Note: ARGH. Sorry this is so late; illness + writer's block from heck + my eternal vice, video games were a deadly combo that resulted in this being late. I apologize. For now, though, I hope you'll enjoy the update.
Follow Me
A Pokémon Heart Gold/Soul Silver Story
Chapter Thirty-One
Confusion
Soul felt a dizzying rush wash over, leaving her lightheaded, as her mind whirred and twittered at a rate she could barely comprehend. There he was, the boy she'd been longing to see, the boy who'd abandoned her, standing at the counter, staring at her, a mixture of surprise, concern, and relief on his face. But why? Why was he here? Why had he only just now come looking for her? She'd wanted to see him so badly. Not a single day had passed without him flitting into her mind at least once, but seeing him standing there, awaiting her response, filled her heart with relief...but also anger. She couldn't so easily forget all that he'd said to her, could she? How he'd spurned her and said he could never love her? She couldn't forget all the pain he caused her so easily...could she?
Chocobo's clawed hand touched hers, startling her, and she turned to him. The Pokémon chirped curiously at her, as if to ask why she hesitated. She smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. Turning to Silver and giving him the most ambivalent expression she could muster, Soul took in a breath. "Oh...hi, Silver."
Silver's eyebrows twitched downward, puzzled, and he cleared his throat. "Yeah...hi."
The awkward silence that followed was thick and heavy. Both looked away from the other, Silver rubbing the back of his neck and Soul tucking her bangs behind her ear on one side. The clock on the wall ticked loudly in the stillness.
The nurse at the desk cleared her throat, causing both of them to startle; they'd obviously forgotten her presence. "So, is this a friend of yours, Soul?" the nurse asked politely.
"Ye—"
"No."
Soul's denial cut across Silver's confirmation with icy disdain, and he clenched his jaw as the awkward moment passed.
"Right..." the nurse said, glancing suspiciously between the two. "Well, I'll leave you to talk to your," she made finger quotes, "'not friend.'" Winking at Soul, who only grinned weakly in response, the nurse turned and disappeared into the room behind the front desk.
Alone in silence once more, Silver and Soul avoided eye contact, waiting for the other to make the first advance. Finally, unable to bear the quiet any longer, Soul turned and said, "I have to go check on the stew. If you have something to say, you can come with me to the kitchen." She then disappeared around the corner. Chocobo hesitated, glancing between his master and Silver, before he pursued her.
Swallowing and taking a deep breath through his nostrils, Silver followed suit.
The sounds of pots clanging and running water greeted him before he pushed open the swinging doors to join her in the small kitchen. Everything from the counter tops to the appliances was stainless steel, so it didn't take much effort to make noise anywhere in the room, but Soul seemed to be flourishing and slamming things just so to make the maximum amount of clattering she could, all the while muttering to herself. She plunked another dish into the sink and plunged her hands into the water to wash it. Glancing over her shoulder at him, Soul wiped her brow with her wrist and sighed. "Well then, what do you want?" she asked.
Silver sighed and put his hands in his pockets. "I take it you're still mad at me, then..." he muttered.
"Mad?" she said, freezing in place. "Mad?" she repeated, slamming a pot in the sink and whirling around. "I was mad at you four weeks ago when you gave up and ran me off! Now I'm just...! I'm just..." She hesitated, shoulders quaking. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, and she rubbed furiously at them. Now I'm just confused were the words that remained in her throat, unable to escape. She turned and started washing dishes once more, trying to suppress her sobs into small, jagged inhales.
Unsure of what he should do, Silver took a small step forward, arm outstretched, but then hesitated and withdrew, eyes on the ground. Eyebrows tensing, he closed his eyes and turned away. Never in his life had he been more ashamed of and frustrated with himself. Everything was his fault. What could he possibly say to her to make it okay? Was there even such a thing that could be said? He glanced at the back of her pigtailed head, and his chest grew tight. Straightening, he clenched his fists and took a deep breath.
"Oh, Red!" the nurse said as the teenager ambled into the Center, Pikachu perched in his usual location. "I'm surprised to see you; Soul said you wouldn't be coming back in until closer to dinner."
"Mm, I decided I'd come see if Soul wanted to do a bit of training with me before that," Red said with a bit of a grin.
The nurse gave him a pensive look, and then in a gossipy tone said, "Ohhh, I don't think she'll be too interested. You see," she leaned over the desk a bit, cupping one side of her mouth with her hand, "I think her ex-boyfriend is here."
Red's eyebrows leapt. "Oh really?"
The nurse nodded. "Oh yes. Showed up asking if I'd seen her, and when they made eye contact, it was like the whole room froze. She didn't seem too happy to see him, but when I came back, they'd disappeared into the kitchen with one another." The nurse turned and straightened a pile of documents, more so she'd have something to do with her hands than for the necessity of organizing them. "The more curious side of me wants to go listen at the door, but it would be rude to Ms. Soul. After all, it's none of my business, righ—Red?"
She'd turned to address him but discovered herself alone in the room once more. "Now where do you suppose he...?"
Soul dried her eyes on her sleeve, sniffling. She couldn't let herself fall to pieces like this in front of Silver. She had to stay strong. Silver said some truly horrible things to her, and she couldn't ignore that, despite the fact that her heart raced with rapture every time she looked at him.
Silver took a step forward. "Soul, I wanted to apol—"
"Heyyy, Soul, are you in here?" Red called from the hallway before bursting through the kitchen doors. He stopped abruptly as the two turned to stare at him, Silver with puzzlement and Soul with shock. Red's eyes flickered to Soul's, noting their puffiness, and then he blinked a little, feigning pleasant surprise. "Oh, so here you are. And you have a visitor! Sorry, I didn't know," he lied. He took a step toward Silver and extended his hand. "Name's Red. You a friend of Soul's?"
His face impassive and his body numb, Silver stared slack-jawed at the older boy, as if he couldn't quite decide how to address his presence in the room. Red seemed to take his bewilderment as star-struck awe, because he grinned and chuckled in a practiced tone of humility.
"Ah, you must be thinking, 'Does he mean the Red?'" he said with a grin. "Yes, I am the Red you've undoubtedly heard about." He clapped Silver on the shoulder. "But don't worry—I'm human, just like you." He side-stepped Silver and directed his attention to Soul, whose face was devoid of color and horrified. "Stew smells like it's coming along well," Red said to her, investigating the pot on the stove. He turned to Silver with a bemused expression. "Will you be joining us for dinner, then?"
"No, that's—"
"Oh, come on, it'll be fine," Red said, waving dismissively. "After all, I'm sure there's plenty, right, Soul?" He glanced at Soul, who opened and closed her mouth a few times only to have nothing come out. "Right, it won't be a problem. Say...er, I'm sorry, I didn't get your name..."
"...It's Silver," he said, popping his jaw. The malice in his voice was ridiculously apparent, but Red either didn't notice or ignored it.
"Right, so, Silver, have you checked in for a room yet?"
"No, but I—"
"Well, then, here, I'll take you!" Red said, slapping an arm around his shoulders and guiding him toward the exit. "Let's leave the lady to her cooking, all right?" Before exiting the room, he glanced over his shoulder and winked at Soul, and then he disappeared through the swinging doors with Silver, his ever-devoted Pikachu still perched on his shoulder.
As the doors swished back to a close, Soul stood there, so confused and conflicted that her head throbbed. Sliding against the cabinet, she sunk to the floor to process what had just happened. Silver and Red...the boy she had loved who rejected her, and the boy she felt an ever-growing attraction toward...they were together in the same building. And Silver...Soul knew Silver hated Red already...She put her face in her hands and let out a loud, "Aaaaarrrrrggghhhhh!" This would not end well. She just knew it.
"So, Silver..." Red said as they walked down the hall shoulder-to-shoulder.
"What?" Silver said in a dark tone, not enjoying the closeness in the slightest.
Red glanced over his shoulder to ensure they were no longer in earshot of the kitchen, and then, releasing his grip, he dropped all pretense of charm. "So you're Soul's ex?" he asked, a sudden, dangerous glower in his eyes.
Silver's face pinkened. "Wait...what? No, I'm not her...Why, did she say I was?" The raised inflection in his voice at this question seemed to indicate a certain hopefulness.
Red sighed and scratched his head, ruffling the brunette hair underneath his red cap. "No, but...From the moment I met up with her again, I could tell something was bothering her. She kept hiding it behind a smile, but I could sense something...or someone...was on her mind." His eyes shot to Silver, who swallowed. "So, you're saying you're not her ex, then?"
"No," Silver said, matching Red's glare.
Red's eyebrows twitched a little, studying his opponent. "Good. Then you won't mind if I make a move for her, then." He shoved a hand in his jacket pocket and turned down the hallway, absentmindedly scratching his Pikachu behind the ears out of habit. "Come on, the rooms are this way."
Silver glared at the back of the older boy's head, clenching and unclenching his fists. "...Just who the hell does he think he is...?"
Selected quote from the next chapter:
"Will you come with me?"