It has been more than a year now. I haven't been able to contact or see her. Is she alright? Will I never be able to see her again? I don't know why I miss the only person who irritated me everyday. Yeah, I miss you... a lot...
Read to find out wha...
The rain drummed steadily on the ground around them, an endless torrent that filled the heavy silence between Ash and Serena. For a moment, neither of them moved, the tension palpable. Their eyes locked-his full of concern, hers guarded, with a bitterness Ash had never seen before.
But then, Serena's face shifted. She broke eye contact, her gaze hardening as she turned away with a scoff, shaking her head slightly as if she couldn't believe what was happening.
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"Oh no," she muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Not Ash Ketchum of all people. Hell nah." She let out a bitter chuckle, wiping some of the rain from her face with the back of her hand, though it was a futile effort. The water just kept pouring down, soaking them both.
Ash blinked, taken aback by her sudden hostility. He opened his mouth to say something, but Serena wasn't done.
"Let me guess," she continued, still not looking at him, her voice sharp and cutting. "You're feeling pretty great right now, huh? Seeing me like this? Your *past bully*-" she spat the words out with a venom that made Ash flinch, "-all disheveled, sitting in the gutter like some nobody? Must be a real treat for you."
"Serena, it's not like that," Ash began, his voice soft, trying to reach her through whatever anger or pain she was holding onto. "I wasn't-"
But she didn't let him finish.
"Yeah, right." Serena turned back to him now, her sapphire blue eyes flashing with a mix of anger and frustration, though beneath it, Ash could see something else-something darker. "Save it. You're probably living your best life, aren't you? I bet you couldn't wait to tell all your high school friends how well things are going for you. Meanwhile, look at me," she said, gesturing to herself with a bitter smile. "I mean, come on-just take a good look. Here I am, on the streets. Pretty funny, right?"
Ash shook his head, struggling to find the right words. "Serena, I'm not here to make fun of you. I just-"
"Oh, please," she cut him off again, her voice tinged with annoyance but also something more-a sadness that made Ash's chest tighten. "Spare me the sympathy act. Anyway, how've you been holding up, huh? Better than me, I'm guessing?"
Ash opened his mouth to answer, but the words died in his throat. What was he supposed to say to that? He couldn't lie-his life *had* been better, at least compared to whatever Serena was going through now. But admitting that felt wrong, especially when she was sitting here, drenched and clearly hurting. And yet, there was no point pretending everything was fine either.
Instead, he asked the question that had been burning in his mind since the moment he saw her. "Why are you out here, Serena? What happened?"
Serena's expression darkened, her eyes narrowing as she gave him an incredulous look. "What do you mean, 'why am I here?'" she snapped, her voice rising. "This is my hometown too, you know. Or did you forget that, dumbass?" The insult was sharp, but Ash could hear the cracks beneath it.
