So...I think I owe all of you a HUGE apology. Not only did I mention in the last chapter (which I wrote months ago) that I would update more over summer (which I didn't), I didn't even give you guys a proper explanation. I know I don't deserve people still sticking to this story after so long, and thank you so much to you lovely people who are still here after all this time. I have a lot to make up for.

-hides face in shame-

I honestly don't know why I haven't updated. Things have been...weird in my life. Don't know how to exactly put it but school got harder, I'm getting less sleep (I'm starting to think 3 hours of sleep a night is a blessing actually), and I just haven't been feeling all too swell recently.

I know, excuses excuses, what can I do, I'm too chicken to just straight up tell you I was lazy. Which isn't completely true. Stress on completely.

I promise, I will make it up to al of you. And since unfortunately I don't know all of you lovely people personally, my writing will have to suffice. Wow that sounded so egotistical. My writing is nowhere near the level of even qualifying as "guilty pleasure" reading. But hopefully it satisfies you enough to keep waiting for my next chapter and hope that I can slowly develop my writing style further.

That's all I can ask from you guys.

Thank you for putting up with my shit.

Again.

Love you.

-Snow

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters in this story that aren't OCs

"Wait, May."

The boy's sudden voice made her stop in her tracks. The minute she had looked up and seen his face, her mind had gone into overdrive. Her fight or flight response had kicked in and every part of her mind had screamed flight. Running away from her problems was what she did best, so why change now?

But the minute he spoke, it was like her feet had been cemented to the floor. How many years had it been since he had directly addressed her? She had lost count.

She hated it. She hated that even after so many years, his voice alone had that much power over her body. She hated that she couldn't bring herself to just leave the room and avoid conflict, like she should.

May stood awkwardly paused, rigid, and halfway across the room from said boy. She heard him take several deep breaths and then sigh.

"Will you look at me?" He asked softly, as if afraid that she would break.

"I can hear you fine like this." May replied curtly, without a waver in her voice. Her feet stood firmly planted in place and she crossed her bare arms over her stomach, an act of steadying herself so she wouldn't fall over with anxiety. With each passing moment, she found it increasingly hard to not turn around and drink in his expression. It had been so long since she had had a proper look at his face. May was fighting the urge to walk over and run her hand through his hair and just stare into his eyes. She knew that while it would be satisfying it would also kill her inside.

This was precisely why she hadn't wanted to come to the party. She would make sure to kill Dawn two times over for this.

"I know you can, it's just," Drew paused again.

May waited for what seemed like forever before he continued.

"I need to know that you're okay."

May didn't get angry very often. She was very low key to the general public, and prided herself in maintaining a cool and collected composure (minus tripping over the occasional twig and running into street lamps). But the minute the words left the green-haired male's mouth, May's blood started to boil. She struggled to keep the bite out of her words.

"I'm fine." She managed to say calmly even though her posture was more rigid than before and her breaths were progressively getting a little shorter. "And, it's none of your concern really, considering we're pretty much strangers and you have no business in knowing whether I'm 'okay' or not. Stop treating me like a child."

The imaginary clock ticked.

'Wrong words May, wrong words.' May mentally cursed herself. She would have to start chaining her mouth shut at this rate.

Her only hope now was making it out of the room without having to see him or look into his emerald eyes or even having to hear him utter another word.

The tension was starting to build and May could feel it even without facing Drew. She knew anger when it was coming, and if her sensor was still accurate, "calm before the storm" applied well to the situation she was currently in.

She knew Drew well, and that also meant that she knew which buttons to press and when to press them, and that snappy, bitchy side of her had decided to come out at the wrong moment.

"Right. Strangers." Came the strained answer from Drew, through gritted teeth and layers of annoyance.

In a blur of green and khaki, Drew brushed past her and exited the room swiftly. May let out a shaky breath and collapsed onto the floor.

She needed to get out of there.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt for you to talk. At least enough to let me know you're still alive."

Her comment was answered with a noncommittal grunt.

Dawn was slowly going insane. She was starting to question what had possessed her to even call Paul to let her in in the first place. She knew plenty of other people and could've gotten herself in a million other ways. But the minute she had started to think of who to call, the purple haired, stone faced bastard popped up in her mind and didn't leave until she had dialed his stupid number. The first few minutes of the party had gone so well and she was actually enjoying bickering with him, strangely enough, but then the conversation had lulled into silence and the occasional grunt. And she couldn't exactly leave Paul either, because something just kept her there instead of socializing with the hundreds of people in the packed club.

But if she had to suffer one more minute of suffocating silence, Dawn would strangle Paul. Or herself. Whichever was faster.

"Do you want to dance?" Dawn asked, as cheerfully as she could manage. Paul shot her an incredulous look.

"No." His expression was borderline disgusted.

"You're no fun." Dawn pouted, taking another sip of her drink.

Another grunt.

She sunk further into the couch, drowning out the noise surrounding her, and trying to figure out some way to engage the antisocial idiot. Why was she even trying so hard? The blunette was certain that if she looked just a little deeper, her stupid little crush would vanish and everything would go back to order in her life again.

She snuck a glance at Paul and her face heated up slightly.

So maybe it would take a little more than looking.

Dawn quickly finished her first drink and immediately regretted it. Someone had spiked it and she could already feel herself getting slightly tipsy, being a lightweight.

Before she even knew it, words started spilling out of her mouth.

"Fine then, I'll go find someone else to dance with."

Her legs moved her to a random spot on the dance floor in a flash. She started to slowly let herself go, as she always did when dancing.

A smile spread on her face and she moved enthusiastically along with the beat, the crowd's excitement doubling her own energy. She didn't know how, but she eventually found herself pressed against a guy, who was obviously enjoying it. More and more people joined the mass on the floor.

It was fun, not having to dance under everyone's scrutiny for once. Dawn would always love dancing, but she didn't always love the judgement that came with it. When you're a dancer, people watch your every move closely and meticulously pick out every single thing wrong with your routine, from your breathing to the most infinitesimal shift in your posture.

Sometimes, it was enough to make Dawn sick. She wanted to enjoy dancing without having eyes scrutinize her and make her love being on stage less and less.

Specifically two sets of eyes.

Memories threatened to resurface but Dawn forcefully shoved them back into her mind. She was on a dance floor and she was enjoying herself. That was all that mattered. Memories could wait.

Two songs passed. Three. Four. Finally Dawn stopped dancing and returned to her old spot on the couch, slightly breathless, only to find a certain purple-haired teenager missing. She sighed, slightly disappointed.

'Well I tried my best.' She thought to herself, plopping herself down on the couch again, mouth curling into a frown against her will.

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a minute, to rest a little. She had forgotten how much energy it took to dance at a party for several songs in a row.

She heard someone clear their throat, almost too softly to hear.

Dawn opened her eyes, only to have a glass of water shoved in her face. Paul came into focus in the background.

"You're back! I thought you had left." Dawn chirped, surprised. She would never admit it, but it lifted her spirits a little.

For once, he didn't grunt in response.

"Take the water."

"Oh, for me?" Dawn pointed to herself and felt a slow smile spread on her face, "I didn't know you could be so thoughtful."

An amused smirk pulled a little at his face and she was thankful that he finally showed some expression.

"You look really tired. Are you aging fast or something?"

Dawn gasped dramatically and snatched the glass from his outstretched hand.

"Am not." She muttered, taking a large gulp of water. Paul sat beside her again, a little closer than before. Not that she was mentally noting that.

The silence was back, but strangely enough, this time she didn't mind.

Leaf glanced around the club anxiously. For the first time in her life, she felt completely awkward in a party setting.

She had been having a great time with Kyle. Initially, she wasn't even thinking if he was an interesting person or not, as long as Gary got jealous, but then she felt like a lousy person since Kyle seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

Then his mother called him and he had to hurry back home for an emergency. The poor guy looked so distressed, that Leaf had decided not to question it and she just smiled at him reassuringly. At least they had exchanged numbers, so she didn't feel like it had been a one-night stand type of deal to get Gary jealous. Even though part of her still whispered that it was.

Leaf downed another glass of punch and her vision gradually got a little hazier.

Thank her lucky stars that she wasn't a particularly rowdy drunk, or she would've been making a fool of herself by now.

"Leaf." A voice registered in her mind. Great, now she was hearing his voice in her head. Could she get any more insane?

"Leaf!"

Leaf turned around and sure enough, there stood Gary, in all of his glory.

"Oh," she drawled, trying to act bored, "It's just you." She took another tiny sip of her drink.

Gary smirked a little.

"You know you're happy to see me, Leafy."

She knew she was happy to see him, but all that ran through her mind was that her plan hadn't seemed to work. Gary didn't seem the least bit jealous, or even slightly different from before.

It frustrated her. And drunk Leaf plus frustrated Leaf didn't make for a very happy combination.

"You wish." She snorted, grabbing another random glass and downing it.

"You know, you really shouldn't drink anymore of that stuff." Gary eyed the pink drink warily.

His comment went ignored.

"So what is your sexy self doing over here?"

As soon as the words had come out she felt like grabbing them and shoving them back down her throat. Sexy? Did she really call him sexy out loud? If that didn't inflate his already giant head, then she didn't know what would.

Leaf decided never to drink again after that night, especially in Gary's presence. It was beyond risky.

"So you've finally admitted that you think I'm unbearably attractive." Gary's smirk grew even wider. Leaf rolled her eyes.

"I never said that."

"You called me sexy."

"So? I call giraffes sexy."

That earned a laugh from the boy.

"Wow you really are drunk. Are you sure its safe for you to go home like that?"

Leaf's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"I know how to take care of myself, thank you. Unlike someone, I don't let myself get molested by people of the opposite gender."

"I meant Misty. Isn't she your roommate? I figure she isn't the type to vouch for underaged drinking." Gary sat down next to her, ignoring her jab.

Leaf paused. She had completely forgotten.

One or two drinks could have successfully slipped her under the radar but Misty had the nose of a police dog, and Leaf would be busted before entering the parking lot.

"Are you having fun?" Gary asked awkwardly. Apparently he wasn't in top shape either.

"I was, but now that you're here I don't know." Leaf replied saucily, restraining her nervous hands from grabbing another drink.

Gary pouted.

"You're so mean, Leafy."

"Tell me something I don't know." She muttered under her breath.

The night progressed, and Gary and Leaf sat there, bickering.

She was finally starting to relax. She forgot all about Kyle and jealousy and just focused on Gary. As cheesy as he was, he was unbelievably charming, and it didn't take a genius to figure that much out. He had a natural charisma and a semi-positive attitude towards everything that was refreshing to Leaf, since she was cynical and had the charisma of a rat. And she really did think that he was attractive. He was obviously blessed with good genes, from his ruffled auburn hair to his big brown eyes and strong jawline.

But admitting that to anyone, even herself, was something she would never do. Because love was idiotic. It destroyed everything.

She didn't need it.

Part of her stayed strong to that resolve that her feelings for him were nothing short of friendship, but another, larger part of her was disappointed whenever he didn't seem to care.

Leaf started to think that she had imagined that glare earlier when she had walked off with Kyle.

"Gary! Come dance with us!"

Leaf's thoughts were broken by a loud, high pitched voice giggling from Gary's side. She whipped her head around and, to her dismay, she found Gary smirking up at the new addition to their conversation.

"What kind of dancing?" He asked, super suggestively.

In her right mind, Leaf would've kept her thoughts inside. But tears started to well up in her eyes without her even realizing it, and she blamed the drinks for making her so sensitive.

That's the way it always had been with him. And she had a feeling that that's how it always would be.

Leaf stood up quickly and started to walk away, ignoring whatever calls Gary or anyone else made for her.

She needed to find Misty and get out of there.

I'll stop it there for today. Sorry, I know it's pretty short but I need to get this out there so you know I'm not dead.

At least, not completely dead.

A few quick notes:

1. Yes, Gary should be jealous. It doesn't seem like he is, but that factor will come in later. For those of you looking forward to a jealous Gary, it will come, so patience my grasshoppers. Patience.

2. I didn't add any Pokeshipping in this chapter because I'm still working on it, and honestly I'm stuck on what to do so I'd like to spend more time on it.

Ciao,

Snow