Hellooooo all you wonderful readers!

Happy New Year - hope 2019 brings great things for you all! One thing it's brought for you is a new chapter, so happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or size!

New Year

Kindergarten

May (5), Dawn (5), Kenny (5), Leona (5)

May was sleepy.

It was going to be midnight soon, marking the start of a new year, and she and her family had come to a nearby park to see the fireworks there. Her little brother, Max, had fallen asleep already, but May had been certain she would be able to keep her eyes open. But the closer they got to midnight, the less sure she became.

She breathed onto the car window and drew pictures in the frost to pass the time. It was much too cold and to wait outside... but maybe the cold could keep her awake.

"Can I go outside?" she asked her parents.

"By yourself?" Her father raised an eyebrow. "In the cold?"

"You can come too, if you want."

Her father seemed reluctant to join her, but her mother said cheerily, "It's all right, Norman. We can let her go by herself and watch her from the window." To May, she said, "Stay near the car where I can see you."

"Okay," said May, opening the door and slipping outside. As the door shut behind her, she shivered, and put on her mittens. Maybe coming outside wasn't such a good idea after all, she thought. Now she just felt sleepy and cold. As she deliberated whether she should go back inside, a nearby voice caught her attention.

"Stop calling me Dee Dee!"

It came from the car parked right in front of hers. Beside it were three kids her age standing outside as well, but they seemed to be having fun together rather than spending their time trying to stay awake. May wished she had her own friends with her to pass the time and keep her awake until the fireworks, but she'd forgotten to ask her parents if she could invite them. So, instead, she occupied herself by nudging snow into a pile with her boot.

Meanwhile, the small group of friends she'd seen were eagerly awaiting the fireworks. At one point, one of the girls - the one with the brown hair - nudged the other girl, a bluenette.

"Hey, Dawn," she said.

The bluenette, Dawn, looked at her. "What is it, Leona?"

"There's another girl over there." She pointed to May. "She looks kinda lonely."

Dawn followed her gaze and frowned when she saw May. She did look like she was all alone, and Dawn knew that that was no fun. "Let's go and say hi," said Dawn. She began heading towards her, a bounce in her step. "Come on, Leona! Come on, Kenny!"

"But we might get in trouble if we go away from the car," said the boy, Kenny.

She only looked back over her shoulder and yelled to her friends, "No need to worry - we'll be back super-quick!"

Kenny and Leona looked at each other. "Yes need to worry," they said in unison.

But Dawn was already well on her way, and there was no stopping her at this point. Besides, it was still really close to the car, so Dawn's mother would be able to continue watching them. They hurried after her.

May was sure her snow pile had enough snow to make a castle, and she was just about to start shaping it into one with her boot when a peppy voice spoke up beside her.

"Hi!"

May looked up. A girl with blue hair and matching eyes was watching her with a big smile on her face.

"My name's Dawn," she said. "What's yours?"

"I'm May," said May. She pointed to the sky. "I'm waiting for the fireworks to start."

"Us too," Dawn said excitedly, gesturing to herself and her two friends behind her. "I asked my mommy if we can bring my friends too, so we're all waiting."

"I forgot to ask my mommy if I could bring my friends," said May sadly. "But that's okay, 'cause I'm making a snow castle." She pointed to the pile of snow at her feet.

"It doesn't look like a castle," said Kenny.

"Yes it does," said Dawn encouragingly. "It just needs a flag."

"It doesn't look like a castle 'cause I'm not done," said May. She looked thoughtful for a moment. "A flag might make it more done."

"Then I'll find a flag," said Dawn, skipping off through the snow.

"Dee Dee, we're not supposed go far away from the car," Kenny called after her.

She turned around long enough to glare at him and yell, "Stop. Calling. Me. Dee Dee!" And then she was off.

"I can help you finish making the castle," said Leona. She, Kenny and May knelt down in the snow and started shaping the masterpiece. When they finished, they were pretty pleased with the result. One thing they thought it lacked, however, was the very flag Dawn had left to find.

But Dawn still wasn't back.

"She's taking a long time," said May.

"What if she's lost?" said Leona.

"My mommy says if you're lost, you gotta ask someone for help," said May. "But not strangers."

"But Dawn won't ask anyone," said Kenny. "She'll just say, 'No need to worry,' and try to come back herself."

"And when Dawn says, 'No need to worry,'" said Leona. She and Kenny looked at each other. "It really means..."

"Yes need to worry," Kenny said in unison with her.

"That's not good," said May worriedly. "I'm gonna ask my mommy what to do." She knocked on the door to her car, getting her mother's attention.

Kenny and Leona, on the other hand, went straight to Dawn's mother, Johanna.

"Dawn's gone?" she said, blinking in surprise when they explained the situation. "But I'm sure I saw the three of you playing over there." She looked at where they'd been making the castle, but when she saw May, she knew the third child she'd thought was Dawn had actually been someone else.

"Oh dear," she said, getting out of the car.

May's father, Norman, also got out, though her mother, Caroline, was staying behind to look after Max. Norman and Johanna quickly made acquaintance, and set off to search for the girl. May, Kenny and Leona were told to wait with Caroline inside.

When Johanna gave them permission, Leona and Kenny got into May's car to wait, but, as May watched her father and Dawn's mother disappear, she suddenly realized they were not going the right way. There were a lot of footsteps in the snow from other people, so it was impossible to pick out which were Dawn's, but May had seen the direction she'd headed, and it certainly was not the one the parents were searching in.

May, instead of getting into the car, ran off to where she believed Dawn was. She didn't ask her mother permission, nor did she stop when she heard Kenny and Leona calling after her. Soon, however, she was far from the car, far from the light of the streetlamps, and closer to a patch of trees.

And under one of those trees sat Dawn, cheerful and twirling a small tree branch in her hand. She beamed when she saw May approaching.

"Hi, May," she said, holding up her stick. "I found a flag."

"Thanks," said May. "But we gotta go back." When she turned around, however, she saw that it was impossible to figure out where her car was. What's more, it was pretty dark, especially this far from the streetlamps.

"We can't go back," said Dawn. "I don't know where to go. But no need to worry." She smiled widely. "If we wait here, they'll find us for sure. It is cold, though."

May agreed, and sat down beside her. Considering how it hadn't taken May long to find her, the cars couldn't be too far.

All of a sudden, there was a flash of light in the sky. Fireworks!

May and Dawn stood and moved away from the trees and up a small hill to get a better look.

Another burst of colour, more fireworks.

"It must be the new year," said Dawn, beaming at May. "Happy New Year!"

"Yeah," said May, smiling widely. "Happy New Year to you too!"

More fireworks, and this time, the light let them make out the identities of two silhouettes in the distance: Norman and Johanna.

"There they are!" The two ran to their respective parents. Both parents were relieved, though Norman was also a little shocked, since he had thought May would be safely in the car. The two were firmly scolded, and led back.

"You know, it's funny," Dawn said to May as they walked. "We got lost last year, and when we got found, it was a whole new year!"

The two giggled.

In the following months, both May and Dawn would forget all about their new acquaintance of less than an hour. But in a few years, they would meet again in grade three, and end up as best friends.

And done!

Okay, so I know my updates have been more frequent in the last few weeks, but it's because I didn't travel these holidays like I usually do. Also, my new semester started, so will be getting busy again.

Anyways, reviews are appreciated, and I hope you all enjoyed!

Bye bye for now! Have a great day, and smile all the way! Also, Happy (late) New Year's day! :D