The entire time that I was in class, I couldn't stop thinking about Calem.
Almost as if my thoughts had summoned him, I peeked outside the window to catch Calem jogging the track of the Academy. His hair was sticking to his forehead, drenched in sweat, and his face was slightly flushed from pushing himself to complete his laps.
There was just no way I shouldn't be able to remember going to The Spheal Appeal together with Calem. Could it be someone else in that picture? Or could it have possibly been photoshopped?
If it truly was him in that picture… Why would he say that we "officially" spoke to each other for the first time yesterday? Judging by the way we were holding hands and laughing, I would say that we must have been close.
Was it possible that he had also forgotten all about our time together back then? Or even worse… What if he was trying to forget?
The mere thought crushed me.
I gazed at him a little longer, trying to find anything distinct about him that would confirm that he was the boy in my picture. However, he was moving so fast that I couldn't focus on anything.
As soon as he turned the corner, I went back to pretending to pay attention to the lecture, but my questions wouldn't stop flooding my head.
It eventually dawned on me that if I wanted to clear my mind, I would have to ask Calem himself.
As the class droned on, I formulated a mental plan. I would casually find a moment after class, perhaps after his jog, and pop the question. That was nice, quick, and painless, so it couldn't be that hard, right?
The bell rang. I put everything away in my bag, my heart racing as I exited the room.
To buy myself some time before I had to talk to Calem, I went to the locker room to change into my athletic clothes. While I was doing so, I rehearsed my lines in my head to ease my insecurity.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror at the end of the locker room. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, then left the locker room to make my way over to the track.
When I arrived at the track, I noticed that Calem had continued exercising, even though class had ended a while ago. I spotted him leaning against the fence, catching his breath, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
He heard my footsteps as I approached him and turned his head to face me while he was still leaning on the fence.
"Hello, Serena." He greeted me.
"Hi." I replied, hoping that he can't tell how nervous I am. "May I join you?"
He thought about it for a moment before answering, "Sure. Let's do three laps together."
I smiled, relieved that he accepted my request. "Alright, let me stretch before we begin."
Calem nodded and pushed himself off of the fence to take a drink of water from the fountain.
So far, so good! Now, I have to find a way to organically work my question into our conversation.
Calem walked over to me. "Ready?"
"Yeah, let's go!"
When we started jogging together, the sun started to stretch our shadows, reminding us that we had three hours left until curfew.
I didn't talk to him at all while we were completing our three laps, but as soon as we finished, we took a break at the water fountain.
It didn't feel like the right time to ask my question, so I asked him something else instead, "So… what's next?"
He wiped his mouth with a towel after he finished drinking, allowing me a turn to take a drink.
"Hmm… I usually go home after this, but if you're alright with it, could you be my sparring partner in a Pokémon battle?" He asked.
I nearly spit out the water I was drinking. "What?! Why? I'm not good at battling!"
"Yes, you are!" He exclaimed.
We locked eyes, startled by each other's sudden outburst.
Once he overcame the shock, he cleared his throat and continued, "Yes, you are good at battling. Your Pokémon are simply undertrained."
"Then how come I always lose? I can't be any good."
"You won't get any better if you don't practice."
The wind picked up around us, and his blue eyes caught the last warm rays of the sun, shimmering like the evening stars. In that fleeting moment, for just a split second, I could have sworn that I had seen that look in his eyes before.
With nothing else to say, I accepted his offer, "Okay… I'll practice with you."
"Great, let's go to the arena." He smiled, and the sparkle disappeared.
I didn't dwell much on the sudden déjà vu, as I needed to get my head into the game.
We battled until the sun was about to tuck itself below the horizon, and all of my Pokémon had fainted. Calem still had three left, which made him the winner of our match.
Exhausted, I slumped down against the concrete wall of the arena, my entire body covered with sweat. Calem sat next to me, although he wasn't as worn out.
"You did really well, Serena." He praised me. "I haven't had that much fun in such a long time."
"That was fun." I agreed. "I'm just nowhere near your level."
"I wouldn't say that." He tilted his head. "Most people can't get past even one of my Pokémon. You managed to get through three."
Gosh, I guess I hadn't paid as much attention to Calem's battles as I had thought! Well… I did watch them, but it wasn't the battles that caught my attention; it was the prodigy himself.
I wonder if he ever caught me staring at him?
I felt my face heat up, and I just knew that my rampant blush was on full display.
He leaned toward me, his expression softening. "Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" I laughed awkwardly, sounding like a complete dork. "Anyways! What could I have done better?"
He relaxed, going back to his previous position. "Honestly? My biggest critique would be that you're too uncertain. If you want your Pokémon to reach their full potential, you need to be more confident with your commands. No hesitation."
"I see. Simply put, if I'm uncertain, they'll be uncertain too."
"Precisely." He smiled. "If that's something you'd like to work on, then I'd be more than happy to help you out."
"I appreciate the offer, but… it's getting pretty late. Curfew's in less than an hour."
"Oh, you're right." He stood up, brushing off his pants. "Well, I'm sure you'll know where to find me tomorrow."
"Same time, right?" I asked Calem.
"Yeah, I'll be here."
"Sounds good!" I replied, trying my best to sound casual.
He nodded politely before turning and walking away, his steps falling in a familiar rhythm.
I turned around to head back to the locker rooms, reflecting on my training session with Calem, and it was just then that I realized that I hadn't asked him about the picture of "us" at The Spheal Appeal! I sighed at the missed opportunity, but strangely, I didn't feel too disappointed, because I figured that tomorrow would be a better time to ask him, anyways.
As I grabbed my stuff out of the locker that I had borrowed, I read the reply that my mother had sent me.
From: Mom
To: You
Subject: Re: Can't Wait to See You!
It's great to hear that you're doing well!
As for how long we'll be staying in Kalos… I haven't given it much thought. I am still working out a plan with your father, since we both don't want to use up too many of our vacation days. We're trying to save them up so we can all go on vacation together after you graduate! I'll keep you updated on the details as we approach your fall recess.
Let me know if you need anything!
Love,
Mom
I closed my phone, and walked out of the locker room with my belongings in hand.
It had indeed been quite a while since I last spoke to my parents in person. I believe that the last time they had been in Kalos was when they dropped me off at the Academy for my entrance ceremony. Since then, I've spent every holiday and birthday by myself, but they would always call or send me a message to wish me well.
It's part of the reason why I want to invite them to The Spheal Appeal. It's more than just a café to me. It's a place that has shaped my experience at the Academy, and I want to share a part of my everyday life with them. I want them to know about the things that I enjoy, and share those things with them.
I smiled at the thought of them sitting across from me at the table that I had scouted out yesterday. I could almost imagine, word-for-word, the conversations that we would have and the items that we would order off of the menu.
Ohh, I can't wait for them to arrive in two weeks!
As I made my way into my dorm room, my mind had shifted from The Spheal Appeal to the homework that was due tomorrow. The homework was over damage calculations for my Battle Strategy class, which wasn't too difficult since I could already do the calculations in my head.
After my homework was completed, I pulled out my textbook and began to study the next topics that would be discussed in my Stat Training class. While I was reading through the chapter, I noticed that at the bottom of one of the pages, there was a picture of an Espurr evolving into a Meowstic, and it made me think of Calem, since he has one.
Wait, I shouldn't be getting distracted! Finals are in six weeks!
I went right back to studying, but in the back of my mind, the thoughts of him were still there.
An hour passed, and I found a good place to place a bookmark in my textbook. I yawned, stretching out my lower back muscles after sitting for so long, then got up from my chair to get ready for bed.
Now that I wasn't trying to concentrate on my schoolwork, I allowed myself to pursue the nagging curiosity I had about Calem being in my photo gallery. If he was in one picture, then it's entirely possible that there's more pictures of him on my phone, right?
Standing in front of the mirror in my bathroom, my reflection stared back at me, and I could see the apprehension in my own face.
What had happened between me and Calem that drove us apart, to the point of acting like strangers around each other?
And most importantly… Why the hell couldn't I remember anything about him?
I'm afraid of uncovering the truth, yet deep down, I knew that I couldn't avoid it forever. If I didn't confront Calem and seek the answers I so desperately needed, I may never reach him.
I finished getting ready for bed and put my phone on its charger before I turned off all of the lights. As much as I wanted to look for more pictures of him, I needed to sleep.
I laid my head down on my pillow, taking deep breaths to clear my mind, and like a charm, I started drifting off.
…
Never before in my life had I ever wanted today to be a normal day more than I did right now.
Instead of following my daily routine, my day started off with a terrible cough.
"What in the hell?" I said to myself, my voice coming out as a thick rasp. "How did I manage to get sick overnight?!"
My entire body felt like it had been thrown into a pit of molten lava, and I had the absolute worst headache I had ever experienced in my entire life. I barely had the energy to glance at my alarm clock to see that I had woken up at 6:52 AM, which was nowhere near the time that I normally wake up at.
"Why me?" I groaned, stretching out the last syllable in an attempt to clear my throat. Breaking news: it didn't work.
I called the Academy's office and groggily told the Attendance Lady that I wasn't fit to attend class today. She replied that she would notify my professors of my absence and advised me to take the entire day off to recover.
"Uh-huh…" I said absentmindedly right before I hung up the phone.
My skull-splitting headache seemed to worsen by the minute, so I forced myself out of bed to fetch my pain medicine from the cabinet in the bathroom. I took the proper dosage of pain-reliever with a glass of water and marched right back to bed, hoping that it would kick in sooner than later.
I think I struggled with my headache for at least half an hour before I finally succumbed to the exhaustion, collapsing on top of my comforter. The room tilted slightly as I faded out of consciousness, the edges of my vision blurring with each moment I battled to remain awake.
I don't know how much time rolled by, but I had the strangest dream during the height of my fever.
It all started with a knock at my door.
My body was still sore, as evidenced by my aching feet as I stepped out of bed onto the cold hardwood, but I did manage to answer the door.
Huh. Even in my dreams, I'm still worse for wear. The thought flitted through my mind as I shuffled toward the door, each step a small reminder of my relentless fever.
To my surprise, Calem was on the other side, cradling a paper sack.
"Hello, Serena." He greeted, with a hint of worry in his voice. "I heard you were sick, so I brought you some things. May I come in?"
"Of course." I croaked.
I opened the door for him, and he walked in, setting the paper sack down on the counter. He then turned around to place the back of his hand against my forehead. The touch was cool against my burning skin, and I leaned into it for just a moment before he recoiled.
"Ah! You're burning up!" He quickly withdrew his hand to escort me to my bed. "Sit down, I'm going to give you some medicine."
"Okay…" I hummed as I watched him retreat into the kitchen to retrieve the medicine he had brought for me.
Calem returned with a spoonful of medicine in his hand, and carefully handed it over to me. "Here, take this."
I gulped down the bitter syrup, wincing as I handed back the spoon. A sense of relief washed over me soon after, muted but palpable as I felt my insides cool ever so slightly.
He was a lot more relaxed now as he instructed me, "Good. Now, you should rest for a bit while I fix you something to eat."
"You don't have to do that." I protested, shaking my head. "I'm not hungry at all."
He frowned, "No, you need to eat, or else you won't fully recover. Knowing you, you probably haven't eaten all day."
Even though I knew he was being dead serious, I couldn't help but smile softly at his concern. "Are you really that worried about me? I never would have imagined that you'd be fretting this much."
He didn't even bother hiding his blush. "It's because I know how prone you are to neglecting your own health when you're hyper-focused on studying."
I was genuinely touched by his words, even though this was all a dream fabricated by my fever and longing. The real Calem would never act like this. Yet, here he was, caring for my every need.
"Come on, Serena." He continued gently, "Let's get you in bed. Let the medicine do its work, and I promise that I'll have your food ready for you by curfew."
With a heavy sigh of resignation, I sank into the comforting embrace of my pillows, watching him dash back into the kitchen to cook the meal he insisted that I needed.
I relaxed my body, thinking about Calem's kindness.
Those little moments –the way his gaze softened when he looked at me, the way he gently guided me around my dorm to ensure that I was comfortable at all times. There was something about the way that he cared for me that almost felt… nostalgic. Like he had done this all for me before.
I chuckled to myself, dismissing the thought. This is all just wishful-thinking, fueled by my feelings for him. Even though there is evidence suggesting that we were acquaintances in the past, there is nothing suggesting that he would do any of this for me in the present.
The realization that all of this would inevitably end saddened me a little, but I decided to cherish the feeling and indulge myself in this small comfort instead.
In the kitchen, I could hear the soft clanging of pots and pans, along with the sound of various drawers opening and closing. It lulled me to sleep, somehow, and I woke up about an hour later, shortly after the clanging had ended.
"The food's ready." Calem announced, walking towards me with a bowl in each hand. He carefully set the bowl down on my outstretched hands.
"Oh, good! You didn't set the dorm on fire." I teased, feeling refreshed by my power nap. "I wasn't hungry before, but I'm starving now!"
"That's because your body worked up an appetite fighting off that brutal cold you have." He replied, his tone light and witty.
I peered into the steaming bowl filled with bright red soup, and took a huge whiff. There was definitely some spice in there, judging by how the steam tickled my nose!
I identified the contents, "Tamato Berry soup with red pepper pureé." I smiled from ear to ear. "It's been so long since I've eaten this!"
"When was the last time you've had this dish?" His tone was still light, but I could hear some curiosity mixed in there.
I closed my eyes, trying my hardest to jog my memory. "It feels like it's been forever… I can't quite remember."
I noticed the glimmer in his eyes dim slightly, the weight of my uncertainty settling between us. "I see." he said wistfully with a smile. "Well, the food's gonna get cold! Let's eat!"
I smiled back at him, and took the first bite. My tongue tingled at the spiciness of the pepper, and the creaminess of the entire soup made me melt. I expressed my enjoyment, "C'est delicieux!"
"Non?" He laughed. "I knew you would love it."
As I ate the spicy soup, my sinuses cleared up, making it easier to breathe and providing some much needed relief.
I greatly appreciated Calem keeping me company, as it reassured me that everything was going to be okay. I knew that when I woke, I'd be back in reality, forced to confront the distance between us.
But for tonight, I will bask in this comforting dreamscape with the boy of my dreams.
I finished my bowl and handed it back to Calem, who had polished off his a few minutes earlier. "The food was excellent! You're a great cook!"
He chuckled softly, pride sparkling within his blue eyes. "I'm flattered! But really, it was the least I could do to help you feel better."
"Not at all. Your presence would have been enough. I rarely get sick, but you really did help me bounce back."
He stood up from my bed, with both bowls in his hands, and pressed a kiss to the top of my forehead. "You're welcome, Serena. You're not burning up anymore, so I'm going to wash these bowls and get going. Curfew's in ten minutes, and I don't want to get caught up in a surprise roll call."
"Alright, that sounds fair. Thanks for everything, I owe you one!"
He flashed one last smile at me before turning away, making his way towards the sink to wash the dishes as he had promised.
I sank back into my bed, filled with a new warmth from the soup, and waited for him to finish so that I could lock up behind him when he leaves.
A few minutes later, I met him at the door. Just as he was about to step through, he turned back, and mentioned one last thing, "Oh, I almost forgot; I collected all of the lecture notes from your professors and left them on your desk, so don't worry about studying tonight. After all, I'm sure you wouldn't want to get sick again!"
I nodded, thanking him once again before he left.
As I walked to my bed, I noticed that there was a small pile of papers on my desk that wasn't there the night before. I gravitated towards it, staring at the pile in disbelief.
I froze in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. The time on my alarm clock changed, and in that moment, the weight of my surroundings settled in. My heart raced as the truth revealed itself to me.
It was all real.