EIGHT

Four days. That was how long Serena managed to avoid seeing or talking to Augustine. She distracted herself by going to class, hanging out with Shauna when Calem was busy training ("He trains almost all the time," Shauna had lamented) working on her schoolwork, talking to her mother (who couldn't believe that she had to find out about the date with Augustine through a celebrity blogger) and doing her best to stay out of the limelight since her outburst at Restaurant Le Wow was still a hot item of gossip. People were still either talking about that or the new curfew set by Teleurac: every evening at seven o'clock, it was lights out in office buildings, certain retailers and entertainment venues, and minimal use in restaurants and homes. When this new policy was announced over the Holo Caster, Malva was acting like the world would end that instant unless everyone did their part and used less electricity to power their lives.

Of course, whenever Serena flew back to the city after her evening class on Wednesday, she saw that the lights were still on in Sycamore Laboratories, even though it was seven fifteen. Instead of wondering why Augustine was kept late at work these days, she felt a pang of guilt every time she thought about him. In her mind, what she had said about his attitude towards Lysandre may have been true, but she was extremely insensitive to bring it up. She knew that Lysandre was still a tender topic for Augustine; the two men were childhood friends and were like brothers, united by a passion for Pokemon and science, as well as a tragic accident that killed both their parents. Context didn't matter; any mention of Lysandre in front of Augustine was like cutting open a wound that had just finished healing.

After four days, she still hadn't figured out a good way to apologize, but she was starting to miss him.

Serena checked the time display on her laptop. Six fifty-five PM. From her spot at the kitchen table, she looked around the kitchen as well as the living room, and decided that it wasn't a big deal if the TV, her source of background noise, stayed on past seven o'clock tonight. She was on a roll with organizing her paper and picking out key points to discuss, and was perhaps ready to start the actual writing process.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on her front door. She quickly saved her document and stood up to make her way to the door. Perhaps the powers that be were really strict about the whole electricity conservation thing, she thought.

When she opened the door, though, she found Augustine standing there, looking down at his feet. He was holding a single pink rose in his hand.

"You, uh, hadn't been answering your Holo Caster," he said, still keeping his eyes on his feet but glancing up to her.

"I've been keeping it turned off. You know, to save power and all," said Serena; the truth was that she purposely did not answer his calls.

A few seconds of awkward silence passed.

"Um . . . wanna come in?" Serena asked him as she stepped out of the doorway. Augustine nodded and stepped inside, and she closed the door behind him. No more excuses, she told herself.

"Look, Augustine, what I said the other day – I was out of line. I shouldn't have said that, and I'm really sorry. I just - I felt so ashamed over it, because all these years later I know it still hurts for you to think about him, and . . . uh . . . you probably wanted some space from me or something."

He smiled faintly. "Did you really think that one uncouth comment would ruin three years of good friendship? Or how I feel about you?" he asked, holding the rose out to her. She took it and held it close to her chest, shaking her head as she did.

"Serena, chérie, I know you're stressed out right now. I know I was during my second year of university – then again, I didn't have paparazzi following me everywhere and publishing stories about my supposed nervous breakdown every other day."

"I yell at one guy and everyone thinks I'm losing it," said Serena bitterly. She would have to talk to Alexa about it the following day.

Augustine shrugged. "What you said did hurt, I won't deny that . . . but I don't want you to feel like you've done irreparable damage to our relationship, because you haven't."

Serena relaxed, letting go of some of the tension that had been building up inside her when she saw the sincerity in his face. He raised his arms slightly, nodding his head in a beckon for her to come closer. She closed the distance between them and felt his arms wrap around her as she threw her own around his back, resting her head against his chest, taking in the warmth and closeness of him, as well as the familiar scent of that cologne.

Augustine pulled away, but kept his hands on her shoulders. "Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"No," said Serena.

"Come with me back to my place. I'll cook for you," he offered.

"I'm working on my paper right now," Serena told him.

"Bring that too! Perhaps I can help with it."

After flashing him a smile, Serena dashed back into the kitchen. She filled a glass with some water and put the rose in it, setting it as a centerpiece on her kitchen table. She then powered down her laptop and stashed it, the power cable, and her notes into her computer bag. After throwing the bag's strap over her shoulder, she found her black riding boots on the floor under her coffee table and hastily put them on. Finally, she grabbed her Pokeball belt off the table and fastened it on top of her hips.

Meanwhile, Augustine was paying attention to the television.

"Psyduck Dynasty? Really?" he asked her, almost mockingly.

"They're incompetent, but they make good background noise," said Serena. She grabbed her jacket off the back of the couch, throwing it on over her blue and white high-waisted dress so she wouldn't be too chilly in the autumn evening air. The remote control was lying nearby on the couch; she picked it up and turned off the TV.

After turning off all the lights in her apartment, she and Augustine left and began the walk to his apartment. If the closing of Prism Tower had made Lumiose feel like a darker place, then it felt downright eerie now that many homes and businesses were either dimly lit or completely dark. In addition, only every other street lamp was turned on. Other people who were out used flashlights or the lights from their Holo Casters to illuminate their path. One person had his Minun walk in front of him; the Pokemon was using Flash to create a small bubble of light around itself and its Trainer.

The dark didn't bother Serena, although she was almost startled when she felt Augustine grab her hand. She wriggled her fingers around, helping him interlace his with her own. She then looked up to him, to find that he was looking back at her; the two of them shared small yet warm smiles.

"So . . . how were the last few days for you?" asked Serena, hoping he wouldn't resent her too much for ignoring him that long.

"Tedious, mainly. Mable is the one who runs the Department, and every meeting I had with her was about teaching me to use the energy extractor. At first, watching it electrocute an apple and turn it into a charred and mangled mass was a terrifying kind of fascinating, but after the fortieth apple I practiced with I was hoping to play with some aubergines or grapefruits."

Serena chortled. "So you'll be pulling energy out of fruit?"

"No, that was just to get used to how it works. Teleurac is always in meetings with another committee to brainstorm potential sources for renewable energy." Augustine said. "I just wonder what any of it has to do with Mega Evolution."

"They're telling us to eat less food to ease the burden on farmers and the land, but they're using up fruit like it's nothing?" Serena muttered. More lovely bureaucratic hypocrisy, she thought bitterly.

"I know," said Augustine softly.

A combination of flashlights and bright red sticking out in the night made its way into her peripheral vision. She stopped suddenly, yanking Augustine back to her side as he tried to walk on.

"Look!" she said quietly, pointing to the alley. Augustine turned his head to the alley and saw three Team Flare grunts working together to hoist a large wooden crate into the back of a van.

"Mon Dieu," he gasped. His mouth remained open, lower lip quivering, as he silently watched them. He shook his head, looking over them for something to indicate that they were something else entirely, but there was no denying anything when he saw their belt buckles in the shape of the curved red F.

The grunts finished loading the crate and hopped in the back of the van, shutting the door behind themselves.

"I can't believe it," said Augustine in disbelief. His mouth was hanging open, and his eyes darted between the van and Serena.

Once the van began driving away, Serena let go of his hand and sped off in pursuit. There was no way she would lose them this time.