The Ship in Friendship

3. So over so done

"Hey Misty! Come on in!"

"Hey Lucy." Misty got inside after closing the door. "I brought some pastries."

"Oh, thank you!" Lucy rushed to get the coffee from the kitchen. "Make yourself comfortable!"

Misty put the pastries on the table and sat on the sofa. Lucy's apartment wasn't that far from theirs, but it was way smaller. She had one bedroom, a little living area with an open kitchen and one small bathroom. Misty was sure Brock was going to get annoyed at the only one bathroom. He was the type of people who spent a lot of time in there - and so was Lucy. But, well, maybe that's how Lucy got attracted to him. Brock groomed himself. Misty was probably dating him in another dimension.

"I brought you some milk, just in case." Lucy sat beside her. "It's soy milk!"

"Thanks." Misty chuckled. She added some milk to her coffee. "How's work?"

"Not very good at the moment. My manager is a total pain." Lucy sighed. "I'm currently looking for something else and it's really stressing."

"That's really bad. I hope you find a new job. It's important for your mental health."

"You're lucky you don't have a manager!"

"The school director is a bit of a pain in the butt, but I really don't care about her." Misty shrugged. She worked in a swimming school; she had her students, her schedules. She was almost the boss of herself.

"And Ash's job is so laid back! It must be really cool to work at a startup."

"Well, yes, Ash is having the time of his life."

"And you're going to be living with him now." Lucy spoke in a whisper and giggled. "How exciting!"

Misty ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm... not sure?"

"How can you not be sure?" Lucy gasped. "It's going to be just you and the guy you like!"

Misty let a chuckle. "I don't like Ash in that way."

"It's fine, Misty. You can tell me."

"I don't like him." Misty insisted. "Ash is like the brother I never had. He's dear to me but-"

"Cut the bullshit, Misty."

Misty paused for a moment. She put down her coffee on the table and told Lucy, "The idiot knocked on my door in the middle of the night and asked if I could go out with him. I mean, how insensitive do you have to be to do that? How can you mess with something as important and serious as that?"

"And you felt offended because you like him and the way he did it upset you?"

"Look, Lucy, Ash is a guy I loved at some point of my life, okay?" Misty admitted. "But I grew out of it, you know? I'm over him. I buried everything deep inside. I don't feel anything anymore. I'm moving to the next step. Life goes on."

"Okaay..." Lucy leaned back. "I mean, he's into you so it's a loss you've moved on."

"I don't think he is but nothing matters anymore." Misty shrugged. She grabbed back her coffee and took a small sip.

"And do you have someone in your life now? Someone special?" Lucy smiled. "We could do a double date."

"I'm..." Misty licked her lips. "... not sure."

"It'd be ideal if you and Ash could come together with me and Brock but hey, you said you're over him...." Lucy rolled her eyes and dug her spoon into a chocolate caramel pastry.

Misty chuckled. "Oh my God. It'd be a disaster. Ash and I always find something to fight about – of course, I'm right most of the time but Ash hates when I'm right. He's competitive about everything."

"But he acts that way with you, not with Brock!" Lucy exclaimed. "That means something, right?"

"Not really. We're just very, uhm, well, old friends."

"I don't know. I just see this..."

Misty shook his head. "I got over my feelings a very time ago. By the time I graduated college, I was done with Ash. So done, Lucy."

"And is he seeing someone?"

"He never said anything about anyone." Misty said. "And I doubt he is, you know? Ash just wants to make video games."

"And be with you." Lucy teased.

Misty shrugged it off and took a sip of her coffee.