The Feminist Challenge

Chapter 13: Confessions

"He's been hanging out with Misty a lot lately. No time for us anymore."

Gary sat down on Anabel's desk and drank some of her coffee. She sat down on her chair and messed up with her phone.

"Misty...?"

"Yeah. The mentally-ill girl I told you about? The one who hates men?" Gary snatched the phone away from her hands and placed it on the desk.

Anabel giggled. "Gary, please. Stop being so jealous because she didn't pick you."

Gary confessed, "I'm glad she didn't. I just feel sorry for Ash."

"It's his life."

Gary rolled his eyes. 

"Oh, Ash's coming this way."

Gary was slightly surprised to see Ash at the office, since he worked from home. It was busy season, so he probably had to come around sometime. Well, he didn't tell Gary anything about it.

"Hey, look who's here." Gary smirked as he and Ash did a bro shake. "Did you get the wrong building or something?"

"I think I did." Anabel got a kiss on the cheek. It was their way to greet each other since she and Ash were very close.

"Our morning just got better. Right, Anabel?"

"Absolutely."

Ash smirked. He drank some of Anabel's coffee too and sat down on the desk, shoving away some papers and folders.

"Why is nobody using the chairs?"

Gary laughed. "We get a better view this way."

Ash turned toward him instantly and smiled. "Hey, you get a better view, Oak. Don't include me in!"

"Better vie—oh, damn you two!" Anabel gasped and hid her chest with her arms.

"It was a joke."

"Excuse me." Gary stood on his feet and showed them the screen of his phone. Leaf was calling him.

"Oooooh, she called you!"

"Someone's given up."

"This is Gary Oak you're talking about, man."

"Go answer your babe and leave us alone."

"She'll bow to me." Gary smirked and answered the call as soon as he was away from Anabel's office.

"So..."

"Let's head out and grab some coffee. The office is suffocating, right?" Anabel asked him politely. "Gary will join us later."

"Oh, okay."

-

Ash put his phone back inside his pocket and took a sip from his coffee cup. Anabel sat down facing him.

"So, Ash."

"Hum?"

"Gary told me about Misty."

"Oh."

"You haven't told me about her. I thought we were friends?"

Ash thought he should be straightforward about this. "I thought it'd be weird since you asked me out and... I like the girl."

"You know what's weird?" Anabel sat straight and confessed, "My friend not telling me about things like these. It doesn't have anything to do with me asking you out or not. That story is old news anyway and we got over it. It just hurt me that you started keeping things from me, and you never did that."