The group was meeting for their normal Saturday morning breakfast, though Clemont was gone for the weekend because of a science decathlon. Gary replaced the guy for the time being with Misty, whereas Dawn was out spending time with Paul.
"I hate him so much," Serena scoffed, resting her chin resting in the palm of her hand, her elbow close to the edge of the table. God, she never whined this much, especially over a boy.
"I find that quite hard to believe," Misty hummed, leaning against Gary. Throughout all the drama, somehow the two of them were growing much closer, and Serena cursed herself for clearly falling for the wrong roommate of the two.
"What do you mean 'quite hard to believe'?" Serena exhaled heavily through her nose and whipped to look at her. "Ash came to apologize to me yesterday, so he could stop thinking about me. How am I supposed to feel about that?"
Gary cracked an exceedingly tremulous smile. "That does sound like Ashy-boy. He's an idiot. The guy's my best friend, but he's not so bright when it comes to feelings. I'm sorry you're dealing with him, Serena."
"Thank you, but I'm not dealing with him anymore," irritation bled through her words, "I already told him to leave me alone."
May slowly tilted her head, hinted with a playful smile, and startling enough, she got a despairing one out of Serena. "Do you really think that's going to be the end of it?"
She glanced between the couples, sighing. "Yes?"
May eyed Serena in unbelievable doubt and she put her mind at rest. "I guess the better question is if you want it to be the end of it."
"Of course I do." Serena shifted under her analytical gaze. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I don't blame Serena," Drew scoffed, shrugging it off like he could applaud her for that. However, everyone knew his opinion was a little biased.
May smacked Drew upside his head, getting him to hiss out in pain, and look at her bewilderment. He was about to ask her what had he done and say he wasn't wrong, but the look in her eyes silenced him. She smiled at Serena, side eyeing Drew. "She started to have feelings for him and those don't exactly go away in a few days."
She glanced at her friends and Serena, preoccupied with the possibilities, dissipated into sadness. "So I assume you still want me to be with Ash even after everything?"
"Not exactly," May breathed out and gave her a genuine smile for comfort. "I just... don't want you to get hurt again if he comes back and tries to get with you. It's feasible that he will."
"Not so sure about that one." Gary rubbed at his forehead, warding off an increasing headache because of his idiotic friend. He flicked his hand up, truth on his tongue. "Ash is insanely stubborn. If she really told him off, he might take that seriously."
Serena felt her heart sink. She knew she shouldn't care anymore. After how he treated her, she wanted— needed to let him go. He wasn't going to care about her regardless.
"I told you he's an idiot, but he likes you a lot, Serena." Gary lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head in thought. "I just can't figure out why he's fighting it."
She didn't like how her cheeks were quick to redden. Flashes of mixed emotions flared in her light blues, pinning her right where she sat. "What are you talking about?"
"He does have a crush on you. Ash doesn't go and watch dance performances, knowing he could be training instead. He doesn't do things unless he wants to and he sure as hell wouldn't have kissed you for shits and giggles." Blue eyes stared at Gary while he talked without blinking once. "I kept trying to tell him he could dance and be with you while playing basketball, but he keeps denying it. He says it's not possible."
Head dipping down, Serena stuffed a golden lock of hair behind her ear and whispered, "when he 'apologized' to me, he called me a distraction." She sounded astounded and she stilled, her reaction not hard to miss.
"Thats because you are." Gary put up both hands dramatically, weighing his options, and in the process, getting a small chuckle out of Serena. "You should've seen the way Paul stole the ball from him at practice. Ash just stopped in the middle of the court during a fast break after he stole the ball from him first."
"Seriously?" Serena said, bafflement lined on her face.
"It was pretty hilarious." Gary quickly cleared his throat when he saw how the other four at the table were staring at him. "Thankfully there were no injuries that day."
May squeezed her eyes shut before sighing in thought. She shook her head, mumbling, "sports..."
Gary chuckled awkwardly and turned to Serena, letting out a light breath of air as he brought Misty closer to his side. "I'm not here to tell you to give Ash another chance. It's not my place. If I'm being truthful, I don't think he deserves one. I've been telling him to be honest this whole time. Does he listen? Of course not."
Misty let herself lean into his embrace and lifted her head to eye him, curiously. Her hand went to his face, her thumb gently tracing his jawline. "Gary, do you think there's more to it?"
"I'd be lying if I said no." He grinned, looking down at the orange haired girl as forest green eyes met calm ones. "Ash has never dealt with feelings like this before. He never understood it. Hell, you should've seen him in middle school. He was embarrassingly terrible at this. He probably thought he was really apologizing to you, Serena."
"Oh, he definitely did," she said, rolling her eyes.
Misty smirked and posture adjusted in extreme interest, leaning forward. "You could look at it as a good thing."
Serena blinked. "Mind explaining?"
"He's not going to stop thinking about you. You're going to continue being a distraction." Misty's grin went wider and she stuck her hand out in a suggestive manner as she laid out her idea. "If you want him to apologize earnestly, you should explain to him how to do so."
"So I have to give Ash another lesson, but in teaching him to be a normal human being with his emotions," she asks, flipping her hands in the air while her face was full of disbelief. "He's not a robot. A non-half-assed apology shouldn't be hard. It's basic human decency."
Drew nodded instantly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Which he seems to not have."
May pinched his side, glaring at him for his tone. Drew flinched, not even questioning it, and with a pout, leaned back into his seat.
Gary clicked his tongue, moving his arm comfortably around Misty's shoulders. His thumb rubbed her smooth arms like it was natural. Serena did have a point which was hard to turn down. "Hard to believe he'll ever learn that."
May took another breather like she couldn't deny that either by the looks of it, but smiled at Serena. "You could tell him to make it up to you."
Serena twisted her lips. She wasn't sure what he could do, anything that would make up what he did and said. They were partially his true feelings after all, even if some things he said were more to cover up what was real.
"I'll decide to just let it go," she concluded.
"And if you believe you should, do that," May said, reaching over to gently squeeze Serena's hand. "Do what you feel is best. I wouldn't want to see you with someone who could hurt you."
"I can't say it's not his fault because it is." Gary reprimanded, shoulders tensing. Serena submitted in a bleak nod. He loosened. "I wish he would stop being insanely stubborn. The second he opens his mind, I know he'd be so damn happy with you."
Misty gave Serena a nod that showed she thought the same, Drew not refusing the nod he unconsciously added at that, and May giving her a concerned look from her eyes.
"It's fine. I'll be okay," Her eyes closed for a moment and opened to gazes that were attached to her. "I was getting over it. I'll just continue to do the same."
Serena hated how much the thought made her feel uneasy. Why couldn't Ash just be less difficult and confusing? She didn't understand why it was so hard for him to offer a sincere apology? She wished it could be easier, but this just made moving on her best option, as much as it made her heart ache.
After the group finished with their meals, they went their separate ways. May and Drew deciding to head to the studio, Misty having early soccer practice as her teammate, Iris, came by to pick her up early. Serena thought of going to the studio as well, but went back to her dorm to study a little more. With Gary, he knew he had a bone to pick with the idiot of a roommate he had to deal with.
At this point, he felt like a couple's therapist.
He should be getting paid because of that.
"Well, I knew you were ridiculously dumb in several ways," he said, stepping into their room, and shut the door. "But I didn't realize you were this dumb."
"What?" Ash gaped, pushing away one side of his headphones away from his ear. Why was Gary calling him dumb? He hadn't done anything today. Last time he checked, he worked out this morning, and now he was finishing up schoolwork he didn't even feel like doing. "What are you on about, man?"
"I just had breakfast with Misty and her friends," Gary began, "Serena was there too."
Immediately, Ash moved his headphones back into place on his ears. The one thing he didn't need was to have another talk about him and Serena. He already knew where things were headed and he didn't like it.
"Don't ignore me now," Gary said, storming towards his bed. He observed him closely. "Don't be like this. Did you try to apologize to her after practice yesterday? Is that why you were out the locker room within seconds?"
"And what about it?" Ash yanked his headphones off his head again. "Was the group saying how terrible I am?"
"No, actually. Serena just said she wanted a real apology."
"I did give her one."
"Not from the sounds of it," Gary said, shaking his head. His response was met with silence. "What are you doing, man?"
"Nothing. I'm doing nothing. But I'm leaving her alone like she wishes for me to." Ash snorted. Gary ambled closer to peer at the disheveled hair and the dark bags under his friend's eyes. "I told her she was in my head too much, so I tried apologizing to get her out of it."
"Fucking hell," Gary breathed and Ash noticed under his lashes how odd he kept looking at him. "Do you think any girl wants to hear that? You basically told her you want to stop thinking about her."
"I do," Ash snapped, taking Gary by surprise. A hand went to his black locks, trying to shake his own thoughts. "I can't focus at practice if I'm standing around thinking about her."
"This is all so unnecessarily complicated."
"Why do you care about this so much? I didn't ask for you to interrogate me every chance you get."
"Because," Gary positioned his hand out in a calming gesture, "we're best friends, brothers not by blood, and I don't want to see someone close to me hurting himself more each passing day. Serena just wants a normal apology and the reason you keep thinking about her—viewing her as a distraction, is because you like her."
Ash drooped his head, discerning the rest of that sentence, and he felt his neck flush. The last thing he needed right now was to get lectured again by Gary. "This is all you do lately; yell at me about Serena."
"You're being incredibly nonsensical. Shes likes you, you like her. There's no reasonable explanation why you're making this more complicated."
With a grieving shake of his head, Ash mumbled, "I don't have time for this."
"Bullshit," Gary argued, matching Ash's growing frustration. "You're making up excuses, man. You just seem scared. Are you afraid you like her? That somewhere down the road she'll stop feeling the same way and move on from you?"
"What?" Ash stood up, glaring at his friend. "You need to just leave it alone already—I'm not... scared."
Gary nodded firmly and grinned, his head shaking from side to side. Ash was almost ashamed. "I didn't realize you could act so cowardly over having feelings for a girl."
"What part of leave it alone don't you understand?" Ash hissed. Repulsive, sunken eyes squinted heavily on Gary. "I'm not a coward. I'm here on a scholarship for basketball. I got in trouble and wasn't able to practice for a month. I'm back and I need to focus. I can't just stop playing ball, nor do I want to."
"I get you missed practice. I get that," Gary retorted. You can still have a girlfriend and do other things you want. You don't have to be stuck on one thing."
Gary disconcerted Ash with that statement. "I have one focus, Gary. I don't need any others."
"I'll never comprehend the level of stubbornness you have about this," Gary said, his hand sliding down from his hairline to stop at his mouth.
"What am I supposed to do? I don't even know why she wants me to be her dance partner."
Gary pointed a sure finger at Ash. "You know you could've stuck it out with her and still not be her partner if you really thought you couldn't."
"Oh, and feel guilty all the time?"
"Serena isn't that type of girl and you know that. If you want to dance with her, do it." A taunting smile raised the end of Gary's lip. "Are you thinking you might be horrible if you did join some dance competition? Losing? Disappointing her—Well, you've done that already, might I add."
Ash repeated the words in his head and his upper lip twisted in newfound anger. This conversation was getting him nowhere. Even if he wanted to be with Serena, even if he could focus on her and basketball, and dance all at the same time, none of it mattered anymore.
Same situation, same words. "It doesn't matter—"
"It does," Gary interjected. "You've been moody for days, you went to apologize to her, and though you said it was to get her out of your head, we all know it was because you feel bad. You miss her."
Seeing Serena again the other day, back at that studio, he felt everything was beginning to change. He wondered if they could start things over and if she wanted to be friends, he can deal with that. He couldn't deny that he missed her—everything about her, and having her with him would be enough.
Ash let out an extended exhale and eyed the floor. "She didn't accept my apology, so yes, it doesn't matter."
Gary's voice grew quieter. "Did you want her to accept it?"
Ash didn't look up, but the twitch of his lips showed Gary heard him. "No, I clearly was hoping Serena would yell at me and tell me to leave," he deadpanned with a clenched jaw, looking back up at him. "She's done with me. I'll be done with her. I tried my best to apologize."
"Your best, my ass, Ash." Gary jested as Ash gave him an unimpressed look. "Since when do you give up? When you really want something, you make it happen. You want her."
Why did it seem like everyone around him was so damn right all the time?
"It's too late for that."
"No, it isn't. If you really want her, you could apologize like a normal person. Be genuine about it." Gary straightened confidently as if he knew Ash could give in and Ash had to control himself from rolling his eyes and the fact that he would give in. "Make it up to her, take her out. Earn her forgiveness back. There are a lot of options here. Do you need a list? I can gladly make one."
"No, I don't," Ash replied right away, not even having time to think it over. Perhaps he did need one. He'll keep it in mind. "She made her feelings clear."
"Because you pushed her away." Gary was flabbergasted, but amused. Ash opened his mouth to find reasoning, though he really had no excuse. Gary continued. "Don't be an ass and an idiot. Don't be either. If you like her, then go after her."
Ash wasn't the type to back down from anything. He needed to be focused, but he didn't like losing and right now, it felt like he was losing the most amazing girl he ever met. It was the worst feeling. He hated hearing everyone—everything around him reminding him of what he did. He hated knowing how much he hurt her, more than once too.
What kind of jackass was he? If he were Serena, he wouldn't want to be with himself either—as a dance partner, a friend, anything.
"I'm heading out for some food," Ash said suddenly and grabbed his jacket while making his way to the door. He placed his hand on the knob, turning his head back to Gary. "You want anything?"
"A burger would be nice." Gary didn't say anything about the topic change. Instead, he let it go to Ash's appreciation, but still studied his friend who gave nothing away, and ignored his sharp gaze. "Thanks."
Ash gave a tight nod and walked out the door, closing the door behind him. His roommate was right. Everything he said every time, he knew he was. If he liked her, he should go after her, but from the way she spoke to him yesterday, he had a sickening feeling he really lost his chance.
What an idiot he truly was.