CHAPTER TWO- A MEETING WITH FRIENDS
"These pancakes are fantastic!" Cheren exclaimed as we sat at the table. The yellow flowers that he had brought were placed in the center of the table.
"Why thank you Cheren! But, enough about what's been going on here in Nuvema. How's the gym over in Aspertia? You use normal types right?" My mom answered. She was done eating and began to clear the table.
"It's going quite well I'd say!" He chuckled. He crunched on a piece of bacon and began again, "You know the only thing I don't like about being the first gym leader is that I can't use my real team. I love my little normal types, but I have an entirely different team on the side. Hopefully as the years go on I can be a higher level gym leader."
"Well, I'm so glad to hear that you love it!" My mom answered from the sink. "Kids, bring your dishes over." We listened.
"I should go visit my parents for a little while. I'll be back over later, Hilda!" Cheren said after her gave my mom his dishes. He gave me another hug and then strolled out of the house.
"Well, it was so nice to hear from Cheren. It's been so long since I've seen him I almost forgot what he looked like. He's really filling out wouldn't you say?" She giggled like there was some sort of secret.
"I guess Cheren looks well. He does look stronger now that he's a gym leader," I replied and shrugged casually.
"I don't know if that's the reason why," she answered quietly, but never explained.
I spent the day with my mom catching up with her. We did a bit of gardening and we went to the grocery store. She told me how dad was doing and I told her in detail about my trip to Goldenrod City where dad's show was broadcast. We visited with Professor Juniper and went for a nice walk. We had just finished eating dinner when someone knocked on the door.
"I'll bet that's Cheren," my mom called as I strode over the doorway.
I flung the door open widely and I was planning on turning around and heading back over to the sitting area, but Cheren wasn't the only person at the door. Bianca was there too.
"Hilda!" She cried. Her blonde bob shook back and forth. She rushed towards me and threw her arms around me."I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too, Bianca!" I shouted in delight. I looked up at Cheren while Bianca held onto me. He was leaning against the door and smiling coyly. It was like he planned Bianca's arrival.
The four of us sat down and talked. Bianca gushed to us about how great it was to be Professor Juniper's assistant. After a while I asked Bianca to go for walk with me. Cheren went home.
"What's the matter, Hilda? You seemed a little down back there?" She asked when we began to walk around the town.
"You could tell?" I answered with mild shock.
"You're my best friend, Hildy, of course I could tell! So what's going on?"
"It's N. I haven't been able to find him. I've looked as far as Kanto."
"Is it really that important?"
"Yes! I need to know how he is, Bianca! Everything that happened two years ago was a lot to handle... especially on your own."
Bianca stopped walking. "Is that really all it is?" She asked with a skeptical tone.
"I think so."
"Why didn't you want to talk about this in front of Cheren?" She asked and began to walk again.
I cleared my throat. What was the answer to that? Was it because he'd already told me to give up? Or was it because I thought that it might make him jealous that I was still looking for N. "Well, he told me to stop, so I figured that he wouldn't want to hear what I had to say."
"Typical Cheren," she chuckled.
We walked around the small town a few times before returning home. Bianca dropped me off at my door. "It was so good to see you, best friend!"
I walked in the house and talked to my mom for a bit before taking a shower. Then I crawled into my bed and picked up my Xtransceiver. I didn't even have a number for N. I turned the thing on anyways and called Cheren.
"H-Hilda?" He asked. The look on his eyes told me he had been resting.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you Cheren? I didn't think it was that late?"
He smiled at me. His sleepiness already worn off. "Oh, don't worry, Hilda. It's not. I'm just planning on returning to Aspertia City tomorrow. I need to get up early to return to the gym."
I eyed him thoughtfully. My mom was right. He had filled out over the years. "Can I go with you?"
His eyes shot open and a wide smile appeared on his face. "Of course! I'll be over early in the morning!"
"Sounds great," I whispered. "Good night, Cheren."
"Good night, Hilda," he smiled to me.
