Virah left the school carrying a lunchbox full of Pokedollar bills that she had earned throughout lunch as well as the end of the school day.

In total, she had gotten around 800 more Pokedollars from fighting her classmates and the earnings were a net positive sure but she still felt like it wasn’t enough- not when her Weedle works as hard as he does.

Her win-to-loss ratio was around 2/1 which was good but a loss every two wins felt… hollow, or something along those lines.

… overall though, it wasn't a bad first day and she can always improve.

Her ears picked up someone bounding up to her and seconds later, Whitney walked directly behind her. Virah caught her in the corner of her eye and Whitney looked no worse for wear even after catching up the way she did.

Virah had walked several feet ahead because she couldn't be bothered to listen to Whitney go on and on about different things with her friends- which Virah thought the pinkette would go with instead of her but apparently not.

“You should have waited for me,” Whitney whined from behind.

Virah faced her, an odd look on her face, “I will next time,”

“Will you?” Whitney asked.

Virah nodded, “yeah.”

She won't.

Whitney made her way next to Virah, her pink eyes scanning the other girl up and down before moving to the lunchbox she was holding, “you're better than I thought,” she complimented, “why did you only get your first Pokemon now? I've seen you for the last two years?”

Virah… felt odd that Whitney had somehow “seen” her for the last two years but she assumed Whitney, being the extrovert that she is, simply noticed her on occasion.

“I wanted a good Weedle before I start my journey,” Virah's answer was honest, and the follow up was too, even if it sounded insane, “if I wanted to, I could have come up to the school with six Beedrills and wrecked everyone,”

Whitney laughed, “nope, I don't believe you,”

“I'm not planning on convincing you,” Virah replied bluntly, which the extroverted girl mistook as a joke and she laughed again.

“Oh Ho oh- you're actually pretty funny huh?” Whitney's smile reached her ears.

“Am I?” Was she?..

Virah didn't think so.

“Yeah!” Whitney pumped, “I think so at least,” she turned to Virah, a small, soft smile tugging at her lips, “you're like that weird little Grimer following along the great Hoppip!”

“That detective show?-” Glossing over the fact that Virah was just compared to a Grimer, Whitney still watches that thing? “-Isn't that meant for children?”

“Well, yeah-” Whitney emphasized as if it was obvious, “- but I am a kid aren't I?”

“Whitney, you're about to go on your journey,” Virah said seriously.

“And? I'll keep watching that show while I go!” Whitney sounded resolute enough that Virah knew Whitney would actually do it, “no one will say no!”

“Uhuh…” Virah drawled.

Whitney went on to gloss over her dry and speechless response to talk about “girl things” which she has gone over repeatedly for the rest of the way. She picked topics over and over again and changed them without rhyme or reason, and Virah found it… endearing.

Or maybe the warmth in her chest was because she was irritated from listening.

Or maybe, just maybe, she was glad to have someone to talk to and walk with after school.

Whitney seemed to have felt the same way.

They walked- and Whitney talked all the while, - till they reached the intersection that Virah goes into so that she can cut away from the main sidewalk full of people. Virah… wasn't self-conscious, but getting everyone to see where she lived made her feel… bitter, if that's even the right way of calling that particular feeling.

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Anxious maybe was the right word.

“Uh, why did you stop?” Whitney didn't go on as Virah expected- and wished for, - and instead of noticing that Virah was gone a few steps from now and just kept talking about inane things, the upbeat girl instead noticed Virah's disappearance in the same instance that she had stopped walking and now Whitney was staring at her and Virah felt… awkward.

“I- I wanna go here,” she said, hoping she could steer the conversation into convincing Whitney that she didn't need to follow after Virah and that she could go on her way. Alone. And without Virah. And hopefully without discovering the state of Virah's home.

“Why?” Whitney sounded curious and if there's one thing that Virah knew about her friend after spending an entire day with Whitney, is that when the Normal Type specialist is curious, then like her Meowth, nothing will be able to stop her from seeing her curiosity through.

“Well, it's because…” Virah fidgeted, “I don't really want you to see my house,”

“Oh, then don't show it to me until you feel that it's okay? Duh?” Whitney said as if it was obvious and it got Virah to blink.

And Virah, for what felt like since forever, felt her lips curling up into a smile, and eventually, it rose up until they opened and she laughed- and laughed- was it hysteric? Yes. Did- did she feel weird from being stared at? Yes. Was it out of madness- which came from Whitney, clearly, - and insanity? Also yes.

But she was glad, and her chest felt light and as she rubbed the last of the tears that streamed out of her eyes- happiness, bitterness, and sadness would fit the description of those tears, - she looked up at Whitney with a hazy gaze and saw her bright smile and the corona of light surrounding her person.

The sunset, Virah thought, had never looked more beautiful.

And all of that broke when she dared to look away from the angelic scene, “I-”

She faced Whitney again and swears that what she's seeing now wasn't the nigh divine image that had imprinted itself onto her mind; with Whitney's body being darkened by light shadows save for her hair, eyes, and the top of her face.

The light on the edge of her person was still there, and the orange background of the sunset too but Whitney looked… less divine.

Maybe it was because she lacked her warm smile-

Which quickly picked back up the same way Virah's heart raced at the sight.

Whitney pointed at her and Virah felt her cheeks turn rosy, the smile that Whitney had was playful, mischievous, and no different from her Meowth every time Virah caught him pulling off a successful scheme.

Virah stared at Whitney's outstretched finger, at her well polished nails, at her smooth skin, and on the faraway horizon of her whatever-it-is-induced tunnel vision was Whitney's face, bright with happiness-

“You laughed!”

Virah's heart skipped a beat at how happy Whitney sounded for her. No matter how mundane and weird the reason for it may have been.

“I always thought that you were just some gloomy girl!” Whitney put her hand down and grinned, “but I guess you can laugh too huh?”

“I… guess?” Virah sounded uncertain- was uncertain but she answered in a positive because she didn't want to disappoint Whitney. Her earlier laugh was mostly done out of hysterical madness and maybe a bit of mania but Virah had a good reason for doing so, after all, what kind of answer had Whitney given her?!

And Whitney- as if she didn't just- just- do that- moved on! What the hell?!

“Well, we're friends now so-” Whitney propped up a watch on her wrist, “do you have a…?”

"No,” Virah shook her head, “I don't.”

“Oh, that's… fine, I guess.” Whitney shrugged, she put her hand down in swiftness and she shook her wrist around, scoffing, “it's useless, anyways, you know?”

Virah only nodded. “Of course.”

Yes. Useless. The Pokewatch was useless. Of course, it was.

Whitney perked up, “wait- I know- maybe we can go out right now and eat stuff? I think there's a nice cafe around here so whaddya say? Wanna come?”

Virah had been invited, she would have preferred it if Whitney just forced her to do this like how she forced herself around Virah's presence like an annoying Shellder on a Slowpoke's tail but she didn't, and instead, she had given Virah a choice.

Now Virah was conflicted, she wanted to go with Whitney but the ball on her belt itched, Nitro had already been healed by the Chansey in their school infirmary earlier but he needed rest and she also wanted to review all her notes on battling to see where she can improve and figure out if there was a flaw in the way she fought earlier.

Her notes were meticulous and she made sure to write her fights step by step- further helped by asking Whitney, who refereed and watched over all of them, - and she's sure that Virah can find some fault in here at some point and she wanted to spend her evening doing it and then thinking up and writing down more things to do and more moves to initiate during future battles.

But Whitney would be disappointed if she said no and- Virah's heart felt like it was sinking as she opened her mouth to answer- “sorry I can't,”

It hurt to say and her chest was tightening up and Virah felt very confused.

“What? Why?” Whitney's disappointed tone made Virah's heart clench up more.

“I'm busy and-”

“Oh, then we can do it tomorrow right?!” Whitney's excitement came back as though it hadn't even gone missing and Virah liked the enthusiasm but-

“I'll be busy then too,” she answered.

“Uh… then maybe we can do it during the weekend?” Whitney suggested instead.

“I can't, my job- and you got it right, I do work for a Breeding Centre-” Whitney seemed glad to have confirmed that but Virah was just now wondering how the girl even knew about her job, she did her best to keep it secret, how did Whitney know about it? “- and I work for an entire day during the Saturday so-”

“Then Sunday!” Whitney pushed, “you're free then right?!”

“Uh… yes? But I need to train Nitro-”

Whitney stepped up and grabbed her hands, eyes beaming with happiness, “we'll do it together!”

Virah smiled awkwardly, “uh… sure? And I guess I can tutor Meowth then too,”

"Right! You can do that too!” Whitney nodded and looked to the side as if she just realized that now.

“Well, uhm, thanks for the offer, I can't wait to see you on Sunday?” Virah's smile turned soft.

“Tomorrow, we'll see each other tomorrow!” Whitney said, “come on, we only have three months left on school you know?!”

“Yeah,” Virah laughed in agreement, “uhm, I guess you can say I even would have rushed picking a starter if Nitro didn't come around two days ago,”

“Hah!” Whitney laughed, “I was also worried that I wouldn't have found the courage to talk to you too so I guess I feel the same way! Guess we both rushed things huh?!”

“Ahaha?..” Virah laughed awkwardly. What did Whitney mean by that?

“Well, I better get going, see you tomorrow Virah!” And just like that, the girl who had come into Virah's life like a hurricane left the alleyway they hid inside for privacy and left to do… whatever it was that Whitney wanted to do.

“Probably talk about boys or something,” Virah muttered as she moved towards the intersection.

Personally, Virah has never felt anything for boys but Whitney earlier… yeah, that couldn't have been love right?

Right?..