Ash POV

Lesson learned for the day: never judge a book by its cover. Because no matter how cheerful, sweet and helpful someone appears, you never know what's going on in their lives.

Case in point- Sere.

The shop scene managed to piss me off like nothing had pissed me off in recent history.

All I wanted to do. As I opened the door after exciting from the shop and got into the limo. Was to go back into the store and beat the crap out of Sere's friend. It made me sick to my stomach. Why would anyone want to treat a girl like Sere that way?

Of course, I knew a bit about strained family relations but even though I was 99 percent sure that my dad hated me, he had never physically abused me.

I hoped that Alain wasn't physically abusing Sere. As I thought of that, a wave of revulsion swept through me and only the image of Sere's stricken face kept me from marching back in the shop. I shouldn't have left her alone to deal with that scumbag, even though she had practically begged me to leave. She had said she could handle it, but I was sure she was bluffing. And that geeky guy behind the counter wasn't any help at all. Maybe this wasn't the first time something like that had happened in his store and he knew to keep his distance.

I mentally groaned to myself in the back seat, massaging my forehead. A steady, dull pounding had started again and I closed my eyes shut. The headache was Alain's fault. I'd only known Sere for a while but I knew she didn't deserve to have that scared look in those pretty eyes.

Leaning back in my seat, resting my back, I remembered what Dawn had said about Sere and her friend.

"Because you have no idea what Serena goes through. I don't want you hurting that girl, she's got enough problems already at home. You know, with her friend and the money and-."

At that time, I'd thought it weird and wanted to know more, but Dawn wouldn't tell me. Now it all made sense. Well, the friend thing did, I still wasn't sure about the money issue. I made up my mind to ask Sere herself what was going on. Maybe I could somehow be there for her like she was for me.

"I'll ask her on Monday," I said to myself, feeling better now that I had a plan of action.

Maybe I couldn't do anything about Sere's situation but even if she didn't want my help I'd sleep better knowing that I tried. It would make me feel better because I said something like what Calem said to her myself. So on Monday, I would casually ask her what was going on in her life, find out what she was hiding and be a friend. Her cheerfulness rubbed off on me and I needed that. Anyone who could be cheerful in spite of having a jerky friend like that was a star in my book.

At last, the limo stops its engine, parking in front of the penthouse entrance with servants dressed formal  were standing outside the front door. Probably waiting for me to come out.

I opened the door, getting out of the car by stepping my foot one after the other on a stoned flat surface, after shutting the door closed as I head toward the opened double door without no hesitation from others.

I stepped inside then went straight to the elevator, entering myself in as it lifts me up to the top floor while I waited impatiently.

When it did, I stepped out of the elevator and head to the living room door with other servants greeting me as I walk past.

Now. I arrived in-front of a door and place my free hand on to it. Pushing it open with less strength by walking inside the room without knocking.

When I did. My little sister Leaf ran to me as soon as I walked into the living room, holding up the pinkest dress I had ever seen in my life. She was beaming from ear to ear.

"Look at my dress, Ash! It's pretty, right?" she asked me. Glancing down at her pink dress which really suited for a little girl, then at me.  

I made a face, bending down to her level as I fingered the material. "Wow. It's so- pink."

Leaf's face fell and she looked up at me, her bottom lip wobbling. "You don't like it?" she asked in a sad voice.

I put a fake scowl on my face. "Course I don't like it," I lied, trying to hold on the laugh of her face.

"Aw!" Leaf turned to her mother, who was sitting down on a couch, resting her back with a black bag perched next to her. "Ash doesn't like my dress," she complained, pouting.

While she was distracted. I instantly quickly grabbed her in my hands, swinging her up into my arms. "I don't like it, I love it, silly!" I exclaimed and tickled her as she lets out fiercely giggles and she tickled me back.

"You're silly!" she said happily, controlling her laughter down to normal-self with a childish smile on her face.

"I tried to talk her out of getting a pink dress but she was set on it," Hope said from the couch.

I looked at her over Leaf's head. "Why would you talk her out of it?" I asked. "Pink's her favorite color."

Hope nodded in response, gently pushing back her long black hair from her eyes. "How many people at these galas wear pink?" she asked me.

That was Hope in a nutshell. Always trying to conform, to be the same as all the rest of the Lumiose city wives.

"Leaf's just a kid," I assured her, setting down Leaf carefully on the floor. "She needs to liven the color scheme up a little, right, Leaf?" I looked at her

"Yeah!" Leaf agreed, clutching the dress to her like she thought Hope would wrest it from her and trade it in for a boring white one. The kid had the right idea.

Hope gave a long-suffering sigh. "Luckily you'll conform," she said, holding up the black bag. I gave her a quizzical look. "I got you a tux."

"For what?" I asked, baffled.

"For the gala." Hope held the bag out to me by leaning forward with an inviting smile on her face as I groaned. "Go try it on."

I shook my head, running a hand through my raven hair as Leaf started playing with my shoelaces. "Sorry, not interested."

"Ash, your dad told me to get you a tux for the gala," Hope explained.

"Really? But I'm not going to the stupid gala," I said honestly. Leaf stopped tying my laces together and stared up at me, a puzzled look on her face.

"Why?" she wanted to know.

I bent down till I was at her level, smiling into her perfectly serious brown orb eyes. "Because I'm not interested in hanging out with boring rich people," I told her.

"You can hang out with me! I want you to come to the party! We'll have fun!" Unexpectedly, Leaf flung her small arms around my neck, almost tipping me over.

"Oh, he's going to the gala alright," a deep voice said behind me. No points for guessing who the eavesdropper was.

Leaf's face lit up, departing away from my neck and she scrambled to her feet, running over to hug dad.

"Daddy! You're back!"

I sat down on couch to untie my laces, not even bothering to look as dad said, "Yes, sweetie, I'm back." There was a smacking sound as he (I presume) kissed Hope on the cheek. "Good afternoon, Hope."

How formal. That's your wife.

Ever the perfect wife, Hope simpered, "Welcome back, dear." I finally looked up after tying my shoelace successfully to see Hope try to untangle Leaf from dad's arms. Dad looked annoyed, of course, standing in the middle of the living room in his neatly pressed suit. "I'll just take Leaf to Liv for her bath."

"Aw! I wanna tell daddy about my dress!" Leaf clung to dad like a leech. It was kinda funny, seeing how irritated dad was getting. If I was there at this age, I would have received a one hit K.O.

"Later, sweetie. Let's go." Hope yanked Leaf off dad in one fluid movement, holding my little sister in her arms and exited the room, after closing it shut. Leaving only two men in a room.

Wow. Not even his own wife could stand to be in the same room with him for more than 5 minutes.

Dad moved closer to me as a questioning look spread all over on his face. "What's this I hear about you not going to the gala?" he asked.

I leaned against the couch, looking up at him. "Dad, we haven't seen each other in two days. Couldn't you say 'hi, son, how you doing, how you feeling, did the aneurysm get you yet'?"

Even though I told Sere that I wasn't having a 'crisis', I lied, okay? I'd been up till late last night, reading up people's aneurysm stories, just like I said. I didn't wanna die, have a stroke or end up on life support but I had pretty good chances of going either way. The stories had spooked me so much that I woke up in a cold sweat twice in the middle of the night. And since I'm usually the heaviest sleeper ever, you see how scared I was.

And, judging by the look on my dad's face, he didn't give a crap about how I was doing. Why was I so surprised? Could be because I spent the afternoon with someone who actually cared about what I was going through.

Every time I so much as coughed, Sere looked anxious. I wasn't gonna lie, I found that pretty cute. It had been a long time since anyone had shown concern for me.

"You're still here, so I guess it hasn't got you yet," dad said, laughing hysterically at his own joke, but I didn't laugh.

"Your powers of observation are truly outstanding," I murmured. The prick wasn't supposed to hear it, but I guess all that eavesdropping he did really sharpened his hearing.

"What?" he snarled, looking more like a bull dog than anything else. On second thought, he looked like that yellowish father guy in 'the simpsons' wanting to strangle my neck. I hope not.

Sighing, I got up to my feet from the couch. "Nothing. Welcome back, dad. I'm going to my room." I moved past him without saying another word, feeling nauseous. I needed to lie down.

Dad spoke as I reached the closed door. "You forgot your tux," he said coldly. "Go try it on. If it doesn't fit, Hope will take it back and get you another one."

Leaning my forehead against the oak door, I said, "Dad. I don't know how clear I can make this. I'm not going to this or any other gala." I turned around to face dad as I continued. He had a frown on his face, as usual. "I think gala's are stupid and I'd rather be thrown in a pit with lions than spend hours in a room full of pervy old men and bored desperate housewives."

Shaking the rolled up newspaper that was in his right hand, dad glared at me. "Sometimes I wonder if you really are an Ketchum," he said while I stared at him stonily with my mouth zipped. "Maybe that mother of yours had an affair with the professor."

Typical. Every time dad wanted to get to me, he used my mom. Pretty weird, considering he had tried his hardest to make me believe she was dead when they got divorced. In my defense, I was 4 when they got divorced and I believed it coz I didn't think anyone would be evil enough to lie about something that huge. But he was. And until I saw my mom on TV (and almost had a mini heart attack in the process, I was that freaked out) when I was 11, I believed him.

"Keep hope alive," I said, arching my eyebrows. "Unfortunately, we never had a professor because we don't have a lab so you're just gonna have to accept that I'm your son." I put my hand on the door, ready to push it open. "So, if we're done here..."

Instantly he responded "Yes, unfortunately your mother didn't start cheating on me until after you were born and the paternity tests prove that you are an Ketchum, so as part of your familial duty, I expect to see you at the gala in your tuxedo." I opened my mouth to retort but he talked over me. "No ifs, ands, buts' or maybe's'." He sneered at me. "Now you can leave. And change out of those stupid pajamas, you're not 5 anymore."

"I wonder if granddad ran your life like you're trying to run mine?" I asked him conversationally, leaning against the door.

I was tired of being treated like a 3 year old by him. Even Leaf got more leeway than I did these days. Sure, I went through a phase when my main goal was to piss dad off with everything I did. Sure, I got more DUI's than I wanted to think about. Sure, I was once a selfish, fast living party boy. But Gary's death made me re-evaluate my life and I decided that I didn't much like myself. I still didn't like myself much, but at least I was trying to change. Not that my dad noticed or cared.

Dad gave a meaning look "My father had no reason to run my life because I always behaved. Unlike you." I rolled my eyes at the scornful look he tossed in my direction. "I'm pretty sure you're trying to give me a heart attack."

I scratched my chin. "Must not be trying hard enough."

"I don't see what else you could pull," dad said, starting to pace up and down the living room, counting my misdemeanors off with his fingers. "We've been through the drugs, the drunk driving, the fights at school, the endless parties- way to cement your place in the screw-up hall of fame." He stopped pacing around and faced me, a triumphant glow in his eyes. "That's all you'll ever be, you know. My screw-up of a son."

I shrugged, pretending that I didn't care, but I did. All I had ever wanted was to be liked by my dad. Isn't that all a kid ever wants, just to have a good relationship with his dad? But I never had the chance, because he never gave me a chance.

"The defective gene must come from your side of the family. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, you know," I said distrustfully.

Dad's top lip curled up. "If you keep up talking like that, I'll make sure you never see a cent of your inheritance," he said softly, jamming his hands into his fully black jacket suit pockets. Probably so he wouldn't snap and deck me. Smart man.

"Dad, I've got enough money in my trust fund to live on for the rest of my life," I said wearily, my stomach churning. I felt like I was about to hurl. "And you know what; you've been talking about cutting me off for years! Maybe you should do it before one of us dies."

Scowling at me, dad growled "Watch your mouth, young man."

But I was just too riled up to care about the dangerous tone in his voice. My head hurt. I felt sick. I'd just witnessed a friend being chewed out by her own cousin. I didn't feel good about anything! And I wasn't about to let dad walk all over me. It was time for me to get something off my chest.

Shaking my head, I said, "No, you've been having a problem with me since Gary died. Actually, you've had a problem with me my whole life, but since Gary died you've been a real stupid about it. You got something you want to say to me, then go ahead and say it. If you don't, quit nagging me!"

Dad stared at me for a long second, an inexpressive look on his face as my chest heaved with pent up rage.

Finally he said, "Find a suitable date for the gala. You're going. And you're wearing that tux."

With that as his parting shot, he walked past me out of the living room, leaving no doubt as to who had won this round.

I stared at the ceiling, my hands clenched into fists. "****. You."