Chapter 2: The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

1 week later

"Mayu's here! Mayu's here! Mayu's here!" Morishige told his mom and dad while he was jumping on the furniture. Kumiko and Shoichirio were happy that their son

finally made a friend and just in time for kindergarten too. The energetic boy eagerly answered the door and gave Mayu a big hug while her parents watched them

both. "What are we doing today, Shig?" Mayu asked her new friend. Morishige was confused. "Who's Shig?" "I'm sorry. Your name is so funny sounding so I decided to

call you Shig so I wouldn't ever forget you." she smiled. "Okay." Shig took Mayu to his playroom were two little easels stood with all the paint and paper they'd ever

need. "I like to finger paint! Will you finger paint with me?" Morishige asked her. Mayu nodded her head and stuck her hand into the fresh blue paint. Sakutaro wanted

to do everything Mayu did so he used blue finger paint too. "What are you drawing Shig?" "I'm drawing a kitty! I love kitties!" he told her. "I love them too! They're so

cute and fuzzy." Mayu said. "What are you drawing Mayu?" "I'm drawing a princess like the ones you see on stage or in those cool books." Shig dropped everything he

was doing and observed Mayu's art. "Wow. She's pretty. I want to be like her but be the boy version. What's he called? Oooh, the prince." Sakutaro said. "Hey Shig, I

got a good idea. Let's use our finger paint on the walls. It'll be pretty! Won't our mommies and daddies love it?" Mayu asked, her little green eyes sparkling up. "Wow,

Mayu! You're so smart. You're the bestest friend ever!" he said to her. They grabbed their rainbow of colors and used their little fingers like paintbrushes and the walls

made for a really nice canvas. They both ran out of the playroom chasing each other while using their artistic talent to impress their parents. "Sakutaro Morishige! Why

is there paint on my walls?" Kumiko asked her son, with great irritation. "Aren't the walls pretty?! Me and Mayu thought it would make you happy." Shig smiled.

"Honey, you can't just paint on the walls. We all appreciate the thought, though." "Which one of you started it?" Ken'ichi demanded. "I did it, Mr. Mayu's dad. I told her

it would make everyone happy." Mayu was confused. Why would her new friend take the blame for her idea? "No Shig. I'll tell him." Mayu walked forward explaining, "I

thought it would make you both happy. I'm sorry everyone." Mayu hung her head in shame, the tears staining her eyes, face, and plain pink blouse. Shig could see

how upset she was and he slid his hand into hers so that she would know he was by her side, giving all the support he could. "Don't punish Mayu. I'll take care of the

mess. She doesn't deserve to have her momma and daddy mad at her. She's my best friend." Sakutaro demanded, but saying it in such an asking tone. His innocent

little eyes were getting teary eyed with Mayu's. He didn't want her taken away from him. "Kumiko, Shoichirio, we're sorry about this whole thing." Yukie explained with

touches of shame in her voice. "There's nothing to be upset about. Mayu and Sakutaro weren't doing any harm. They wanted to show us what little Picasso's they

were." Kumiko smiled at her friend. "Let's just have fun the rest of the day, ok everyone?" Mayu and Shig were happy that they weren't in any real trouble. They

played on their Game Boy Colors trading with one another and fascinating over the time traveler Celebi. Shig wasn't able to get it for his Crystal version, but Mayu had

one so she traded it to him so he could at least have it in his Pokedex. Morishige heard a rumor that you could clone Pokemon. He followed the steps and with luck he

got a cloned Celebi. He gave Mayu's back to her but she was still confused about what he had done. "I turned it off just after the period thingy and I got another one

so I could give yours back while I have one of my own. That's a rumor I heard and it turned out to be true! How neat is that?" he shouted. "Wow, that's super cool!

Thanks for giving mine back. That's a really nice thing to do." Mayu said, giving him a bear hug. Morishige's face grew warm and his cheeks had an extra tint of pink in

them from the embrace. "C'mon you two. Let's take a picture so you'll always remember today." Shoichirio told his son and Mayu. Both kids gave off their biggest,

happiest smiles as a photo of their first play date will forever remain in memory. When Mayu and her parents had to go home, Morishige was sad but waved goodbye

as his friend waved back to him. "Honey, don't worry about the mess. I'll take care of it." Kumiko told her son. "I want to help you mommy. I need to be a big boy."

Morishige told his mother. "Well," Shoichirio said leaning down to the little navy haired child who was painted up, "Since you took responsibility and have been such a

good boy for the most part, we'll get you a kitty. How does that sound?" "Thank you daddy!" the little boy said hugging his dad tightly. "Do you think my girlfriend will

like the kitty cat too?" "What do you mean?" Shoichirio asked his son. "Mayu, silly. Mayu's my friend and she's a girl, so that makes her my girlfriend and makes me her

boyfriend." Mom and dad were a little put off by this, but they knew it was all innocent child's play and not the real deal. For Shig, however, it was real, albeit not as

how most would view it, but he didn't care. "Me and Mayu will always be together!" he thought to himself.