16.
chapter sixteen:
goin' against the
odds of friendship.

<3

"No. I'm more into pyrotechnics, although I love science."

I blinked, nodded, and lay back on my bed, unsure of what the lemon-haired boy meant. Clemont, the said guy, was Gary’s and my dorm mate. I hadn’t met him the day before as I had run off on a sightseeing tour with Serena and returned past bedtime.

"Why would you want to stay in the dorms when you’ve got your home right in this city?" I asked. He’d mentioned that Lumiose was his hometown.

I heard him take a raspy breath. "My sister, she’s a year below us, wanted to stay here rather than at home, so I’m here to make sure she’s okay."

"I get it."

"Ash doesn’t, trust me." It was Gary, trying to egg me on. I rolled my eyes and shot back.

"Gary, O-M-A! You’re the sort of guy who can’t pour water out of a boot even if the instructions are written on the heel."

"How would I read the instructions if the water is inside the boot—wait—dude, are you serious?"

I laughed, and heard Clemont join in as well. Gary made an exasperated noise, but was cut off by our phones ringing with a notification. It was a message in the class group.

Middle Years,
Please gather in the common room in five. Your Professors, Sycamore & Olympe

"Huh?"

We arrived a bit later than called for. The professors were instructing a group of our classmates. I noticed Serena, Misty, and Trevor standing to the side. Upon seeing us, Misty beckoned us over.

"What’s happening here?" Gary asked as we neared the trio.

"The event is postponed by two days. Apparently, it’s not just a visit but a clash of talents," Trevor informed. "They’re going to perform dances and plays. This happened last year, but the schedule was supposed to be just an exchange program for a day."

"I wonder why it was changed?" Gary asked. The trio shook their heads.

"We don’t know. All we know is that the principal of the other college sent a vague message to Principal Diantha regarding this. The council for education is rumored to be the judges."

"The council of education?" Clemont exclaimed, eyes wide. "They almost never step in for such matters!"

"True. It has all the professors scrambling for time."

"The odds of the council announcing their presence and the change in the agenda don’t seem to match," Clemont pondered. "There’s something fishy—something going on that’s deeper than we know."

Serena nodded, her gaze shifting toward where everyone was gathered. I sensed an aura of concern emanating from her.

"Calem’s been called to lead the whole thing since none of the seniors will be around. We don’t have many people in the dance clubs either, since the college just reopened," she said worriedly.

"Hey," I spoke up. "The professors will know what to do. They’ve been at this for the past decade or so, right?"

Everyone nodded, and we watched the planning from afar. Professor Sycamore was talking to Calem and Kiawe, while Professor Olympe was handling the dance club. I spotted May, Dawn, Shauna, Lisia, and Tierno among others. There was another bluenette, and a girl along with a guy I assumed to be Kenny, Dawn’s friend.

"None of us are in the stage clubs," Misty started. "I’m guessing we’ll be helping backstage or greeting the guests."

No sooner had she finished than Professor Sycamore waved us over. We exchanged glances before walking to him. "Ah, Miss Yvonne and crew!" he greeted. Serena made a curt bow.

"Good evening, sir."

"Good evening, Professor!" we echoed. The man greeted us in return, wasting no time getting to the point.

"I assume you’re all not part of the performance clubs?"

"No, sir."

"In that case, would you guys like to help the leaders in managing the event?" he asked with a humorous edge to his voice as he pointed at Calem and Kiawe. We nodded in agreement, and Professor Sycamore clapped his hands. "Great! They’ll assign you your roles. Good luck, everyone!"

With that, he moved to another group. Serena turned to us. "Shall we ask them for our roles?"

"Yeah," Misty agreed. "It’d be easier to know what we should be prepared for."

"Let’s go!"

Calem and Kiawe were discussing roles when we approached them. We had to wait until the entire high-performance crew was gathered. During that time, Gary, Misty, and I were introduced to the rest of the middle years, hailing from our neighboring section, 'B'.

There were two girls. One of them, a blonde-haired girl, was named Korrina. The other was a tomboy, similar to Misty—Zoey. I recognized her from Dawn’s Instagram posts.

The rest were guys, starting with Sawyer, a timid fellow; Hau, an enthusiastic guy; Barry, an equally upbeat one; and the ever-stoic Paul.

Calem was taking care of our section while Kiawe managed the other class.

"Sophocles and Trevor, the technical department," Calem instructed. The two guys nodded and went to join Clemont, who was heading that department. "Gary, Serena, and Misty, you’ll be attending to the guests and handling their needs." The three of them dispersed. "Lillie and Lana, you’ll be helping Mallow in the cafeteria. The bakery club isn’t a performance club, but we need some food for the guests."

With a nod, the three girls left too, leaving me alone.

"Ash, you’re backstage with me and Kiawe. Is that fine?" Calem asked. Working with him had been at the back of my mind when I marked him as a potential rival, but I had no other choice.

"You can count on me."

Calem smiled, satisfied, but it didn’t last long when Professor Olympe asked him to pick someone to co-host the event with Drew. With no other alternative, Serena was chosen.

"I hope everything goes fine..." Serena whispered when we were standing off to the side, watching Professor Olympe type up the agenda for the event. "I’ve got a bad feeling."

I smiled, though I would’ve rather agreed with her. There was something fishy going on, as Clemont mentioned, and I couldn’t shake the foreboding in my mind. "We’ll do just fine."

Serena mirrored my fake optimism and nodded with a small smile. "Yeah. We’ll make it an event Professor Sycamore will be proud of."

"We will."

The day of the event arrived before anyone could perfect their rehearsals. The dance club was engrossed in practicing their group dance, topped off by a stunning solo from Lisia. The juniors were putting on a play, while the seniors prepared for whatever might come from the other college’s end.

Studies and other activities were completely on hold. Professor Sycamore and his colleagues were busy setting up the stage. The technical department was helping with sound systems and lighting. As a result, Professor Olympe was taking care of Drew and Serena’s speeches.

Serena didn’t have much to do. All she had to do was call in the performers for the dances and skit. She was glad—anything more would have had her preparing at the last minute, which she hated.

During those days, I mostly hung out with the guys. It was fun getting to know Sawyer, Hau, and Barry. They were all interested in how I played soccer, as they were part of the club. We hit it off, and I found myself surprisingly invested in our conversations. Who would’ve thought Ash Ketchum would be chatting with random students?

Professor Sycamore had also provided us with earpieces to keep in touch in case of any mishaps. His unusually worried behavior hadn’t gone unnoticed by Calem, Kiawe, and me. It only made Serena’s doubts feel even closer to becoming reality.

For a few minutes, Alain showed up to help with the stage. I managed to get acquainted with him; he was just like Paul—not one for unnecessary talk. Then again, I wasn’t one to judge.

"We’re all set," Calem announced the evening before the event. "Tomorrow, we break a leg!"

For once, I agreed and found myself echoing his positivity. Serena and I had made up our minds, even if we didn’t say it aloud—we would make sure things went right. I doubted anyone else felt differently.

Professor Sycamore held a special place in all our hearts, after all.

— 💌 —

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