Am I the only one freaking out at the sight of the 29 behind chapter. And then the reads... The votes... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!💙

( Dawn's POV ) (Still not telling you about Leaf)

I waited for a time that felt like centuries. My heart was pumping blood in my body twice as fast as usual. I could feel sweat on my forehead, but all I cared about was knowing my friend was gonna be okay.

So many thoughts flew through my mind. Why was Red there? Why did he do that to Gary? Where was Leaf? And so on... The constant sobbing had given me a headache, and waiting only made me more nervous. Kenny sat beside me, a lot calmer than I was. We hadn't talked to each other. Not a single word. Ash and Misty had kept each other company. It seemed to work. Ash and Misty were right now busy calling Paul, Drew, May and Leaf. Though Leaf wasn't back in our dormitory. That was the most information I had received.

It became close to night and I didn't want to fall asleep. Drew had finally made his entrance. He had yelled at the receptionist, because no one could see Gary. Even if it was only a broken hand. I was getting tired, but I tried to stay awake.

"You don't have to stay awake until Paul arrives."Kenny said gently. I looked at him. His face was soft and I saw a smile on his lips. Not a weak, failed attempt of a smile. No, it was a real smile. "If you want, I can wake you up when he gets here."

"R-really?"I asked stuttering. Kenny nodded sweetly. I also smiled and hugged him. "Thanks!" He hesitated, but hugged me back. His hands were warm. The hug lasted for a few minutes, and it felt great. When I finally let go of him, I said, "Friends forever?".

Kenny nodded. "Forever and always."he said happily. Then the sudden adrenaline faded and I fell asleep, my head resting on Kenny's shoulder. Friends. He was okay with me and Paul being together. I was afraid he wouldn't understand me, but I had been afraid for nothing. He just needed time accepting it. Maybe the same went for Red. Maybe he needed time to accept the fact Leaf wasn't the little girl he fell in love with. She had grown up to be the woman he so eagerly wanted to be his, but she made her own decisions. I couldn't let Leaf lose Gary or the other way around. However the main goal was still protecting Misty. And Ash...

( time skip )

I felt how a warm hand shook me. I slowly opened my eyes, still a bit sleepy. When I fully opened them and I could see normally I saw Paul standing in the doorway. I gave Kenny a quick nod, before running to Paul.

"Paul."I said. Paul didn't smile, but I was getting used to that. He looked at me and took me in his arms. He put his hand on my head in an overprotective way.

"Are you okay?"he asked gently pulling back to look me in the eyes. There was worry in his voice but his face was still grumpy. His hands touched my hair and it gave me a warm feeling inside. I smiled and nodded pleased. The worry in his voice was enough emotion to get it. He was worried. Though showing his emotions was hard for him, I could read him. Paul finally showed interest in the others. He walked to Ash and Misty. Ash slowly shook his head.

"We don't know anything yet."Ash said. Paul nodded, but I saw how angry he was at that sentence. Weren't we all? Misty gave a worried look, but decided to do something else than being part of the following conversation.

"Are you all okay?"he asked, skipping Kenny completely.

"Only Dawn and Gary were actually there."Drew said. "The wounded were Gary and Red."

"Red deserved that pain."Paul said angrily. They all agreed. I walked over to Kenny and sat next to him. Paul looked at us for a moment, so I gave him a reassuring smile. He just looked away. Kenny stood up.

"I'm going to the toilet, be right back."he said with a sweet smile. I nodded and smiled back. When Kenny was gone my nervousness came back. The endless worrying returned and my tiredness turned into using all my energy to bite my nails. May hadn't picked up the phone, so I couldn't tell myself she still wasn't here. Paul, Ash and Drew were in an argument, and Misty was behind the phone. I didn't know the woman on the screen. Her hair was blue, but arker blue than mine, and she wore some sort of bathing suit. 

Then the door opened. My face turned towards the doorway. It rained outside. It was strange how I felt like the weather made my sad mood even worse. In the doorway stood someone we hadn't expected to show up, especially not around this hour; Red. It became silent. Misty had broken her call, Drew, Paul and Ash stopped talking and I stayed in the chair. I tensed more with every step Red took.

"I would like to visit Gary Oak."Red said in a low voice. I couldn't get my eyes off of that... That jerk! The receptionist looked at her screen. "Which room?"Red continued. Drew took a step forwards, ready to give him the beating he so deserved. Pikachu growled, and Ash had to pet him, so that he wouldn't shock Red. Paul just stared at Red with nothing but pure anger.

"I'm sorry, but if you want to see Gary Oak, you'll have to wait."

"He isn't allowed to see Gary."I said loud enough for everyone to hear. The receptionist looked at me.

"Anyone is allowed to see mr. Oak, and if you have a problem with that you'll have to talk to the boss." My anger became even bigger. Red was the whole freaking reason Gary was here in the first place! I stared at Red and he stared back. We looked at each other like it was a competition in who could stare the longest without blinking. Red won, obviously. He walked away, pushing me with his shoulder. Then Kenny finally came back. His eyes widened when he saw Red, and he quickly sat down again. Nobody was ready to talk yet.

"What is he doing here?"Kenny whispered in my ear. I shrugged, but my eyes couldn't get off of Red. I hated him. I hated him so much!

The receptionist got a call, and broke the silence. "Yes... Of course... When? Oh, now! Sure... Bye!" She looked at us with a half smile. "You can visit Gary now."

We walked in the room. Gary sat in a chair with his arm in plaster. He looked tired and hurt. Misty gave Gary a hug, but the rest remained silent and worried. But when Red came in, Gary's eyes narrowed. "Get out."he hissed. But Red didn't move a muscle.

"I want to apologize."Red said. I couldn't do anything else but raising an eyebrow. "I know you care about Leaf, and so do I. It was wrong to... do that to you." Red looked at Gary's plastered arm. Gary nodded, in my disbelief.

"It's fine."

"What?!"I yelled. Both Gary and Red looked my way. Gary shrugged and Red stiffened. "He broke your hand! That's not something you can forgive and forget that easily!" Gary gave me a sharp look. I didn't know how, but I understood what he tried to tell me.

He knows Leaf, we all need his information.

"Have you found Leaf yet?"Gary asked casually. No one said something and the room went quiet again. That was until we heard a voice behind us.

"I don't know where Leaf is, but I do know something else." We all turned around to look in the bright blue eyes of Serena. She wore a hospital pajama and had her hair in a low ponytail. She wasn't wearing any shoes. Her face was whiter than it used to be, but still beautiful. I realized I hadn't visited Serena after asking her questions. She looked different. The moonlight made her face look even paler than it already was, and I spotted Fennekin next to her.

"Serena?"was all I could say. She nodded and walked to us. You could see from her movements that she hadn't recovered completely, but she could walk now. Misty helped Serena to sit down and the rest looked at her in disbelief.

"Could you tell us what you know?"Drew said, immediately returning to the case. I was still wondering how Serena could walk, when Drew already wanted to know what she had to tell.

"It's not much, but I hope it can be helpful."Serena said with a raspy voice. She coughed and spoke then without any problems, "It happened yesterday, when I was writing in my diary..."

( Serena's POV ) ( + Flashback )

Dear diary,

There's nothing to do here, as usual. The doctors said they had good news for me. Which was that I have to stay here for only one more week. But I don't think that's good news at all! I can't survive another week in this hospital! The food is bad and the doctors are scaring me. Maybe it's my fault. Maybe it's karma for my suicide attempt. But I don't like it! I want it to be 

I couldn't write more as the door opened. Someone didn't take any effort with keeping silent. The face I saw running in my room was a face I knew. Someone followed from behind, being calmer than her friend.

"Serena Yvonne!"Ursula barked. I looked at her, strengthening my grip on the pencil, but smiling sweetly. Brianna looked a little nervous and it felt like she was hiding behind Ursula.

"Yes, Ursula?"I asked nicely. If I wanted to, I could pretend Ursula wasn't the stupid bitch she was. Brianna wasn't much better than her. They were both annoying and mean. Not to mention clingy. "Can I help you?"

"What did you do in my room?!"Ursula shouted.

"Your room?"I asked surprised. But it soon turned into indignation. "You think I was in your room?! I can barely walk! How should I get out of this place!"

"Don't think for one second I believe you, because you're oh so pitiful!"

"I don't need pity!"I yelled at Ursula. "Especially not from someone like you!" Ursula got even madder than when she came in and I could see in her eyes how badly she wanted to hit me. But luckily Brianna decided it was enough and held Ursula back.

"Shut up the both of you!"Brianna screamed angrily. I couldn't hide my anger as I listened to Brianna, "Serena, you're the only one we know, that is ever capable of doing that. Please tell me, did you hire someone?"

"Do you really expect me to be that low!"I snarled.

"Yes, yes we do!"Ursula yelled, causing Brianna to hold her back again, even though she wasn't gonna hurt me this time.

"There is no one else that hates Ursula as much as you do."Brianna added.

"Paul." Ursula looked like she could kill me any moment now, but Brianna stood in between. Ursula looked at the diary left on my lap. Brianna sighed letting the silence stay here for a while. I could imagine how tiring it must be for her to be Ursula's friend. I looked to the window, not planning to start another conversation.

After a long moment of silence Ursula said, "Come Brianna, she's not gonna talk."

"What happened in your room?"I asked. One of the many questions I had. I didn't do anything, but what could happen that was so bad, only I was capable of doing it? What was it?

"You're right, we should go."Brianna said, trying to avoid my question. But Ursula kept standing, looking me deep in the eyes. I could've sworn I saw an emotion beside anger in them. Sadness, anger and fear combined. My instincts told me I wouldn't want to get involved. But I didn't listen to my instincts. I listened to Ursula.

"Someone wrote all kinds of mean words on the wall"-Ursula paused and swallowed-"with blood." Brianna started to cry and sat down. "On the ground"-Ursula said, doing her best not to cry rivers like Brianna-"lay Surskit, and his organs scattered throughout the room." I felt how all my anger and frustration disappeared. I didn't want to hear more. It actually made me remember why I wanted to be dead instead of alive. Ursula brought the crying mess named Brianna outside. The only thing I could think of was Brianna's Surskit, dead. I took my pencil in my hand. And I only wrote down one more word.

gone.

( Drew's POV ) ( + end of flashback )

I listened carefully as Serena told her story. It had been only one day ago Brianna's Surskit went missing. I guess the school didn't want to lose more students and tried to cover it up. But why didn't Brianna tell me? Why didn't she go to officer Jenny? Why did I have to hear this from Serena? But to be the dick I was, I worried more about May. She hadn't answered my calls. Why not? What could be more important than answering my calls?!

"I haven't heard anything else about it."Serena said slowly. "I don't know why I even wanted to hear what Ursula had to say. I mean, who cares?! But I did care about this. Even though I don't want anything to do with the murders. This is what I can tell you guys, I'm not gonna be a part of this."

"I know."Dawn said quietly. "And it's understandable. But for the others, we're in the middle of this, we're gonna figure out who did this. And we're going to make that person punish for her deeds." I nodded at those words. Misty helped Serena to get back to her room.

"We should go to the pokémon center."I said. "I'm sure we can crash there for the night." Paul and Kenny nodded, Ash and Pikachu just dealt with it, but Dawn refused.

"I'm staying with Serena and Gary tonight."

"I'm going to the pokémon center, so it will only be Serena."Gary said standing up. I nodded and we all stood up, ready to go. Red was still silent. It was creeping me out, but I wasn't planning to say something about it. So we all went to the pokémon center the moment Misty came back. I called May once, and twice, but she didn't answer my calls. Then I called my parents.

"Andrew!"mom shouted happily. I groaned when I heard her say my whole name. Dad came here too. "So we wanted to tell you sooner, but we bought you the ticket to Hoenn. Now you don't have to buy it from your own money!"

I smiled weakly, "When am I leaving?"

"Next Friday."dad said. "I'm sorry it couldn't be any time sooner, but everyone leaves there at the moment."

"I need more time."I said quickly. Mom and dad didn't understand. This was where I belonged. This was my home, my family. I needed to stay here.

"You're not staying there any longer than next Friday!"my mother yelled. I knew she loved me, and I knew she cared, but I wanted to stay. For May, for Gary and for Misty. I couldn't leave yet.

"Mom,"I said carefully. "I want to stay." My mother sighed.

"You are coming home Andrew, if you want to or not."dad said. I didn't nod. I wasn't gonna agree with it this time.

"Make me."I said and I hung up. I called another number, to officer Jenny. I would try it one more time. One more.

"Hello." I could feel tears in my eyes when I heard her voice. This wasn't officer Jenny. What the hell was she doing there?!"Who's there?"

"It's me, Drew."I said slowly. I could hear some noises I couldn't quite place.

"Drew?" I was happy and scared at the same time. "Drew I need your help. I've got no idea where I am." Her words sank into my mind.

"May, are you okay?"

________________________________________________________________________________

Worst cliffhanger ever!

I'm so incredibly sorry for updating this late! I didn't make it! And then I didn't even update earlier this week to make up for it or something! But I have only one more week school and then the winter break is there! So, I'll be sure to update more often then. Thanks for waiting and again sorry!

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                    -LapisLazulli2-