Lost in their Past

Chapter 26:- Joliet County

Charlus and James usually came to the Rolling balcony after midnight away from the watchful eye of Mrs. Raider and her pokemon to smoke their troubles away. No one came over to the Rolling balcony because of the inordinate amount of danger it carried, thus it became their secret getaway.

As Charlus walked towards the Balcony, he noticed an unusual figure glomming over the rail. His first thought after seeing the short hair was Grace... but she didn't have blonde hair.

"Hello," he nervously said as he stood next to Serena, "I-I don't mean to impose, this place is usually empty."

A warm smile spread on her face, "You're not imposing, I was about to leave but..." she took a deep sigh as her eyes darted towards the hill.

"It's compelling you to stay," Charlus completed, "the hill... it feels as if it's calling you, doesn't it?"

"Exactly," She answered, "this place... it's a plethora of enigma."

A soft chuckle escaped his lips, "Nicely put, we usually say magical."

"Well, I'm a songwriter," she said, "it's kind of my job."

Her statement was followed by a moment of silence. There wasn't a pint of the doubt when Charlus said that he despised Mark Jorum with every fiber of being... his being. The rule should've applied for his progeny... but the tale was different.

Serena wasn't anything like Mark, Charlus felt a strong repugnance whenever Mark was around but she was different... she felt different. There was a strange aura that surrounded her, it was wonderful but mysterious in its way.

Charlus felt drawn to the blonde whose face shone under the moonlight, sparks flew around her, dancing in little notes as if they came from Artemis's crossbow.

For the first time, it wasn't the roaring ocean or the cheerful nostalgia that compelled him to stay, it was the magic of the blonde, who stood at peace, unaware of the magic that arose from her.

It was that moment when he realized he was enchanted by the blonde, not because of her beauty, beauty was just an abstract concept, but because of herself, the aura that encircled her.

"I—I'm sorry about your father," Charlus said after a long drawn silence, "the news must've been unsettling."

Serena's face expressed no emotion, she continued to stare at the roaring waves. "So am I," She answered bluntly, "but it won't bring him back."

He nodded in understatement, "He-He was a fine man, a great fighter and intelligent human."

A small chuckle escaped her lips, "Well, you said earlier didn't you, you weren't fond of him."

"I liked him." He clung on to the railing, "in away."

Serena kept staring at him.

"Alright I hated that son of a—" he compelled himself from finishing the sentence, "He still didn't deserve to die."

Time flew by as they began to converse, during that time Charlus had realized that Serena wasn't like Mark at all, she wasn't a narcissistic little shit who yearned for victory above anything else, she was a sweet naive girl with a great sense of humor and knowledge.

"So let me get this straight," she asked in between her laughs, "your father is a world-renowned scientist and you didn't even finish high school?"

"I did not!" He answered, "I won Johto league at ten, before that he expected me to complete my education but I did not!"

Serena giggled like a child as she struggled to contain her laughter.

"What about you?" He asked, "did you go to school?"