Sorry for the late update! Things got busy. But thank you to all of you who reviewed! I really appreciate it when you guys tell me what you're thinking!
We have another clubbing chapter now! After this, there will be a time skip to the sports competition, and then we'll reach the climax of this thing a couple chapters after that and start winding down. I have this all planned out now. We're getting closer to your desired fluffy moments, readers. Much, much closer.
Also, I think I may have referred to Corrine having purple hair a few chapters ago, but it's supposed to be blonde. That's my fault. I'm going to go back and fix that.
I still haven't had any more problems from Critics United. *crosses fingers*
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any song lyrics in the chapter.
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"This is terrible! What am I going to wear!" Dawn cried, throwing clothes out of the drawers wildly. If she'd known they were going clubbing tonight, she would have gone out to buy a new outfit. She'd worn all of the clothes she brought with her at least once, most of them several times, and she felt like repeating an outfit would be some huge fashion screw-up on a night out.
"Does it really matter?" May asked. She was wearing a red short-sleeved hoody that cut off at her midsection with a white t-shirt beneath, and a pair of black leggings with jean shorts over them. It had been unusually cool that day, and now it was almost chilly outside. She was putting on her red Converse shoes.
"Yes it matters!" Dawn said as though it were obvious.
"Let Dawn have her freak out moment. You know how much she loves fashion," Misty said. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a royal blue t-shirt with a neon yellow hoody and white running shoes.
"We're all wearing hoodies. You haven't worn your hoody on this trip, Dawn. I know you brought one with you. Why don't you just wear that?" Leaf suggested. She wore a dark green hoody over a black tank top and ripped jean shorts. She wore black flip flops on her feet. Even though it was cooler outside, she wanted her legs to be bare.
"But it's so... casual," Dawn said in disgust.
"It's cool outside! It would fit the weather, and take care of your fashion crisis!" May pointed out.
"Fiiiiiine," Dawn sighed. She put on a medium pink colored short-sleeve hoody, dark skinny jeans, and a pair of light brown boots.
"You brought boots on a beach vacation?! No wonder your suitcase weighed over the limit," Misty muttered.
"I'm all about being prepared," Dawn said.
"More like insane," Misty whispered to May.
"I heard that!" The girls started giggling and threw pillows at each other. "Stop! You'll mess up my hair and we're already running late!" Dawn squealed.
"It's okay. The guys know we're worth waiting for," May joked.
"Yeah right. They probably left without us already," Leaf said. "Except for Ash. He's probably right outside our door."
"Jeez. Way to talk about my boyfriend like he's my dog or something," Misty said, rolling her eyes. "He's not outside the door. Look." She opened their hotel room door, gesturing out into the hallway. Her eyes grew wide when she saw that Ash was indeed standing right there outside the door. The other girls all laughed.
"Are we leaving now?" Ash asked excitedly. "The other guys all left already, but I stayed and waited for you. You look great by the way, Misty."
Misty turned around and grinned at Leaf. "Why do you always have to be right?"
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Dawn nodded her head to the music. The club wasn't quite so crowded tonight. It seemed a lot more comfortable with everyone dressed in jeans and sweatshirts instead of skirts and dresses. Even though the club was for teenagers, she always felt like she was doing something forbidden when she walked through the doors.
Ash waved to Drew, Gary, and Paul, and they went over to the table they were sitting at and joined them.
"Thanks for waiting for us," Leaf said sarcastically, elbowing Gary as she sat down beside him.
"Ain't nobody got time for that," Gary joked, causing Leaf to smile.
Dawn smiled too. How were they not dating yet? The two of them seemed really happy together when they weren't fighting. It was probably Leaf who wouldn't give in. She'd always been so picky when it came to guys.
She tried not to look across the table at Paul. They'd been avoiding each other ever since the jewelry shop incident. She felt so stupid around him now. It felt embarrassing, knowing that he had used her to do something illegal. She was ashamed that she was technically going along with it. Even though he'd threatened her and given her no choice, she still felt horrible for deciding not to report him to the police. In a small way, he owned her now. That thought made her sick to her stomach.
The song that had been playing ended, and another one started. It was slower, but still upbeat. "Let's dance! Please?" May asked Drew, giving him puppy dog eyes.
"Sure," he said, turning his lips upward in a small smile. Dawn thought about how different May seemed now. Near the end of the past school year, the girl had started acting so much quieter after her break up. But now, Drew seemed to have brought her out of that sadness.
"Come on, Leafy. Let's get out there with them," Gary said, grabbing her arm and leading her out onto the floor. For the first time, Leaf didn't seem reluctant to follow him.
Without even saying anything to each other, Ash and Misty both got up to dance with each other as well, leaving Dawn and Paul alone at the table. The lavender haired boy seemed to suddenly come to life. "I need to talk to you. Now."
"I don't think we have anything to talk about," Dawn said. For the first time in days, she looked up and met his eyes with her own. They were dark and pleading. She'd never seen Paul look so desperate. Oh god. What if he wanted to tell her that they were going to get caught?
"Yes. We do. Come with me." Paul got up and motioned for her to follow. Dawn didn't really want to, but she didn't know what else to do. Making Paul mad wasn't exactly on her To Do List, and if they were going to be getting a visit from the police, she did want to know. He lead her over to a closet that was away from everyone else. He checked to make sure no one was watching, and then he slipped inside.
"You seriously think I'm getting in a closet with you?" Dawn asked. "You're out of your mind."
"Less talking," Paul said, reaching out and grabbing her hoody pocket and pulling her in. He shut the closet door behind her.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Dawn yelled. Paul was making her extremely nervous. Usually when a guy pulls you into a closet, it isn't just to sit and talk.
"Shut up, Troublesome." Paul lit up the screen of his Pokegear so that they would have enough light to see each other. "Listen," he said. "I'm sorry that I made you help me the other day. I'm not... I wasn't thinking. I shouldn't have done that."
So he wanted to apologize. Of course he would only apologize in a closet. If he had a soft side at all, he would want it to be hidden from everyone else. Paul didn't have a soft side, though. He was a cruel, twisted person. Dawn was sure that this was just another technique he was using to keep her quiet about his theft. He must be pretty paranoid about it all.
"No. You shouldn't have," Dawn agreed coldly. "I hate you more than ever now, you know that? You're an arrogant, cold, hateful bast*ard. I feel like such an idiot for believing that there was actually a good person somewhere inside of you."
Paul snorted, but looked slightly curious. "You really believed that?"
"Yeah. I did. I believed in you... but not anymore." They both grew quiet. Paul stared at the ground. He seemed not to know what to say. Dawn just wanted to get away from him. Without a word, Dawn reached for the doorknob and turned it, leaving him all alone.
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"Oops! Sorry!" a voice said snottily. May had been dancing with Drew when someone had bumped into her from behind. She turned to see Abby behind her, grinning evilly. No wonder that bump had felt a bit rough.
"Hey Abby," Drew said, letting go of May. "I'd like to thank you again for saving Dawn. May and I really appreciate it. Your bruise is looking better."
"Is it?" Abby asked, touching a hand to her face. "It still hurts like h*ell." The girl shot a glare at May that was so subtle that Drew didn't even notice it. May gritted her teeth. This girl was so on her hate list. She was glad that she had punched her.
Samantha and Corrine came up behind Abby.
"Hey, Drew. Are you going to be singing again tonight?" Corrine asked. Her voice wasn't flirtatious, but rather it was warm and sophisticated. She didn't seem to fit with the other girls. She didn't wear clothes that her cleavage was falling out of and she didn't act like a sl*ut. She had an eerie way of being flirtatious without actually being flirtatious. It made May's skin crawl.
"Nah. I'm just enjoying myself with my friends tonight," said Drew. May couldn't help but notice the way he looked at her. The girl was pretty. Tonight, she wore a black sweater and white skinny jeans with short black boots. Her blonde hair was woven into a messy side braid.
"That's a shame," she said. "Not many people have expressed the desire to sing tonight. I thought maybe if you sang something it would encourage more people to give it a shot."
"Well, maybe I -"
"I'll sing," May said automatically, cutting Drew off before he could agree to sing.
Corrine stared at her. She was excellent at hiding her feelings. The girl's stare seemed to be normal, but May knew there was anger and annoyance behind it.
May and Drew were suddenly joined by Leaf, Gary, and Dawn. Her friends must have noticed what was happening.
"Maybe your other friends would like to try to sing as well," Corrine said to May. Leaf let out a little snort beside her. She had put a slight bit of emphasis on the word "try."
"Sure," said Dawn, shrugging her shoulders lazily. "None of us girls sang last time, and the audience would probably like to hear some good voices." Abby and Samantha glared at her. They knew what she said was a passive aggressive comment about their performance last time.
"You know what would really generate some excitement for everyone? If we have a little sing off," Corrine said. It was a challenge - one that May was all too willing to accept.
"Between the three of us and the three of you?" Leaf asked.
"Yes," answered Corrine.
"You're on," May said. "Good luck to you. I sincerely hope you all break a leg."
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Well, Corrine was right about one thing, Dawn thought as she stood on the stage. This sing off is generating excitement. Everyone at the club was talking about it. The people down below were whispering and glancing up at them, probably making bets on which group of girls would win. Dawn didn't feel the least bit nervous. All three of them were so angry at the other girls that all they could think about was winning.
Misty and Ash were at the front of the crowd right below the stage. They were both cheering for Dawn, May, and Leaf. Drew and Gary were with them, but they were talking to one another about something. Dawn wasn't sure who's side they were on. Did they even know that this was a fight rather than a friendly competition?
Briefly, Dawn let her mind wander to Paul. He was nowhere to be seen. Good. She didn't need him around to distract her anyways. He seriously thought an apology would make things better. Unbelievable.
Corrine, Abby, and Samantha all came up onto the stage. The six girls had talked about what song they would sing, and had come to an agreement. Both groups looked like they were confident about coming out on top.
The lights in the room dimmed down and two spotlights shined on the stage. Dawn stepped into one and Samantha into another. They would be the ones starting the sing off. The music began playing, and Samantha began to laugh.
"Dance."
Samantha: Back door cracked, we don't need a key
We get in for free, no V.I.P. sleaze,
Drink that Kool-Aid follow my lead,
Now you're one of us, you're coming with me
Dawn: It's time to kill the lights and shut the DJ down
Everyone: (This place's about to)
Dawn: Tonight we're taking over, no one's getting out
Everyone: [x4] This place's about to blow-oh-oh-oh!
Blow-oh-oh-oh
(This place about to)
May: Now what? What? We're taking control
We get what we want
We do what you don't
Dirt and glitter cover the floor
We're pretty and sick
We're young and we're bored
Corrine: It's time to lose your mind and let the crazy out
Everyone: (This place about to)
Corrine: Tonight we're taking names 'cause we don't mess around
Everyone: [x4] This place about to blow-oh-oh-oh!
Blow-oh-oh-oh
Abby: Go, go, go, go insane, go insane
Throw some glitter, make it rain on 'em
Let me see them Hanes, let me, let me see them Hanes
Leaf: Go insane, go insane
Throw some glitter, make it rain on 'em
Let me see them Hanes, let me, let me see them Hanes
We are taking over...
Get used to it ok...
Everyone: [x4] Oh, this place about to blow-oh-oh-oh!
Blow-oh-oh-oh
Everyone: This place about to blow...
The song ended, and everyone in the club was clapping wildly. Corrine smiled, stepping forward with her microphone. "We'll judge based on applause. Cheer as loudly as possible for the group that you think sang better. Who thinks that my group sang the best?"
The audience clapped and cheered loudly. The other girls smirked, sure that they had won.
"And who thinks that the other group sang the best?"
The entire club erupted in wild clapping and cheering. Almost everyone was screaming. The applause was so much louder for Dawn, Leaf, and May than it had been for Corrine, Abby, and Samantha. Dawn high-fived her friends while the other girls glared at them. Down below, Misty and Ash were cheering. Drew and Gary were cheering as well. They had beat those girls' pants off in this sing off!
After the sing off was over, they went back to their other friends. The other girls slinked off to who knows where, probably to start plotting their next move. Dawn was suspicious, but she didn't have time to worry about it because everyone was talking.
"You guys blew the competition out of the sky!" Misty said, high-fiving each one of them.
"Yeah! You guys rocked!" Ash added.
"The other girls were good, but not as good as you," Gary said. Dawn nodded. The other girls actually did sing pretty well, but she and her friends had been in top form tonight. Leaf was smiling at Gary. She was probably feeling pretty pleased to have beaten those other girls and won a genuine complement from Gary.
"What did you think?" May asked Drew. "You guys were great. Corrine has a nice voice, doesn't she?"
Dawn could see the disappointment on May's face. She couldn't believe that Drew liked Corrine's voice better than May's.
Out of the corner of her eye, Dawn saw Paul leaving the club. For a short moment, she felt bad for what she'd said to him, but compared to what he had done to her, she knew it was nothing. He deserved her harsh words. Maybe they would make him think. Maybe they would give him some truth. Maybe they would just somehow help him straighten out his life.
No matter how many maybe's Dawn tried, she didn't feel any peace. She couldn't stop thinking about Paul.
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And done! Sorry the ending to this chapter isn't super spectacular. I tried to come up with a nice little closing, but it didn't work out. However, I think the chapter's content was good. I fooled you all! You were all getting pretty excited when Paul pulled her into the closet, weren't you? Not yet, readers. Not yet.
Please review! Only eight chapters to go! I'll be at camp Sunday through Saturday, so there won't be any update for a while. Sorry. If I can, I'll update this Saturday. No promises though. I'll try. I promise you that I'll try.