Promotion

22. Cake molds

Ash was walking back his way to his parents' house when his phone vibrated. He took it out and answered, "Yes, mom?"

You took too long! Where are you?

"I'm around the corner. I got you the fruits."

Okay. Don't go anywhere. Get home directly. No telling Goldenrod city stories to the neighbors. GET HOME NOW!

"Uh. Sure. Bye."

Ash sighed after he hung up. "Bossing me around like this..." He stopped walking when he caught sight of a familiar car parked in front of his parents' house. His heart started beating fast and he quickly headed to the main door.

It was open. He pushed it and got inside.

"Oh, thank God." Delia went toward him and grabbed the groceries bags. She spoke in a lower voice, "Get this mad twiggy woman out of my house."

Ash looked at Misty who was sitting on the couch, crossing her legs.

"These twiggy mad women..." Delia grumbled. She locked herself in the kitchen.

"Good job, Ketchum." Misty stood up. She had no make-up on and her eyes were puffy. "I hope you like the town jobless life. Do you?"

Ash didn't answer.

"Of course. You had to ignore my calls and let me wonder on my own where you'd be. You didn't bother to at least make a sign that you're still alive." Misty snapped. "And I had to drive all the way to this town in the middle of nowhere to be just ignored by you!"

"I'm sorry this town isn't from your level."

"Don't change the subject, Ash!"

"The problem is you, Misty!" Ash shouted at her. "You're a selfish person! You think the whole world turns around you just because you were born rich!"

"What does this have to do with what happened?" Misty cried out. "We're taking about us here! It's about me and you!"

"You're trying to play victim again..." He chuckled sarcastically to himself.

"You left me!" Misty cried out. "You left me, Ash! You walked out on me! You hurt me!"

"You hurt me!" He snapped. "You were lying to me the whole time!"

"No! I wasn't!" She shook her head quickly. "They lied to you!"

"You know that I'm old enough to make my own decisions, right? I don't need anyone to tell me what to do!"

"Gary is an asshole!"

"You're an asshole!"

Misty looked taken aback by that.

"You dated me for the vice-president title, Misty!" Ash spoke up. "If there is an asshole in this, then it's you."

"You're being unfair to me, Ash." She breathed heavily. "It hurts."

"You said you loved me! You lied to me."

"I meant every word I said to you." Misty approached him slowly. "I never lied about my feelings."

Ash didn't move.

"I'm vice-president now, and I'll say it again." She looked him in the eye. "I'm in love with you."

Ash tried to leave but Misty grabbed his arm.

"Don't leave." She put her head on his chest. "Don't leave me, Ash. Please." She wrapped her arms around his torso. "I'm sorry."

"I never lied to you," Ash said. "I meant every word I said."

"I know, Ash." She hugged him tight. "I know."

"If only you spoke to me. If only you said it bothered you that much."

"I didn't care anymore!" Misty pulled away. She frowned. "I no longer cared! I even forgot about it! I totally forgot about it when we started dating!"

Ash sighed. He pulled Misty closer in a hug. "I didn't mean it—calling you an asshole..."

"I know." Misty breathed heavily. "I know."

"I'm sorry for leaving you like that. I was confused."

"I found you and that's what matters."

Ash and Misty looked at each other. Their faces moved forward and they kissed each other on the lips.

"God."

"What?"

"I can't believe I love you from all people." Misty put her hands on Ash's shoulders. "I snap when I hear your voice or see your face. I can literally kill for you."

"Don't kill anyone. If you're in jail, you won't help me get my job back."

"Oh, yeah?"

"You think I want to stay with my mom? You're crazy. Let's get out of here as soon as possible," He told Misty. "Mom is making pie. If we don't leave now, she'll make us do the dishes. I hate washing cake molds."

"I think you're overreacting. It's okay if we help her." She giggled.

"Ash!" Delia called out.

Ash cursed under his breath. His mother came up to them. "You didn't bring the raspberries!"

"You didn't say you wanted raspberries!" He complained.

"Don't be silly. How is pie a pie without raspberries?"

"Thank you for making me look like idiot." Ash nodded.

"It's fine! We'll go buy them." Misty grabbed Ash's arm. "Come on." The redhead dragged her boyfriend with her out of the house.

"She never said she wanted them!"

"It's fine!"

Delia walked to the fence. She watched the two leave with her arms crossed over her chest. She shook her head. "He just talks too much, just like his girlfriend!"

"Hey Delia!" Mr. Petersky has been the Ketchum's neighbors since Ash was a little boy. He was riding his bike when he spotted Ash's mother and paused right beside the gate. "I see you've got company these days!"

"Hey George. Ash is here." Delia raised an eyebrow. "His girlfriend too, so more dishes for me."

"He's finally visiting you, though!" He talked in a whisper. "He's been coming more often since he met that woman! Where is she from, again?"

"Cerulean city."

"And where is that?"

Delia shrugged.  "I don't know."

The middle aged man nodded to himself. "Are they planning to get married?"

"Between us, I really hope they are." Delia stood against the fence of her house. "Ash doesn't seem to have a lot of options considering his age."

"He's a man! He can wait for a few more years!"

"It'd take him ten or twenty more years to find another woman." Delia nodded. "By then, he'd be the same size of the tree in my backyard. He eats too much! You had to see him this morning during breakfast."

"I think you're too harsh on the boy. He works hard and he doesn't have time to exercise!"

"Wait, I need to trim that tree..." Delia put her hand over her cheek.

George gulped. He waved at her. "See you soon, Delia!" And he quickly took off.

"Seriously?" Delia crossed her arms over her chest. "No wonder no one wants these men nowadays!"