[The second part of 62] or [Why does it have a sequel, this is wrong]
Drew analyzed Harley's prime literature in silence, making small breaks from reading the exquisite story only to take meaningful sips from his coffee cup. He crooked his eyebrows in puzzlement after reading the first paragraphs - yet a couple of minutes later his expression remained calm and controlled.
After finishing the document in his hands, he crossed his arms over his chest and announced his opinion to his two Contest partners in an annoyed voice...
"This sucks."
"It doesn't!" Harley cried in an offended tone. "You don't even know how does a good work of fanfiction work... Fandom is too cool for boring kids like you."
"But you fail as a writer..." Drew frowned. "I'm saying even the basics look awful."
"I dare you writing something better," the Cacturne coordinator provoked in a bitter voice, biting the tip of his fingernails. "I bet you can't compose a single paragraph of decent entertaining prose..."
"You do?"
There was a strange silence at that table with three coordinators. Solidad mentally noticed to herself how Drew was either too stressed with Harley's loud behavior or too bothered about his literature challenge - she decided to play the neutral card and raise a magazine from her purse, pretending to be busy and indifferent to the rivalry sparks between her friends.
Drew smirked in a slightly aggressive and proud way. He shrugged, crooked eyebrows and cheeky grin on his face.
"Think about it..." Flipping the tip of his hair, the prodigy boy left the table, leaving Harley, Solidad and the creepy story document behind. "How can you think you're a good writer if you failed to please the only reader you wanted to get attention from?"
Harley groaned, returning his novel scraps back to his arms, huffing and puffing angrily. He hugged his work like a proud and overprotective mother, whispering encouraging words to himself. "Hmpf, that little green twerp! He's just too jealous of my amazing story, that kid cannot understand how hard we worked for this... Poor Harley put his heart and soul just to make his Miss Tent happy― Oh my, what did he say? Wait, no one liked my story?!"
The coordinator suddenly realized how unsuccessful his genderbend story was. "It... It sucks?!... No one likes it?..."
Solidad lowered her magazine and turned her head to her friend. He was so colorless that even few Chansey were looking at him with concern behind the attending counter. "Drew is just trying to play the mean boy... It's not true that no one liked it."
"Oh?" Still as white as a Vanillite, the unlucky writer raised his eyes. "Really?"
Solidad smiled, stealing the last page of the story. "I want to see the Solomon part. Where can I read it?"
Harley stopped suffering and started crying dramatic tears of joy.
"Oh, Sol, oh Sol!... You're my beautiful and perfect goddess, aren't you?"
"Good morning!"
In the next day, May was once again cheerful and radiant. Truth to be told, she was actually curious to see how did Drew react to Harley's extravagant story - but to her surprise, he didn't say a single word about it.
However, something caught her attention: he didn't say a single word about anything else as well. Reading a scribbled notebook in his hands with headphones plugged to his ears, Drew didn't speak to anyone in that morning.
"Drew?" May timidly tried to grab his attention by waving her hands in an expansive manner. "Dreeew..."
He didn't notice his rival - not even for a single second.
"Oh?..." Tilting her head to the side, May crossed her arms over her chest. Curiosity started crawling under her skin. "What's going on—"
"—Drew's a bit busy today." Solidad smiled politely, offering a package of cookies to her brunette friend. "Chocolate chips?"
"Oh, food!" The younger coordinator jumped in happiness. "Thank you, Solidad!..."
"Hmm, this is really good..." She ate the cookie with a satisfied smile, shrugging off her concern for a moment. "Solidad, do you think we should talk to him?"
"I think he's fine," the Top Coordinator answered with a calm voice. "He's just concentrated on his work... You know Drew, right? Must be something important, I suppose."
The two girls watched the boy frown in concentration, checking some attached notes from his mysterious notes and writing them back to the notebook pages.
"Yeah, I think I should leave him alone..." May nodded, walking out the cafeteria with a cheerful mood. "It must be a really complicated appeal project for the next Contest!"
"Good morning!"
Oddly enough, the scene from that strange morning kept repeating day by day. Drew being silent with a pen in his hand, Harley being secretive and spying over his shoulder, Solidad being the only normal person during breakfast time. Still, none of them bothered explaining to May what was going on.
Drew seemed to be really busy working on those papers; apparently, writing and editing whatever he had in hands was his major task during breakfast time.
Petting Squirtle on her lap, May watched her rival with attention eyes. She was dying to figure out what was making Drew so concentrated and quiet in the past days. Perhaps it was more important than a project for the next Contest: was that the secret plan for his Master Appeal in the Grand Festival?
"Drew... What are you scheming this time?"
Sighing out loud, the brunette coordinator lamented her own Skitty curiosity and hugged her water pokemon close to her chest in frustration.
"Squir, squirtle?"
"Yeah, Squirtle... That does bother me, I'm not used to see Drew acting this way..."
Then one week later, she woke up and the morning didn't look like an episode reprise again.
"You can't pour your life into paper mindlessly..." Drew shrugged. "My version looks much better because I made the characters act according to their personality, not to my own selfish desires."
"The end of the chapter is written in which way?" Solidad asked not so innocently. "I found that anticlimactic but quite curious."
The prodigy teenager coordinator delayed his answer for a few seconds, pretending to be busy by reading the menu.
"Are you trying to imply something?" He frowned in annoyance, glaring at his veteran friend. "Harley's characters have nothing to do with real-life people besides similar names and vague general physical descriptions."
"Then you are doing it wrong!" The Cacturne Man protested, putting his hands on his hips in a accusative pose. "My characters ARE close to real-life people! They are perfect mirrored versions of—"
"Purple-haired TOP Coordinator? Check. Ray's lack of a younger sibling and traveling partners? Check. Drew as an annoying flat-chested royal bitch?" Drew furrowed his eyebrows deeper. "Sure, this is totally based on reality... Watch me flipping my dashing ponytail, isn't it beautiful?"
"Did I imply anything?" Solidad smiled, shrugging her shoulders very lightly. "I don't know, I'm just asking as a narrative matter thing..."
"You ARE a tsundere flat-chested royal bitch!" Harley pointed his finger at the green-haired boy. "What else did you want, should I make Hailey stare and describe Drew's juicy b—"
The three coordinators stopped discussing. May appeared walking down the stairs, stretching up her arms and dragging herself around the tables very lazily.
"Waaaah..." She yawned with a relaxed Slowpoke face. "Goood morning! What are you talking about?"
Harley opened his hands and stretched his fingers, gesticulating a quite visual grabbing sign and nodding his head at May's rival.
"Ehhh, you don't need to explain!" She blushed, ready to change the subject to something less embarrassing. "I don't want to know, I don't want to see it!"
Drew smiled with a smug grin on his face. He pushed the little block of papers towards May, arrogant and playful tone in his voice. "Try it now. Much better than the original source."
"What are you talking about?..." May whispered in an incredulous voice, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Original source to what?"
The green-haired boy smirked in victory. His rival tilted her head to the side then stared at the title written in the front page of the mysterious document: "Fated re-encounter: The Secret of the Princess".
"I'm not going to read that," the brunette coordinator stated with a mortified voice. "I had enough with the prototype chapter of this mess."
"This one is different," Drew explained in a calm and mysterious tone. He was obviously hiding something behind his peaceful grin. "You will like it."
"Gimme one reason why should I give it a chance," May rolled her eyes out, already fearing the worst to come. "I'll read it if you give me one single good reason."
The green-haired boy raised a hand and called a waitress. He ordered a jar of orange juice and a generous slice of premium honey cake.
"Sure," the teenager spoke in an arrogant tone, flicking the tip of his hair. "Just one single good reason?"
That cake wasn't anything like other regular treats from the cafeteria. The finest Combee honey, the softest and lightest sponge cake: no wonder it was also the most expensive item on the menu. May's eyes immediately shifted from a skeptical look to an infatuated face.
Drew smiled.
His rival watched the ritual with a pulsing jealousy - her stomach was grumbling and she would never be able to afford such perfect sweet without ruining her monthly expenses' limits.
"I can offer you a sweet treat if you try my story once and give me some feedback about it." Touching the top of the soft cake with his fork, Drew smiled mischievously. "How does that sound?"
The Secret of the Princess
Drew is a young teenager with an awkward problem.
She's a pretty girl, she's a great coordinator, she's young and independent. Carrying five ribbons in her special case, she has everything to compete in the Grand Festival and make a successful career on stage. She's focused, responsible and in love with beautiful pokemon: that's the recipe for a solid success. Her efficiency isn't anything extraordinary - it's a good dose of self-control and dedication. Her ego is probably bigger than a Steelix - but who cares, it doesn't interfere on her career plans.
At all.
Because there is a boy... He's uncoordinated, reckless and dense. He has everything to fail and lose his chance to compete in the Grand Festival. He's incredibly insecure and naïve... He does have a heart of gold with pokemon but he needs more than that to win his last ribbon tonight.
Drew shouldn't be worried about him; his victory shouldn't be a matter of her concern, his failure should be solely his fault and suffering.
However, there is something very strange about Ray's kind and friendly personality that makes her feel very fazed. He is undeniably her favorite torture hobby, however... Recently it bothers her deeply whoever or whatever tortures him without her consent.
Hailey was right. Toying around with people's emotions isn't for anyone. It is not a simple mind skill - it is, surprisingly, a gut skill. After all, sometimes the heart might outsmart the brain and you will get trapped by the oddities of falling in love. Being smart won't help you solve the puzzle of feeling attracted by your clumsy rival.
Ray is a silly dense boy... He's Drew's awkward problem.
~o~o~o~~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Drew sat on the solitaire swing at the mini park behind the Contest Hall. She closed her eyes and let go a long and tired sigh.
Ray had just registered for his last chance to get a ribbon and qualify to compete in Kanto's Grand Festival. Drew hated to admit but she was anxious - she really wanted to compete against her rival in the final competition but there was a risk that everything would end that night.
Why? Why did it make her feel so frustrated? Did she really want Ray to succeed that badly?
The green-haired girl observed a flock of Pidgey crossing the park and immediately heard a familiar cry chasing them.
"Nyaa, nyaa! Nyaaaa!"
A small Skitty followed the startled birds, jumping on the obstacles and wiggling its funny tail. Drew furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance. "That cat..."
~o~o~o~~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"Honey, you can count on me anytime. It's a promise! Just gimme a call, 'kay?"
"A promise?" Ray grinned to himself, holding the PokeNav with his shoulder while scrubbing his Combusken's bright feathers with a small comb. "Thanks, Hailey. You're the best!"
"We should celebrate after you victory! Our victory, tehee... See you later, darling!"
The brunet coordinator from Petalburg city finished the call then jumped in the air as a victory sign. "Yes!
A tiny sigh and a mysterious voice trail behind his back.
"Can't you use your brain at least once?"
The timid boy jumped in the air, surprised with his rival's presence. "A-Ahhh!"
Stuffing his PokeNav inside his bag, the brunet coordinator frowned in an upset face. "Y-You should stop doing that!"
Holding Ray's crazy Skitty in her arms, Drew shrugged and rolled her eyes with pride.
Emerald eyes hid a glimpse of green envy: silly farm boy, trying to impress that fake obnoxious woman - why does he bother giving attention to someone who tried to betray him in the past? "I don't trust that woman, she obviously wants to screw you up and make you lose. Don't fall for that again, airhead."
Ray coughed in tension. Hailey was indeed a manipulative person - yet she was trying to win her redemption by acting nice and helpful. The sexy coordinator did apologize him for all the trouble that happened in the past contests... Besides, she promised him. The boy didn't know how to explain he did trust words of promises. Promises are promises, who would be that low to break their own vows?
Drew refused to accept that grunt as an answer. She kept staring at her rival, eyes freezing him in reprehension.
The autumn breeze danced around the teenagers and blew colorful leaves on them, breaking the silence for a moment. Ray chuckled quietly after noticing a huge red leaf was hanging on Drew's long and silky hair.
"People change, Drew." He sighed, lowering his head in a helpless way. "Hailey can be nice. You should try befriending her too!"
"Whatever." The girl rolled her eyes out again, shaking her head and removing the leaf on the top of her ponytail. "You're too idealistic."
"Well, I'm accepting her help either way. I don't have much choice, you know?" The young teenager smiled sheepishly. "Someone put their hands on my bag earlier in the morning and I can't find my Pokeblock case."
"Geez, you're a mess." Drew immediately opened her purse and offered a small case to Ray. "Then use my Pokeblocks. You owe me this one, farm boy."
She could swear his eyes began to shine like a silly little girl. Smirking in vain, the prodigy coordinator girl flicked her ponytail.
"Ohh Mew!" The brunet teenager clenched his fists in excitement. "For real?! Thanks you very much!"
"I want to crush your face in the Grand Festival," Drew spoke with a fiery smile. "Win this tonight and we will meet again next month at the Indigo Plateau..."
"Get your highest pair of heels because your fall is going to be intense!" Ray's blue eyes exploded in flames. "It's going to be an amazing battle! And..."
"By the way... I don't see why you think people cannot change." He stopped burning then frowned his eyebrows in a soft but curious expression. "You've changed a lot, too."
"Hm?" The green-haired girl blinked in confusion, releasing Skitty from her arms. "Me?"
"Hey, Drew! Is that Ray?"
~o~o~o~~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
A tall and handsome man greeted the two teenagers in the park. Wearing red gloves and a orange jacket, Solomon walked in with majestic steps, looking like a rock star. Drew nodded shortly, welcoming her old friend; Ray opened his mouth in shock, surprised to see a Top Coordinator standing in front of them.
"So... Solomon?!" The coordinator from Petalburg city felt his legs getting glued to the ground. "You're Drew's friend?... Wait, you know me?!""
"You're a famous boy," the young man replied with a friendly voice. "I've heard a lot of good things about you, buddy."
Drew stared at her senior friend with an angry face. He noticed her annoyance and decided to change the subject. "Are you busy tonight? I'm staying in the city this weekend, would you like to watch today's Contest at the Pokemon Center?"
"Ah, Solomon!" Ray grinned, making a victory pose in determination. "Wait for me, I want to battle you in the Grand Festival!"
"Mr Airhead here didn't win all his ribbons yet." Drew crossed her arms. "He's going to compete today. I'll be your company tonight, Sol."
She grabbed her veteran's arm and waved goodbye in a mocking way to her rival. "Good luck, you will need it~"
"Eh?..." Solomon didn't understand what was going on between the two bickering rivals so he just smiled, following his stubborn friend's command. "Good contest, Ray! You're going to rock it, go for it!"
"Thanks, guys!" Ray bowed in an honest gesture, holding the Pokeblock case in his left hand. "You've changed a lot, Drew! I'm telling you..."
Drew turned her face away without answering him back, ears completely flustered.
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"Would like some orange juice? I know it's your favorite drink.
"Oh..." Drew nodded, lowering her voice a little. "Thank you, Sol."
The green-haired frowned, clearly upset with herself: Solomon was a handsome and a true gentleman - why couldn't she like a guy like him?
The two coordinators were watching the final contest exhibitions, studying carefully each participant's composition ideas and skills. Ray made a successful Appeal with Skitty and now his Combusken was fighting a Tentacruel on the last stage.
The underdog of the night fought every battle with accuracy and determination, winning against his opponents one by one with excellence and creativity. That was a real display of Ray's true abilities as a potential coordinator. He wasn't a mere rookie; he was a true threat in the game for the Grand Festival Cup.
Solomon quietly noticed a rose in Drew's anxious hands. The young teenager was really focused on the match, chanting small words he couldn't hear - no one needed to tell him they were prayers for Ray's victory, though.
The veteran coordinator returned with two canned drinks in his hands. He placed the orange juice can in front of his young friend then grinned, watching the short girl with a brotherly and teasing smile.
"Ray is going to be confused if you act like you did outside in the park. He doesn't know you're only a friend, I don't want him to think I'm a competition for your pretty heart."
"Ha-ha. I'm not watching him because I find this funny." The green-haired girl turned her head to Solomon and answered him with a bland voice, "Ray is using my Pokeblocks, I need my case back tomorrow for my secret training. I'm going to win this Grand Festival, mark my words."
"Confidence is good. Gentleness is good. Food is also good." The Top Coordinator closed his eyes in a solemn way. "Men like these things, you know?"
"Hmpf..." The short coordinator huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't misunderstand me, I'm really here just for my Pokeblock case."
"Congratulate him properly for the victory, will you?" Solomon rested his arms on the table, looking at the TV with a radiant smile on his face.
Blue glow light. With a critical Sky Uppercut, Combusken delivered a perfect punch on Tentacruel's face.
"I'm going," the pink-haired man declared, leaving his seat and the extra juice can intact. "See you in the Grand Festival, Drew. Tell Ray I'm waiting for him too at Indigo Plateau, alright?"
"Y-You're not staying?" Drew pouted, trying to hide her uneasiness. "Stay, he will enjoy your reassuring words!..."
"C'mon, I'm your friend!" Solomon laughed, waving goodbye. "I can't stay. Not today, hahaha..."
The judges raised their signs and Allan Meridian raised his arms to the camera, announcing the results from the last battle.
"And the winner is... Coordinator Ray from Petalburg City! Congratulations!"
In a mix of relief and despair, Drew hid her face under the table. She knew he would run to the Pokemon Center as soon as he managed to grab his ribbon and leave the Contest Hall.
It was time to face the awkward problem.
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"I WOOOOON!"
"Sit down," the green-haired girl ordered in a demanding voice. "Now breathe and have some juice."
Ray didn't question his rival's orders. The boy actually wanted to hug and lift the girl in the air - after all, he wanted to celebrate his victory! But then he controlled himself, laughing out loud. Drew was probably eating some sweets with Solomon while watching the Contest on the TV, she obviously didn't want to be touched by a tired and sweaty guy, right?
"Hahahaha, I told you!" He pulled his friend's ponytail in a playful and gentle manner. "See?! Grand Festival, here I come!"
"Oh," Drew muttered with pink blushes forming all over her face. "Yea. Congratulations..."
They brunet from Petalburg City grinned, big and friendly smile as usual. That small gesture sent a jolt of terror in Drew's spine, making her jump on her seat.
"Thank you, Drew!" He put the Pokeblock case on the table then bowed many times to his rival. "These were perfect! I'll perfect my technique and I'll show you I can do better, hahaha..."
"I doubt so." She looked away, forcing an arrogant tone in her voice. "You're still a rookie, farm boy."
He didn't seem to care about her mean critique. Opening the soft drink can, he raised it to the air. "Thank you, Drew! I was really thirsty, haha."
"This is Solomon's," she replied with a cold voice. "You should thank him later in the Grand Festival."
"Cool... Ahh, this is great!" Ray emptied the drink with long and enthusiastic gulps. "But... Aww, does it mean this wasn't yours?"
Drew frowned her eyebrows.
"Damn, I knew I was expecting too much!" The boy chuckled, playing the disappointed kid. "Awww, hahaha..."
She wanted to tell him the truth... "Well, actually..."
The green-haired girl pushed a plate with a big slice of strawberry cake in front of her rival.
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Ray stopped laughing then watched Drew suddenly get extremely quiet.
He stared at the beautiful slice of cake. It was visually stunning and obviously a very expensive treat from the Pokemon Center's patisserie selection.
Resting besides the delicate treat, a dashing red rose.
"Drew..."
Words dissipated from her throat. The proud girl couldn't stare watching her rival get confused and think about the true feeling behind her odd gesture.
"Wow..." Ray blushed a little, getting slightly embarrassed. "This looks great, you didn't need to... Wow, thank you."
Drew accidentally locked her terrified green eyes to Ray's soft blue eyes. His eyes were literally shimmering in happiness, absolutely enchanted by the sweet... Maybe with herself as well?
That was the cutest thing she had ever seem.
She felt like shooting a gun into her head in self-hatred.
"No! NO WAY!" She waved her index finger in the air, shouting in delusion. "I'm just being benevolent because I want to feel superior! I'm—"
"—Then why are you acting so weirdly around me?..." Ray asked innocently, cocking his head to the side. "You really changed, Drew."
She wanted to tell him the truth! "Don't be delusional!..."
"But it's true, I know you weren't like this..." The boy pouted. "I'm not hallucinating, don't underestimate me."
"Sorry, I don't buy it," Drew replied sharply, smirking under her breath. "You don't even have any solid proof that—"
"It's different because now it really makes me feel uncomfortable," Ray declared with a low voice. "You are flirting with me and you want me to not react to that, Drew. What should I do?"
She wanted to tell him the truth!...
"Ugh..."
That's it. Drew didn't want to hide it anymore: she fell head over heels in love with Ray.
She wanted to get closer to him, she wanted to touch and understand him better.
Drew swallowed her pride. "Ray, I..."
She closed her eyes then, very timidly, moved her face forward.
Her first kiss was about to happen... And magic indeed happened at that night because of a slice of cake.
Ray turned his head away to pick up the red rose on the plate and interrupted the intimate moment with a strange question.
"That's not what rivals do, you know that, right?..." He laughed, admiring the flower in his hands. "Hey, is that for Combusken?"
—She didn't want to tell him the truth anymore.
"Damn it, Ray!" Drew hissed in an angry tone, cheeks getting redder, redder and redder. "Why are you so oblivious?!"
She stomped her feet on the ground then hold down herself before doing anything stupid. But Ray's confused and soft smile melted her heart away, making her react without thinking.
"You're my rival..." The frustrated girl cried, biting the tip of her fingernails. "Arrrrgh, you are my rival!"
"Eh... Yes? Huh, why are you so angry about it?"
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May finished the new chapter of Harley's extravagant saga. Before saying anything, she let a long sigh of tension exhale out of her lungs.
"So..." Drew crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you think?"
"It's... Kind of nice? Hahaha, my heart is jumping now!" May squealed, hiding her cheeks behind her warm hands. "I can relate to these characters now, they are much more like-able and funnier than before! Awww..."
"See," Drew pointed out with a smug voice, crossing his arms over his chest. "It is possible to transform a bad mess into a nicer story. You gotta make the characters believable..."
"I like how they look like original characters now." May nodded cheerfully. "They're not mocking versions of ourselves, right? They have their own struggles and personality. I can relate to Girl-Drew as a girl myself, that's kind of cool."
"That's a blasphemy!" Harley stormed out of the table, pulling his hair out of his hat. "No way this is more real or better than my adaptation!... Hmpf, amateurs!"
The two teenagers watched the Cacturne coordinator leave the room yelling and cursing the whole universe. Drew smirked under his breath while May frowned in worry, unsure if she should go after her unstable friend.
"Don't worry, I can get him..." Solidad tried to hold a straight face, hiding her giggling behind her gloved hand. "Take care you two, see you later..."
The green-haired coordinator shrugged. May sighed, organizing the paper block to return it back to her rival.
"I wish I could write too..." She pouted, looking at the script in her hands with a thoughtful face. "Could you please stop being better than me in fine and artsy stuff?"
"No," Drew answered with a wide devilish grin on his face. "It is my duty to remind you everyday how much you need to improve. You're just a rookie, May."
She pouted, inflating her cheeks like a stressed Jigglypuff. "I retreat my comment."
"I just think that you should change that ending..." The brunette tilted her head to the side than stared at the ceiling, pouting thoughtfully. "It was very anticlimactic."
"In what sense?"
May lowered her head back to their table and searched for the problematic page of that bizarre story. Drew emptied his glass of orange juice then raised from his chair, walking closer to his rival to inspect the paragraph she was pointing her finger at.
"Why did Ray dodge that?" May asked in a honestly confused tone. "Girl-Drew was about to kiss him, it was going to be a very romantic scene! They obviously want to jump at each other and make out really badly, right? This scene blew out the ending of this chapter... Did Drew slap Ray after that moment? She would be completely frustrated, that guy was either a big jerk or really stupid!"
"Perhaps it is a mix of both. Ray isn't exactly a genius when the subject in question is love..." The real Drew lowered his head closer to hers, enigmatic look in his emerald eyes. "How do you think he should have reacted to that? Wasn't that girl too forward?"
"Ray is clumsy and insecure, I understand he kind of likes Girl-Drew and he's intimidated by her power and personality... But! I don't think he could be that dense..." May mused, tracing her finger on the top of the problematic paragraphs. "If he's really a sweet guy, he wouldn't deny a peck from his long-time crush, right... That's kind of his personal wish, isn't it?"
"In her place, if you were the girl, you would slap him, right?" Drew observed his rival nod her head frantically. "Okay. Then what would you do if you were Ray?"
May furrowed her eyebrows. "Let Drew kiss him, duh."
"I see..." He followed his rival's index finger with his own, lowering his voice a bit. "Anything else you'd like to add?"
May raised her eyebrows in surprise - Drew, accepting criticism without turning his face away from her? How come?
"Hmm..." The brunette crossed her arms over her chest, thoughtful expression on her face. "Ray's dense and infatuated with Drew, so that boy needs a little push to think about love... I think this kind of character will only figure out his feelings if superior almighty forces help him, you know?"
"Drew gave her crush so many hints, how can someone be so dense? She watches over him all the time, she refuses to let people interrupt their fair-play rivalry! Solomon was obviously talking about romantic stuff, and Drew... She started acting in a gentler way because... Hey, she even bought him... A cake..." May's blue eyes were suddenly really wide opened. "...Oh."
The green-haired coordinator smirked.
"A cake..." The brunette felt her face flustering and burning like fire. "Oh. Y-You... Ahhh?!"
She understood what that was all about.
... A parody?
"Eh..." She tilted her head to the side, still puzzled with her moment of enlightenment. "Wow..."
Drew held up his fork and played with the last slice of the cake, eating it very slowly and making his rival moan in frustration.
"Nooo!" The girl snapped out of her infatuated gaze and cried with horror when the slice of cake was gone from the plate. She didn't notice he ate the whole sweet while she was reading the story. "Drew, you promised me that you would—"
Drew gently brushed May's hair away from her face and touched his lips against hers.
She didn't protest or move away from his kiss - he interpreted that as a positive reception and deepened it, holding her chin up with a gentle push with his hand. She immediately answered it by opening her mouth and placing her hands over his cheeks.
"S-S..."
After a long (and slightly clumsy) kiss, May fell back to her seat, breathless.
"S-Sweet..."
The boy smiled.
"Superior almighty forces, huh?"
He kissed May's pink and burning cheek, making her squeal in a mix of embarrassment and joy.
Leaving the table, Drew teased his rival in a playful tone, pretending to be flicking a non-existent long hair. "Interesting suggestion..."
"Thank you for your lovely review," he finally declared with a satisfied voice. "I accept your critique and I'll see what can be done about these changes..."
Speechless, May buried her face behind the Secret of the Princess.
Drew is a young teenager with an awkward problem. She's in love with her rival, how could that happen?
Ray is her big problem. When is he going to figure out what's going on inside her heart?
~o~o~o~~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
(Well, that's it. Here's the completed dare... So now stay tuned for the news in real world, Harley.
Oh, btw... If you're going to upload this thing online don't forget to credit me for this chapter. You're welcome.)
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A/N (the real one, that one above is Drew's, not mine): Happy early CS day? /confetti
Someone suggested one more chapter of 63 and I tried to make it different from the first chapter... Anyway, it's not a masterpiece but I hope you had fun like I had writing this, lol. Thanks for reading and for the nice (and funny) reviews. Cheers!