64.
chapter sixty-four:
why would you
dare to call
my girl an
extraterrestrial
fool?

"You do realize you haven't approached her, right?" Misty's voice broke through my train of thought. I shook my head fervently.

"But she hasn't either," May shot back, and the other girl kept quiet. "Do you want us to go ask if she remembers... well, what happened last night?"

I repeated my previous action. "She most probably doesn't. No wonder she didn't approach me," I stated matter-of-factly, although more than half of me just wanted to curl up on a soft mattress, put on a depressing playlist, and cry myself to sleep.

"Ash, you sound too depressed, man!" Gary threw an arm around my shoulder in a vain attempt to cheer me up, but my mood had already sagged since the girl didn't even look my way once since arriving. "Liven up! You guys kissed each other, and you know she's got the same feelings!"

My cheeks felt a rush of blood. "We did not! They were just... little, drunken exchanges."

"But you still know what she's feeling!"

"Yeah," Misty agreed, appearing at my side. "All you have to do is set the plan into action and grab hold of Butterhead, quite literally! Like, grab her arm or something." She poked her boyfriend, who immediately clasped her arm as if to demonstrate how I should go about holding Butterhead.

Seriously?

May snorted down a laugh, which came out more as a tiny squeak. The sound she made only elicited more laughter, and I couldn't help but join in. Their stupid antics just kept getting funnier.

The finals against Anistar High were fast approaching. It was a now-or-never opportunity to show the insane college who ruled the sports department of Kalos.

With the big event around the corner, the team captains of every sports club had turned grumpier. Not only did they insist on two practices per day—one early in the morning before school and the other just before the school day ended.

As much as I enjoyed playing and being athletic, it left me with less time to spend with my friends. Not to mention, Professor Sycamore's warning that we should take studies seriously if we wished to attend the same institution next year did not sit well with me.

I could manage subjects like business, geography, and English. All the teachers were pretty decent; moreover, writing out what they taught was easier than thinking about what would happen to the country's inflation if there were an increase in imports.

Yup, economics and social studies were a menace not just to me, but to the entire student body. Additionally, Lysandre's teaching couldn't penetrate even the brightest of students.

I once overheard Misty and Calem complaining about a particular topic in the subject, and it was not appropriately worded, to say the least.

Only after several calls from Barry and Kenny, and one final invite from the team captain, Paul himself, did Lysandre let Kiawe and me go to the practice. But things only worsened when we got to the indoor soccer courts.

The soccer practice wasn't going well in the slightest. Not only did I confuse the players, but I ended up puzzled myself as to whose orders I was supposed to follow. Paul and Alain called the match off midway through.

"This is hopeless," Alain sighed, and I couldn't beat down the guilt that tried to resurface at his disappointed expression. "Until you find your jersey, we can't let you play. I'm sorry, Ash, but I don't think we can afford to lose the main tournament against Anistar High."

I nodded in understanding, even if it pained me to do so. Paul added his own set of insults. "Who forgets to lock their locker and loses their jersey?"

"But who actually steals a jersey with someone else's name on it? What kind of an extraterrestrial fool would that be?" Alain asked in my defense, and I shot him a grateful smile, though my heart was offended that he indirectly acknowledged Serena as a fool, even if she didn’t technically steal it.

Paul grunted in response and left the scene at once. With another sigh, Alain dismissed us. With a heavy heart, I began my journey to the changing rooms. "Darn, should we ask Drew to check the CCTV?" Barry asked, as he and Kenny fell into step beside me. I shook my head, nervously.

"That's okay."

"Hey, I don't think just anybody stole it," Kenny interjected, throwing me a look that definitely meant he had something up his sleeve. I vaguely remembered he was part of Gary's cronies in the entire Serena-kidnapping misadventure and broke into a sweat. "I feel like someone special stole it."

I snorted, heat rushing to my cheeks. "I don't have anybody special—"

"Aw, don't lie! Dawn couldn't possibly be the only person who noticed your absence at the ball." We began changing into our usual clothes, and I did it in a flurry.

"That's because I didn't attend the ball due to the lack of a date."

"Lack of a date, my foot—"

Before I could come up with another appropriate response, my phone rang with a short text.

Bon-Bon: Now!!!

Shoot!

"Gotta make a run for it!" I exclaimed, grabbing my bag and sprinting to the door. I heard Barry call behind me.

"Where?"

"Uh, gotta chat with the walls!"

I didn't wait long enough to hear their indignation. I was rushing as quickly as my tired feet could carry me. There was a sudden flash of light as I passed the windows and scurried down the staircases.

Thunder rolled, but I didn't flinch. In a minute or two, I would be giving my last shot at reuniting with Serena. With the school's academic classes ending, and the girl not being part of any clubs, I wouldn’t see her again until the exams!

I paused a second to catch my breath at the landing. My eyes caught her slim figure looking out the entrance at the downpour. This was the chance that nature itself was giving me!

—💌—

Hey guys!
This is the last chapter before the end of this act, so I would like to ask: what part of this act did you like until now? ;)

I've got one short story ready in my drafts and another wip as of now. I haven't yet started the prequel to teenage dream, though, as I'm really invested in finishing this wip.

Spoilers, this one has a partners to friends to lovers au with unmasking identities. Also, I'm done with about sixteen or so chapters, each exceeding the standard 1k count I usually go for. ;)

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x