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The display on his phone read 11:59 PM and the trainer sat up, typing out a message. He waited for the exact moment the display changed to 12:00 AM to click send. 'Happy Birthday Cass! BD' Gabriel grinned when less than a minute later his friend’s picture appeared on the screen as his phone started ringing. He quietly went outside before answering the call.
“You’re still awake? I bet you’re all amped up waiting for presents aren’t you?” he teased.
“I’m all amped up waiting for you!” He was glad she couldn’t see the way his face warmed at her response. “You’re going to be home tomorrow aren’t you?” she asked. Gabe could hear the pout in her voice and he sighed.
“Of course I’ll be home. I promised you I would be, didn’t I?”
“Yeeaaah, you did. . . So, how did the competition go?”
The young man rubbed the back of his neck. “Would you believe I got eliminated in my second battle?” Another soft sigh escaped his lips. He wished that he hadn’t bothered staying so he could be with his friend now, but he had thought that the competition experience would be worth it. He’d expected to do a little better, however, and was cursing himself for staying. As it was, he’d be catching a train home in the early morning so he could be there for Cassie’s birthday party; he hadn’t missed one since he’d met her.
“Aww. I bet it’s because I wasn’t there cheering you on, huh? You have to tell me the next one you’re gonna participate in and I’ll take a day off and make Ethan drive me to come see.”
“I’d like that. I can’t show such an embarrassing performance to you so I’ll have to do better! For now, though, you had better get to sleep, Cass. I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon, okay?”
“Okay~ I’ll be expecting a hug when I see you, so you’d better not disappoint! Goodnight Gabe!”
He grinned. “Goodnight Cass.” He closed his phone and went back inside the Pokémon center where there was a room for traveling trainers. He slid back into his cot and after triple checking that his alarms were in place, he let himself slowly fall asleep.
Cassie had a much harder time falling asleep with all of her built up excitement. She couldn’t wait to see Gabe tomorrow and celebrate her birthday with him, but she had some lingering doubts about whether he’d really make it. He had promised her though. . . With that thought in mind she eventually found enough comfort to get to sleep.
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Gabe’s alarm woke him much earlier than he would have liked. He rubbed his eyes, trying to wake himself up before he was tempted to lie back down and fall asleep again. It was a long train back home; he’d have time to sleep once he was on it. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, the young trainer made his way to the train station down the street. Others were gathered around waiting for the train to arrive and he settled in among them. He ran into another contestant from yesterday’s competition and made small talk with the man until the train arrived at 6 o’clock on the dot. Gabe slung his pack onto his shoulder and stepped aboard. The train filled quickly and then started back along the tracks. Gabriel pulled his phone from his pocket and shot off a quick text before settling in for the long ride home.
‘Morning birthday girl! Omw home, I’ll see you this afternoon ok? Save me a piece of cake :p’
It was a few hours before he got a response from Cassie, the lazy butt that she was, but the moment he heard his phone ringing the boy grinned, sitting up in his seat. He’d been slipping in and out of sleep, but didn’t want to miss the chance to talk to Cass now that she had woken up.
“I’ll have you know that if you aren’t home by four, then I’m eating your slice!”
“Oh~? Eat my slice and you aren’t gonna get your present,” he teased.
“You can’t do that!” she whined, just as he expected her to. A laugh escaped him as he stared out the window.
“I dunno, eat my slice and see what happ-“ A cry on the other end of the line made him stop mid-sentence as he heard muffled words being exchanged.
“Get off of me!” “Who are you talking to?” “None of your bus-” “So it’s Gabe.” “Mayb-” “Stop hitting on my sister first thing in the morning you creep! Seventeen is still too young to date!” “Get out of here you big butthead!” “Breakfast is read-” “Out!”
Gabe’s brows knit together and he rubbed his forehead. He’d forgotten what a joy Cassie’s older brother was since he’d been away. How could he forget that Ethan would be there for her birthday?
“Having fun there?” he asked with a grin.
“No! Ethan just came in and sat on me! But my birthday breakfast is ready, so I have to go downstairs or dad will be up here next and he’s heavier than Ethan. I can’t wait to see you later; let me know when you’re close!”
“I will Cass, see you later.” He sighed after he hung up, knowing he still had long hours to go. Gabe played games on his phone to entertain himself for a while, and then took to staring out the window. He could hardly wait to be home and see Cassie but eventually he dozed off. Even if he slept all the way home, he had an alarm set for half an hour before the train was supposed to arrive so he wouldn’t miss his stop.
Gabriel practically jumped out of his seat at a loud screeching sound and a rough stop. He barely managed to catch his bag in the overhead shelf before it tumbled down. A quick glance outside showed that the train had stopped, but it looked like they were in the middle of a forest instead of at a station. He checked his phone and saw that it was almost two; he was only a couple of hours away from home. . . Other passengers were getting up and peering out of their windows, wondering what was going on. Gabe sat back down and grew anxious as he waited for an announcement to find out what was wrong. Hopefully it wouldn’t take long and he would be home in no time. Cass was waiting for him and he’d promised her he’d be back for her birthday.
It was an agonizingly long fifteen minutes before an announcement blared through the train. “Due to a Pokémon on the tracks, the train had to make an emergency stop. Travel will proceed when the Pokémon has been removed. We apologize for the delay.” Gabe’s heart sank. How long would they be delayed? Word slowly traveled through the cars that it was a Snorlax blocking the tracks and he knew that it would be a while before they were moving. He knew he had to call Cass, but he so wasn’t looking forward to hearing her disappointment on the other end of the line.
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Cass was surrounded by family and friends and was having a great time with everyone, even though it was obvious to everyone that she was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the person she wanted to see most. Still, she was kept busy by her older brother Ethan, her cousin Val, her cousin’s friend Gilly, various family and friends from in town, and particularly by her cousin’s boyfriend who was a popular idol she happened to be a fan of. She’d already requested at least a dozen songs from him and he was a real hit with the guests, with Ethan being perhaps the only exception. Cass didn’t mean to hog him, but she thought her cousin seemed relieved his attention was elsewhere for a bit – she wished Gabe showered her in as much attention as Kai did with Val. The birthday girl was giving him a break and scarfing down a hotdog from off the barbecue when she heard her phone ring. As soon as she saw the picture on the incoming call, she answered, despite her mouth being full.
“Gabe? Are you at the station? You’re home?” she asked in a rush, her words garbled by the food in her mouth. She heard a soft sigh on the other end. Cass swallowed her food before a hesitant, “Gabe?”
“I’m not home yet. I’m still a couple of hours away, but the train’s been delayed.” Cass’s heart sank, but she stayed quiet, hoping to hide her disappointment. “There’s a Snorlax sleeping on the tracks. The Pokéflute didn’t wake it up and nobody on board has a strong enough Pokémon to help move it, but they’ve called the nearest town for help. I’m hoping someone has a Machamp or something strong to move it. I’m sure we won’t be stopped too long Cass and I’ll let you know as soon as we’re moving again. I’m really sorry Cass.” She could tell he was already really upset, so she did her best to hide how upset she was.
“It’s okay Gabe. . . I know you’ll be here since you promised. When do you think you’ll get here now?”
“I’m not really sure Cass. It’s already been about an hour since we were stopped. It might be another hour before we get going. . . So maybe around six? It’ll be a little later, but I’ll be there, I won’t break my promise okay?”
“Okay. . . I’m not saving you any cake though,” she responded, trying to joke around before she let herself get too down. A laugh on the other end made the corners of her mouth turn up in a smile.
“That sounds fair. I’ll see you soon Cass.”
“See ya soon Gabe!” She put her phone away with a frown before rejoining the others. A little while later she received a text. She opened it eagerly, hoping Gabe was headed out again but the text said that he’d sent her something for when she was getting her cake. She wanted to open the file now, but she waited until the cake was brought out and hushed everyone to play the video. Cass smiled when she saw Gabe on the screen and he started singing happy birthday to her; she could hear other train passengers joining him in the background and the guests at her party joined in as well. He blew a kiss at her at the end of the video, looking embarrassed and she couldn’t hide her joy as she blew out her candles. The video was enough to hold her over until he arrived.
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Gabriel hoped that the video made Cass happy because the train had still yet to start moving. His face was still red just from blowing her a kiss, but it was worth it if it bought him a little more time. But, he was really starting to panic now. It was nearing sunset and help hadn’t arrived, and the Snorlax hadn’t budged. He was really starting to worry about keeping his promise. He joined a group of passengers that had traveled outside to see the Pokémon firsthand. He’d seen one before, but it had been on the smaller side. This Snorlax was massive. Gabe approached the huge Pokémon and tried to push it, well aware of how ineffective such a move would be. As expected, the Pokémon didn’t move an inch and he was immediately approached by an employee from the train who asked him to stop.
“Are we just going to sit here all night? If help isn’t coming, shouldn’t we just try to move it ourselves?” he asked, having trouble hiding his irritation. A few other passengers echoed his complaints and gathered around the slumbering Pokémon. Despite protests from the train employees, many passengers began unleashing their larger Pokémon; Gabe even released his Arcanine from its Pokéball. After about an hour of pushing on it, pulling on it, attempting to wrap it in vines for better leverage, aggressively playing the Pokéflute at it, and watching one man climb on top of it and pat the thing’s face, Gabe collapsed on the ground and recalled his Arcanine.
The train wasn’t moving any time soon; he had to find another way home. The town was pretty far away and he didn’t think he could afford a cab anyway. He spent about five minutes frantically trying to find another way home before going around begging asking if he could buy someone’s bicycle off of them. It would take him at least twice as long as the train to get there, but if he pushed hard enough, he’d make it home before midnight. He had to be home for Cass.
Someone finally took pity on him after he explained the situation and he set off down the tracks; he knew there wasn’t a train coming down them any time soon. His legs tired and he felt out of breath, but he didn’t stop. It wasn’t until the chain knotted up that he was forced to take a break. Gabe tried to fix it, but it was stuck. He checked his phone for the time. There were at least a dozen missed calls from Cass and he saw that he only had a couple more hours. He sighed and fired off a quick text.
‘I’m almost home Cass. I’ll be there, I promise.’
Gabriel called out his Arcanine and climbed on the Pokémon’s back. “Can you get us home, boy? I need you.” His Pokémon barked as if to say that he would before setting off at a run. Gabe appreciated the opportunity to catch his breath and rest his legs, though he felt bad about leaving the bike behind and worried about tiring out his Arcanine. Eager as he was to please his trainer, however, the Pokémon made it all the way to the edge of Gabe’s family’s farm before he collapsed and whined for a break. “Thank you, buddy. Watch the bags and rest until I come back.” Gabriel hugged the Pokémon, burying his face in its fur before he took off for Cassie’s house at a run. There was only minutes left before midnight, but he was going to make it!
The clock read 11:55 when he reached the steps to her porch. He raced up them and leaned against the door, knocking furiously. Her dad answered, looking fierce and angry until he saw who it was. “Cass. Five minutes. Present. Please,” Gabe got out between gasping breaths. Her dad turned with a sigh, but then Gabe heard hurried footsteps running downstairs. His arms were ready and open when she burst through the doorway and wrapped him in a hug. He grinned. “Happy Birthday Cass. I made it just in the nick of time.” Their hug was cut short, however, when she punched him on the arm.
“You idiot! What took you so long!” she demanded, looking pouty.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. The Snorlax on the tracks wouldn’t budge and I’ve been biking and riding Arcanine for hours to get here. I kept my promise didn’t I?”
She glanced away. “You did.”
“So you want your present?” The way her eyes lit up made his long trek worth it and his smile widened. He pulled a long, thin box from his pocket and offered it to her. The bow had looked better before his crazy trip back, but she didn’t seem to mind as she opened it up. Inside was a necklace; it had a thing gold chain and the charm was a small golden Magikarp like the one he had won her before he left on his journey. He’d thought of Cass the moment he saw it and had to get it for her. There was also an assortment of snacks he’d picked up for her, but this was her main present. “Here, let me put it on you.” She turned around and he fastened the clasp. Gabe relished in the moment, watching her look down at her new necklace happily until he realized that her dad was still standing in the doorway watching them.
The man grinned. “Sounds like you had a long day Gabriel. You hungry? I’ll grab you a slice of cake Cassie saved for you.” Gabe nodded, looking away embarrassed as her dad disappeared into the house.
Cass took advantage of his embarrassment to steal another hug. She tried to stand on her tippy toes and steal a kiss, but he pulled away just in time. “What are you doing Cass? Your dad and Ethan are right inside?” he whispered.
“But it’s my birthday and you were so late. I want a kiss!” she insisted, still trying to push herself up on her toes and get him.
Sweat beaded on Gabe’s forehead. There’d been no sign of Ethan so he was probably knocked out for the night. He could hear dishes clanking in the kitchen, so her dad would be occupied for at least a few more minutes. He looked down at Cassie who was struggling to reach him. She settled back down flat on her feet seeming to give up and that’s when he made his move. Gabe cupped her face and leaned down to close the gap between them, pressing his lips against hers. He’d avoided doing this for a long time, but after making her wait so long and feeling like he’d disappointed her, he wanted to give her something really special. And he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to kiss her too. She pulled away first, but it was more so because her legs seemed to have gone weak and she was collapsing in his arms.
“Cassie, please. Your dad is coming right now,” he begged, pulling her back up. She had the biggest, most idiotic grin on her face and she was blushing and he just prayed that her dad didn’t connect the dots. Cass let out a giggle before her dad reappeared with a slice of cake and two forks. He quirked a brow at Cassie, but didn’t say anything as Gabe took the plate and the two settled onto the porch swing. From the knowing grin he flashed, however, Gabe was sure that he knew something had happened and his face burned. He was grateful that her dad wasn’t quite as hard on him as Ethan was.
“Can I have another one?” Cass asked as she offered him a bite of cake.
His face grew warm again as he took it, shaking his head. “No you can’t.”
“You’re no fun,” she pouted, but her smile returned quickly. She looked very pleased with herself and he hoped that he had made up for being late. The two shared the slice of cake and then settled onto the porch swing next to each other. When Cassie’s dad came to check on them about twenty minutes later, he found them both asleep with their heads resting against each other. He sighed and brought out a light blanket to cover them up. They wouldn’t need much on the warm, summer night. The two slept peacefully curled up together – at least until Ethan found them in the morning and stirred up trouble.