My Second Chance

Three

"I'm coming to see you" Noelle read aloud, "I mean, how creepy is that?!" She shouted, flopping onto her bed.

She rolled over onto her stomach and glared at her phone, "Not to mention totally cryptic..."

Luxio jumped onto the bed next to Noelle and curled up into a ball. In a matter of seconds, the yellow Pokémon was snoring. Grotle laid by the window, enjoying the cool night breeze. Misdreavus was still downstairs finishing the last of its dinner, and would most likely remain downstairs with Noelle's father, as the downstairs area always smelled liked baked goods thanks to him.

Deciding she'd had enough screen time for awhile, Noelle got up to take a shower. She, of course, had to wait since she and her sister shared a bathroom and her sister was inside.

Noelle knocked on the door, "Violet if you don't get out of that bathroom, so help me-"

A young girl with dark pink hair stepped out of the bathroom and yawned, a Piplup in her arms.

"What's the big rush?" Violet yawned, "Got a big date tonight, Muffin?" She smirked.

Noelle felt her ears get hot, "You saw the interview?"

"Everyone did," Violet said, rolling her eyes, "I'd be surprised if anyone didn't."

Noelle pushed past her sister into the bathroom, "Well that's just great."

"You didn't deny that it's a date!~" Violet sang.

A door was suddenly slammed in the girl's face.

"And she says I'm dramatic!"

After a nice, long, and searing hot shower, Noelle stepped back into her room and changed into her pajamas. She threw her towels on the floor and stared at them. She decided she would pick them up later. She also decided that she would probably forget.

She struggled to brush her hair for fifteen minutes before putting it in its usual braid. Keeping her hair tied up while she slept was the only way it was tameable in the morning. She cursed her father for her curly hair. Noelle looked around the room to find all her Pokémon sleeping soundly. She smiled.

Then, she heard something roll across the floor, followed by an, "Oops."

Noelle steeled herself for the imminent awkward conversation that would most definitely arise. Was he really home already?

"Sorry Muffin, I thought your window was closed."

Being neighbors with him was fun...when they were kids. The older they got, the weirder it got, especially in those moments they thought they were alone. There were plenty of things they'd both seen but promised never to speak of again. It's not always a Taylor Swift music video, being friends with your neighbor.

A thought coursed through Noelle's body, "Please tell me you weren't there while I was changing." She groaned, turning around.

Niko was leaning on his arms on his windowsill, towards Noelle's open window. His hair seemed to somehow bring light to the darkness of night. He climbed out of his window and sat on the protruding part of the roof underneath his window. Both of their houses had one, which was fun for them growing up, but it had lost its novelty for Noelle years ago.

"No I did not," Niko said, stretching, "I'm still a firm believer that you should close your curtains, ya know."

Noelle scrunched up her nose as she realized they were wearing nearly the same thing: gray sweatpants and black hoodies. She hated that it probably happened accidentally as well. The only difference was Niko's signature white scarf around his neck.

Noelle turned the lights off in her room and climbed outside onto the roof. She closed the window behind her.

"Oh it's one of these," Niko said, "Alright."

Niko turned and closed his window, "I love that we're matching right now, Muffin! Even after all these years we're still so in sync!"

Noelle hugged her knees to her chest and glared at the boy in front of her. Niko frowned and stuffed his hands in the hoodie's pocket, "Don't look at me like that, Nellie." He begged.

"Why not? I'm just supposed to forget that you left and never came home? That you forgot that we were friends?" Noelle asked, an edge to her words.

"I never forgot we were friends! I've just been busy this past year, ya know...?"

"Why do you send me 'You up?' texts?" Noelle hissed.

Niko blushed, "They don't mean what you think they mean!"

"And what's with the creepy texts lately? 'I wanna see you'? 'I'm coming to see you'? Creepy!"

Niko looked away, "Sorry. I just miss you, ya know? We used to be so close..."

"You stopped texting."

"So did you."

The pair sat in silence for awhile. The cold night breeze whirled around them, making Noelle clutch her hoodie for warmth. Niko seemed unbothered by the cold.

Noelle knew Niko, and she could tell when he was lying. She had no doubt that he missed her, and honestly, she missed him too. However, that wasn't why he was here and she knew it.

"Why are you here, Niko?" Noelle asked.

Niko let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the back of his neck, "Can't a guy just come and see his childhood best friend?"

Noelle said nothing and narrowed her eyes at him.

Niko sighed again and pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. He reached over and handed it to Noelle, who unfolded it upon acquiring it. It was a flyer for some tournament type event.

"I..." Niko muttered. He cleared his throat, "Jubilife hosts this battle tournament every year and...I think you should enter."

Noelle tsked, "As if I'd ever enter something like this. I'd lose by a long shot."

"Muffin-"

"Why are you trying to get me to enter anyway?" Noelle asked sadly, looking down at the flyer, "It's not like you ever thought I was strong all those years ago..."

"That's not true," Niko said slowly, "Plus..."

He chuckled nervously, "I already signed you up so now you have to go!"

Noelle's jaw dropped, "Can you do that? Legally?"

"Well, no. What I actually did was hype up that an old friend of mine was competing and that I'd bet my title that they win."

"Ah. So this is about you?"

"I still think you could really win, though!" Niko argued.

Noelle turned and opened her window, "No thanks."

She climbed inside and went to close the window.

"Muffin!" Niko shouted.

"Don't call me that!" Noelle hissed, slamming the window shut and closing her curtains furiously.

She crumbled the flyer up and tossed it across the room. She heard it land, but it was too dark to see where. She felt around blindly for her bed and collapsed into it and underneath the covers. Luxio sensed movement and moved under the blankets to snuggle its trainer. Noelle fell asleep to the sound of her Pokémon's breathing and pebbles bouncing off her window.