Wouldn't You Miss Me?

Chapter 1

A/N: Hello! I know it's been forever since I last uploaded, lol. Somehow, the stories that I was writing earlier don't appeal as much any longer, so it was hard to get myself in the flow. But good news is that I finally have the inspiration to write a multi-chaptered fic! And I assure you that I won't keep you guys waiting forever or leave it mid-way like 'Our Last Summer'. Speaking of it, I don't think I will be finishing it. Anyways, enjoy!

Fanart credits: 

https://twitter.com/Lux_et_ventus/status/1398633848896851969?s=19

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/12450393

Inspired from the Contestshipping fic 'Don't You Miss Her?', by Ochazuke, on FF.Net. 

~

"Dawn?", the purple-haired 11th grader recalled as he stared at the small, handmade bracelet in his palm.

Paul had been cleaning his hostel room when he found it. He could not remember the person associated with the wristlet in one go, as he had not seen her for a few months now. Where was she anyway? But again, who else would bother giving him a bracelet other than Mrs. Troublesome?

"Happy Friendship Day!"

Paul looked up to find a beaming Dawn staring at him. He wished her back awkwardly as he stood up to find another place to think peacefully.

"Hey Paul, wait up! Atleast wear my friendship band!"

Paul stopped to give her an awkward look. "What?"

"The band I made for you!", Dawn exclaimed as she showed him a band having a chevron pattern with purple and blue shades. "I chose this colour because it goes well with your eyes."

Had it been someone else, the anti-social boy would have walked away immediately, but unfortunately for him, this person was Dawn Berlitz. He knew well that if he denied her now, she would travel to the four corners of the globe to find him if she had to. So without a word, he stretched out his wrist as Dawn tied the band.

"Done!", Dawn smiled, raising her wrist to show him a copy of the bracelet she tied, and added, "Now that both of us have one, we will always be connected in some way."

Yep... 'troublesome' was perfect for her...

Just beneath in the drawer where he had found the trinket, was the hanky she had lent him when he accidentally got hurt during a Pokemon battle. He had forgotten to return it.

~

"Hey"

May turned around, astonished to see him approaching her.

"Please return this to Dawn", Paul requested, giving her a white hanky with a pinkish Pokeball design.

"Dawn? I would, but she is not here?"

"Oh, you mean she is sick?"

The 10th grader brunette paused for a minute. "You mean, you don't know? ... She hasn't been coming to school since vacations."

"Paul, have you seen Dawn?", Misty almost fumbled.

Paul wasn't connected to her in any way other than knowing that she was a friend of Dawn's, so he was a little surprised at the sudden question. "No, why would I?"

"Well, did you see her after vacations?"

"Why would I know? She's not my friend", he replied, annoyed at the fact that his thoughts were interrupted.

"Not your friend? You ungrateful-!", she almost snapped, before being pulled away by May. "Don't waste your time, Misty. It's Paul. We need to find Dawn!"

At the time, he just thought they were overreacting. After all, what could happen to her? He had assumed that she would be back in 2-3 days.

"You mean, you don't know? ... She hasn't been coming to school since vacations."

"Oh right", Paul muttered, walking away.

Vacations? It had almost been half a year since then. Where did Troublesome disappear? He wondered for a while, but then shrugged it off...

... Only for it to hit him again later that night. He grunted. Why was he thinking about her? Isn't it good she wasn't there? Well, he could just get it over with after a call. So he took out his phone and tried to find her number, scrolling down. "Man, where is it?", he muttered to himself. Wait... had he ever even dialled her before? How would he have her number?

"Hey Paul, wait up!"

"What now?", he stopped and turned around.

"Let's exchange numbers!", she suggested, handing him a chit.

"What for?"

"You know... just in case of an emergency"

"Emergency? Is that the best excuse you could come up with to have my number and annoy me?"

"No! For emergencies, genuinely. You know, if - Arceus forbid - anything happens. We never know."

"You're overthinking, troublesome", Paul replied, walking away.

"It's you who is not thinking at all!", Dawn snapped, chasing him. She paused, expecting a reply, but when nothing came, she shouted, "So Paul, if something happens to me, wouldn't you even wonder? If I disappear tomorrow, would you reach out? Wouldn't you miss me?!" And then, the blunette flustered, realising what she had said. "I mean-! Oh never mind, I give up!" And she left him alone.

The irony. Now he understood what she meant by 'emergency'... but it wasn't like she was in trouble or anything... right? It was just a thought, which had very less probability of actually happening. And what was in the chit she had given him anyway? He tried to distract himself... Wait, that's it! The chit, it must have had her number. Where was it? Paul looked in the drawer where he had initially found her hanky and bracelet, but the chit was not there. Actually, he was not surprised in the least though. Knowing him, he would have probably crumpled or thrown away something 'that irrelevant'. He was probably experiencing karma. And then, he went to sleep. Calling her was a bad idea, Paul concluded.

~

"2940, sir", Paul answered. The teacher praised him and instructed to sit down. But just then, his mind went blank for a second. 2940. Weren't these the digits on the chit she had handed him?

"Paul? Kindly be seated"

"... Yes, sir." He continued thinking as he sat down. What else did the chit say? Something along 9744? As he recalled, he immediately took out his phone and silently typed those 4 digits while hiding it in the table desk and an unsaved contact popped up. Fortunately for him, he happened to be sitting in the last row. So he opened it and noticed an unanswered message. It said:

"Hey Paul, this is Dawn. I am sorry, I know you don't want to exchange numbers, but just in case you ever need it (you never know), I am sending a text, so that you can save it. I promise I won't annoy or spam you here. Have a good day!"

And then without a thought, he texted her.