I apologize for procrastinating, but I've been studying for finals and I've been stressed with that so I kinda put my stories off as my other priorities. Thanks for reading!

Over the past week, Dawn has been struggling more that she ever felt like in her life. Her mother still healing from the accident, and her father at home getting more abusive and drunk. New bruises covered old ones, her skin looking sick from the different colors of scratches and bruises across her tiny fragile body. School was the same, Ursula and Hilda bullying her to the point of feeling like she had nothing left.

The only things keeping her going were her healing mother, who'd recently been released from the hospital yesterday, and was safely at home still healing both physically and emotionally. The second thing were her closest friends and basketball teammates, always believing in her to stay strong and do her best. The last thing was.....him. He somehow inspired her occasionally, and she was feeling two different emotions about Saturday, which was tomorrow.

Definitely nervous and scared to death, but she felt a tiny part of her somewhere in her tiny little aching body, happiness and excitement.

Yes, to go to homecoming with Paul and their small group of best friends.

Dawn touched her head that had been injured, feeling the slightest tingle o pain because it still was recovering a tiny bit. The doctors had helped her with her ear when she was at the hospital, even though she was afraid of how much it would cost. Luckily, they didn't make the injury be paid for, but her mothers' injury was expensive.

And her father refused to pay one penny for it. Why can't they just leave him? She would love it if just her and her mother left one night to forget everything in their past and continue on with life, leaving all of their tragic worries behind.

Life just wasn't like that.

Dawn believed in a tiny part of her body that held a sliver of hope, saying that Arceus sent her to go through the challenges she was facing right now. Maybe Arceus sent her down for a reason to face what she was struggling with all her life.

Maybe. Maybe....

Dawn laid on her back in her tiny room, more like a closet, on top of her thin blanket while she stared out the small square window right in front of her. Oh God....

Homecoming was TODAY.

Dawn checked her phone for the time, sighing in relief.

It was only 6:45AM.

She closed her eyes, letting the silence full her head. It almost seemed as if the silence was louder than screaming, but it was strangely calming at the same time.

Why was she this confused?

What if the future did hold something good for her? Arceus is the only one who knows, and this was her test in life.

Her whole life has been a test.

Who was going to love her in the future? What about the guardian angel who watched her as she slept, dreaming about the world as if it were a perfect crystal clear diamond, without a single scratch or flaw?

Maybe she just imagined the unreachable possibilities that seemed real at a young age, believing in magic that wasn't even real.

Dawn slowly got up, deeply thinking in endless thoughts.

She silently walked through the dirty, creaking hallways that she constantly cleaned, only to be trashed by broken beer bottles and dust bunnies that collected in every corner. Dawn started singing to herself as she tiptoed through her house early in the morning before the break of dawn rose with the shimmering sun that was still blanketed by the earth.

Dawn smiled at her mothers Glameow, who was still deeply sleeping on a random pillow that was out of place.

She went to the kitchen and grabbed an orange, peeling it open and savoring the juicy flavor of the fresh fruit in her mouth. After eating quickly, she sneakily changed into an old oversized black sweatshirt and sweatpants, then shoving her black worn out running shoes on. She grabbed her phone and stole her fathers house key, since he forgot it before he left to who-knows-where. Dawn wouldn't be surprised if he was at the bar wasting money her mom had earned, getting some random chick to sleep with him.

Dawn picked up his keys and looked to one of his jackets hanging, and she smirked.

"Look who's an idiot now." Dawn said as she rummaged through a random pocket, pulling out wads of cash in all kinds of bills. She shoved all of it in her pocket and shuffles out the door, closing it and locking it behind her.

How was her father supposed to get in now? He's a retard.

Dawn got out her earbuds and shoved them in, putting on one of her random playlists that she made.

Everybody's waiting...

Everybody's watching...

Even when you're sleeping...

Keep your ey-eyes open

She started to jog a slow pace, feeling one of her favorite motivational songs almost flow through her tiny body because she knew it so well.

The tricky thing,

Is yesterday we were just children,

Playing soldiers just pretending,

Dreaming dreams with happy endings.

In backyards, winning battles with our wooden swords,

But now we've stepped into a cruel world,

Where everybody stands and keeps score.

Keep your eyes open.

Dawn thought of when she was just a little girl running carelessly around as her mother watched her and smiled, remembering the memories when she dreamt visions that weren't realistic, but it made her feel alive. Now she saw how cruel reality was, and it was just an endless cycle for everyone growing up.

Everybody's waiting for you to breakdown,

Everybody's watching to see the fallout,

Even when you're sleeping, sleeping

Keep your ey-eyes open

Keep your ey-eyes open

Keep your ey-eyes open.

Dawn continued to run, listening to the songs that lifted her up at times like this when she could feel a little bit of freedom.

___________

"Dawn, don't you want to see the dress I got you?" Johanna asked as they were both attempting to clean the house, the scent of cleaner whiffing up into their noses.

Dawn nodded in excitement, then doing a happy dance for a quick second. She set her stuff down and followed her mother upstairs and into her room.

"Besides, I'm getting tired already. This would be a good break." Her mom spoke lightheartedly, eating a laugh from her daughter.

Dawn eagerly swing her arms slightly, trying to not burst with excitement. She and her mother had good tastes in fashion, so she trusted whatever dress she picked.

Johanna smiled as she brought out the hidden dress from her closet and held it in front of her daughter, who's eyes had widened at least twice the size they were and slightly gasped at the sight.

"Oh mom, it's really beautiful." Dawn said as her mother handed it over to her, the light pink dress in her hands now. It was a high-low dress, the ones Dawn always prefers over the too short dresses that were never comfy. It was sparkly too, and it was simple and beautiful.

"Wow mom, why would you do this for me? It makes me so happy." Dawn said as her eyes slightly got teary from happiness, then smiling at her mother.

"Dawn, of course I'd do anything for you. You deserve it. Plus, you're going with a really cute boy too!" Johanna teased as Dawn started to blush, then start denying it.

"Mom! It's just as friends! I'm sure of it! Does dad know?"

"Hopefully dad doesn't know, but he wouldn't pay attention to it anyways. I'm positive he's supposed to be gone for the whole day."

Dawn raised an eyebrow, but decided to ignore the discomfort she felt. "Thanks for the dress mom, it really makes me happy."

"Of course Dawn, I'm glad you like it."

The day went by pretty fast, and soon everyone was getting ready to go out. The dance started at 7:00 and went until 11:00, so of course most teens would be going out earlier to eat somewhere.

"Oh man! I just can't wait to eat all those delicious breadsticks! And the spaghetti! And the desserts!-"

"Woah- who said we have enough money for desserts? That's not my bill Pathetic." Paul grunted as Ash went on more rants about anything edible at the Spaghetti Factory.

"Paul, are you driving to get Dawn? You don't have your like, real license until your birthday, which is January 1st."

"I don't really care. I'm a pretty decent driver, unlike you."

"Aw, man! Shut up Paul! Too bad your not taking the limo to her house though!"

Paul rolled his eyes, of course he wouldn't take the damn limo there. All he was doing is just picking up Dawn, then heading back where the limo would pick everyone up.

He made sure his white tie was on correctly, fixing it a tiny bit. It hasn't few thin, very light pink lines going through because he heard from Johanna that the dress was light pink. He wore a black tux with a light pink dress shirt underneath, making sure his tie popped out from the background color. He got this idea from Troublesome in fact, since she always had a good taste in colors and clothing fashion.

Paul grabbed her corsage, which consisted of a gold wristband with pink and white roses on it.

Ash started to complain again because his tie was on wrong, so Paul fixed it for him.

"Thanks Paul! You're the best!"

"Whatever." Paul muttered as he strode out the door, then walked to the car he could drive, which wasn't the best, but he was hoping for his birthday he could get a new car. He started it up and started driving down the road to her house, feeling anxious but excited and other mixed emotions run inside him. Too bad for him that he had to leave early since there was going to be a lot of traffic from all the other schools' homecomings as well.

At the house, Dawn was just gets g her hair started with her mother heating up the best curling wand they had, which was actually a designer one. It was one of the only nice things they had.

Before Johanna could start, they heard a car pull up to the driveway. Dawn gulped as Johanna stopped and listened for any other noise.

"It's only 3:45, Paul shouldn't be here for another hour." Dawn said as her mother nodded in agreement, wondering what on earth was happening.

"Honey, I don't know. I think I should check who it is, stay right here." Johanna said with worry as Dawn nodded her head. Dawn watched as she quickly went out of the bathroom, hearing her mothers light footsteps echo barely from the stairs.

Dun dun DUUNN!!

Dawn: Who is it? I wanna know!

Gary: Yeah, me too man!

JC: Sorry, but I wanted to leave a cliffhanger, well sorta.

Ash: Oh well. I'll read the other book.