My head pounded intensely against my skull as I shifted around on my back. Where am I? Opening my eyes I could feel the rush of sunlight sting my sight, I quickly shielded myself from its intruding rays. I somehow managed to end up in the middle of a huge grassy field, and Archie laid on the ground snoring loudly. Yawning I shook my head as I held it with thundering pain. I stood up as fast as my aching body would allow me, and in moments began to wake Archie up as well. It became apparent that we both looked like a huge mess, and were out in the middle of nowhere.
The man rolled awake with a loud grumble of annoyance, but then soon realized he wasn't at home. Leaping to his feet he darted his head around like a frightened cat. Although it only took a few moments for it to finally register, and he calmed himself with a deep sigh of relief. The air seemed very warm as the sun rose against the edge of the earth, and Archie just had nothing to say. He gazed down at me with wide blue eyes, as if he were trying to register why I'm still there. I felt horrible for him, at the same time I just didn't know what to do either.
He spoke out softly, "How exactly did we both get here?"
I blinked a few times, and chuckled, "The power of alcohol."
"I don't ever want to drink again..." Archie murmured under his breath.
"You say that now, and then next week you'll be drinking again" I claimed with a sigh.
The man coughed before rambling, "So... Uhm... Did I?"
"Did you what?" I asked throwing myself back onto the ground.
He didn't bother to continue what he was about today, instead he hovered over me looking down. I gazed up at him as I focused more on the prickling grass below me. Closing my eyes I got back up again to my feet, and stumbled forward.
"I recognize this park, we can walk back from here" I declared as I began to step in the right direction.
Archie lowered his head, "Right, I'll follow..."
The tone in his voice was one of angst, and I wondered what exactly he needed to say. For such a passionate man, who is almost always talking you'd wonder why he doesn't talk much about anything important. He tended to ramble, but from every word he ever muttered he never told about how he really felt. I guess in a lot of ways we were similar on that point, but I instead legitimately convey no feelings even to my own self. My father himself conveyed that trait as well, he always treated me more like a male than a female, and doing anything close to being upset was seen as weakness.
The streets were relatively empty, but by now the sun lingered quite high in the sky. Birds chirped a pleasant song as they fluttered by, and everything seemed just peaceful. However I knew better my the muggy air that stuck to my skin, that it wasn't going to be the best day. I could still taste the backwash of alcohol in my mouth that reminded me of puke, even though I didn't feel nausea. Regardless of being generally well, I still had a difficult time walking as Archie moved slower than usual. The constant empathy that nagged in my head troubled me even worse than the migraine, but I still couldn't bring myself to ask.
Approaching the house I made sure that he remained behind me, and he blankly gazed up at the front doorway. It took a few moments to finally get inside, but when I did the greeting I got seemed far from kind. The moment the door creaked open I saw Giovanni, and Colress giving me the glare of death. The stare itself made me shrink down, and my heart boiled up in my stomach from fear. The two of them approached me, and Archie with two very disappointed stares.
"Every was out looking for the two of you, mostly Britney, but still..." Colress explained before Giovanni could shout.
Giovanni crossed his arms, and opened his mouth to speak, "I really don't even know what to say because it won't even be me who will kill you."
I gulped down a knob of fear, "I just had some problems, it's not Archie's fault I'm delusional."
The scrappy Team Rocket leader gave me a glare of sarcasm, he knew that I was only trying to take the hit from Archie. Although I attempted to slink away Giovanni grabbed me firmly by the arm, and made sure that the Team Aqua leader wasn't going anywhere either. He made sure to look me square in the eyes, and Archie could feel the hostility as well.
"You're going to wait at the table until everyone is here, and both of you are going to explain yourselves. I don't even want to here it, now get out of my face" Giovanni ordered in a strong tone.
The man didn't need to tell us twice, within seconds we bolted over to the table in the kitchen. Colress decided as well to join us, but he remained frustrated. I didn't exactly understand why everyone cared so much, but I'd assume a vast majority were frightened that Vicki, or Ghetsis would kill someone otherwise. I stretched my arms out across the table planting my chin on the cold wooden surface. Yet all eyes continued to remain on me, and I could feel a horrid guilt boiling up from inside. Despite what I thought however, Colress also seemed very concerned, and now turned pale.
"Why did you have to do this? You can talk to anyone if there's a problem, or at least tell someone if you desired to be somewhere! I don't understand your logic" Colress complained rubbing his hands through his hair.
The Team Aqua leader piped up, "I'll be honest with ye' it wasn't her fault at all, I wanted to have some time away from this place, and wasn't thinking straight. I'm truly sorry, Britney only came to help me."
I glared at him, "Don't you even, I chose to go with you because I wanted to, not because I pitied you. You think I don't like you or something?"
"Enough, I don't care whose fault it is! The fact of the matter is that you're in huge trouble, and as far as I'm concerned this is going to cause an explosion of anger. Ghetsis is going to flip out, then that will make you Archie angry, and then Vicki will get involved... Do you have any idea what you've started?"
I lowered my head, and whimpered, "I know you have an excellent point..."
"Heads are going to fly, I'm terrified of what they might do. I'm not the crazy one, but I don't think you truly understand what these men are capable of" Colress continued with fright in his stare, "Britney you remember when Lysandre gave you that medicine it made you live, but now you are at a curse, also how about that mark on your neck, Giovanni with the bear, Cyrus' emotionless tendencies. I'm just a scientist, I didn't sign up for this shit!"
Archie defended himself, "I've never done anything to hurt anyone here!"
"You're not the only one here! Unfortunately for you, you're a product of stupidity, although innocent you're going to get everyone killed! Britney has the potential to be intelligent, so for goodness sake why don't you use it?"
Suddenly the front door burst open, and Colress' words gave me a terrible sense of impending doom. My brain froze completely, and curled itself into a tiny cell where I wouldn't listen, where it hoped to be safe. Lysdanre piled through the door first with horribly tired eyes, and he took a moment to lean against the wall. The girls quickly followed after, all of them gazing deeply into the floor.
Lysandre's voice boomed over the house, "We couldn't find the-"
Stopping his words imedietly he stared over to us sitting openly at the table. The orange haired male's face looked completely expressionless as if his whole body didn't know what to do. N gazed up at him, and then at us with the same expression, and then followed the rest of them. I wanted so badly to hide in a hole, and die, but instead I whimpered hiding my eyes. Archie being very protective laid an arm around me in attempts to comfort me, but it only added to my fear.
Almost imedietly Cyrus left the scene saying, "Nope."
"Where the Hell have you been!" Vicki screamed.
I decided to explain, "We decided it was a good idea to run off in the night, I'm sorry I was really drunk..."
Aidee roamed over along with the others, "Britney you know that really wasn't safe you could have been hurt, and as much as I know Archie was with you, we still care when you disappear all night long."
I glanced at the rest of them crowding around the table, and I observed the frightened express on Colress' face as he waited for something horrible to happen. Lysandre kind of shrugged it off for the most part, but Ghetsis worried me as he remained completely silent clenching his fist. The worst kind of angry, is always the silent kind of rage. N observed Vicki carefully, she seemed very upset, and the other girls remained difficult to read. Michayla obviously did not seem herself, she kept in her thoughts quietly, and seriously. As for Maxie, he didn't know exactly what to do so he lingered behind everyone with a blank expression.
"The important thing is that we're here" Archie attempted to calm the situation.
As if to be the breaking point Ghetsis roared at him, "You run off with my girl, and you think the important thing is that you're both here? I could so much as snap your neck, and you would no longer be a threat! I am done with being patient, I am not to be meddled with!"
"Stop yelling at him!" I screamed back at Ghetsis.
He snarled giving me a glassy stare, "So what you take his side over mine after everything? If you think I'll let him rip away everything I worked for, you'll be mistaken! If you think you love him, that such an imbecile deserves your affections, then perhaps I misjudged who I thought you were!"
Maxie chuckled a tiny bit, "He has a point though."
"Maxie this isn't your battle just shut up!" Vicki growled at him as he leaped back.
N awkwardly stood between both Maxie, and Vicki feeling an enormous sense of hostility. In an attempt to free himself of all the negativity he attempted to slink away, but Vicki snatched the green haired male by the collar holding him back. As for the three of us, Archie, Ghetsis, and I there seemed to be an anxiety in the air. Colress gazed at me with impressed golden eyes, as if he wasn't expecting me to stand up to Ghetsis, or even admired me for it. Ghetsis stared me down with a glare that almost seemed more depressed than enraged, I felt guilty but not enough to show him my sympathies.
"So then what is it then? Are you going to continue acting insane?" Ghetsis asked in a semi-irritated tone.
I let loose something I thought I didn't have, rage, "You're the one who's an insane sociopath! If anything I should be avoiding you because you are a rotten, horrible human being! It's not Archie's fault, and you act like you have the right over peoples lives! Leave him alone! If you have a problem with me, then take it up with me, not him."
The room froze as if an ice storm blew through the entire house. Nobody ever expected something to ever come from me, not even Ghetsis. I had a knack for letting things happen, but bottling things up only stays down for so long. The green haired male's eyes widened, he didn't have a clue what to say back for a few moments, but he quickly regained stature. Archie glanced between me, and Ghetsis with the biggest eyes I've ever seen. He however was obviously holding back a smile, they were both childish loving every time one or the other gained a burn.
"But I'm just as big a psychopath as you are, if not more. I just act like I'm better because I empathize with others around me, but I'm never honest like I should be" I explained lowering my tone, "I do things out of selfishness not caring about how it affects others around me. I'm sincerely sorry for making everyone worry. Now Ghetsis, please leave him alone."
After a moment of silence he replied, "I admire your fearlessness, but that doesn't change how I feel."
"Well said Britney!" Colress complimented as I sat down again.
Michayla shifted awkwardly in her chair, "I just really wish that this didn't have to happen today..."
Ghetsis bit his lip as he stared intently at me, however I couldn't read at all what he was thinking. I only hoped that my outburst didn't upset him, I know that Archie himself seemed in complete glee on the other end. Once the fighting sizzled out Cyrus came to join us, he didn't even bother mentioning anything about what happened. The quietness lingered for a long time after however, which made everything quite worse. I itched to move or do something so I looked to Vicki, Michayla, and Aidee for an answer.
The stubborn Archie yawned in defeat, "I'm honestly beat out from all of this, so I'm gunna take a nap. Later cutie."
As soon as he uttered the pet name Ghetsis snarled at him like a dog. The two were more childish than Archie, and Maxie were in the beginning. However Maxie still made it his goal to annoy Archie in every possible opportunity, that and being a love struck ninny for Vicki who continued to ignore him. She was either very oblivious, or just not interested, but by now I just assumed she had no idea that he liked her. He even piped down from making smart-ass remarks when she told him to, which was very much out of his nature. N on the other hand, just avoided all conflict which appeared to be getting on Vicki's nerves only slightly.
Maxie glared at his rival as he passed by, "Can I speak now..."
"I'm sorry, it's just you were being an ass" Vicki answered to him with both irritated, and playful tones.
"You make asshole sarcastic remarks all the time!" Maxie defended himself with a raised brow.
The young women glared at him, "There's a time, and place for sarcasm. Also it's different when I do it!"
Michayla giggled with sarcasm, "Oh of course it's different!"
"Shut up!" Vicki yelped while blushing.
Aidee looked up at Lysandre, "Since this whole thing is done, want to go play?"
He smiled charmingly at her, "Well of course my dear, we'll be off then."
The two left the room promptly after, and I noticed many of the others seemed itching to leave. Cyrus nudged Michayla to help him out, and she complied although she hesitated gazing back at us. Meanwhile Vicki seemed uncertain, she ran over to hug me for a moment, and then disappeared along with N, and Maxie. Colress seemed a bit stressed however, his hair blonde frazzled unlike usual, and his skin looked pale. He left after confirming that everyone else was leaving, and yet again I was left with Ghetsis.
Not leaving a moment of hesitation he asks, "Would you like to join me in playing the piano?"
"Not sure if I want to" I claimed blatantly.
The green haired male squinted his eyes in frustration, "Please?"
Although it seemed like a strain to say I accepted, "Alright then, but you're going to play what I want to hear."
"If anything I should be the one making demands of you" Ghetsis noted giving me a sharp glare.
"Mhm, and who's the one who flipped out?" I blamed testing him.
His red eyes dug sharp into mine, "What about the one who left in the middle of the night like a mad woman?"
"Okay fine, play what you want" I laughed walking off with a slight discontent.
******
END CHAPTER
Authors Note: Man I have to apologize about all this dialogue! Unless that's what you guys want then you know whatever then heh. I had fun writing this, Maxie is being a dink lmao. I bet everyone was expecting some giant fight, which would have been great too, but I have pllaaaannnsss. I noticed some people are like, I HATE GHETSIS, and I HATE ARCHIE, and I'm just like how do I make everyone happy lol. I'm always open to any ideas as always, and some of them are just absolute genius sometimes lol so if you have one don't be afraid to say.
Cyrus has NOPED out of life, please come back again later.