58.
chapter fifty-eight:
Bonnie's double
entendre has me
doubled over in
confusion, send help!

My eyes focused on the lone figure eyeing my car. She seemed to be contemplating why it might be there—at least, that’s what I could assume, given how high up I was.

“Oi!” I jumped at the shout before he let out a tired chuckle. “Sorry if I startled you, but I might as well have a plan to get my friend back with one of the greatest right-hand men I’ve ever had!”

I arched an eyebrow at the boy, but he was looking straight ahead, his eyes unfocused as if he were in deep thought. I decided to break the awkward silence by stepping away. “I am not one of your right-hand men.”

“Just kidding, all right? You’re more than capable of being a leader.”

I snorted. “You’ve got the wrong person, Calem.”

Calem looked suspicious. “What, all you have to do is lead, and they’ll follow you. Just don’t be a coward, and don’t ever leave one of your own unacknowledged. That’s the worst you can do as a leader. That’s all I’ve got to offer on leadership.”

I pursed my lips into a tight smile as he continued, leaning against the window. “As for friendship, or something more, I think all you gotta do is be yourself. Give them some space if they’re having trouble acknowledging their emotions, but don’t desert them. I suppose that’s what Serena’s trying to do.”

I wasn’t entirely sure how to reply to Calem. When he had no need to encourage me, why was he doing it anyway?

“Is this one of your leadership strategies?” I asked, a slow smirk making its way to my lips. Calem looked sincerely surprised, and disappointed as well, before he mirrored my expression.

“Maybe not? I’m genuinely worried about you; triple question marks, like in texting?”

Before I could ponder what he meant, he pushed himself off the window, took a few steps forward, and glanced over his shoulder at me. “I don’t have to tell you to be bold, do I?”

And he was gone.

It was nearly lunch when I found out the implications of what Calem had said earlier. “Who in the name of guacamole messed up the colors?!”

However, his actions were really forced, and for the life of her, Serena couldn’t see through him—or she was pretending to be fooled. “But I had clearly told them ink blue for the carpets and pastel blue for the shades!” she exclaimed, blanching. “We can’t use pastel shades for the carpets! How are we supposed to launder them after people stain them?”

Calem and Dawn cast me a sideways look. “Why don’t you go and complain about that before sundown?”

Serena opened and closed her mouth like a gaping goldfish. “It’s on the literal end of Lumiose!”

“Didn’t you bring your car?”

“Why would I?”

“My bad, I didn’t bring mine either and must have forgotten to inform you—”

“Calem!”

“Hey! Don’t jump at me! I would go, but I gotta receive the rest of the tables and stuff.”

“Dawn?!”

The bluenette looked panicked, but Calem came to her rescue. “She doesn’t have a license!” Serena sent him a pointed look, as if asking what he had in mind. “Why don’t—um—Ash! Why don’t you give her the keys to your car?”

“Sure?” I asked, glancing at the honey-blonde. Serena, however, had turned red.

“His car is a Kantonian model! I don’t know how that operates in terms of gears!”

I tried hard to hide a smirk. She had flaunted her license back then. Look at who’s cowering now.

“Why don’t you drive her there, Ash?” Dawn suggested, her voice syrupy. I blinked as everything fell into place. Seriously?

“But—!” Serena and I began in unison. My eyes slid to her, but she was deliberately looking elsewhere, her cheeks and neck flushed.

“I’m okay to go,” I said, hoping to keep my voice as nonchalant as I could. Serena shifted in her boots for what seemed like an eternity before nodding shyly. What could be better than skipping Lysandre’s lecture and getting time alone with Serena?

After getting a permission slip signed by Professor Sycamore and stamped with the principal’s logo, we walked out to the grounds where I had my car parked. Two trucks bearing the other decorations stood to the side, as Paul and the rest of the guys unloaded them. I even spotted Kiawe and Gary helping them out.

My gaze lingered on my vehicle. So this was why Dawn urgently messaged me this morning asking me to bring my car.

I unlocked my car and held the passenger door open for Serena. But as always—quite literally, I’m beginning to think the world and the author of our story hate me—there was an interruption in the form of Clemont, his sister hot on his tail.

He doubled over just as he reached us. “Pardon me, but Misty told me you guys were headed to Lumiose Brothers’?”

“Yeah?” I asked, finding it hard to keep the annoyance out of my voice. I could already imagine the worst unfolding within a few seconds.

“Could I perhaps tag along?”

Great!

“We?” Bonnie asked, rushing to stand beside her brother.

Brilliant!

Serena took that as an opportunity to avoid being alone with me. The girl was so desperate she almost hurt herself on the outstretched rearview mirror. “Of course! We would save so much on fuel!”

Perfect!

A seed of doubt tried to germinate in my mind. Was this girl deliberately avoiding her feelings—and mine as well? I pushed the thought away, forced on a tight smile, and opened the back door for the siblings to get in before taking the driver’s seat and buckling up.

I started the engine as Clemont spoke. “They’ve given us the wrong lighting, you see. It was supposed to be plain, but they supplied flashy pink ones.”

“I hate flashy pink!” the girls said in unison as we got on the road. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Serena wasn’t wearing her seat belt.

“You gotta buckle up,” I said, my voice gentler than I’d intended. Serena gasped a soft “Oh,” realizing her mistake, and started working on her seat belt. It was almost comical as she showed her clumsy, cute side, fumbling with it miserably.

“Curse Kanto boys—” I heard her mumble under her breath, and couldn’t help but chuckle. Kanto boys or Kanto cars? “Um, how are you supposed to fasten it when I can’t even fathom how to put it in?” she whispered audibly. Seeing she was hopeless, I glanced in the rearview mirror. The road was clear, so I pulled over.

“Are we stopping?” Clemont asked.

“Just a minute. Gotta do something.” I grunted and reached over. Serena yelped. “Chill.” I never thought buckling a seat belt would be so hard, but since Professor Oak had taught me, I had no say. “You just take this and put it in here. It’ll click, and you know you’re done.”

Bonnie shrieked for whatever reason, and when I looked back, Clemont was reprimanding her in hushed tones. I barely made out “double entendre” and mused on how fastening a seat belt could have a PG-13 twist. Perhaps kids these days knew more than I did.

An awkward silence settled as we continued. With the entire car somehow turning red, I wondered if we desperately needed to cool off and pressed the button to open the windows wide. Little did I know, we were about to face another challenge...