Unfortunately, enthusiasm was not enough to help us beat the last level of Halo 3. Two hours and countless attempts later, Ash put down his controller and conceded defeat.

"I can't do it anymore," he said, pulling at his raven hair in mock frustration.

"Don't give up until its over" I encouraged him, even though I personally felt that if I had to see Master Chief one more time I would go loco.

"Is that what it says on your locket?" Ash asked absently. I looked at him as he lay on his back with his arms behind his head, staring at the locket
which was hanging right above my - gulp - chest.

"No. My locket says 'we cannot rule over our destiny'," I said, running my finger over it. Ash grinned.

"That's deep. But- what does it mean?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Maybe one day I'll figure it out," I said softly.

"Yeah. So, tell me. About the whole piano thing. You planning to study music after high school? Maybe go to Julliard or something?" Ash asked me, turning on his side till he was facing me with his hair falling into his eyes. I felt an almost uncontrollable urge to brush it out of his eyes and sat on top my hands.

"I wish I could go to Julliard," I said wistfully. "But I know my limits, financial and otherwise. I'm probably not going to do anything related to music."

After all, hadn't a little birdie told me that even though I went to private school, I would always be a ghetto child? That was true, though. I rarely agreed with Alain on anything, but I couldn't deny that.

"Why? You got talent!" Ash was now on his stomach, his chin propped up in his hands as he looked at me. "I think if someone from Julliard heard you play, they'd be beating down your door, trying to get you to join their school. I mean, I think you're really good."

I flushed. That meant so much to me. "Thank you, Ash," I said softly, looking down at ground with a smile on my face then back at him when he spoke.

"Don't sell yourself short. They have scholarships and stuff. You might end up being lucky," Ash continued.

"Maybe," I shrugged. I doubted it, though. Me, at Julliard? Only in my dreams.

"So if you don't do music- what you planning to do after high school?" Ash wanted to know.

"Something to do with kids," I decided. "Maybe train to become a teacher. Or a daycare supervisor."

Ash laughed. "Yeah? Better you than me, I think I would go insane, hanging out with kids all the time. That's cute."

I hugged my knees to my chest, pushed my skirt down between my legs while looking down at him. "I just think that's the kind of job I'd like to do. Or I could be a social worker. What about you?"

"Well, from the day I was born, my dad was supposed to groom me to take over the family business coz apparently, its tradition in our family," Ash started, frowning slightly. "But somewhere along the road, he decided that I was no good and would be useless, even if I did manage to get hold of the company. I'm 17 years old, Sere, and my dad hasn't ever sat me down to tell me what the hell he does every day at work. Personally, I think he just plays golf all day. But the point is, someday I'm expected to take over the company and I don't even know anything about it."

"Maybe he's waiting till you turn 18," I suggested. I had never heard Ash sound so bitter. Bad relationship with his dad? Couldn't he see how remarkable his son was?

Ash laughed derisively. "Yeah right. He's setting me up to fail. The man can't stand me because I remind him of my mom, and he hates my mom. So for the past 12 years, he's been giving me crap just because I have the same eyes as her, the same smile as her." He snorted. "My dad's a jerk. I swear, the minute I turn 21, I'm out of here."

"Where are you gonna go?" I asked curiously, wanting to hear more about his dad. He didn't sound like a nice person at all. More like a 'Alain' type of guy.

"Travel the world. That's what I see myself doing. I'll have enough money, I won't have to work. Maybe dad will groom Leaf to be the CEO of his stupid company, I don't care. I'm gonna be in Barcelona, soaking up the sun."

"You sound like you've got it all planned out," I said. Lucky him. I hoped he would write me a postcard when he was on his tour of the world. Then again, after his operation, he would probably forget about me once his life is back to normal.

He nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yeah. When we were dating, Miette and I would talk about stuff like that all the time. What we were going to do as soon as our trust funds kicked in, where we would go, people we would meet. Her home life is pretty shitty too, her stepdad is a jerk. So we- kind of found each other because of that."

I wouldn't have pictured polished, refined Miette having anything wrong with her perfect existence. Never judge a book by its cover. I guess rich people had problems of their own to deal with.

"You know, I always wondered why you two broke up," I mused out loud, then blanched. Uh-oh. Why had I said that out loud? "I mean- you don't need to tell me- actually, forget I said anything."

Ash shrugged lazily. "No, I don't mind. We broke up- well, she dumped me actually."

"Really?" I had to ask. "Why?"

Because Ash and Miette had been the most envied couple at Lumiose for two years. Good looking, rich, connected, hard partying- everyone had wanted to be in their shoes. Then overnight, they weren't a couple anymore and nobody knew why. The grapevine never found out why they had broken up, or why they kept hooking up randomly in the supply closet after they went their separate ways.

Ash wrinkled his nose, a slightly embarrassed look on his face. "Because I couldn't say 'I love you.'"

That was so unexpected that I burst out laughing. "Sorry," I spluttered as Ash shot me an amused look.

"You can laugh, but it's true. And when I told her that I couldn't say it coz I had to mean it, she really got pissed off."

"You could've just faked it," I said, even though I didn't believe it. Some things you had to mean before you said them. Ash echoed this.

"I guess I didn't love her coz I couldn't say it," he said regretfully. "Sad, but that's the way it goes."

True.

Three sandwiches later, I was ready to leave for work. Ash insisted on coming with me, slipping his feet into a pair of red and black sneakers. "Nobody's gonna laugh at me just coz I'm wearing PJ bottoms," he pointed out as we walked out into the lobby.

"I hope not," I laughed, stealing a glance at him. He looked undeniably hot with his bed head raven hair, blue pajama short bottoms, and a white with red stripe vest. Although, I didn't realise that I was completely staring at his perfectly sized biceps.

I instantly broke my gaze and looked straight ahead, not to resist to look back again as we enter the elevator, sending us down to the ground floor. When it did. We both exited and head out of the penthouse heading to a black stretched limo that was parked outside with a driver inside in his seat then notices us as me and Ash enter the limo's back seat.

Sitting down next to each other and buckled our seat. The driver starts the engine and drive off from its parking, into the streets of Lumiose city.

I looked through the window beside, watching houses and people speed past before my eyes.

"So, where is your work" Ash question, facing at me.

I looked back at him by turning away from the window. "It's just down the block" I answered.

"Oh ok" Ash said and then told the driver of my location.

When he did. I looked back at the window again and I heard him yawn loud as he stretched his arm up in air then descends. However, not to his lap. Instead He mutely lowers his arm behind my head, placing his hand on top of my shoulder blade, sending me the heat from his palms which got my full attention.

I glanced at his top hand with wide opened eyes as a hot blush spread across my cheeks then looked back at Ash again who was looking ahead without realising on what he just did.

I looked down at my lap with
A blush still on my pale cheeks, feeling nervous swelled. "U-um, can you take your arms off" I said.

"Huh" he faced me and soon realised on what he did. "Oh sorry about that." He said, lifting his arm off from my back on to his lap, resting on it. "Damn. I'm sorry, I thought you were a..."

I interrupt "n-no, its all right" I said hurriedly with a blush still Activated on my face then looked back at a clear window, covering my face without showing to him.

Well, that was awkward.

---- time skip ----

Finally arriving my destination. The black limo pulled up on a pavement near to clemont's, my workplace and I got out of the limo with Ash following.

I looked around were the streets was a little quite with some people walking around on pavement between each side and the weather was warm, instead the clouds were covering up the sun, almost about to overcast.

"This is where I work," I told him, pointing at a big building with a sign on top named 'clemont's'. "Clemont makes the best subs."

No boasting.

"Really? I gotta buy me one, then. What do you recommend?" Ash asked with a cheeky grin on his face as he shut the door closed and We started walking together towards the store.

"The special. Always a good choice."

"Man, my eyes are stinging," Ash complained, rubbing them with the heel of his palm. I opened the door making the bell ring loud across room and stepped in the light, talking to Ash over my shoulder.

"Too much video-oh!"

My sentence ended in a gasp and I came to a dead stop, staring at the counter. The deli was empty apart from clemont, the owner, and Alain, who was glowering at me. I shook slightly, goose bumps rising on my skin.

"Well, lookie here," Alain said sarcastically, clapping slowly as he stared at me. "You go to the library and come back in a limo, with a boy? What kind of studying were you doing, huh?"

"Alain." My nervous voice came out in a whisper and I gulped, trying to find something to say. "I-."

"You what? You were giving this kid blow jobs in the back of his limo? That how you been getting your money lately? Momma's gonna have a field day with this one, you stupid-!"

"Hey, what the hell's your problem, dude? Sere's my friend! She wasn't giving me a blow job," Ash interrupted, coming to stand next to me. Alain glanced at him and disregarded him.

"Beat it loser, I'm talking to 'Sere', not you. Listen here, missy," he said, stepping closer to me with a sneer on his face. "You told me you were going to the library. I see you come out of a boys limo. What the hell did I tell you about boys, huh?"

"Trouble," I choked out with fear crawled on my whole face. Alain was mad. When he was mad, things get ugly. Oh, why did Ash have to be here.

"But you don't seem smart enough to listen, do you?" I shook my head as he continued. "How much he pay you for a back seat blow job?"

"I wasn't-," I started.

"Hey. What the **** is wrong with you? I told you, Sere and me are just friends. No back seat blow jobs. No sexual favors in exchange for money. Get your head out of the gutter," Ash put in, moving till he stood in front of me, shielding me from Alain and glaring at him.

Alain glared back, stepping forward till they were almost nose to nose. "Say what? Who the hell are you, rich boy?" he asked intimidatingly. Ash didn't back down.

"I'm Ash Ketchum," he said confidently, staring Ash down. "Who are you?"

"I'm Serena's friend, so you better step off before I make you step off," Alain growled, clenching his hands into fists.

Standing his ground, Ash simply said, "I'm not scared of you."

"Ash, y-you better go," I said nervously.

I was so glad that he was sticking up for me, but I didn't want him getting into a physical fight over me, and not with my friend. Alain fought dirty. There was no way Ash could win. But just knowing that he had stuck up for me was enough to make me feel better about what was coming for me.

"Yeah, you tell your boyfriend to get out of here, little ****," Alain commented as Ash turned to face me, an outraged expression on his face.

"You want me to leave you with this guy?" he asked incredulously. "No way!"

"Ash, it's okay. I can take it from here, I'll calm him down," I lied. Whatever Alain was going to do, I didn't want Ash witnessing it. It would be humiliating. "It's okay. You can go. I'll be fine."

"Sere, I can't just leave you here. I mean-," Ash started, concern flitting across his face.

"Clemont's got my back," I whispered. I looked up at him, trying not to cry at the compassionate look on his face. He cared about what happened to me. "I'll be fine. Please, Ash."

Looking unconvinced, he finally nodded, much to my relief. "Okay. I'll call you," he said.

"Okay," I whispered and almost groaned in pleasure as he hugged me close to him, disregarding Alain's presence completely as he squeezed me. My scared eyes sought Alain out, he looked madder than ever as Ash whispered, "Take care," in my ear. Lets go of me and walked out of the store after giving one last look at me.

When he left. Immediately, Alain was in my face. "You hugging on that kid right in front of me? What did I tell you?"

"Alain, he's just a friend!" I protested as he breathed in my face, his face twisted in anger.

"Just a friend? How the hell are you gonna be friends with a rich kid like that? Huh?"

He grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me till my teeth rattled.

"Alain, I swear! He just gave me a lift," I said with tears in my eyes.

"If I ever catch you with a boy again..." His voice trailed off sinisterly as his eyes locked with mine. He quickly grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me towards him which pained so much me of how tight he's holding on to it. "You think momma will pay for your tuition if she knows you're whoring your body to horny school boys?" He pulled my hair harder till I shrieked. "Huh?"

"That's enough," clemont interuppted from behind the counter. "No violence in my store. Take it outside."

Successfully. Alain let go of me, wiping his hands on his pants and looked at clemont. "Can you pay her, geeky boy? I got to get outta here."

Clemont nodded brusquely, taking out his wallet and counting out some money. He gestured towards me. "Your pay," he said.

Still shaking, I walked to the counter and took my money from Clemont. Wordlessly, I counted out 30 dollars and handed it to Alain, feeling a spurt of rage towards him as he snatched the cash out of my hand and saluted me.

"I'm out," he said cheerily, as though nothing has ever happened. He waved at clemont, who stared at him impassively, and left the shop out of my sight. Immediately, I plopped down at the counter, feeling my legs giving out. I put my head in my hands, tears seeping out.

"Hey, it's alright. You'll be okay," clemont said, sounding unconcerned. I wasn't mad at him. I knew he cared about what went on in our house, with Alain. But he never got involved in what he said was 'personal familia business.' Only when it seemed that things were escalating to violence did he step in. I respected that. He saved me countless times.

"It's never gonna end," I wailed. "He's always gonna be in my business. I can't even have friends without him scaring them off."

Alain had definitely scared Ash off. Now he was probably going to avoid me and tell his friends about my insanely violent friend.

"Prolly better that he scared that one off, little lady. Rich boy and
poor girl. Never work, not in any other stories," clemont told me, wiping a glass as I raised my head at him.

"Ash's just my friend. Nothing could happen between us," I said.

"That's how it starts," clemont said mysteriously as I eyed him. "Now. I give you 5 minutes to collect yourself then you get to work, yes?"