___________________________________
Lapras Valley High – Hell Blastoise
Chapter Five – Joy and Rant
___________________________________
Ashley frowned and kicked the wall, not caring about the pain rushing from her toe. She paced the empty room angrily, about to go mental. She had been alone for a day now, and couldn’t take it. She was worried about me, about whether I had burnt down the school yet with Fury.
Tears began to leak from her eyes, as she furiously walked around the room. Her anger was building up, and she was glad Sugar wasn’t there otherwise she might of accidentally gotten mad at the little Eevee. A knock sounded from the other side of the rickety door, and it slowly swung forward, revealing Principal King.
“Ashley,” he began.
Ashley whirled around, glaring. “What do you want now?!” she yelled. “Last time you talked to me you gave me bad news! Now what do you want?!”
Mr King gulped. “I was just going to say that I’ve been able to fit you into Lapras Valley High.”
Ashley stopped, and looked at him. “Really?” she gasped. Mr King nodded. Ashley let out a joyful scream.
*
I lay awake, letting the sunlight steam in through the window. Fury had already gone out, probably to see Nixie or get food. Kayla was using the bathroom; I could hear the shower running.
Last night I had managed to use that thing, and it was really relaxing. Even though I did accidentally break the handle to the hot water and leave a large crack in it. I got so mad because I couldn’t get it working that I lashed out at it. Lucky Kayla helped me work it.
This whole place was hard to get used to but I was slowly adjusting to the whole atmosphere. Kayla was turning out to be all right; just she had a snobbish streak that seemed to be like drugs, something permanent that you can’t get rid of.
This was all too weird. I sat up and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. I can’t become nice, nice doesn’t get you anywhere, I told myself. I had already broken though, made a friend (Nayia) and sort of was getting along with Kayla.
But being nice got you no where. You tried to be nice in Quagsire Heights and you know what happened? You were most likely to wake up either in heaven or in somebody else’s apartment tied to a chair, nude and gagged.
Not a pretty thought but just a bit of reality.
Kayla stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a denim skirt that reached her knees, and a short green top with a picture of a Chikorita grinning on it and scraggly writing reading ‘Chikorita Chick’. Her hair was wet, and her top was so short it showed off practically all of stomach, coming to a stop just below the beginning of her chest.
“Morning,” she greeted cheerfully.
“Morning,” I replied, sitting up. I watched as she went over to the mirror and began to brush her hair. “Um… can I… I mean, are you … do you still need…?” I began awkwardly, pointing to the bathroom with my thumb.
Kayla saw me in the mirror and grinned. “Go ahead, have your shower.”
*
I still felt a bit uncomfortable about being sort of open with Nayia, but as Fury, Nixie, Nayia and I lined up for breakfast, I was getting used to the fact that she was my friend. Nobody though, could replace Ashley. She would be my best friend forever.
“Have you heard about that party going on?” Nayia started. “I got an invitation thing today under my door. I think I’ve got it in my pocket, but I’ll show you later. It’s for some kind of ‘Start of year party’ in Shelder Bay. I heard that after dinner we go there on Friday night, and just meet new people and go swimming until midnight. Then on Saturday night there is the beginning of term disco. I can’t wait! Are you going to go?”
I shrugged. The disco did sound interesting, I had never been to a disco before, so I just shrugged again and nodded. “Okay.”
“That’s great!” Nayia cried. “What are you going to wear? Because I saw these clothes in Lapras Valley that’d look good on you. They were basically the same thing you wear, jeans and a top, but these jeans were the fashionable jeans –“
“I’m going with my clothes,” I told her. “I don’t want any new clothes. I’m not getting any new clothes.”
Nayia sure talked a lot. I suppose that’s how people were. Or maybe it was just her. I wasn’t sure.
“Okay sorry about that, but I’m defiantly getting new clothes. Maybe another denim skirt, they had some really nice ones at Lapras Valley Mall.”
*
“Excuse me,” Ashley asked an office lady at the front office of Lapras Valley High. “My name is Ashley Lien, I was wondering, which dorm and tower am I in and could you please tell me the tower and dorm of Sally-Anne McGregor?”
“You’re in Flaria Dorm 6-C,” the woman replied in a bored tone. “And your friend is in Flaria Dorm 6-F.”
“Thanks,” Ashley thanked, and left with Sugar bounding behind.
*
Well, time sure went fast. After I saw Ashley, I felt like life would be okay, and Nayia really liked Ashley as well. The disco was interesting, the music was all right I suppose and that Blaron guy, he asked me to dance. We also met some new people, Martin (tall, light brown hair, brown eyes, 13), Craig (average height, black messy short hair, brown eyes, our age), Spike (Blaron’s cousin, dark brown hair spiked up, hazel eyes, our age) (they’re all our age), and Greg (average height, blonde hair, blue eyes).
I know it’s slack of me to head forward to today after missing out a whole week of action but if your not happy with it then just deal with it because I’m not giving a damn.
Anyway, it was Monday morning, and first class was about to start. We had received our timetables yesterday and bought our books from the front office. I was in a lot of classes for one day, why not just make one period a day not 4?
“We’ve got geography first, come on,” Kayla said, poking me. “We can’t be late.”
“Who cares?” I shrugged. “Come on Fury.”
“Stop,” Kayla held her hand up to my face halting me. “No pokemon allowed during classes.” I scowled.
“Who are they to tell me what to do with my pokemon?” I snapped. “Come on Fury.”
Kayla sighed as I stormed past her, and turned around. “Which classroom am I in?” I asked.
“Follow me.” Kayla led the way to my class and opened the door, letting herself in. Fury and I followed.
I saw Martin and Nayia talking at the back of the class. They seemed kind of private and secretive, like lovebirds. Spike, Craig and Blaron were all discussing some topic and in my opinion looked like nerds.
Ashley was sitting in the seat in front of Nayia, politely not listening to their conversation. I went and joined her there, and she grinned at me.
“Where’s the bloody teacher?” I complained.
“Who cares,” Ashley shrugged.
“Hey, Sal,” Nayia said, poking my back. “The later the teacher the less work we have to do which means the more talking and doing nothing.”
“Who is our teacher?” Ashley asked.
“I don’t really know,” Martin began.
“Last year we had Mr Banks but he left the school because he got transferred to Cascade North’s day school, Hydra Park High,” Nayia continued. “So we could have Mr William but I’m not sure I think he’s taking the other year 8 class.”
“You two were here last year?” Ashley asked.
“Yeah,” Martin shrugged. “Nayia and I have been here for over a year. So have most of the others. Only a few are really new. Like you guys, Blaron, Kayla and Teresa who’s over in the corner with the popular girls.”
“Heather, Leah, Marina and Annabelle ” Nayia scowled. “They’re all bitches. Worse than some of the Zharman Islanders. Aunt Misty always said to watch out for them and she was right.”
“Kayla and Teresa are over there with them.” I frowned, Kayla was a ***** but not bad ***** just a snob.
“You know, we really couldn’t get a worse teacher than Sister Eve,” Martin pointed out.
“Who’s she?”
“She is the toughest religious character in this school. She is a professional nun and a real *****. She is forever yelling and giving us the guilt and pain of being her students,” Nayia explained. “Its always ‘Craig! Get here at once, spit out that chewing gum and tuck your shirt in! You’re in big trouble boy!’”
“Hey!” Craig objected from the other side of the room. Ashley laughed.
“You’ve never met Lady Blastoise,” I spoke up.
“Who’s she?” Martin asked.
“Oh no, here we go,” Ashley sighed.
“Lady Blastoise is worse than those popular bitches over in the corner and Sister Eve put together multiplied by 10!” I cried. “She is the toughest, most unfair, prejudice person you could ever meet.” By this time, I was ranting so loud and getting so angry that the whole class had gone silent. Fury was on my desk, sighing. “She wanted to take me to her mansion and turn me into a slave when the orphanage was shutting down. Once I had to go live in her castle of doom for two weeks, and every day I was scrubbing the floor and cleaning out toilets while Fury was in an enclosed pool being forced to swim laps! FIRE POKEMON CAN’T SWIM! You haven’t met anybody until you’ve met Lady Blastoise, the biggest ***** in the whole entire galaxy!”
Ashley’s eyes widened, and Fury gave a strangled cry. The class was seated and staring at me nervously, their eyes flicking between me and something behind me. I turned around, and my blood ran cold.
“Nice of you to share your opinion Sally-Anne,” Lady Blastoise smirked.
___________________________________
Lapras Valley High – Hell Blastoise
Chapter Six – Hidden Secrets
___________________________________
“Why thank you,” I glared. “What the hell are you doing here anyway, Lady *****-stoise?”
“Teaching, what do you think, Sally-Anne?” Lady Blastoise replied. “I do believe there is a rule at this school. No pokemon allowed during classtime, is that right? Well then I suggest both you and Vulpix leave the premises immediately.”
Teresa laughed, while I stood there, glowering. “If there are no pokemon allowed then why are we about to be taught by a Wobuffett?” I snapped.
Lady Blastoise just smirked. “Because I’m not a Wobuffett you imbecile. Sit down, and get your pathetic fire rat out of this classroom.”
“Fury is NOT a pathetic fire rat you… you tight-arsed *****!” I screamed. Even Teresa was quiet now.
“Is everything okay, Lady Blastoise?” another teacher asked poking her head through the door.
“Yes thank you,” Lady Blastoise nodded, smiling her sickly smile of evil and death. I shuddered, praying that I was still in Quagsire Heights with its familiar gloominess and depressing feel. I would have traded my position for all the empty, syringe lined garbage filled rotten streets of my old home.
“Look, I came here to get away from you. I won’t be listening to anything you say, nothing you do can hurt me anymore,” I glared.
Lady Blastoise just smirked. “Well you’d better do well in geography otherwise I’d not only have to flunk you…” she threatened.
I froze. She had me in a position where if I dared say anything she would spill my darkest secret. If I did my work badly she’d let loose. If I didn’t do my work, she’d spill it.
I don’t know how she found out but she did. Not even Ashley knew this secret. And nobody except me and Fury was supposed to know. Not Lady Blastoise.
Never Lady Blastoise.
I sat down and groaned deeply, giving the satisfaction to Lady Blastoise that she could boss me around.
“Get rid of that filthy vermin off your desk, unless you’d like me to take care of it,” Lady Blastoise instructed sharply. “Now if you’ll all open to page 54 I’d like to start our topic on geography.”
She scrawled the words ‘Pokemon habitats’ over the board and turned. “Everybody knows that wolf and fox pokemon such as Lupus, Vulpix and Ninetales live in thick forests, and the full moon can drive them crazy. One night I’ll take you out to Shady Thicket, the forest at the back of the school, when it’s a full moon, to observe the behavior of pokemon in the full white light.”
I stopped half way to the door, and turned, snarling.
This was not good.
*
Lady Blastoise must have done that on purpose, seeing she knew my secret. Those last words that she had uttered were just pure evil. “One night I’ll take you out to Shady Thicket when it’s a fool moon, to observe the behavior of pokemon in the full white light.”
She was here to get me, just as I had tried to avoid.
*
“You know the problem with Geography,” Nayia was saying. She was always saying something. “Geography is supposed to focus on land formations and land masses and just basically ‘How did that mountain get there’. But this Lady Blastoise, she seems strict and yet, she might turn the class into fun.”
“Don’t ever underestimate Lady Blastoise,” Ashley advised. “She may seem to be nice but once you show her your weakness she’ll pin you down and strip you of your pride if you don’t’ follow her orders.”
“She’ll pounce on you like a Persian hunting for food, she’ll hunt you down, tear you limb from limb just to find your weakness,” I continued. “Once she finds it, you’re a goner, under her power for as long as she is around.”
“How would you know?” Martin questioned.
My face clouded over. “You don’t want to know,” I replied, shutting off my small social life. I turned and faced away. Ashley looked confused, even she didn’t know, but she knew me well enough to keep off. Nayia and Martin exchanged nervous glances.
“Um… What’s going on?” Nayia asked curiously.
I whirled around, on the verge of exploding. “Look, I don’t want to talk about it so LAY OFF,” I snapped, and walked away.
“What’s up with her?” Martin asked Ashley.
“She’s sensitive about something, and doesn’t really want to talk about it,” Ashley answered. “I don’t really know but I have a feeling Lady Blastoise is making her edgy.”
*
I looked out to the calm rippling water of Shellder Bay. Why was the water so calm? Why? It was just rolling in onto the sand in small waves, the crystal clear liquid fresh and cool, the gentle sea breeze flowing through the air with tiny crystals of salt. I looked back at Lapras Valley High and buried my head in my hands.
I couldn’t take this. Lady Blastoise had followed me to this school, and she was going to expose my secret.
“Vulpix Vul,” Fury said quietly, trying to calm me down.
I petted Fury’s silky smooth fur. “Fury, you’re the only other person who knows my secret. I’m going to have to tell them one day aren’t I?”
“Pix,” Fury answered nodding.
“I don’t want to.”
“Pix Vulpix Vul Pix Vul Vulva Pix!”
*
“Starmie Ice Beam!”
“Sugar Quick Attack!”
Sugar the brown fluffy Eevee responded with agility to the sharp orders of Ashley. With one nimble bounce it had avoided the steaming light blue ice beam from Martin’s Starmie, allowing the patch of grass below it to freeze. Landing again, Sugar started to run, but slipped on the icy ground, sliding forward on her nose. Sugar looked up and glared at Starmie, who would have glared back if he had eyes.
“Starmie! Blizzard!”
Starmie’s core began to glow a light ice blue, looking very much like a crystal of ice, and a cold gust of wind started to rush through the arena. Out of the gem in Starmie’s indigo body, snowflakes and cold icy frostbite began to fly out and hurled towards Sugar in a whirlwind of snow.
“Sugar! Sand Attack!”
Sugar furiously rushed through the field a distance away from the blizzard and began countering it with a miniature sandstorm. The blazing cold storm overpowered the sandstorm, and Sugar was hit by the angry iced fingers of the blizzard, which slapped her back onto her back.
“No! Sugar!”
“Right Starmie! Good work!”
Sugar stirred from her position on the ground. She had been hit hard, and was on the verge of fainting. Starmie began to hover closer, preparing itself for another attack, but Sugar wasn’t sure which attack. She knew she had to get up, but how?
Starmie’s core shone like a rainbow, mostly white with the other colors mixed in. It was like looking into a stormy sky when it starts to clear. The star shaped indigo fighter looked as if he was ready to fire any second, while Sugar just lay there, stirring. Thoughts crept into Starmie’s mind as he powered up for the aura beam. ‘What if she’s just faking the stirring? What if she’s waiting for all my energy to be released then attacks me?’ Starmie shook himself. The ‘what if’ game was a dangerous one, one that a pokemon could not play in the middle of a battle. Pokemon had to be sure of themselves and of their attacks, and couldn’t judge what the opponent would do. But that was the most important element of a battle.
The element of surprise.
Starmie flew back high into the air, releasing the rainbow ray. It struck the ground about a meter in front of Sugar and traveled through the ground, breaking everything in its way. Sugar waited, and once the beam had come close enough for her to feel the heat placed in it, she leapt up and sprung out the way with such agility that both Martin and his Starmie were shocked. Ashley grinned; she had expected Sugar to do that. It was one of her favorite tricks.
Sugar leapt up into the sky, ready to comeback and take victory. She smashed headlong into Starmie, just striking the gem’s edge. Starmie flew down and hit the ground hard. Sugar landed on all four paws a bit away from Starmie, breathing heavily, chest heaving. Her fur was dampened by sweat and messy from the hard battle.
Starmie was able to get up, his core still hurting. Sugar saw that and began to charge at Starmie once again, but instead of hitting Starmie, ran around him, and began to power up. The grass around her began to rise, as she was charging up. Starmie hovered around, watching, not sure, which attack to use.
Starmie had just been ready to fire off a powerful water gun when Sugar slammed into Starmie with her side, taking Starmie down. Starmie landed down with a heavy thud, Sugar on top of him. Starmie released a hyper beam at that very second, taking the energy he had been using for the water gun and transforming the attack.
Sugar was hit, right in the delicate stomach area, and skyrocketed off Starmie and fell to the ground with a sickening splat. The teacher in charge of the Pokemon Battles class, Mr Burke, watched Sugar, looking for any signs of stirring.
After 5 seconds of eternity, he held up both hands. “The match is over,” he announced. “The winner is Martin and Starmie.”
“Nice match Starmie,” Martin congratulated Starmie.
Ashley walked over to the unconscious Sugar, and picked her up in her arms. “Come on Sugar, let’s go get you better. I’m very proud of you.”
“Hey Ashley!” Martin called. Ashley turned around. “Nice battle, Sugar is really tough.”
Ashley smiled. “Thanks!” she called back before leaving to get Sugar healed.
Pokemon battling was pointless; I didn’t see a point in the class. Fury had taken down Kayla with ease. Kayla had a Flareon that was poorly trained, it was skinny and wearing too much fragrance that was flammable. Fury had pointed that out with one flame-thrower.
I stared out into nothing, not caring whether I was going to math or not. Secrets were going to be revealed; fights were going to happen.
Lady Blastoise was going to go down.
___________________________________
Lapras Valley High – Hell Blastoise
Chapter Seven – Past and Present
___________________________________
What was this? I ran my fingers delicately over the bent piece of wood, over the design of the swirl of lava coming from the inside of a volcano with the words ‘Eternal Eruption’ scrawled in black writing across the edge of the timber. It had been lacquered with a special type of clear coating, and flipping it over, it was hard like black sandpaper with silver glitter through it.
I had come across an old abandoned shed at the edge of the school grounds, past the greenhouse right behind the Solaria Tower. About as far away from Flaria as you could get without going to Shellder Bay or to Shady Thicket. The shed was more of a rundown hut of fibro panels, with a small window and door, and a whole lot of junk, but I had found this ‘Eternal Eruption’ piece of wood amazingly still in perfect condition. It had wheels on the bottom, just on either side of the picture and just before the bends, and the metal parts connecting the wheels and the wood read ‘Volcanic’ on them.
Fury was sniffing around, searching for other things, while I felt the wood carefully. One of the males should know; Martin or Blaron, Spike or Craig. I lifted it up, and it came off the bench with ease. Boy was it light!
“Fury, come on,” I called, walking out of there. As Fury and I walked through the grounds, several groups of boys stopped to stare at me in awe. What was their problem? I glared at them, but they still stared at me. At the piece of wood rather.
I found Martin relaxing at the side of the pool with Starmie, his hair wet, and wearing purple board shorts with yellow thunderbolts strategically placed. He looked up at me and grinned a toothy white grin. “Hey Sal.” He looked down at the wood, and gasped, his jaw hanging slightly open, his eyeballs reaching out of their bony sockets, and his face almost white.
“What the hell is the problem with people?” I demanded. “I walk around with a piece of wood with wheels and they all faint!”
“That’s a skateboard,” Martin interrupted, coming back to his senses. “It’s the best skateboard around. It’s an Eternal Eruption deck, with Volcanic bearings and trucks. You just found yourself $400 worth of skating stuff. You know how much it is for Eternal Eruption 3000 Edition decks? Plus about $30 for Volcanic wheels, $35 for Volcanic bearings and trucks. My gosh, you have found something so rare and incredible.”
I shrugged. “You call it a skateboard. What exactly does it do? Because right now it’s looking like a ****ing piece of ****ty timber.”
“I have a skateboard up in my room,” Martin told me. “Just a regular ‘Wrath’ deck. Want me to get it and show you how to use it?”
“Well if you can show me a use for this piece of junk then fine,” I replied. “But if not then Fury will have great pleasure in watching it crumble under the power of flames.”
Martin’s face changed to an expression of horror. “You can’t let Fury burn it! Luna and I just wont let you!” he cried angrily.
“Luna?”
“I gave my Starmie a name, finally.”
“Right, now are you going to show me how to use this piece of flammable material or not?” I demanded. “Because I’ve got better things to do with my time.”
“Vulpix,” Fury added sharply.
Martin sighed, and plucked his pokeball from his belt and enlarged it. With a flick of his wrist the ball flew up and opened with a pop, releasing the one pokemon he owned. “Luna, ready to fly?” he asked the star, who sort of gave a grunting reply meaning yes. Martin held onto Luna’s purple points and looked back at me. “Grab on, Luna’s really strong,” he instructed. I sighed and grabbed onto one of the points, holding Fury in my arms.
Luna soared up into the sky, and I will admit we looked really stupid. Two teenagers hanging off a purple star through the sky. To be honest, I didn’t’ even know Starmie flew.
The starfish pokemon headed over to the closer of the four towers, a tall light sky blue tower with a dodger blue roof and window sills the color of the ocean on a beautiful summers day. We flew in the open window, the aqua blue curtains blowing in the wind. The room was similar to Kayla’s and my room but with different shades of blue instead of orange and yellow. Martin jumped onto his bed and leant over the other side, looking underneath from above. Luna saw this and sighed, before heading off to her pokeball again.
Fury watched with great interest, wondering why the heck a pokemon would like staying in such a cramped up space with no freedom.
Emerging from the underside of his bed, Martin breathed in fresh air, a piece of wood like mine in his hand. His wood was green with blue thunderbolts on it and a fierce looking Vaporeon. ‘Bolt’ it read in thick, bold blue letters to the corner.
“This is a skateboard,” Martin showed me. “Mine is a Bolt deck, while yours is the best deck around, Eternal Eruption. A skateboard is something people ride for fun, and also to win money and prizes in competitions. You can do tricks on a skateboard, but the most important thing is to have good balance.”
“Right…”
*
Martin started to teach me how to ride a skateboard, and about a week later I was getting the hang of it. I had learnt how to balance and ride and tic tac, and was focusing on ollieing now. Ollieing is a skateboarding jump, which is like the base of all aerial moves. It was actually… pleasing. A new feeling for me, but like this school and other things, it was actually all right.
*
Nayia sat on her bed in the Boltaria Tower, gazing at a photo album, an old leather photo album with gold trimmings on the edges. She sighed, as she turned each page, coming to a stop at an especially important photo.
She sniffled, as a tear rolled down her cheek. The door suddenly opened, and her roommate, a girl called Haley, wandered in to read. Nayia pushed the album onto the floor behind her bed and walked out.
The photo album fell to the floor, and landed, open to the same page that Nayia had cried over.
In the picture, Nayia was there, her blonde hair obviously straightened. She looked to be about a year younger than now, and she was smiling broadly. To her left stood her cousin, a tall red head with sparkling blue eyes by the name of Misty Waterflower. To her right, two goofy looking boys, one older and one the same age as Nayia, grinned, pulling silly yet happy faces.
They were all so happy.
Below that photo, another photo had been inserted in the private album. Nayia was in this photo yet again, and seemed very happy with her blonde hair streaked green and blue. She had lots of glitter on her face, and was giggling as she hugged the older male beside her. He had been one of the goofy boys, and was grinning broadly, happy. His brown hair had been streaked blonde and was spiked. His brown eyes showed nothing but pure joy. He was hugging Nayia tightly, and both were laughing while smiling wildly.
Nayia walked through the corridors of Boltaria Tower, Nixie out playing with Luna, Sugar and Fury, who had seemed to form some sort of gang. Thankfully Nixie wasn’t with Nayia, as Nayia was in no mood to be comforted by anybody or any pokemon. She was walking by herself, her longish denim jacket swaying behind her, her joggers thudding on the carpeted floor. Her face was pale and tear rolled down her soft cheeks, causing her blue eyes to become upset.
She didn’t feel like doing anything or talking to anybody. Just staying alone, or being by herself. Not to sulk. To cry, to get her feelings off her chest. ‘A friend would be nice though, somebody to talk to, most probably Ashley,’ Nayia thought to herself. ‘Sal is too rough, she’d probably make me feel worse. Ashley has only been here for two weeks but I feel she is the right person to talk to.’
Walking through the school grounds, Nayia sniffled, the tears had stopped rolling down her cheeks like an endless waterfall, but she still looked like the white devil, like a ghost. She reached Shellder Peak, a small edge of grassy land great for picnics that seemed to jut out over part of the beach. Many sea caves ran underneath, known as Tidal Cavern. She looked out to sea, upset.
Martin had seen Nayia crying, and wanted to make her feel better, and had followed her on his skateboard. He approached her slowly as not to startle her, and gently put his hand on her shoulder.
“Are you okay?” he asked Nayia, concerned.
Nayia turned around to face Martin, her eyes red and puffy, skin pale and almost white, sniffing. She looked into the Spanish face of Martin, into his deep caring brown eyes past the few strands of streaked blonde brown hair. He questioned Nayia’s behavior with those eyes, and she stared into them for what seemed like an eternal time period of 5 seconds. Nayia let her eyes scan over Martin’s arm up to his hand, which was on her shoulder, not to heavy, but a sign that he cared.
Nayia began to cry into her hands, the crystal tears spilling out between her fingers. Martin quizzically sized up the image of Nayia’s sobbing for a moment, then stepped forward and hugged Nayia trying to comfort her.
The hug lasted all of 1 second.
Nayia roughly pushed Martin away, showing a sudden burst of strength. She glared at him through tear filled eyes, her stare like a harsh slap right across his face. Martin stared back at Nayia, worried and confused. She was upset, what was she angry and upset about?
“Keep AWAY!” Nayia screeched angrily, turning and jumping down the small cliff, landing on each rock and jumping further. It was obvious she had had practice. Once her sandals hit the golden grains of sand, she took off, running.
“Nayia wait!” Martin called, leaping and running after her. As he ran, he reached back and pulled out Luna’s pokeball, releasing the purple starfish. “Block Nayia off,” he quietly instructed. Luna sort of nodded, and hovered fast in front of Nayia, stopping right in front of her path.
Nayia stopped suddenly, and fell partway onto the sand, stopping herself with her hands. She stood up and straightened her denim skirt and her blue sleeveless top, and scowled at the Starmie. Martin caught up to her, and as Nayia turned around, she came face to face with Martin.
“Martin Naeco stay away from me!” Nayia shrieked.
Martin’s left eye twitched. Nayia was not herself, and Martin was worried. “Miss Nayia Waterflower, I’m trying to help you here, but if you don’t want my help, then fine!” Martin cried in desperation. “I’m trying to be a friend here, supporting you and helping you through a crisis! What in hell did I ****ing do wrong here?”
Nayia stared at him, totally quiet. The beach became deadly silent, the only noise being the waves rolling into the sandy shore. Nayia’s head hurt, it was all so familiar…
~-~-~-~
“Nayia, I really like you,” a voice spoke, soft and sensitive. It belonged to one of the goofy males in the pictures from Nayia’s photo album. His hair was streaked blonde, similar to Martins, very similar to Martins, and his eyes were cast downwards, focusing on his left sneaker.
Nayia, a year or two younger, looked up at him, questioningly. ‘He felt the same…’ she thought to herself. Daring to break the silence, Nayia uttered his name. “Luke,” she slowly said, reaching out and touching the sleeve of his leather jacket. The dark streets of Cerulean City were cold, and the lamp flickered. South Cerulean wasn’t the safest of places to be at night, but it was a hell of a lot safer than Quagsire Heights during the day. Still, Nayia and Luke were in danger, but it was a danger none of them knew about.
“Luke,” Nayia repeated. “I… I’m glad you told me that.”
Luke’s eyes shot up and focused on Nayia’s blue ones. “What…?” he stuttered.
“I’m glad you told me that,” Nayia said again. “Because… I feel the same way about you.”
“You do?” Luke stammered.
“Yes, I do,” Nayia told him, shyly. Luke and Nayia stared at each other for a moment, then elapsed into a hug. Nayia looked up at Luke, the taller of the two, and Luke looked down. For a second, they were just staring at each other, then before you could even say ‘I choose Pikachu’ they had began to kiss.
Nayia’s soft lips met the cold ones of Luke, as they stood there, in the dim light of the flickering street lamp, kissing. Nayia had never felt anything like it, she was amazed at how soft his lips felt against hers, and how carefully he was fondling with her hair.
A loud crack from the shadowed alleyway broke their kiss. Nayia and Luke jumped, and broke apart the lip connection, and stared down the dark alley, in each other’s arms. A figure lurked in the shadows, and both Nayia and Luke could tell that it was dangerous. Luke stepped in front of Nayia, pushing her behind him gently, and spoke out bravely. “Who’s there?”
It may have not been the bravest thing to say, but Luke felt he had to protect Nayia.
The figure stepped out of the shadows, and grinned evilly. Luke gasped, and Nayia gave a small squeak of surprise, which she couldn’t help. “Andy…” Nayia whispered.
Andy, the other goofy happy guy from the other photo with Misty, Nayia and Luke, glared at Luke and Nayia. “You always get everything don’t you?” he snarled at Luke. “You get the most allowance out of the both of us, the best rewards. You get all the awards at school; you’re ALWAYS the favorite! While I’m shadowed to the side, not cared for! Well not anymore. Not any more… brother.” Andy spat.
“What are you going to do?” Nayia whispered.
“Andy, stay back,” Luke warned. “Look, I can help you. Don’t go all psycho, it’s going to be okay, I can help you.”
“Help me do what?” Andy cried. “Become shadowed? Well I’ve had enough help from you with that particular feature.” Andy glared and grinned, the light reflecting off his face, giving him a deadly look.
“Andy, don’t!” Nayia pleaded. “Please calm down!”
“Now you have the girl as well! The girl I wanted! Well, you know what, if I can’t have her, nobody can have her,” Andy growled. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a black revolver. He lifted and aimed.
“Andy! NO!” Nayia shrieked. Andy’s finger quivered for a moment, then clutched and pulled the trigger. The crack of the gun was deafening, splitting the silence of the streets. The bullet rocketed forward towards Luke and Nayia. Nayia was too stunned to speak, when suddenly she was roughly shoved aside by Luke, and fell to the icy concrete with a thud.
The bullet hit Luke.
He fell to the ground with a splat, hard, and motionless.
“No!” Nayia howled, as she stared at Luke’s bleeding forehead. He was still. Nayia desperately tried to find his pulse then attempted CPR. None worked.
“He’s gone Nayia,” Andy leered. “Now your all mine.”
“Andy Woodash you stay away from me!” Nayia yelled, stepping up and back away from the dangerous lunatic.
“Miss Nayia Waterflower, what is your problem?” Andy dangerously asked, advancing on her. Nayia cowered and stepped back. “I want you, and Luke isn’t getting you. I want to be your friend, I want to be able to help you through crises and guide you through life. I want to have something, and that something is you.”
“No! Go away!” Nayia pleaded. “Please, leave me alone!”
Andy stared at Nayia’s pleading face, her eyes begging to be left alone, her soul asking to be kept clean of Andy’s hands. Andy growled. “You know what?” Andy began. “Luke got everything.”
He paused. Nayia watched him as he picked up the revolver he had dropped. He lifted it and Nayia nearly had a heart attack with the fear that he would kill her. Instead he lifted it to his own head and gave an insane smile. “He even got to die first,” Andy finished with a whisper.
~-~-~-~-~
Nayia stared at Martin. He looked so much like Luke, tall, cute, the same hair and eyes. She couldn’t let him get near her, she didn’t want somebody she cared for to get hurt. The last two people she greatly cared for were killed, one murder one suicide.
How could she take the chance with Martin? ‘I don’t’ like him as in like like, do I? I don’t. But I still care about him as a friend. If he got hurt I wouldn’t be able to handle it. But… he’s hurting now. I have to tell him about my past… something I’ve never been able to tell anybody before… can I trust him? I can’t let him go away, just like every other person I’ve cared about and trusted before…’
____________________________________
Lapras Valley High – Hell Blastoise
Chapter Eight – Freak Fight
___________________________________
“I can’t ever let myself get to close to another male, otherwise that will happen,” Nayia finished, staring out to the ocean, where the sun was setting giving the water a clear, pinky bluish look.
Martin nodded. “You poor thing, life hasn’t been easy on you,” he sympathized. “But I promise, I won’t let anything happen to me.”
“Hya!” Luna added, as if to say that Martin was safe while she was around.
“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Nayia sighed. “I was looking at pictures of Andy and Luke and that just brought back memories. I can’t get close to males now… I have to go.” Nayia got up and walked away.
Martin and Luna stared after her. Nayia turned around.
“Thanks Martin,” she thanked before leaving.
*
Skating was something new to me but I was getting the hang of it. It was actually challenging, just like school. I was put in low classes where most of us were. We weren’t the brightest of people but we were perfectly nice. At least some of us were. Nayia was in a very high class for English and Martin was in the top class for Maths and Science. While I was in low classes for everything, except PE which I placed in the third highest with Blaron, Spike and Greg because of my self defense abilities. And for battling I was in class B with Ashley and Martin.
The school was very high classed compared to Quagsire Heights. Shady Thicket, the forest at the back of the school, stretched for miles, and Shellder Bay was great for swimming in.
I was skating around the back gate of the school, where there were the courts and the gravel path leading to the bay, when I saw Martin return from the beach, sandy and alone. He looked upset, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t upset, was I?
“Martin,” I greeted nodding.
“Hi Sal,” he said distantly.
“What’s your problem?” I demanded. He wasn’t on Earth; his mind was far away as if he was keeping a secret.
“Nothing,” Martin replied. I stared at him and he tried to grin. “Seriously, its nothing,” he insisted.
“Don’t lye to me,” I growled, grabbing his shirt and pushing him against the fence. “Now what the f**k is keeping you all secretive?” Martin squirmed, but I was stronger than he was and kept him pinned against the criss cross wire.
“Okay let me down I’ll talk!” Martin gave in. He sighed and looked me in the eyes. “You can not tell ANYBODY. Promise me that.”
*
Kayla and Teresa lay on Kayla’s bed, flicking through one of those glossy magazines with flashy models and tubes of lip-gloss. Teresa pointed to one picture of a model wearing similar pants to Kayla and giggled. “Check out her pants,” she said cruelly. “They make her look like a Snorlax!”
Kayla knew Teresa too well to object. She just nodded and smiled, and looked down at the cover of the bed, running her fingers over the soft doona, wishing she had chosen another pair of pants to wear.
“You know what, I’m going to run for the Student Council Manager for 8th Grade,” Teresa announced to Kayla.
“You are?” Kayla asked.
“Yeah,” Teresa replied offhandedly. “I’m going to make there be a disco every two weeks. And naturally everybody should vote for me, after all I am one of the most popular girls here.”
“Yeah…” Kayla slowly nodded.
“Did you hear about the new guy?” Teresa changed the subject. “He is such a nerd. Greg something, him and his Muk are here. He looks hot though, although he’s a nerd. He was hanging around with Spike, Blaron and Craig.”
“What a looser,” Kayla agreed halfheartedly. ‘What is this with Teresa, so critical? But she IS my friend and she can get bitchy at times…’
*
“There’s a disco on tomorrow night if you haven’t heard,” Nayia said as we lined up for food. “I heard its going to be the best, like a pre-election thing for the Student Council. Have you heard? Teresa is running in the competition.”
“Teresa?” Ashley repeated. “Well I’m also in the competition.”
“You are?” I asked.
“You ARE?” Nayia shrieked.
“There’s one thing I won’t understand about girls, I’m going over with Craig and the new kid Greg,” Martin told us before pushing his way through the crowd over to a table.
“Anyway, we have some serious campaigning to do before the election next week,” Nayia said. “I want you to win. Personally, I think that Teresa is…”
“Only the biggest ***** in the universe,” I input. “I mean honestly, I was in the bathroom yesterday when I hear her come into the room with Kayla. She was going on about how Craig and Greg and Blaron and Spike are nerds, how some girl wearing the same pants as Kayla looked like a Snorlax and how she was going to win the election because she was so damn popular. Well somebody better tell her that looks aren’t everything because if she keeps up that bitchy attitude she won’t be going anywhere. I hope she fails miserably, I hope one day she rots in hell where she belongs, the self centered *****.”
“Not again,” Ashley murmured.
“Good day to you Sally Anne,” Teresa icily greeted. “I suppose you were having fun sharing your thoughts about people to others, just like you did with Aunt Lucidia Blastoise. You just love that don’t you, going behind peoples backs and stabbing them.”
I glared at Teresa, and reached behind me for my dagger. I grasped the air instead and whirled around to see another of Teresa’s friends behind me, holding the dagger in its case in her hands.
“Looking for this?” Marina mocked, her bold blue fringe covering part of her left eye, her two identical blue pigtails behind her shoulders. She held the dagger up in the air and pretended to study it. “Very old, wonder what would happen to it if it was burnt.”
I lifted my foot and brought it down hard on Marina’s toeless shoes. My joggers crushed down on her little toes and she yelped in pain, dropping the dagger. I reached for it when a Jolteon leapt through the air and caught it in her mouth. The Jolteon landed gracefully, her golden spikes shining, her teeth bared and growling.
“I wouldn’t try and get it, that Jolteon is highly trained,” Annabelle warned tauntingly, tossing her hot pink wavy hair over one shoulder and gloating at me.
I stood there fuming.
“Aww look at that, she’s going to burst with anger,” Heather teased, her lavender short hair fluffy and wild. She was gloating just like the rest of them. I turned around, eyeing each *****.
Marina, standing on one leg, rubbing her toes. Teresa, smirking at me with nothing but hatred in those eyes. Annabelle looking all smug, next to her snarling Jolteon. Heather playing with her hair, waiting for the next move. Leah walked up next to Teresa, who whispered something in Leah’s ear after brushing away Leah’s blonde hair.
Kayla.
She was standing back, watching like the other silent spectators. She wasn’t joining in with the gang ***** bashing. Why? It wasn’t as if we were friends. Perhaps she knew how tough I really was? Or maybe she wasn’t such a snob after all.
“What do you want Teresa,” I demanded, playing it cool. “You want something don’t you?”
“Me? Want something from you?” Teresa scoffed.
“Yes,” I answered quietly. “If you didn’t want something then why do you have all your so called friends here? You want to push me down, make me look like an idiot, cause me to go depressed, to become so low that it makes you look higher than I. Your afraid of me, aren’t you Teresa?” I glared as I accused Teresa.
I saw a flash of horror in Teresa’s eyes, she seemed to be scared for a split second, but then her smug look instantly returned.
“Why on earth would I be afraid of you?” Teresa asked.
The crowd grew bigger. I saw Nayia and Nixie (who had appeared), Spike, Blaron, Craig, Greg and Martin watching, and a few others. Leah, Teresa, Marina, Heather and Annabelle surrounded me and I wasn’t about to surrender to them.
“I have been through more than you’ll ever been through in your entire snooty life,” I began. “I’ve endured days with only one juju chocolate, weeks without water. I’ve been through experiences that you have in your nightmares, almost raped, almost murdered twice, picked on. But I’ve come through. Its obvious your scared, look at who’s with you. Your specially selected ***** Brigade, the Men-in-disguise Mafia. Get lost and give me back my dagger, I don’t have time to waste on you.”
“What happened to all that fighting I’ve heard about?” Teresa pushed. “The stabbing, the slapping.”
I turned around and glared. “You don’t want to make me get into that,” I stated before walking a few steps away.
“Look at this everybody,” Teresa raised her voice so it could be heard throughout the crowd. “The famous Sal is scared of fighting. Look at her, walking away. Only a true wimp would be such a coward and walk away.”
“Only a true ***** would let everybody know that she’s the leader of the Lapras Valley High Mafia,” I replied. “Now if you’ll excuse me I have lunch to buy.”
“The dagger,” Nayia hissed. “Your dagger!”
I turned around. “Before I leave I want to get my dagger back, if I may.”
“How about no?” Teresa replied. “No dagger for little wimps.” She shook her finger out in front of me.
And I snapped.
My first fight.
It felt good.