Money Can't Buy Love

Freeze

"I'm doing baseball." I say. "Is it okay if I go back to sleep? I'm tired." I add. She moves from the chair across from the bed to the chair right next to it. "It's okay. I'll stay right here," the Leafeon said. Well, I guess now I have a nurterer. I fell asleep comfortably, knowing that at least I had someone to take care of me.

I woke up to the dismissal bell. The voice coming from the intercom was very loud, which didn't help my already pounding headache. I looked beside me, and the steadfast Leafeon looked back. She was a keeper.

"Oh. You're still here," I say. "Mhm. Where would you think I would be?" I shrugged. "I don't know." I murmured. "Exactly. It's my job to take care of you." "Well, can I go home now?" Carleigh nodded her head. "Your dad is in the office."

I was escorted to the office in a wheelchair. "Hey, Champ. You feel good?" My dad greeted. "My head is pounding," I say. Carleigh laid her gentle paw on my forehead. "He is also very warm. But I don't think it's because he is a Flareon." She said.

"OK. We will rush home, then. Do you know where his bookbag is?" Dad asked the Leafeon. She shook her head quietly. "Mrs. Petal, do you know where my son's backpack is?"

The office lady said, "It should in his homebase. His homebase teacher is Mr. Caldwell." Dad nodded his thanks, and he went to gather my things. He came back shortly after, and we rode home.

"Who was that Leafeon?" Asked Dad. "Her name is Carleigh," I explain. "Her mom is a nurse, but they had to tend for other Pokémon, not just me. So after they treated me, Carleigh was told to nurture me."

"Ah," Dad murmured. "And was it that Glaceon that attacked you?" He said. "Yes." I nodded. "But it's okay. I'm fine."

---

"Can't you see that I was protecting him?!" I said coldly. "Be quiet. Aries is in there resting." Said Mrs. Petal. "I don't care about Aries! He tried to hurt my friend!" I said louder to show that I really didn't care. "M'amm, be quiet. You don't know anything that happened. You only live your life through cameras that deceive you. Obsidian was getting beaten by this rogue Flareon. Do you not care about Obsidian?" I said more calmly this time.

"I care about every student in this school. Now"- I cut her off. -"If you care about Obsidian, you would side with me and punish Aries instead. Like I said, you only have security cameras by your side. Nobody is protecting you." I say harshly.

"Do I need to call your parents?" Mrs. Petal asked, now standing up, doubling my size. "AT LEAST MY PARENTS ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT ME! GO AHEAD!" I screeched.

Mrs. Petal looked taken aback by my response. I could tell that she expected me to cower back and say "no" and go along with her evil plans.

"Get out of my office." I scoffed. "Finally. I'm glad I don't have to be here with you anymore." At this point, Mrs. Petal just gave up.

Riptide came to pick me up. He got his driver's license last year, so he often drove me places. "What happened this time?" Riptude sighed.

"I stood up for Obsidian. He was getting beaten by Aries. Y'know, the Flareon jerk." I said coldly. I obviously wasn't in the mood for a lecture on how, in a million years, this wouldn't be okay.

"Oh." Riptide said, slowing down at an orange light overhead. "Well, at least you stood up for 'em. How long're you suspended?"

"Two weeks." I say, narrowing my eyes on a car in front of us. "It's only 7 A.M. I don't know how you could get suspended so early. And you took me out of school, as well. Mom is working overtime, so she couldn't pick you up. They said called me, saying that I was checking out."

I nod my head to pretend that I was listening. But my mind was buzzing with questions. How am I suspended for two weeks? Why is Mrs. Petal like this? How come Aries didn't get in trouble as well? And the big one: Is Obsidian okay?

When we pulled in, I told Riptide I would visit someone. I knocked on a house down the street. "Hello. Does a Shiny Umbron named Obsidian live here?" The Pokémon who greeted me shook their head. I repeated this for about three more houses until I came to Obsidian's house. As it turned out, he lives right beside Aries.

I knocked on the door. "Hello. This may sound weird, but does a Shiny Umbreon named Obsidian live here?" The Pokémon, who was a Sylveon, nodded. "He is at school. He got hurt by his friend. Hey, aren't you supposed to be at school?"

I told the Sylveon the whole story. "Well, in this case, thank you very much for protecting my son." She said gratefully. I nodded and smiled. "Would you like to come in? I just prepared breakfast."

I shake my head. I may be sarcastic and all, but being polite was something our Mom worked hard to make it a habit. "No, it's okay, really. Thank you, though,"

"It's okay. I insist." The Sylveon shifted to the side. I padded into the house. She gave me these fancy mini sandwiches. Does she make these every morning? Lucky, lucky Obsidian.

We talk for a while, and the Sylveon, who is actually named Ryleigh, shows me Obsidian's baby pictures. A classic mom move.

"This is him taking a bath. He had a lot of fur on his head, so I put his front fur in a spike and the back one in a spike." Said Mrs. Ryleigh, motioning to the picture. I don't think she realized that what she did was funny. I burst into giggles.

"And this is a photo of him smothering himself with hot sauce." Mrs. Ryleigh tsked, tsked at the thought. "Had to rush him to the doctor right away. His skin burned. Oh, and another time, he smothered himself in pickle juice. Same old, same old."

"Here is a picture of him playing with his cousin. They ended up throwing pickles at each other. Obsidian was the weirdest kid growing up, I tell you.

"The reason we moved here years ago was actually because of him. He was just learning how to cook, and he burned the house down, trying to boil Ramen. Don't ask me how - your guess is as good as mine. Here is a picture of the ramen."

"He was quite the kid, wasn't he?" I asked. "Mhm." Murmered Mrs. Ryleigh. "To this day, I'm still wondering how he broke his neighbor's porch. Everyone's point of view was different. Had to pay for it, and it wasn't cheap."

"Dang," I murmured. "That's rough." Mrs. Ryleigh nodded. "I best be going," I say. "Thank you for having me, Mrs. Ryliegh." I give her an old-fashioned curtsy. "No problem. Come any time."

"I will!" I say as I walk out the door, closing it behind me carefully. Now I knew all the trouble Obsidian had caused - and was in - when he was little. From smothering himself with hot sauce to breaking someone's porch, this kid seemed like a handful. No wonder why he is an only child.

End of Chapter Seven

In the next chapter...

"I'm so, so sorry. I really am." She says. "Don't bother apologizing. It's okay. Nothing you do is wrong." She stares at me. "What do you mean? Why do you treasure me? Why am I special? Why me?" Says Snowfall. "Snowfall..." I begin, but she cuts through. "Can't you see? I am the Glaceon that prowls in the myths. I am the Glaceon that freezes hearts, attacks innocent people, and kills mercilessly." I shake my head. "No, your much more than that." She refuses to believe it. She can't see that she is beautiful. What a shame. That, there, is something I will be mad at her for for as long as she believes it.