o4.
chapter four:
we broke ourselves.
cool, right?
<3

I tried to swallow the lump that formed in my throat at her unblinking gaze. How in the freaking hell am I supposed to tell her how I feel when she's just standing there, looking so darn earnest and innocent?!

"Ash? Is anything bothering you?"

Yes, your eyes! They make me wanna go sob like a newborn baby in a corner.

"Er, no." I cleared my throat, hearing my voice, which oddly sounded funny.

"I guess you should go rest. You drove all the way—"

"No!" I broke in, before taking a deep breath. Too loud. "I mean, no, I'm fine. It's just that I..." She was blinking, a puzzled look across her features as she dropped the sandwich she was working on. She took a step closer, and I leaned in further so that we seldom had an inch of gap between us. This is it. "Serena, I want you to know that—"

"Hey! Do you guys need any help?" A cheerful voice rang out, and I cursed myself for not taking action sooner, stepping away from the girl to take a disappointed stance. My heart fell, not that anybody noticed. I didn't bother looking at the intruder; I'd recognize the voice anywhere. "Er, did I interrupt you guys?"

"Ash was about to tell something?" Serena's inquisitive voice rang in my ears, but my mind was set. Kill Gary.

"N-nothing important. I'll tell you later." I waved it off monotonously and took the bowl of fried bacon and the plate of toast, hurrying out of the kitchen. Tears stung my eyes for no apparent reason, forcing me to blink them away lest they fall.

Breakfast had been a dull affair for me. Serena introduced us to her friends: Shauna, the brown-haired girl who was sitting beside Misty; Trevor, the orange-haired boy from before; Tierno, another dark-haired boy; and finally, Calem, even though we knew him. I noted, with a tinge of jealousy, that the girl alongside Serena in her profile photo was Shauna.

There were compliments thrown around, further introductions, and whatnot, but I remained silent and kept to the corner of the table, as far as I could get from Gary. It was nerve-wracking, though, to sit beside Serena after making a fool out of myself. What if she felt uncomfortable when I leaned in? Her eyes shone with concern, but nothing more.

It only worsened when Tierno jostled the table, sending a cup of ketchup tumbling over to Shauna, who pushed back on her chair in alarm and, by extension, managed to push Serena away from her. This, of course, meant the clumsy girl fell on me. We hit the floor with a thud, chairs strewn about, and ketchup falling to the floor with a sploosh.

A sharp pain shot through my back as I tumbled to the ground, knocking the air out of my lungs. A strange heaviness settled over my stomach, and I struggled to stay conscious.

Noises of panic ran in the background, but I could hardly tell them apart. The smell of strawberries—Serena was atop me, clutching my chest tightly. With how she shivered, I deduced she was in pain. "S-Serena?" I croaked.

"Get up! Oh, no! Are you guys okay? Gary! Throw the chairs to the side!"

I felt the weight on me lighten as soon as I heard the voice. My eyes fluttered open to see Misty and Gary moving the chairs away from us. Shauna had fallen to the other side and was being helped by Trevor and Tierno, while Calem was by us, trying to lift Serena. Misty gave him a hand, and in no time, all three of us were seated on the sofas, panting and drawing in deep breaths.

"Are you guys okay?" Tierno asked, guilt etched in his tone.

"A-alright," Shauna mumbled beside me, still shaken and holding onto her arm, and my attention turned to Serena, who was gripping the hem of her skirt tightly.

"Daijoubu, Serena?"

Serena shook her head lightly, but I could tell she wasn't.

"Are you hurt? The chairs fell on you," Calem asked, and horror seized my chest. She was in pain! I got down on one knee, trying to look up at her, ignoring the rebellion from my body.

"Can I examine your knee? Please?" When she looked up, I felt my heart clench in pain. Tears rimmed those beautiful blue orbs, and I felt the heaviness from before settle again.

"Let's call the ambulance!" I heard Trevor suggest. There was chaos all around, but my eyes were glued to hers. I wanted to show her that I was determined to help her, that I was willing to lend my strength to her until help arrived. She hesitated before reaching out to pull her stockings down.

I winced when I saw the back of her knees inflamed and red. The wooden chairs had done the damage. "Ice cubes. Do you have ice cubes in the fridge, Serena?" Misty asked, leaning down beside me. The girl bobbed her neck slightly, as if it pained her to even move.

"Get them," I whispered, placing my hand on her shaking ones. Misty shuffled away, and soon an ice pack was given. "It'll hurt for a minute. Please let me do this."

This time she quite literally made me want to sob in the corner with those watery eyes. I bit my lip. "Please?" Reluctance shone through those orbs before she nodded lightly.

I made sure to be super gentle while placing the ice pack. The entire time, she was clutching the hem of my jacket, her nails digging into my skin as she gasped in pain. Damn those ruddy chairs!

Thankfully, the doctor arrived quickly and had her calves bandaged. Although, he left no chair unturned when he heard of the accident. "Two wooden chairs?! You ought to be careful! You're fortunate enough that there was only a minor ligament injury rather than a tear in the tissue or a crack in the bone!"

I wanted to tell him off, retort back to stop scaring her when she and Shauna were clearly traumatized, but had to bite back words when Misty grabbed my shoulder. "Thank you for the timely help, Doctor. We'll take care of things from now on," Calem said and saw to the payment.

When the doctor was seen to the door, he showed up in the hall with a frown. "Let's cancel today's plans. Serena's gotta heal, and Shauna has to rest too." Everybody nodded in agreement and started helping out with the dishes and the way the hall looked.

As for me, I sat by the two girls all the time. Nobody protested, knowing that even I had suffered the same, though lesser, fate than them.

By the time everybody was done, it was almost afternoon. Tierno had apologized over a hundred times, each time one of us waving his apology off. It was an accident, and nothing had been intentional. Shauna was rather down that she had worsened the meet-up and had stained her clothes with ketchup. I tried to cheer her up, but her mood did not change.

Serena was quiet the entire time, and my chest clenched knowing that she was in pain.

"Take care of yourself, Serena," Trevor and Calem said in unison, as the latter unlocked his car to let everyone in. The girl, heavily leaning on Misty and me, nodded with a small smile.

Tierno and Shauna exchanged glances. "We're so sorry!"

"That's okay. It was an accident," I said on behalf of the quiet girl, who nodded in agreement. After much insistence that Tierno help her out in any way, and much more insistence from our side that it was okay, the Kalosian friends left the residence.

After making sure Serena was securely up in her room, comfortable on her bed, Gary and Misty left as well. I stayed behind and would until she was safe in her mum's hands. "You don't have to," Serena had stated when I offered to be with her.

"I might not have to, but I want to, and you can't stop me. Not even Arceus, especially when you yourself told me you'd like company this morning."

She smiled softly, igniting my chest. "You're too kind."

Not more than you are. "I did promise to be with you, after all." I glanced away, scratching the back of my head. Her gaze was too much for me.

"You wanted to tell me something..." she started, looking unsure as I glanced back at her in confusion. "Back in the kitchen."

Thoughts of my failed confession had fled my mind after seeing her in pain. In fact, my mind had gone blank, and it was no better now that she brought up the topic. "Er, yeah. I just. . ." I threw my hands in my pocket. A glossy material greeted my fingertips, and my eyes widened, an incoherent idea forming. I withdrew the gift and proffered it to her shyly.

Serena gasped, her hands flying to her lips. "For me?"

I nodded, flustered. I never thought about gifting it to her directly when I bought it. Maybe giving it anonymously, but definitely not in person.

The girl took it from me slowly, her fingers brushing ever so slightly against my palm. It burned where she touched. "Thank you. . ."

I nodded to urge her to open it, and with wobbly hands, she did. A gasp escaped her lips, and I rubbed my sweaty hands on my hood. I caught a glimpse of the gift I had given her—a pink pencil pouch—before I saw her wide smile.

Suddenly, I felt warmth flow through every vein, pouring into my insides as she pulled me into a hug. My chest roared, a sense of serenity settling down within me. It felt like... where I belonged... like home. It took me a moment to wrap my arms around the small of her back.

Ding dong!

We pulled away before I could savor the taste of her embrace. "I'll look," I grumbled, before exiting the room. Murderous thoughts occupied my mind during the short walk to the front door. I'm gonna kill the person behind the door!

I opened the door to reveal a familiar face. "Missus Yvonne! Good evening!" I greeted, stepping back to let her enter. She smiled warmly.

"How'd the breakfast go?" she asked, dropping her work bag and taking off her coat.

I shifted on my heels, nervously. Her gaze turned suspicious, and I had no option but to blurt out everything. No sooner had I reached the part where the chairs toppled over on her daughter than she ran up the stairs. I followed her, finding myself at the doorway.

Unsure whether it was right to stay, I hurried back downstairs and left the house, locking the door behind me. Taking out my phone, I typed her a quick message before getting into my car.

You: Thanks for having me, Serena. Please convey my heartfelt gratitude and apologies to Missus Yvonne. If only I had been a bit stronger, I would have been able to save you from the injury. . . Take care.

I didn't receive an immediate response, so I closed the message and turned on the engine.

I was on my bed when I received a reply.

Serena <3: Oh, Ash. Mum was looking for you. Why'd you leave without a word? You ought to answer her tomorrow, though. I'm sorry if I was a bother, and thank you so much for your gift! I'm truly honored to own this kawaii pouch. I shall never let it go! Good night, Ash. x

As my eyes grew heavy, my thoughts went back to the warmth that I so craved. I wish I could just hold her forever. As cheesy as it sounds, nothing else—and I mean nothing—could save me now.