Hey everyone.
So I have to admit that I was a little saddened by the lack of reviews for last chapter. Not that you all are great and everything, but that was probably my favorite chapter to write so far and those who did review were awesome, but I can only assume that if you didn't review you probably didn't enjoy it as much as I did. :/ Oh well, I guess I just wanted to put that out there.
The wonderful reviews I've been getting are what has assured faster updates. Obviously I'm not going to be a dick and say "Give me ten reviews or no chapter!" because that's just a majorly dickish thing to do, but if you want faster updates, reviewing is the best way to get them! I can't promise anything, but it definitely helps.
This chapter is a little longer than usual and we get to interact with everyone (except Wally). I hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter Eleven: One Too Many
May stared at her phone in horror.
To: May
From: Archie
Message Body: Talked to your boss. Go into work for your next shift. It'll be alright.
She quickly typed a rushed response, her fingers trembling as she did so.
To: Archie
From: May
Message Body: ARE YOU CRAZY?! IM NOT WORKING FOR A GANG LEADER AND I'M NOT SELLING DRUGS!
Archie's response came equally as fast.
To: May
From: Archie
Message Body: This is in everybody's best interests. Just trust me, ok?
May didn't bother to respond. It was eight in the morning on Tuesday. Her first class of the day, English Composition I, started in an hour and she was already dressed and ready to go, her schoolbooks packed away in her messenger bag and her subway year-long pass was stuffed into the front pocket of her black jeans. Her shirt was a tight light pink V-neck and she had her coat waiting for her by the door, since a cold front had come in overnight and it was less than fifty degrees outside.
Pulling on her black boots and zipping them up, May stomped out of her apartment and went straight to Archie's. No, she was not going to simply take his word that going to work that day was in any way a good idea. Maxie had tricked her into selling drugs and now she had dirty drug money waiting to be spent, although it was masterfully hidden away in her jewelry box.
She pounded her fist on the door loudly and heard Kyogre scrambling to the door, barking. However, she never heard Archie's lumbering footsteps following after, so she banged on the door again.
After three more tries and at least ten minutes of waiting, May growled in exasperation and dialed Archie's number, tightly clutching her cell phone. It wasn't so much that she felt obligated to listen to him as much as she was surprised at his change of tune. She was pissed off, and rightly so, at his sudden withdrawal of support.
The phone rang three times before it was answered.
"Uhng…hello?"
May's eyes widened in surprise. He had just been texting her a little bit ago and his responses had been coherent enough, so why did it sound like he had just woken up?
"I've been knocking on your door for like twenty minutes now," May exaggerated. "Let me in."
There was the sound of sheets being moved around and then another groan. "Do ya know how long," he yawned, "I stayed up last night," yet another tired groan, "working out a deal for ya?"
May's jaw dropped. "Wait," she screeched. "You actually talked to him? How did you even—what did you—why?"
"God fuckin' dammit you're loud," Archie moaned, his voice muffled by a pillow. "Can't you just leave a guy in peace?"
She felt a little guilty for yelling into the phone, especially since she had woken him up in the first place—had he really got up this early just to text her to go to work and interrupt his sleep on her account? May sighed. "Just…just give me one, just one, good reason why I should keep working for that guy."
Archie sounded a little more awake when he responded. "Because he's a psycho who's threatening violence if you don't."
May blanched, then all but yelled, "That's not a good reason!"
A man walking his dog in the courtyard to let it go to the bathroom looked up at her yelling and May flushed in embarrassment, knowing that she probably looking like a crazy person.
"Jesus Christ!" Archie exclaimed. "Tone it down!"
May frowned. "Can you just let me in? People are giving me weird looks."
"That's 'cause you're screeching like a banshee! Fuck! Look, go into work today and give it a shot. If it doesn't work out, I'll owe you a fucking ice cream or something, okay?"
"Make it dinner at the Red House and you've got yourself a deal."
Archie groaned. He sounded miserable and May felt just a little sorry for him. "Only if it's a date."
She couldn't stop herself from blushing. Swallowing heavily with excited butterflies fluttering in her stomach, she replied, "O-okay, deal."
"Great, fantastic, stupendous. Now let me go back to fuckin' sleep or I'm hanging up on you."
May giggled. She was too excited about her impending date—although she hated the fact that it was only happening because Archie, for some reason, was desperate for her to keep working at the bakery—to take his harsh tone of voice seriously "Sleep well," she said softly.
His only response was a loud snore.
Laughing outright at how obviously tired he was, she hung up the phone and went back to her apartment, preparing for school. She couldn't deny that she had a little bounce in her step on the way to the subway station.
xXx
English passed by without a hitch and May had decided that whether or not she had to go to work that afternoon, she was still going to stay in a good mood. She was terribly excited that her suggestion had led to Archie basically asking her out on a date. She was starting to get used to his gruff exterior and knew that despite his harshness, he was clearly attracted to her. After all, she had just been trying to get some really nice seafood out of the deal—he was the one who had made it a date.
She ran into Steven in the hallway. May was unable to stop herself from staring a little. Her TA was wearing light grey jeans and a black pea coat that looked absolutely fabulous on him, and his hair was a little messier than usual that day. The sexy bed-head combined with his attire was enough to make her drool. However, this acknowledgement didn't take the excitement off her date with Archie. Not only was Steven off-limits because of his status in the school, but she also didn't know him that well. Archie was handsome in his own way and she loved his personality, something she couldn't exactly say about Steven because again, she didn't know him that well.
She had almost passed Steven by when he suddenly caught her eye and approached her.
"Oh, hello May," he said, greeting her cordially. May's heart stopped and she was suddenly unsure of how to greet him. However, Steven easily passed over her deer-in-the-headlights look and smiled. "How's homework coming along?"
May cleared her throat and grinned at him. "Oh, it's fine. Geology is actually a lot more interesting than I initially thought it would be." At this, Steven looked very pleased and smiled warmly at her. She went on, "I haven't been able to come up with any ideas for the project though."
"Don't worry about that," Steven told her. "The project isn't really officially starting until October 2nd, so you have plenty of time. If you need any help, though, just know I'm always here."
She couldn't stop herself from blushing just a little bit. "Thanks so much," she said gratefully. "I did have a question though…"
They talked for a while more about the first chapter of the textbook and Steven was more than willing to help her. However, when the hallway started to get crowded, Steven casually asked her, "There's so much more I can say on the topic of mapping. Would you like to go across the street and get some coffee?" He paused. "Unless you have a class soon…"
May was as red as a tomato now. First Archie, then Steven? She couldn't believe her luck and was thoroughly ecstatic until she remembered that Steven was probably just being friendly. Archie was the one who had shown outright interest and while she was definitely still attracted to Steven, Archie was the one she was really hoping for. Nonetheless, she said, "Oh, my next class isn't for another hour. Are you thinking the Dunkin' Donuts?"
"Yes, it's actually the one where the pre-class meeting was held. It's only about a five minute walk from here and I promise I'll try not to ramble on too long. I tend to get carried away when it comes to geology." Steven laughed a little and May couldn't stop herself from laughing, too. She was trying her best not to beam at him too brightly.
They began to make their way out of the building and across the street. When they sat down and began talking, May realized that Steven was serious when he said he could get carried away. However, he kept the topics interesting and she listened intently, appreciating his passion for the subject. Unfortunately, however, this attentiveness to the conversation led her to be scrambling to gather her things when she realized she only had three minutes until Biology started.
"Oh, god," May said after looking at the clock. "I have to go!"
Steven looked at the clock on the wall, sensing her concern, and then began to apologize profusely. "I'm so sorry, May!" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm sorry for rambling on like that."
"No, no!" she insisted as she quickly grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "It was actually very informative and now I'm pretty sure I'll have an edge on the rest of the class." They smiled at each other before May ending up blushing at how gorgeous his smile made him look. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Of course. Good luck getting to your class!"
May nodded, waved, and then began to run to get to her class on time.
xXx
He realized they had gotten off on the wrong foot, as he had already planned the illicit exchange before truly getting to test her mind. He had sent her on the run anyways simply because it had to be done and it was a way to ensure her loyalty. However, he had underestimated his rival's charisma as well as May's strong will. Cassie had told him she was living near Archie, although he had not realized how close the two were. Truth be told, Maxie did not care until the moment he had truly sat down and talked with her. After sending her on the run and seeing her reaction to it, it had become quite clear that May had not taken it as well as he would have hoped. Archie's interference was less than preferable, but the deal they had struck benefited him more so than Archie. May's first reaction after the exchange was to flee from her job and Archie's interference actually gave him an upper hand in the venture; if Archie hadn't been concerned for the girl's safety, May would have been able to leave the job without penalty.
Maxie wouldn't have harmed her, despite what Archie had thought, because May had too much potential to be harmed over something petty like a drug exchange. As far as letting her escape completely, he had not come up with a suitable plan of action, although he would have in time. Now, however, he didn't have to, because May was currently walking in the door, her expression similar to a timid doe.
When she saw him, her eyes widened momentarily in panic before she nodded at him jerkily and went to the staff's break room, presumably to change. Cassie was in the kitchen, putting in the last batch of cookies and muffins for the day, and Tim was working the cash register, watching his boss nervously.
Maxie smirked inwardly. He did love to make little mice tremble with fear, especially when those mice were next to useless.
He waited for a few moments longer before leaving the front of the bakery and going back towards his office. Just as he had planned it, May came out of the break room as he was passing by. She looked terrified and the look didn't suit her, he thought. He had planned to have this conversation with her anyways, but it certainly was a motivator that he didn't want her to be afraid of him. Not when they could achieve so much together.
"May," he said, pausing in his walking. She flinched and turned to him, visibly swallowing. "Come with me to my office."
She looked distinctly like a deer in the headlights. He didn't know what flashed through that beautiful mind of hers, but it seemed to steel her resolve and she nodded. He began to walk and she followed obediently, although she lagged behind considerably with her reluctance.
Internally, Maxie sighed. It seemed May was going to make salvaging the situation more difficult than it needed to be.
xXx
May used her impending date with Archie as way to keep her resolve strong. It was obvious that things needed to be worked out, and she absolutely would not sell drugs just for a possibly one-of date, but Archie had told her to trust him and so she would take that chance. As far as she knew, Archie had never been dishonest with her, so there was no reason not to trust him.
She followed Maxie into his office and took a seat when he motioned to the chair. He sat down as well and looked at her calmly for a moment, as if trying to read her. May sat as still as she could and watched him back warily.
When he spoke, it surprised her. "I apologize for my oversight in sending you off last night."
May tried to keep her expression straight, but she couldn't help the slight widening of her eyes. Did that mean she wouldn't have to become a drug dealer to keep her job?
"I do feel compelled to inform you that keeping the exchange to yourself is truly in everyone's best interests," Maxie went on. "However, you will not be expected to continue dealing unless you are doing it of your own volition."
"No, thank you," May said quietly, averting her eyes. She felt a little better now that she had been apologized to.
"I understand that you are not particularly keen on continuing work here," Maxie said. May looked back up at him and frowned a little, confused as to why that would even be in question. She knew, although Maxie did not, that she was only here today on Archie's behest. Otherwise, she would have terminated her employment first thing that morning. "Unfortunately, I've taken a liking to…your work ethic and would appreciate if you would stay."
May nodded, acknowledging what he was saying but not giving confirmation nor dismissal of the idea.
"That is why I will be raising your hourly wages to ten dollars an hour should you choose to stay."
Her eyes widened almost comically. Ten dollars an hour was outrageous for the minimum-wage work she was doing. Was she really so important that Maxie would give her a raise just because he wanted to her stay at the bakery?
Then again, it was probably extra insurance that she didn't go talking to the police.
However, May had learned her lesson after the coerced drug deal. She wasn't going to go jumping at the prospect of more money just because it was available. She needed to ask questions and think it over.
"So I suppose that means my duties will be increased as well?" she asked.
"To a degree," Maxie agreed. He clasped his hand together on his lap and leaned back in his office chair. "It would be best if you did not mention this to your coworkers, though."
May mulled this over for a moment. "And what would my new responsibilities include?"
Maxie replied easily. "You will stop learning recipes and will be more involved with administrative duties, such as file organization and more secretarial work. I have not had an assistant in a long time and I believe that it would justify your increase in wages."
There didn't seem to be anything wrong with that. She didn't mind working the cash register and baking the sweet breads that were sold throughout the day, but this was an opportunity to learn a new skill that would actually be useful for further job opportunities.
"I need to think about it," she said in response. Basically, she needed to talk to Archie about it in case there was anything she was missing. He seemed like the kind of person who would find loopholes in Maxie's offer. "I'll get back to you by tomorrow at the latest."
Maxie did not seem overly pleased, but he nodded with a semblance of pleasantness. "Very well. As for working today, you're not needed until you have made your decision." He took out a small sheaf of paper and scribbled something down on it. "This is my personal line. I would appreciate it if you would call me there to inform me of your decision."
"Okay," May said, tucking the sheaf of paper into her pocket. "I definitely will."
"Good. Dismissed."
She slowly stood and then left the office, letting the door close quietly. She had to change back into her old clothes already, which was kind of a drag, but she did so without complaint.
Cassie passed her on her way out of the break room. "Hey! I thought you were on the schedule today?" she asked cheerily.
May quickly improved a response. "I had a lot of homework, so I talked to Maxie and he said make sure I kept up with my studies above all else." She held her breath as she wondered if that was an accurate depiction of her boss's priorities.
"Oh, yeah," Cassie laughed. May sighed in relief. "The boss is a stickler for education. Kinda sucks that you have so much homework this early on, though, eh?"
"Definitely," May agreed. She slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and began to leave, waving as she left. "See you around! I have to get home so I can start putting a dent in this."
Cassie laughed and waved back. May quickly made her way to the subway station, passing a nervous-looking Tim—but then again, when didn't he look nervous?—and began to wait for next train to arrive. As she waited, she texted Archie.
To: Archie
From: May
Message Body: I went to work. He offered me a raise and I guess a promotion, too. I'm still not sure if I'm going to stay or not, though. I don't want to be tricked again.
After the train pulled into the station and May had seated herself, Archie's reply came. She stared at it with a frown, uncertain as to how he could be so sure of himself.
To: May
From: Archie
Message Body: He isn't tricking you. Makes sense you'd be worried, but don't. Seriously, just give it a shot, unless you want to be stuck looking for another job.
Then again, he had a point. Job pickings would be slim at this point and Harvard wasn't going to happen or staying happening if she didn't have a job.
She got off the subway and went back to her apartment. She texted Archie back, giving him a rather noncommittal answer, and then decided to actually start in on her homework. She did actually have some, although not the enormous workload that she had implied.
With a sigh, May made canned ravioli and then got to work on her introductory essay for English.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, I'm deeply sorry for not updating Saturday. I just couldn't get the inspiration to come. However, I hope I made up for it with a slightly longer-than-usual chapter. :)
Review time! Everyone who reviewed last chapter gets an extra-special thank you!
Ninten-Fan143, Princess Mononoke503, Guest 1, Pikas x2 (you're awesome!), Felicity Dream, Skyblu7, becksterRES, loli-bele, bambam411, L van Am, Senom299, the cerulean samurott, Truce Ichiro x2 (you're fantastic!), Kassanta, Guest 2, EnigmaUniverse, Alex T. Wallman, MizukixTsukiyomi, Smiling Loki, and Akatsupure. Thanks guys!
First of all, there were a lot of you who liked cougar!Groudon. I thought it was a pretty awesome touch myself. To be more specific, Groudon is an Eastern cougar and they have reddish-tan coloring - a little like pokemon!Groudon. So yeah. You guys should look up a picture sometime. ;)
Felicity Dream - I think I told you this already, but the fanart you sent me of Maxie/May and Archie/May really got this chapter to the finish line. HOT FANART FTW!
Pikas - I plan to have everyone show up at some point or another, whether or not their role in the AU has anything to do with their role in the games. I don't really want to add too many OC characters if they're going to be integral parts of the story. The AU aspect and the fact that most of Team Aqua/Magma are grunts, it's necessary for me to add names for them, but they're still considered Grunts as far as the games go. Otherwise, I don't plan to have any completely OC characters.
L van Am - If couldn't romance them, I'd probably pick Lysandre. He's got some pretty cool ideas for the world, if not a little wacko on the outside. xD
Senom299 - Yes, Google translate is a bitch. And I'm actually not using it for Maxie's insults. I don't have a background in French, but I found some rather credible websites that give legit insults written by people who have either lived in France or actually know French fluently. Hopefully I don't screw it up! Lol
Alex T. Wallman - Thank you! I think so far you're the only one who caught the secret-base reference with Aarune. I did think it was rather clever myself. ;)
MizukixTsukiyomi - My favorite gym leader is definitely Clair from Gen 2. I've always loved her. If there was a gym leader I would actually BE, it would be Clair.
So that's it for review responses and again, THANK YOU to all who reviewed! You're fantastic. :D
Question: Who is your favorite gym leader from the first gen you played?
Thank you to you all and I hope you'll bless me with some awesome reviews!