Smile for Me
Chapter Two
By Meggie

Authors note: XD I said "prelude" last time, if anyone noticed. I should have used prologue, but the two are of the same meaning.. so I'll just shut up now. ...what else? Well, I'm sort of...winging it here. I'm writting whatever comes to mind first. So....with that in mind..
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Ash's cereal was getting soggy. He never much cared for any of the cereal his mom kept around the house, but he ate it anyway. Ash wondered if there was any bread around so he could make toast.... Brock was gulping down his cereal, and was nearing his fourth bowl. Misty was half glancing at Brock every couple of seconds, and fidling with the hem of her shirt. Eventually, Ash decided that he just wasn't hungry, so he left the table to take a shower instead. Misty and Brock were still sitting at the table. Misty figured that this was probably the best, and maybe the only chance she'd have to tell Brock about her feelings. Too bad that didn't calm her nerves. She sighed and thought, "well, Misty, it's now or never."

"Brock," said Misty, with her eyes looking at her hands, which were twisting in her lap, "Brock, I need to tell you something."

Brock looked up at Misty, "huh? Misty, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Brock," she said, looking up at him now, "I just... I needed to tell you that, well," she started to shiver slightly, and she took a deep breath and said, "Brock, I think I love you."

Silence. Deep, threatening silence, as the two stared at each other from across the freshly polished table.

"Misty, I- I can't," said Brock, who was now walking away from the table, "I can't be with you."

With that, he left Misty to cry at the table. Misty was now certain that she'd never felt more pain in her entire life. Misty felt she was too strong to let herself be at Brock's mercy. She got up, wiped her tears, and got started with the day. Misty wasn't going to ponder why Brock said he couldn't be with her, only grieve over it.

About an hour later, a smiling Ash came into the kitchen where his mother appeared to be baking a cake for his birthday. Ash sort of wondered why his mother couldn't simply order a cake from a grocery store; he thought it would be better not to ask, though. He sat at the kitchen table, and took to watching the time pass on the clock in the kitchen.

He begun to day dream, and day dreaming soon brought him to napping. Mrs.Ketchum had gone to do some cleaning by that time. Ash slept for about 30 minutes, when an angered Misty violently shook him awake.

"ASH!" yelled Misty, in attempt to wake up Ash, as if her thrashing wasn't enough.

"Wha-what is it, Misty?"

"I'm miserable, and I can't ever talk to Brock again, and it's all YOUR fault!"

Ash yawned. "What do I have to do with this?" asked Ash, not seeing the fire in Misty's eyes.

"ASH! YOU are the one who told me that I should tell him about my feelings!"

"Well, did you?" asked Ash, clearly not getting it.

Misty calmed herself. "Yes, Ash. I did tell him. And would you like to know how he TOOK this?"

"Yes."

"He REJECTED me, Ash Ketchum. You said that he wouldn't reject me. In all of these years, we thought that Brock was a desperate man. I, Misty, who could have most any guy she chose, picked the most desperate man on the planet, and yet I wasn't good enough for him? Ash, I've learned that if I could have Brock, nothing else would matter. If I were loved by a desperate man, then all of my desperation would fall away. Is any of this getting through to you, Ash?"

"More than you realize."

"I feel as though the fire in my heart has burnt out. I feel like the sky has fallen. The sun has stopped rising, and the plants have stopped growing, and the music has stopped playing, and the oceans have dried up, and I am dead without him. I am nothing because my true love doesn't love me."

"But Misty, I was so sure that he cared for you. Now I'm so sorry that he seems not to. I'm so very sorry."

"Ash," said Misty, her eyes begining to tear, "I'm sorry I blamed it on you. It's not your fault, as much as I'd love to blame it on you."

Ash and Misty embraced each other in silence for a few minutes. Neither of them realized that Brock had been listening, silently, from the next room.

As time works this way, you understand, about 4 hours passed by in no time. Of course, there wasn't much to do around the house but to play Chess, and other games for amusement. Profesor Oak and Gary came over around 2 o'clock, which was about 4 hours after Misty yelled at Ash for her problem with Brock. It was a bit windy outside, and when Ash went to open the door for Profesor Oak and Gary, Ash found Gary looking so hot that he could barely keep himself from melting into Gary's arms. Ash held himself up against the frame of the door, and invited his guests into the house.

Everyone exchanged greetings, and then they all sat down so that they could decide what to do for Ash's birthday. It was much too early to eat cake and open presents, so they wanted to come up with something to fill the time with. They decided to eat dinner and open presents around 5 o'clock.

Ash pulled his jacket tightly around himself. The wind wasn't terrible, but it really was rather cold outside. Brock had remembered that there was a carnival just outside of town going on at the time. How it had slipped past everyone else, Ash wasn't sure. He wasn't about to ponder over it, however, because it was something to do during the groups' walk (they had to walk because Mrs.Ketchum and Professor Oak were going somewhere else, and they couldn't borrow a car).

Instead he thought about nothing in particular, and he listened to the argument that was taking place behind him. Gary and Misty were arguing over something, but it had now gone completely off topic, and turned into insults. Gary and Misty fought on a regular basis. It had become a natural thing, and at first it upset everyone, but they all gotten used to it eventually. It was like backround music, but more annoying. The thing was, Ash wasn't sure whether Gary and Misty knew what they were arguing about anymore.

Brock was busying himself with his feet. Ash watched Brock, who was watching his feet, and wondered how Brock felt about Misty. Brock seemed like such a nice boy. A nice, desperate boy. Brock seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't turn down an expression of love. It only took one sentence to prove that he was not. Ash opened his mouth to speak to Brock, but that's when the car crashed into him.

Ash was very lucky. The injuries inflicted upon Ash weren't all that bad, considering how often people die from being hit by cars. His left arm was broken, his right leg was broken as well, and he was pretty bruised up, however. There was a sense of despair where Ash lay unconcious.

Ash's mom was crying from the shock that her son was hurt, but she was happy that he would heal up soon. So she sat, sobbing silently, next to a sleeping Ash during visitor's hours. Misty and Brock had already seen that Ash was alright, and so they left Mrs.Ketchum to her son. Gary was waiting just outside the door, hoping that Mrs.Ketchum would let him see Ash. His chance came in 23 minutes.

Gary walked into the room where Ash lay, looking like an angel that fell from Heaven and got hurt during the fall. The sight made him want to cry. The sight made him want to hold Ash. Instead he sat in a chair next to Ash, and spoke to him.

"I know you can't hear me, but just in case you can, I'm not going to say anything I might regret. You make me feel sad. I'm sorry that you got hurt on your birthday, but now you're making me feel even more sad. Times like this, I really hate you. I can't believe how many years I spent....I hate you. That, I don't think I can regret having you hear."

The he got up, and walked toward the door to leave. He stopped when he was halfway through the door, because Ash said his name.

"Gary?" said Ash, in the softest voice he could manage.

Gary stepped backward into the room, shut the door, and listened.

"Gary, I'm not in any pain. I've been awake for about 15 minutes now, and I feel fine. I felt fine, until you came in and told me that you hate me. That's a lie. You don't hate me, and you know it very well. I know you're sad, I know it. Maybe it's because I was hit by a car, but it's like I can feel the sadness rolling off of you in waves. You may be sad, and you may feel like you'll never smile again, but you don't hate me. You've never hated me. Come sit next to me now." said Ash, gaining confidence as he gestured for Gary to sit.

Gary was shocked at the way Ash spoke. He'd never heard Ash speak to anyone like that before. Still he obeyed Ash. He felt like he had no choice but to obey Ash. He sat next to Ash, and lowered his head so that he was looking at his lap.

"Look at me, Gary."

"Why should I look at you? I'm too ashamed."

"Because I want to see your face. Look at me, and smile."

"No, I won't smile. Why should I?"

"I have a better question. Why are you so sad?"

"Because..I....you wouldn't understand."

"I'm sure I would. Smile. Smile for me."

There was a long pause.

"That's exactly why I'm so in-love with you, Ash."

Gary then ran out of the room before Ash could react.

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