paul and her had gotten closer. She felt that she knew him more as a person, yet he treated her in the same way as he usually did. As her friend and she wanted nothing more at the time.
"Dawn!" The blunette stopped in the hallway, letting the crowd of students veer around her as they made their way to class on the Thursday afternoon. She let Paul lose her in the hallway as he didn't notice her disappearance from behind him.
"Yeah?" Dawn asked once the familiar brown-haired boy caught up to her in the hallway. She shuffled her feet, anxious to get to her last class of the day.
"Listen, I'm sorry about the other day okay? I was just pissed off." Kai's voice was sincere and Dawn looked down at her pink and white running shoes.
"It's okay Kai." Dawn turned and started to walk towards her locker when he grabbed her arm to stop her. He clenched his teeth.
"Whatever Dawn, you don't have to be such a bitch about it." Kai said and Dawn flinched back in retort at the cuss.
"Did you just call my friend a bitch?" It was May, stepping up next to her friend and Dawn pushed the boy's hand off her arm. The boy snapped at the brunette girl.
"I just did, and it seems like you are one too." The green-eyed boy turned on his heel and walked away down the hallway, away from the girls.
"Dawn are you okay?" May immediately questioned the blunette, she shrugged.
"I'm fine May." Dawn said and looked at the thinning students in the hallway, "We should get to gym so we're not late."
"Okay, but we can chat during gym okay? I heard that we were playing dodge ball again." May said and the girls hurried to the locker room to change for gym.
Dawn looked at May on the other side of the gym, they had picked on different teams so they could not talk, but Dawn jumped when a ball barely missed her arm. Drew grinned at her from May's side of the gym.
She waved at her brother before he threw another ball her way, which she dodged and jogged over to where Ash was on her team. He smiled at her when she came over to help him.
"Take that Gary!" Ash threw a red ball at his friend and laughed when it made a sounding thud against Gary's stomach. The brunette male stomped over to the sidelines to stand out.
Dawn let out a girlish squeal when her brother hit her, glaring at him as she went to stand with the other teammates that were out. She watched as the players were picked off until only her brother and Ash remained on their respective teams.
"Go Ash!" She called and the boy shoot her a grin as he threw a ball at her brother. Drew scuffed as he jumped over it.
"Hey! You're my sister! You're supposed to cheer for me." Drew pointed at her and she stuck out her tongue at her brother. He hit Ash in the chest and won the game for his team.
"Losing team! Two laps around the gym!" Mr. Surge called and the losing team groaned, May waved at her friend and her and her teammates watched the other team circle the outside.
"Race ya!" Ash called as he ran past her, circling the last corner before they were done.
"Ash!" Dawn huffed but broke into a sprint and beat him just before he reached the line. She put her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
"Whoa! I didn't know you were that fast!" May gave her friend a weird look but patted her back. Dawn smirked and then blushed when she noticed that the rest of the class was looking her way with shocked looks.
"I shouldn't have raced you." Ash called from his spot on the gym floor, huffing in defeat.
"Yeah well, too bad." Dawn reached out a hand to pull up the boy, he took it, making her almost tumble over with his stocky form.
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"So he just came over to apologize and then got all pissed off about it?" May's voice sounded through her cell phone and Dawn glanced at her ceiling of her bedroom.
"Yeah he-"Her bedroom door opened and her brother entered, throwing his bag on her floor and crossing his arms. "I'll call you back."
"Tell me why Kai was bad-mouthing you at practice?" Drew sat after Dawn closed her phone on her and May's conversation.
"He came up to me in the hallway after biology today and apologized, I told him it was fine. Then he called me a bitch." Dawn said the curse word hesitantly, she was never one to say curse words.
"Well, he got it from us. He won't bother you again." Drew picked up his bag from the floor and left her room. Dawn pulled out her phone and searched her contacts list until she found the correct one and sent a new message.
What happened at practice with Kai?
-Dawn
She waited for a few minutes and her phone beeped with a new message, she opened it.
Took care of it.
-Paul
"Why will no one answer me?" Dawn rubbed her eyes with her fingers and decided to forget the matter, she would ask her brother after dinner. She went down to the main floor of the house and went to the kitchen, where Rose was cooking dinner.
"Oh hello Dawn! Could you set the table please? Dinner is almost ready." Rose asked and pointed to the plates and silverware that were sitting on the counter. The blunette took them out to the large table, setting the plate and silverware down.
As if on cue, her brother and father came down went the table was set and the family sat down to eat. Dawn looked at her father as he talked to Rose, the thoughts of his questionable affair coming back.
Would her father really cheat?
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