22.
chapter twenty-two:
I hugged a girl,
and she looked
like she'd rather be
anywhere but here
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It was nearly dawn when I woke up. Soft snores echoed all around me, and I grappled with my blanket to get it off of me. It took some effort, but I managed to sit up, leaning against the headboard, breathing hard. With every inhale, I found my chest stinging.

Very dim daylight streamed through the blinds of the windows, barely illuminating the hospital wing. I glanced to my left and caught sight of Clemont, Sophocles, and Trevor, all asleep peacefully.

To the right was a white screen. Strange. It wasn't there the night before. I wondered who could be on the other side of it when I heard a faint sob.

"S-Serena?"

It stopped, and a faint figure rose to a sitting position and pushed the curtain aside little by little. I gasped in relief as I saw the familiar blue eyes I had been longing for. Without a second thought, I shot out of bed and engulfed her in a hug. Time stilled for a moment, and I felt a fleeting pain.

My heart dropped when she froze and did not reciprocate the embrace. Slowly, I backed away and held onto the stand of the screen to steady myself. Then, I took a minute to study her.

Serena had never looked this miserable before. Her hair was unkempt, and tear stains streaked down her cheeks. She was fiddling with her skirt, as if afraid.

"Serena?" The brief sound made her jump, and I withdrew myself from her to take a seat on my bed. She looked extremely terrified, and I had no clue why she was behaving the way she was—shivering and looking at her bare feet.

"Hey, it's me, Ash," I tried, putting a hand to my chest to show my loyalty. "I-I won't hurt you."

Serena looked up, unsure, and I froze. The emotions in her eyes... I had seen them before. Unbidden memories flooded my brain, glimpses of the past that I wished to forget. Vivid nightmares of being bullied, of being singled out, of being called unlucky...

"Sere—"

"N-no, stop!" she urged, her voice no louder than a whisper, yet full of stubbornness. "I know what you're going to say, and I-I won't like it." She looked me in the eye one last time before clutching her arms around her midriff, hugging herself. It broke something in me to see her so vulnerable, but when I tried taking a step toward her, she flinched.

So, I decided to give her comfort from where I sat, one bed away. I gave her the warmest smile I could muster.

Serena took one peek at me, then closed the curtains of the screen between us. It hurt. It really hurt, but I'm supposed to be strong.

"Hey, it's okay to be scared. You were the one who told me that." I started wringing my legs back and forth, hoping to get some comfort myself in the unfamiliar surroundings. A chill breeze blew from the windows, slightly stirring the screen. I spotted a blob of honey-blonde sprawled on the pillow.

I briefly found it awkward to be talking more to myself. Nevertheless, I continued. "You're safe now. Nurse Joy told me she won't let anyone barge into this place, not even for interrogation. She said this is the safest place in Kalos High." I paused, then went on when there was no response. "Look, I don't know what happened yesterday in that... session, but...

"But I won't let anyone blame you. I was there before you, I was the one who took part in a violent act, I was the one who retaliated. If anyone's to blame, it’s me." I drew in a sharp breath as another wind stirred. "I'll take whatever punishment they want to give me.

"Even if I get expelled or thrown into prison... I don't know if they would count this as domestic abuse? Ugh, I should have paid attention in my civics lessons." I heard a faint gasp and smiled to myself. She’s listening. "But, hey, I won't let them near you. I won't let anyone expel you or punish you."

The sun seemed to be up, now streaming through the blinds. The clock ticked half past six, and I gulped. "I promised you that I would make you smile. I get that you're still shaken, but if I'm here, I'll bet you’ll giggle so hard that your stomach eventually gives up.

"What I mean to say is... I'll make sure you're okay, no matter what. Just trust me."

She stirred, slowly lifting the screen a little to peek. I didn’t move; I didn’t want to scare her. I simply watched the clock, my eyes tracing the thin hand as each second ticked by. A bitter thought crept into my mind. Each second closer to punishment.

I winced a little when she shut the screen again. Maybe I didn't give her enough hope.

But then she mumbled something, almost incoherent. To my fortune, I caught it.

"I'm sorry."

I shook my head and plopped onto the covers, staring at the plain white ceiling of the hospital wing. If I’m going to be punished, I might as well rest for a while. "Serena, I—" I drew in a sharp breath, considering all my possibilities. If I get expelled, out of Kalos itself, I’ll never see her again. This is the time.

I ran a hand through my hair, whispering words of sincerity to the wind around me. I had no idea if she heard me; the snores seemed universal in that blazing moment.

"I like you."