Serena POV

"Oh, crap!"

My sentiments exactly.

The visions of piping hot chocolate and cookies, which had been dancing in front of my sapphire eyes ever since Mr. Cilan had mentioned the magic word 'refreshments' dissolved as I gaped down at a groaning and cussing Ash as my heart was sinking down below my feet.

I had just attacked the 'Master' of the house. Right now, refreshments were not in my immediate future. Mr. Cilan would call the Door Man, who would kick me out and Count Dracula would probably release the hounds once he too realized that I wasn't really Miette.

This is bad...

My hands swished near to my gaped mouth with wide eyes as I took tiny step forward, staring down at Ash lying on a polished wooden floor, whose eyes were clenched shut in a grimace of pain.

"Ash, I am so, so sorry!" I exclaimed in worried.

His eyes slowly opened from a narrow cut, squinting at me as I continued, wringing my hands like a bad actress.

"It was a reflex action; your voice came out of nowhere - are you alright?" I bit the inside of my cheek nervously. "Are you bleeding?"

"Ahh f-" he was about to use the language word. Holding the pain. "it hurts!" was Ash's groaned answer.

I bit my thumb hard to hold back the tsunami of laughter threatening to pour from me. Big Man on Campus or not, Ash Ketchum was just a big,  throwing baby.

Either that or his nose was broken. Please don't let his nose be broken.

I knew Ash probably had enough money in his private bank account to get cosmetic surgery on his nose, but I wouldn't be able to live it down. I'd be known forevermore as 'that girl who broke Ash Ketchum nose.' Not a good reputation at all.

"Take your hand off your face, let me see," I said in a commanding tone, leaning over his lean body while gazing at his tanned face that had z-mark on both cheeks.

The loose blue short-sleeved Jacket he was wearing rose up to show a strip of nicely tanned, lean stomach and a hint of his blue boxers. My eyes widened for a second as I blatantly stared then gave myself a mental slap. Focus, Serena! I was supposed to be helping the guy, not ogling him!

He glowered up at me, his black bangs falling into his eyes. "I'm not taking my hand off, are you insane? What part of 'it hurts' don't you understand?"

Sheesh. The part which says its okay for you to act like a jerk when I'm trying to help you.

I almost said that aloud but checked myself when I remembered that I was the main reason he was in pain. All the poor guy had been after was a little intimacy with Miette. who must be his 'lady friend', if the piano line is anything to go by, but instead he got an elbow to the face.

Life can be so unfair sometimes.

"Okay, okay." I clamped my lips together. "Are you bleeding?" I asked again, since he hadn't answered me the first time. "Do we have any Kleenex?" I questioned as I now finished. 

I looked around the parlor for a box of tissues and spotted one to my left on a modern looking coffee table.

Taking a step forward to grab the Kleenex box, I accidentally tripped over my own two feet. I wind milled my arms wildly to keep my balance and not tip over...please don't let me fall on Ash...too late.

With an involuntary 'oof' noise escaping from me, I fell right on top of Ash, feeling his muscly body clench as I 'landed' with our heads a few centimetres away.

My short hair that smelt of ocean strawberry swung into my pale face as I tried to pull myself up using my arms, which were caught in the strap of my book bag.

"For the love of Pikachu, get off me," Ash growled from under me, trying to push me off his body, touching each side like he was a security that checks people on whats inside their clothes. "Your jacket's freaking wet!"

I hoped that nobody would choose that moment to walk into the room, even though, with the way things were going for me today, that was probably exactly what would happen.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying," I panted, trying to work the bag's strap over my shoulder to give my arms more mobility so that I could raise myself up. My legs were all tangled in his- we looked like a human ball of intertwined wool.

As I was trying my best to free myself from my evil bag, I kept trying not to notice how warm Ash felt, even with the central heating on, I still felt very cold, or how his chest was rising and falling in various time to his breathing, or how fast his heart was beating, or how amazing he smelt. And you know what? I failed at not noticing. Guilty.

"Try harder!" Ash exclaimed, his breath fanning my hair against my cheek, without noticing his free hand sliding down dangerously near my bottom that my dress is slightly lifted.

Although, I was glad my hair was in my face, because that way I couldn't see the expression on his face. Even though, judging purely by the sound of his voice, he was very pissed off.

One arm broke free and I rolled myself off him, landing myself on floor as my heart thumping in- relief? Lust? cruel? No, definitely relief.

"I am so, so, sorry," I said profusely and stood up from ground, slipping my bag from my shoulders and place it onto the couch. "I tripped over my shoes! Here, let me get you the Kleenex."

I ran hurriedly across the room to fetch it and when I turned, Ash had dragged himself onto a couch as far away from me as possible and was eyeing me menacingly through his jet black raven spiked hair.

"What is wrong with you?" he snapped, glaring at me as I walked towards him, firmly holding the box of Kleenex in hand.

He looked ready to attack. If he hadn't been so cute and still in pain from the nose thing, I would have ran out of the building screaming.

My mouth opened to speak. "I- I tripped over my shoes," I explained, pointing down at my boots. "You see, they're a size-."

"Are you always like this?" Ash asked, cutting in before I had finished my sentence.

I blinked. How rude. That just updated his jerk status even more.

And what exactly did he mean, am I always like this?

"Like what?" I asked in a small voice.

He wasn't lifting a finger to take the box, or give any indication that he even saw it. Just continued to stare at me, through narrowed eyes.

"A danger to people around you," he said, gesturing towards me, his other hand still over his nose as I sat down on the couch next to him. Looking at his face.

"Well, I-" I started, getting ready to defend myself even though I didn't have the slightest idea how.

Ash was right. I was a danger to people around me. Why, just last week I hit May in the face with a rubber band.

Ash stretched out his legs in front of him. "Coz if you are, I don't think we should hang out. Ever." He brushed his raven hair from his eyes, which was just a waste of time since it fell back in. "I know it doesn't look like much, but I kinda like my face. I wanna keep it looking the way it does."

I bristled, feeling slightly defensive. "You startled me when you came up behind me, put your arms around me and started whispering in my ear! Then about a few minutes. I tried to help you by getting a tissue from a table but I accidentally tripped over on you. Now he-" I was interrupted from Ash's laugh. I don't know why he's doing that. 

"What's so funny" I said irately, narrowing my eyebrows at him.

Ash regains from his laughter with a few let out coughs and spoke. "Well its that," he shrugged with a smile that showed his flashing white cleaned teeth.  "you know. That fall"

I simply didn't understand what he meant by that "fall" as I almost closed my eyes to relive it. He had smelt so good! Too good, a new fresh mint. And he had been so warm and so-perfectly unavailable, so stop it, Serena.

Wait, now I realised that fall in what he meant. Did We-

Now. Shaking myself to ignore my thought, I continued, hoping he hadn't noticed my lapse in concentration.

"How many girls do you know who would stay cool under that kind of pressure?"

Yeah, both types of pressure. The pressure of the situation and the pressure of his body against mine.

Ash was giving me an incredulous look and I belatedly decided that maybe this was not a good conversation were having.

"You're blaming this on me? No way, own it!"

"Uh..." I started, tugging my earlobe and nervously eying the door as my escape route in case things go rough.

Ash stood up abruptly and sat back down on a different chair opposite me. "I thought you were Miette," he claimed. Liar. Miette has blue hair. Mine is honey blond. Does he know the difference?

"I came in here expecting to see Miette because I got a call from my employee that she was downstairs and instead I see you."

I gulped.

Smiling weakly at him with nervous swelled. I gave him a little wave. "Surprise!"

He sneered at me. "Really? I come in here, embarrass myself, get assaulted, you fall on me and I find out that you're not Miette." His eyes flickered over me. "Not even close."

Of course I wasn't Miette! She was a beautiful and rich while I was just a girl from the gutter. No comparison. I needed to change the subject.

"Are you bleeding?" I asked again. I was beginning to sound like a skipping CD. Could you answer me, dammit.

"I'm not bleeding," he replied after a beat.

Now, was that so hard to say?

His eyes were still on me and I can't lie, it was making me feel like a monkey at the zoo. "Oh. Well, is your nose broken?" Please don't let it be broken. "Do you want me to call an ambulance?"

"I don't think it's broken. Just hurts that's all."

I giggled as a wave of relief flowed through my body.

"I'm so glad this is funny for you," Ash said by rolling his eyes. sarcasm twisting his words.

I froze in mid-laugh, feeling suitably mortified. "No, I wasn't laughing at you! I was laughing because I was happy that you weren't really badly hurt," I explained hurriedly. "I really am sorry, though."

Ash shrugged, finally removing his hand from his face with a wince. "It's okay, I guess." He prodded his nose carefully with a finger and smirked slightly. "No lasting harm done, I think."

I breathed easy. He was okay. His nose was flushed with pink, but it didn't look swollen. Maybe I would get my hot chocolate yet.

"It must be your lucky day," I said ramblingly, leaning forward. Getting interested of our conversion.

Ash gazed at me, rubbing his nose with his hand, wincing and looking even cuter.

"Didn't my employee downstairs tell you that I didn't want visitors?" he asked, a dangerous sounding note creeping into his husky voice.

Damn. Just when I thought it was safe...

I figured his employee was the code word for Count Dracula. "He did, but-"I began, shifting uneasily on the couch, which had suddenly lost its comfort.

"But you pretended to be Miette so you could come up?" Ash asked, talking over me. He rubbed his chin. "That's kinda made up. Like, are you a stalker? One of my fan girls? Why would you come up here when I specifically said that I didn't want anyone up?"

Because I thought you had the mumps and I had to come up and check it out.

This guy was acting like a typical rich, spoilt jerk.

For his answer. I held up his homework file that was placed on couch for a couple minutes. the real reason I was there. The irate look on his face changed to one of puzzlement.

"I was bringing you your homework," I said shortly.

Being a Good girl was overrated. I might just do what Dawn suggested and demand payment for my troubles.

"You pretended to be Miette so you could bring me my homework?" he asked dubiously. "Really?"

I felt my eyes rolling to the ceiling before I could stop myself. "No, I pretended to be Miette so you could sign my t-shirt," I said dryly, then giggled. "Of course I pretended to be Miette so I could bring you your homework!"

This kid was on the Committee on Student Conduct but he was acting really slow today.

He bit his lip reflectively. "So you're not a stalker?"

I snorted. "Do I honestly look like one of your fan girls?" I questioned.

Talking to Ash was fun! Well, I was having fun, I couldn't read anything on his face, but I had never chatted to someone as popular as him for such a long time. He hadn't chased me out of his sight or denounced me, so I had to be doing something right.

He gave a slight chuckle, shaking his head. "No. They're usually- really intense and try to feel me up every chance they get." He shifted lower in his seat, scratching his stomach idly which I could glimpse his abs. "So I just get paranoid when I'm home. Occupational hazard."

He was turning into a regular chatterbox and I willed him to keep talking. My reasons were partly because Mr. Cilan was taking forever with the refreshments and I was this close to asking Ash where the kitchen was so I could go help him, but no because Ash had a rather sexy voice.

"So they stake out your house, too?" I asked, my mind still on the rabid fan girls.

I imagined what it would be like, having a bunch of adoring girls around you every second. That was probably what the Jonas Brothers had wondered before they got famous. Now, they were dissing the same fans that made them- wait, no, that's Zac Efron.

"Yeah, I have no idea why," Ash said, shrugging and managing to look remarkably unassuming. "I mean, I dropped out of the football (soccer) team, so its not coz I'm a jock, right?" He grinned. "Don't know what my appeal to them is."

Could be because of your charm. I was being blown away by it and he wasn't even using it on me- wait, did I just say that bit about charm out loud?

Ash raised his eyes from the carpet to glance at me. "Huh?"

I did! I did say it out loud! What is wrong with me?

"I said I'm not a stalker," I stammered, struggling to keep my cool. He didn't hear me. "Never stalked anyone." I spread my hands and shrugged. "I don't have time for it."

"Yeah?" Ash yawned. Probably thinking Am I boring. "So I guess I should, you know, thank you for bringing me work to do," he said, a teasing note in his tone.

"Well, I was sent. By Miss Viola," I said.

"Right. Well, thanks anyway," he said. "I probably won't do the homework, but thanks for bringing it."

"No problem," I said with a gentle smile, my voice coming out as a whisper. Arceus, I needed a boyfriend so that I wouldn't react like this to every cute guy I spoke to. Or maybe it was just the Ash factor. I need an intervention.

Luckily, Mr. Cilan chose that moment to walk in, interrupting our conversation by carefully balancing a tray on his upturned palm. I thought they only did that in movies, I thought, hoping he wouldn't drop the tray. I had endured much to get here.

"Your hot chocolate and cookies, ma'am," he announced, placing the tray on a table in front of me. Apparently he had forgotten the whole 'call me Serena, call me Mr. Cilan thing' and I didn't think about reminding him because the plated cookies on the tray looked delicious, there were only about four but were big. I shivered in anticipation as Mr. Cilan arranged everything just so and straightened.

"Master Ketchum, is there anything I can get you?" he asked Ash. Maybe I was reading way too much into this, but I could sense his eyes on me as I bit into a soft, chocolate cookie. My eyes closed in delight like I was in heaven as I chewed with the chocolate gooey liquid that melted my tongue. tasting in devour with a smell from a cookie.

"No thanks, I'm good," Ash said. I opened my eyes just to see Mr. Cilan turn to leave the room.

"Thanks for the refreshments, Mr. Cilan," I said through a mouthful of crumbs.

Mr. Cilan turned to me with a smile on his face and bowed. "You're welcome, ma'am." Lift back up straight.

He left the room leaving the two us alone and I took a small sip of hot chocolate that was also placed on tray. As I did, the warmth went right through my body. I needed that.

Looking up from the table, my sapphire eyes met with Ash's auburn. We both flushed. I don't know why he was embarrassed, but I was kinda eating like a hungry savage.

Once again, my mouth spoke before my mind said to. "It's considered rude to stare in most cultures."

"I'm just trying to place you," he replied, sounding slightly defensive.

I wiped my mouth clean with a napkin that good old Mr. Cilan had so thoughtfully provided.

"I've been in most of your classes since the 8th grade!" I said, wolfing down another cookie while Ash stared at me in amusement. "Not that you would notice me."

"I notice everything,' he said simply and pointed a finger at me. "It's salena, right?"

I made that game show buzzer sound that means 'wrong' and shook my head. "Wrong. You were close, though. It's Serena."

A slow smile lit up his face. "Yeah, Serena. That's right. I think I have loads of your pencils," he grinned.

He wasn't lying. In almost all of our Science classes, he asked me for a pencil.

"Hey, do you still have my blue polar bear pencil?" I asked him. That was my lucky pencil, yet I had foolishly let him borrow it a couple of weeks ago. And Ash wasn't the type of guy you approached in the hall to ask for your pencil back, mostly because he beaten five men deep. And also because he would laugh at you, like he was doing now.

"I kind of need that back," I ended lamely.

Snickering, Ash said "I honestly don't think so, but I'll look around-who the-?"

Suddenly. The door buzzer had just sounded, interrupting our conversation. I wonder who that could be?