Serena POV

"This event is turning into a circus," May remarked in anger. Gritted her teeth as she pressed the top button on her Iphone, Switching it off completely. Slid it in her own pocket and then looked at the two us.

"What is it now?" Dawn asked her, picking pieces of lint off of her multicoloured black and pink slim dress.

It was after lunch and we were walking to our own lockers to collect some books, getting past each student in our way down hall.

May was walking beside me, keeping up my speed after having a rough day on her phone. She lost the run on subway surf, getting a pretty low score. As for Dawn, she was doing her own make up by putting lip gloss on her thin lips with a small mirror in her bare hand, reflecting it so she won't make a mess while glancing up ahead, not to bump into anyone in her way.

"You know I told you about my friend, the fashion designer?" May started, pushing back her thick brown hair with both hands and looking quite frustrated by the looks of it.

Dawn pursed up her thin lips as she safely puts make up inside her own black handbag, looking at May around me. "Is she the one who's holding a fashion show?"

May nodded in response. "Yup, that's her. She's launching a line of children and teen wear and she asked me to be a model." She signed softly and drops her head.

I slung an arm around her shoulder, hugging her to me while we walk straight without bumping into anyone along the way. "This is the first step to fame, girly! Why don't you look happy?" I joked with a sweet smile.

May wasn't the type of girl to get excited about doing things like modeling. She was a feminist and was often known to rail against the 'youth' in Social Science. The only reason she had agreed to be in her friend's fashion show at all was because her mother had made her. But May didn't give in without a fight.

"Trust me, I was getting used to the idea of modeling Aria's clothes, until I saw them," she said, her voice laden with doom causing me to giggle quietly, placing a loose fist near to my closed mouth, trying to control my laughter which I did in a matter of seconds.

"Um- isn't Aria the one who failed  Art?" I remembered. May nodded glumly at me. Her clothes are probably awful.

"Do tell! Are they ugly?" Dawn asked curiously, unconsciously smoothing back her sleek blue hair, just in case she happened to run into Paul. Which I hope not, or else she will be talkative forever about him.

I wasn't sure how someone who failed art could go on and actually become a fashion designer. And only if you have more money than you know what to do with.

"Ugly isn't quite the word to describe them." May shuddered prettily while Dawn hooted with delighted laughter. "Let's just say that they have to be seen to be properly appreciated."

"Aw, poor baby," I said in a soothing tone. Cocking my head a little. "You'll make the outfits work. You got style."

May grinned at me. "The people I really feel sorry for are the kid models. Aria making them dress up like mermaids. That's why I said it's turning into a circus."

When she that. We all giggled to ourselves, letting all our emotions out then regained.

"I don't know, she could be on to something," I conceded with a teasing grin on my face. "10 years from now, maybe we'll be dressing our kids in a bikini tops and tails and sending them to school."

"Serena, you're a trip," Dawn joked, pulling my short honey blond hair gently, running through her hand as did this but I ignored.

"When's the show?" I asked May. "And tell Aria not to be stingy with the invites. This is probably the only chance I'll get to see kids dressed like mermaids apart from Halloween." I added.

May patted my free arm. "She gave me two invites. You can come, but you have to promise not to make me laugh when I'm on the catwalk," she warned me with glared eyes like she was dead serious.

I nodded brightly. "I'll try my best not to." Giggling, I added, "May strutting her stuff on the catwalk. Who would have thought it?"

"The only reason I'm even doing this is because I love Aria," May declared.

"And because your mom forced you to do it," Dawn put in.

May nodded. "That too. But mostly it's the whole love thing."

I cocked my head to one side. "I can't believe you agreed to be a model," I said musingly.

"It was kind of easy for Aria to convince me. She just told me it would score points with the men and i was in. Also, she did ask Calem to be in too"

"Wait. Isn't Calem dating Misty?" Dawn asked absently.

May and I exchanged knowing looks. Dawn knew full well that Calem was dating Misty. She knew practically everything about every single relationship at our school. She was just nosy like that.

"They have an open relationship,' May snorted. "I mean, what's the point of saying you're exclusive if you continue to date other people?" Then shook her head in disgust.

"When's the show?" I asked again, preempting a rant.

"Next week," May simply replied with a resigned tone in her voice.

Dawn pouted. "Aw! I wanted to go," she wailed.

"There's nothing stopping you from going. I do have two invites," May told her, giving me a look as if to say 'you see what I have to deal with?'

"I have to go to the stupid charity gala with my mum," Dawn explained petulantly as a glumly face was plastered.

When sis did. I shot my BFF's a mock glare, making the time out sign with my hands. "Okay, both you guys are getting on my nerves," I said, pointing at May. "You don't want to be in the fashion show." I turned on Dawn, stabbing a finger in her direction. "And you don't want to go to the ball. Do you know what I would give to be at either place?" Firmly Grabbing Dawn by the shoulders, I shook her till she burst out laughing. "Do you?"

"Ah, save your theatrics for drama class," May said dismissively, my act not fazing her one bit. "If you can be in two places at once, you are so welcome to take our places."

Dawn nodded in agreement when taking my hand off her, stopping myself from shaking her. "Yeah. An evening with old rich guys looking down the front of my dress is something I'm not looking forward to."

I sighed dramatically by closing my eyes. "Alas, I'll probably be at home, reading on that night. Just me, a book and some hot chocolate." I shrugged.

Soon as I walking down hall were I was no where near to my locker. I felt a single tap on my shoulder, making me stop in my tracks while my friends took a couple of steps ahead of me then noticed me stopping. I swiveled around, facing away from my friend to behind me. Only to find myself looking at a handsome, all too familiar face.

Ash Ketchum.

"Hey," he said, grinning at me with his hands stuck in his pockets and a red baseball cap on his head, mostly covering the raven jet hair.

"Hi!" I slightly waved and remembered from before at the music section. "Uh, how are you feeling?" I question.

Yesterday wasn't good to him at all. But here he was, a big smile on his face, looking remarkably healthy and happy. And he was talking to me! In the middle of a busy hallway while students pushed past us on their way to get to wherever they were going, some looking curiously at me and Ash as they passed. In front of Dawn, the biggest gossip of Lumiose! This wasn't going to end well for me.

Ash shrugged. "I'm alright. I got some more of that medicine, plus I got some sleep last night, so I feel human again." He cheerfully said, raising a smile on his lips.

Behind my back, Dawn stepped forward, "Did the medicine work good for you?"

Eavesdropper.

Ash looked behind me and gives a wave over my shoulder at her with a grin on his face. "So good. Thanks, Dee. Hey, May." He greets across on my other shoulder.

I heard a mumbled 'hi' from May and a hearty 'no problem,' from Dawn.

Ignoring the weird looks we were getting, Ash leaned in closer to me.  Whispering in my ear with his warm breath tickling my ear lob, making my body heat up.

"So, I was kinda wondering- about yesterday, you know?" he started, looking unexpectedly nervous apprehensive.

I went the positive route, took it as a good sign and grinned, ignoring a ticklish tingle rising above my spine. "That doesn't qualify as a sentence. In fact, it doesn't even mean anything."

Ash snickered, showing off his perfect teeth. "You know. You offered to help me with my list." He said.

I blinked for few times with confused darted on my face. "Oh. Oh, yeah." I nod.

As if I had forgotten about that. But I mustn't lie to you, I thought he wouldn't remember. It had just been one of my random spontaneous speeches and I was positive that he wouldn't take me up on it, but- here he was.

Ash scratched his head, giving me a puzzled look. "Or where you just being nice?"

I shook my head immediately with a hot red blush rising across my cheeks. "No, I meant it," I assured him. "But- I thought you were just being nice when you said you'd hold me to it."

Note to self- try not to remember everything that emerges from Ash ketchum's perfectly shaped lips. Note to self- stop staring at Ash ketchum's perfectly shaped lips.

"I don't say things that I don't mean." He paused for a second as he bit his lip, then grinned. "Well, usually."

I processed this piece of information. "Oh. Okay."

"So, I was just wondering if you were free anytime soon, we could get started?"

The shy look was on his face again, and I sighed. How could I say no to this guy? Besides, it wasn't as though he was asking a lot from me.

"Sure, I'm free this afternoon," I said automatically, folding my hands behind my back.

Ash grinned, punching me softly on the arm, the slight touch making me twitch "Sweet. I'll see you this afternoon, then. At the penthouse. I gotta go."

"Okay, bye!"he waved one last time.

As I watched him walk down the hallway, slapping palms with people as he passed them. A poke in the back reminded me where I was and I turned back to Dawn and May, trying and failing to mask the guilty look on my face.

"What was that all about?" Dawn asked nosily in curios, her arms folded over her chest as she stared right at me.

I decided to play dumb. "What?"

May leaned forward, placing a hand on her hips, narrowing eyebrows. "Don't act all coy with us, you were making plans with Ash Ketchum!" Her eyes were glowing with excitement as she looked at me. "'I'm free this afternoon'- free to do what?"

"Yeah, we wanna know!" Dawn exclaimed. "I mean, he was looking for you yesterday." Suddenly when she finished. Her blue eyes widened, letting out a shock gasp. "Is something going on between you two?"

I raised my eyebrows in full surprise as my cheeks engulfed deep red. "W-What, Between me and Ash? Nothing's going on!" Stretching my arms and wave in front of them with a blush rising deep red, going all over my face.

Dawn stuck her tongue out at me. "That's what she said!"

I rolled my eyes when descending my arm and cooling my blush to normal. "Oh, ha-ha. For your information, we have a- Science project that we're doing together." I shrugged, proud of my spur of the moment lie. "It's nothing important."

Dawn grimaced in a ugly expression. "Ick. Better you than me," she said.

"So we want to get it over with as soon as possible," I continued.

"How come you never said anything about it before?" May asked, a small frown creasing her forehead.

I spread my hands out in front of me, then palms down to my hips. "I just found out yesterday," I lied.

Dawn was an easy mark; I could tell she believed me. But May had an unconvinced look on her face so I decided to play my trump card.

Placing a hand on my hip. I said, "Do you guys really think I wouldn't tell you if a guy like Ash was inviting me over to his place for something other than school work?"

May nodded grudgingly. "I guess not," she slowly said.

I pouted and walked up to them, taking a few a steps and linking my arms with the two. "You guys should have more trust in me."

"We're sorry," May said and gave me a warm hug.

"You should be," I joked. departing from the warm hug, moving away from May's arms as she lowers her arms to her hips. Then we continued walking to our locker with our arm intertwined.

Although, Ash wasn't inviting me over to do schoolwork, if it wasn't for his list, he wouldn't be inviting me over at all.

He invited you over to play the piano. Shut up, mind. That had been the meds talking. I think.

May was looking at me like she knew exactly what I was thinking, which was awkward. Because even I was creeped out with what I was thinking.

Ash was charming, sure, but any interest he had in me was purely friendly. Apart from his aneurysm secret and the list, there was nothing between us. And that's how it would stay.