Assignment 009

Part 5- Start Over

Another teardrop rippled with the waters of the pond from Misty's
eye. Small sobs escaping her throat and the cricket's lullabies
were all that was heard. Misty reached over and grabbed a tissue
from the other side of the bench she was sitting on, and wiped her
eyes with it uselessly before more fell.

I'm so confused, thought Misty. I really have always thought I cared
about him and loved him as a best friend...but was Ash right? Was
he nothing more to me than an assignment? Was our friendship just a part
of some weekly report for a strict mission?

"Assignment 009," said a voice. Misty wiped her eyes and looked up. It
was Brock. "I see why Ash is so upset."

"Thanks for making me feel better," snapped Misty sarcastically as Brock
sat next to her.

"Ash went straight to his room to think about stuff, and his father
told me all about it. You worked for his father to protect him."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Not when you take the friendship Ash was really looking forward to
for granted. Ash did say one thing to me, though, and I think you
should know."

Misty looked at him.

"He told me you should do what his father did. Rebuild a friendship,
whether or not you had a real one in the first place. When Ash told
me that, Misty, it really touched me, then I knew I had to tell you
right away, and I think you should do it."

Misty smiled. "Why not? I've got nothing to lose," she said.

Brock smiled. "Great. Now come on, you know how dangerous it is to
be out in the park when it's getting dark. Let's go back to the house,
where you're going to straighten this whole thing out with Ash."







"Cheater," Ash mumbled as his father beat him in a third game of Spades.

"Loser," he joked as he shuffled the deck.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. "I'll get it," said Jake as he
got up and opened the door. It was Delia.

Delia took one look at him, then fainted. Jake sighed as he caught her
and took her to her room. He came back downstairs.

"Why does that reaction not surprise me?" asked Ash.

"Oh great, and I was about to say 'surprise'," said Jake. "She'll wake
up soon." Jake handed Ash the deck. "Cut the deck."

Then, someone opened the door. It was Brock and Misty. Ash immediately
stood up when he saw Misty.

"What now, another mission?" he asked, his half content mode vanishing
completely.

"Uh...we'll leave you two alone," said Jake and Brock as they went upstairs.

"Listen, Ash...I came here to say--"

"Mission accomplished, and another goodbye?"

"Will you listen to me?" she shouted. She sighed. "I thought it over
and I realized that...Ash, to me, you are more than a mission, you're more
than a report, you're more than an assigment. You do matter to me, Ash,
and not just my job. And if you let me, I...I want to start over and
rebuild the friendship..."

Misty looked down. Ash said nothing. When she looked back up, she would
have spoken, but her lips were very occupied at the moment.

Hello, she thought, lost in the kiss.

"Ran out of popcorn," said Brock as he entered the living room.

"Any drinks?" asked Jake.

Ash and Misty blushed. But they knew very well that the kiss was only
out of friendship.

Ash turns to the readers with a 'you-sure?' face. "Only?"

^.~

And here, the words stop, but the story forever continues...

~The End~