A/N: I'M BAAAAACK ;D

Gahh it's a weight off my shoulders to FINALLY post something again :D

I'm back to stay now, but if I don't post something after this then I've had an argument with my dad and he's taken away the internet ¬___¬ bleh! D:

Anyhoo for now continuing from last week's cliffy, we're still in Dawn's POV ;]

Happy reading :)

Saved by the bell. Phew.

I dodged the awkward silence and dived out of the cubicle to the bathroom door.

"This isn't over Dawn!"

"Later May!" I yelled running down the corridor.

I panted my way to I.T. And arrived to see Kenny and Tracey who saved me a computer, next to them.

"Hey.. Is May okay?" Kenny asked as I sat next to him.

I ignored him and logged on to the computer.

Tracey leaned back on his chair to look behind Kenny towards me. "Dawn?"

"Yeah, she's fine. No thanks to you!" I scowled, still looking at the computer screen.

"Hey it's nothing to do with me" Tracey puffed back lowering his chair back down.

Kenny swiveled his chair closer to face me.

"Look, we were only kidding I'm sorry" He said soothingly.

I turned to my right and sighed at his little face.

"I don't think it's me you should be apologizing to."

"Yeah I know I promise when I see May, I'll make it up to her" Kenny smiled.

I smirked back at him and tilted my head, to swivel back to facing the screen. If it were anybody else he'd tell them to buzz off, I'm glad to be Kenny's soft spot.

"Listen Dawn can I ask you some-"

He got cut off by our teacher clapping his hands for attention.

"Alright class if you open Excel and follow the instructions on the sheet Tracey has kindly volunteered to give out."

A startled Tracey looked up confused. "But sir I didn't-"

"Thank you Tracey"

"Aww man" He sighed grabbing the notes from the teacher.

"What were you gonna say Kenny?" I asked opening the programs on the computer.

"Oh, it doesn't matter I'll tell ya later"

I could tell by the tone in his voice it was something important, I was hoping it wasn't anything to do with prom. But I had a feeling it was.

Nothing felt better than to break away from school on a Monday. I waited anxiously out at the front gates for everyone to walk home with. Until some random students ran to me whispering at each other.

"You're Dawn Berlitz right?" A blonde headed senior girl asked.

I got startled when more students started to gather behind the girl.

What the hell is going on..

"Uhh.. Yeah" I was trembling, not from the cold. I felt like I was 'Dawn of the Dead' watching everybody crowd around me.

"SHE'S OVER HERE!" The girl yelled over the crowd.

"Wait, what's going on?" I stuttered. I hated this attention; almost the whole school was swarmed around me. I looked up through my eyelashes to fight back the tears. I was mortified.

Suddenly a path through the crowd was being made, while an army of students strutted their way through it.

Where the hell are the guys I just wanna go home!

"Thanks Cynthia" Urgh. It was Jessie, with her army of skanks.

My knees were knocking together; my palms were trembling at my sides. I wasn't scared of her; I was scared of all the publicity!

"Who do you think you are spreading rumors about me?" Jessie demanded.

I looked around in disbelief, what was she talking about?

"Look, I haven't said ANYTHING about you I've got better things to waste my breath on" I corrected her firmly.

Great, I was stuck here defending myself. Alone.

The crowd closed in on me as Jessie took a few steps forward; we were now face to face.

"DAWN!" A voice shouted from behind the crowd, I recognized it was Kenny, hopefully trying to fight his way through everyone.

Jessie inhaled sharply through her teeth and rolled her lips back. "Nobody and I mean NOBODY, spreads lies about me."

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms.

"Don't you think this is all a bit dramatic, I mean really, even by your standards." I puffed back.

That comment made her snap; she pushed my shoulders violently against a wall of students behind me, who all pushed me back into the circle to let me fall to my knees. I wanted so badly to cry, I hung my head and shut my eyes tight, as I tried to block out the heckles and chants of "Fight!" from the school. Where was my superhero when I needed him?

"Awww poor little Dee Dee is gonna cry" Jessie mocked as she towered herself over me. "Where are all your loser friends to protect you now?"

Screw it. I had to cry, I didn't care about the entire school watching me. All my energy was put into holding back the tears, I was so angry with myself that my energy let me down. I was silent as I watched tiny droplets hitting the concrete below my face.

"Well, are you gonna get up?" She demanded.

I looked up to the blur of faces laughing and pointing at me, they were so loud, I couldn't even think straight. I stumbled to my feet, staring at the vulgar face before me. I expected her to be throwing a punch by now, but she just stood there, smirking.

I wiped the tears from my face and raised a hand to her; before I could even react I felt a strong force pulling me from my waist away from her.

"HEY!" I struggled to break free, if this person didn't let go they would end getting what I wanted to do with Jessie.

"That's enough!" A voice yelled behind me.

I turned to whom it was getting ready to swing for them, it was Kenny.. I held my fist in mid air and froze.

"Okay people shows over you can all go home now" Gary was shooing people away in the background.

"Dawn what the hell just happened!" Kenny was almost screaming at me, I knew he only cared but it was uncalled for.

I broke down before him, gripping his shirt for support.

"What have I done.." I sobbed. I was mortified with myself, I'm not someone for fighting, but what else could I have done?

Every little bit of my inside was whishing it was Ash who was stood here, comforting me. As selfish as that sounds, Kenny being my childhood friend. But I didn't get the goose bumps I felt with Ash like Kenny right now; he promised he would be the superhero to me. I needed Ash to wipe away the troubles with a stroke of my hair; I didn't feel that Kenny did that. After all, Kenny's like the brother I never had.

When everybody finally cleared off I sat with Kenny at the school gates trying to explain everything. Gary and the rest of the group decided to walk on giving us some space.

"But I still don't get why you've changed so much all of a sudden" Kenny gazed at me sympathetically.

"I wouldn't say that" I sighed. "It's just.. coming out of my shell."

He glanced at the floor accepting defeat, and decided not to prod at this any longer.

"We'd better get you home, your Mom's probably freaking out" He laughed, extending his arm out to help me up.

When we got to my house mom was already waiting impatiently at the doorstep, I was trouble alright.

"You'd better go, unless you wanna be sucked up into the war that's about to begin" I sighed.

Kenny giggled and flashed a smile. "I'm used to your mom's 'telling you off routine' by now, I mean it has been 14 years."

I giggled back leaned in to give him a hug, I still didn't get the goose bumps, but I got a warm forever friends bond from it.

"Thanks for what you did Kenny" I mumbled into his shoulder.

"Don't mention it Dee Dee" He whispered. "I'll ya tomorrow trouble maker"

I flinched at his remark and punched his arm playfully. "See ya."

I watched him walk back down the street as I approached my mom at the door. She stood there with a grim expression on her face, arms folded and everything.

"You have A LOT of explaining to do young lady" She beamed at me. "The Principal's been on the phone, he's not happy."

After a good telling off I hung my head as I wandered to my bedroom and threw myself to the bed, like I always did. I told myself I was NOT going to go back to school this week, or maybe never again. I couldn't face that humiliating situation being circled around while more rumors got cooked up to cause eruptions.

I felt like crap for the rest of the week. I hardly slept; the motions flowing through my stomach weren't helping, otherwise better known as dreading every day that I missed of school. Mom kept shouting from the kitchen to move my butt, I was going nowhere. As far as I was concerned I was staying buried in my bed forever, away from everyone's beady eyes and whispering about me.

I stayed in my new habitat all week, refusing every phone call and visit from my friends. The only person who I wanted to see didn't seem to care as far as I knew. My superhero. He was better than any 'Batman' or 'Spiderman', he was my superhero.. Just not my Ash.

Nothing was easier than to think of him every night, but the impossible was to dream about him. I just wanted one dream. To be in his arms overlooking a perfect scene of forever, I thought of a breathtaking picture painted with a night sky and countless stars. To turn the goose bumps I got from him in to a warm fire that burned within my heart for eternity. To just… fill the empty dark hole where that fire needed to be, it didn't matter if I trapped myself in a coma for the rest of my life, as long as he was with me. In my dreams. Forever.

"Dawn, honey?"

It was Friday morning. I pulled the bed sheet over my head as my mom curiously walked in the room.

"Sweetie we need to talk, I think you need some help."

I turned over and slowly pulled the covers from me.

"Help?"

She frowned at the floor, thinking of putting it another way. I knew exactly what she was getting at, that I'm becoming some kind of manic depressant.

"Look mom, I took a week off school it's nothing to worry about" I stated.

She turned her head to the side and sighed.

"But I AM worrying Dawn. You won't tell me why you haven't left your room; you won't see your friends." She paused and held her face in her hands. "I just don't know what to do with you"

She was scaring me. Or maybe I was scaring her. It was no big deal to me, but she doesn't know what was going on inside my head. For all she knew I was off school so I could plan something drastic. If I told her why I didn't wanna go, she WOULD make it a big deal and make the situation worse. Or was I making it worse by running away and blocking it out?

(Meanwhile… ASH'S POV!)

I stared at the door in English class with slight hope that she'd be late. Dawn; still a no show. Again.

I heard about what happened on Monday and figured that was the reason she didn't wanna see anybody. I felt so guilty I wasn't there to help her, that I was already on my stupid bus on my way home. I made her a promise… Obviously I didn't keep it for very long. I hung my head looking at the seat next to me. Her seat. She probably hates me now.

"You miss her don't you" A polite voice asked from the isle next to me.

I glanced to my left, confused. "Hm?"

The dark skinned senior extended his arm out towards me "Sorry, I'm Brock."

"Oh, hey." I reacted to him with a handshake. "It's Ash"

"I was talking about Dawn if you didn't know" He joked. "You like her huh?" The stranger added with a smile.

"Nothing like that she's… just a friend" I shrugged.

smirked and shook his head to himself. "That's not how I see it"

What was this guy talking about? He doesn't know me at all to make those kind of assumptions. Okay he's right, but it doesn't give him the right!

"Wait, back it up you got it all wrong pal" I corrected defensively.

"Look Ash, was it? I'm just pointing out the obvious, the way you two acted with each other last week stuck out like a sore thumb."

"Listen-" I began.

"Trust me." Brock interrupted. "I've seen it before" With that he smirked at me and got back to his work.

It made me think, if it was so blatant to this guy does everybody else think the same?

At recess we hung out at our usual spot in our usual split groups. The girls hid behind the tree, talking a hundred miles an hour about this prom, turning their heads towards me and the guys now and again.

"Dude, why does Misty keep staring at you?" Gary whispered over to me.

I looked over to her to see what he meant. I caught her eyes in mine, she blushed and looked away quicker than my next breath. Why was she staring at me?

"Hell if I know."

Kenny chuckled lightly, almost getting his soda up his nose. "You should know, she's gotta thing for you, I thought you'd of figured that out by now."

I raised an eyebrow at the 3 teenagers around me, bewildered at what Kenny just said.

"Well this is all news to me..." I started to say.

Tracey went along and laughed trying to get his words out. "Dude even before you came here she wouldn't shut up about you and-"

"Shhh she's coming over!" Gary interrupted.

Misty nervously strolled over and stood between Tracey and Gary.

"Hey Ash, can I talk to you for a second?" She asked sheepishly.

My stomach sank, I didn't like where this was going. However the guys did, their faces turned tomato red trying to hold back the laughing.

"Uhhh sure…" I replied.

I stood up and followed her away from the group, not before looking back at the guys making stupid lover gestures.

"What's up Misty?" I tried to sound enthusiastic.

Her face was bright red as she looked to the floor.

"Don't take this the other way but…" She paused to look up at my face. "Would, would you like to maybe…" I heard the snapping noise her nails made as she fiddled with her fingers eagerly.

Oh great, here it comes.

She shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. "Would you like to go to the prom with me?" She blurted out.

My eyes widened as I exhaled in shock. I had a feeling it was what she'd ask, but I didn't think I'd take it this badly. My back shivered in embarrassment, I felt my face heat up which obviously meant I was turning red. I cringed and sweat dropped at the hopeful look on her face.

"Wow, ummm… Look I'm really flattered Misty but-"

"I don't mean as a date!" She quickly reacted, waving her hands in my face. She knew from my tone I wanted to say no.

"I just thought… Because you don't know the other girls as well as you know me, I wondered maybe you wanted to go as friends?" Her face looked as if she was about to well up, how could I say no to that?

I sighed heavily and forced out a smile. "Sure, why not." I said scratching my head.

I just caught sight of her beaming face before she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Arghh we're gonna have a great time!" She squealed as I struggled for air.

I had just made the biggest mistake of my life. After what the guys just told me about her 'having a thing for me' I was hoping to god it wasn't true, but from that, I think it may just be. Like I said, I was flattered, but there was no way I could look at Misty as a love interest. I couldn't face breaking that news to her and watching someone shatter before me, I'm just too weak for that. I don't even have the guts to fess up and talk to Dawn, never mind confessing my undying love for her. I just defeated the whole object of going to her birthday now, which was to fess up. I couldn't just leave Misty alone at prom while I was torn apart by Dawn's rejection, or if by any chance of a miracle she felt the same way, just rub it in Misty's face.

I watched the 3 grinning Cheshire cats mock me as Misty and I parted ways back to our circles.

Gary decided to take the first chunk of dignity I had. "Don't tell us, she asked you out?" He joked.

"No." I stabbed. "She asked." I paused for a sigh. "She asked me to.." I muffled the last word out looking away.

"What? Common spit it out!" Tracey begged.

"I said SHE ASKED ME TO PROM!" Uh oh. I probably shouldn't have yelled that out. May and Candice turned around to me and gasped in disbelief.

Before crying with tears or laughter. "OH MY GOD YOU DID'NT?!" May bellowed struggling for air, soon after

I was glad to see Misty glare at me the way she used to many years ago, it kinda took me back. But I wasn't looking forward to what was coming after she started to stomp her way over to me.

"Oops?" I started to edge away from her behind the guys for security, trying to sweeten her with a terrified smile.

"ASH. WHAT. THE. HELL?!"

After that everything went black. Which explained the black eye I ended up with shortly after I regained consciousness.

"OW! May watch it!"

"Well keep still then!"

I was sat with May in reception, flinching like a girl as she dabbed my eye with an ice pack.

"I'm really glad Misty asked you." She admitted.

"That would explain the unnecessary laughing when you found out" I said sarcastically. "OW!"

"Oh shush you big baby!" May huffed. "Well when she came back over to us she wouldn't say what you guys talked about, I guess she was embarrassed to admit asking a guy to prom."

"Wow I can't think why, you were so mature and supportive of her." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "OW!"

She shot up from the seat, violently crushing the ice in her palms. "Enough with that tone Mr. or I'll shove this where the sun doesn't shine!"

Geez, it's like Misty and May were twins separated at birth.

May sat back down and began dabbing my brain freezed head again. "So are you still going with her?" She wondered.

This was actually a really great reason not to go with Misty now, so I guess things won't get complicated if I talked to Dawn after all. But Misty's one of my closest friends, I probably deserved that punch, so I wasn't going to let her down because of it.

"Yeah, it's cool, you all know I deserved that punch" I laughed, trying to blink my sore eye.

"Great I'm glad" May smiled. "You'll go great together."

I blushed and faked a smile. "Thanks.. I think."

May leaned back to exam Misty's of art on my right eye. "I guess you're good to go, the swellings gone down at least, I'll go get some band aids."

As she began to leave I remembered her getting upset over some guy she liked, maybe I could help her out instead of mocking the guy like everybody else.

"Uh, May wait a second."

She paused to sit back down beside me. "Hm?"

"Who was that guy everybody was making a douche out of?"

She flinched as I said and automatically looked upset.

"Drew." She sighed, looking towards the floor.

"Why don't you get talking to him? See if maybe you could go to prom..?" I suggested with a hopeful face.

"What's the point" May's mood changed, her eyebrows pushed together as she looked back up at me.

I patted her shoulder with a warming smile. "Hey it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks, don't let people judge you and get in the way of your feelings. Nothing should come between somebody in love."

"Wow, you really are a big girl!" She laughed, punching my arm lightly.

"Hey!" I pouted back playfully.

May paused to stare at me for a second, with a smile on the corner of her mouth.

"You remind me so much of Dawn" She admitted, shaking her head.

My heart sank with glee as she said it; it was the best thing I'd heard somebody say all week. Just the mention of her name sent me crazy, but to be compared to her was something else. May might as well have said me and Dawn were soul mates.

I stared out in front of me and hung my head trying to force back a huge grin.

"Don't worry." May said quickly. "That's a compliment!"

I nodded at her releasing the grin. "I know."

At that point the bell rang for next lesson, I stated to hear loud cheers from students in the corridor on the other side of the wall.

"Thanks May, really" I said, walking over to the door.

"Oh wait!-"

"Don't worry about the band aids I'll sort something out" I reassured her.

"In that case, thanks for the talk Ash." She smiled.

I took one last look at her before entering the junction that was the corridor.

A/N: I must be MAD I TELL YOU.

First Pokeshipping in the previous chapter.. AND NOW PENGUIN AND ADVANCE..ish! D:

At least there's a little something for everyone! xD

I was seriously blank for this chapter, so I hope I'm staying at my expectations and not boring you all! D:

If not, I'll always appreciate criticism, as it's my first fic. I'm gonna need it! ;D

Anyhoo thanks for the support again ;D

Till next time!