Round and round the glass bottle spun until it landed on Clemont, who wasn't even sitting in the circle. The blond boy was standing, a red cup in hand, taking a sip of his drink before his eyes slowly moved to the group of delirious, chaotic teenagers staring at him expectantly. He raised an eyebrow confusedly at us before looking down at the bottle pointed at him, and suddenly the realization dawned upon him.

"Oh...no."

And with that, Clemont turned to walk anywhere that was away from all of us.

"Awwww, c'mon Clemont!" Barry pleaded

"No" Clemont uttered with annoyance.

"It'll be fun!" Misty cheered melodically.

"And if you don't join in, we'll be forced to inform Korrina of your cowardice," Conway calmly added while readjusting his glasses.

With that Clemont's cheeks blushed a deep red, as he whipped around to stare in a confused shock at Conway, the inventor utterly speechless.

I turned to look at Serena who seemed to be trying her hardest not to snicker at her step-brother's suffering, which was utterly confusing to me. Was he alright? I knew I wasn't on good terms with Clemont but since I'd met him I never saw just a simple name get such a reaction out of him. I had seen him get red in the face a few times when angry at me, but this somehow seemed different.

"Where is Korrina anyway?" Dawn asked while Clemont began mumbling to himself, occasionally fiddling with his glasses

"She said she was going to be late" Kenny explained. "Said she might be bringing a friend of her's too."

"ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ENOUGH ABOUT KORRINA!" Barry interjected as loudly as ever. The blond boy with wild hair and a gleam in his eyes turned to look at Clemont. "Truth or Dare or let Conway be a tattletale, Clemont?"

Clemont in a moment swallowed his pride, quite literally, gulping down a bit of punch as the redness in his face died down ."T-truth" he managed to get out.

"Is it true," Barry started, his hands clasped together like a movie villain's, "That you started last year's school wide blackout?"

Clemont's eyebrows raised in nervous surprise. "I- N-NO OF COURSE NOT!" He exclaimed, stammering uncontrollably. He mumbled something largely inaudible under his breath to finalize his statement but no one seemed to understand what it was he said. I could feel Serena beside me trying so hard to contain her laughter and, for the most part apart from the occasional snicker or snort, she was technically succeeding.

"This is why I don't go to parties..." Clemont muttered while Barry blinked a few times

The free spirited blond exclaimed, seemingly in disappointment, "OH COME ON, YOU MUST'VE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT"

Clemont regained his composure and argued, his voice carrying a certain finality, "Well that wasn't what you asked. You asked if I alone caused it."

"....so you didn't cause it ALONE?" Barry questioned.

Clemont was already reaching for the bottle as Barry was speaking, ignoring the question entirely as the bottle spun round and round and round. When the bottle finally had decided its next victim, Gary, Clemont was eager to get any and all attention off of himself, quickly blurting out, before the bottle had even come to a complete halt "Gary, Truth or Dare".

Gary blinked, taken aback by how quickly the question was voiced, however a small smirk wormed its way into his expression as he confidently responded "Dare."

Clemont sighed a bit, pinching the bridge of his nose as he furrowed his brow, taking the time to think this through. Personally, I didn't remember playing Truth or Dare much, since not having many friends and having anti-social brothers meant not a lot of group games, though I had watched plenty of TV shows where characters played the game with each other. I remember longing to be able to play it too, waddling around my house asking both my older brothers if they wanted to play it with me. Looking back they were probably wondering why I even knew about the game and were probably too busy or felt they were too old to be bothered with it. Furthermore, my twin wanted nothing to do with me or my games, so asking him to play was out of the question. But I did try. Oh how I tried. And to no avail.

But in my very very minimal experience with this game never had I seen someone contemplate a dare for so long. Nor had I ever felt this type of anxiety regarding it. I had plenty of memories of me being anxious concerning the game, but I was not so anxious about the goings on of the game itself. Instead I was anxious that my twin was going to give me a black eye or talk me down again for wanting to play it.

After a moment Clemont seemed to have a revelation, looking to Gary again as he declared "I dare you to stand on you leg for 1 minute while we continue playing"

Gary blew out a breath. "Really, man? That's an easy one"

"It took you that long to come up with that?" Kenny added.

"Well it couldn't be anything too extreme and I was drawing a blank," Clemont murmured defensively

Nevertheless Gary obediently stood to his feet before lifting one foot off the ground, but not before giving the bottle a quick spin.

I watched the bottle spin round and round again until it landed on Misty, who was grinning expectantly. She leaned forward as Gary opened his mouth to ask the question but she cut him off with a quick confident "Dare".

Gary grinned, "Figured. Alright. I dare you to go fill up one of the cars outside"

"What-" I blurted out, but my confused response was drowned out by the sound of Misty exclaiming, "Wow already dishing out the tougher stuff, okay"

Gary's smile grew into something mischievious, but not the kind of innocent mischief I was expecting when I signed up to play this game. "What?" he asked, with a teasing tone. "Ya chicken?"

Without a word Misty got up and stalked across the room, head held high as she pulled a pokeball off of her belt and made her way to the door. She shut it a little harder than necessary, her muscles powered by competence as she approached a small blue beetle car. Several of us gathered by the window but I stayed back with Dawn, who was blinking utterly dumbfounded, Serena, who was in a similar state, Zoey, who was shaking her head like a disappointed mother, and Clemont, who had gone slightly pale as he stared at the cluster of kids huddled by the window.

"Everytime," Zoey sighed

"This...this is normal???" I managed to ask.

Dawn nods "Barry's parties usually get kind of...wild"

Wild didn't begin to describe this.

And the way Dawn's eyebrows were scrunched together and the way she hand become very interested in the carpet of the boys' dorm seemed to say she agreed.

"And they're only just getting started," Zoey added, surprisingly calmly, as she took a sip of her drink and stared and the gaggle of cackling mischief makers.

"They are?"

Zoey nodded setting down her cup. "Right now it's flooding a car. In a few minutes it might be belting Disney lyrics on the roof. Maybe even sneaking onto campus. Just about anything can and will happen at these things."

I looked at Serena who looked like she just gone from shock to confusion to fear to mild anxiety and back to fear. I felt the urge to lead her outside for some air before being hit with a wave of guilt. It was my fault she was there in the first place. I dragged her to this party and if it weren't for me she wouldn't be here.

It wasn't that the whole experience had been terrible, but the night had gone from alright to 'everyone has the potential to leave this place in handcuffs'. I shook my head. My life might have been hitting an all time low but I was not willing to let it sink that far. My mom would be disappointed.

And frankly, I'd disappointed her enough.

"I'm gonna step out for a minute," I mumbled, before making my way to the door.

As I walked out I tuned out all sounds and sensations, my only focus being on the wooden rectangle that led to the outside world. My hold on reality gradually slipped as I drew closer and closer. Though the closer I got, the more it felt like the back of my mind was being tickled by familiar whispers.

Louder.

Look what you've done this time Ketchum!

Louder.

Just WHAT would your mother think of this?

Louder.

Well at least she can't see where you ended up now can she?

Even Louder.

Homeless, with a bunch of criminals, HA you nearly killed your own partner! Maybe it's better that she's d-

Fresh air hit my face the second I passed through the door and I didn't bother with closing it behind me. The others could deal with that. I gulped a big breath of air as I continued walking. Anything to get away from that terrifying pit of chaos and trouble.

Mom used to say I was a magnate for trouble.

"Ash?!"

I blinked as the world comes rushing back. The sound of car engines as they zip by along the street filled my ears. The smell of car exhaust wafting up into my nose mingled with the fresh night air. The stars twinkled along with the lamposts lining the streets and the lights decorating each individual building. The moon had a comforting glow that bathed everything in a light that neither felt to bright or too demanding. It gave off an air of peace

I turn behind me to see Serena looking up at me with wide confused blue eyes. I give my self a second to process when she followed me as my gaze fell to my hand. My hand was wrapped around her wrist.

When had I done that?

I quickly let go and pulled my hand back quickly exclaiming, "Sorry! I-..."

But where on earth do you take a sentence like that? 'Sorry I grabbed your hand without any actual knowledge or intention to do it'? That doesn't even sound remotely believable.

"I-it's fine!" Serena stammered. "I was just really surprised, but I wasn't sure I wanted to stick around there anyways."

She smiled, her cheeks pink and flushed, though that might have just had something to do with way the moonlight reflected off of her. And her eyes. The way Kalos's lights shimmered in her eyes made them almost look like the ocean. In a way it was absolutely mesmerizing.

She was...beautiful.

It wasn't the first time I had the thought. I always knew Serena was pretty but something about her beauty, in that moment, with just the sounds of the city in the background made me lose focus. Words dried up on my tongue and my heart felt like it was beating faster. Harder

"A-ash?" she asked with a headtilt.

I straightened up and felt my cheeks grow warm. Instinctively a hand flies up to my face for me to scratch at my cheek. "Uh- sorry- again," I told her with a nervous chuckle. "Not a fan of comitting crimes at parties?" I teased, finally remembering where the conversation left off before my brain absolutely failed me.

She shook her head, looking like she was holding back a sigh, which made me feel a little more comfortable again. Being able to tease her, or just slightly annoy her made things feel natural again.

Natural was good.

Natural wasn't super confusing.

"I really didn't expect-"

"SERENA!"

Serena I turned our attention to the sound of the person who had interrupted her and saw. Clemont racing toward us. Well, we saw Clemont running awkwardly toward us like he'd never had to run in his life. His knees flew up to high with each step and his glasses were clouded and askew. Sweat dripped off of him and by the time he actually reached us, he was doubled over and out of breath, but managed to wheeze out "We're...going...home"

Serena glared at her step brother, probably realizing he can't exactly force her to go in the condition he's in. Eventually though, she blows out a breath and wraps one of his arms around her shoulder to support him. 

"Need a hand?" I asked.

She shook her head, "This happens pretty often so I'm used to helping him home. But thanks!"

She smiled before adding in a softer voice, "And um, thanks for tonight. I'll see you Monday"

And within a moment she was walking down the street with her brother and I was left standing there as a slew of emotions overtook me.

But I was too tired to really process any of them.

It was time to find a bench and get some sleep.

Figuring out what the heck just happened could probably wait 8 or so hours.

I made my was through the city, trying to get my bearings so I could locate my favorite resting place in the park again. The crisp night breezes spurred me forward, the discomfort in my feet as I walked for what felt like longer than I should have been and...

...a strange coldness.

This wasn't like the wind. It didn't make my skin cold. It turned my insides cold, like my heart was freezing from the inside. Like something had stabbed the center of my heart.

I rubbed at my chest before looking around and slowing my pace. The farther I walked the more the stagnant feeling of cold became like someone was tugging at my heart, pulling me a certain direction.

My steps got slower and slower as I looked around at the buildings around me that felt darker than those I had passed previously. Many were windowless, cold concrete structures with no decorative lights to make them seem welcoming, and no warm colors to attract attention. They were simply hulking gray blocks with metal doors.

The directions to tug took me would shift. Sometimes it would pull me straight ahead, sometimes to my right, and sometimes to my left, but as I turned into an alleyway for the final time, the cold sensations spiked.

I gazed at where I had been led. A cracked, tiny window, half submerged in the ground was by my right ankle. There weren't many others like it on that side of the particular building I had found. Maybe four or five.

I don't remember how long I spent staring at it before getting on my knees and taking a look, only to be disappointed that it was too dark inside to see.

A normal person would have walked away and gone back to minding their own business at that point. A normal person would probably forget they ever saw anything.

But anyone who knows me knows I am definitely not a normal person.

Yeah this isn't exactly my best work so I'm really sorry about that. I'm a little rusty right now because most of my writing time turned into reading and animating time. But thanks for being patient with me you guys!

I'm hoping to create a writing schedule so I can be more efficient with publishing chapters. Also in the time I've been relatively inactive I've made new ocs and entered new fandoms (or well, reentered fandoms I used to be in) so there might be some new fanfictions and orgininal stories I'm going to work on.

To make up for some lost time and to help myself I've got two questions for y'all today:

1. For those of you who know about my other pokemon fanfiction, Generation 6.5, should I scrap or rewrite it? Or leave it as is and continue it?

2. Which fandoms has quarantine introduced or reintroduced to you? Personally I've been getting sucked into a book series I used to love called Keeper of the Lost Cities. The writing, characters and plot lines are so freaking yummy

Anyways, thanks for sticking with me all this time people

and thanks for 2K FREAKING READS MY GOSH

I never thought something I wrote would be seen by so many people.

10 year old me would be freaking out big time if she knew this would ever happen to her.

So thanks a million!

And see y'all next read!