Misty was walking when she felt her phone vibrate inside her purse. She stopped walking and answered the call. "Ash?"
Where are you?
"I'm, uh, still at school." Misty was speaking in a low voice. "Why?"
Okay, things happened—look, Mist, you really need to get home and now. I think I screwed.
"What?" Misty blinked. "What happened? Are the kids okay?"
No, they're fine—it's me—look, are you coming? I can't stop drinking and eating crackers.
Misty sighed. "Ash, please, I'm busy. Put that bottle away and take the boys out for baseball."
Oh please don't say baseball! That's like baise! Bye.
"What—Ash? Ash?" Misty gasped after Ash ended the call. "What's wrong with this man?"
She sighed and walked toward the table she and Leaf were at. The two were in a coffee shop in a mall near the school Misty's teaches at.
"Who was that?" Leaf asked after she sipped her coffee.
"It's Ash." Misty sat down.
"I swear to God, we never get time for ourselves!" Leaf complained. "Now what? He broke a vase like last time and wants you to buy a similar one?"
"No, but he's drinking and eating crackers." Misty put her purse on the table. "I told him I was at school and I feel guilty."
"I told Gary I was going to the gynecologist." Leaf shrugged. "I don't feel guilty."
Misty chuckled. "Did you leave him alone with the boys?"
"I know!" Leaf laughed. "He's doomed!"
"I couldn't agree more." Misty nodded. Leaf and Gary have three sons who don't have a very good reputation, behavior wise.If they ever end up in the same room as Ryan, Elliot and Tyler, it's the war. They have already ended up in the emergency room on Halloween when they were younger.
"You tell me Tyler and Elliot fight—they're angels compared to mine!" Leaf narrowed her eyes. "Mine have no limits! They just run and fight and jump on people!"
"I guess I'm better off." Misty leaned back on her chair.
"But they're growing up." Leaf pouted. "They no longer jump on Gary's mom when she's sleeping."
Misty giggled. Tyler used to do that too. "Does Kevin still want to enroll in a boarding school?"
"Between us, I think he just wants to leave town."
"Like some people." Misty looked down at her coffee cup. "Who can't bring themselves to say it."
"Pallet men are just big babies." Leaf took a sip of the coffee. "Babies that never grow up."
"Ash is so scared of telling his parents he wants to move." Misty picked up her coffee cup. "He's like a sixteen years old boy!"
"Okay, maybe it's not as easy as you think it is, Misty." Leaf shook her head. "It's not like when guys in the city move out at eighteen. Actually, nobody moves anywhere in Pallet."
"I know, but he's forty! Come on."
"We're speaking about Delia Ketchum here, honey." Leaf let a chuckle. "This is the woman who popped your birth control pills in the toilet."
Misty started laughing. "Ash said she just wanted me to try for a girl after Tyler."
"I will never understand why she did that!" Leaf exclaimed. "Why?"
"I don't know." The redhead shrugged. "When Ash caught her, she told him pills were a sin."
"That's bullshit."
"She's crazy, no doubt." Misty checked her wristwatch. "Shall we go? I'm a bit worried about Ash. I have to stop him from drinking the whole wine stock."
-
Misty unlocked the door of the house and got inside. As she took off her high heel shoes, she noticed Ryan, Angie and Annie had their ears stuck on their grandmother's bedroom door.
"Is she yelling at dad?"
"What?"
"I can't hear!"
"Shut up so we can hear!"
"Hey! What are these manners?" Misty shouted and picked up her shoe. "Get away from that door! NOW!"
The three ran upstairs. Misty threw the shoe but it didn't hit any of them. She realized she was starting to throw shoes at her kids like people in this town... "Oh my God. That was so Pallet-ish."
Misty could hear screaming coming from Delia and George's bedroom. It was Ash's voice.
She quickly put her purse on the counter and went to knock on the door. "Ash? Are you inside?"
The door quickly opened. It was Delia. "Oh, there is the art teacher!" Ash was inside as well, looking a bit pale.
"Well, Misty, we were waiting for you to get home." Delia opened the door wide. "Get inside. We have a lot to discuss."
When Misty got inside, Delia slammed the door shut loudly.
"Don't slam the door, mom. There are kids in this house."
"Sit down, Ash."
Ash mumbled something under his breath and sat on the end of the bed. Misty sat down beside him and smiled.
"Yes, you're smiling! Of course you're smiling!" Delia suddenly cracked. "You were planning this the whole time!"
"Mom!"
The door suddenly opened. It was Ash's father. He looked surprised. "What's happening here?"
"Actually, you're concerned too. So take a seat."
"What? Misty didn't do the laundry the way you like it?" George laughed. Misty hid her smile behind her hand. He grabbed some pills from his nightstand. "Leave me out of this."
"Ash and Misty are moving to Viridian city!"
Ash's father turned around. Delia nodded. "Yes, I'm serious. They're taking the kids and leaving this summer."
"Oh." When he looked at Misty and Ash, they just avoided eye contact with him. "Okay."
"What?" Delia blinked. "Okay what?"
"That's good." George nodded. "Ash can take care of the store on his own, then."
Not that Ash wasn't expecting such reaction from his father, but this was going a lot better than he expected.
"Whose side are you on?" Delia was losing her mind. "Whose side? Huh?"
"I don't take sides!" Mr. Ketchum pointed at Ash. "You thought he was going to stay with you forever? Seriously? Look at him! He hates this town! He drinks himself to sleep!"
"And if it wasn't for Misty-"
"Don't add more chili pepper, Ash. I was only exaggerating."
Ash shrugged. "I like chili pepper."
"Okay. Can I go give my mother her medicine now?"
Delia turned to look at Ash. "Are you going to leave three old people alone?"
"Now you're changing your strategy?" Ash chuckled. "I'm not leaving for Kalos! Don't add chili pepper, mom."
"Let him leave this house!" Ash's father spoke from his spot near the door. "He emptied my wine barrels, he drinks all the good wine and his kids snatch my grapes before I even get to see them! They're like a gang. I'm tired of them."
"I agree." Ash nodded. Misty giggled lightly.
"And if I catch that kid of yours one more time groping that blonde's ass in the storeroom, I will kick his ass."
Delia gasped. "WHO?"
"Go ahead." Ash nodded.
"Blonde? Blonde?" George narrowed his eyes. "What kind of taste is that? What did you do to him?"
Some shifting could be heard behind the door. Misty sighed. "They're eavesdropping."
"Take this gang out of my house! I tell you!" George groaned and opened the door. He stepped out. "WHO WAS AT THE DOOR? HUH? WHO WANTS TO GET HIS ASS KICKED?"
"Don't yell at the girls!" Delia followed after him.
"Now that I'm thinking about this..." Ash cocked his head. "Maybe I don't want to take these kids with me." He looked at Misty and smiled. "I want to take you and leave."
"I don't know if that's possible, Ash. You kind of gave birth to those children." Misty brushed his cheek.
"Oh, right. I keep forgetting. I only remember the part when it's sex."
The two laughed.
Ash looked toward the door. "Mom lost her mind for a second." He looked at Misty. "Not really just a second—she lost her mind for thirty minutes, no break. She went nuts."
"I noticed."
"She thought you've been planning this for fifteen years."
"Yeah. Like I have nothing better to do!"
The two laughed for a little while. From their spot, they could hear loud yelling and laughter outside the bedroom... tables and chairs getting knocked too.
"Sometimes I wonder why mom and dad haven't kicked us out yet."
"Same."
THE END