"Oi, Opal," Iris called, sliding past fellow students flooding out the doorway to get to the yard. Larkspur was in hot pursuit. "Yes?" I asked, somewhat disappointed they'd caught up with me. I'd grown to like Wisteria's sisters—they were loud and energetic, but fiercely loyal—but I didn't want people to see me as I snuck onto the roof with Wisteria. I didn't want to compromise our secret spot, and I certainly didn't trust my psychic powers to teleport me there on my own.

"Thank GOD we got to ya before ya left the room," Larkspur gasped as the duo skidded to a stop. "Anyways, our parents're holdin' a concert in Stow-On-Side later this week-"
"An' we wanted to ask if ya'd join us," Iris cut her off with a grin. "Wisteria'd be there too!"

"Well..." I trailed off, looking down at Ponyta, who gave me a curious look right back. I'd never been to a concert of any sort before. My parents had never let me, and I got the feeling they certainly wouldn't have let me go to a concert held by people from Spikemuth of all places.

On the other hand, the other girls my age would be tagging along, and their parents had likely geared their concerts so people our age could watch. Plus, Wisteria was my only friend outside of Ballonlea, and this would be my first time hanging out with her outside of school. But all parents raise their children differently....

"I'll think about it," I said finally, before clutching the strap of my bag tighter and walking out. I dodged the lingering stares of remaining students loitering in the halls, and quietly made my way to the staircase leading to classrooms on the second floor. I took the stairs to the second floor, bypassed the older student's classes that were still in session, and quietly removed a panel in the wall in the back of the hallway.

Wisteria had shown me the fastest passageways up to the roof my second day of school. Since she had been a loner for so long, she knew all the most secretive areas of the school building even the teachers didn't know about (or they did, and just didn't care enough to say we couldn't be there). So, after a couple of weeks, I was making my way through the crawl spaces with ease, though no matter how hard I tried, I could never seem to keep myself entirely free of lint when I came out on the roof.

I said as much to Wisteria when I arrived at our usual meetup spot, and she laughed. Even if she didn't like speaking aloud, she was vocal in the way of sighs and laughter. Her voice was surprisingly light and airy for her stoic exterior, and her laugh was very unique. Then, after a while spent exchanging little tidbits of conversation and laughing as we watched Gunther running around like a little green Durant below us, I gathered the courage to ask Wisteria about her parent's concert.

"I heard your parents were putting on a concert today. Is that right?" I asked.

Yes, that's right, Wisteria signed. Me and my sisters will be there too. We'll probably be backstage. Why?

"I was just wondering," I said, nervously fidgeting with my hair. Yamask, who had taken a liking to snuggling close to me, peered up at me with wide, purple eyes.

"Your sisters mentioned it to me when I left the classroom," I admitted after a few moments of slightly uncomfortable silence. "They asked me if I would go, but I'm not sure if my parents would let me."

Why don't you ever talk about your parents?

"I beg your pardon?"

Wisteria exhaled, the Mimikyu perched on top of her snowy locks swaying with every tilt of her head. I've told you about my parents. My mum. My dad. Why don't you ever talk about yours?

"I..I guess because it's private information," I said decisively. I knew I was being weirdly defensive with the subject. People rarely brought it up, so I never had to go through the stress of avoiding the one little detail of my parent's relationship they didn't want revealed to the public; that being that it existed at all.

Wisteria paused for a moment, before signing, Why are you upset?

"I'm not," I said firmly, though the look Wisteria gave me made my stomach turn with guilt. She had the uncanny ability to read even the smallest details in a person; an impressive feat, but was decidedly not helpful right now. "I'm not upset," I repeated, fixing her with a stare.

Her seafoam eyes locked with mine, and we held a silent battle of wills. Why won't you tell me the truth? Wisteria asked, her eyes narrowing. Aren't we friends?

Of course we're friends, I signed, not trusting my voice to stay level enough to hide my emotion. Then why don't you trust me? Wisteria signed angrily.

Because it's complicated! My parents don't want people knowing who they are!

So? My mum and dad are celebrities too, you know! So are the mums and dads of every other kid here! You think I don't know about that kind of life?!

I didn't say that—

You're just another one of those entitled kids!

"I am not!" I said, startling myself with how loud my voice sounded on the quiet roof.

Then why are you acting like you're too good to tell me anything?! Wisteria scoffed, turning away. I can't believe I thought you were different, she finally signed, and I felt my heart getting wrenched in my chest. Friends are supposed to trust each other.

"W-we are friends," I stammered aloud.

Apparently not if you don't even trust me enough to know who your parents are.

Wisteria stood up, taking Mimukyu in her arms and walked briskly along the rooftop, ghosts trailing behind her. Even Yamask, who had been cuddling close to me a moment before, zipped out from under my jacket and around Wisteria's chest, her form quickly shrinking as she walked away.

As soon as she'd disappeared through the hole in the roof, I curled up into a ball and cried as I realized I'd likely just lost my only friend in the entire school.

*************

Eventually, I climbed down from the roof and made my way back to class. I'd made it back on time, but refused to look at anyone until the final bell rang, and I was out the door by the first chime. The next few days were awkward, avoiding all three of the triplets in class and during breaks. I tried to spend time with other students, opting for the option that would give me the most space; Thorne and Hydrangea.

"Honestly, I don't blame you for reaching out to us," Thorne remarked, snapping me out of my daze. We were sitting outside on a bench, given front-row seats to the minor battles being held around the playground. "Hm? I'm sorry, I was sucked into my Calm Mind for a moment," I said, flinching when the unintended Psychic pun slipped out. "That's an odd way of wording it," Hydrangea noticed, before turning back to her anago sashimi and rice bowl.

"I don't know how you eat that stuff," Thorne turned to her friend with her nose wrinkled. "Dining on Farfetch'd cooked in a white wine reduction with leeks is divine, but eating an Eelektrik is disgusting."

"It was either this or Smoke-Poke curry," she shrugged, and my stomach turned. Veneneux and Pense would definitely not be happy about this, I thought, imagining the reactions from my father's Slowbro and Slowking.

"Suit yourself," Thorne shrugged. "Opal, do you want to try some of my lunch?" She offered me a slice of her Barraskewda steak on her fork, and I quickly felt bile rising in my throat. "I don't eat Pokemon," I said quickly, looking down at my cucumber sandwich to bring back my appetite.

"Vegetarian, huh?" Hydrangea smiled. "My mom's a pescetarian; I don't think she could live without seafood, especially when we live in Hulbury."

"That would be hard," I agreed, trying to force the image of Squirtle soup (I had a soft spot for them) out of my mind.

"So, Opal. I've just got to know," Thorne said, setting her lunch down and taking my hands, cupping them in both of hers. "Why are you just now starting to sit with us?"
"What? I'm sorry, I don't think I follow..." I trailed off slowly, confused.

"You were sitting with Wisteria for the first few weeks of school, yes? Why are you just now sitting with us?"

"Well...that's a bit personal," I said defensively, a little spark of anger flaring up. My intimate relationships were none of her business. Unfortunately, her parents didn't seem to have taught her as much. "Oh, come onnn," she huffed, before lowering her voice. "She must have done something to creep you out; you know, make you see her for the freak she is."

"Wisteria is not a freak," I said loudly, taking my hands away and placing them in my lap. "She's different. Difference is good." The heads standing around started to turn in our direction.

"Yeah, but those Ghost type Pokemon she hangs out with are just straight-up creepy," Hydrangea shuddered. I stiffened, hands tightening into fists when I thought of how cuddly Yamask had been, or how Gourgeist took extra care to be gentle when she played with my hair due to my tender scalp. Unfortunately, my voice was unable to properly convey my emotions, cracking when I attempted to speak. "I...I like Ghosts, actually."

"Well, you're from Ballonlea," Thorne remarked, nibbling on her Barraskewda steaks. "Your whole town is surrounded by Ghost types, right?"
"Actually, the main typing of the Glimwood Tangle's Pokemon population is Fairy and Psychic, with Ghost and Fighting following, respectively," I said, feeling a bit smug as the girls' eyes widened. It did pay to be present for the annual surveys of the Pokemon typings outside our hometown.

"Okay, fine. Buuuut...Spikemuth's just weird, no questions asked," Hydrangea said, finishing her last bite of Eelektrik sashimi. "I mean, it's all dark and run down, and there's a lot more crime there than anywhere else."
"Not to mention the Gym Leader's sister in-law is a global criminal who tried to rob everyone in Galar a while ago," Thorne hissed. "I swear, the only kinds of people a town like that produces are failures and miscreants—"

"Thought I heard ya talkin' shit 'bout our mum, Thorny," Larkspur's voice chimed in from above my head. "Wanna share with us?" My head snapped up to see both of them grinning maliciously down at Thorne. "Yeah, we'd be happy ta hear all about yer opinions 'bout our family," Iris chimed in, her cheerful voice emitted through gritted teeth. If looks could kill...

"Excuse me," I said quietly, taking my lunchbox and rising from the bench, Ponyta trotting alongside me. I didn't want to get involved in a fight; my nerves definitely wouldn't be able to take it. I sighed in relief the minute I entered the deserted schoolhouse, slumping against the wall to breathe for a second. Ponyta curled up in my lap, putting her head over my hand and I pet her thoughtfully.

I knew that I had messed up. It was my fault that Wisteria and I had that argument. I knew it was something my parents insisted on, but it shouldn't have cost me a friend. I needed to find a way to make up for my mistakes to Wisteria, when my brain lit up with an idea. The concert! Whipping out my Rotom phone, I quickly formulated a message to my dad.

Dad, I have a large project due later this week. I will be late coming home from school today because of it.

I breathed out shakily, guilt rising. I'd never lied to my parents before, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Or, as Opal Sr. would have put it, "Times like these call for true acts of pink." If I were to be truly 'pink' in this situation, I would need to force down my anxiety and be brave. At least, I think that's what Opal meant when she said that; her meaning of the word 'pink' tended to change on the daily.