Woops, I haven’t updated this since May… ^^; I guess life’s just been getting in the way, you know? Anyway, it’s still nice to get some reviews.
Chapter 3: A Day In the Life of Gary Oak
OMNISCIENT NARRATOR’S POV
Four years, you think for sure that’s all you have to endure. All the total dicks, all the stuck-up chicks. So superficial, so immature.
But we don’t need to use the whole song here. You get the idea.
And it’s here at Pallet Town High School where our story begins. Just like any high school, achieving popularity is the ultimate pinnacle for most. Those who want it don’t have it, and those who have it abuse it. Well, there’s always an exception to that rule.
Meet Riley, a 17-year old Senior here at PTHS. He’s tall, well read, courteous, and extremely well dressed. The eldest of the trio, girls and guys alike will swoon at his appeal. Yet he doesn’t say much. And when he does speak, there’s never a negative word to be found. He always sees the good in everything, and strives to be polite to all. You’d think a guy like that would be off the beaten track in terms of high school popularity, but how can you go wrong when you’ve got the total package?
Then there are his friends, who more fit the high school popularity quota.
Where there’s Riley, there’s Drew. Despite being the shortest of the popular boys, his larger-than-life attitude more than makes up for it. Unlike Riley, whose silence does not attract crowds of girls, Drew can always be seen with at least three girls tagging along behind him. Coupled with his family’s riches, Drew’s ego is easily his biggest asset. Popularity and good looks do nothing for his outlook on the unpopular, nor do they keep him particularly intelligent. Thankfully, Drew’s year-younger Sophomore cheerleader girlfriend, May, keeps him grounded.
And of course, no Pallet High most popular boy trio is complete without their leader, Gary Oak. 16 and a Sophomore, he’s the youngest of the group. Yet since his arrival at Pallet High at the start of the school year, he brought the spark that ignited the clear separation of the popular kids. He’s extremely intelligent, yet he chooses to use it manipulatively. By getting good grades and becoming friends with the teachers, they’re less likely to punish Gary for his wrongdoings. He knows how to push peoples’ buttons, how to get them to say or do what he needs them to do. His crafty sweet-talking is ultimately what landed him his position of leadership within the group.
Unlike his older companions, Gary sees fit to bully anyone he pleases, with little no regard for the consequences. So it shouldn’t surprise you that his favorite victim is none other than his across-the-street neighbor, Ash Ketchum. Ash was constantly the victim of cruel jokes and tricks throughout the year, all of which were too easy for Gary to pull off. He never got tired of frustrating the poor boy and having a laugh at his expense. They say Gary’s selectiveness is part of an incident some seven years prior to Gary’s return to Pallet Town. But Gary doesn’t want to talk about it. He’d dismiss the question with a wave of his hand with an order to drop the subject.
Still, it didn’t stop the entire student body from wondering whatever happened between them.
* * *
“They’re here!” the anonymous whisper set the stage for the grand entrance. The front doors blew open as Gary, flanked by Drew and Riley, glided down the halls with ease. People stood up against their lockers, leaving as much room as possible in the middle of the halls. Occasionally, one of them would say a few words to another student. But lord help you if you stood in the way of their morning trek.
“Look at that, it’s disgusting!” Ash whispered fiercely. “Every day it’s like the parting of the Red Sea, all because Gary and his friends are popular.”
The criticism went right over Jun’s head, for he stood in complete reverence of the trio.
“Jun!”
“Huh?” Jun’s gaze was still glassy as his eyes met Ash’s.
Ash sighed and laid his head onto his locker door. “Nevermind.”
* * *
Now March 31st, it was no surprise to Drew and Riley that Gary would be out to pull a particularly extreme prank on Ash. That day at lunch, Gary surveyed the cafeteria. He was still undecided.
“You gonna eat already, or what?” Drew quipped, waving a piece of sushi tantalizingly before Gary.
“Please, keep that smelly dish away from me. You know how much I hate it,” Gary shrank back, covering his mouth with his hand.
Drew chuckled and swiftly ate the sushi. “Baby.” After a moment’s silence, he spoke up again. “So you got your prank for Ketchum ready? You’d better fill us in if you expect us to help.”
“Speak for yourself,” Riley murmured over the top of the book he was reading. Drew rolled his eyes at him.
“I dunno yet,” Gary leaned back in his chair, putting his hands up behind his head. “There’s nothing good I can do at school without getting in trouble.”
“You? Get in trouble? As if! You’re Gary Oak, schmoozer of teachers and administrators alike! You hardly got into any trouble all year,” Drew leaned onto the table. “What makes you think that they’ll bust you tomorrow?”
Gary shrugged. “Meh. Someone’s bound to tell if I go too far.”
“So then do something outside of school. You can’t get in trouble if you’re off the grounds.”
Gary shrugged again. “We’ll see. Besides, it’s not like I have time tonight anyway. Giselle’s coming over.”
Drew grinned. “Nice!” The two boys slapped five. “So? You gonna do it?”
Gary smiled hesitantly back. “Well, I was thinking –”
“No, no thinking,” Drew snapped. “Remember the code? You installed it, and you know the rules! After 3 months exactly, you do the deed. Break up with her,” he crossed his arms adamantly.
“Come on, do you honestly expect that rule to last for the rest of high school? What about you and May?” he teased.
“Hey man, you agreed to make an exception after Riley vouched for me,” Drew teased back. Riley nonchalantly flipped a page in his book.
“So, what? Are you just gonna cop out like I did? I thought you only hooked up with her cuz she was on the rebound anyway,” Drew questioned. He sensed a weakness in his fearless leader.
After a moment’s hesitation, Gary grinned at him. “Hell no, I’m not a little bitch like you.” The two boys slapped another high five. Riley rolled his eyes.
“The usual, then? Dinner, hot tubbing, and tears?”
Gary looked right into Drew’s eyes, his dazzling green ones flashing impishly. “You know how I do.”
* * *
Indeed, within a few short hours, Giselle experienced just what Gary could do. After a few harsh words and a dramatic exit, the brunette leaned into a bubbling jet stream to help wash away the day’s difficulties.
A sudden bright light caused his eyes to snap open – it was a shooting star, streaking across the middle of the street, brilliantly visible to anyone on the street.
He closed his eyes and leaned back once again. “I wish I could live a different life.”
To Be Continued!
Song Used: “High School Never Ends” by Bowling For Soup
Muaha! A filler – aren’t I evil? Well, not really a filler, but it’s delaying the big dramatic élément déclencheur, as they say in French. What could it be, I wonder? Stay tuned for the next chapter!
Later days!