Younger Years (ALTERNATIVE: SAVING HIM)

The Dinner

Serena walked through the halls of the school as the day came to an end. She remembered the dream she had dreamed the previous night. It had been about a boy, and a girl. Both were young and one looked like her, but the boy had messy raven black hair and brown eyes. He was smiling as he ran through the fields of what seemed to be a small rural town. Serena was sure it wasn't in Kalos but then again for all she knew it could be something her mind had made up. Although it had felt so real, almost like it wasn't a dream.

Then Serena was torn from her thoughts by a sudden wall in front of her. As she looked up she realized that the wall she had run into was in fact Red. He turned around with a cold look in his eyes and when they landed on Serena they simply narrowed and he walked away. Serena couldn't help but feel a little annoyed when he ignored her as she called out, "Sorry!"

Red simply kept on walking, it was the end of the day and he and Pikachu had things to do. They soon walked out of the building and quickly made their way to the woods they used to get back and forth to school. Pikachu hopped down from Red's shoulder and walked along side him, before long Pikachus ears perked up and he turned his head. Red turned around as well and saw Serena following them. Red simply turned back and kept walking as he yelled, "Stop following me!"

Serena stomped her foot at being caught following him, but she really wanted to know why he hated her. She had talked to Dawn about it but the conversation ended with Dawn talking about guys she liked. And after Red had ignored her apology she had decided to follow him, and despite being caught she was still gonna follow him. After a while Serena watched Red walk out of the woods and into a house, then she remembered that they were neighbors. She decided to talk to her mom about inviting Red and his family over for dinner the next day so she walked inside her house.

"Hey mom?!" Serena called out.

"Yes dear?" Grace, Serena's mom, responded as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Can we invite the neighbors over for dinner tomorrow?" Serena asked her mother, "Y'know, the new ones?"

"Oh, umm sure? But why do you want to invite them over?" Grace asked her.

"Just want to get to know them better that's all." Serena responded, hoping her mother would drop it.

"Okay then, I'll talk to Delia. I met her this morning while I was gardening, turns out she gardens too!" Grace said happily. 

After dinner Grace called Delia and they made plans, then Serena went to bed. She fell asleep that night, filled with determination to figure out why Red hated her.

As Red was climbing the stairs to go to bed his mother called out to him, "Ash dear! We're going to the neighbors house tomorrow for dinner!" 

Red thought for a moment and then realized who his neighbor was. He stumbled down the stairs and looked at his mother like she was crazy.

"Please tell me you're joking?! Do you know who our neighbor is?!" Red blurted out.

"Yes I do, and you're going to go whether you like it or not young man!" Delia told him with a stern look on her face.

Red hung his head in defeat, knowing he was never going to win an argument with his mother. He walked up the stair and fell to his bed, he knew that the next day was going to be horrible for him.

When Serena woke up the next morning she bolted out the door after getting dressed and grabbing an apple. She had a huge grin on her face because she was finally going to have a chance to find out why Red hated her. She got to the buss stop and nearly tackled Dawn.

"Ahhh!" Dawn yelled as Serena jumped at her, "What's with you?" 

"Tonight I'm eating with Red's family and I'm gonna find out why he hates me so much." Serena told her.

"Why do you care so much anyway? He's just some edgy new kid." Dawn replied.

Serena thought for a moment before saying, "I guess I just want to know what I did wrong because when I told him I wanted to get to know him more he said I already do."

"Well that's weird." Dawn said, "Who says that kinda weird stuff anyway?"

"You're one to talk miss 'I'm gonna ship everyone I meet'." Serena teased her.

"Oh really? How about you and Red?" Dawn teased back, "You know what they say, 'usually the person you argue with the most, is the person you love the most'." 

Serena just slapped the back of Dawns head before laughing a little, "You know I would never cheat on Calem." 

Red walked into the school and made his way to class, dreading the coming evening. He knew that Serena was going to ask him why he hated her so much, but she didn't even seem to remember him so of course he would hate her. She made his life miserable when she left and ever since he hasn't been happy. He remembered when he wrote a letter to her, he got a reply saying that she never wanted to see him again. He had been heartbroken when he read it, his best friend wrote back after so long with that. It hadn't been very long ago, Red realized, that he had written that letter to her. 

As the school day ended Red walked back to his house through the woods and while he was well aware of Serena following him, he chose to ignore it. After a while he arrived at his house and walked inside while Serena walked inside hers. When dinner time rolled around Red and Delia made their way to the Yvonne household.

"Now mom, don't forget. My name is Red." Red reminded his mother.

"I know, I know." Delia responded absent mindedly.

They walked inside to be greeted by Grace and Serena.

"Hey Red!" Serena spoke up as he walked inside.

"Hi." came Reds cold reply.

Red felt his mother lightly smack his arm at his cold attitude.

"Why don't you kids go relax on the couch for a few while I finish dinner, Delia would you mind helping for a sec?" Grace spoke up.

Delia nodded and Red and Serena made their way into the living room, where Serena sat on the couch. Red sat down on the end opposite Serena, but she quickly scooted over to him.

"Red, why don't you like me?" Serena asked him.

"I told you to come back when you figured it out. It should be obvious." Red responded.

"Obvious?" Serena asked, confused.

"Did you not hear the teacher yesterday? Think about my real name and figure it out for yourself." Red told her.

Serena just sat and pondered the thought, 'His real name? Wasn't it Ash? Why should that matter, it's not a reason for him to hate me and I don't know him from anywhere.' 

"Kids, dinner's ready!" Grace called to them.

They both walked in and sat down at the table, after dinner Delia and Red said their goodbyes and began to walk out the door but Red was stopped by Grace.

"Listen 'Red' I know who you really are. You didn't think I would forget my little girls childhood best friend and his mother did you?" Grace told him after pulling him aside.

"Wha-" Red tried to speak.

"Ash, I can tell you and Serena don't get along but don't blame her for forgetting you dear. It has been a long time." Grace tried to reason with him.

"You think that's what bothers me? No if it was just that I could live with sparking her memory." Red said as he walked out the door and to his house.

Grace stood there, confused as to what he meant. As far as she had heard Serena had forgotten her friend and moved on, but maybe she was wrong.

"Serena dear, tell me something. Do you remember where we lived before Kalos?" Grace asked her daughter.

Serena shook her head, as far as she knew they had lived in a different region but she couldn't remember where. Grace simply sighed and went to bed, Serena did the same.

Red walked up his stairs and laid in bed, 'She didn't even tell her mother about the letter?' Red fell asleep, ready to be done with the day.