Chapter 12: The High Road
"I told you I was lost,
In the middle of my life."
-The High Road: Three Days Grace
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It was Saturday, the day of homecoming and Dawn felt herself smiling as soon as May came over so they could get ready. They had two hours before the limo arrived to take them to dinner at 5:00. The group would be meeting at the Hayden's mansion so the limo could pick them up easily.
May's red knee-length dress fit perfectly with a few pieces of tape to help hold it up and Dawn stepped into her heels once May had finished curling her long, blue hair into perfection bringing out the light pink color of her dress. Dawn had straightened the brunette's hair.
A knocked sounded on her door as soon as she put on a shoe and Dawn called for them to enter, her brother let himself in. Her brother was dressed in a white button-up shirt, tucked into black dress pants with a silver tie.
"Aww, you look so pretty." Drew batted his eyelashes at the girls but then straightened out to remain in his 'i-don't-care' stance.
"Everyone is here but Ash and Misty, so we're gone take some pictures before the limo comes." Drew said and Dawn finished putting on her heels to follow May and Drew downstairs, finding Gary and Paul in the living room.
Gary was dressed in purple button-down tucked into his dress slacks and his hair spiked in his usually fashion. He didn't wear a tie and instead left the top few buttons of his shirt untucked.
Paul was dressed in jeans and a form-fitting black t-shirt with his usual black sneakers. Dawn frowned slightly, knowing that it meant he probably wasn't going to the dance.
"You look good Drew's sister." Gary winked and Dawn crossed her arms over her chest as Drew hit the back of the play-boy's head, muttering how the brunette will never learn.
"Little Blue, you aren't so little." Paul said and Dawn blushed as he looked over her dress when he stood beside her. She was up to his nose in her silver heels.
"I'll never be as tall as you Paul." She said and smiled, "Are you going with us?"
"Just dinner, I have to work tonight." Paul frowned and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans, his tone suggested that he didn't want to work that night.
"I'm glad that you're at least coming to dinner with us." Dawn said and he smirked in response.
The door opened and Ash came in the garage door, pulling a familiar ginger-haired girl along with him.
"Sorry we're late!" Ash called and Dawn smiled at how well the two matched. Misty's dress was loose around her legs and strapless, a pretty blue-green that reminded her of the ocean. Ash's tie matched her dress wonderfully.
"I'll go get Mom so then we can take pictures." Drew went to walk towards the hallway but Rose was already walking towards them with a camera in hand.
"I heard Ash come in, we only have a few minutes so let's go!" Rose ordered and put the group into various groups for the pictures. Dawn and her brother of course had their own picture and Dawn found herself matching her brother's height in her heels.
After one last group picture the limo had arrived and the group hurried out to the front of the house. They piled in with the exception of Paul, since he would have to drive separate because he had to leave for work.
Dawn found herself between Misty and May at dinner, sitting across from Paul at the long table the group took up in the middle of the restaurant. Dawn found that Misty was rather loud and enjoyed the ginger's company.
"Paul! When are you having that meeting with that scout?" Drew's voice called and Dawn felt herself listening as she took a bite of her pasta.
"In the next couple of weeks." Paul said and pushed his clean plate towards the center of the table, almost knocking hers as it slid. Dawn looked out to see Paul watching her with his dark eyes.
Dinner was fun and entertaining, and they finished their meals and paid the waiter. They filed outside as the limo pulled up to the curb. Paul pat his hand on her brother's shoulder as the limo neared.
"I'll see you later." Paul said and Drew nodded, brushing knuckles with the muscular male at he went in the limo.
"Be careful tonight Blue." Paul said as she approached and Dawn smiled.
"Don't worry, Drew already lectured me." She giggled and Paul smirked in response.
"I'll be careful." She gave him a hug, letting his warm body comfort her as the butterflies fluttered in her stomach. He brushed his thumb across her cheek for a brief moment, she felt his calloused finger on her skin; rough and warm.
"Be good pretty girl." He backed up, leaving her blushing in his wake by the limo. The blunette watched until he got into his truck and started in. She got into the limo with her friends.
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"Boy coming this way." May whispered into her friend's ear as a brunette boy made his way to the table, eyeing the empty chair beside the girls. A familiar ginger girl plopped down before he could.
"What?" The newest girl said and the boy turned on his heel to head to the refreshment table instead. May let out a giggle.
"Hey Misty." Dawn greeted and the ginger girl laid her head on the table, pushing away the empty cups that were in her way.
"Hey Dawn, how come Paul's not here?" Misty asked and the blunette looked down at her phone in her hands for a moment before meeting her eyes.
"He had to work tonight." She said and looked out to the dance floor, seeing Gary out in the middle of a group of girls. She didn't see her brother anywhere.
"That sucks." Misty said and sat up straight in her chair. "He didn't have anything to say to me."
"Paul doesn't really talk to anyone." May said and then giggled. "Except our little friend here."
Dawn immediately blushed and turned away to hide it. Misty let out a loud laugh and slapped her hand on the table. Her reaction got a few of the students to turn their heads towards the table yet they went back to leaning against the wall.
"I see it now, you like him." Misty teased and Dawn pouted, hoping that the ginger would stop. Her phone in her lap vibrate and she opened the message.
"Is it Paul?" May's nose was on her screen as the brunette tried to read the message but Dawn turned off the screen.
"May you always ask that." Dawn stated and May rolled her eyes.
"Because it is Paul." May said and Dawn read the message, smiling before sending a reply.
"Let's go dance." Dawn took the hands of the girls and took them out to the dance floor. She pushed through the crowd and they filled themselves in the middle in their own circle, letting the music throw a cloud over their minds.
A few songs later and Dawn found herself freshening up in the cool bathroom. The music was heard even through the walls but the atmosphere in the bathroom was quiet. Her phone vibrated from the place on the sink.
Are you being careful?
-Paul
Dawn smiled at the text, he may have been at work but he still watched out for her. She sent him a reply.
I'm being very careful in the bathroom.
-Dawn
His reply came quickly and Dawn opened the door to exit the bathroom before she read his message.
That's good, I'm on my break now.
-Paul
Dawn made her way back into the gym where the dance was taking place and sat down on the table she, May, and Misty had been at before by herself and pulled out her phone.
I'm sitting at a table all by myself.
-Dawn
Paul's message came quickly.
Well you shouldn't be, your friends aren't very good dates if they don't keep you company.
-Paul
Dawn giggled a little bit at the text. The music was starting to give her a headache.
I guess I don't have a good date then.
-Dawn
His reply came after a moment and she blushed even though no one could see her.
I wouldn't have left you by yourself.
-Paul
Dawn smiled at his break in character. She wondered what it would have been like if Paul had asked her.
She wondered when they would stop chasing each other in circles.
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"Sister! Wake up!" She squealed as her brother's weight bounced her on her bed. He had at least warned her a little before jumping on her this time. She looked at him and saw he was wearing shorts and a long-sleeved shirt.
"Drew! What do you want?" She whined and he bounced back up and onto his feet.
"We're going to go for a run, so get up." Drew said and he closed the door behind him when he left. Dawn pulled herself out of bed and went to get ready to go with her brother.
Dressed and with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, Dawn headed downstairs to see her brother waiting at the door with a soccer ball in hand. She snatched the ball and ran out the door as fast as she could.
"Drew! We haven't played together in so long!" She called and kicked the ball towards him in the large space of their back yard. Drew kicked it back and she caught it in-between her feet.
"Are you trying out in the spring?" Drew said and she kicked the soccer ball up unto her knee once before striking it towards him.
"Of course!" Dawn said and they continued to kick the ball back and forth in the yard.
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Monday was a day where the whispers in the hallway were louder than normal. Students talking about who danced with who at homecoming and what happened after the dance. Dawn pushed her way through the crowd to her locker and May went to her locker next to the blunette.
"Stupid history." May carelessly tossed her book into her locker and started finding her things for her second class of the day. Dawn laughed and set her book more gently in her locker.
"All those history dates make my head hurt." Dawn complained and shut her locker. May waved a goodbye and Dawn headed over to her cooking class. She found Gary and Ash already in their kitchen and looking over the recipe for today.
"Hey Dawn." Ash called and handed her an apron from their kitchen. Dawn thanked him and tied it on.
After making their assigned meal Dawn headed to her locker to grab her books for English and then met her brother at his locker so they could walk together like they usually did. He was there, digging through his locker.
"Hey brother." She pushed his head into his locker but he caught himself and grabbed the book he was looking for.
"Sister." He shut his locker and they walked to their A.P. English where a substitute was waiting for them. Dawn took her seat next to Paul yet he didn't look up from his phone. He waited until the teacher called the attention of the class before he put it away.
"Your professor isn't here today so you should get together with your partners and work on your projects." The teacher said and sat at their teacher's desk. Dawn rolled her eyes when Brianna took the empty seat in front of her and the blunette moved her desk closer to Paul's instead.
"Hey." She said and Paul yawned before he spoke.
"Hey, what's up?" He said and held his chin in his hand as he looked at her.
"We're supposed to work on our project." She said and pulled her folder out of her backpack so they could look over their outline.
"Paul." The male looked over when Brianna spoke to him, "How come you didn't come to the dance?"
"Why do you care?" Paul retorted and leaned back to cross his arms over the chest of his jacket. Dawn pretended to look over the papers in her folders so Brianna wouldn't think she was listening.
"Because Ursula wanted to talk to you." The brunette stated as though she was informing him of something he was supposed to know.
"I don't want to talk to her." Paul snapped at the girl, who visibly flinched away from him. "Ever again."
"Well she still wants to talk to you." Brianna said and turned to glare at Dawn before turning back around to work with Drew.
"Girls." Paul muttered and Dawn tried to hide her smile. "What are you smiling about?"
"Nothing." Dawn said and pushed their project outline towards him but he put it under his arm and looked at her instead.
"Why are you smiling?" He questioned and leaned against his desk on his elbow.
"Because I'm happy." She questioned herself and Paul smirked.
"I'm sure you are Blue." Paul's dark eyes glittered and Dawn blushed, unsure of what to say. Paul smirked once again and pulled their project paper from under his arm.
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"It's cold!" Dawn shivered and cover her bare arms with herself as best as she could. She huddled into her brother's side as she walked beside him and put his arm over her.
"I told you to bring a jacket this morning." Drew scolded, but hugged her to his side anyways. Dawn snuggled into him.
"But it wasn't that cold this morning!" Dawn explained and once her brother's car was in sight he ran for the doors in order to get out of the cold breeze. He unlocked it and came inside the driver's door, throwing his bag in the back.
"You are such a wimp." He said yet turned the heat on full blast for her and she sighed in relief. The blunette put her hands directly on the vents. A text from her phone came when Drew turned out of the parking lot and headed towards home.
Where's the sweatshirt you stole from me?
-Paul
Dawn rolled her eyes, she felt warm now in the safety of her brother's car.
It's at home, and I didn't steal it. You gave it to mine.
-Dawn
His reply came when her brother was at the stoplights drumming on the steering wheel to the song on the radio.
If you are going to steal it at least use it.
-Paul
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Dawn sat in her room on her bed watching a show on the TV when her phone rang. She got up, pulling the sleeves back on Paul's hooded sweatshirt to reveal her fingers. She answered her phone.
"Hey girl!" May's voice came and Dawn smiled.
"Hey May what's up?" Dawn said and took a seat in her desk chair and brushed some lint of the borrowed sweatshirt.
"I was just wondering if we could do a girl's night this Friday after the game." May said and Dawn's eyes brightened.
"That would be great!" Dawn said in return, "We could invite Misty, she seems nice."
"I was going to say that!" May whined and then went back to her normal attitude, "We could ask her tomorrow, but it's already Friday."
"I can get her number." Dawn assured the girl. She could get Ash's number from Drew, then get Misty's number.
"Okay, let me know what she says! And your house?" May suggested and Dawn nodded, looking around her room at her school things thrown around the room.
"Yeah sure, I'll text you later." Dawn said and the two said goodbye. Dawn took her phone and walked from her room to her brother's room down the hall. She knocked on the door.
"Yeah?" A shout came through the door and she opened it to find Drew and Ash playing a game on the game system. She smiled at the sight of Ash.
"Hey Ash? Can I have Misty's number?" Dawn asked and the raven-haired boy started digging into his pocket to pull out his phone.
"Yeah sure, why do you need it?" The boy asked yet started to open his phone to search through his contacts.
"I was going to invite her to hang out with me and May tomorrow." Dawn said and Ash told her the correct number and Dawn thanked him. She sat on the unoccupied part of the bed and watched the boys play their game.
Hey Misty! This is Dawn, I got your number from Ash.
-Dawn
The reply came after a few moments.
Hey Dawn! What's up?
-Misty
I was wondering if you were free Friday night after the game? I wanted to invite you to hang out with May and I.
-Dawn
Dawn texted her newest friend and then relayed the messages to May. She was happy to have another girl to talk too.
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"Yay! We won again!" Dawn shouted and jumped up and down. May groaned as the blanket fell from her shoulders because of the blunette's activity.
"I'm glad you're excited Dawn." May grumbled and picked up the blanket, folding it into her arms.
"Did I miss anything?" Misty's voice came and May shook her head. The ginger had went to use the bathroom and the three now waited by the ropes that bordered the field.
Dawn went under the ropes as soon as the football players started to walk back. Their meeting was done and students or parents were allowed on the field. The blunette hurried out to see her friends.
"Ash!" Misty squealed as the stocky raven-haired male scooped her up into a hug and Dawn smiled. They were adorable together.
"Sister." Drew's voice came and he crossed his arms and cocked his hip out. Dawn rolled her eyes and ran into him in a hug.
"Good job. You're my favorite brother."
"I'm your only brother!" He whined but ruffled her hair anyways. She pouted and pushed his arm away. She reached for May's hand and pulled her towards Drew.
"Talk nice!" She said as May blushed, skidding to a stop in front of the green-haired twin. Dawn laughed at the two as they looked in opposite directions.
She stood for a moment until a thick arm wrapped around her shoulders and she felt the weight rest. She smiled and leaned against the body, feeling the protective pads on his torso.
"Great job tonight Paul." She said and he released her from his hold still holding his helmet in his hands.
"I think they think so too." The purple-haired male nodded to the familiar University of Hoenn scouts that were talking to the football coach near the sidelines. Dawn nodded in agreement.
"When are you meeting with them again?" She asked and they walked to catch up with their friends as they made their way of the field.
"In two weekends, I have to drive out to the University." Paul said and she smiled.
"They'll love to have you play for them." She said and he smirked looking to the lights that covered the field.
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"Hi guys!" Dawn smiled and waved the girls further into her room, May made herself comfortable as she had been over many times but Misty looked hesitant, unsure of her surroundings.
"What are we doing tonight?" May yawned as laid down on the blunette's wide bed and Misty set her bag next to Dawn's desk and took a set in the desk chair. Dawn sat on the floor in front of her entertainment system and pulled out a few DVDs.
"I was thinking a movie night?" Dawn asked and both of the girls agreed and put in their opinions on a movie.
"Action!" Misty struck her first into the air and jumped up.
"Romance!" May whined and Dawn rolled her eyes at the argument and pulled out a DVD she knew that they would all agree on.
"Guy saves the girl and the world from aliens?" She asked and the girls nodded in agreement. The short girl placed the disc in the player and let it start.
"Let's go get snacks?" She asked and May was already out the door.
"Can't have a movie without snacks!" The brunette said and Dawn led Misty out into the hallway and down into the kitchen.
"Hey Dawn?" Misty said as they stepped down the carpeted stairs. Dawn looked at the red-head to show that she was listening.
"Thanks for being my friend." Misty said and Dawn smiled.
She supposed she wasn't getting lost too badly, but she didn't know how lost she could get. Dawn could take the high road out and get lost along the way.
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Just a simple filler chapter to show the progress between Dawn and Paul, as well as another couple in the story!
As always, thank you for taking the time to read this!
Please review!
Suggestions welcome!